Story: Dragon Lady of Macross (all chapters)

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Forward: This Story will be a Robotech/Ranma 1/2 x-over. I have to say that while the idea plagued me for quite some time, the two mix about as well as oil and water. The reason for this is that Robotech is pretty much exclusively technology based. There is no precedent for magic in it, so bringing in Ranma, who just isn't Ranma without a Nyannichaun curse, sort of clashes with the Robotech Universe. I did it anyway, as my muse dictated.

While I will try to adhere to the Robotech Macross Saga timeline, I haven't been very religious about the rest of the details of the Robotech Universe. Things that were changed were done to increase that realism, particularly in reference to the military. I have converted the RDF command structure to a Naval model structure (except for the Marines). The ground units will be called Marines, as they are based on a Naval vessel. The Veritech squadrons will start out in the traditional four plane flight format with two or more flights forming a squadron. They will go to a three plane flight later in the story, although some squadrons will still use the four plane format.

Other changes were made to update the Robotech Universe to a more modern model, ala the SciFi Channel's update of Battlestar Galactica. Namely, there will be female combat pilots from the very beginning. This will also be an enlightened military in which sexual preference doesn't cause everyone to freak out. WARNING: Lesbianism ahead!

A word on clichés...the Ranma universe is one of the most popular universes to write fan fiction in. That means that after you read about the first ten or so stories, everything is cliché afterward. The challenge is to put the clichés together in an original way. I hope I have done that here, but given the limitations of the Robotech Timeline, it's very difficult to do something totally original. All I can say is that I took the same set of situations from the Robotech canon, that others have written about before, and tried to put a unique spin on them. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Hopefully the over all story made up for the times it didn't.

The Ranma in this story is NOT the canon Ranma. This Ranma was changed by the events surrounding the crash of the SDF-1 on Earth. This was a huge wake up call for him and he made choices about where he wanted his life to go early on. He is more educated than the canon version and knows how to use his brain. He is also more pragmatic that the canon. Ranma is 23 when this story begins and as such is much more mature. What does this mean? OOC! Consider yourself warned and don't whine about it. wink

This story contains very harsh language and citrusy scenes. If such things offend you, don't read it.

And lastly, but not leastly grin, I don't own Ranma or Robotech. They belong to their respective copyright holders as do the various song lyrics that appear in potions of the story. I used it all without permission for non-profit non-monetary purposes. It is meant as a tribute to the original creators of these brilliant anime.

As always, I wrote this story for my enjoyment and am sharing it with you for yours. Comments are welcome. If you want a reply, leave an email address or email me directly. It also bears mentioning that this story is for all intents and purposes complete in its entirety. The chapters (30 of them) will be posted as they come out of final proofing. Changes to the story itself will be unlikely, but if you wish to point out errors in chronology, grammar, or typos, they would be welcome.

Chapter 1

June 2008...

Lieutenant Ranma Saotome stared pensively out the window of the transport aircraft as it orbited Macross Island, awaiting clearance for approach. She absently played with the crimson end of her French braid as she got her first view of the object that put her life on a very different path over 8 years ago.

When the Visitor, now called the SDF-1 crashed on Earth those many years ago, it had been during one of Ranma's short periods of attendance in school. That event was all anyone was talking about, be they students or teachers, and it was also the thing that caused Ranma to realize that there was more to life than just martial arts, in spite of what his father said. This was something Ranma wanted to be a part of, maybe even going out into space. He had talked to his teachers about it at the time and one thing became clear, if he wanted to do anything, he would have to get an education. So he made arrangements to continue his education via correspondence when his father eventually decided that they needed to be back out on the road. He convinced Genma to allow his studies by telling him it would keep the authorities off their backs for Ranma not being in school. What he didn't say is that he was doing much more than basic studies. He also didn't tell the old fool the real reason why he was determined to finish his education.

Ranma applied his genus, heretofore only used in learning new martial arts techniques, to his studies and completed his college preparatory high school education by the end of his fifteenth year. Then his world was shattered.

(oOO/Oo)

It was early June of 2003 when, after traveling around China for a couple of years learning whatever martial arts techniques he could by day and studying a few hours by night, the old man led them to the accursed place called Jusenkyo. Ranma, able to read Mandarin reasonably well by this point, knew the springs were supposed to be cursed but being firmly grounded in science from his studies, discounted the curses as something that didn't exist. It was something he would learn to regret.

When he and his father left Jusenkyo, it was as a petite redheaded girl and a fat panda bear. To make matters worse, while warm water would change his father back, the water required to change Ranma back to birth form was required to be just below boiling, causing painful burns in the process. A small rain shower as they left the valley of the Springs of Sorrow ensured that Ranma would remain in female form for the foreseeable future.

And thus they came to the village of the Amazons where the guide said they might find more information on the curses. The guide told them they were lucky that they had arrived on the day of the village tournament. Unfortunately, when Genma is involved, ill luck seemed to be the only luck they had. As Ranma watched the fighters and talked to the guide, Genma had spied a table laden with food and had begun to chow down. When Ranma glanced around for the panda, she saw her father at a table clearly labeled 'First Prize'. Ranma rolled her eyes at the old man's stupidity, rapidly becoming disgusted with the man. In a state of depression already because of the curse and the negative impact it would have on the future she had worked so hard on, she decided, this time the old man could deal with his own mess. She wasn't going to allow him to put it off on her anymore. As the purple haired winner of the tournament leaped down from the log and attempted to brain the fat panda, causing the coward to run and hide behind Ranma, Ranma decided it was time to break away from the old moron.

The purple haired girl stalked up to Ranma and stood menacingly before her.

"Is this your panda who was eating my prize?" the girl demanded. Ranma sighed.

"Is not panda," Ranma said in broken Mandarin. "Is man with Jusenkyo curse. Get hot water and girl see proof. Girl fight with him. Ranma not have anything to do with it." Ranma stepped aside from in front of the panda and the other girl fixed the beast with a glare.

"Seize him!" she yelled and several of the warrior women grabbed the panda.

Ranma's words were soon confirmed as hot water returned the old fool to his birth form. The purple haired girl approached him and glared at him angrily.

"Why did you eat my prize, foolish male?" she demanded, lifting a bonbori menacingly.

"(She want know why Mister Customer eat her prize for winning tournament)," the guide translated in broken Japanese for Genma.

"(Prize, huh)?" Genma said thoughfully, then brightened as an idea came to him. "(Boy, challenge her for the prize then it will be mine...er...ours and there won't be a problem)." The guide was about to translate for the girl, but Ranma's grip on his arm stopped him. Ranma glared at her father, furious that he had tried to involve her in this. She then smirked wickedly before turning to the girl.

"Fat panda-man say is just weak womans," Ranma told the purple haired girl. "Say it not matter, he take whatever want and no weak womans stop him." An angry murmur ran through the gathered crowd and Genma began to sweat under the hostile glares being directed at him.

"Take this trash away," the purple haired girl commanded. "He will be judged and punished for his crimes against the Amazons."

Genma was knocked unconscious and carried off.

"You no kill him, yes?" Ranma asked the girl.

"Most likely not," the girl said. "He will probably be sentenced to be whipped for his offences."

"Is good then," Ranma said relieved. "Ranma not like old fool, but not want to see die."

"I am called Xian Pu. It is traditional that the winner of the tournament share her feast with the other warriors of the village," the girl said. "You have the look of a warrior and you also look as though you have traveled far. Would you like to share the feast with us?"

"Ranma hasn't eaten in over a day," Ranma said. "Ranma is in Xian Pu's debt for generosity. Ranma will join you for you feast and then would ask if it be possible to obtain some supplies for journey home to Japan."

(oOO/Oo)

During the journey home to Japan, Ranma thought long and hard about what would become of her dream now that she had the curse. She knew that most organizations would be hesitant to take her because of the weirdness of the curse and special considerations her gender changing would bring. Her dream of going into space was now beyond her reach, as a man anyway. She realized given the temperature of the water required to change her back to male that she could conceivably hide the curse if she lived as a female. As it was, living as female was now the only way for her to live anything like a normal life.

The Amazon's had told her that there was no cure for a Jusenkyo curse. They considered her to be blessed because the springs found her worthy of being a woman. Ranma made allowances for their bias and found that she was indeed blessed to an extent. She could have changed into something not human like her father, or worse, something not human and helpless, like a cat or a pig. That would have eliminated any possibility of achieving the dream she had worked so hard for. As it was, all she had to do was decide if pursuing her dream was worth giving up her manhood indefinitely.

She was realistic enough to know that part of said manhood was already gone. She wasn't as uncomfortable as a female as she thought she should be. Her mind told her this body was wrong, that she was a man, but it didn't feel wrong. It didn't feel any different to her than when she was male. The Amazons had told her that the reason for this was that the curse came with the instincts native to the body received. While it didn't change a person's mind or the type of being they were attracted to, it did come with a sort of buffer, in the form of instincts, that would allow a person to live with the new form and not go insane from the sense of wrongness.

By the time she reached the shores of her homeland, she had decided in her typical fashion that she wouldn't allow the curse to stop her from achieving her dream. Researching the matter she determined that the best place to start working toward her goal was the newly formed RDF Academy. She managed to get signed up with a full scholarship with the provision that she join the UNEDF as a pilot upon graduation.

So it was, Ranma Saotome found herself in America, attending a prestigious military academy as a female student in the aeronautical program.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma was shaken out of her reverie by a familiar voice coming in from Macross ATC.

"Macorss ATC, Pacific 5-8 heavy, you are cleared to begin your approach to runway 27 right. After rollout, proceed to ramp zero-niner south for off loading."

"Pacific 5-8 heavy, Macross ATC, Roger," the pilot said as he and the co-pilot began to put the large transport aircraft into landing configuration while Ranma looking on with professional interest from the observer's seat.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant," the co-pilot grinned at her after noticing her watching. "We'll have you on the ground in no time and you'll be back up here with your own set of controls soon." Ranma smiled vaguely at him as he turned back to his job.

'That sounded like Lisa Hayes on the ATC,' Ranma thought. 'I haven't seen her in a long time.' Her mind drifted back to the time when she met Lisa Hayes while the flight crew continued with their approach.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma found that, for all that she was comfortable living in her female form, she was not comfortable socializing in that form. Not only did she not have any interest in men, but she also felt like she was somehow being vaguely dishonest. So she largely kept to herself and devoted herself to her studies, pursuing a grueling course load that having any sort of social life wouldn't have allowed for. It was this that allowed her to graduate with honors after only two and a half years.

Not that she never had any friends. She had a roommate that shared her dedication. Lisa Hayes was the daughter of several generations of military tradition. She was dedicated and hard working and strived to exceed the expectations of her family. Through her, Ranma met an idealistic young man named Karl Riber. Lisa and Karl were an item. She got along well with Karl, sharing his dream of going into space, though she wondered how he would fit in the military with his non-violent ways.

They also knew of her curse. It had happened about six months into the academy. Lisa had been out with Karl and was supposed to be out for most of the night. Ranma had decided that she needed some male time and opted to hang out around the dorm room in his male form for a while. He had just taken a bath and was preparing to change back to female form when the bathroom door opened. Ranma saw Lisa standing there just as the cold water descended onto his head. The transformation occurred right before the young brunette's eyes and she soon hit the floor in a dead faint as her world view was shattered.

When Lisa awoke, explanations and demonstrations followed. Unable to deny the evidence of her own eyes, Lisa was forced to accept the existence of magic and curses. She was also persuaded by a tearful and pleading Ranma not to tell anyone outside of Karl and only then if Karl swore not to tell anyone. Lisa felt bad for her friend, who had worked so hard to get where she was. She knew that if this got out that Ranma's chances of reaching her goals were remote at best. She also realized that the curse would in no way effect Ranma's abilities or dedication. So rather than destroy her friend's life she agreed to keep her secret.

Ranma felt much more comfortable around the pair after that, and for their part, Lisa and Karl took Ranma as she was. The three became quite close friends. Karl would laughingly tease Ranma by truthfully mentioning that all the other guys were jealous of him for having the two prettiest girls in the Academy all to himself. They all had a good laugh over that.

Thanks to Ranma's hard work and the less demanding nature of her curriculum Ranma managed to graduate at the same time as Lisa and Karl who had been attending the Academy longer. She felt terrible for her friend when Lisa was heartbroken after finding out that Karl was leaving for Mars Base Sara. She had intended to follow him but her father who was high in the chain of command had her assigned instead to the SDF project. Ranma comforted her as best she could until she had to ship out to attend flight school. She had heard later that Lisa had thrown herself into her career with a vengeance in an effort to take her mind off her broken heart. She was greatly saddened later when she heard that contact with Mars Base Sara had been lost.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma gathered her gear and prepared to deplane as the flight crew went through their post flight checklist. She was the first one down the ramp when the loadmaster dropped the ramp. She moved away from the noise of the aircraft's APU and paused to stretch out the kinks from the flight.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," a man with Chief Petty Officer tabs approached her. "Would you happen to be Lieutenant J-G Ranma Saotome?"

"That I am, Chief," Ranma replied.

"Outstanding, Ma'am," the chief said. "I'm Chief Smythe. I've been assigned to pick you up and show you to your barracks and then take you to the CAG to report in. I have a Humvee right over there. May I take your gear, Ma'am?"

"Thanks, Chief," Ranma grinned as she held out one of her duffles to him. The chief reached out and took the duffle bag...and it was immediately pulled to the ground when Ranma let go.

"Crap, sorry, Ma'am," the chief said giving her a strange look. "It was heavier than I expected." Ranma just smiled as the noncom wondered at the hidden strength the petite redhead must have to handle that much weight so casually.

"Don't sweat it, Chief," Ranma shrugged. "Please, lead the way."

"Yes, Ma'am," the noncom grinned ruefully. "Right this way, Ma'am."

They tossed Ranma's gear in the back of the hummer and after about a ten minute drive they arrived at a large building situated in the shadow of the enormous SDF-1. Ranma tried not to gawk too much but it was clear she was riveted.

"She's amazing, huh, Ma'am," Smythe asked in an amused tone.

"No kidding," Ranma grinned. "I guess I was staring."

"No worries, Ma'am, we all did the first time we got this close to her," Smythe chuckled. "Anyway, this building is the female BOQ. This is where you'll be staying. You go get checked in and drop off your gear. You have time, if you want, to freshen up a bit before meeting Commander Fokker. I'll wait right out here for you."

"Roger that, Chief," Ranma acknowledged and got out, collecting her gear before entering the building.

Once in the lobby, she approached the desk sergeant and introduced herself. The woman checked her information and led Ranma to her quarters. They were more luxurious than she was used to, actually being a small suite complete with a small galley style kitchen and a private bath. The living room had a set of glass sliding doors that opened on to a balcony with a nice view of the ocean not too far away. The main room also had a moderate flatscreen TV and a stereo housed in an entertainment center in front of a couch and a coffee table. Going though the other door, Ranma found herself in a bedroom with a double bed, and a desk. She dropped her gear on the bed and took out her kit before heading to the bathroom.

Ranma smirked at her image in the mirror as she touched up the little bit of makeup she wore. She had been resistant to the idea of wearing makeup at first, but Lisa had convinced her it was a good idea. Besides, if one had to be a girl, it was nice to look like an attractive girl. So Ranma took Lisa's advice and took pride in her appearance. The next stop was in front of the full length mirrors on the closet doors. Ranma smoothed out her black skirt which fell to a couple inches above her knees and then straightened her black tunic with gray stripped lapels with purple piping. She adjusted her ribbons and rank insignia and nodded to herself, satisfied that everything was in order. Grabbing her paperwork out of the pocket of her duffle and pocketing her key card, she went back down to rejoin Chief Smythe.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma knocked on the door with the sign reading "CAG -- CDR Roy Fokker". She heard a muffled response to enter and opened the door.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Ranma Saotome reporting for duty, sir," Ranma said crisply, standing at attention and issuing a precise salute to the man with shaggy blond hair seated behind the desk. The man returned the salute and stood. At six foot five, he towered above Ranma's five foot four height, nearly giving her a crick in her neck from looking up at him. He smiled at her.

"At ease, Lieutenant," he said. "I don't stand on ceremony too much around here. Only when the brass is around. I'm Commander Roy Fokker, the CAG around here. Call me Roy and welcome to Macross Island." He put out his hand. She took it firmly and his eyes widened as he felt the strength of her grip in spite of the fact that her small hand was engulfed in his.

"Thank you, Sir, it's good to be here," Ranma said with a smile of her own.

"Please have a seat," he said, taking her orders. He glanced over them and then took a file off the edge of his desk and began to look though it. "Says here you are some sort of flying prodigy. In flight school they determined that your g-loading limits exceeded the aircraft limitations."

"Yes, Sir," Ranma said with a hint of pride. "It's the product of a childhood of intensive martial arts training. I've got perfect muscle control and I can control most of my bodily functions, like heart rate, blood pressure, and the like. My style is aerial so it's hard for me to be disoriented by violent maneuvers."

"Good, that'll be good for you because what you will be flying here has no structural limitations," Roy grinned, looking back down at the file. "Hm...you have quite a service record too. Flew mostly CAS in F/A 18-E Super Hornets...six air-to-air kills, two of which were SU-27's...two Distinguished Flying Crosses, one Navy Cross...impressive. Tell me about them."

"Well, Sir, I was just doing my job," Ranma said blushing. "I got the first Cross for saving a Marine mechanized infantry unit that was pinned down and about to be overrun. They were cut off and pinned down in a valley by two Hinds while a tank company moved in on their position supported by two infantry companies. They were calling for air support and my flight was in the area on its way to hit another target. I requested permission to go in and help and Command okayed it. I took the first Hind out from beyond visual range with an AMRAAM. They never saw it coming. I splashed the second one with my gun as I made the first pass. As I flew down the valley, I got targeting lock on two of the tanks and took them out with a pair of Mavericks. I nailed the third tank with a Maverick on the return. The last tank I got with a GBU. After I dropped a CBU-87 on the infantry positions and they retreated in disarray allowing the Medivac's to get in and remove the wounded Marines and the rest to be extracted via helo. I stayed in the area until the choppers pulled out to cover them." Roy nodded.

"The second Cross was for the two SU-27 kills," Ranma went on. "My flight was headed back to the fleet after dropping our ordinance when we got a distress call from the JSDF AWACS supporting our operations in the area. They had 4 hostile aircraft closing on their position and there wasn't time to send anything up to intercept. We were close so my wingman and I requested permission to help in spite of the fact that we only have our two AMRAAM's and Sidewinder's plus guns. We got the nod and made to intercept. I got the first kill with an AMRAAM. My wingman's shot missed but we closed and engaged the remaining 27's. My wingman managed to take the second out with a Sidewinder and after another minute I got the third with the gun. The last one bugged out and we didn't pursue because we were fuel critical. That's also how I got my ejection patch and my Purple Heart. When they sent out the refueling bird, I let my wingman tank up first since my fuel indicator said I had plenty. The problem was, my indicator was mis-calibrated and I ran out of fuel while I was waiting. I glided the aircraft to within 10 miles of the fleet before I lost enough altitude that I had to eject. I also managed to slice my hand on something as I did so. Fortunately, the tanker orbited me the whole time and it wasn't long until the helo arrived to pull me out of the water."

"So how'd you manage the Navy Cross?" Roy asked, impressed with the young woman before him.

"That one was scary," Ranma admitted. "My wingman was shot down as we were on our way to feet-wet. It was a pretty brutal mission. We had had to fight our way in when we were jumped by a flight of Migs. We had a very basic air-to-air load out and I had used all my missiles on the way to the target. We dropped an entire load out of mostly GBU's and Cluster Bombs on target before strafing enemy positions. My wingman took some ground fire and since we were all low on 20mm ammo, we made for egress. About 10 miles from the beach my wingman's plane failed and he punched out. I began to orbit the area, waiting for the extraction team, when I saw some rebel forces moving in on my wingman's position. I strafed their column, taking out several vehicles before my gun when dry. They didn't know that so they fell back. Then a couple of attack choppers came in. I managed to hold them at bay. I even caused one to crash with a highspeed close pass that disrupted the airflow over his rotors. I kept the last one busy until the CH-53 came in with its Super Cobra escorts and the enemy chopper bugged out. They awarded me the Navy Cross for staying in the area and covering my downed wingman even though I was unarmed."

"That definitely took some guts," Roy said.

"I've got nothing on you, sir," Ranma said, blushing. "108 air-to-air kills...loads of decorations...you're a hero, Sir. I'm just a pilot doing my job."

"That's all I was doing, Lieutenant," Roy grinned. "I've been at it a little longer than you and I was fighting in a full scale war. You're record will be just as impressive as mine if you keep it up. I see you flew some Iron Hand too. That takes some serious intestinal fortitude." Roy shuddered as he thought of purposely allowing hostile SAM's to lock on to you so you could hit them with HARM's. "That's something I never did. Never wanted to. And you volunteered for it in between carrier deployments while most people take it easy, taking the opportunity to be at home with family and friends."

"Well, Sir, I don't really have family and not much in the way of friends either," Ranma said a little somberly.

"I bet you have a lot more friends than you think, Lieutenant," Roy remarked. "Anyway, the only dark spot on your record was near the beginning of your career. It says her you broke a superior officer's jaw. You wanna tell me about that one?"

"The bastard wouldn't leave me alone," Ranma growled darkly. "He kept flirting with me and wouldn't take the hint when I ignored him. Finally one day he crossed the line and groped me. I popped him in the jaw and put him down. The bastard turned around and tried to press charges against me, but a witness came forward and told the Board of Inquiry that he had groped me and had been sexually harassing me leading up to that point. The charges were dropped. I was fuming for weeks afterward and that's when my CO at the time gave me my call sign, 'Dragon Lady'."

"How come you didn't report him before that?" Roy asked.

"As much as he was a bastard, he was good at his job," Ranma admitted. "I can take care of myself so I figured I could handle it if he got out of line. Which I did. I just never figured on the shit storm that followed."

"Well, in this unit, I want you to come to me before things get that far," Roy said seriously. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Ranma said then grinned. "What if the problem is WITH you? I've heard you have a rep as something of a playboy." Roy chuckled. The phone rang, interrupting his reply.

"CAG," Roy said, answering the phone. "Well, if it isn't my favorite Lieutenant Commander...Yes, dear...Yeah, we're still on for tonight...yeah, as soon as I finish up with my new pilot, Lieutenant Saotome here...Yes, Ranma Saotome..." At this point Ranma could hear the excited squeal over the phone as Roy pulled the receiver away from his ear with a wince. "Okay, okay, I'll ask her...Roger...See you in a bit." Roy hung up the phone shaking his head. Ranma looked at him questioningly.

"That was the person you need to go to if you have a problem with me flirting with you," Roy grinned. "That was Lieutenant Commander Claudia Grant, my significant other. She seems to know you."

"We were stationed on the same base together when I was flying the Iron Hand missions," Ranma grinned. "It seemed to bug her that I kept to myself and didn't get out much. I guess I sort of became her pet project. She made it her mission to get me a social life. She also is the one that told me all about you, Sir."

"Yeah, that sounds like my Claudia alright," Roy laughed. "Anyway, we were going out tonight. She asked you to join us. Said she has a surprise for you and that you better not even think about declining because she'll drag you kicking and screaming if she has to...like the first time." Ranma rolled her eyes.

"I guess I'm going out then," Ranma sighed.

"Good choice," Roy laughed. "Come on, I'll drop you off at the barracks. We'll be around to pick you up around 6."

"Roger that," Ranma said with resignation.

(oOO/Oo)

Dictionary of Acronyms and other Jargon

(As requested by Lerris)

2IC--Second In Command

AMRAAM--Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile

APU--Auxiliary Power Unit

ATC--Air Traffic Control

AWACS--Airborne Warning And Control System

BDU--Battle Dress Uniform (fatigues)

BOQ--Bachelor Officer's Quarters

CAG--Commander, Air Group

CAP--Combat Air Patrol

CAS--Close Air Support

CBU--Cluster Bomb Unit

CO--Commanding Officer

ETA--Estimated Time of Arrival

GBU--Guided Bomb Unit

HARM--High speed Anti-Radiation Missile

JSDF-- Japanese Self Defense Force

LAV--Light Armored Vehicle

SAM--Surface to Air Missile

SDF--Super Dimensional Fortress

UNEDF--United Nations of Earth Defense Force

UNEDC--Untied Nations of Earth Defense Command

RDF--Robotech Defense Force

XO--Executive Officer (second in command)

Angels in reference to altitude is a navy thing, and is a way of saying flight level, which basically means adding three zeros on the number for the altitude reference. (JRA)

Port--left

Starboard--right

Chapter 2

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Chapter 2

June 2008...

Ranma stood in the lobby of her barracks building looking at photos of the SDF-1 taken at various times since its crash on Macross Island. She was thinking about a certain dark skinned self-appointed social director. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of Claudia Grant, the third and last person to know her secret and one of two people still alive that she considered a true friend. She would never forget the night she confessed herself to Claudia...

(oOO/Oo)

9 months ago...

"Hey Ranma," Claudia grinned. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I guess," Ranma said coming out of the barracks in her ground-side casual uniform. This consisted of a black jacket with a gray striped collar and pale purple piping over a black skirt that fell to just below her mid thigh. On her feet were black flats and her crimson hair was in a French braid, tied with a black velvet ribbon. "I still don't see why you insist on dragging me out."

"Like you have anything better to do," Claudia smirked. "You need to decompress, girlfriend. You have no social life." Claudia straightened her own uniform which was like Ranma's except hers was khaki with black stripes on the collar and had white piping.

"Maybe I don't want a social life," Ranma griped. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"I guess that's really too bad then, because I'm dragging you out and we are going to have fun tonight," Claudia laughed.

"If you weren't my friend..." Ranma said darkly.

"Lucky thing for you, I am your friend, Miss Jet Jockey," Claudia said as they drove to the club. Ranma snorted.

Several minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of 'The Vortex', a popular club frequented by UNEDF personnel. Claudia shut the car off and looked over at Ranma.

"Well, we're here," Claudia observed. "Now just take that scowl of your pretty face and let's go inside." Ranma glared at the dark-skinned woman. "Oh come on, Ranma, let's see that smile that melts hearts all over the base...pleeeeease? For me?" Ranma held out for almost 20 seconds of Claudia's pleading before finally giving in and giving a slight smile. "Good girl. Now lets party!" Ranma snorted again as they got out of the vehicle and made their way inside the club.

It was early yet so they didn't have a hard time finding a table to sit at. Ranma insisted that they take one in a dark corner in spite of Claudia's protests that they should sit where they could be better seen. Claudia eventually backed down and the two women sat at the table Ranma wanted. Soon the waitress came over and took their orders.

Ranma sighed in delight as she polished off her third cheese burger. She daintily wiped her hands on the napkin and then drained her third beer. Claudia just shook her head at the spectacle.

"Bitch," Claudia said playfully. "You must have a tape worm or something to eat that much and still stay so slender."

"Or something," Ranma agreed with a smirk.

Things had really started to pick up as the club filled up. The music played loudly as Ranma and Claudia shouted over it, swapping stories and laughing as the alcohol loosened them up, well, loosened Ranma up anyway since Claudia was not very uptight to begin with.

"You dated THE Roy Fokker?" Ranma said with wide eyes.

"Yup," Claudia nodded. "He was a bit of a playboy, but he was a riot to hang out with. That's one man that knew how to have fun, unlike some other pilots I know." Ranma stuck her tongue out at Claudia and they both started laughing.

"Hello there," Ranma looked up from her laughter to see a young UNEDF Marine lieutenant with an Australian accent standing next to her. He stuck out his hand to the redhead. "I'm Russ Newton." Ranma grimaced.

"Nice to meet you," Ranma said in a flat tone. "I'm sorry but I'm not interested in getting picked up so please shove off, Lieutenant," Ranma said with a hint of frost. Claudia eyed the hunk that Ranma was in the process of shooting down.

"Don't be rude, Ranma," Claudia grinned. She stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Claudia Grant, and my brusque friend here is Ranma Saotome." The man's eyes widened.

"You mean Ranma 'the Dragon Lady' Saotome?" the young officer said in surprise.

"That's the one," Claudia confirmed.

"Hey fellas! You gotta come over here!" Newton yelled and waved to the group of men at the table Russ Newton had come from.

Ranma rolled her eyes and glared at Claudia. Claudia smirked back. Soon the table was surrounded by jarheads.

"Hey fellas," Newton said, "I'd like you to meet THE 'Dragon Lady'." All the men looked surprised and then cheered. Ranma suddenly found her back slapped and her hand pumped by all the jarheads as they introduced themselves.

"Hey Ranma," Claudia grinned, "you never told me you were famous."

"You bet she is, Ma'am," a sergeant spoke up. "Our battalion was moving in on a large rebel force in hills of Greece. Our company got cut off and pinned down by a couple of Hinds. The gunships took out our LAVs and Humvees and we had a lot of wounded. We couldn't get a medivac in because of the gunships and we could see a rebel tank company and about two companies of infantry moving into the valley.

"We thought we were finished when suddenly one of the Hinds blew apart. Then this Super Hornet rockets into the valley and strafes the shit out of the other Hind. Even as its flaming wreckage is falling, the Hornet flies down the valley and launches a spread of Mavericks at the rebel armor. On the second pass, the third tank is taken out. The Hornet comes around for a third time and shacks the last tank with a GBU before making a fourth run dropping a cluster bomb.

"The enemy infantry pulled back in disarray while the Hornet orbited the area while we waited for the medivacs came in. We found out from the chopper pilots that we owed our asses to the Dragon Lady who had requested permission to break away from her flight to assist us. We'd have been dead meat if it hadn't been for her."

"Yup," Lieutenant Newton agreed. "What do you say fella's, are we lettin' the Dragon Lady here pay for anything tonight?"

"Hell NO!" the marines barked in unison.

"Thanks, Guys," Ranma said blushing, "but really, I was just doing my job. It was nothing anybody else would have done."

"But you were the one that did, love," Newton grinned.

"Now don't you feel bad for being rude earlier, Lieutenant?" Claudia teased.

"S'okay," Newton smiled. "As lovely as Dragon Lady here is, I'm sure she gets tired of beatin' the fellas off with a stick."

"You right about that," Ranma said. "That's why I don't go out much. I'm not interested in having a relationship but I can't go out and relax without every jackass in the place coming on to me."

"Tell you what Lieutenant," the older non-com that had told the story said. "You don't have to worry about that tonight. You heard the Dragon Lady, you jarheads! She wants a nice relaxing evening out and doesn't want to be bothered." Ranma grinned as the Marines effectively set up a perimeter around her and Claudia.

Ranma was surprised to find herself having a great time partying with Claudia and the 5-42nd Marines. All the guys respected her boundaries and none of them came on to her. She'd even seen them turn away more than a few guys headed in her direction. Her drink was never dry and the stories were interesting. Ranma was almost able to forget her guilt over what she felt to be the basic deception of her life.

(oOO/Oo)

It was in the small hours of the morning when a pasted Ranma and a less pasted Claudia sat in the car in front of Ranma's barracks.

"Ranma?" Claudia asked. "How come you weren't interested in Lt. Newton? He was very cute and seemed to be a very nice guy."

"Doan like guys like tha," Ranma slurred.

"So you like girls?" Claudia asked. "You're a lesbian?" Ranma fixed her with a bleary look for a minute as if thinking of something. She seemed to come to a decision.

"'S'not whatcha think," Ranma said.

"What is it then?" Claudia asked. "I don't mind if you like girls. I consider you my friend and your sexual preference won't change that."

"Ya really wanna know my dirty little secret?" Ranma asked still fixing Claudia with that intent, slightly weaving stare that only someone who is very drunk is capable of. "You gotta promise never to tell a soul."

"Sure," Claudia said. "I promise it stays between you and me." Ranma gave an exaggerated drunken nod.

"'M a guy," Ranma said. Claudia blinked at her for a second then they both burst into laughter.

"That was a good one, Ranma," Claudia gasped as she regained control of herself.

"I'm serious," Ranma said through her diminishing bouts of laughter.

"Oh please," Claudia grinned. "There's no way that body of yours is male."

"S'magic, Claudia," Ranma said seriously. "S'ancient Chinese curse. I's born a guy. Lived the first shixteen years of my life a guy 'til my idiot pop dragged me ta China." She saw Claudia looking at her like she has lost it. "I can prove it."

"Okay, Ranma," Claudia smirked. "This I gotta see."

"Not here," Ranma said. "Need really hot water. Come up to my quarters and I'll show you."

"Why, Lieutenant, this isn't just a big scheme to get me into your room is it?" Claudia grinned. Ranma rolled her eyes.

"D'ya want shee or not?" Ranma asked.

"Okay, okay, I was just teasing," Claudia laughed.

The two women went up to Ranma's room where the redhead filled a tea kettle with water and placed in on a hot plate. She then disappeared into her bathroom and returned several minutes later wearing a large fluffy bathrobe and apparently nothing else. As the kettle heated up, Ranma spoke.

"Now you gotta watch closhly the firsht time cause this s'gonna hurt like hell s'I don't want to do it more than onsh," the redhead said.

She opened the top of her robe, exposing her breasts and picked up the kettle that had just started to whistle. Claudia gasped as the girl dumped the scalding hot water over her head, gritting her teeth to keep from crying out.

"What the hell?" Claudia breathed as now where the petite young woman had stood, there was a gorgeous black haired hunk. His sculpted chest rippled with muscle as did everywhere she could see that wasn't covered by the now tight fitting robe. "How is that possible?" she asked in wonder.

The sun had been up for quite some time when Ranma finished her tale. She had returned to being female so that they didn't get into trouble for having a guy in the female BOQ. In the end, Claudia felt sympathy for her friend. She agreed to back off on pushing Ranma to date but she didn't relent on getting the redhead out more. She did assure Ranma that she remained her friend, much to Ranma's relief.

And so it was that Ranma added a third name to her list of true friends.

(oOO/Oo)

June 2008...

Ranma was brought back to the present by someone snatching her up in a tight hug and twirling her around like a rag doll.

"Ranma! It's so good to see you again!" Claudia Grant exclaimed excitedly. "It's been a long time!"

"It's good to see you too, Claudia," Ranma laughed as she hugged her friend back. "Look at you! You look good and you're a Lieutenant Commander now!"

"Yup," Claudia said proudly. "I'm the Second Officer on the SDF-1. You look good to, GIRLfriend! Hey, did Roy mention I had a surprise for you? Guess who the XO is on the SDF-1?" She turned Ranma around to face the person who had been standing quietly watching the reunion.

"Lisa?" Ranma said softly, taking a few steps forward. "Oh my god, it's been so long. Oh Lisa..." Ranma gathered the brunette in a hug. "I was so sorry to hear about Karl."

"Oh Ranma," Lisa said, suddenly clinging to Ranma as she dissolved into tears. "I miss him so much. It's so good to see you." Ranma hugged the crying woman comfortingly, stroking her back.

"I know, I know, Sugar," Ranma said soothingly, as her own tears fell. "I do to. He was one of the three people I consider to be my closest friends."

Claudia watched as her two friends comforted each other. She couldn't help but smile. To her knowledge, this was the first time that Lisa had let her grief for Karl Riber show since they had heard what happened to Mars Base Sara. She was getting a glimpse of the rarely seen emotional side to Lisa Hayes. Claudia thanked the powers above that there was at least someone her cool professional colleague felt comfortable letting her walls down in front of.

"God it's good to see you again, Lisa," Ranma said as they separated. "I missed you. How have you been?"

"I missed you too, Ranma," Lisa replied. "I've been okay. Just taking things one day at a time, losing myself in my work. How about you?"

"The same, I guess," Ranma smiled. "I guess it's paying off for you. You made Commander and you’re the XO of the SDF-1? Congratulations. Wow, how lucky is that? I get to serve with my two closest friends!" Lisa giggled in spite of herself.

After a quick detour to Ranma's suite to repair the running mascara and damaged makeup, Ranma found herself in the company of her two friends plus one Roy Fokker at a Chinese restaurant called the White Dragon. Over dinner, Lisa and Ranma caught each other up on their lives since the Academy. Ranma and Roy swapped a few flying stories while Claudia told Lisa and Roy about her time with Ranma trying to pry her out of her shell.

After dinner, Roy took them to a nightclub for a few drinks. The blond man smirked at the jealous looks he was getting from the other guys.

"What are you smirking about, Roy?" Claudia asked cheerfully.

"Oh not much, just that I'm the envy of the room, accompanying three such beautiful women as you three," Roy said smoothly. Claudia laughed merrily while Lisa blushed shyly. Ranma just rolled her eyes.

It was at that point the waitress arrived and placed a drink in front of Ranma beside her half finished one. Ranma looked at her in question.

"It's from the gentlemen at that table over there," the waitress pointed out. "They also said they would be paying your tab for the night."

Ranma looked annoyed as she sought out the table in question, but the look soon cleared as she recognized some of the marines from the Vortex and later outings with Claudia. She smiled and waved to them. They waved back.

"Give the gentlemen my thanks," Ranma smiled to the waitress.

"What was that all about?" Lisa asked.

"Our little Ranma here has a fan club," Claudia giggled. "Seems there's a few marines out there that have adopted her as their guardian angel after she saved them from being overrun. She's not allowed to pay for anything when there are marines around."

Lisa and Roy laughed while Ranma just smiled and shrugged.

"I gotta use the head," Ranma said a while later.

"I'll go with," Claudia agreed.

The two women got up and headed toward the ladies room. After using the facilities they stood before the mirror freshening up their makeup.

"So does Lisa know?" Claudia asked causally. Ranma could tell be her emphasis what Claudia meant.

"Yeah, so did Karl," Ranma said.

"I think we should tell Roy," Claudia suggested. "He can handle it and you can trust him."

"I don't know, Claudia," Ranma replied. "The more people that know, the more likely it will be to get out."

"I know, but Roy can keep his mouth shut," Claudia assured her. "Think of it as expanding your circle of close friends. He might just be able to help you out if it ever does come out. But he has to know before hand."

"I'll think about it, okay?" Ranma conceded.

"Good girl," Claudia smiled. "If you decide not to tell him, I'll respect that, but I think it's a good idea." With that they left the ladies room.

Ranma was weaving through the crowd behind Claudia when she felt a hand on her arm stop her.

"Now why is a pretty little thing like you running around pretending to be a soldier," a large man asked. His buddies all laughed. "A girl like you should be at home, safe and protected with a man to provide for her every whim." Ranma looked down at the hand still on her arm as if it were dog feces.

"Remove your hand from my arm," Ranma said through gritted teeth, "before you find out just how much pretending I'm doing."

"OOO, a sassy one," the man said in mock fear. His cronies chuckled. "I don't think so little one. Not until you tell me your name and agree to dance with me." Ranma closed her eyes and took a breath, thinking about how much pain she wanted to cause this idiot versus how much trouble she was willing to get into because of it.

"Wrong answer, Scumbag," another male voice said from behind Ranma. She looked over her shoulder and saw about five large marines standing there looking very menacing.

"Sergeant, I can handle this jackass," Ranma said.

"I'm well aware of that, Ma'am," the sergeant grinned nastily. "I've sparred with you before. We just don't want you to have to get your hands dirty taking out this trash." Ranma thought for a second and nodded. The noncom's grin broadened and became more threatening as he continued "As for you, knucklehead, you had best take your meat hooks off the Lieutenant if you know what's good for you."

"Oh and I guess you think you can make me, huh?" the man retorted and his cronies stood preparing to fight.

"Damn right," the noncom said reaching out and grabbing the wrist of the hand that was on Ranma. The man holding her howled in pain as the Sergeant's grip became crushing, grinding the bones of the man's wrist together. Ranma's arm was released and the sergeant said to her, "You go on and enjoy your evening, Ma'am. We'll take care of this filth for you."

"I appreciate that, Sergeant," Ranma said. "I really didn't want to get thrown in the brig for putting a civilian in the hospital on my first day on the island."

"Our pleasure, Ma'am," the marine grinned, still grinding the ruffian's wrist in his grip. "Any time." Ranma walked away as the brawl broke out.

"Ranma, what are you doing?" Lisa demanded. "We've got to stop this fight!"

"Ah, let'em have their fun, Lisa," Ranma said. "They're defending my honor against some jackass and his crew that tried to force themselves on me. Besides, they'll go easier on the prick than I would have."

"She's right, Lisa," Roy said. "It's best just to let them get it out of their system. At least it's for a good cause rather than them just picking a fight with the sailors like normal."

(oOO/Oo)

"So why do you all want to go over to my place?" Roy asked again as he pulled into the parking garage of his apartment building.

"Because you are the only one with an apartment," Claudia explained patiently...again. "And you aren't allowed passed the lobby where we live."

"I know that, but why do I need to be there?" Roy asked, exasperated with how mysterious these women were acting.

"You'll find out soon enough," Claudia grinned as Roy parked the vehicle.

Nothing more was said as the three women followed Roy up to his apartment. He was perplexed when Claudia instructed him to put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. While Roy was doing that, Claudia showed Ranma to the bathroom and snagged one of Roy's bathrobes for the redhead while she undressed. When Roy returned to the living room with a pot of water, he was surprised to find Ranma, naked except for one of his robes sitting on the couch between Claudia and Lisa.

"Set the pot on the table and sit," Claudia said to him. Roy complied, getting more confused by the minute. "Now, Roy, do you believe in magic?"

"Huh?" he asked.

"It's a simple question, Roy," Claudia teased. "Yes or no, do you believe in magic?"

"I think there are things in the universe we can't explain yet, but I'd have to say, no, I don't believe in magic," Roy answered.

"Well, prepared to have your perspective shifted," Lisa grinned.

"You see, sir, I'm cursed," Ranma began. "This isn't the body I was born in. I'm really a guy." Roy looked at her like she was nuts, but Ranma continued to explain about Jusenkyo and her decision to live in cursed form. She finished up and said to Claudia and Lisa, "You guys got to see the whole change, but I ain't showin' him my breasts or nothin'."

"Of course not," Claudia agreed. Ranma nodded.

"Now watch close, Sir, because I'm only doin' this once. The water burns like hell," Ranma said.

Roy nodded, sitting forward with interest. He would normally think this was all a big joke, but Claudia and Lisa seemed to believe it, so he wasn't ready to discount it. Ranma took the pot of nearly boiling water and dumped it on her head, a small whimper escaping her as she was scalded.

Roy's jaw fell open as Ranma's form seemed to flow and expand. Before him where the redhead was sitting was a very well built black haired man. Roy was shocked speechless for several minutes.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Roy Fokker didn't have anything to say," Claudia laughed cheerfully.

"You think we broke him?" Ranma said in his male baritone.

"I don't know, maybe," Lisa said, waving her hand in front of Roy's face then snapping her fingers. That brought him out of it...sort of.

"I...what...who..." the blond man stammered.

"It's magic, Roy," Claudia smirked.

"That's incredible," Roy said, finally putting together a coherent sentence. "And you say you were born a male?"

"Yes, Sir, I was, and I was one for the first sixteen years of my life," Ranma confirmed.

"How can you live like that?" Roy asked. "I mean doesn't it feel totally wrong?"

"At first, it was hard to deal with because consciously my mind was telling me that I was a guy, not a girl and it was wrong," Ranma explained. "However, the scary part was that it didn't FEEL wrong. It didn't feel any different from my male body when I was female. I learned that the curse comes with a sort of buffer to keep the victim from going nuts. It provides all the instincts needed to use the body and help the person adjust.

"It doesn't mess with the mind, but it helps not to have to fight the feeling of being in a strange body while your mind tries to make the adjustment. That was the hardest part. I had to fight all the ultra macho chauvinistic conditioning that my pop had beaten into me. If the body didn't feel so natural to me, I probably would have killed myself. Instead, I chose to not let this beat me.

"It wasn't easy, mind you, but I adjusted to being female. Hell, I've lived as a female so long now, I'm a little uncomfortable in my male form. I don't think I'd take a cure if one existed. The only down side is I feel a little like I'm lying to people. That's why I don't have many friends. I feel a sense of guilt for hiding something from them. That's also why I could never be in a relationship. I'm not into guys, even as a girl, and even if a girl was interested, I feel like she'd be interested in something that's not totally the truth."

"That must suck," Roy said.

"Yeah, but I've accepted it as my fate," Ranma sighed sadly. "As the song goes, My prison is walking through this world all alone. At least I have my career. That gives me enough of a purpose to go on. I do still have my career, don't I, Sir?"

"Um, well, yeah, sure, why wouldn't you?" Roy asked.

"Because you know they would kick her out of the service if they knew about this," Lisa said. "That or they'd try to turn her into some sort of lab rat. Roy, you have to promise never to tell anyone about this. We talked her into telling you because we thought you needed to know in case it ever does come out. As her CO, you should be prepared for that."

"And we thought she could use another friend she doesn't have to feel guilty around," Claudia added.

"Alright," Roy said decisively. "Your secret is safe with me, Ranma. But please, change back. You're giving me the willies." Roy grinned to take the sting out of his words.

"Yeah, no kidding," Ranma laughed. "Sitting around in a bathrobe between two beautiful women isn't doing much for my composure either." He got up and headed for the bathroom, not noticing both women staring at his body, in particular his butt.

"Ahem," Roy cleared his throat. Lisa, blushing already from Ranma's compliment, turned an even darker shade of crimson while Claudia just smirked.

"What, Roy? You’re the only one allow to look?" Claudia teased. "I saw you checking her out a few times tonight. Besides, hunk or hottie, Ranma is totally gorgeous. Don't you agree, Lisa?"

"Uh huh," Lisa nodded distractedly, licking her lips, then realized what she just said. She wiped a little moisture off the corner of her mouth and began to stammer. "I mean, I...uh..." She stopped and blushed in embarrassment while Claudia and Roy laughed.

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 3

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Chapter 3

June 2008...

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Roy said cheerfully as Ranma entered his office.

"Morning, Sir," Ranma said apprehensively.

"Something on your mind?" Roy asked her.

"Sir, about last night..." Ranma began.

"I won't lie to you, Lieutenant, it's weird," Roy sighed. "I'm not sure how to interact with you. Male, female? I don't know. One thing I am sure of, your record speaks for itself. You're a solid combat pilot. You're not afraid to mix it up and you've displayed courage and heroism under fire. You're the type of pilot I want flying with me. And one more thing I'm sure of. I admire you greatly. Most people would have let what happened to you beat them, but you didn't. You sucked it up and by force of will and determination chose to make the most of the situation you found your self in. That took guts and a great deal of inner strength. Don't worry about it, Lieutenant. We'll find our groove as we work together."

"Thanks, Sir," Ranma said. "That eases my mind a bit. And if it helps, you don't have to treat me any different than you would have yesterday. For all intents and purposes, especially professionally, I am female. It used to bug me when people treated me like it, but after the first couple of years I got used to it and accepted it. It is mostly who I am now."

"Understood," Roy nodded. "So are you ready to start learning your new bird?"

"Absolutely, Sir," Ranma grinned in anticipation.

"Outstanding," Roy smiled. "The VF-1 Valkyrie is like nothing you've ever experienced before. It's almost 90 percent based on classified tech we obtained from the Visitor. With this aircraft you will be able to do things you can't imagine. It's powered by an all new power source that we barely understand even now. The level of pilot interface that can be achieved is so incredible that if you can manage it, you will hardly need controls to fly it..." Roy spent the next couple of hours extolling the virtues and abilities of the VF-1.

"An aircraft that will transform into a destriod-type mecha?" Ranma said in wonder as Roy wound down. "That's amazing."

"It occurs to me that the two of you should get along pretty well, Lieutenant," Roy laughed. "After all, you both share a transformational ability." Ranma snorted and rolled her eyes. Roy stood up and grabbed a 12 inch stack of three flight manuals, dropping them in Ranma's lap. "You need to study all those and become familiar with the systems. Now, would you like to see a VF-1? Currently we only have a few of the D models that we are using for flight trainers. The S, J, and A models are not expected to reach operational deployment for several months, but we have the D models and the simulators to get the pilots up to speed for when they are cleared for operations."

"I'd love to see one, Sir," Ranma said, warily eyeing the thick books in her lap that she just knew were loaded with dry bore-me-to-tears technical info.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant," Roy chuckled, seeing her looking at the manuals, "you won't be expected to go through all that on your own. You have a couple more days while we wait for a few more transfers to arrive and then I'm going to be starting the class that will make up Skull Squadron, my command. It wouldn't hurt to get a jump on it though."

"Roger that, Sir," Ranma said in evident relief.

"Let's go gawk at a Valkyrie, Saotome," Roy laughed.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma looked up from her contemplation of the stack of tech manuals on her coffee table when she heard a knock on the door. It was just after 10 am and she had stalled studying the manuals for most of the morning. She had gotten up at 7 and proceeded to the mess to have breakfast. After that, she went to the gym and spent the better part of two hours in a grueling workout session which had included sparring with a couple of the marines she had trained with before. At 9:30, she had returned to her quarters and had been sitting there looking at the manuals for the last half hour trying to get herself in the right frame of mind to study them. Sighing, she rose and answered the door.

Lisa Hayes stood on the other side holding a large beach bag, dressed in a tank top and a pair of shorts. Ranma could see the straps of a bikini top underneath the tank top.

"Hi, Ranma," Lisa said. "I was just heading out to the beach. I know you have some down time before you start Veritech training classes so I thought I'd ask if you wanted to join me?"

"Hi there, Lisa," Ranma said, looking from Lisa to the stack of manuals on the table. "The beach, huh? Well, I was told to study those manuals..."

"You can always bring them with you," Lisa suggested hopefully.

"Hmmm," Ranma said thoughtfully. "Let's see, hang out on the beach with my best friend, or sit in my quarters and read boring tech manuals...decisions, decisions...Okay, let me get changed and we'll go."

Ranma invited Lisa in to sit on the couch and disappeared into her bedroom. She came back out a couple of minute later in a pair of black BDU shorts and a baggy blue t-shirt with an F/A 18 in flight depicted on the back of it. Her flame red hair was gathered in a ponytail and pulled out the back of a hat with a similar F/A 18 on it.

"You have your swimsuit on under that, right?" Lisa asked when Ranma came in.

"This is my swimsuit, Lisa," Ranma laughed.

"I see I still have some work to do," Lisa said contemplatively as Ranma gathered the manuals and stuffed them in a gym bag.

"What's that mean?" Ranma asked.

"Remember what we talked about, about taking pride in yourself?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah," Ranma said, uncertain where this was going.

"Well, you look like a reject from a grunge band," Lisa commented.

"Gee, thanks, Lisa," Ranma quipped.

"Well, I can see before we hit the beach we are going shopping," the taller woman announced. "You have a fantastic body, Ranma. You should show it off properly."

"Shopping?" Ranma groaned. "You mean I should wear a bikini? Sorry, Lisa, but I think that would attract the wrong sort of attention. I don't want to haveta fight off every guy on the beach that thinks he's god's gift, you know?"

"Nonsense," Lisa dismissed. "Sure you might have to deflect a few advances, but you might also attract the right sort of attention as well."

"Heh, like there is a right sort of attention for me, Lisa," Ranma sighed. "You know how I feel about that. Any woman that was interested in me like this would be interested in a deception."

"Oh, so that body is not really female?" Lisa asked rhetorically.

"Well, yeah, it is, you know that," Ranma admitted. "But I was born a guy, no matter what I am now. What woman would be interested in a sex changing freak like me?"

"Some would be," Lisa sighed. "But I see your point. You can't tell them the truth without risking your career and you don't feel like you can be in a relationship without them knowing the truth." Ranma nodded. "You must be incredibly lonely."

"Yeah, well, I have my career," Ranma replied, "and I accepted long ago that my career would have to be enough for me."

"Ranma, I..." Lisa trailed off with an unreadable look on her face.

"You what?" Ranma prompted.

"I understand," Lisa said finally. "When Karl left, I dedicated myself to the SDF-1 program. I suppose I was hoping to get up there to Mars to see him again. Then he...we lost contact with Mars Base Sara. I thought all I had left was my career. At least I still have my friends, you and Claudia."

"Always, Lisa," Ranma said with a smile. "I'll be there for you whenever you need me."

"Thank you, Ranma," Lisa said with her own small smile. "Right now I need you to come shopping with me for your swimsuit." Ranma groaned but acquiesced to the inevitable.

(oOO/Oo)

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Ranma said again in disbelief, tugging at one of the shoulder straps of her bikini top now worn under her tee. "So where are we going anyway?" Lisa giggled from the driver's seat of the blacked out government sedan.

"You looked amazing in those bikini's we bought you," Lisa defended. "You know you did, and you liked it or you wouldn't have bought them. Admit it. We are going to a hotel that has an agreement with the base here. They let military officers have access to their facilities, the pool and deck, the beach loungers, the restrooms and showers, and even the tiki bar."

"You go there often?" Ranma asked.

"I try to go at least once a month when the weather is good," Lisa replied.

"Once a month, huh?" Ranma deadpanned. "So often? How do you find the time?"

"Oh and like you are any better, Little Miss Hide-in-my-quarters-when-not-in-the-cockpit," Lisa shot back. Ranma laughed.

"Touché," Ranma conceded.

"We're here," Lisa grinned as they pulled into the parking lot of the rather luxurious hotel.

"Wow, nice place," Ranma said.

"It is," Lisa agreed as she shut off the car. "Let's hit the beach, girlfriend."

"Roger," Ranma said, stepping out and grabbing her gym bag full of manuals and beach accessories out of the backseat.

The two women headed toward the gate to the beachside of the hotel where there was a hotel security agent stationed to keep out non-guests. Lisa produced her military ID and Ranma did the same. The guard, dressed in a pith helmet, a crisp white shirt, black shorts, long white socks covering his calves, and white shoes, looked them over.

"Commander, Lieutenant, it's a pleasure to have you here," the man said politely. "You ladies enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you," Lisa said as they entered.

Lisa led them out on to the sundeck of the most elaborate pool Ranma had ever seen. It would have looked more like a lagoon than a pool if it weren't for the blue Marcite bottom. The long pool coiled around a couple of different rock islands that were beautifully landscaped with tropical vegetation. It had a very natural feel to it. The sundeck itself was bordered by immaculately manicured grass and landscaped with more tropical plants and ubiquitous palm trees. The beachside was delineated by a low wall and a shallow stream of flowing water for the purpose of keeping as much of the beach sand as possible off the deck and out of the pool. Off to one side was the mentioned tiki bar.

"So do you want to head out on the beach, or set up on the deck?" Lisa asked.

"What do you usually do?" Ranma asked.

"Sometimes I do the beach, sometimes I do the deck," Lisa replied. "We can do the deck today. It's closer to the bar anyway."

Ranma nodded and the pair found themselves a couple of vacant loungers. Lisa showed Ranma where to get hotel-provided towels to lay down on the chairs' cushions. After securing and preparing their positions, Lisa pulled a small radio out of her bag and placed it on the low table between their chairs. Giving Ranma a smile she then stripped off her tank top leaving her upper half clad in only a bright orange bikini top that displayed her well-formed but modest breasts fetchingly. Turning away from Ranma who was seated on the edge of her chair watching Lisa, she proceeded to slowly take off her shorts, in the process practically sticking her orange high-cut bikini clad bottom in Ranma's face. Ranma, unable to look away, gulped and blushed as she got a great view of Lisa's beautiful derrière.

"Like what you see?" Lisa grinned as she sent a smoky look over her shoulder, having paused before stepping out of her shorts.

"Beautiful," Ranma said absently then turned red as a lobster as she realized she was caught staring at Lisa's bottom. Lisa smirked and finished removing her shorts.

"Your turn," the taller woman chirped. Ranma gulped nervously.

"Do I have to?" Ranma stalled. "I'd feel like I was running around in my underwear." Lisa's reply was a half lidded glare. "Oh alright," Ranma said after sweating under the glare for a moment.

Ranma stripped off her shirt, careful not to dislodge her hat and glasses. 'Turn about is fair play,' she thought as she stood nervously to remove her BDU shorts. 'Not like it's gonna have the same effect, though.' Ranma proceeded to give Lisa the same show that Lisa had given her. She nearly fell over when she glanced over her shoulder and saw Lisa's eyes were glued to her butt as much as her own where to Lisa's. Lisa grinned brightly when she saw she was caught looking.

"Well, you are gorgeous, you know," Lisa giggled.

"I...um...thanks," Ranma said, flustered. "You too."

She stepped out of her shorts and nervously adjusted the high-cut red, yellow, and blue tropical floral print bikini bottom. Ranma felt extremely exposed and vulnerable. Her eyes darted around the deck, which was, perhaps, a mistake since she noticed several male eyes facing their way. She wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

"Now lay down on your tummy," Lisa said, pulling out a bottle of sunscreen and distracting Ranma from her impending flight. "I'll do you back and you can do mine."

Ranma swallowed again and mutely complied. Lisa came over and sat on the edge of Ranma's chair and undid the back of her bikini top.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Ranma hissed.

"Quiet you," Lisa said, clearly amused. "It's easier to put the sunscreen on this way. I'll put it back when I'm done."

Ranma felt Lisa's hands begin to run the cool protective cream on to her back. The other woman's hands began to knead and massage the rigid well defined muscles of Ranma's back.

"My goodness, you're so tense," Lisa said as she attacked a knot, digging into it and loosening it.

Ranma whimpered a little but began to relax and enjoy what Lisa was doing. She was feeling like an over-cooked noodle but she was brought back from her nearly asleep state when she felt Lisa's hands travel down her sides and rub the sides of her breasts where they were being squeezed out from beneath her chest. Ranma put it down to her imagination when the hands lingered a tad longer than necessary. The brunette's hands moved on though. She nearly squealed when Lisa's hands began to rub the lotion on to her bottom and dipped inside the edges of the bikini. They didn't linger here long though. Lisa then attacked the redhead's legs, massaging each calf muscle thoroughly before moving ever higher. As the brunette reached her upper thighs, Ranma began to feel a warm glow of heat between her legs. She felt an electric jolt run through her tummy as a hand inadvertently brushed across her intimate area. She was brought out of her daze of relaxed arousal as she felt her top being reconnected and her bottom patted.

"My turn," Lisa said brightly.

Ranma shakily got up and noticed, to her chagrin, that her nipples were rock hard and visibly poking through the cups of her bikini top. Luckily, the print of the top camouflaged this unless someone was standing close to her. Glancing around, she noticed that several of the guys that had been sitting around the deck were now in the pool. Shrugging, she turned to Lisa, who was now laid out on her tummy awaiting Ranma's attention.

Ranma surveyed the woman before her. Lisa wasn't a martial artist, but she did work out regularly. While she had none of Ranma's lightly defined muscle mass and her curves were softer and smoother, she still had a trim and taut athletic figure. Her limbs were long and shapely and her lightly tanned skin was smooth and perfect. She could have been a successful model if that had been her interest.

'She my best friend,' Ranma reminded herself as she sat on the edge of Lisa's chair. 'I shouldn't be thinking about her like this. Besides, she likes guys.'

Ranma's hands shook slightly as she reached out to begin applying the lotion. This was as intimate as she had ever been with anybody and it was going to be torture for her, she realized. 'Just a friend,' Ranma reminded herself, attempting to suppress her attraction to the brunette.

"Don't forget the strap," Lisa reminded as Ranma began to rub the lotion on.

Ranma swallowed several times, wanting nothing more than to just smear the cream on and be done with it, but she knew that wouldn't be fair to Lisa. She had to give as good as she got which meant taking her time and massaging the lotion into the brunette's skin in a slow torturous process. Rubbing in what she had on her hands, she deftly unhooked the back strap of Lisa's top and returned to the torture of caressing and kneading Lisa's soft skin. Trying not to think about what she was doing, she concentrated on turning each muscle group into relaxed putty. Lisa's soft moans of pleasure weren't doing her composure any good though.

Ranma skipped over Lisa's bottom and proceeded to her lower legs, massaging and kneading the muscles and skin as she worked her way up. She hesitated when she reached the woman's upper thighs.

"Don't be shy," Lisa giggled as she felt the redhead hesitate. "Take your time and finish. That feels really good." The brunette spread her legs a little to allow Ranma better access to her inner thighs, inadvertently allowing Ranma a good view of the contours at the apex of her legs under the bikini bottom.

Ranma wanted to sob from the sweet agony she was in. Did Lisa not understand how torturous this was for her?

What Ranma didn't know was that Lisa was in a similar state. The redhead had no clue how close she was to being thrown down and ravished. Only Lisa's lingering feelings for Karl and her sense of wonder at being this strongly attracted to another woman was keeping her in check. She had always felt a connection to the little redhead and felt very comfortable around her. She didn't feel the need to hide behind the disciplined façade of a military officer around Ranma. As she had felt with Karl, she felt free to be Lisa Hayes the young woman with Ranma, instead of Lisa Hayes, the scion of a hundred years of Hayes military tradition.

When Karl was in the picture, she and Ranma had been close friends. Now that closeness was rapidly turning into a strong attraction. Lisa seriously doubted her control had Ranma been in that delicious male form of hers. She quickly suppressed an image of her slithering over that strong masculine body like some kind of sensual snake. As Ranma's tentative feminine hands caressed her ever closer toward the source of pleasant heat emanating from between her legs, Lisa began to realize that her attraction to Ranma made very little distinction between Ranma's two forms. She might have been more comfortable with the idea of wanting Ranma in male form, but she was forced to accept the idea of being intimate with Ranma's female form was just as powerful and intriguing.

It was almost a relief for both of them when Ranma finished and refastened Lisa's top. Lisa sat up and began to apply the sunscreen to her front side. Ranma noticed that, like hers, Lisa's nipples were rock hard and the solid color of her top did little to hide this. Both women were flushed and breathing a little raggedly as they completed the application of the sunscreen, and neither spoke of what they were feeling.

"I...um...need something to drink," Lisa said shakily. "You watch the stuff and I'll go get us a couple drinks." Ranma nodded mutely and watched her taller friend as she moved off to the bar.

Ranma resisted the urge to slap herself as she realized she was watching the way Lisa's derrière moved as she walked. Flopping down on her tummy, she dug out one of the manuals she had brought and proceeded to read, hoping the dry boring techno-babble would take her mind off of her inappropriate feelings for her friend. She didn't understand why she had suddenly allowed herself to be so captivated by the beautiful brunette. She didn't even realize that she was so distracted that she had forgotten to be self conscious about her attire, or lack there of.

"Here you go," Ranma looked up from the same page she had read for the seventh time and still not registered a word of to see Lisa standing there holding out a plastic cup with some sort of frozen drink in it.

"What is it?" Ranma asked, taking a sniff. It smelled fruity and very much alcoholic.

"It's a frozen Rumrunner," Lisa grinned. "Be careful, it's almost all booze. It's good though."

Ranma took a tentative sip through the straw and grimaced a little. "It's strong."

"It is at first, but it gets better once the ice melts a little," Lisa explained.

"It is good though," Ranma admitted.

Lisa lay down on her tummy and laid her head on her arms watching Ranma. "So do you think they got the message?"

"I'm sorry?" Ranma asked.

"The guys," she clarified with a small jerk of her head toward the men that were just now starting to come out of the pool.

"What message?" Ranma asked confused.

"That we're off the market," Lisa explained. "After that little show we put on it should be pretty clear that we're together." Ranma blinked once then twice.

"We're together?" Ranma asked growing more confused by the minute. Lisa blushed.

"Well, yeah, we are," the brunette grinned. "Probably not how they're thinking, though." 'Yet,' Lisa added mentally.

Ranma felt hope die a brutal death. "Oh, I see," she said. "So that's what that massage thing was all about? Declaring we are off limits by leading them to believe we are a couple?"

"Well, a small part was," Lisa admitted. "But it was mostly because I wanted to and I enjoyed it." She fluttered her eyelashes at Ranma and asked in a smoky voice, "Didn't you?"

"You're teasing me, aren't you?" Ranma asked with a giggle.

"Just a little," Lisa grinned and winked, surprised at herself with how aggressive she was being.

"It's not very nice, you know," Ranma commented, turning serious.

"Why's that?" Lisa said suddenly concerned she had offended her friend.

"Cause you know I like girls," Ranma explained. "And who wouldn't be attracted to a woman as beautiful as you. Knowing the situation I'm in, it's kinda mean to tease me. I mean I know you like guys so it's kinda like flaunting something in my face that I don't have a chance at."

Lisa just gave her a mysterious smile. 'You have no idea,' Lisa thought. Still, she did feel more than a little guilty. It was cruel of her, she supposed, to tease Ranma like that when she wasn’t prepared to follow through. 'Yet,' she again added mentally.

"I'm sorry," Lisa said after a couple minutes of silence.

"Don't be," Ranma smiled warmly at her. "It was nice to feel attractive to someone like you, even if it was just an illusion."

Lisa bit her lip in thought. After a few moments of inner conflict, she spoke, "It wasn't as much of an illusion as you seem to think. I was...not unaffected by touching you. I'm not ready to be in a romantic relationship with anyone just now, so maybe it was a little unfair of me to tease you. That said, it's only fair that you know that I do find you attractive. Unsurprisingly, in your male form, but I'm very surprised to find that your female form intrigues me nearly as much. I've never felt an attraction to another girl before, but after what we did a bit ago, I can't deny the desire I felt when touching you."

Ranma watched her for a moment. "This is awkward, isn't it?" the redhead asked finally.

"It doesn't have to be," Lisa sighed. "Ranma, you're my best friend and I love you. I feel more comfortable around you than anyone before or since Karl, but I still have some unresolved feelings for him and it wouldn't be fair of me to be involved with anyone until I work though that. I thought it was only fair for you to know, since I teased you, that yes, I do find you very attractive and if some other fortunate woman hasn't managed to claim you by the time I'm ready, you would be at the top of my list of people I could see myself with. I don't want to raise your expectations, or make you wait for me, I just want you to know that you aren't as undesirable as you seem to think you are. We're still best friends, no matter what, fair enough?"

"Fair enough," Ranma agreed. "And thanks, Lisa. That means a lot to me."

"Just so you know," Lisa added with a mischievous grin, "I don't intend to stop teasing you. I had too much fun doing it." Ranma laughed lightly.

"Just be prepared to get as good as you give," Ranma smirked.

"Oh? Is that a promise?" Lisa asked in a sensuous tone. Ranma shot her a smoky look and winked.

"You know it is," the redhead replied in a matching tone.

Ranma found herself having more fun that she had had in quite some time. She and Lisa relaxed in the sun, swam, first in the pool then in the ocean, drove each other to distraction with reapplications of sunscreen after each dip, and flirted shamelessly with each other. The fact was; Ranma couldn't remember a time when she had more fun or felt so free to be herself around another human being.

The pair alternated their drinks with water to prevent dehydration and so as not to get anything more than lightly buzzed. Lisa watched jealously as Ranma inhaled several cheese burgers prepared on the grill at the tiki bar for lunch while she limited herself to one grilled chicken sandwhich.

"You're despicable, you know that Ranma?" Lisa said with narrowed eyes.

"Hummm?" Ranma said, looking up from tearing into her fourth cheese burger and quirking an eyebrow in question.

"You act like you haven't eaten in days," Lisa griped. "And I've seen starving wolves eat slower. How can you eat all that and keep that figure?" Ranma swallowed.

"Martial arts," Ranma answered. "I NEED to eat this much because I burn so much energy when I train. If I didn't, I'd look anorexic and I couldn't train so hard because I'd run out of energy. Besides, your figure is just perfect, better than mine even, and you don't have to work at it as hard as some girls do."

"Oh stop it, you," Lisa protested. "You know your figure is better than mine. Your hips are nicer and your breasts are bigger."

"My breasts might be bigger but I'm disgustingly muscular for a girl," Ranma disagreed.

"Yeah, right," Lisa snorted. "You talk like you're all puffed up like some sort of body builder chick. Sure you've got a little more tone than average but it just makes you more stunning."

"Nope, it makes me look hard and blocky, while you look sleek and smooth," Ranma argued.

"Oh yeah, well, let's just ask an expert," Lisa challenged. She turned to the bartender. "Hey, Murphy, which of us had the better figure?" Both women stood up and stepped back from the bar, each striking a pose worthy of a super model.

Whump! The bartender's nose geysered blood and he hit the floor unconscious.

"I think we broke him," Ranma observed casually.

"Looks that way," Lisa said, looking around and seeing several other men in the area laying in spreading pools of nasal blood while those that remained conscious held their hands over their nose. Even several of the women had their hands over their nose, the ones that weren't glaring jealously at her and Ranma anyway. "I think maybe we shouldn't do that again."

"Too dangerous," Ranma agreed.

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 4

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Chapter 4

June 2008...

"I know I've met most of you personally since you've begun to arrive on Macross Island," Roy said from front of the room, "but let me say again, welcome to the RDF gentlemen and lady. Over the next two weeks we will have a lot of classroom time while you learn the new systems and controls of the VF-1 Valkyrie. I will try to break that up with actual views of the aircraft. During this time you will also all be issued your new helmets. If you brought your old helmets with you, they are memorabilia now. Each day after class, one of you will report to the medical science team so that your new helmets may be calibrated.

"Lieutenant Saotome," Roy addressed Ranma. "Ladies first. You're to report after class today. It seems the medical staff had caught wind of your exceptional bodily control and your status as a high level martial artist. They can't wait to see how that will affect your neural link capability."

"Aye aye, Sir," Ranma responded.

The rest of the 8 hour class was fairly dry, but Roy managed to keep it from inducing somnolence by virtue of his anecdotes and the novelty of the subject matter. Ranma, for her part, was torn by her up coming trip to the medical science department. She didn't relish being a lab rat, but at the same time, she was also eager to see how her abilities would affect this new control system.

(oOO/Oo)

"CDR Fokker," Roy announced as he picked up the phone. "Calm down, Doctor Lang and tell me what the problem is in English...I need to get down there right away? Why?...Lieutenant Saotome? Is she alright?...Oh, I see...So what's so incredible that I have to see for myself?...Better than me, you say?...Alright I'm on my way."

Roy jumped up and headed over to the Medical labs. He had never seen Dr. Lang quite so excited, but it figured that Ranma would be at the root of it. The girl definitely had a knack for causing a stir.

Five minutes later he walked into Lang's office where the scientist was avidly pouring over graphs displayed on his computer screen.

"Okay, I'm here," Roy said. "Now what's so amazing?"

"One moment, Commander," Lang pulled up another chart which displayed a jagged line a little above half way through the range with an aggregate displayed at the bottom reading 64 percent. "These are the results of your last Neural Link calibration. Remember when we started the program that the best you could achieve was about 45 percent. Over the years it's become easier for you to form a link with the control systems, but you have leveled out recently. You shouldn't expect to achieve much more than a 70 percent link. We all thought that might be the ceiling since you have responded better than anyone else we've processed so far...until today."

Lang pulled up another chart with a jagged line running near the top of the range. The number at the bottom read a staggering 94 percent.

"These are Lieutenant Saotome's calibration results," Dr. Lang explained excitedly. "On her first try, she has reached near total link with the systems. In fact, for all intents and purposes a 6 percent gap is meaningless. She will be able to do things with mecha that that would seem impossible. The mecha would act as an extension of her own body. The fact is; we are going to have to modify the software to install feedback limits just for her. If her Veritech were to get shot up with that degree of link, it would easily kill her."

"How is that possible, Doc?" Roy asked in amazement.

"I'm not sure, but I have a theory," Lang explained. "Mind you, we can't prove it because we currently have no way to measure it. Are you familiar with the concept of 'ki', Commander?"

"Asians believe it's some sort of life force that every living being has, right?" Roy replied.

"Correct," Lang said. "It's no secret that every living being is surrounded by an energy field. Tesla had experimented with this but it was first officially discovered by a Russian medical tech named Kirlian. He was the first to photograph what is now known as the Kirlian aura, the energy field that surrounds a living thing and what I believe to be the 'ki' energy that the Asians speak of. Now for people like you or me, this energy is only visible when viewed with Kirlian photography, but it is said that ancient martial arts masters who have studied techniques for ki manipulation for decades are able to produce a visible aura of their ki. I never believed that until today."

"Why until today?" Roy asked.

"Because Lieutenant Saotome showed me what she calls her 'battle aura'," Lang said smugly. "She produced a pale blue aura that extended several inches away from her body. She said she learned to do it from an old master she trained with while on a ten year martial arts training journey. She said it's really nothing more than a light show meant to intimidate an enemy by displaying your power level. She went on to say the real use of her ki was to augment her strength and speed and accelerate her healing. She channels her ki into her muscles or into a wounded part of her body to produce the effects. She also says that she can channel her ki into a weapon to both strengthen it and give her better control over it. We believe that's how she is achieving this level of link with the neural interface."

"Then why can't everyone do it?" Roy asked.

"Years of training," Lang replied. "Lieutenant Saotome explained that ki is like a muscle, the more you use it, the more there is to use and the more you are able to use. We tested her and I personally saw her lift 400 kilos from the floor to above her head with very little strain. She ran 20 miles on a treadmill in an hour without appearing fatigued. She performed what she called a speed kata for us that we couldn't follow with our naked eyes. We had to slow the video down to see what she had actually done."

"That's inhuman," Roy said, astounded. Had it been anyone but Lang telling him this he would have called them a liar to their face.

"Apparently not," Lang replied. "She says it can be trained. I asked if that was so then why weren't there more of these super powered martial artists around. While she told me there were more than you might think, it was true they are small in number because few would people would voluntarily go through the insane and often deadly training methods needed to achieve levels like hers. She said fewer still would be willing to use those training methods to train someone. When I asked why she trained with such methods, she explained it was her misfortune to have a father that was obsessed with the art and the more insane and dangerous the training method was, the more likely he was to use it on her."

"I see," Roy said. "So what does this mean?"

"It means that you have a very special pilot on your hands, Commander," Lang grinned. "One that will likely eclipse you in skill and ability and one that appears ideally suited to this new technology. And as a bonus, she says she can teach others meditation techniques that might improve their ability to use the neural link."

"And you think I should allow this," Roy stated.

"Yes," Lang said. "It won't hurt and it will be interesting to see the results. Lieutenant Saotome did caution that some people wouldn't have the mental discipline to use the techniques and for those that did, it could take years for them to approach her current level. I think it would be well worth the effort even if only a handful of pilots managed to benefit from it."

"Okay, I'll talk to Lieutenant Saotome and, if she's willing, I'll set something up in the training schedule," Roy nodded.

(oOO/Oo)

A couple of days later a new item was introduced into the training plan. Now, every morning after breakfast, the class would meet in the dojo room of the gym and Ranma would teach meditation and focusing techniques to the pilots. As predicted some pilots responded better than others.

Lang was able to draw a direct correlation between the more mentally disciplined pilots that were achieving some degree of success with Ranma's techniques and their level of bond with the neural link. These pilots would achieve an initial calibration percentage in the 40 to 50 percent range while the ones that were unable to grasp what Ranma was teaching fell somewhat below that.

The class was taking one of its hourly breaks from the classroom sessions one day when two of the pilots were talking about the techniques.

"I think it's a big waste of time," LT Chuck Brown was saying to his classmate. He was one of the ones that wasn't responding to the training. Whether that was lack of interest or lack of ability wasn't known since LT Brown frequently fell asleep during the meditation sessions.

"I dunno," LT Clark Jones said uncertainly. "The brass seems to think it's a good idea." LT Jones hadn't been making much headway with the techniques, but he was slowly improving. He hadn't been to the calibration yet.

"I say it's all a bunch of mystical mumbo jumbo," Brown sneered. Ranma who had overheard them, felt compelled to put her two yen in.

"You really should make an effort with this," Ranma said. "I mean, you have to attend anyway and it might make you a better pilot."

"I don't need some little girl to tell me how to be a combat pilot, Miss Lieutenant, Junior Grade," Brown said arrogantly. Ranma's head jerked back as if slapped. "What would you know about combat flying anyway? Probably only ever dropped a couple of bombs on undefended targets in mop up operations."

Ranma clenched her fists and was quickly considering how much trouble she would get in for breaking this jerk's face. Probably not a whole lot, she decided, since he only out ranked her by a grade and she was provoked. She was just about to tear him a new one when the other pilot spoke up.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Jones snapped. "If you took your eyes off her breasts long enough you would see the ribbons on her chest. You don't get two Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Navy Cross for bombing undefended targets. Besides, I heard about her from my buddy that flew with her as her wingman. She saved his ass.

"He took some ground fire while on a CAS mission and had to punch out when his plane failed while outbound from the target area. She stayed in the area, forcing the enemy ground forces in route to capture him to retreat by strafing them with the last of her 20mm ammo then went against two Hinds UNARMED. She managed to crash one and distracted the other until the extraction team got there to pull Eddie out.

"He said she's a shit-hot pilot with stones the size of a battleship, even if she is female," Jones said with amusement.

"So she has some CAS experience, big deal," Brown dismissed. "Flying head to head against other pilots is where the real challenge is."

"How many months of combat have you seen?" Jones smirked.

"I've had a total of thirty-six months of deployment over the last five years," Brown replied.

"And how many air-to-air kills have you gotten and in how many engagements," Jones inquired, still smirking.

"I have four kills in four engagements," Brown said proudly.

"Lieutenant Saotome?" Jones prompted.

"I have a total of sixteen months of deployment over the last sixteen months and I have six air-to-air kills over four engagements. Two of those were Su-27's in one engagement. I got one Mig 29 while fighting our way into a target area and the other three were attack helos harassing our ground troops."

"I dunno, Chuck," Jones chuckled. "It sounds to me like she's pretty much got the credentials to tell you a thing or two about flying combat."

Brown glared at Ranma as she stood there smirking while smugly examining her nails. Inside, Brown was impressed with Ranma's accomplishments in her relatively short time in the UNEDF, but his pride would never let him admit that and he continued to think her techniques were a waste of time, which is probably why his calibration score was one of the lowest in the class at a paltry 28 percent. While anything over 20 percent was enough to pilot a Veritech, until he improved the link, Brown would be a clumsy if adequate battloid pilot.

(oOO/Oo)

As Veritech training progressed, so too did Lieutenant Brown's resentment of Ranma when she consistently out scored him on the class material and out performed him in the simulators. It didn't help that she had begun to jump his shit when she caught him sleeping in her training sessions. The man's animosity was encouraged when he found a couple of cohorts in the class that had begun to resent her due to Roy's perceived favoritism.

Not that they said anything with in earshot of anyone else in the class. Several of them either had first hand knowledge of her heroism or had heard about her exploits from others that had. She was well respected by most of her classmates. By now, all the neural link calibrations had been done and everyone knew about Ranma's incredible calibration score. They recognized the respect Roy paid her for what it was, regard for someone he deeply respected and was grooming for command.

What her detractors didn't realize was that Roy was pushing Ranma harder than anyone else in the class. Ranma, being very driven herself, either didn't notice, or welcomed the challenge. She always stepped up and delivered, no matter what Roy threw at her.

That's not to say that she didn't make her share of blunders. They were usually small ones and make little difference to the outcome of whatever trial Roy was putting her through, but Roy never failed to call her on them ruthlessly, much to the amusement of her anti-fan club. Most of the time, Roy chastised her for taking too many risks. This was frustrating for Ranma because her keen tactical mind simply didn't function like most others did, therefore, she couldn't grasp the threshold of when to play things safe and disengage and when to stay and fight.

She could clearly see victory in her grasp long after others thought it was a lost cause. Not that it was due to any sort of prideful self delusion, it was simply that she could see and plan several moves in advance what needed to happen for her to come out on top. Unfortunately, she was many times crippled by her wingman. Her abilities to hold a high-g maneuver indefinitely, without blacking out, far outstripped any of her fellow pilots. Saddled with the need to protect her wingman, she often found her path to victory vanishing before her eyes.

This was a hard lesson for her and one that she hadn't really had to deal with much before when flying F/A 18's. The structural limits of the airframe kept her close to the limits of her fellow pilots. With the Valkyries, though, the airframe could stand stresses far in excess of what was aerodynamically possible to apply in flight. Consequently, she was now having to learn when to break off an engagement that she could win for the sake of her squadron mates. It was a tough pill for her to swallow, but one Roy was determined to force down her throat.

For her part, as much as Ranma wanted to let the others break from the engagement and leave her to finish things up, she still recognized the importance of being a team player. So she strove to find a medium between her abilities, victory, and the abilities of her fellows. She often missed the mark but, eventually, she improved.

(oOO/Oo)

August 2008...

It was the last couple of weeks of class and everyone had been thoroughly checked out on operating the Valkyrie. Roy had begun organizing the class for transition to its roll as an operational squadron when he announced he had a surprise for everyone. He led them all out to the flight line. When they arrived they saw 16 shiny new VF-1's. One was an S model, Roy pointed out. That would be his bird and it was designated Skull One. There were also three J models which would be given to the flight leaders. The remaining 12 were A models which would comprise the bulk of Skull Squadron. Skull One and the J models were painted white with black and yellow livery with black tails displaying a skull and crossbones prominently. The A models were all painted a light brown with black and yellow accents and a black skull and crossbones on brown tails.

Roy had them form up and stood in front of them.

"Based on your performance in the class, sims, and actual flying, I've made the assignments for Skull Squadron," he announced. "I'll start with the flight leaders. When you hear your name step forward and stand on the yellow line. I will, of course, be the flight leader for Alpha Flight. Lieutenant Commander Kramer, you get Bravo Flight. Lieutenant Jones, you will be leading Charlie Flight. Lieutenant Saotome, Delta Flight is yours." Some grumbling was heard as Ranma took her position on the yellow line. "Brown, you have a problem with my choices?"

"With all due respect, Sir, several of us have higher rank and more flight hours than Lieutenant Saotome," Brown said, practically spitting Ranma's rank.

"Yeah, and?" Roy asked.

"Well, one of us should get the flight leader position," Brown said, making an effort to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Perhaps you missed the part where I said my assignments were based on performance, Lieutenant," Roy said. "That would put you in the bottom third of the class. The only reason Lieutenant Saotome isn't my 2IC is because she doesn't have the rank or experience to warrant it. As for her ability, she has that in spades. I suggest you adjust your attitude, Mister Brown. Don't think I'm unaware of your trash talking behind Lieutenant Saotome's back. That Navy Cross she earned commands our respect for her and her abilities and you will give her the respect she is due. Am I making myself clear, Mister Brown?" Roy gave the man a glare that would have peeled paint at fifty paces.

"Yes, SIR!" Brown said crisply, gulping. Roy held the glare for a few minutes longer then moved on.

Brown and the other Ranma detractors where broken up between Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Flights. Brown being in Alpha where Roy could keep an eye on him. For Ranma's flight, Roy selected the three pilots with the most endurance to g-loading so as to limit her as little as possible. Her three flight mates were Lieutenant JG Sven "Thor" Christensen, Lieutenant JG Kyo "Yoyo" Morita and Ensign Ross "Gravy" Davies.

(oOO/Oo)

Now was when the real training began. Skull began to train as a combat unit. All the pilots where experienced to some degree with combat flying, so a majority of the training was ground based in battloid mode. To do this, they would go up against Marine Destroid units on one of the uninhabited islands that dotted the South Pacific. The island was large and wooded with structures from a previous venture that had been based there. It was now designated a bombing range and the perfect place to train in the classified Veritech guardian and battloid modes.

Skull had all been briefed on Destroid unit tactics as a basis for what they would be using. However, while similar in some aspects, Veritechs were not Destriods so they were not only there to train but to develop new tactics that used the Veritech's multiple configurations and maneuverability to their advantage.

Ammo would be paint shells and once on the island, Skull would be prohibited from using fighter mode. Roy had planned the training operation with competition between his flights in mind. The 'objective' was a hill in the approximate center of the island. Each flight would start from a different side and fight their way to the objective. Each approach was planned to provide a different terrain challenge. One approach would be heavily wooded, another would be through a small village of industrial structures and bombed out buildings, a third would be across open rocky ground, while the fourth would be through a marsh.

The Marine Destriods were to try to prevent Skull from reaching the top of the hill. Their strength was unknown but 'intel' said that Skull would be at a two to one disadvantage. How these numbers were deployed was unknown although the Marines were aware of the routes of ingress.

A mecha would be considered "killed" after receiving at least two hits to the upper body or one hit to the legs.

Delta Flight drew the wooded approach for the first day. After that the Flights would rotate the approaches clockwise the following day. Ranma sat at their starting point examining her map. They had been given an hour before they were to begin the exercise and she and her team we dismounted and having a little planning session.

"What are you thinking, DL," Christensen asked in his Norwegian accent.

"I'm thinking I don't like this," Ranma replied. "Look here. See this ridge line that cuts across our mission area? There's only going to be a limited number of places we can go by that. Here would be the obvious place." Ranma pointed to a narrow gap where the ridge dipped down making a natural pathway. "You can bet the Marines are going to have that one covered nine ways to Sunday. We can likely jump the ridge in guardian mode here, here, or here, but we'll make a lot of noise doing it. Our speed won't do us much good in this terrain either so I would expect that even if we did make it around the forces they are going to have covering the gap, they will probably have reserve units pulled back that will move to intercept us once they know where we are. That would leave their ambushing forces time to move to take us from the flank."

"So what are we going to do?" Davies asked.

"We're going to be sneaky and deceitful and then take a gamble," Ranma grinned.

"Do tell," Morita grinned.

"Okay, we are going to head to this western most crossing point here," Ranma pointed to one that was farthest from the gap. We'll jump the ridge here, high and noisy-like, making sure we have their attention. Then we'll slip back over to this side. Their reserve unit will move to engage us. I'm gambling that the unit covering the gap will either pull back to guard the approach to the hill, or move to engage our flank. While they are doing that, we'll parallel the ridge and go straight through the gap traveling at best speed and angling east. Hopefully by the time they realized they've been duped, we'll be too far ahead of them for them to catch us."

"Brilliant," Christensen said high-fiveing Morita.

"Yeah, well, don't go celebrating yet," Ranma cautioned. "If I'm wrong and they don't fall for it, leaving the pass, we will get ripped to shreds. They'll have the high ground and most likely be firing from cover. We won't be able to use guardian mode with all these trees and that's going to limit our mobility advantage."

Two and a half hours later Delta Flight passed through the gap and met no resistance. The three men were exultant, but Ranma remained apprehensive. They still had several kilometers to go and things could get ugly. As they approached the hill, their mission area would get smaller and the likelihood of them being spotted would increase.

"Alright, Delta, calm down and keep you eyes open," Ranma ordered. "We're not there yet."

"We're home free, DL, what could go wrong?" Gravy asked over the comm. Ranma wanted to bang her head on the instrument panel.

"Gravy, never EVER say something like that," Ranma commanded. "Cause, guaranteed, you'll find out what can go wrong."

Sure enough, they had gotten within a kilometer of the hill when Thor spoke up.

"Contact!" the Norwegian announced. "Three o'clock and closing fast. Estimate one minute until we start taking fire."

"Aright, gentlemen, you just found out what happens when you ask what could go wrong," Ranma said. "Move out, best speed. The time for stealth is over. We need to get in between them and the hill before we are engaged. Stay together though."

Delta flight had just managed to get in front of the Destroid forces when paint rounds began to spatter the trees around them. Ranma spun her battloid and began to return fire.

"Okay, people, listen up," she said over the comm. "Gravy and I are going to provide suppressing fire. Thor, you and Yoyo move toward the hill about fifty meters then you will provide suppressing fire as Gravy and I move up. We'll repeat the process until we break the tree line, then if we are still under fire we'll increase the jumps to 100 meters. Got it?" Thor and Gravy gave "Roger"s, but Yoyo had a question.

"Ma'am, why don't we just make a break for it," he asked. "We're almost there and once we reach the tree line they can't catch us."

"We're too close to the hill for me to give them a shot at my back, Yoyo," Ranma answered. "We've all gotten this far and we'll all reach the hill 'alive'. The best way to do that is to provide cover fire for each other while we move."

"Roger, Ma'am," Yoyo said.

They had just broke the tree line when Roy's voice came over the command channel.

"Skull Alpha Lead to Delta Lead, Status, Dragon Lady?" he asked.

"We're a little busy, Cowboy," Ranma answered as she laid down a burst of fire and prepared to move up. "We're about three hundred meters from the hill with two companies of Marines breathing down our necks. Looks like we'll be the first to reach the hill."

"Heh, dream on Dragon Lady," Roy said. "My ETA is less than two minutes to the top of the hill and we're well in front of the resistance."

"It'll be close then, Cowboy," Ranma fired back. Switching to Delta's channel, "Okay people, the race is on. Alpha is less the two minutes from the hill. If we want to win this, we have to hurry up every time we get the chance. Two hundred meter jumps and go to guardian mode now that we have some open ground."

A minute and a half later, Alpha Lead stepped over the line a heartbeat ahead of Delta Lead. However, the remaining Alpha member was lagging behind while the rest of Delta stepped across right behind Ranma.

"Delta Flight in has the hill," Ranma chirped as her last mecha stepped across. Ten seconds later, the last Alpha mecha entered the mission complete area.

"Alpha Lead was here first," Roy said.

"So how we gonna call it, Cowboy?" Ranma asked. "You may have been the first on the hill, but my entire flight completed the mission objective before yours did."

"Your whole flight made it, huh?" Roy asked, even though they were standing right in front of each other.

"Yup," Ranma confirmed, looking at her people. Each of them had one hit on their torso, but the Marines never managed a second hit on any of them. "Who'd you loose?"

"We lost Doodoo and Spinner," Roy answered. "Doodoo managed to loose it while evading and buried the nose of his guardian past the cockpit in the mud before receiving a new paint job before he could extract himself. Spinner got caught when they concentrated fire on him."

Ranma laughed at the thought of Lieutenant Brown with the nose of his Veritech buried in the mud.

"Poor Doodoo," Ranma snickered. The rest of her flight chuckled.

"Well, since you managed to bring your whole flight through, I'm going to concede the victory to you, Dragon Lady," Roy laughed. "Good work."

"Thanks, Cowboy," Ranma said as Delta Flight cheered. "What about Bravo and Charlie?"

"Bravo got pasted," Roy said. "The entire flight. Charlie is still alive, but lost a mecha. The street fighting really bogged them down. They should be here in about a half an hour."

(oOO/Oo)

The rest of the exercises worked out about the same. Thanks to Roy's experience and Ranma's brilliant tactical mind, Alpha and Delta always made it to the hill ahead of the others. Ranma flight never suffered more than one loss while Roy's flight never made it through unscathed.

In fact, Chuck "Doodoo" Brown never survived at all. If one didn't know any better one would have thought the Marines had singled him out to take out at all costs. Why else would they be willing to accept losses just to "kill" him? Why else would they ignore the rest of Alpha flight until they took Doodoo down? It must have been imagination. After all, it's not as if the Marines had a reason to single the hapless pilot out. It wasn't as if the Marines were part of the Dragon Lady fan club, right? It wasn't as if they could have known about Doodoo's attitude toward the Dragon lady, right? It wasn't as if Roy was smiling every time poor Doodoo got a new paint job, was he? Nah, it was just a coincidence...right?

By the time each flight had gone through each approach twice, Alpha and Delta had four victories each. Delta had received fewer losses but had a lower "kill" tally. It was decided that Alpha would have the bragging rights because the gap between Alpha's and Delta's "kill" tally was far larger than the gap between their loss tally.

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 5

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Chapter 5

November 2008...

Ranma walked into the White Dragon and sat down at the table that was the unofficial property of Skull Squadron.

"Hi Ranma," the young bubbly waitress chirped as she bounced up to the table. Ranma smiled at the dark haired girl whose cheerful attitude was infectious.

"Hey, Minmei," Ranma said pleasantly. "How are you today?"

"I'm fantastic," Minmei smiled stunningly as she slipped into the booth opposite Ranma. Ranma giggled as she glanced around at the other customers. Minmei would have been a fantastic waitress but she was a bit flighty, often neglecting her other customers for ones she found interesting. She had determined that Ranma fell into the interesting category. "School is wonderful. The boy's are so nice. Gee, I wish Uncle Max and Auntie Lina would let me date. I bet it's great to be surrounded by so many men all day, huh, Ranma? I think it's so cool that you're a pilot. You're the first female pilot I've ever met. Some of those guys you come in here with are so cute. Are they all nice to you? You're so gorgeous, they better be nice to you or they'll never have girlfriends."

"Um, thanks, I think," Ranma laughed as Minmei wound down.

"Oh! What am I doing?" Minmei exclaimed in embarrassment. "Can I get you something? Would you like a menu?"

"I'd just like tea for now," Ranma smiled at the enthusiastic young girl. "I'm meeting some friends here and they're dragging me out shopping."

"Shopping!" Minmei squealed in feminine glee. "Oh I love to go shopping. It's so much fun to try one all those pretty clothes..." Ranma listened to another couple of minutes of girlish gushing with a look of pure amusement on her face. For some reason, Minmei always seemed to raise her spirits.

"Um, Minmei, your other customers..." Ranma said with a large grin.

"Oh my god!" Minmei said in panic. "I forgot all about them. I'm sorry Ranma but I guess I have to get back to work!" Ranma laughed and waved her off.

"She's a lovely girl, but a bit flighty sometimes," Lina said apologetically as she came up to Ranma's table with a pot of green tea and a cup.

"She's just young," Ranma smiled. "She'll be a force to be reckoned with when she finds something to focus her."

"True, true," Lina smiled warmly. "So how are you today, Miss Ranma?"

"I'm about to be dragged out on a grueling day long torture session, if I know my commanding officers," Ranma grinned.

"Oh? More training with the boys, huh?" Lina smirked.

"Oh, no, that I could handle," Ranma replied. "My American girlfriends, who happen to be my commanding officers, have decided that my wardrobe is too limited. They are dragging me off shopping for something special to wear to a party they are having in honor of this American holiday, Thanksgiving. Apparently it's a holiday to give thanks for having food to eat throughout the year. It's celebrated by getting together with friends and family and stuffing yourself to the gills. My kinda holiday really."

"Heh, you're a strange one, Miss Ranma," Lina said smiling to take the sting out of her comment. "Most women need less of an excuse than that to go out and buy themselves something nice. You act like Minmei does when it's her turn to clean the bathroom."

"Yeah, well, I'm a bit of a tomboy," Ranma said blushing. "I was raised on the road with by my Pop who didn't have the first clue about girls. All he thought about was martial arts and stuffing his belly. If it didn't have anything to do with either of those then it was a distraction from the art."

"You poor dear," Lina said sympathetically.

"That's why we're here," said a voice from behind Ranma. Ranma looked around and saw her tormentors had arrived. "We've made it our mission to make sure she gets caught up on all the girl stuff she missed out on," Claudia grinned wickedly while Lisa's eyes danced with mischief.

"You see?" Ranma said after rolling her eyes. "I'm doomed, I tell you." Lina laughed.

"It looks to me like you're in good hands, dear," Lina replied. "I'll get you some menus and leave you to it."

"Gee thanks," Ranma said with mock sarcasm. Lina laughed as she got them their menus and left.

"Good morning, Ranma," Lisa purred as she slide into the booth beside her and gave her a hug. Claudia raised an eyebrow at Lisa's tone but didn't say anything as she slid in opposite the other two.

"You ready for an exciting girl's day out?" Claudia grinned.

"You both take an inordinate amount of pleasure in tormenting me, don't you?" Ranma deadpanned.

"Oooo, is that the word of the day, Ranma?" Claudia teased. "I didn't know you knew words that big."

"What, torment?" Ranma asked. "I'll have you know I'm VERY familiar with the word torment. It's played such a big part in my life, particularly with the both of you!" Ranma didn't mean that to sound as harsh as it did and seeing Lisa's hurt look, she immediately feel guilty.

"You don't really mean that, do you, Ranma?" Lisa asked sadly.

"No, I guess not," Ranma sighed. "You guys are my two best friends. I know you're just playing and trying to help me fit in. It's just..." Ranma blushed and trailed off.

"It's just what?" Claudia asked. Ranma looked around and then leaned forward conspiratorially.

"It's just the PMS talking," Ranma whispered.

"Oh!" the two women smiled knowingly at her.

"Okay, Ranma, we'll try to take it easy on you today," Lisa said. "I remember how bad that could get for you." Turning to Claudia, "She gets some real doozies. I remember her laying in bed all day curled up around a hot water bottle in abject misery."

"They're not so bad anymore," Ranma commented. "I do tend to get pretty bitchy though."

"I remember," Claudia laughed. "Worst mood swings I ever saw." Lisa giggled, remembering her experiences.

"You're one to talk, Miss Hayes," Ranma commented. "I remember you being pretty grumpy too. God, poor Karl. After a while, our cycles synced up and we were both hell on wheels, at least when I wasn't bed bound with cramps. We had some real screaming matches, let me tell you. Karl avoided us like the plague."

"Sounds like a smart man," Claudia laughed and changed the subject before Lisa started to dwell on Karl. "So how was training, Ranma?"

"It was fun," Ranma answered. "I didn't do as well as I wanted but I think Skull Squadron has really gelled for the most part."

"Oh, please, Roy can't stop talking about you," Claudia grinned. "He says you are the best pilot he's ever served with and we were looking at the future CAG."

"Wow, that's high praise coming from Roy," Lisa commented.

"Oh stop," Ranma said blushing. "I mean, I am pretty good, but I have my problems."

"Roy says your problems are performing down to the level of the other pilots," Claudia commented. "He said even he couldn't keep up with you in a one on one fight. He's very impressed with you. If we didn't know certain things, I'd be worried." Claudia smirked.

"Yeah, well, we know there's nothing to worry about with that," Ranma said sourly.

"Seriously, though, he wants to give you your own squadron already," Claudia said. "He's already bought your name up to the Brass and said you should be looked at closely when they consider expanding the number of squadrons."

"I wouldn't be looking for it to happen any time soon," Lisa commented. "We are barely getting enough interest in transferring to the RDF as it is. In fact the last few squadrons will be filled with ensigns just out of flight school. You would think there would be more interest in being a part of a space based unit. Most of the initial squadrons are slated for planet bound duty on the Prometheus."

"Maybe you guys should have a demonstration team like the American's Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds," Ranma suggested. "That way you could get the RDF some publicity and get people to thinking." Claudia and Lisa looked at each other.

"That’s not a half bad idea," Claudia grinned.

(oOO/Oo)

"So is there something you want to tell me?" Claudia asked Lisa casually as they waited for Ranma to emerge from the dressing room.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about," Lisa said with a completely straight face.

"Don't try that on me, Girly," Claudia snorted. "I've never seen you this playful, and I for sure have never seen you actually FLIRT with someone."

"You must be mistaken," Lisa dismissed. "Ranma is my best friend, so yes, I'm a little more relaxed around her, but I am NOT flirting with another girl."

"Oh Ranma, that looks just delicious on you," Claudia said mimicking Lisa walking around her and dragging her fingers lightly over Lisa's hips and butt and fluttering her eyelashes. Lisa blushed and pushed Claudia's hand away. "I know flirting when I see it, girl, and YOU'VE been flirting shamelessly with Ranma all day. So spill it, is there something going on between you?"

"It's not like that, Claudia," Lisa protested. "Ranma is my best friend. Around her I just feel free to be something I almost forgot I was, myself. I'm not attracted to other women."

"Uh huh," Claudia, looking skeptical, and then got mischievous glint in her eye. "So your not attracted to other women, just Ranma, huh?" Lisa's blush told Claudia everything she wanted to know.

Seeing Claudia's smug look, Lisa opened her mouth to begin issuing denials but at that moment Ranma came out of the dressing room wearing the slinky black silk cocktail dress they had cajoled her into trying on. Claudia, who was looking at Lisa at that moment, saw the brunette's eyes widen then glaze over slightly. It took everything Claudia had not to burst out laughing at the look on Lisa's face. She looked over at Ranma who was standing before them having struck a glamorous pose that just dripped with sex appeal and giving them a dark smoky look.

"Wow," Claudia commented reaching over without looking and closing Lisa's mouth by way of placing her finger tips under the brunette's chin and gently pushing up. Ranma gave them a small smile and twirled around. The smooth raven silk clung to her curves, accenting them with shimmering highlights as the light caught the fabric. It was sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline that plunged down and would tastefully display Ranma's generous cleavage once she was wearing the right lingerie. (Currently, she was wearing a sports bra that ruined that effect.) The hem of the dress fell to just passed the swell of her calves, but it had a slit in the side that ran to her hip and flashed a generous amount of her leg when she moved. "I think we found your dress for the dance," Claudia said. "Of course, we might have to have it registered as a lethal weapon."

"Is this really necessary?" Ranma whined. "I mean I know it looks good and all, but I don't see why I can't wear something with slacks."

"Oh, it's necessary alright," Claudia grinned and darted her eyes meaningfully at Lisa who was still staring, spellbound. Ranma's gaze followed Claudia's prompt and she noticed that Lisa remained standing stock still staring at her with that slightly glazed look in her eyes. Ranma blushed and looked demurely at the floor. "What do you say, Lisa?" Claudia snapped her fingers several time in front of Lisa's face. "You think that dress is necessary for Ranma?" Lisa blinked with a start, coming out of her fugue. She nodded her head vigorously.

"She must wear that dress to the party," Lisa said firmly.

"See, I told you," Claudia grinned. "Now we just need to get you the proper lingerie and shoes for it. You probably don't have any jewelry either do you?"

"You know," Ranma said in a low tone with a hint of menace, "if it was anyone but you two, you would have this dress shoved where the sun don't shine."

"Ranma, I..." Claudia began, thinking that maybe they pushed Ranma too far today.

"No, Claudia," Ranma interrupted. "I know already. I know you are trying to help me, to teach me things I never had a chance to learn, never should have had to learn, and I appreciate that, I really do. I might have gone nuts long ago had you and Lisa not been in my life at the right times. Lisa taught me some basic things I needed to know to cope with who I am and how to fit in. You taught me I could and should still be a person, not just some biological aircraft control system. But, please, don't try to turn me into something that I'm not."

"I don't want to change who you are Ranma," Claudia said, shaking her head in negation. "I love who you are and how you dress and present yourself doesn't have to change that. Lisa and I are pushing you a bit, but we just want you to be everything you can be. We want to show you the joy and power of being the woman you are." She dropped her voice to a barely audible level that didn't carry any further than Ranma. "Even if it wasn't what you were born as." Lisa stepped up to Ranma and took her by the hands.

"Ranma, back in school, I helped you learn to tolerate it and to accept enough of the things expected of a woman to fit in," Lisa said. "You weren't ready for more than that then. You are now. Being a woman can be a hassle at times, but it can also be a lot of fun. You are a radiant creature, Ranma. You should experience the power you can have over people when you embrace that. You look so elegant and exquisite in this dress.

"You want an example of the power of your beauty? How's this; Ranma, seeing you in that dress, for the first time, I actually want to get over Karl and I would be unreasonably proud to be your escort for the evening, and to hell with whatever that says about me."

Ranma's ocean blue eyes searched Lisa's emerald one's for any hint of insincerity. She found none.

"Okay," Ranma said in a soft voice, blushing and looking down demurely once more. Searching her feelings, she found that her friends were right. If this was the power of being a woman, to ignite this sort of desire in someone she was attracted to as well, then perhaps it was something she could live with, even enjoy.

Ranma made no further protests the rest of the shopping trip. She knew Lisa was going to be making a statement about herself by being her escort to the party and she vowed that in return, if Lisa was going to be seen with another woman, then it was going to be a woman that would stop hearts and have tongues dragging the ground. She didn't even complain when they insisted she have her ears pierced, twice in each lobe.

On the other hand, she did do quite a bit of blushing when Lisa picked out some lingerie for her. It was small black and lacy, and she caught herself wondering how Lisa would react to seeing her in it, causing her to blush nearly as red as her hair and slap herself. One thing was clear, as she looked at herself in the mirror while trying it on, it would be hard for her to feel anything but sexy and feminine while wearing it.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma stood in her living room pacing nervously. She was turned out for the party and waiting for Lisa to come by to get her. In addition to her black dress and lingerie, she was wearing thigh high sheer black stockings, the lacy tops of one of which could be seen through the slit in the dress as she moved as well as a brief glimpse of creamy bare thigh. On her feet were what Claudia had teasingly referred to as three inch fk-me pumps. They were delicate and shiny black with gold metallic tips on the narrow heels. There was a gold anklet around one ankle. Around her neck was a fine gold necklace with an opal and onxy yin-yang pendant in a gold setting hanging just above her traffic stopping display of cleavage. The first hole of each ear sported a tear drop shaped opal dangling from a fine gold chain while the second holes each had an onyx stud. Her hair, in its typical French braid, somehow looked more elegant and had a gold clasp holding it near the bottom. Around one wrist was a diamond tennis bracelet, but the piece-de-resistance was the golden dragon with ruby eyes that coiled possessively around her upper arm on the opposite side.

Ranma nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the knock on the door. She resisted the urge to run to the door and tear it open, instead, moving gracefully. She opened the door and froze as she caught sight of Lisa.

While Ranma was all darkness and fire, Lisa was light and earth in her pearlescent white sleeveless dress. The dress clung to the soft curves of Lisa's body that Ranma was so familiar with from their trips to the beach. But while those curves at the beach were raw and enticing, the dress made them breathtaking. The hem of the dress was cut at an angle from just above one knee to her mid-calf on the other side and had a slight flair to it. She had on white heels and sheer white stockings. Her auburn hair hung loosely around her shoulders and gold hoop earrings peeked out from with in it. A gold necklace also graced her long slender neck and had a gold and diamond heart shaped pendant which hung just above her more modest cleavage. One delicate wrist featured a fine gold bracelet.

Ranma blushed as she realized she was staring, but when she met Lisa's eyes, she realized that Lisa was equally dumbstruck.

"An angel," Ranma breathed softly.

"A goddess," Lisa said at the same time in a matching tone.

"Alright, alright," Claudia said as she approached them. "I hate to break up the moment, but our ride is here." She too looked resplendent in her emerald green backless dress and gold heels, but Ranma and Lisa barely noticed. They only had eyes for each other.

"Shall we go, Beautiful?" Lisa smiled and offered her arm, assuming the male role.

"I could never say no to someone as gorgeous as you," Ranma replied with her own dreamy smile and hooked her arm through Lisa's.

Roy was waiting for them beside a blacked out government Crown Victoria in the driveway when they walked out of the building. He did a double take and stood transfixed as the three elegant women swayed up to the car, heels tapping on the concrete with each step.

Claudia had to snap her fingers under her nose to break the spell. Roy shook himself out of it and looked them all over again.

"My god," he said in wonder. "You all look so...so...etherial."

"Oh please," Claudia snorted. "Those two make me look positively dowdy."

"Oh no," Roy denied wisely. "You are, all three, different aspects of loveliness, none surpassing the other." Roy began to wax poetic. "Lisa's beauty is pure and innocent, unattainable by the hand of lowly man. Ranma's beauty is that of fire and smoldering darkness, searing and dangerous yet worth the risk to tame it for the promise of warmth. But I prefer your own beauty, that of the huntress, graceful and passionate, savage yet elegant, powerful and poetic, a beauty that men have fought wars to possess. Come, my Helen of Troy."

Claudia blushed and took Roy's hand as he opened the door for her and assisted her into the car. Lisa opened the back door and handed Ranma into the car. Before Ranma stepped in, she met Roy's eye.

"Good answer," she said, smiling at him.

He sketched a bow after closing Claudia's door and ran around to the other side. Lisa giggled and handed Ranma in, not missing the glimpse of lovely thigh that briefly emerged from the slit in Ranma's dress. Gulping with the feelings of confusion and desire she felt, she walked around to the car and allowed Roy to hand her in.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma had entered the hall on Lisa's arm. The brunette had insisted, though Ranma had offered to spare her the fall out this would generate. They caused a quiet but definite stir when they had entered together. There were about a hundred people there that had no family or way to make it to family for the holiday and every head in the room had been locked on the two women, either in undisguised admiration or surprise at the statement the pair seemed to be making.

After dinner had been eaten, Claudia and Roy took the stage.

"Hi everyone," Claudia said into the mic. "Last time Roy and I did this it went over surprisingly well so we thought we'd treat you all to a little musical performance tonight."

The audience clapped in approval. Claudia grinned and took a seat behind a piano will Roy sat down on a stool with his guitar. They proved to be accomplished musicians with good voices. Claudia had a really good Motown sound while Roy was equally at home doing folk or blues. They played a few songs, delighting the assembled group and then Claudia stood.

"I happen to know we have some real...er...talent," Claudia smirked as she looked directly at Ranma, "in the house tonight. Let's see if we can get Lieutenant Ranma Saotome to come up here and as do a few songs for us."

The audience began to clap to urge Ranma to comply. Ranma blushed and shook her head.

"Come one, people, she needs a little more urging," Claudia said cheerfully.

The applause and whistles became deafening and Ranma started to shake her head again, but Lisa smiled at her and poked her in the side gesturing her up on stage with a toss of her head. Ranma slumped in defeat but then rose and smiled brightly at the still clapping and cheering crowd. She climbed the stairs to the stage and walked across toward Roy and Claudia. Still smiling she gave a small wave to the crowd before joining the pair.

"You know you're gonna pay dearly for this, don't you?" Ranma said to the merry minstrels, still grinning for the audience's benefit.

"I'm sure we will," Claudia laughed, "but not before you grace us with that great voice of yours." Ranma kicked herself for ever agreeing to do karaoke with Claudia.

"So what do you want to sing?" Roy asked.

The three talked about it and decided on three songs that they all knew. Then Claudia resumed her seat at the piano and Ranma stepped up to the mic on a stand near the front of the stage.

"The first song I'd like to do for you is my favorite," Ranma said. "It hold special meaning for me and those that know me will understand why. The song predates even old man Fokker over there and was originally done by a band called the Eagles. The song is called 'Desperado'."

High clear piano notes began to fill the room as the applause from the audience died down. Ranma began to sing in a silky mezzo-soprano voice filled with emotion as she stood before the mic with closed eyes, obviously looking inward.

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow

Don' you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of heats is always your best friend

Ranma opened her eyes and smiled directly at Lisa when she sang that last line.

Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get

Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone

The tempo changed and Roy sang the next verse in harmony with Ranma.

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're loosin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you...

Claudia's Motown voice repeated the line in the pause.

...before it's too late

Ranma held the last note and as it faded the audience exploded in applause, moved and impressed by the emotional and very well done rendition of the song. Ranma opened her eyes and smiled at the crowd while waiting for the applause to die down.

(oOO/Oo)

"Chrikey, I've never seen her look quite so...so...exquisite," a certain Russ Newton said in awe as he looked at the redhead on the stage.

"Who is she, Sir?" a woman with short midnight blue hair asked from beside him.

"That, Sergeant, it the 5-42 Marine's very own guardian angel. That, Sergeant, is the Dragon Lady to whom we owe our continued existence too," Newton said reverently. "And I must say she is looking particularly angelic tonight."

"It doesn't bother you that she appears to be with that other woman?" the Sergeant asked him.

"Nah," Russ grinned. "In all the time we've know her and hung out with her, she's never shown the slightest interest in any male. We sort of figured she was that way for a while now. I'm happy for her that she seems to have found someone to share her heart with. She's got good taste to, I might add. Lucky woman, that one the Dragon Lady is with."

The female Sergeant looked thoughtful as she watched the redhead up on stage.

(oOO/Oo)

"Thanks," Ranma said as the clapping and whistling subsided. "The next one I'd like to do is a little more playful and upbeat. It's also an old song but not as old as the other one. It was originally done by a band called Six-Pence-None-The-Richer and it's called 'Kiss Me'."

Ranma proceeded to sing a very credible rendition of 'Kiss Me' with Claudia some how harmonizing with her at the appropriate times. The audience again exploded in applause.

"I'm gonna do one more then give you guys a break from my caterwauling," Ranma grinned. The crowd made disappointed sounds. "The last one I'd like to sing for you is by an older band called Roxette. It's called 'Listen to Hour Heart'."

Again, strong clear piano notes rang out, quieting the last vestiges of the applause. On cue Ranma's voice joined the piano once again demonstrating her considerable vocal talent as her voice seemed charged with emotion. This time she seemed to be singing the song to a certain brunette beauty in a white dress.

I know there's something in the wake of your smile.
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yea.
You've built a love but that love falls apart.
Your little piece of heaven turns too dark.

Listen to your heart
when he's calling for you.
Listen to your heart
there's nothing else you can do.
I don't know where you're going
and I don't know why,
but listen to your heart
before you tell him goodbye.

Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile.
The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yeah.
They're swept away and nothing is what is seems,
the feeling of belonging to your dreams.

And there are voices
that want to be heard.
So much to mention
but you can't find the words.
The scent of magic,
the beauty that's been
when love was wilder than the wind.

It was easily the most powerful song of the night with both Roy and Claudia adding back ups in the right places. Lisa herself heard the message of the song and seemed to be wrestling with something as the audience gave Ranma a standing ovation and the redhead took her bows.

Lisa seemed to come to a conclusion and she gulped down her three quarters full glass of champagne and rose before approaching the stage. She reached Ranma as the redhead descended that stairs.

"Thank you," Lisa said softly and gave her a quick hug. "I want to do one now."

She shooed Ranma on to the table and mounted the stage to speak with Roy and Claudia. They both nodded and resumed their positions while Lisa took Ranma's place.

"Well, I must say I'm pretty surprised," Claudia announced. "Lisa Hayes has decided to try her hand at singing for us. Everyone give it up for our favorite XO!" The audience applauded.

"Now, I don't have much experience at this, and I'm certainly not in Ranma's league, but then not many are," Lisa grinned. "That's what the song I'd like to sing is about. It was one of my favorites and I think it was originally done by Carly Simon. It's called 'Nobody Does It Better', and it's dedicated to our lovely and talented Ranma Saotome."

The music started and Lisa began to sing in a surprisingly lovely voice.

Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you're the best

I wasn't lookin' but somehow you found me
It tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me
The spy who loved me
Is keepin' all my secrets safe tonight

And nobody does it better
Though sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why'd you have to be so good?

The way that you hold me
Whenever you hold me
There's some kind of magic inside you
That keeps me from runnin'
But just keep it comin'
How'd you learn to do the things you do?

Oh, and nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, baby, darlin', you're the best

Baby you're the best
Darlin', you're the best
Baby you're the best

Ranma was blushing like mad by the end of the song and continued to blush with a silly grin as the audience applauded and whistled for both Ranma and Lisa. Lisa was also blushing as Claudia and Roy came up and each took one of her hands and bowed with her.

"Thank you, everyone," Claudia said happily. "We hope you enjoyed it. I mean, it's not often that the brass is entertaining in quite so positive a manner." The audience laughed appreciatively. "We had fun. Now we're going to play the canned music and open the floor for dancing. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone."

Ranma and Lisa declined several offers to dance each, but when the first slow song came on, Lisa, who was a bit lit, stood abruptly and grabbed Ranma's hand, dragging her up out of her chair.

"You sure about this?" Ranma asked her. "I mean we still had a little bit of deniability before but this will eliminate that. People will be talking."

"No," Lisa said, "I'm not sure about this, but I'm listening to my heart and my heart says it wants to dance with you."

"Okay, but one question," Ranma said, smiling demurely.

"What?" Lisa asked.

"Who leads?" Ranma giggled. Lisa pondered this for a moment and reached an answer.

"I lead now," Lisa said with seriousness. "You can lead the other way." Ranma gave her a heart-stopping smile and nodded as she was swept into the taller woman's arms. They began to sway about the floor with matching smiles.

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 6

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Chapter 6

November 2008...

"Hey Roy," Claudia greeted as she walked into his office.

"Hi Claudia," Roy said looking up from the endless paperwork he faced as CAG. "What's up?"

"Lisa and I have an idea to run by you," Claudia said carefully.

"Uh oh," Roy said, putting his hands behind his head and sitting back in his chair. Claudia came over and perched on the edge of his desk.

"Oh stop," Claudia laughed. "It's nothing like that. The other day when Lisa, Ranma, and I were shopping, we were discussing the lack of interest we've been getting in trying to get people into the RDF, particularly pilots. Ranma suggested something and Lisa and I talked about it and decided to run with it. We need you on board though."

"I'm listening," Roy said, curious.

"We need a Veritech flight demonstration team, like the Blue Angels or the Thrunderbirds," Claudia said. "We want to put together a proposal and take it to Command for approval." Roy whistled.

"I like it," Roy said, his imagination going to work, already seeing other uses for such a unit. "It would still technically have to be a combat ready unit, say 8 Veritechs. They could be considered an under strength secondary squadron of two flights. The Brass would never go for if it wasn't. Veritechs are too expensive. However, they would need to have their own squadron designation because their training schedule would have to be different. We couldn't afford to break up an existing unit or units while the demo pilots rehearsed show routines. If they were a separate unit then they could work their combat training around the show training.

"For shows they could use 6 for formation routines, 2 for solo routines. The pilots would have to be gifted to keep their combat edge while flying in airshows as well. Thinking about it, if we stick the best pilots in the unit, we could use them as an Aggressor Squadron for our line units to train against. That would give both units combat training.

"And there could be a third purpose as well," Roy went on, getting into it. "If I assign not just the best pilots, but the ones with the highest neural link and G-loading potential, we could also say they are an experimental unit to explore the limits of Veritech potential."

Claudia grinned. "Finally found the excuse you were looking for, huh?" she asked. "I take it you already have someone in mind for this assignment?"

"Well, I couldn't just give Ranma command of a line squadron," Roy grinned. "There are a lot of people with more rank and experience than she has and they would cause a row if I did. As much as I think she would be a great squadron commander, the damage it would do to moral wouldn't be worth it. This is different though."

"How so?" Claudia asked.

"Well, because it would in effect be a non-combat posting," Roy said. "It would be an under strength unit so there would never be a reason to send this unit into combat short of all out war. Granted there are some out there that would see it as a 'gravy' posting, but that's were the other part comes it, demonstrating the potential of the Veritech. That would allow us to be selective about who we assign to the unit.

"We already know Ranma would be perfect for this task. I'll have to get with Lang and go through the link results. If we form a pool with the highest link potential, and then select from there the ones with the best g-loading endurance, we'll have ourselves a unit. If anyone wants to whine about someone with lower rank or experience being assigned we can tell'em to stuff it because of the experimental role of the unit."

"Okay, well how about you get with Lisa and I and we'll work up a proposal," Claudia suggested. "If we can get the Captain on board and Lang to endorse it for the experimental aspects then I think we can push it through the UNEDC pretty easily."

Roy grinned and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

(oOO/Oo)

Roy stepped into the dojo and saw Ranma standing in the middle of the room. She smirked and developed a dangerous glint in her eye when she saw him enter. Roy looked her over. He towered above her as he stepped on to the mat. She was wearing a white sports bra and a pair of light gray yoga pants that displayed her taut feminine body.

"Like whatcha see?" Ranma snapped, noticing him looking her over.

"Who wouldn't? But I would never poach on my CO's territory," Roy returned, causing Ranma to blush.

"It ain't like that, Roy," Ranma said. They had decided that rank would be meaningless here.

"It sure looked like that at the party a couple of days ago," Roy teased. "Scuttlebutt is all over the base that you're Commander Hayes' woman." This caused the blush to proceed down to the tops of Ranma's breasts, at least the parts that could be seen squeezing out of the top of the sports bra. "What's the story with you two?"

"There is no story," Ranma replied. "She still hasn't let Karl go yet and even if she had, what would she want with a freak like me? We're just friends."

"You like her, don't you?" Roy accused teasingly.

"So what if I do?" Ranma shot back defensively. "She's my friend and I'm not going to take advantage of the fact that she's lonely and misses Karl to force her into being involved with a freak."

"Heh, you don't exactly run away when she comes on to you," Roy commented.

"I will be there for her for whatever she needs," Ranma said with conviction. "In her view, I'm safe, so if she wants to flirt with me to ease her grief and loneliness then I'm glad to let her use me no matter how much it hurts. When she starts thinking clearly again and realizes that she wants someone normal, I'm fine with that. She's my best friend and all I want is her happiness."

"I gotta tell ya, kiddo," Roy shook his head. "I think she's thinking more clearly now than she had been since Mars Base Sara was hit. I think she's falling for you and from what I've seen she really doesn't give a damn about what gender you are."

"She's just confused right now," Ranma denied. "She's reaching out for contact and because we lived together when she was with Karl, she's fixated on me. She'll wake up and realize that whatever it is she wants, it's not me."

"Damn, kid," Roy groaned, "for a genius with an instant tactical grasp of any situation, you sure are stupid sometimes. So what are you going to do when she wants to take you to bed?" Ranma's eyes jerked up and met his with an incredulous look then narrowed.

"And just what in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ranma growled. "Lisa would never do something like that and even if she did, I wouldn't let her make that kind of mistake while she's not thinking right."

"So WHEN she decides to become intimate with you, you plan on rejecting her?" Roy asked. Ranma looked startled at the possibility that she could be seen as rejecting her friend.

"It won't happen," Ranma said firmly.

"And if it does?" Roy persisted.

"It won't," Ranma asserted doggedly.

"How can anyone be that naïve?" Roy asked rhetorically. "You've never been with anyone have you?"

"What's that got to do with it?" Ranma demanded evasively.

"Of course," Roy said, making the connection, "you've never let your self get close enough to have a relationship. You've never even dated anyone, have you?"

"Who am I gonna date, Roy?" Ranma sighed. "I don't like guys, and it wouldn't be honorable to date women that don't know the truth."

"Lisa knows the truth," Roy pointed out.

"And Lisa likes guys," Ranma returned.

"Yeah, and?" Roy commented.

"And I'm not a guy," Ranma said.

"Sure looked that way that one night," Roy disagreed.

"What's it look like now, jackass," Ranma said in irritation while cupping her flattened out but still full breasts and shaking them at Roy. She was getting more irritated with Roy's insinuations and, the fact was, she was still experiencing the effects of PMS. Roy didn't even realize he was playing with a live grenade with the pin pulled.

"I think it looks pretty damn good," Roy smirked. "And I think Lisa does too. Don't ignore this, Kid, Lisa will make a move on you eventually. I have a lot of experience in these matters, if you recall. You need to decide how you're going to handle it; reject her and crush her, or let it happen and risk your friendship and your heart."

Ranma glared at him, seething, for a few heartbeats. The first words of Roy's last statement released the spoon on the grenade that was Ranma's temper. The others just shortened the fuse. The fuse sizzled down to nothing. BOOM! Ranma's battle aura flared into existence, glowing bright blue around her.

"That's it, you busy-bodied Blondie," Ranma snarled. "I was just planning on administering a few aches and pains and maybe a small bruise or two as payback for the singing thing, but now you ran your damn mouth. I hope you like eating through a straw. Defend your self, ya damn prick!"

She took a stance while Roy began to realize that maybe he had pushed a little too hard. Still, he was over a foot taller than her and weighed twice as much. He found it very difficult to feel threatened by her even if she was glowing with that scary blue aura. While rationally, he knew she was exceedingly good at martial arts and he knew he probably couldn't beat her, his ego discounted her ability to do any damage to him either.

It wasn't until much later as Ranma was stalking out of the dojo, untouched, while Roy was laying on the floor in a heap, whimpering from his bruised ribs, aching guts, back, and legs, developing a nice full body bruise from his collar bones to his ankles, did he recall Doctor Lang saying he had seen her lift 400 kilos over her head without much of a strain.

"What happened to you, Roy?" Claudia asked for where she was preparing dinner as Roy walked stiffly into his apartment moving with great care.

"I got run over by a wild horse," Roy moaned, lying down on the couch painfully. Claudia blinked for a minute and started laughing.

"You pissed Ranma off, didn't you?" Claudia remarked with a grin. "Not a good move, man-o-mine."

"I was just trying to find out what's going on with her and Lisa," Roy explained. "She has totally misread the situation and I was trying to explain that Lisa wasn't just fixating on her out of some misguided grief over Karl. She got irritated but I kept pushing, trying to get through to her and suddenly she exploded, literally. This blue glow burst into existence around her and she proceeded to work me over like a pro."

"Is she in trouble?" Claudia asked, concerned.

"No, we were sparring and had left rank at the door," Roy explained. "She could have done a lot worse than she did."

"Good, and did you learn anything?" Claudia asked.

"Yeah, she hits like a wrecking ball," Roy quipped. "I don't understand what set her off though. I've never seen her get that furious."

"Oh, that's likely to happen if you irritate her during certain times of the month," Claudia said casually.

"Huh?" Roy asked, confused for a moment before it occurred to him what she was trying to tell him. "Oh! Umm...oops."

"Roy, honey?" Claudia asked, sweetly.

"Hm?" Roy prompted.

"Try not to piss off petite, redheaded, master-level martial artists when they have PMS, okay?" Claudia advised.

"That's one pearl of wisdom I'm not likely to forget any time soon," Roy groaned. He vowed, for the sake of self-preservation, he was going to pay closer attention to Ranma's cycle.

(oOO/Oo)

December 2008...

"What's this?" Lisa asked as Roy dropped a small stack of paper on the table between Claudia and her before sitting next to Claudia. They were seated in the officer's lounge aboard the SDF-1 where they did most of their conspiring.

"That's the results of the search Lang and I did of our pilot database with the link and g-loading parameters," Roy explained with a small grin.

Lisa looked through the sheets, each featuring a photo and a brief set of vital statistics. Her eyes widened as she looked them over. Giggling wickedly, she handed the stack to Claudia who had a similar reaction.

"Oh, Ranma isn't going to like this," Claudia grinned, the light of mischief glinting in her eyes. "Did you do this on purpose Roy?"

"No, not at all," Roy said honestly. "Lang and I were floored when the search returned the results. It was the same for the top fifteen names and Ranma's was of course at the top of the list. Lang thinks that the younger pilots are responding better to the ki focusing techniques that Ranma teaches. He said something to the effect of old dogs and new tricks. As for the other reasons why these names came up," Roy shrugged. "You both know the theories about fighter pilots and g-loading. Seems our own little study confirmed it."

"We got official word back from the UNEDC today," Lisa said with a big grin. "They approved the project like we heard from unofficial channels."

"Great! How'd you get it by them so quickly?" Roy asked.

"Well, it helps when your father is the Commanding Admiral of the UNEDC," Lisa smirked. "Anyway, they wanted this unit up and running to participate in the Launch Day festivities that are starting to get hashed out."

"Outstanding," Roy said happily. "Now all we have to do is come up with a name for the Squadron and an eye catching color scheme."

"Leave that to us," Lisa grinned evilly. Roy shuddered and, for some reason, just knew Ranma wasn't going to like this. "Oh and by the way, Ranma's promotion has been approved. We should be taking delivery of the next batch of ten VF-1's in the next week or so. It just so happened that there was an S model that was 'slated' for a spare in the lot. The rest were A models with a couple of J's. We'll assign the S, one of the J's and four of the A's to the new unit. We'll hustle them off to the hanger, have them painted in their new livery, and hide them until they are introduced to their pilots." Lisa looked at Claudia and both grinned wickedly.

"Hey, don't forget, you guys," Roy reminded. "This unit is representing the whole RDF so don't get too overboard with however you plan on tormenting Ranma."

"What? Us torment Ranma?" Claudia blinked innocently. "We wouldn't do that. Ranma is our friend."

"Yeah right," Roy said, obviously not buying it. "Just whatever you do to embarrass her, make sure it doesn't embarrass the rest of us."

"Trust me, Roy," Lisa said with a small grin. "The planes with be beautiful, eye catching and completely appropriate for a squadron like this one."

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma stood in Roy's bathroom having just had a shower. Sitting on the sink was a kettle of just boiling water. Tonight Lisa and Ranma were going out for the first time with Ranma in male form. She could only hope that she could avoid cold water for the evening. Even though they had agreed this wasn't really a date, Ranma was still nervous. She wanted for everything to go right tonight. Not only that, but it had been years since Ranma had gone out as a guy. That fact somehow added to her nervousness.

Gritting her teeth, she picked up the kettle of scalding water and made the change. Carefully toweling himself off again he looked in the mirror at his manly body. He was built like the proverbial brick shit-house. His male body had aged and grown as if he had had it the whole time. His muscles looked larger, harder, and more defined. He was no longer thin and wiry like Bruce Lee the way he had been when he was sixteen. Now he had added some bulk to go with the density. Neither was he bulging like a body builder. Instead, he was somewhere between the two in a happy medium.

His eyes scanned his broad chest and he froze. Bringing up his hand, he traced the faint but evident lines there. They were distorted and not as pronounced as in his female form, probably due to the way his skin repositioned during the change, but he clearly still had the tan lines of a girl's bikini top. This disturbed him greatly. It was as if the message being sent was that he could never be a guy again even in his male form.

He clamped down on that feeling, harshly suppressing it, and quickly got dressed. While brushing out his raven hair, he again caught sight of himself in the mirror and again he was disturbed. His posture and motions while brushing out his hair seemed discordantly feminine. He realized he would have to carefully monitor his behavior and mannerisms. Nearly seven years of living as female had made feminine mannerisms habit now.

Ranma began to wonder if this was a mistake as his pulled his hair back and fastened it into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Again he looked in the mirror. He had on a white rugby shirt that wasn't tight but didn't hide his build at all. It was tucked into a pair of well fitting black jeans which clung tightly enough to his thigh muscles that you could see them ripple as he moved. He practiced moving for a while in the mirror until he was sure he could do so without embarrassing himself with feminine mannerisms.

Satisfied, he cleaned up his mess and left the bathroom. He found Roy and Claudia standing in the kitchen.

"Hi, I'm Roy," Roy grinned walking up and extending his hand.

"Hello, I'm Ran...som," Ranma stumbled, taking Roy's hand.

"Good save, Ransom," Roy said before reaching down with his other hand and adjusting Ranma's grip to the male form of hand shake, palm to palm instead of Ranma's fingers in Roy's palm.

"Man, I don't know if I can do this," Ranma lamented blushing beet red. "I can't even be a guy in guy form anymore."

"You'll do fine, Kid," Roy grinned reassuringly.

"You look divine," Claudia mentioned. "You're a total hunk, you know. Lisa's not going to know what hit her. If the way she acts around your girl form is any indication, she's not going to be able to keep her hands off you. She'll be climbing all over you. I know I would be."

"I'm right here, you know," Roy interjected.

"And you, Man-o-mine, are the only reason I'm not climbing all over him," Claudia laughed.

"I just hope I don't embarrass her or myself tonight," Ranma said nervously. "It's bad enough that everyone thinks she's dating a girl. I don't want people talking about her going out with a sissy too."

"I don't think Lisa cares, as long as it's you," Claudia reassured him.

"I care, Claudia," Ranma said.

"Just relax and have a good time, Kid," Roy said. "It'll work out fine."

"Now you better get going," Claudia said. "I'll call Lisa and let her know you are on your way."

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma was leaning on the fender of Roy's Mineral Grey GT Mustang when Lisa came out of the BOQ. She looked fantastic in a short tight black skirt and a tight azure blue three quarter sleeved sweater. She walked over with a sensual glide and stood before him with her hands folded demurely before her.

"Hi, I'm Ransom," Ranma grinned at her. "You look incredible, Lisa." She blushed and took his hands in hers, leaning forward and kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Not as great as you do," Lisa said giving him a shy smile.

Ranma smiled back and released her. Opening the car door, he handed her in. He walked around to the driver side and got in. As the powerful V-8 grumbled to life, he looked over at Lisa, admiring her lithe form.

"So Ransom, is it?" Lisa said, smiling at him. Ranma blushed.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think it'd be a good idea running around introducing myself as Ranma," he replied.

"It's okay," Lisa replied as her eyes traveled over his form. "I like it. It's kind of sexy."

Ranma smirked and revved the engine a couple of times before peeling out of the drive. As they got to the street, Ranma fishtailed the rear-end of the car around and snapped it precisely in the direction they were headed with a screech of the tires and roar of the engine.

"Was that really necessary?" Lisa asked.

"Hey, this is the first time I've been able to act macho in years," Ranma defended. "Might as well have a little fun with it. Besides, Roy said to let the car stretch its legs a little." Lisa giggled.

"Okay, I guess it was necessary," she said placing her hand on his where it lay on the shifter knob.

(oOO/Oo)

Dinner had gone well. The chemistry between Ranma and Lisa was evident, but Ranma was tense and Lisa noticed. When they got to the dance club, Lisa finally had to ask what the problem was.

"Ran...som," Lisa caught herself, "what's wrong? You seem really tense." Ranma looked at her for a long moment before he spoke.

"It's hard, Lisa," her eyes widened at this proclamation. It took him a moment before he caught on to what she was thinking. Blushing, he back pedaled, waving his hands. "Not that...I would never...I mean, not that you..." He paused to regroup his flustered mind. "Look, it's just that I'm having to pay attention to everything I do so I don't embarrass us both. I keep catching myself about to do something feminine and I don't want to look like a sissy while I'm with you."

Lisa relaxed as understanding came to her. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointment though. "Don't worry about it, Ransom," she said. "I don't mind. Let them say what they want. I know who you are and I know you're not a sissy. Just relax and enjoy yourself."

"I always enjoy myself when I'm with you," Ranma said softly with a blush.

"Come on, lets dance," Lisa grinned. "You get to lead this time."

They danced for two songs before a slower song came on. Lisa stepped in close and pressed herself against Ranma's body. They were the same height with her in heels. And she looked deeply into his ocean blue eyes as they swayed to the music. Her hands had come to rest on the back of his neck and she brought her head forward and nuzzled it into the crook of his neck. His arms fell naturally around her waist and he stroked her back with one hand while the other rested just above the lovely swell of her bottom.

When the song ended, Lisa didn't step away and tightened her grip when he made to. Lifting her head she met his eyes again.

"This is nice," she said softly.

"Yeah," Ranma gulped. Thinking it was a little too nice.

"Ransom," Lisa said with a devilish gleam in her eyes.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"It really is hard now," Lisa giggle and ground her hip softly into the area in question to emphasize her point.

Ranma blushed deeply, but didn't say anything. They stayed out on the dance floor moving to their own rhythm for a while longer before returning to the table. Lisa excused her self to go to the bathroom while Ranma ordered them more drinks. When she returned, Ranma decided he had to go too and headed to the bathroom, catching himself right before he entered the women's room.

He had done his business and was carefully washing his hands when he looked up to see three large men standing around him.

"Um...hey," Ranma greeted. "What's up, guys." Ranma recognized them. Normally they were paying for his drinks, but currently they were glowering menacingly at him.

"Look, Sissy Boy," one of them growled, "That woman you are with belongs to a friend of ours. We don't appreciate you poaching on the Dragon Lady's woman. I suggest you keep your hands off her." While Ranma was honored that the marine in front of him would go to such lengths to protect him, and Lisa for that matter, it infuriated him that they were acting like he owned Lisa. He pulled himself up to full height, which was still considerably below the men around him.

"Look, it's not like I don't appreciate what you're trying to do here, but Lisa isn't OWNED by anyone," Ranma growled. "She has the right to date who ever she sees fit. My sister knows about this and she's fine with it. She don't have any exclusive rights to Lisa and she wants Lisa to be happy."

"Your sister, huh?" one of the men spoke.

"Yes, my sister," Ranma replied. "Little redhead about so high." Ranma waved his hand in front of him at about his female forms height. "And before you guys start feeling froggy, you should know that I'm just as good a martial artist as she is. I appreciate you looking out for her and I really don't want to hurt you."

One of the men threw a lightning fast punch at Ranma's head. It never got there. The fist was caught without seeming effort by Ranma's hand. The man that had thrown the punch met Ranma's eyes and then grinned.

"Okay, we believe you," the marine said. "I just had to check. You both have the same eyes though."

"Yeah, well, just remember, I...my sister doesn't own anyone, and she'd be pretty pissed if she heard you saying she did, okay?" Ranma said.

"Just make sure you don't hurt either of them," the marine said as they turned and walked out.

Ranma was still brooding when he got back to the table.

"What's wrong," Lisa asked, picking up on Ranma's mood immediately.

"I ran into some marines in the bathroom," Ranma said. "They seem to be under the impression that you are my 'sister's' exclusive property and they took exception to me horning in on 'her' woman."

"That was so sweet of them," Lisa giggled, shocking Ranma.

"You...you're not mad that they think someone owns you?" Ranma asked incredulously. "You think it's funny?"

"I don't mind," Lisa smiled. "It's not like I'd want to date anyone else anyway. If you look at it a certain way, you do have exclusive rights to me."

Ranma just shook his head in amazement. He was going to have to think about what Lisa had just told him later.

"Come on," Lisa suggested. "Let's get out of here and go for a walk on the beach."

She grabbed Ranma's hand and pulled him off of his stool.

Several minutes later Ranma parked the car in a deserted public parking lot on the beach. He got out and went around to open Lisa's door for her. Ranma handed her out and closed the door. Turning, he found himself pinned against the side of the car as Lisa pressed her body against his and captured his lips in a deep kiss filled with passion and need.

Her tongue delved deeply into his mouth as she twined her fingers in his hair. He tried to resist the feelings welling up inside him, but the dam soon burst and he was responding to her need with his own. After what seemed like an eternity they broke for air.

"Lisa, I..." Ranma started.

"Please," she pled softly, her voice husky with her need.

"But what about..." he tried again.

"Not tonight, I need you," she said in a dark soft voice. "Please?"

He looked deeply into her moonlit eyes, so dark with desire. He felt her body pressing against him, so warm with the heat of her passion. He gave a small nod and she descended on his lips again with passionate urgency.

She moaned softly into his mouth as his hands traveled over the curve of her luscious bottom and she ground her hip into the evidence of his desire. The low sexy sound of her moan sent electric shivers down his spine even as her own hands explored his body. They made out there, under the stars, on the moonlit beach, for an eternity. When they slowed, Ranma held her from behind leaning against the car while she leaned against him. His arms were around her waist and hers were over his as he nuzzled and kissed the soft skin of her neck. They sat quietly basking in the warmth of each others embrace, their need and passion not slaked, but more enflamed than ever.

Both were unready to cross the line that their desire urged them to. Instead they were content to leave things as they were, for the moment, sharing closeness and contact, with a promise of things to come.

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 7

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Chapter 7

(AN: WARNING: This chapter contains extreme language and intense angst.)

December 2008...

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Ranma asked timidly from the door of Roy's office.

"Yeah I did, Lieutenant," Roy said. "Come in and have a seat."

"Yes, Sir," Ranma said nervously. She had been waiting for two and a half weeks now for the ax to fall on her for working Roy over when she lost her temper. She came in and sat on the edge of the chair in front of Roy's desk. "Sir, about before in the dojo..."

"Don't worry about it, Lieutenant," Roy interrupted her and gave her a reassuring smile. "Claudia explained about...er...my poor sense of timing. I shouldn't have been pushing you then."

"It's okay, Sir, I know you were trying to help," Ranma said. "I thought about what you said later. I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt Lisa by rejecting her, but I don't want to let her make a mistake that will hurt her later when she realizes I'm not what she wants." Roy sighed, sitting back in his chair and rubbing his face in his hands.

"What do YOU want, Ranma," Roy said, leaning forward again and meeting Ranma's eyes intently.

"I can't even think about what I want, Roy," Ranma said, understanding that they were now talking as friends. "I'm terrified that if I think about what I want, I'll find that what I have is not enough, and then all the sacrifices I've made to get here would be for nothing."

"Judas Priest," Roy said in exasperation. "I'll tell you one thing, you are a matched set, you and Lisa. You've both sealed yourselves off because you're afraid. She's afraid to betray Karl's memory. She's afraid if she falls for someone else they'll die too. You're afraid to find out you've been missing out on something profoundly human. You're afraid that nobody could be in a relationship you because of what you are. You both need to be hit with a clue stick...repeatedly.

"Listen Ranma, I've been around the block a few times. I won't pretend to understand your life, but I do know one thing...women. I made a study of them when I was younger. I got really good at reading them, when they were interested, when they were ready to get intimate, when they were falling in love, when they wanted a commitment...those last two were critical for me because I had to choose before hand if I wanted to back off or stick around.

"Watching from the outside, it's even more obvious, and I can tell you two things: Lisa wants you in a major way. Some of that is because she's lonely and needs the contact, but most of it is because she's genuinely attached to you and not just your body. She's attracted to your personality, your sense of honor, you inner strength, everything. The other thing I can tell you is she is falling for you in a major way, but she's not ready to deal with that. Right now the only thing holding her back is Karl Riber. Once she lets go of him, you better be ready to deal with that change because she's going to want a long term exclusive relationship with you."

"So what should I do?" Ranma asked.

"Damn if I know," Roy said. "It's a complicated situation and only you can answer that question, but to find the answers you are going to have to face what you want and soon. If you backed off now, before things get any more serious, it would be less painful than later, but that would only work if you weren't interested in her. I know you are, it's pretty obvious or you'd have been avoiding Lisa like the plague, but like her you are holding yourself back. I understand why you're keeping your distance. You can't miss something you never had."

"Exactly," Ranma said.

"But the thing is," Roy explained, "Lisa has had it. She misses it. And she means to have it again. And from what I can see, she means to have it with you. Unless you make it clear very soon that you don't want it."

"Why does this have to be so...difficult," Ranma sighed.

"That's life, Kiddo," Roy smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, I've never seen Lisa so alive and vibrant as she has been since you came."

"I just want her to be happy," Ranma said sincerely.

"Then my advice would be to just do what you are doing," Roy said. "Let her take the lead. Just be prepared for when she takes things to the next level. Make sure she knows she knows what she's doing and then go with it. If she has any regrets afterwards, she will have to deal with it. Now, about we get back to business?"

"Oh, yeah, what did you need with me, Sir," Ranma asked.

"Well, first off, you're out of uniform, Miss Saotome," Roy said looking serious.

Ranma looked down but couldn't find anything amiss. "Sir?"

"You're wearing the improper rank insignia, Lieutenant," Roy informed her and passed over a paper and a box. "You're no longer a JG. Congratulations."

"Wow," Ranma said. "Cool! That'll just yank Doodoo Brown's chain, won't it?"

"Not as much as this will," Roy grinned and passed her a stack of files.

"What's this, Sir," Ranma said taking them.

"That's your new squadron, Miss Saotome," Roy was grinning hugely. "As in the one you're in charge of."

"You're kidding," Ranma said. "I don't have the rank or time in service to be the CO of a squadron."

"I'm not kidding," Roy denied. "It's not your average squadron." He began to explain the purpose of the squadron Ranma was being given as Ranma leafed through the personnel files she was holding.

"Um...Sir...what gives?" Ranma asked as she finished browsing the files. "These are all female pilots."

"I'm aware of that, Miss Saotome," Roy smirked.

"Why?" Ranma asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She sensed something was up that she wasn't going to like.

"It wasn't on purpose or anything," Roy waved her off. "Lang and I went searched the pilot database for the 7 pilots, male or female, closest to your ability and those were the names that came up."

"I see," Ranma said. Roy was hiding something and Ranma suspected it was something that was embarrassing for her personally. "And this squadron's designation is?"

"Now understand, I had nothing to do with this," Roy back pedaled. "This was your idea and Lisa and Claudia were the ones that pursued it. All I did was help with the mission and make up." Ah ha! Ranma knew she wasn't going to like this.

"You didn't answer the question, Sir," Ranma said darkly.

"Rose," Roy practically squeaked. "The squadron is called Rose. You know how they have been using colors as squadron designators after Skull and Wolf."

"I see," Ranma said. That wasn't too bad. Sure there would probably be some girly comments, having an all female squadron called Rose, but at least the planes would be red. Roy opened one eye. He had been preparing for the explosion.

"You do?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, it's girly but kinda not as bad as I was expecting," Ranma said. "At least it wasn't pink. Pink airplanes would have really irritated me." Roy sweat dropped.

"Er...yeah...um, lets go meet your pilots, huh?" Roy suggested. 'Then I'll give them the hanger number and go hide in the nearest bomb shelter,' he thought.

Roy led Ranma to the briefing room and explained to the others women about what they would be doing and why. He then introduced Ranma to them.

"Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to your CO, Lieutenant Ranma Saotome," Roy said. "She's the best pilot in Skull and I'm sorry to be losing her, but I wanted to give her a chance to maximize her potential. She's a shit-hot pilot with more brass than an ammo factory and flew combat in F/A 18E's for 16 months before coming here. She has 6 air-to-air kills, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and a Navy Cross. She's also a tactical genius. She has my utmost respect and every confidence. I expect Rose Squadron to do great things. Now I have some things to do so you get to know each other and when you're ready your Veritechs are in hanger 2. Go check them out." Roy beat a hasty retreat.

Ranma spent a few minutes getting to know the seven women in the room. Most had some sort of combat experience but they were all younger than Ranma.

"Ma'am, I have to ask," Lieutenant JG Marissa 'Storm' Savage began, "isn't this whole idea a bit sexist?"

"I know Commander Fokker, Lieutenant," Ranma said. "He made me a flight leader in his squadron over guys that had more rank and combat experience than I did because he felt I was better than them. He told me that they searched the pilot database for the top pilots based on your neural link potential and your ability to withstand high g-loading. Your names were at the top of the list. I trust Roy when he said they weren't just looking for women. I seriously doubt they are looking to shuffle us off out of the way.

"Don't think I plan for us to be just an eye candy unit that performs pretty routines at an airshow. I plan for this to be an elite combat unit that the others will strive to try to match and I'm certain that's what the CAG has in mind too."

"Roger that, Ma'am," the other women chorused.

"Alright, Ladies, how about we go see what sort of planes we've been inflicted with?" Ranma suggested. Everyone agreed so they headed over to the hanger.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma lead her team to the hanger and opened the door. She walked in and as her eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight she froze stock still with her eyebrow twitching. Her team filed in around her and got a look at the Veritechs gleaming with their fresh paint.

"Their gorgeous," Ensign Victoria 'Diamond' Whitehall observed. The others quickly agreed enthusiastically.

"What do you think, Lieutenant Saotome? Aren't they wonderful?" Ensign Erin 'Banshee' McKenna asked.

Ranma looked at the planes. The main color was white. The noses, wings, and vertical stabs were mainly white. The minor trim color was black. It was the major trim color that was causing Ranma's eyebrow to twitch. The stripes on the forward fuselage and the wings, the RDF insignia, were all a dark pink. But that wasn't the worst. About a third of the way down the engine nacelles, the white faded to a solid dark pink color. The tips of the verticals also sported the same dark pink. The final thing that was making Ranma's eyebrow twitch was the graphic on the outboard sides of the vertical stabs. It was a large dark pink rose in full bloom with a green leafy stem curling toward the lower leading edge.

"They...they're pink," Ranma hissed.

"I know. Isn't it wonderful," Ensign Whitehall gushed, oblivious to her new CO's simmering temper.

Ranma looked at the other women. They all looked thrilled. "Yeah, just great," Ranma sighed.

(oOO/Oo)

Claudia and Lisa were in the Officer's Lounge onboard the SDF-1 when Ranma came stalking in practically vibrating with some indefinable mixture of emotion. She sighted them and marched up to their table, slamming her hand down on it and making a loud report.

"Why?" she hissed, looming over them in spite of her small stature.

Lisa looked around at the others present in the room. It was maybe the embarrassment at the scene Ranma was causing that made her make the mistake, but she really felt she had no other option and once it was done there was no way to take it back.

"Why, what, Lieutenant?" Lisa said in her emotionless military tone. "And is that anyway to greet a superior officer?"

Ranma's eyes widened and she stood up ramrod straight and becoming still. Claudia swore a cold blue light flashed in her eyes before she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Commander, Lt Commander," Ranma said in a cold crisp tone while issuing a precise salute. "It was a case of mistaken identity. I mistook you for my friends. My mistake, I apologize. It won't happen again." With that she spun on her heel and left.

Lisa and Claudia looked at each other for a few heartbeats and then took off after the fiery redhead.

"Ranma, wait," Lisa called out to Ranma's retreating back and was ignored. She tried again with the same result. "Lieutenant Saotome, stop right there!" she ordered.

This time Ranma complied, but didn't turn around. Lisa and Claudia caught up to her and Lisa grabbed her arm, spinning her around. She looked at Ranma's face and nearly gasped at the cold dead look she received. Looking around, she opened the hatch to an empty storeroom.

"Inside, now," she commanded. Ranma stepped in, followed by Claudia. Lisa stepped through and swung the hatch shut with a clang. She turned and both she and Claudia stood looking at Ranma, who was standing at attention staring through them. "Okay, Lieutenant, you are obviously upset. Tell me what the problem is."

"Ma'am, the Lieutenant has nothing to say, Ma'am!" Ranma barked out as if she were back in BT. Lisa flinched.

"Ranma," Claudia tried, "What's wrong?" Ranma's eyes narrowed as she leveled a glare at Claudia.

"You know damn well what's wrong," Ranma snarled.

"You didn't like the planes," Claudia surmised.

"Goddam right, I didn't," Ranma swore. "All this time, all these years, my aircraft has been the one place where I was free of my gender. When I was flying, it didn't matter what I was or am. There was no male or female, just an airplane and a pilot. Now you have gone and forced my gender into the last refuge of my sorry existence, tainted it with a gender identity. Goddam right I'm upset about it!"

"So you think this is all about you, then?" Lisa asked. Ranma just looked at her. "There are other people besides you, Ranma. We came up with the Rose Squadron theme to be eye catching and get the RDF out into the public eye. Since it ended up being an all female squadron, we thought the theme would be memorable and appropriate. It wasn't some elaborate plot to irritate you. Stop being so selfish."

"How dare you," Ranma said, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "How fucking dare you!" she practically shrieked. "You think I'm fucking selfish? Well fuck you and the horse you rode in on. I'm fucking selfish, am I? Let me tell you something, I have no family, no friends, no fucking life. The only thing that gets me out of bed every morning is the thought that I might use my skills to protect somebody, to make the world a little safer. That's the only reason I have to keep on living. I've lost everything else. And you two, you both think it's highly amusing to force new humiliations on me. You both think it's fucking funny to watch me squirm as you piece by fucking piece destroy a little more of my identity. And you call yourselves my friends as you fucking torment me. Oh yes, it must be great fun to watch the little freak squirm as you tease and humiliate her!"

Lisa and Claudia were reeling from the force of the tirade and the pain Ranma was so obviously in. By this time Ranma's eyes were streaming tears, and she was barely keeping herself from bursting into sobs from the frustration and betrayal she felt.

"GODDAM YOU!" Ranma shrieked at them. "Look at what you've fucking done to me! You've turned me into some weepy little girl that can't control herself! I don't even fucking know who I am anymore!" She put her face in her hands as a sob escaped her.

First Lisa and then Claudia stepped forward to embrace their sobbing friend. As the reached out for her, Ranma flinched away.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" she shrieked at them, pulling her face out of her hands. "Don't you touch me! Just leave me the fuck alone! I'm tired of your fucking games. I'm tired of you offering me comfort so you can just turn around and torment me more!"

Ranma glared at both of them and then left the room. As the hatch clanged shut loudly, Lisa looked at Claudia and burst into tears.

"My god, how could we hurt her so badly and not realize it?" Lisa wept into her hands. "What kind of monster am I that I could hurt someone I care so much about like that?"

Claudia, tears now streaming from her own eyes, gathered Lisa into her arms and let her friend cry onto her shoulder. She gently stroked Lisa's hair and held her.

"We pushed her too far, too fast," Claudia whispered in a soothing tone. "I think this was there all along, her being confused about who she is. Our pushing just made it more confusing for her and broke her control. She'll be alright, honey."

"How can you say that?" Lisa sobbed. "Didn't you see her? We destroyed a beautiful person and laughed while we did it. I...I've...lost her. Sh...she hates me now, thinks I betrayed her."

"Don't worry, honey, Ranma is the most forgiving person I know," Claudia said soothingly. "She's upset right now. When she calms down, she'll forgive us."

(oOO/Oo)

January 2009...

Ranma's anticipated forgiveness wasn't forthcoming, however. She had closed herself off from anything that didn't have to do with her duty. She refused to return any of Claudia or Lisa's calls and refused to speak to them outside of a professional capacity. She worked with Roy learning how to run a squadron, but refused to talk about anything not related to that. Her flying had become cold and precise, lacking her normal flare and vitality. Not that she was flying badly, and really it wasn't noticeable to anyone except Roy, but the joy and exuberance seemed to have gone out of her.

When not on duty, she only emerged from her quarters to train. She didn't use the dojo anymore because she knew people would expect her to assist them or spar with them. She didn't want to deal with it, so she trained on a secluded portion of the beach.

When in her quarters, she would watch videos of various flight demonstration teams and take notes. After Christmas, it had been arranged for her and Rose Squadron to go train with the American's Blue Angels. They would be taught the finer points of tight formation flying and they would be assisted in working up their routine. Ranma was looking forward to the time away from Macross and hoped to get some semblance of balance back in her life.

Ranma taxied Rose One, as her Veritech had been dubbed, out on to the runway. Erin McKenna in Rose Six taxied into position beside her.

"Rose Lead, Macross Control, ready for take off," Ranma said.

"Rose Six, Macross Control, ready for take off," Ensign McKenna announced.

"Macross Control, Rose Lead and Six, you are cleared for take off," Lisa's voice came over the comm.

Ranma advanced her throttles and the Veritech began to accelerate smoothly down the runway. Rose Six accelerated along side her matching her speed and acceleration. Reaching the requisite speed, she eased the nose up and the Veritech lifted smoothly off the ground. She eased the nose up a little more and began her climb out, Rose Six matching her perfectly.

The pair climbed to 5000ft and began to orbit waiting for the rest of Rose to form up before they headed toward El Centro, California in the United States.

"Rose Lead, Macross Control, Rose Squadron formed up and coming to heading oh-seven-zero and climbing to angels six-zero," Ranma informed them. "ETA to egress Macross airspace two minutes."

"Macross Control, Rose Lead, Roger," Lisa said. "Ranma, please be careful and come back safe."

Ranma didn't respond but the sadness in Lisa's voice made her heart twist in her chest.

Ranma remained silent except to announce heading and altitude changes while the rest of Rose chatted among themselves. Several hours into the flight, Storm decided that the Dragon Lady had been silent long enough.

"Are we there yet, Mom?" she whined at Ranma over the squadron frequency.

"I have to go to the WC, Mum," Diamond whined, catching on and joining in.

"Mom, Siren keeps trying to touch my wing tip," Tia 'Huntress' Xao added.

"Am not, Mom," Cassie 'Siren' Constantine protested.

"Mom, I'm hungry, can we stop and eat?" Banshee interjected.

Ranma began to grin in spite of herself.

"Mom, I'm bored," Natalia 'Ice' Demitri announced.

"You girls pipe down," Ursula 'Baby Bear' Kruger, the squadron XO, said. "Don't make Mom pull this flight over and tan your little hineys."

That one pushed Ranma over the edge. She snorted with mirth at her squadron's antics.

"You ladies are regular comedians, ain'tcha," Ranma responded with amusement.

"Well, Mom, we can't have you brooding up there all by yourself, now can we?" Storm giggled.

"What's with this Mom thing?" Ranma groused good naturedly.

"Well I hear the Blues call their CO 'Boss', so I figured we could come up with our own way to address our CO," Storm replied.

"Greaat," Ranma complained. "Now I feel like a den mother."

"I think that's the Cub Scouts, Mom," Banshee laughed.

"What is it for the girl scouts?" Ranma returned.

"No idea," Banshee said and nobody else seemed to know either.

"I guess I owe you guys and apology," Ranma said. "I guess I have been pretty uptight and distant lately."

"It's okay, Mom," Baby Bear replied. "We know there's been some trouble between you and Commander Hayes. You seemed pretty...well...close at the Thanksgiving party and then she was seen with that guy. Now you're not speaking to her, didn’t even respond when she said to be careful and come back safe. None of our business, but I don't blame you at all. If my Significant Other was screwing around on me, I wouldn't speak to them either. And that's if they were lucky." The other Rose members all chimed in in agreement.

Ranma thought about correcting them, but decided that it was as good an excuse as any since she wasn't about to tell them the real reason she was pissed.

"Thanks guys," Ranma said, honored by their show of support and feeling better the further they got from Macross Island. Hopefully she'd be able to get some perspective before they had to return or else it wasn't going to be a very pleasant homecoming.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma completed her roll-out with Banshee right beside her, like they had taken off in Macross. When they reached the turn off on to the taxiway, both planes did it in unison and were now nose to tail as the proceeded to the ramp where they would park.

Their ground crew, who had left a couple days ahead of them, guided them into position and Ranma began her post-flight shutdown checklist. When all eight Rose aircraft were parked, Alpha Flight in front, Bravo Flight behind Alpha, and finished there post-flight, they shut down and dismounted, forming up in front of Rose One.

The Blues and their crew were formed up across the ramp, about 100ft away. The two teams stood for a few moments looking each other over. Ranma knew that Rose Squadron was a sight to behold. Their tight flight suits that matched the aircraft colors left no doubt they were a group of extremely well formed females. Ranma hoped that their attractive appearance didn't lead the Blues to believe they were just an eye-candy unit and therefore not take them seriously.

Rose ranged in height from 5'2 to 5'6 and all were similarly proportioned to Ranma except in the breast department. Storm and Siren actually had Ranma beat there, while Huntress and Diamond had very modest endowments. The rest were somewhere between. Their hair color ranged from Ranma's own fiery red, to Baby Bear's white blonde, to Huntress's almost blue-black. The others were various shades of brunette and blonde.

Having given the Blues a chance to check them out, Ranma strode forward with Baby Bear at her side. The CO of the blues and his XO also stepped forward. Ranma came to a stop before the pair and issued a sharp salute.

"I'm Lieutenant Ranma Saotome, CO of the RDF Rose Squadron," she informed. "This is my XO, Lieutenant Ursula Kruger." The CO of the Blues returned the salute smartly.

"I'm Commander Brett Kingsley, CO of the Blues. This is my XO, Lieutenant Commander Freddy Morris. Welcome to El Centro, Lieutenant Saotome." He stuck out his hand.

"Thank you, Sir, it's good to be here," Ranma said shaking his hand.

"Impressive looking aircraft you have there, Lieutenant," Kingsley commented after handshakes were exchanged.

"You have no idea, Sir," Ranma said with an enigmatic grin.

"I bet," Kingsley laughed. "I've been briefed on their classified status, but I would very much like to see whatever you can show me of them."

"It'd be my pleasure, Sir," Ranma replied and smirked. "You may find yourself wanting to join the RDF afterward though."

"I may at that," Kingsley chuckled. "We have some refreshments set up inside if you're people would like. Would you care to meet with me in my office while we arrange for transportation to the hotel?"

"Certainly, Commander," Ranma said. "As long as there's a bathroom between here and there. It's been a long flight."

"Of course, Lieutenant," Kingsley grinned. "I perfectly understand those. Morris will show you're people to the refreshments and facilities."

"Lieutenant Kruger, if you would inform the rest of the team," Ranma said.

"Yes, Mom," Kruger grinned. Ranma rolled her eyes while Kingsley arched an eyebrow.

"They heard your team called you 'Boss'," Ranma explained, "so they figured their CO needed a pseudonym too. They decided on 'Mom'. You have no idea what that was like. All I heard half way here was 'Are we there yet, Mom' or 'Mom, I have to go potty' or 'Mom, she's trying to touch me'."

By this time, Kingsley and his XO were practically rolling on the ground laughing.

"That's too funny," Kingsley finally gasped out. "Well, Mom, shall we get you to that bathroom?"

"Okay, Boss, lead the way," Ranma grinned.

(oOO/Oo)

"Please have a seat, Lieutenant," Kingsley said as they entered his office. "By the way, I don't see the need for formality here so you can call me Brett."

"Roger that," Ranma said. "You can call me Ranma."

"Okay, Ranma," Kingsley acknowledged. "To start with I need to know a little about what you are trying to achieve and what you're aircraft are capable of. Nothing classified, but enough that we can help you design a routine."

"Well, basically, we want to get the word out about the RDF to get more people interested in joining," Ranma explained. "We want to put together a routine that will demonstrate the flight capabilities of the VF-1's and how they are superior to conventional aircraft like you're F/A 18's and the Thunderbird's F-16's. The VF-1 is faster than an F-15, in both top speed and time to get there. In the hands of the right pilot, and rest assured my people were chosen because they ARE the right pilots, the VF-1 is more nimble and maneuverable than the F-16 or your F/A 18's. In fact, in the hands of my pilots, we can make the VF-1 do things that are aerodynamically impossible."

"How so?" Kingsley asked. "If you can tell me."

"Well, you know that the RDF will eventually be a spaced based force, right?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah, I had heard...you mean those aircraft are capable of operating in vacuum?" Kingsley asked in surprise. Ranma grinned and nodded.

"We've had two weeks worth of orbital training with the VF-1 in vacuum," Ranma confirmed. "The VF-1 has pitch, roll, and yaw thrusters for maneuvering out of atmosphere. For the average RDF pilot, that just means that the automated controls make the aircraft respond as if it were in atmosphere. For those of us that are able to more fully utilize the aircraft's classified control systems, we can use the thrusters IN atmosphere to perform maneuvers that control surfaces alone aren't enough to make happen. If you thought the Su-37's Cobra maneuver was impressive, the VF-1 in the hands of any of the Rose pilots makes it look like clumsy child's play."

"Can you show me some of these?" Kingsley asked, more than a trace of excitement in his voice.

"Sure, tomorrow if you like I can put on a little show that will let you see what we have to work with," Ranma grinned.

"Now from what you say, everyone can't do these things. What does that mean exactly?" Kingsley asked.

"I can't really tell you much," Ranma said apologetically. "I can say this, however, it has to do with the pilot's natural abilities and mental discipline. And it's not dependant on one's skill flying conventional aircraft either. My pilots and myself were not chosen for Rose Squadron because we have a great deal of flying experience or because we are female and nice to look at. In fact, when pilots were chosen for the positions, gender wasn't a factor that was looked at. They were searching for the factors that would allow pilots to maximize the potential of the VF-1. It just happened that the top people that the search of our pilot database returned were all female. Since the squadron hadn't been named yet, they decided to roll with the all female theme, thus our name and livery."

"Well, I have to say, it was a stroke of PR genius," Kingsley said. "If you think about it, it couldn't have worked out better. You are all young attractive women, presumably skilled pilots. Women will see you and see the RDF as an organization that's not afraid to let women represent them in a predominately male field. This will make them want to join. Men will, no offense, see a group of extremely attractive women and want to join for the chance to serve with you. We're stupid like that." Ranma smirked.

"Yeah, I figured as much," Ranma said. "And once their in, it's too late when they start getting their fragile little egos crushed by us girls out flying them."

"Exactly," Kingsley said with his own grin. "Well, tomorrow, then we'll see what we have to work with and then start working on a routine for Rose."

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 8

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 8

January 2009...

Ranma approached the center of the simulated show area where the Blues and her team were watching her demonstrate the VF-1's maneuvering abilities. Thus far what she had done, while graceful and showy, hadn't been anything outside of what a normal aircraft could do. She was flying slowly, as if to make a low speed pass.

"Okay, are you guys ready to be amazed?" she asked as she approached.

"Show us what you got, Dragon Lady," Kingsley said cheerfully.

When Ranma got close enough, she pitched the nose of Rose One straight up violently, standing it on its tail, balanced on a pillar of thrust. As her momentum carried her passed the spectators, she used the roll thrusters to roll Rose One around its longitudinal axis two and a half complete rotations. As the air resistance slowed her to almost a stop, she used the pitch thrusters to push the nose over as she brought the engines to full power. Rose One came out of the tail stand, inverted and leaped forward out of the show area.

Ranma was exultant. She had never done that maneuver before outside of the simulator. It had been something she had come up with on her own and she hoped it looked impressive. She had one other maneuver she wanted to try solo. If it worked equally as well, then she had some ideas for some routines to be performed by her soloists.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the Blues and Roses alike were just beginning to pick their jaws up off the ground.

"Did you just see that, Boss?" one of the Blues asked.

"I saw it," Kingsley confirmed. "I'm not sure I believe my eyes but I saw it. That was...incredible."

"Incredible? How about straight up impossible?" Morris said in awe. He turned to the other Roses. "You can all do stuff like that?"

"I...um..." Kruger stammered, "I've never seen a VF-1 do that before. Maybe, but Mom is the best out of all of us, so I don't honestly know."

"Boss, I think we're in trouble," another Blue commented. "Anything we do would be boring next to something like that."

"Okay, you guys ready for the next trick," Ranma's voice came over the speakers.

"Please, dazzle us some more," Kingsley said, the awe clearly evident in his voice.

Ranma approached the stands again, similar to before, traveling at an extremely low speed. Like before, but a little sooner, she pitched the nose straight up and balanced Rose One in mid air on its thrust and spinning it around its roll axis twice. This time she came to a complete stop just in front of the stands, hovering on a pillar of thrust about thirty feet off the ground. She hung there for a few heartbeats and then brought the engines to full throttle, adding the booster power. A column of blue flame shot down toward the ground and Rose One shot straight up like a Saturn 5 rocket.

"You've got to be kidding me," Morris said, stunned. "What sort of aircraft is capable of something like that?"

"Mom rocks!" Marissa Savage announced in awe. The rest of Rose cheered their agreement.

(oOO/Oo)

As Ranma climbed down out of her plane, she found herself swamped by an excited Rose team. Vicki Whitehall nearly knocked her over as she cannon balled in and glomped her.

"That was bloody awesome, Mum!" the excited honey blonde Brit exclaimed. "Please tell us you can teach us to do those things!"

"Yeah, Mom, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Cassie enthused as she joined the hug as well.

Soon all of them had glomped on in a big group hug and were gushing excitedly about the maneuvers Ranma had performed. Ranma couldn't help but laugh happily at the joy washing over her. The Blues stood back and watched the scene with amusement.

"Hey, Boss, how about we do that to you after the next show?" one of them suggested.

"What's that?" Kingsley asked with a grin. "You say you want to clean the head for the next six months?" The Blues laughed.

"Where's the love?" another Blue asked jokingly.

"Over there, apparently," Morris grinned and pointed to the group of women still bouncing around excitedly.

"So how did it look?" Ranma asked Kingsley after finally being released by her team.

"It was pure ballet," Kingsley answered. "Very impressive. You ladies are definitely going to draw the crowds."

"Impressive, hell," Morris said. "That was unbelievable, indescribable, freakin' shocking, and just plain cool as hell. If all your people can do that, we might as well cash it in. You'll make us look dull as watching paint peel."

"Nah, what you guys do is pretty impressive too," Ranma said. "There's room for everyone. Besides, you guys are like a tradition. People will still want to see you as much or more than us."

(oOO/Oo)

"So Mom, do you think we will be able to do things like that?" Ursula asked as the Rose team gathered in Ranma's hotel room. Ranma looked around at the expectant faces and smiled.

"I don't see why not," she replied. "You all have a high enough neural link percentage to fly the VF-1 hands free. That's all it really takes, besides a good sense of balance. I haven't noticed that any of you are clumsy, so I think you should be able to do it."

"Fantastic," Marissa smiled. "We're gonna be the bomb!" She high-fived Cassie.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Tia asked.

"I want you to start training in those maneuvers I showed you today," Ranma said. "You'll be doing them at altitude at first to give you time to recover if you stumble. Remember, it's nearly impossible to put a Valkyrie in an unrecoverable situation, so if you do have a bobble just stay calm and you'll be alright. Beyond that, we need to start coming up with moves for the routine. I have some ideas, but don't be afraid to make your own suggestions."

"Tell us what you're thinking," Ursula suggested.

"Okay, the first one I have in mind is based on the last maneuver I did with the booster climb," Ranma explained. "It would be for our soloists. I was thinking we could have two planes approach from either end of the crowd. When they get near the middle, they would do the tail stand and pirouette maneuver until they cross each other. The pirouette rotation would stop with the tops of the aircraft facing each other as they stand stationary. Then they would begin the booster climb and corkscrew around each other at the same time. If we added a smoke effect then it would look pretty neat as the smoke trails coiled around each other."

"Cool," Vicki said. "And the smoke should be dark pink from one aircraft while it would be white form the other." Everyone agreed.

"How about this?" Tia suggested. "We have two aircraft make a high speed close pass over the field while two more of us come in at a slow speed at right angles to the high speed planes. The high speed planes will cross with their wings vertical right before the slow speed planes reach the point which they will do the tail stand and pirouette pass followed by the inverted egress like Mom did the first time. It would sort of look like the high speed planes picked the slower ones up and twirled them."

"I like it," Ranma agreed.

The Roses discussed a few more maneuvers they could try and decided that the first two would be their two signature maneuvers. They would discuss it with the Blues and see if they could come up with other ideas for formation maneuvers. They only had a little over a month to come up with and practice their routine since they were expected to perform their first show during the SDF-1 Launch Day ceremonies in mid-February.

Eventually, the girls drifted back to their own rooms for the night until only Ursula was left in Ranma's room.

"How are you doing, Mom?" Ursula asked. "You seem a lot more relaxed since we left Macross Island."

"I am," Ranma answered. "It's nice to just have to worry about flying and you guys without having to deal with all that other baggage back there."

"You want to talk about it?" Ursula offered. Ranma looked at her speculatively before she nodded.

"Have you ever had people you think are your friends, but they like to pressure you into things you're not comfortable with and seem to think it's great fun to make you squirm?" Ranma asked.

"Uh huh," Ursula agreed. "Usually it's all in fun but it can go to far. I assume you are referring to Commander Hayes?"

"And Lt. Commander Grant," Ranma answered. "You see, I had a kind of peculiar childhood. I'm not going to tell you the entire truth about it because it would likely end my career if it got out, but I'll tell you enough. My pop was obsessed with martial arts and wasn't a very honorable or honest man. He had one driving need beyond filling his belly, and that was making me the best martial artist in the world. Unfortunately, he was also a raging misogynist and raised me as a boy."

"My god, that's horrible," Ursula gasped.

"For the first sixteen years of my life I was with him," Ranma continued, "suffering through insane training techniques that threatened not just my life but my sanity, all the while listening to him harp on how women were weak and worthless and could never be real martial artists. He kept me away from people for the most part traveling all over Japan. I never had much of a chance to make friends and I was rarely in school since according to Pop that was a distraction from the art. One of the times he was forced to put me in school was when I was thirteen. It was in an all boys school and that's when the SDF-1 crashed on Earth."

"An all boys school? How did you stand it?" Ursula asked.

"Well remember I thought I was a boy at the time," Ranma answered. "Anyway, the hubbub surrounding the SDF-1 crashing opened my eyes to the fact that there were other things in life than martial arts. I started to think it was something I wanted to be a part of and my teachers told me the only way that would happen is if I got an education. So I made arrangements to continue my schooling via correspondence after my pop would eventually decide to pull me out of school again. I ended up with my high school diploma just before I turned sixteen."

"Wow, you must be pretty smart to have done that on your own," Ursula said, her respect for Ranma climbing. Ranma shrugged.

"It was when I was sixteen it happened," Ranma continued. "Pop dragged me to China after he pulled me out of that all boys school. We had been traveling around the Chinese countryside for nearly two years when a series of events occurred that I won't tell you about. Suffice it to say, that's when I discovered I was a girl and I thought my life was over. Mind you, I really didn't buy into all that crap about women that Pop was always spewing, but the sense of betrayal and the thought that I must be some kind of freak nearly sent me over the edge. The only thing I knew was I had to get away from my father before he ended up getting me killed. When the opportunity presented itself I jumped on it, traveling back to Japan by myself and getting enrolled in the RDF academy in the States."

"Go on," Ursula said, clearly riveted by the tale.

"Well, I had decided that there wasn't much I could do about my gender," Ranma said. "After sixteen years living as a boy I wasn't exactly thrilled to discover I was a girl, but I could either let it beat me, or I could deal with it and pursue my dreams. I chose my dreams. Anyway, I knew nothing about being a girl and wasn't very comfortable doing girl things. I accepted the necessities, but was content to be a major tomboy. I met Lisa, Commander Hayes, in the Academy. She was my roommate and when she found out about my history she helped me a lot, teaching me things about being a woman so I wouldn't stand out too much. That was important to me then. I wasn't comfortable around people and I certainly wasn't comfortable with being in the female role."

"I can imagine," Ursula agreed.

"Well, I graduated the Academy early since I opted for a heavy course load and had no desire for a social life," Ranma went on. "I began my career flying F/A 18E's and pretty much kept to myself. I wasn't into guys. The thought of dating a guy still creeps me out. I didn't feel right about dating another woman because to this day I don't think of myself as a real woman. It's not how I grew up and while I've accepted it as what I am, I still resent it deep down. I'd feel like I was deceiving a woman if I dated her."

"Honey, I've seen you in the shower," Ursula grinned. "Trust me, you wouldn't be deceiving anyone about being a woman."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter what the reality is, it's what my mind is telling me deep down," Ranma said. "So anyhow, I never really wanted a social life. It was enough for me to have my career and my art. But then I met Claudia Grant. She apparently thought it was a terrible thing that I was so isolated, whether it was my choice or not, so she made it her mission to get me a social life. She hassled and cajoled me until I agreed to go party with her. And she was right. I had fun and met people that I had helped in the past. It put faces on the work I was doing and it made me feel good to see people I had saved and to feel their gratitude. I decided that even if I wasn't looking to date anyone, I could still have friends and go out to unwind from time to time."

"Good for you," Ursula smiled.

"That brings us up to when I transferred Macross Island and Veritechs," Ranma said. "That's when things started to go wrong. Both Claudia and Lisa were there and they were the two people I had considered my best friends. They were also the only two people that I would let talk me into just about anything. I mean, they are level headed and responsible people and they are my friends so they wouldn't do anything to hurt me, I thought. So when they started pressuring my about doing more things to embrace my femininity, I wasn't comfortable with it, but I went along. They had helped me before so maybe it wasn't a bad thing. The trouble was, they seemed to take great joy in my discomfort while I was getting more and more confused about who I am."

"It sounds like they meant well," Ursula observed.

"I'm sure they did," Ranma agreed. "It didn't change the stress and confusion though. Add to this, Lisa began to flirt with me more and more. This also confused me because I know she likes guys. I figured it was a way for her to deal with the loss of the man she loved who was killed at Mars Base Sara. I went along with her because in part it felt good to feel desired even if it was only an illusion, but mostly because I was willing, as her friend, to let her use me to deal with her grief and loneliness."

"Ouch," Ursula grimaced.

"Were you at the Thanksgiving Party?" Ranma asked.

"I was," Ursula replied. "You looked gorgeous and your singing was sensational."

"Um...thanks," Ranma blushed a little before continuing the story. "That was another incident where they tormented me. Lisa and Claudia practically forced me into that dress. I mean I looked good and all, but I was very uncomfortable putting myself on display like that. I didn't feel like it was me and the part of me that was raised a boy was mortified. Then Claudia had to drag me up on center stage and make me the star attraction. I just wanted to scream."

"I couldn't tell," Ursula commented. "You handled it well. You looked very comfortable and confident."

"Thanks, I've become good at suppressing my discomfort over the years," Ranma told her. "It was also at the party where Lisa started to get serious about us, beginning to act like she wanted to take the relationship beyond the flirting. I was terrified for two reasons. The first reason was that I found that I had begun to develop more than friendship feelings for her and the second was that I was still certain that once she dealt with loosing Karl she would want a man again. I was also afraid that if I had a relationship with her and then lost her, it would upset the life I built. I've never had a relationship like that so I hadn't missed it. Up until now my career has been enough, but what if after having someone, my career wasn't enough anymore? I was very confused, and then people were telling me that it was only a matter of time before Lisa made a move to get physical with me." Ranma shrugged.

"That's the way I saw it at the party," Ursula said. "It was clear to everyone that she had a major thing for you. Let me guess, then she was seen with that guy?"

"I have to correct a little misinformation I allowed to slide before," Ranma said blushing. "I knew about her date with the guy and I condoned it. It was stressful for me but I wanted her to be happy. If she still wanted me afterward that was fine too."

"Oh, okay, so that's not what broke you guys up?" Ursula asked surprised.

"No," Ranma answered. "It wasn't."

"What happened?" Ursula asked.

"Pink airplanes," Ranma said with a wry grin.

"Pink airplanes? You mean ours?" Ursula asked in confusion. "Everybody loved the paint scheme. How did that cause a problem?"

"I hate pink," Ranma said. "It's a girly color and one I avoid like the plague. You have to understand something, my gender is a major cause of stress for me. The one refuge I had from it was my aircraft. When I was flying, my gender meant nothing. I was free of it. I was just a warrior, neither male nor female. Lisa and Claudia were the ones that came up with the livery. They knew before hand I was to be the squadron CO and they thought it would be cute to thrust my gender in my face again. They didn't know about the other stuff with my airplane being my refuge from my gender stresses, but when I saw what they had done, knowing they were giggling about it the whole time they were plotting it, it was too much."

"Oh man," Ursula said. "And we were gushing about it right in front of you."

"Yup, when I saw how much you all loved it, I wouldn't have felt right about demanding it be changed, but I was going to find out why these people that were supposed to be my friends were constantly tormenting me. So I confronted them. I maybe wasn't the most rational person at the time and things didn't go well. I lost control and everything came pouring out. All the confusion, resentment, and hurt, it was all there and I lashed out with it. I haven't spoken to either of them since. I know I overreacted and hurt them, but I needed some space, some distance, to re-center myself and get everything back in balance."

"If it helps, I can understand why you reacted that way," Ursula said in sympathy. "You were being pushed in too many different directions at once and then you lost your one stable place. Still, I don't think they meant to hurt you. You're pretty good at not letting your inner turmoil show from what I've seen. They probably didn't realize how much what they were doing was affecting you."

"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "Since we left Macross, I've started to get my balance back and I can see they were trying to help mostly. The pink airplane thing was definitely a prank though. Even though they didn't realize how badly I'd take it."

"Are you sure about that?" Ursula asked. "I mean because it's very tasteful and very fitting for an all female team. Maybe they just didn't think about it."

"I'm sure," Ranma sighed. "They knew I hated pink. They could have used red, or yellow, or a lot of other colors that would have fit in with the rose theme, but they chose pink to yank my chain."

"Well, we could talk to the girls," Ursula suggested. "I'm sure they would be just as happy with red or something."

"No, it wouldn't be fair to you guys," Ranma negated. "You all loved it and besides if I changed it now it would be like letting them off the hook. No, they're stuck with it now. I want them to think about what they did every time they see one of us."

"Isn't that kind of vindictive?" Ursula asked. Ranma smirked and raised an eyebrow. Ursula grinned. "I guess you're right, they deserve it, but I think you should forgive them. They do sound like they were your friends. Maybe then the livery will just be a reminder that if they push too much they will lose your friendship."

"That was my thought," Ranma smiled. "Thanks for listening. Sheesh, and I thought the CO was supposed to be the unit therapist."

"Heh," Ursula said, giving Ranma a hug, "we should all be there for each other, you know?"

"Good point," Ranma said, hugging her back. "Well, we have to be up early tomorrow, so what say we get some rest?"

"Alright," Ursula grinned. "See you in the morning, Mom."

(oOO/Oo)

The next five weeks were fast paced and hectic as the Blue's helped the Roses put together a routine and practice it by the deadline. Every member of the team worked hard as they brought their formations tighter and their passes closer. They critiqued each other on their performance frankly and drove themselves to higher and higher levels of precision. Rose knew they were nearly there when the Blues began to nod their approval.

The last weekend before they were to leave, the Blues invited the Roses to a barbeque at Kingsley's house.

"Which one of you eats the most?" Natalia asked when the invitation was extended. The blues pointed to Berry Richards, the Marine pilot of Blue 4. He proudly patted his belly. "Take what he eats and triple it for Mom."

Everybody gawked at her.

"I'm sorry?" Kingsley asked in confusion.

"Well, you see, Mom really likes to eat," Marissa smirked. "I've never seen anyone put away as much food at a sitting as she does. It's a good thing we are going home soon became they've begun to refuse her service at the all-you-can-eat places in town."

"Yesterday, we stopped at BK's on the way back to the hotel," Tia chimed in. I watched her put away four whoppers and two large orders of fries. She polished it off with a large chocolate shake."

"And two hours later, she wanted to go out for ice cream," Vicki added.

"Yeah, right," Berry snorted, obviously not buying it. "Ain't no way that petite little thing can put away that much food." Ranma, who had been standing quietly blushing as her pilots described her, what sounded like, gluttonous tendencies, smirked.

"Is that a challenge, Mister Richards?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah, I think maybe it is, Ma'am," the large black man grinned toothily. "I know a great burger place in town. If you can out eat me than I'm buying."

"How about this, we all go there and have dinner," Ranma said. "If I can out eat you then you buy for everyone. If I can't then everyone's dinner is on me."

"You're on," Berry said confidently. "Did ya hear that boys? The Dragon Lady's buyin' us dinner."

"Care to make any side bets on that, gentlemen?" Ursula asked sweetly.

"I got 20 says she's pukin' in the john before Berry slows down," Will Carlisle, pilot of Blue 6, piped up.

"I got 25 on Berry," Harold Frank, Blue 7, announced.

(oOO/Oo)

An hour later 8 Blues and 8 Roses poured into Buck's Burger Barn. The staff pulled four tables together for them and Ranma and Berry took their positions near the center, their respective teams flanking them.

"Hey Maria," Berry greeted the waitress as she walked up.

He began to explain what was happening and Maria goggled at the sight of the tiny redhead who claimed to be able to eat more than Berry. It was arranged that the burgers were to be brought out two for each at a time so they didn't get cold before they were eaten. They would keep coming until one of the competitors conceded or was disqualified by having to go to the bathroom. Touching the other's food, trying to make them sick, or interference from the teammates was grounds for disqualification as well.

As soon as the others had been served, Ranma and Berry each had a burger before them and one off to the side ready to go. They stared each other down like old west gun fighters. On an unspoken signal, they reached for their plate and picked up there weapon. Never breaking eye contact, Ranma took her first bite.

"Mmmmm," Ranma moaned closing her eyes in pure bliss. "These ARE good. I could eat a hundred of them. Glad you're paying."

"I got nothin' to worry about, little girl," Berry grinned after swallowing his own mouthful. "Hope the RDF pays well."

Ranma smirked and the battle was joined. Soon the second burger was in front of them and the third took its place at ready, followed by the fourth, then the fifth. As they moved the fifth burger in front of them Berry was beginning to look worried.

"What the matter, Captain?" Ranma teased. "You're not getting full already are you?" His eyes narrowed.

"I will NOT be defeated," He growled. "I won't allow it!" He tucked into number five with renewed vigor.

By number eight Berry was clearly loosing momentum while Ranma looked like she had just sat down. With number nine half eaten, the dark skinned man was looking positively green. "No mas," Berry said, starting at the half eaten burger and pushing back from the table.

"Giving up, already?" Ranma chirped, finishing the last bites of ten, with eleven on deck. "You gonna eat that?" she asked pointed to his untouched tenth burger.

Berry's eyes got big as saucers and he dumbly shook his head. Ranma grinned brightly and snatched the plate, tearing into it before it could get any cooler. The Roses and the Blues that had been wise enough not to bet laughed heartily while Berry and his supporters groaned.

Berry groaned again when he saw the bill, but Ranma took pity on him and left a fifty percent tip, sparing the man at least that. She couldn’t and didn't spare him the ribbing he took as everyone thanked him for dinner.

"How?" Berry asked in misery, not understanding how Ranma seemed to fit what must have been half her body mass into her stomach and not explode.

"Saotome School Secret Technique," Ranma grinned mischievously. "Seefood Diet. You see food, you eat it, until it's gone, 'cause you may not know when the next meal is coming."

Everyone laughed. They were gratified to see a noticeable bulge in Ranma's waistline as she stood and waddled to the door. It would have been just too weird if her waist had been just as tiny as when she came in.

"Gosh Mom," Cassie said as they got in the car, "Looks like we're gonna have a baby sister soon." She patted Ranma's distended stomach. Ranma looked at her darkly.

"Don't even imagine something like that," Ranma growled. Everyone blanched.

"Sorry, Mom," Cassie said.

"If anything it's going to be a little brother," Ranma smiled brightly, with a contrived dreamy look. "Your brother will be so manly!"

Ranma looked around at the looks on their faces and dissolved into laughter.

(oOO/Oo)

February 2009...

Ranma sat on the edge of the deck behind Brett Kingsley's rural home looking out across the seemingly endless expanse of desert. A beer appeared before her, dripping moisture, evidence of its recent removal from the ice chest. Ranma looked up at Brett and smiled her thanks, taking the beer. Brett sat down beside her.

"You think we're ready?" Ranma asked.

"You guys were born ready," Brett chuckled. "I don't know want I expected before you guys got here, but you're not it. I guess when they told me that we were to help train an all female demonstration squadron I was thinking of a bunch of bubbly cheerleaders with pretty airplanes and if I was lucky they'd be adequate pilots. I was half right. Turns out I got a bunch of shit-hot professionals that could do incredible things with pretty airplanes. It just so happened that they were all pretty enough to be cheerleaders."

"We're not all that," Ranma said modestly. "The VF-1's make us look good. We're all young with relatively low flight hours compared to you guys."

"Some of you, maybe," Brett said. "I heard some stories about you, Ranma. Word is that you're the real deal. I have to agree. I've seen how your leadership has brought your people together and made them perform beyond themselves. I think your CAG made a good choice with getting you in command of a squadron, even if it is a secondary unit."

"I had good role models," Ranma returned. "Roy Fokker is a great officer to serve with. He leads from the front and doesn't put up with the political bullshit whenever possible. You're no slouch either. I've watched you inspire your men to greater heights as well. I just hope if it ever drops in the pot, the Roses will validate Roy's decisions by putting us together."

"You've flown combat," Brett said. "How do you think they'll do?"

"I'm not sure," Ranma admitted. "They're skilled, but inexperienced. Most of them have very little combat training beyond what they had in the initial VF-1 training. They certainly have the potential, but you know as well as I do that the crucible of combat is the only way to forge them into a true fighting unit."

"I think you'll be fine," Brett grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen a group of people with more focus and mental discipline." Ranma snorted.

"That's by design, you know," she pointed out. "It's one of the parameters they used to select us." Brett shrugged.

"Whatever works," he replied. "You've got a good group and they've got a good CO. I'm sure time will illustrate that better than anything."

They sat silently for a few more minutes before Ranma broke it.

"You know, if you make it out to Macross for the Launch Day show," Ranma suggested, "I'm sure the girls and I can take you up for a little joy ride in a VF-1D. I know you've got a show season to prepare for and we've been keeping you from that, but I'd like to extend my personal invitation to the Blues to come out and take a look."

"Why, Lieutenant, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to seduce me into joining the RDF," Brett laughed.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Ranma grinned. "Why would you want to join the RDF and fly sexy cutting edge aircraft capable of things you can only imagine for better pay when you can stay here and fly those old obsolete crates you guys fly?" Brett snorted. "Anyway, that's my job, ain't it? Get some of you recalcitrants into our ranks?"

"And very tempting you make it sound too," Brett laughed.

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 9

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 9

February 2009...

"You okay, Mom?" Ursula asked over the Squadron frequency. "You've been pretty quiet up there."

"Yeah, Baby Bear," Ranma acknowledged. "I'm good. Just not looking forward to dealing with the situation when we get back."

"Just remember, whatever happens, we got your back," Ursula said. "Just don't shut down on us like you were before we left. We much prefer the Dragon Lady we had at El Centro to the one we got on Macross."

"Roger that," Marissa agreed. Ranma chuckled.

"I'll try not to," Ranma promised. "Speaking of, we ought to be about in detection ran..."

"Macross Control, inbound aircraft, please identify," came the ATC over the comm. Ranma was relieved it wasn't Lisa.

"Rose Lead, Macross Control, Rose Squadron inbound," Ranma replied.

"Macross Control, Rose Squadron, welcome home," the controller said. "We're clearing the pattern for you. You're clear all the way in to Runway 27 right."

"Rose Lead, Macross Control, Roger," Ranma replied. "Thanks for the express service." Ranma switched to the squadron channel. "Alright Rose, like we planned. Echelon Left and get in tight with you're wingman. We're going in low right over the city. Let's let'em know we're back."

Rose Squadron reformed into four pairs of aircraft, each pair trailing the one ahead of it at even spacing aft and to the left. They descended to a couple of hundred feet above rooftop level and passed over the city. When they reached two nautical miles past the end of the runway, each group made a perfectly choreographed simultaneous break turn, each group's turn radius a little larger, such that when they came out of the turn they were traveling on a reversed heading, perfectly lined up with the runway and each pair trailing line astern in their landing intervals. The wingmen came out of the turn in line abreast with the lead aircraft of their group, and landing right beside each other much as they had at El Centro.

They had tightened their landing interval such that when they began to taxi to their ramp, they formed a line of eight aircraft, line a stern with even spacing. When they reached the ramp, they each executed a simultaneous turn into their parking positions and began to shutdown.

(oOO/Oo)

After the Roses had used the facilities and changed out of their flight suits, Ranma sent everyone else home while she and Ursula went to report in to Roy. They reached Roy's office and knocked on the door. Roy bid them enter, so Ranma opened the door and stepped in followed by Ursula.

As soon as Ranma entered the room, Ursula saw her stiffen and hesitate for a half a heartbeat. Ursula immediately saw why Ranma's tension suddenly spiked. Sitting in the room with Roy was Commander Hayes and Lt. Commander Grant. She then came to rigid attention and issues a sharp salute, Ursula matching her from her side.

"Rose Squadron reporting in, Sir," Ranma said crisply.

"Welcome home, Lieutenants," Roy said warmly, issuing his own salute. "At ease. How was your flight?"

"It was fine, Sir," Ranma replied.

"How was El Centro?" he asked.

"Top shelf, Sir," Ranma answered.

"The Blues are a first class unit, Sir," Ursula added, not missing the pained looks the three were giving Ranma as she gave her stiff, concise replies.

"Are you and your people ready?" Roy asked.

"Yes, Sir," Ranma stated. "We will be spending the next week getting the local particulars and approaches mapped out, but our routine is solid and practiced."

"Outstanding," Roy said. "Lieutenant Kruger, if that's all, I would like to have a word with Lieutenant Saotome."

Ursula looked at Ranma who nodded imperceptibly.

"Sure thing, Commander," Ursula said, saluting, then grinned at Ranma. "I'll see you in the morning, Mom."

"Pleasant dreams, Baby Bear," Ranma gave her a small smile, acknowledging her support.

"Please have a seat, Lieutenant," Roy said as the door shut behind Ursula. Ranma stepped around in front of the chair before Roy's desk. The one flanked on either side by Claudia and Lisa. She sat with military precision, smoothing her skirt out as she did. Her back was ramrod straight, her knees together, and her hands where folded in her lap as she looked at Roy expectantly. "Oh for crying out loud, would you give it a rest, Ranma?"

"I wouldn't know what you're talking about, Sir," Ranma said. Roy threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Look, Ranma, I know you're upset with us," Roy sighed. "Lisa and Claudia are here to apologize to you. Just let them have their say, okay?"

"Ranma, I'm really sorry," Claudia said sincerely. "I was just trying to help you relax. I thought it was all in fun. I didn't realize what our pushing was doing to you. You're my friend and if I had thought for a minute that I was going too far, I would have stopped immediately. I screwed up and I'm truly sorry."

"As am I, Ranma," Lisa said. "You're the most important person in the world to me, my best friend, maybe more than that, and I'm very fond of you. I never meant to hurt you. I just didn't realize...you never showed how much pain you were in. I let you down. I should have known, should have seen. Please. I don't want to lose you. Please forgive me."

"Is that an order, Commander Hayes?" Ranma said.

"Ranma, please?" Lisa said, her eyes welling up with tears. She gave a small sniffle and wiped under her eyes with the back of her hand. The hand was shaking.

Ranma took all this in. Finally, her expression softened and she slumped.

"Look, I'll forgive you both," Ranma said, "but you've got to stop pushing me. I've got too much other stuff to deal with without feeling like my best friends are systematically destroying who I am. No more games, no more throwing my gender in my face."

"Oh thank you," Lisa let out a sob of relief and glomped Ranma. Claudia hugged both of them.

"You have no idea how happy I am to have you back, Ranma," Claudia smiled. "If for nothing else, this one here," she patted Lisa, "has been inconsolable."

"Yeah, the whole damn base will thank you for this, Ranma," Roy grinned. "The warm happy Commander Hayes was much easier to deal with than the emotionless martinet you left in her place when you went to El Centro. She's been driving everyone nuts."

"Oh stop," Lisa said. "I wasn't that bad." Roy just looked at her with half lidded eyes. Finally, Lisa gave a half sob, half laugh. "Okay, so maybe I was a little hard to get along with, but I was beside myself with guilt. Give me a break."

"We did make allowances," Roy told her. "Why else do you think you didn't end up hanging from the highest antenna array after the mutiny? On second thought, would it be a mutiny if Captain Gloval was leading the mob? You'll probably get a medal out of this, Ranma, but the Captain will probably court martial you for destroying morale if you ever shut Lisa out again."

Lisa rolled her eyes, still clinging to Ranma.

"So did you have a good time in El Centro while the rest of us were stuck back here tiptoeing around Little Miss Tyrant?" Claudia asked.

"Yeah, I did," Ranma smiled stroking Lisa's back. "The Blues were great. They really know their stuff and helped a lot. I think we impressed the hell out of them too. The squadron is really coming together. Wait until you see the routine we cooked up. It's gonna blow your minds."

"Why did Lieutenant Kruger call you 'Mom'?" Lisa asked. Ranma chuckled.

"It was a little thing they cooked up to bring me out of my brooding on the way there," Ranma explained. "They had heard the CO of the Blues was called 'Boss' so they thought their CO needed a name too. They're a real bunch of comedians too, let me tell you. Half way there they started and almost all the way back. 'Are we there yet, Mom?' Mom, I have to go potty.' 'Mom, I'm thirsty.' Sheesh, not a moment's peace, I tell you. Never, ever, have seven daughters and take them on a road trip."

Everyone laughed and it was clear that the tension had dissipated. They were all thankful that things were back to normal.

(oOO/Oo)

The week went by and Rose had gotten all their landmarks fixed and were ready for the show. It was Friday about noon when they finished up a final practice session in the simulators. As they emerged they found Roy standing there grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

"Ladies," he greeted, if anything his grin broadened.

"Something we can do for you, Commander?" Ranma asked.

"Well, not for me exactly," Roy chuckled. "It seems you have some gentlemen callers to see you. They say they're here to collect on a date you promised them. They said you promised to show them a real good time."

By now the Roses were all looking at each other, confused.

"Alright, Commander, spill it," Ranma demanded. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Nope, you'll just have to go see for yourselves," Roy smirked. "They're waiting for you in your ready room."

Ranma and the rest of the Roses looked at each other again. They shrugged and head to their ready room. Ranma was going absolutely nuts trying to figure out what was going on. She recognized that Roy was baiting her, but she was still perplexed about who would want to see them. It crossed her mind that maybe it was some high level politicos that the brass had arranged for them to meet, though she dismissed that. Roy would have been pissed if they used one of his squadrons as an escort service. Especially if it was Ranma, knowing that she would most likely be homicidal if they told her she had to be some crusty old politician's date for the evening. Instead, Roy seemed amused and happy, but before she could think of why that would be, they reached the Roses' ready room, which one of the girls had made a sign that announced it as the Rose Garden. "Where else would you find Roses?" she had asked.

Entering the room there were 8 sighs of relief. Apparently the other girls feared the same thing Ranma had, but when they saw who was there, their apprehension turned to pleasure.

"Someone promised if we came to Macross that we would be shown the time of our lives by some really hot women," Brett Kingsley said with a grin. "Well, we couldn't exactly turn down an offer like that, now could we?"

"You came," Ranma said with a smile. "Welcome to Macross guys."

Greetings and pleasantries were exchanged between the two teams.

"I believe the gentlemen were promised a ride in the Valkyries," Roy mentioned. "It just so happened that we have 8 VF-1D's prepped and ready."

Ranma took Roy aside.

"How much can we show them?" Ranma asked.

"Pretty much anything you want in fighter mode, no alternate configs," Roy replied.

"How about ceiling?" Ranma asked.

"Keep it in the atmosphere, but as high as you want until then," Roy said. "Plan on showing them the stars?"

"I thought I might. It's a pretty impressive view once you're out of the atmospheric murk," Ranma said. "So I can take them up to about Angels 160 then? That should wow them a bit and give them bragging rights that they've been out of the stratosphere."

"Sounds good," Roy said.

(oOO/Oo)

"You all strapped in and ready to go, Boss?" Ranma said from the rear seat of the VF-1D as they taxied out onto the runway.

"Roger that, Mom," Brett chuckled into the intercom from the front seat. "Wow me."

"Oh I think we can manage that," Ranma said.

Ranma brought the throttles smoothly to full power and released the brakes. The VF-1D leaped forward forcing them hard back in their seats. By the time they reached the halfway point of the runway, Ranma was holding the Valkyrie twenty feet off the deck and the gear and flaps were retracted. As they reached the end of the runway, Ranma pitched the nose up sharply, going pure vertical and climbing out fast.

"I thought you might like to experience the tail stand and pirouette move," Ranma explained as they continued to climb. "We'll climb out to about angels 40 and I'll cut the power back until we're hovering. I don't want to do it any lower because I'd like to surprise them at the airshow tomorrow."

"Roger," Brett said from the front seat, the grin evident in his voice.

As they transitioned through 35,000 feet, Ranma began to back off on the power, slowing their ascent until finally just as the altimeter read 40,000, they hung suspended in midair. Slowly the VF-1D began to rotate clockwise. It made two and a half rotations and then Ranma brought the throttles back up to full power while pushing the nose over into level inverted flight at 40,000 feet. She quickly rolled the plane upright and began speaking again.

"Now, the way we can do these things has a lot to do with the control systems," she explained. "The interface is calibrated to the pilot in our helmets and flight suits, so someone without the equipment won't have access to all the controls. However, the VF-1 can be flown without them. Would you like to give it a shot?"

"Sure, why not?" Brett said, placing his hands on the controls. "Ready."

"Okay, Front seat's airplane," Ranma announced. "Feel free to get jiggy with it. It's virtually impossible to put the VF-1 in an unrecoverable situation. Automated systems will automatically stabilize the aircraft if you let go of the controls."

Brett made a few experimental maneuvers. "Wow, it's responsive," he commented.

"You have no idea," Ranma grinned. "During manual flying, the computer uses the thrusters to assist the flight controls. With the full controls available the pilot can control the thrusters independently."

Bret spent the next half hour testing the limits of the VF-1 and while he couldn't appreciate its full capabilities, he found it a superior aircraft to anything he had flown. Meanwhile, in the sky around them the rest of the Blues were experiencing the Valkyrie.

"Are you ready to see something truly awesome?" Ranma asked.

"More awesome than what you've already shown me? Sure," Brett said.

"Okay, I have to take back the airplane," Ranma said.

"Rear seat's airplane," Brett announced.

"Rose Lead, Rose Squadron," Ranma said over the squadron channel. "It's time. Form up on me, vee formation."

There was a chorus of acknowledgements and soon Rose Squadron was formed up. Ranma pitched the nose up into a steep climb, though not vertical. Brett watched the altimeter scroll up through 50...60...70...80,000 feet. The sky began to darken and still they climbed. As the approached 90,000 feet the engine noise began to change from a whine to a roar.

"Hear the change in the engine noise?" Ranma asked. "We just transitioned from the atmospheric turbines to the non-atmospheric thrust system."

"That smoothly? I'm impressed," Brett said as he gawked at the view outside the canopy.

The sky was now black and the stars seemed endless. He had never seen so many stars, even on a clear night in the blackness of the desert. He could also see the curvature of the earth below them. Still they climbed.

"Take a look at the altimeter," Ranma said after a few minutes, leveling the plane out and cutting back the power. Brett looked down and saw that the altimeter read 160,000 feet. "Now you can tell your drinking buddy's that you've officially been out of the stratosphere."

"Outstanding," Brett said enthusiastically.

They stayed up there for about fifteen minutes as the Blues got to enjoy the view that was very similar to how it would look from orbit.

"Rose Two, Rose Lead," Ursula called, "Hate to break this up, but don't forget you have a dinner date to get ready for."

"Rose Lead, Rose Two, Roger," Ranma chuckled, looking at the clock and seeing it was just after 4 pm. "Alright people, let's take it to the barn."

There were more than a few groans of disappointment and someone muttered "lucky stiff" under their breath as Ranma began their descent.

(oOO/Oo)

"Remember, Children, we have a 10 am flight time tomorrow," Ranma said to her gathered team. "Don't stay up too late."

"You either, Mom," Ursula smirked and winked suggestively. "Enjoy yourself with Commander Hayes." There were a couple of snickers from the Roses and Ranma blushed.

"Um...Commnader Hayes, as in..." Brett began after Ranma had left to get ready for her diner date.

"The SDF-1's XO, yes," Ursula grinned.

"But isn't she a...well...she?" Brett asked, confused.

"Rumor has it," Ursula laughed. Then she saw some of the Blues with looks of consternation. "Look, guys, don't judge Mom, okay? She's had a pretty rough and bizarre life. In spite of all that, she's a fantastic pilot and a good CO, maybe a great CO one day. She cares about us all, so if Commander Hayes makes her happy then I'm thrilled for her."

"Damn straight...er...well, you know what I mean," Marissa grinned sheepishly. The other Roses giggled, but agreed. "So boys, not all of us play for the other team, care to take us to dinner?" Freddy snorted in laughter.

"Well, I guess we could afford that since Mom is otherwise engaged," the Blues XO laughed and offered his arm to Marissa. "You know this berg, where should we go?"

"Everyone like Chinese?" Ursula asked, taking the arm of Jeff Gains, who had offered it to her. There was a general chorus of assents. "We go to the White Dragon then."

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma knocked on the door to Lisa's quarters. She stood in the hall wearing a black skirt that fell to her mid-thigh and a sleeveless red silk blouse. She had on make-up and jewelry, and her fiery red hair hung loosely to below her shoulder blades. Underneath, she wore the lingerie that Lisa had picked out for her before the Thanksgiving party.

Her choices in apparel somewhat mystified even her. She supposed that she wanted to show Lisa that everything was okay now, that Ranma hadn’t rejected everything they had tried to do for her. She shifted a little in her black sandals as she waited for Lisa to answer the door.

Lisa answered the door in a casual powder blue dress that was long enough to be modest but short enough to show off her long beautiful legs. Ranma couldn't help but think of how attractive this woman looked to her, from her white strappy sandals to her long rich auburn hair. She couldn't help but blush as she recalled how that tall lithe body felt held close to her, and how it felt under her massaging hands.

"You look wonderful, Ranma," Lisa said. "I'm so glad you came." She reached out and took Ranma's hands in hers and leaned in to apply a light kiss to Ranma's cheek.

"You look great too, Lisa," Ranma said with a smile as the taller girl pulled her inside.

"Would you like a glass of wine?" Lisa asked. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"I have to fly tomorrow but I suppose one glass won't hurt," Ranma answered.

She took in Lisa's suite. The artificial lighting had been subdued and most of the lighting came from flickering candle light. The scent of potpourri filled the room and gave it a distinctly feminine atmosphere. The mood of the suite was very intimate and romantic causing Ranma to wonder just what Lisa had planned for tonight as she remembered the talk she had with Roy right before the blow out.

Lisa returned to the room with two wine glasses filled with red wine. She handed Ranma one of them and smiled warmly, guiding the smaller girl over to the couch. They sat turned slightly toward each other, their knees touching. Lisa held up her glass.

"To tomorrow, when we will see the results of all our hard work," Lisa said, but continued after a brief pause. "And to the person that returned the joy to my life." She looked meaningfully at Ranma, causing her to blush.

"Kanpai," Ranma said. They clinked glasses and sipped the wine.

"So are you nervous about tomorrow's show?" Lisa asked, smiling sweetly at Ranma.

"Heh, not in the least," Ranma replied. "The girls have got the routine nailed. We're ready and we're gonna knock their socks off."

"I like to see you confident," Lisa said. "It's very sexy."

Ranma nearly choked on the sip of wine she had just taken. Lisa laughed musically. Just then the buzzer on the oven chimed. Lisa stood and handed her glass of wine to Ranma.

"If you could take those over to the table and have a seat, I'll bring our dinner out," Lisa suggested.

(oOO/Oo)

An hour later, after the best Chicken Parmesan that Ranma had ever tasted, they were once again sitting on the couch. Ranma had decided to chance a second glass of wine to steady her nerves. Lisa had flirted with her heavily through out dinner and it was effecting her, making her feel...needy.

They were making small talk about her squadron, Lisa's duties, and the plans for tomorrow when Lisa turned serious.

"Ranma, I...when we pushed you too far and you...I thought you hated me," Lisa said. Ranma saw tears well up in her eyes and begin to over dribble down her face in large drops. "When you left for California, and wouldn't speak to me, I just didn't know what to do. I felt so desolate, so hopeless. Oh Ranma, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I felt like such a monster for hurting someone I cared so much about." The sobs began to escape her and Ranma took her in her arms, holding her as she cried with her head pillowed on Ranma's breasts. Lisa put her arms around Ranma and held on as if her life depended on it.

"It's okay, Lisa," Ranma whisper soothingly to her. "You didn't know. I never said anything." The redhead stroked the sobbing woman's hair gently. "I forgive you. I know you didn't do it on purpose and I shouldn't have gone off on you guys like I did. I lost control."

Ranma just continued to hold her and stroke her tenderly as Lisa cried out the guilt and pain she felt. Eventually she wound down to the odd sniffle, but they continued to hold each other. Ranma handed her a tissue as Lisa's crying subsided and Lisa wiped her face off, never moving from her position in Ranma's arms.

"Thank you," Lisa said softly. It was unclear whether she meant the tissue or for Ranma holding her while she let it all out.

Lisa slowly turned her head up to look deeply into Ranma's ocean blue eyes. She smiled a little and moved her face a little closer.

"Lisa, I..." Ranma started but was silenced by Lisa's fingertip over her lips.

"Shhh," Lisa shushed her gently.

The brunette moved her hand behind Ranma's head and pulled the redhead in for a deep passionate kiss. When Ranma began to respond Lisa let her hand trail down and began to stroke the redhead's well formed breast. Ranma stiffened at first, but the feeling of being touched so intimately, and with so much tender desire, overwhelmed her. She moaned softly into Lisa's hungry mouth.

After a few blissful minutes, Lisa moved her hand from Ranma's now hard tipped flesh and traced it sensually up along Ranma's arm until she reached the girls hand. Taking the hand, she guided it to her own smaller breast and let Ranma know that she wanted to be touched too. Once sure the redhead got the idea, Lisa's hand moved on and began to stroke the creamy flesh of Ranma's exposed thigh, traveling ever upward beneath the redhead's skirt toward the building heat at the top of her legs.

Lisa moaned softly as Ranma's hand stoked and gently pinched her distending nipples. Ranma was too distracted by the fiery need that was welling up inside her to think, much less protest. In truth she didn't want to protest. She was awash in her desire for the brunette.

Ranma whimpered slightly as Lisa moved away to stand, the loss of the warmth of her soft body pressed against Ranma's and the loss of the sensations Lisa's hands were eliciting, nearly painful. Lisa smiled down at the redhead whose eyes looked up at her, glazed and dark with need. She pulled Ranma up and leaned down to briefly kiss her, gently tugging her toward the bedroom.

When the reached the bedroom, Lisa, again, stepped away. She pulled her thin dress up over her head and let it fall to the floor. She was standing before Ranma in a white, lacy and very sexy thong, her breasts cupped in a matching white lace bra. Ranma's mouth was dry as she gulped, taking in Lisa's lithe form, sexily showcased by the lingerie.

Lisa stepped forward and pressed herself against Ranma again. She kissed the redhead passionately before her fingers began to unbutton the redhead's silk blouse. Ranma felt an electric thrill travel through her as her bare skin came into contact with Lisa's. Lisa pushed the blouse off Ranma's shoulders and down her arms to pool on the carpet. Ranma felt the elastic waistband of her skirt begin tugged over her hips to join the blouse on the floor around her feet.

Lisa took Ranma's hands and stepped back slightly, still kissing the redhead as if reluctant to let go. Releasing the smaller girl's lips, she panted as she looked at the girl before her. She saw Ranma had worn the sexy black lace thong and bra that Lisa had picked out for her and grinned. It looked every bit as good on her as it had in Lisa's fantasies. She smiled, kicking off her sandals and watched as Ranma did the same.

She pulled Ranma to the bed and gave her a little shove, sending her down on it, before sensually crawling up over Ranma's body on her hands and knees. She paused to look down into Ranma's dark searching eyes.

"Lisa," Ranma said, her voice raw with her desire, "are you sure? I thought you just wanted to be friends."

"Have you ever heard the term 'friends with benefits'?" Lisa asked in a husky voice. At Ranma's look of confusion, she continued, "Ranma when friends are close and trust each other, sometimes they will respond to each other's needs. I need you, Ranma. I need to be touched. I need to feel desired. I need to feel intimate pleasure. I need release for the passion I feel for you. I know you need these things too. I can see it in your eyes, feel it in your touch, smell it in the air." Lisa paused and inhaled deeply. "The scent of your need is driving me crazy. I love you, Ranma, as my best friend, and each moment I spend with you, that feeling grows and changes into something more. Each day, it gets a little easier to think of letting Karl go.

"Right now at this moment, I want you Ranma. I want to caress you. I want to taste you. I want to make you feel wonderful in a way that you've never felt before. I want nothing more and nothing less than to make beautiful sweet love to you. Will you let me make beautiful sweet love to you, Ranma? Will you let me worship your body with my touch and caress?"

"But shouldn't you save that for the person you marry?" Ranma asked weakly, wanting to give in, but wanting to give Lisa a way out. Lisa giggled softly and caressed Ranma's breasts, teasingly sliding her fingers beneath the lacy edge of the cups.

"I'm not a virgin, Love," Lisa said. "I gave that to Karl long ago. Saving yourself for marriage is such an outdated concept. I believe it's okay to enjoy your body and share it with someone special. I've only ever been with Karl, but you are very special to me, Ranma, and I want to give myself to you now. Do you think poorly of me for that?"

"I think you're beautiful, Lisa," Ranma said, running her hands up the soft flesh Lisa's smooth flanks to cup and knead her breasts. "Please...make love to me," Ranma said softly and blushed darkly.

Lisa smiled and descended on the redhead. The pair proceeded to make slow tender love, fulfilling the need that had continued to grow since that first day at by the pool. When they finally collapsed, spent, they were lightly coated with their sweet lover's sweat. The warm musky scent of woman filled the room as they lay basking in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking. Soon after, they fell asleep, cuddled closely in each others arms.

(oOO/Oo)

Chapter 10

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Authors Note: This chapter picks up the Robotech timeline. I just thought I would take this opportunity to thank everyone that has review the story thus far. I very much appreciate it. Some of you have asked questions. If you had an email address in your profile you might want to check that account because I might had responded. I don't respond to reviews in my story text because I feel it's distracting from the story. So just a reminder, if you would like a question or clarification answered, either leave an Email address, or Email me directly at the address in my profile.

Anyway, they story will become less playful and a little darker from here on out as the horrors of war are brought home to Ranma and her associates. It will be an emotional roller coaster for everyone. Some of the plot devices I used in here won't be too original. My only excuse here is that there's only so many things you can do with the established events and timeline. I hope if the idea I used isn't original, you find my treatment of it was.

Chapter 10

February 2009...

High above the surface of the Earth, behind the Moon, a lightshow appeared. The lightshow subsided to reveal a fleet of massive almost organic-looking ships hanging in the cold vacuum of space.

Slowly, three of the smaller vessels began moving away from the main group headed toward the blue and white planet below them.

(oOO/Oo)

"Good morning, girls," Lisa said as she walked on to the bridge of the SDF-1 with a sensual roll of her hips. She had a glow about her and she wore a dreamy satisfied smile.

"Good morning, Lisa," Claudia looked at her strangely. There was something about her that was different, but Claudia couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Have you seen the captain this morning?"

"Oh I imagine he had a pretty late night last night," Lisa grinned. "He said the flag officers were throwing a going away party for him."

"Gee, that sounds exciting," Claudia said jokingly. "Probably stayed up all night getting drunk and telling each other war stories."

"Oh and you're one to talk, Claudia," Lisa smirked. "Where were YOU last night? You didn't come back in until 4 am."

"Heh, it just so happens that Commander Fokker and I had a date last night," Claudia said haughtily.

"Claudia! You spent the night partying with Commander Fokker when you both had duty today?" Lisa said, scandalized.

"So what? You know we won't let it affect our performance," Claudia said defensively before smirking and going on the offensive. "Anyway, how was YOUR dinner with Lieutenant Saotome?"

"It was fantastic," Lisa grinned dreamily for a moment before returning to the matter at hand. "But unlike less responsible officers, Lieutenant Saotome and I were in bed before 11."

"Oh?" Claudia grinned at the opening Lisa had left. Well, if she was going to leave the door open, she has to expect someone to walk right in. "And what time did you go to sleep?" Seeing the brief smile that flashed across Lisa's face and the blush that lit her cheeks, suddenly it all clicked onto place for Claudia, the dreamy smile, the sensual walk, the satisfied glow, it all made sense now. Claudia giggled.

"W-we were a-asleep before 11," Lisa stammered, her cheeks darkening even more.

"And how was Lieutenant Saotome, did she enjoy her meal?" Claudia teased.

"She was wonderful," Lisa grinned mysteriously. "She was very...satisfied." The three junior officers on the bridge looked at each other with wide disbelieving eyes.

They were interrupted from further commentary by a warning tone from Lisa's console.

"Macross control, unidentified inbound aircraft approaching on heading 1-zero-seven, you are entering restricted airspace, please identify," Lisa said in professional tones.

"Macross Control, this is Rick Hunter," a young man's voice said from Lisa's earpiece. "Invitation number 2-zero-3."

Lisa looked at her list of invitation recipients and found the number. The information matched what the pilot had given.

"Macross Control, Rick Hunter, invitation confirmed," Lisa said. "Please come to heading 1-8-zero and an altitude of 5000 ft to enter the pattern. Be advised we have a flight demonstration that will be starting shortly. Be sure you stay in the pattern to avoid conflicts with the demonstration team."

(oOO/Oo)

'Flight demonstration team, huh?' Rick Hunter thought to himself. 'Yeah right, like those military yoyo's know anything about show flying.'

A thought began to percolate in his brain causing him to grin broadly.

'I'll show those people some real flying,' Rick thought. 'Make those military killers look like the chumps they are.'

He watched as 6 pink and white fighters in delta formation passed before a crowd at an extremely low speed and a very high angle of attack. The formation was followed by two more of the pink and white aircraft, obviously the soloists. Rick watched as they began their routine and waited for his moment.

(oOO/Oo)

Roy stood on a stage in front of the gathered crowd as they waited for the show to begin.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are proud to bring you something you've all being waiting for, a demonstration of the advancements achieved through the technology obtained from the SDF-1," Roy said. Roy grinned as he had a moment of inspiration. "For your enjoyment our very own all female Robotech Demonstrator Team, Wild Rose Squadron, will be performing amazing feats of aerobatic agility and precision flying."

Roy looked off to the side and saw the newly christened 'Wild Rose' squadron's first formation coming in. Six airplanes in delta formation, flying straight and level, but at an extremely low speed and with their noses held at a 50 degree angle skyward.

"In Wild Rose One is the lovely CO of the Squadron, Lieutenant Ranma 'Dragon Lady' Saotome," Roy announced to the crowd. He proceeded to introduce each of the other Wild Rose members and each gave a little wiggle of their wings as their name was called. He then introduced the two soloists as they made their pass.

Roy narrated as Wild Rose began their routine with a few more mundane displays of extremely tight formation flying. Wild Rose four and six broke away from the formation group who, now in diamond formation, was distracting the crowd as the four other aircraft set up the first truly incredible maneuvers they had planned. As the formation group did a precise loop and proceeded out of the show area, the crowd noticed the two slow moving soloists approaching from in front of and behind them respectively.

As the two slow aircraft got closer two other aircraft moving at high speed screamed in approaching in an evident four-way collision. The two high-speed planes rolled up on their sides, the tops and bottoms of their respective wings facing the crowd. Just before they shot through the narrowing gap of the approaching slower planes, a small red and white aircraft, clearly not part of the show, flashed between them with bare meters to spare.

To their credit, the Wild Rose pilots, though completely surprised, executed their maneuver as planned. The two high-speed aircraft passed belly to belly with mere feet between them and the two slower aircraft stood on their tails, suspended on their thrust spinning tops as their momentum carried them past each other. The audience screamed, knowing they were about to see an unmitigated disaster, but the two planes stopped their spin and nosed over, proceeding out of the area on their original course except for now they were inverted. The audience now realized that the seemingly impossible maneuver was entirely intentional and they erupted in wild cheers.

Roy on the other hand was steaming. There was only one person he knew that had the balls and stupidity in sufficient quantities to pull a stunt like had just happened.

"Rick Hunter! Is that you?" Roy demanded, not caring if the audience heard him over the PA. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doing? Are you trying to get someone killed?"

"Oh hi, Roy," a voice came over the PA in response. "Long time no see, Old Buddy. I here they made you a Commander now. Geez, the military must be getting desperate. What the..."

At that moment Rick noticed that one of the sleek, dark pink and white fighters had overtaken him and had taken up a position inverted directly above his canopy. The other plane was close enough that Rick could see the pilot's dark pink and white flight suit and the gloved hands on the controls.

"Lieutenant Ranma Saotome to unidentified civilian aircraft. Who in the hell do you think you are, you incompetent moron?" Ranma laid into him. "You will put that aircraft on the ground right now. You and I will have words for you endangering my pilots."

"Incompetant?" Rick squawked. "I'll have you know that I've won the civilian flying competition 8 years running!"

"I don't care how many times you've won some ridiculous amateur flying competition," Ranma growled. "That just makes you worse than incompetent, it makes you a reckless idiot. Now put that plane on the ground before I do it for you, boy!"

"Ha, as if you could keep up with me," Rick smirked cockily. "I could out fly any stupid girl any day of the week."

"Rick, you idiot, you've just let yourself in for a world of hurt," Roy said shaking his head with his face in his hand. "You've just insulted the Dragon Lady."

Rick blew the covers off of his rocket boosters and waved to Ranma through the canopy before lighting the rockets and going pure vertical, climbing straight up at an incredible rate.

"Ha, told you, you couldn't keep up," Rick gloated.

"Better look again, jerk," Ranma said.

Rick looked out the top of his canopy and saw the girl's canopy in the same position it was, just meters away from his own. He sweat dropped and tried to break away. She followed like they were bolted together and they ended up corkscrewing around each other. No matter what Rick tried, he couldn't shake the other pilot more than a half a meter of drift from her position above his plane. He tried every trick in his book but nothing dislodged her.

'Damn she's good,' Rick thought. 'What she's doing should be impossible. It's like she's reading my moves.'

"Are you through being humiliated yet, ya little punk?" Ranma asked. "Are you going to put it on the ground or do I have to get rough?" As she said that, her plane drifted dangerously close to Rick's, her canopy and nose filling his view.

"Okay, okay, you win, lady, geez," Rick said, sweating bullets as his precious Mockingbird was scant centimeters away from trading paint with the other airplane.

Meanwhile Roy capitalized on the situation as the two pilots dueled it out.

"What you are witnessing, Ladies and Gentlemen, is an incredible display of flying skill by the Dragon Lady as the other pilot tries to shake her lose. However, as skilled as Lt. Saotome is, only Robotechnology allows her to outmaneuver the smaller, very agile aircraft. You are now witnessing what that technology can do in the hands of a talented pilot," Roy narrated. "Looks like he's had enough, Ladies and Gentlemen. Let's hear it for the beautiful and skilled Lt. Saotome for her fantastic display of aerobatic flying."

Roy saw Brett Kingsley near the stage and motioned to him.

"Here, come up here," Roy said pressing the mic into his hands. "You know their routine better than I do. You finish the announcing. I gotta take care of this."

As soon as Rick's plane hit the ground Roy was running for the ramp.

"Rick Hunter, you brain-dead idiot, you've done it now!" Roy yelled at him when Rick climbed out of his plane. "Just what did you think you were doing?"

"Aw, Roy, I just thought I'd show these people what a real pilot could do," Rick said smugly, conveniently forgetting he just got dominated from the air.

"Yeah you sure caused Dragon Lady to show them that alright," Roy snorted. "You'll be lucky if she has you thrown in the brig. God help you if she decides to kick your ass."

"Yeah, like I'm so scared of some little girl," Rick dismissed.

"You don't seem to understand, Little Brother," Roy shook his head. "That little girl is the best hand to hand fighter on Macross, if not in the entire RDF. You remember Tiny Pritchart? She could mop the floor with him without breaking a sweat." Rick gulped. Tiny Pritchart was nearly as tall as Roy and twice as wide. He had once seen Tiny punch a man through a brick wall.

"Geez, Roy, why would she want to attack me? I was just having some fun," Rick mentioned. "Besides, when I see her, I'll just turn on the ol' Hunter charm and no problem. If she's cute, maybe I'll agree to go out with her, even though she is a killer for hire." Roy slapped his hand on his face and groaned.

"Rick, the famous Hunter charm won't work on her," Roy said. "It would only piss her off more. You endangered her people with your little stunt up there. You've been around airshows. You know that pilots flying in close formation have to concentrate on each other and the precisely choreographed maneuvers they have practiced. They don't have time to watch for incursions into their airspace. They depend on ATC to keep other aircraft out. That's why the airspace is restricted during the show. I'm not happy with you myself since I'm the CAG here and they are my pilots too."

"Aww, Roy, I knew what I was doing," Rick said. "I'm the best after all."

"You may have known what you were doing, but THEY didn't know what you were doing," Roy argued. "If those women weren't rock solid pilots, if they had had one little bobble because you surprised them, they could have been spread across the airfield in flaming debris. People could have been hurt." Rick finally looked chagrined.

"Okay, you're right," he admitted. "I guess I didn't think about that. I'm sorry, okay?"

"You had better be, Little Brother," Roy smirked. "You had best be prepared to grovel when Dragon Lady catches up to you and hope she decides to go easy on you."

"You sound scared of her, Roy," Rick teased.

"Damn right I am," Roy said seriously, absently rubbing his ribs. "I've been on her bad side before. That's one girl that knows how to cause some serious pain. Come on Little Brother, I'll show you the future of flight so you can at least die impressed."

(oOO/Oo)

As soon as Ranma shut Rose One down and popped the canopy, she didn't even bother with the ladder, instead, flipping to the ground and landing lightly. Angrily, she began to stalk off in search of that arrogant little punk that had endangered her pilots. Before she could make it too far, the rest of the team was around her.

"Where are you going, Mom?" Ursula asked.

"I'm gonna find that little jackass and beat the hell out of him," Ranma snarled.

"Mom, just calm down," Natalia pleaded. "He's not worth it. Baby Bear and I are okay. We were surprised but that's all. No harm, no foul, Right?"

"Yeah, Mom, you don't need to end up in the brig for trashing a civilian," Ursula said. "Just let it go for now. When you are calmed down a little then you can give him a piece of your mind. Hell, we'll even go with you. But he seems to know Commander Fokker and the CAG might not appreciate you putting one of his old friends in the hospital."

"I guess you're right," Ranma said, deflating a bit. "But if the little punk runs his mouth, I make sure he's pissing blood for a week."

"Ata girl," Ursula said, smiling.

At that moment the SDF-1 began to move in a way that wasn't part of the events planned for the day. The bow portion of the massive ship began to separate into two sections as arcs of energy began to jump between the now fork-like projections of the bow.

"What the bloody hell?" Vicki asked in wonder as the energy began to intensify.

The small hairs on the girls' forearms began to raise as the energy peaked. Suddenly a blinding beam of hellfire stabbed out, carving a deep furrow through the mountains surrounding the plain where the SDF-1 and Macross City rested. The buildings in the path of the beam simply ceased to exist, vaporized like rice paper in a firestorm. The beam continued on until it shot up into the sky. When it was over, the SDF-1 had returned to its normal configuration.

"Oh my god," Marissa said in horror as they looked at the damage caused by the beam. The others nodded mutely.

The general quarters began to sound and people began running everywhere. It wasn't very long before ordinance people showed up and began to arm Wild Rose Squadron's planes. While they were working feverishly, the fuelers arrived to get them fueled up and maintenance gave them a quick once-over.

The Roses themselves had climbed back into the cockpits and began to listen to the Tac-net. It seemed that the aliens had come looking for the ship at long last. They were being invaded and every available fighter was being scrambled.

"Well, girls," Ranma addressed them. "This is it, the big one we all hoped would never come. I hope you remember your combat training after all the playing we've been doing lately."

"We're ready, Mom," Ursula said.

"I hope you're right, Baby Bear, I hope you're right," Ranma whispered.

"You're all set, Ma'am," a tech called up to Ranma as he stowed the telescoping ladder. "Good hunting, Godspeed."

"Thanks, you guys stay safe and keep your heads down," Ranma said as her canopy closed and she began to taxi.

The enemy had made it passed the orbital defenses and was now plowing atmosphere. Lisa gave them a vector as Wild Rose began to climb out.

"Ranma, please be careful," Lisa said to her over the squadron channel. "Please come back to me."

"Sure, Lisa, I'm not going anywhere," Ranma gave her a reassuring smile then turned her attention back to the Tac-net.

The lead squadrons had now sighted the enemy and chatter on the Tac-net picked up greatly. Ranma saw on her sensor display that there were nearly fifty ships coming on from orbit. She watched in horror as they began to deploy smaller fighters. The defenders were going to be greatly out numbered. Soon the battle was joined and Ranma's squadron charged into the thick of it.

Roy came over the Tac-net, ordering everyone to break formation and for the wingmen to stay together.

"Alright, Roses, you heard the CAG, break formation and good hunting," Ranma repeated as she and Banshee made a break turn, scattering.

She picked her target and launched a missile. The target exploded in a white hot conflagration. She didn't celebrate, however. There were still too many targets remaining. She and Banshee began a deadly dance through the battlefield, targets falling before her like wheat before the scythe. Ranma wasn't sure how many of the enemy she had destroyed. She had lost count at ten and suspected that she had taken out at least ten more. That's when she heard something that made her blood run cold.

"Oh dear God," she heard Ursula say over the squadron channel. It was followed by a burst of static.

"Baby Bear, NOOOO!" her wingman, Vicki yelled out.

"Baby Bear, what happened?" Ranma demanded, knowing with sick certainty that there would be no reply.

"She's...she's gone, Mom," Vicki reported, the anguish clear in her voice. "The bastards...she didn't have a chance to eject."

A red haze settle over Ranma's vision as Ranma gripped her grief firmly and channeled it, changing it into something more useful.

"Don't worry, Rose, we'll make them pay dearly for our loss," Ranma vowed.

Ranma became the angel of death, blasting through the enemy leaving a trail of fiery explosions and death in her wake. Soon her missiles were depleted and her gun pod spun on empty, but still she fought on using her only her laser cannons. Then the enemy began to fall back and they were ordered to break off.

"Rose Lead to Rose Squadron form up and return to the SDF-1 to rearm," Ranma ordered. She saw only four aircraft join her. "Who'd we lose?"

"I lost Siren," Marissa reported flatly. "I wasn't able to see if she was able to eject or not. Same with Huntress." Ursula wasn't mentioned as everyone knew what had happened.

"Roger," Ranma said. "Good work Roses. You stayed alive and we pushed the enemy back for now. I know it hurts, losing our own, but this is still a battle. Stay focused; make them pay for taking our comrades from us. There'll be time for grieving afterward. Understood?"

Ranma knew she had to say those things or the morale of her team would be very grim. She hoped that they could grab hold of their pain and control it, use it to motivate themselves to higher levels. She was gratified to hear a chorus of determined affirmations.

"Rose Lead, report, please," Lisa said over the Tac-net. The anxiety in her voice was palpable.

"Rose Lead reporting in," Ranma said. "We lost three and our ammo is depleted. We're returning now to rearm."

"Roger, Rose Lead," the relief in Lisa's response was just as clear as the worry had been. "We have reports of incoming enemy ground units. When you're rearmed, join with Skull and fill their holes. They are deploying to defend the streets in Macross City."

"Roger, Control," Ranma said.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma waited anxiously as the ordinance crews replenished her ammo and missiles. While she waited, she located Skull Squadron's position and relayed it to her team. The enemy hadn't gotten this far yet, but there were reports of heavy fighting from the destroid units sent to defend the beach.

As the ordinance team finished their work reports began to come in that the street fighting had begun. When the ground crew was clear, the five remaining Wild Rose planes leapt into the air and streaked toward the battle. As they neared their assigned area, preparing to join with Skull, a call came over the Tac-net.

"This is Sergeant Akane Tendo, in sector C," the female voice called out. The urgency in her voice was clear but suppressed. "My destroid team is down and I'm about to be over run. Request assistance."

"Negative, Sergeant," came another voice. "The fighting is heavy all over the city. We have no reserves to send you. Fall back and join with the unit in sector D."

"Negative," the marine destroid sergeant responded. "I've been cut off."

"Understood," the marine controller said. "Hold out as long as you can and we'll send help as soon as it's available. Godspeed, Sergeant."

"Okay, Wild Rose," Ranma said. "You go join with Skull. I'm going to see if I can help pull that marine out of there."

"Roger, Mom," Marissa said. "Good luck and watch your six."

"Always," Ranma said as she broke off and dropped into the streets, going to guardian mode.

Meanwhile Akane had been surrounded. She had four battlepods coming in from in front of her and three coming in from behind. Her Tomahawk was damaged but not severely. However, she knew she was going to die in the next thirty seconds. She resolved to take as many of them with her as possible.

She open fire on the four battle pods in front of her. Two of them erupted in flamed under her heavy barrage. Any joy she might have felt by this was short lived as two more replaced them, coming in from the rooftops. She continued to fire, idly wondering why she hadn't begun to take fire from the ones behind her. Another of the ones in front of her fell and she shifted to the next target. Suddenly a stream of fire came from behind her and took out the two pods next to the one she was currently pouring fire into. As it exploded, the street became eerily quiet. She turned to engage the battle pods behind her only to find them in heaps of flaming debris. A dark pink and white battloid strode through the flames and stood before her like some gallant knight.

"You requested assistance?" a female voice came over Akane's comm.

"Yeah, thanks, I thought I had bought it there for sure," Akane said. She grinned as she recognized her savior. "I guess you really are the 5-42 mechanized's guardian angel, huh, Dragon Lady?" The other girl gave a small chuckle.

"Come on, let's get you over to sector D," the Dragon Lady said. "I got you're back until then."

"Roger," Akane smiled as they moved out.

They were engaged several times as they moved to join the other units. Akane was amazed at the grace and efficiency of the Dragon Lady as she took out battlepods left and right. It almost looked like she was performing martial arts kata in her battloid. She was certain of it when she saw the pink and white mecha shatter the knee joint of a battlepod with a spin kick before caving in its carapace with a punch.

'Damn she's good,' Akane thought as they reached the destroid unit in sector D.

"Okay, Sergeant, you're all set," the Dragon Lady said. "I have to rejoin my unit. Good luck."

"You too and thanks for the save, Dragon Lady" Akane said as the battloid shifted to guardian mode and leaped into the air.

"Anytime," she heard as her savior disappeared over the rooftops.

(oOO/Oo)

As Ranma flew over the rooftops toward her unit, she saw the SDF1 begin to rise into the air. It was an impressive sight, but one she couldn't take the time to appreciate as she arrived at Skull and her unit's position.

"Skull Lead this is Rose Lead, where do you need me?" Ranma asked as she shifted to battloid mode and began scanning for targets.

"Rose Lead, join on Lt Commander Kramer's position and shore him up. His flight has taken some losses," Roy responded.

"Roger that Skull Lead," Ranma replied, moving to the indicated position. She had only just arrived when Lisa came over the Tac-net.

"All squadrons, break off and return to the SDF-1," she said. "I repeat, all Veritech squadrons break off and return to the SDF-1. We are going for orbit."

"Alright people, you heard the lady," Roy said. "Let's get'em in the air."

Five Rose aircraft and nine Skull aircraft rose up out of the city streets and streaked toward the SDF-1 which was currently at about 30,000 feet and rising. They were about to enter a landing approach when Roy came back over the comm.

"Rose and Skull flights, get back on board the ship," he said. "I have to go back. I left something down there I need to get."

Without waiting for a reply, Skull One broke formation and burned back toward the city. Ranma idly wondered what he had left behind that was that important, but shrugged, not having the time to contemplate it much as she quickly became absorbed with the complex landing procedure required to land her VF-1S in the docking bay of a moving vessel.

As soon as she climbed out of Rose One, she realized how exhausted she was now that the adrenaline was fading from her system. She shuffled to the locker room and began to peel off her sweat soaked flight suit, vaguely noting the other women were doing the same. Sitting for a moment in her sports bra and panties, she marshaled her energy to finish the process and enter the shower.

She felt a little better after the cool shower and she put on her fresh underwear and flight suit. She knew they weren't out of the woods yet and could be scrambled at any minute. Heading to the Ready Room, Ranma grabbed a sports drink and an energy bar to replace the electrolytes and protein she had burned in the battle. She also kept a firm grip on her emotions, knowing it wasn't quite time yet to deal with the darkness lurking there.

Once in the Ready Room she found out why Roy had returned as she monitored an exchange between him and Lisa. Apparently that little shit from the airshow had found his way into a Veritech during the fighting. He had, of course, been shot down and Roy had to retrieve him. Amazingly, somehow, Minmei was with him. This was all fine until the smartass insulted Lisa. The insult of the woman she cared deeply about and the lurking pain of loosing three of her pilots brought all her anger from the airshow back to the fore and magnified it. Ranma was seething and before she realized it, she was headed to the docking bay Roy had been assigned to land in.

(oOO/Oo)

Roy had just finished helping Minmei down from the cockpit section of the Veritech when Rick saw a hand appear on the front of his flight suit. He felt himself hoisted into the air and slammed painfully against the bulkhead. Looking down he met two blue-grey eyes, dark with fury and promise of pain. They were set in a pretty face under a head of fiery crimson hair. He idly noted that the petite, extremely attractive girl below him was holding him up off his feet with one arm, apparently, with no discernable effort and had cocked her fist back in preparation to strike him.

"I owe you some pain, you smart ass little punk," the girl growled. "First you endanger my pilots with your stupid stunt and then you insult my best friend. Does that smart mouth of yours have any last words before I fuck up that pretty boy face?"

"Ranma, please don't hurt him," Minmei said in alarm. "Please? He saved my life. Please don't hurt him."

Ranma's look softened a little as her eyes flicked over to the pleading girl. They hardened again when her eyes returned to Rick. She brought her fist forward, punching the bulkhead beside Rick's head, causing Minmei to squeal in fright. The clanging report was like a rifle shot and left Rick's ears ringing as the redhead dropped him. He looked up to the spot where she had punched and saw a dent in the armored metal bulkhead. He sweated as he met her eyes again.

"Minmei just saved your ass, you little prick," Ranma snarled. "But if you endanger anyone or insult my friends again, you'll be eating through a straw for a long time. Am I making myself clear, Asshole?"

Rick looked up at the dent again and then back down to the redhead. Fearfully, he nodded. The redhead spun on her heel and stalked out of the hanger bay.

"Scary," Rick breathed, glancing at the dent again. Minmei nodded emphatically.

"You owe Minmei one big time for that one, Little Brother," Roy chuckled. "That was the Dragon Lady, by the way. I'd stay well out of her way for a while if I was you and if you'd like to keep those teeth of yours, you might want to get some control of your mouth. That's a two inch thick armored bulkhead she just punched a dent into."
TBC

Chapter 11

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 11

February 2009...

When Ranma made it back to the Ready Room, she found a very subdued scene. The monitor in the room showed the area of space around the SDF-1 littered with debris.

"What happened?" Ranma asked Marissa as everyone stood around either looking at the screen with numb horror or looking at the floor in impotent rage and grief.

"It was our orbital fleet, Ma'am," Marissa said in a sad tone. "They were about to dock and...they were massacred. It was an enemy bombardment, heavy, devastating...they never had a chance." Ranma closed her eyes, reeling from the staggering loss of life.

Just then the SDF-1 shuddered as she began to plow atmosphere. General Quarters sounded over the PA and Claudia's voice followed it.

"All hand, All hands, prepare for Hyperspace Fold operation," Claudia announced, the stress evident in her voice. "This is not a drill, repeat this is not a drill. All hands to emergency stations and prepare for fold operation, T-minus 5 minutes and counting."

The pilots in the room burst into activity securing what could be secured and then securing themselves to the seats that were bolted to the deck by the seatbelts provided for the purpose. Nobody knew what to expect since the fold system had never been tested so they tried to be ready for anything.

As the SDF-1 descended through the atmosphere, the countdown worked its way down. Ranma could make out Macross Island growing larger on the monitor. Soon it was filling the screen as the countdown reached zero.

Outside the ship a blue sphere of energy expanded outward encompassing Macross Island, the ships anchored in the harbor and much of the surrounding ocean. Inside, Ranma saw the monitor wink out and things became surreal. Her vision blurred and distorted, changing colors and separating as if the various layers of light were being reflected at different speeds. Finally, there was a growing sense of vertigo that quickly peaked. As the vertigo began to fade, Ranma's vision began to resolve itself into some semblance of normal. Everything still had a red tint to it but she quickly realized that was from the emergency lighting.

Ranma shook her head to clear it as she heard more than a couple people retching. The monitor stayed off and people began to look around at each other wondering what had happened. They had no way to know if the fold had been successful or if it had been among the many other things that had gone haywire that day.

They didn't have long to wonder about it though, because the collision alarm sounded and Lisa's voice came over the PA.

"All hands brace for impact. All hands brace for impact," she said urgently and then began to count down.

When she reached zero, the SDF-1 shuddered violently and a resounding boom was heard. The motion of the ship changed from an imperceptible descent to a skittering lateral movement. When it stopped the PA burst to life again. "All Veritech fighters; scramble. We are under attack by enemy battle pods. All Veritechs scramble!"

Before the message ended Ranma was running for Rose One followed closely by the remains of Rose Squadron. They climbed into their Veritechs and began to power up. Shortly after that they launched and what they saw shocked them to the core. They appeared to be in space. The SDF-1 was resting on a macabre frozen Macross Island. The enemy battle pods that had remained on the island had formed up and were now swarming over the SDF-1.

There wasn't a lot of them, but still a significant amount. Ranma went to work, crushing a battle pod as she descended on it in guardian mode. Shifting to battloid mode, she took out two more in the space of as many seconds with precisely directed fire from her gun pod. She ran along the vast expanse of the wide flat bow of the SDF-1, spraying death from her autocannon and head lasers. By the time it was over she had added 7 more kills to her tally and the enemy was no more. Looking out over the prow of the SDF-1, it finally struck her, the magnitude of what she was seeing.

"Masaka," she whispered, praying that everyone had been in the shelters and that the shelters had held atmosphere in a way they were never designed to do. The two Navy carriers, the Daedalus and the Prometheus lay mired in a frozen sea. Ranma knew they had had a minimal crew on broad but those who had been, most likely hadn't faired well. She had to wonder if more people died due to enemy action or due to the colossal blunders their ignorance of the alien tech had caused.

(oOO/Oo)

At last some good news rolled in. The enemy was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't expected to last. Another bit of good news was that the shelters had held and the people that had made it to them were safe and being transported to the SDF-1. The best news for Rose Squadron was that Cassie and Tia had made it to the shelters after ejecting from their damaged VF-1's.

The crew and pilots of the SDF-1 were using the respite from the enemy to lick their wounds and assess the damage. Many of the Veritech Squadrons had been mauled severely. Most were now little larger in numbers than Rose Squadron. Rose Squadron itself had received commendations and proved itself a very effective combat unit, accounting for 20 percent of the enemy losses. Ranma had wracked up an astonishing 43 kills between the three separate actions. The other Rose pilots individually had some of the most impressive kill scores in the group.

(oOO/Oo)

March 2009...

"Commander Fokker, what can I do for you?" Bret Kingsley asked.

"Well, I just wanted to give you and your men these," Roy handed them each a shiny pair of Naval Astronaut's wings.

"Thanks," Brett said. "How are the Rose's? Did they pull through it okay?"

"They took one casualty," Roy informed them. "Ursula Kruger didn't make it. As for how they did, they had the best performance out of all of us. They really validated the reasoning we used to put them together."

"I'm sorry to hear about Ursula," Brett said sadly. "She was a great pilot and a solid officer. How are they taking it?"

"They're professionals," Roy said. "They are ready to do their duty. But it's hitting them pretty hard. I guess they got pretty close to each other. Ranma is taking it particularly hard. I remember how hard it was for me when I lost my first pilot. You always wonder if there was something you could have done differently."

"You have to get pretty close when flying on a demo team," Brett nodded sagely. "There's too much trust required to fly inches away from each other not to get close. Maybe I could talk to her."

"It couldn't hurt," Roy said. "I've tried a couple of times but it takes a lot to draw her out. She's very private about her inner feelings. Lisa and I have been so busy with the recovery and repairs that we haven't really had time to work on her. I know Lisa would especially appreciate anything you could do for her. She cares for Ranma a lot more than she's willing to admit and I know it's tearing her up that she hasn't had time to be there for her."

"Consider it done," Brett grinned.

"Which brings me to this," Roy said with a broad grin. "How would you boys like to graduate from those relics you fly to the VF-1?"

"You want us to join the RDF?" Brett asked, surprised.

"If you want," Roy said. "The simple fact is, we are in orbit around Pluto and it's going to be a long journey home, most likely a hard one too. We have aircraft and a means to replace them, but we are short on pilots. You'll have to go through the same flight school as everyone else, but I'll work it so you guys can stay together."

The Blues talked it over among themselves for a few minutes and Brett came back over to Roy.

"Okay, but we have a condition," he grinned.

"Oh?" Roy said raising an eyebrow.

"We keep our unit identity," Brett said.

"I think that can be arranged," Roy said. "I'll contact you when the time comes to start classes. Oh and if you can get Ranma straightened out, you might want to have her start teaching you her focusing techniques to help you with the Neural Link connection."

(oOO/Oo)

Brett entered the officer's lounge and scanned the room. He saw his target sitting by herself, staring out the large widow out into space. She looked very guarded and yet vulnerable as she sat with her knees pulled up under her chin and her arms hugging her legs. Classic body language of someone who was trying to hide what they were feeling from the outside world. Brett walked across the room and stood behind her.

"I know what you're thinking," he said gently. Ranma gave no response. "You're thinking you could have done it differently. You could have been there to protect her. You could have given different orders. You could have trained her better and she might still be here."

"But I didn't and now she's gone," Ranma said after a long pause.

"You're wrong, Ranma," Brett said. "It was a battle. It was her time to go. There wasn't anything you could have done to change that. She did her job and paid with her life to protect us all. Don't belittle that by punishing yourself for something you couldn't control."

"She was my friend," Ranma said plaintively. "I let her die." Ranma sniffed and wiped her hand under her eyes.

"Bullshit," Brett said harshly. "There's a difference between allowing something to happen and being powerless to stop it. Before you entered the engagement, did you know she was going to die?"

"No," Ranma whimpered.

"Did you choose not to help her?" Brett asked.

"You know I didn't," Ranma said. "I would have done anything to prevent what happened."

"Then it was something you couldn't control," Brett said. "That's the nature of battle. You know that. The only difference now is that you feel responsible for what happens to your people. I know how that feels. I've lost pilots under my command and it's never easy. The best thing you can do is press on and try to make their sacrifice count for something. Tell me honestly, would Ursula want you to be holed up beating yourself up for her?"

"No, I guess not," Ranma said, sniffling again. "She was the one that always helped to put things in perspective for me."

"It's okay to grieve, Ranma," Brett said softly. "It's okay to feel the pain of her loss. If you didn't, I would be seriously worried about you and your suitability to be an officer. Now, I know a time honored method that might help. Do you trust me?"

Ranma looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and he offered her his hand. After a minute she took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

(oOO/Oo)

It was funny really. The whole city of Macross was being reconstructed in the massive holds of the SDF-1. And in someone's infinite wisdom, one of the first places to be reestablished was O'Reilly's Pub, newly redesigned with a new, more spacious floor plan, and featuring imported booze flash frozen and imported all the way from Earth. The sign on the front said so.

Currently, elements of the 5-42nd Marine Mechanized Infantry (destroid) Battalion were performing a deep recon mission of the inside of said establishment. Being grunts, they considered it their sacred, if unofficial, duty to become intimately familiar with any watering holes in the region they were currently stationed in.

"This booze tastes funny, Major," one of them said to Russ Newton. He had made Captain right before the ill-fated Launch Day and out of respect to the tradition that there could only be one captain on a naval vessel, space or surface going, he had received a brevet to Major.

"I reckon it does, Lieutenant," Russ replied distractedly. "You probably would too if you were bloody frozen solid instantly and then thawed out again. Think of it as a novel experience, what?" The other man chuckled.

"It is that, yeah," he replied. "What are you lookin' at, Sir?"

"I'm not likin' the situation over there much," Russ said as he gestured with his head over to where their personal guardian angel sat with a fella. It was rare indeed to see her with a fella, but she appeared to be distraught and he appeared to be plying her with booze.

"Isn't that the Dragon Lady?" the lieutenant asked.

"Aye," Russ said.

"If you're worried maybe you ought to call in Warrant Tendo," the lieutenant suggested. "She's been lookin' for the opportunity to thank the Dragon Lady for pullin' her fat outa the fire back in Macross. You could kinda send her in under that pretense to find out what gives. It might throw a wrench in the guys plans too if he's tryin ta gett'er drunk and take advantage."

"That's not a bad idea," Russ chuckled. "Of course then we'd have to worry about Warrant Tendo finishing what he started. She thinks nobody has noticed how hungrily she looks at the Dragon Lady."

"Yeah, well, at least it'd be one of us and you could order Tendo to stand down," the lieutenant replied.

"Aye, you got a point there," Russ said as he got out his comm and dialed up the newly minted Warrant Officer Akane Tendo.

(oOO/Oo)

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Akane said as she tapped the cute little redhead on the shoulder. The girl turned and looked at her with wide bleary eyes.

"Ooooo, a you’re a cute one, ain'tcha," she giggled and turned back to the man beside her. "Commander Kingsley," she said in a drunken accusatory tone, "since when did they start makin' Marinesha so cute. And why wasn't I informed. This is a sherious break down in com...commoony...com-moony-cay-shuns!"

She managed to look serious for a couple of seconds before bursting into giggles. Akane blushed deeply. The man also laughed at the redhead's antics. As the laughter died down, the Dragon Lady looked back at the blushing Marine.

"Shorry," she said. "Brett, here, 'ees the CO of the famous Blue Angel's by the way, is tryin' ta take m'mind offa my incompetence as a Commnadin' offisher by getting me, as Vicki would shay, pished drunk. You shee, I let my XO go and get hershelf killed and the treatment for that ish apparently generous application of copious amounts of firewater." The redhead tossed back another shot of whiskey, which the man immediately filled up again.

"Oh," Akane said. "Well, I saw you here and I wanted to come over and thank you for saving my life in the street fighting that day before the fold. Thank you. I would have died if it hadn't been for you."

Ranma looked at her for a minute...and shattered. Suddenly, Akane had her arms full of the Dragon Lady as the girl sobbed her heart out. Akane looked up at the man in confusion. He smiled at her reassuringly.

"Been waitin' for this to happen," he explained. "She's been keeping it all bottled up inside, beating herself up about losing her first pilot under her command. I was starting to wonder if I was going to be able to keep up with her long enough for the booze to do its work. Thank god you came along. She needs to be reminded of the good she's done."

Akane looked over her shoulder at the other Marines and gestured with her head. They rose and approached the table.

"Mind if we join ya?" Russ said as he arrived at the table.

"Be my guest," the man said.

"What's goin' on here?" the Aussie asked, glancing at the still sobbing and incoherent redhead in Akane's arms. The man introduced himself and explained what he had just told Akane. "Chrikey, that's a bloody hard thing. 'Ere and I thought you were tryin' ta take advantage of our guardian angel. Sorry 'bout that, mate. We try to look out for her since none of us would be 'ere if it wasn't for 'er."

"No problem," Kingsley grinned. "It's good to know she has people that look out for her. I suspect she has more friends than she thinks she does."

"I known 'er since I was a second luey," Russ smiled fondly. "She's the best damn martial artist I've ever scene. 'Ell on wheels, that one. Bloody fine aviator, too. 'Owd you meet 'er?"

"I helped to train her and her squadron for their flight demonstrations," Kingsley said. "I gained a lot of respect for her and her abilities."

"She 'as that effect on people," Russ chuckled fondly. He looked over to see the redhead was winding down, still being held by Akane. "Tendo, it's your job to look after our Dragon Lady tonight. Make sure you stay with 'er until she sleeps it off. Don't want 'er chokin' ta death on us now do we?"

"My pleasure, Sir," Akane said with a small smile.

"I'm sure it will be," Russ chuckled.

(oOO/Oo)

"Are you sure this is okay, Sir?" Warrant Officer Akane Tendo asked as she carried the sleeping Ranma along behind Commander Kingsley as he led her to Ranma's quarters. "I mean this is officer country."

"I'm sure everyone will understand," Kingsley chuckled. "Ah, here we are." He took out the key card they had coaxed from Ranma while she was in a semi-conscious state and unlocked the door.

"Um, sir, this is the First Officer's quarters," Akane said nervously.

"Yeah, it is," Kingsley said. "She's been staying with Commander Hayes until they managed to come up with permanent quarters assignments. Although, I suspect Commander Hayes and Ranma's friends wanted to keep her close by while Ranma was dealing with the loss of her XO."

"I see, Sir," Akane said with a trace of disappointment. "Are you sure I'm not going to get in trouble for this?"

"Everything will be fine," Kingsley assured her. "You just have to stay with her until she wakes up or Commander Hayes returns. Now go on in there and put her to bed."

"Aye aye, Sir," Akane said and entered the cabin. Kingsley shut the door behind her and left.

'So this is how the brass lives,' Akane thought as she looked around the spacious cabin. "Nice."

Quickly locating the bedroom, she laid Ranma on the queen-sized bed. Thinking for a moment, she reached down and began to take Ranma's clothing off, leaving her in her sports bra and panties. Akane's eyes traveled hungrily over the lithe redhead's well-endowed form before she sighed wistfully.

Pulling a wastebasket near the bed in case it was needed, Akane pulled back the covers of the bed and picked up the smaller girl again. She leaned down to place her in on the sheets but when she went to let go and stand up, the girl grabbed her, nearly causing her to fall into the bed.

""sa...h'ld me..." she mumbled in her sleep.

The redhead's grip was like steel. Akane could have broken it, but she didn't want to hurt the girl. Instead, she laid down on the bed beside her, kicking her shoes off. Ranma snuggled up to her and held her tightly with her head on Akane's shoulder. Sighing, Akane stroked the red hair and placed her other arm on top of the Ranma's.

'This is going to look bad,' Akane thought to herself as her eyes traced the curvy redhead's flanks, down along her narrow waist to her full round hips, lingering on the swell of her bottom and then continuing down her sleek muscular legs before making the return journey.

She had dreams of this moment ever since that Thanksgiving party. The little redheaded bombshell had made quite a strong impression on Akane and while her dreams left her panting, this situation was pure torture for the midnight-blue haired girl. She wanted to do far more than just hold the girl while she slept. But she couldn't because...

"Lisa...love you...so much," the girl mumbled in her sleep.

Torture. It was pure torture.

(oOO/Oo)

"Who the hell are you and what the hell do you think you're doing?" an angry voice yelled, startling Akane out of at least five years of life.

Akane didn't know how long she had lain there with the delectable redhead snuggled up to her. It seemed like forever and she had resisted her impulses the whole time. She almost laughed at the irony. She had just succumbed to her desire and had tentatively begun to stroke the sleek smooth skin of the thigh that was thrown across her hips. She hadn't been at it for two minutes before the interruption.

Now all she could think was, 'Oh crap, oh crap, Major Newton's gonna kill me...if the furious brunette Valkyrie glaring death at me doesn't have me tossed out an airlock first.'

Akane immediately leaped out of the redhead's grip which had relaxed.

"It...it's not what you think, Ma'am!" Akane denied. "I can explain, really."

"Oh so you can explain why you are in my bed with my...with Ranma, and why Ranma is nearly naked?" Commander Hayes demanded.

"Yes, Ma'am," Akane insisted fearfully. "You see, ma'am, it was Commander Kingsley...he took her out and got her really fuck...I mean wasted...I mean drunk to help her let out all the feelings she was burying over the death of her XO. The 5-42nd...well...we try to look out for her and Major Newton sent me over to make sure she wasn't being taken advantage of. When I thanked her for saving my life in the street fighting, I guess the dam burst and it all came out. She cried herself to sleep and the Major told me to stay with her on drunk watch to make sure she didn't choke or something. Commander Kingsley brought us back here. I took off her clothes and was putting her to bed and...well...I guess she thought I was you because she grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go so I had to lay there with her cuddled up to me. Nothing happened, Ma'am, I promise." Akane finished and took a breath.

"I see," Commander Hayes said, clearly still angry. "So I didn't see you with you hand stroking her thigh then?"

"I..." Akane blushed deeply. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I didn't mean too...I tried to resist. She's just so...it was torturous, Ma'am." Akane looked at the floor. The brunette sighed.

"She is irresistible, isn't she?" Commander Hayes said. "I guess I can't blame you that much."

"Can I go now, Ma'am?" Akane asked, wanting to get out of there before the Commander reconsidered having her thrown out an airlock without a p-suit.

"Yes, of course," the taller woman said. Akane slipped her shoes on and moved toward the door. She was stopped by a hand on her arm as she brushed past the Commander. "Thanks for watching over her. Just remember, it's not considered very good taste to poach on another woman's territory."

"Yes, Ma'am," Akane said. "That wasn't my intent, Ma'am."

"Then I won't hold it against you," the brunette said.

As soon as she released Akane, Akane was out the door, thanking the gods she made it out alive. She was almost back to her quarters when she grinned at the memory of the redhead snuggled up tightly against her and the feel of her silky skin under her fingertips. Those memories would definitely feature strongly in her dreams later.

(oOO/Oo)

Lisa peeled her uniform off and sighed. She looked at the still sleeping Ranma curled up in a tight ball on the bed. Clad only in a t-shirt and panties, she laid down on the bed beside Ranma. The smaller girl, sensing the warm of her body immediately snuggled up to her. Lisa had no need to resist her urges and began to stroke Ranma's body tenderly.

'What am I going to do with you?' Lisa thought fondly. 'I sounded too possessive with that girl. Do I really consider you mine exclusively? Is that fair of me when you have to share me with the memory of Karl? What is it about you that inspires people to be close to you?' Lisa leaned down and kissed Ranma on the forehead. "I love you, sweetie," she said.

Ranma whimpered a little and pulled Lisa to her more tightly.

(oOO/Oo)

"What's going on, Mom," Marissa asked as Ranma came in the briefing room. "I didn't think we were scheduled for duty for another few hours yet."

"We're not," Ranma replied. "I have something to show you, but first I want to know how you all are holding up."

"We're doing okay, Mom," Marissa spoke for the others. "We miss her but we're ready to do our job. We're ready to make the bastards pay."

"Good, because we ARE going to make the bastards pay dearly for our blood," Ranma said with conviction. "You'll be happy to know that we've been made a front line squadron now. Wild Rose Squadron, as we are now officially known, accounted for a higher percentage of enemy losses than any other squadron, including Skull. Each of you has proven yourselves and has validated the reasons we were put together. I'm very proud of you all."

"Ah, Mom, thanks," Natalia said. "We're very proud of you too. We couldn't have done it without you." There was a chorus of agreement from the others.

"That means a lot to me," Ranma said, her eyes glistening as she gave them a quick smile. "Thank you."

"What did you want to show us, Mom," Marissa asked.

"Well, come with me and I'll show you," Ranma said.

She lead the others to the hanger bay where the Wild Rose aircraft were kept. The Roses entered the bay and immediately noticed something different. Their VF-1's were lined up, four on one side and four on the other, and each now sported black vertical stabs. The dark pink tips were still there, as was the rose graphic on the outboard sides and everything else was still the same.

One other thing had been added though. Below and to the aft of the bloom on the tails were small gold letters in flowing script. The beautiful script read "Baby Bear".

"It's a tribute," Ranma explained.

The Roses were all touched and choked up. They gathered around Ranma and hugged each other in a group hug. All of them, including Ranma, stood there for quite some time in their mutual embrace and cried for the loss of their comrade and friend.

"Thanks, Mom," Marissa said when they finally broke. "It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you all approve," Ranma said. "But I'm telling you now, I don't want to have to put anymore of my 'daughters' up there so you guys better stay alive, got it?"

"Yes Mom," they said simultaneously.

"Good girls," Ranma said fondly and received a hug from each of them.

TBC

Chapter 12

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 12

March 2009...

Ranma was on her feet and running the instant General Quarters sounded. She reached the locker room several steps ahead of the rest of her squadron and began to hastily shuck off her uniform down to bra and panties. She quickly pulled on her rose and white Lycra/Kevlar reinforced form fitting flight suit. Not only did it provide protection against shrapnel that might enter her cockpit, it was also capable of acting as an emergency p-suit should her cockpit be breeched. One thing it failed utterly to protect against was the display of how exceptionally well formed her female body was. Securing the closures, she grabbed her helmet and ran for Wild Rose One.

Due to the lack of replacement pilots, they had restructured the squadron slightly. Alpha flight was now three aircraft, consisting of Ranma, Natalia, and Erin. Natalia and Erin would fly wing for each other, letting Ranma use all of their potential without having to wait for a wingman to catch up. Bravo flight was composed of Marissa as flight leader followed by Tia, Vicki, and Cassie. The Roses quickly climbed into their Veritechs and began powering up.

With the canopy sealed and the cockpit pressurized, Alpha flight was brought out to the elevator. They queued up to get on the Prometheus's bow cats just behind the last of Skull. The new pilots with no carrier experience were being launched from the SDF-1 while the experienced naval pilots had been assigned to launch off the Promy.

The last of Skull's planes launched and Ranma followed the Cat Officer, Moira Flynn's directions as she staged on the cat. Beside her, Natalia and Erin were also being staged for launch. Lieutenant Flynn and her team hooked Ranma's Veritech to the cat and made a quick inspection. The blast deflectors came up and Ranma gave a thumbs up to Flynn's signaled inquiry and grabbed the 'oh shit' handle on the glare shield while opening the throttles wide.

Flynn saluted her and went to one knee, giving the signal to launch. Ranma was thrust back onto her seat as she went from a stand still to a couple hundred knots in less than five hundred feet. As she cleared the launch zone, Ranma slowed to allow the rest of her flight to join her. As soon as they were formed up, she turned toward the battle that was just beginning.

As she did she caught sight of the biggest furball she'd ever imagined. She new it was ugly from the panicked transmissions on the Tac-net, but the reality was worse. Chaos reigned supreme as she led her flight into the middle of it.

"Ice, Banshee, cover each other," Ranma commanded. "This is ugly and we're going to have to bump it up a notch."

In truth the enemy seemed better out here in space than they had in the atmosphere. Battle pods seemed to be everywhere as did Veritechs. Missiles and tracers were so thick Ranma thought she could have gotten out and walked across them. Explosions were eerily silent in the depths of space, but the screams of the dying on the Tac-net more than made up for it.

"All right, let's dance," Ranma said as she jinked out of the way of the energy bolt from a battle pod.

The pod quickly blossomed into a ball of burning gas as Ranma struck it with four of her laser cannon. She wasted no time acquiring another target and spearing it with a short-range missile. Wild Rose One swirled through the chaotic dogfight like a pretty grim reaper. Using abrupt 12+ G direction changes she appeared to bounce around the battlefield leaving blossoms of flaming gases and shrapnel in her wake.

Suddenly her danger sense tingled a warning to her.

"Everyone, break off, break off," she yelled into the Tac-net. "We've got heavy incoming fire from the larger ship."

Veritechs scattered but some weren't quick enough. They died as the nearly solid stream of fire came in from the large enemy vessel. The insane thing was a large number of the enemy battle pods disintegrated, cut down by their own fire. The dogfight continued out of the line of fire, but slowly the Earth forces were coming out on top.

Unfortunately, the SDF-1 was taking a pounding. Ranma was contemplating making an attack run on the larger ship when something strange began to happen. The SDF-1 began to move and change shape. When it finished it stood like a massive mile tall battloid. The booms of the main gun stood high above the shoulders and the salvaged naval carriers formed its arms.

Once the transformation was over the twin booms of the main gun leveled themselves at the large enemy ship. Energy began to swirl and arc between them as the gun charged. Finally the gun unleashed a torrent of death that consumed the enemy ship like wet rice paper in a hurricane.

"Whoa," Ranma breathed at the awesome power she'd just seen. She didn't dwell on it though. She quickly turned back to mopping up the remaining enemy battle pods.

The battle didn't last long after that. Ranma was very thankful that Wild Rose didn't lose anyone this time. Indeed, they had once again out performed other squadrons, accounting for more enemy losses than any other unit save for the enemy themselves with the barrage they fired through their own forces on the SDF-1.

(oOO/Oo)

Inside the SDF-1, human (both military and civilian) morale took another grievous blow. The newly reconstructed Macross City had been decimated by the modular transformation. Buildings lay crushed and tumbled as their owners sifted through them for their meager possessions. It was fortunate that civilian casualties were light. Nobody had died but there were injuries.

The same could not be said for the crew. Many had paid the final price in defense of the SDF-1 as the bombardment came in and opened compartments to vacuum, or destroyed their battle stations outright. Brave Damage Control crews succumbed when they became trapped in compartments with fires burning out of control or in areas where the enemy bombardment continued to pour in as they worked to keep the ship in the fight.

The horrors of war had returned to the people of Earth, of this there was no doubt.

Still, the human spirit remained strong as those that had previously been reluctant to join the ranks of the defenders flocked to sign up. One of those had been Rick Hunter. The young man had finally had to face the fact that his opinion of the military, ingrained in him by his father, was, in this case, completely wrong. Peace was a wonderful concept, but when faced with an enemy that cared not for peace, sometimes you have to fight, and kill, to protect those you care about.

(oOO/Oo)

May 2009...

"Lisa," Ranma growled warningly.

"Oh, come on Ranma," Lisa said. "I'm not going to push you to try anything on. We're just looking. That doesn't mean I won't make some suggestions that I'd like to see you in, though." Lisa waggled her eyebrows and grinned suggestively.

"Oh, is that so?" Ranma said, blushing.

"Uh huh," Lisa grinned. "Besides, you deserve something nice to wear tonight when we celebrate you promotion to Lt. Commander." Lisa grabbed Ranma's hand and started for the boutique.

"I don't know what shocks me more," Sammy said to the other members of the terrible trio. "Commander Hayes flirting like a teenager, or who she's flirting with."

"I think they make an adorable couple," Vanessa giggled.

"Yes, and Lisa is so much easier to get along with when Ranma is keeping her, um, satisfied," Kim said suggestively. The three dissolved into giggles as they followed the pair in question into the boutique.

Inside, Lisa and Ranma were looking at the lingerie selection. Lisa picked up a pair of white satin and lace high cut panties.

"These are cute, don't you think, Ranma," Lisa said holding them up.

"Um, yeah," Ranma said, imagining them on Lisa. "Very cute."

Lisa blushed a little and began to look at the table for a matching bra. It was then that she noticed a head pop out from under the table between Ranma's legs. The head slowly turned to look up Ranma's uniform skirt.

"See anything you like PERVERT?" Lisa snarled.

The man's eyes got wide as saucers as he got a good view of Ranma's panties and a small trickle of blood began to seep from his nose. Lisa's angry question caused Ranma to look down.

"Eeep!" Ranma squeaked as she leaped back. As she did, she got a view of the pervert. "Well, if it isn't Ensign Rick 'Head'. You mean I haven't beaten on the thick head of yours enough in basic, Rickhead? You have to go out of your way for more?"

She reached down and snatched Rick from under the table, hoisting him up by the front of his uniform.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Rick chanted. "It's not what it looks like, I swear."

"It looks to me like you were looking up Ranma's skirt and enjoying the view, Pervert," Lisa said.

"Yeah, look at the pervert's nose bleed," Vanessa said, glaring at the hapless flier.

"Sure sign of a pervert," Kim chimed in, also glaring in female indignation.

"Humph, lecher," Sammy added.

Ranma took Rick, still being held off the ground, and walked toward the door.

"Since you have enough time to be out molesting innocent women, I guess you won't mind being on head cleaning duty for the next month to keep you occupied," Ranma informed him. When she got to the door she drop kicked him in the family jewels. Rick landed on his head across the street, his hands in warding gestures. "And stay out, Rickhead no Hentai!"

Ranma when back over to Lisa, who grabbed her hand possessively.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Who was that?"

"I'm fine," Ranma giggled. "You remember that civilian pilot that Roy brought on board?"

"The one that called me an..." Lisa started.

"That's the one," Ranma interrupted.

"Why that no good slimy bastard," Lisa fumed. "First he insults me and then he looks up my wo...er your skirt. I'll have him on every shit detail that comes down the pike, I can promise you that!" Ranma blushed, catching Lisa's slip. The terrible trio giggled.

"Well, Rick, what do you think?" Minmei called out, coming out of the dressing room in a very pretty dress.

"He had to leave, Sweetie," Lisa said.

"Yeah he had a nose bleed," Kim added.

"And I think he said something about abdominal pain too," Sammy offered.

"Oh," Minmei said, looking concerned. "I hope he's okay." She looked at Ranma and Lisa and brightened. "Well, since Rick's not here, do you like this dress?" She twirled around to show them.

"It's very pretty, Minmei," Lisa said, smiling.

"Yeah, too good for that hentai," Ranma muttered.

(oOO/Oo)

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Ranma asked, entering Roy's office.

"Yeah, I got some news for you," Roy said. "Your buddies, the Blue Angels are ready for flight status. They're, not surprisingly, solid pilots. Not as good as Wild Rose, but then you girls do have an advantage there. Anyway, since your Squadron is under strength, I'll having them fly with you until they get some combat time in with the Veritechs. When you go on patrol, I want a flight of Wild Roses and a flight of Blues paired up. Get with Commander Kingsley and the two of you work out who is with whom."

"Aye aye, Sir," Ranma replied. "Was that it?"

"No," Roy said. "I got a request from Dr. Lang. He wants you to work with him on some R&D projects to try to improve the Neural Link. He mentioned something about testing new weapons systems as well."

"Okay, sure, anything else?" Ranma inquired.

"Well, as a personal request, I don't suppose you'd consider lightening up on the kid would you?" Roy asked tiredly.

"You mean Rick-head?" Ranma asked. "He brings it on himself."

"He's a good kid, Ranma," Roy argued. "He's a little full of himself, but then aren't we all? You might actually like him if you give him a chance."

"Yeah, that, and if he kept his big trap shut," Ranma laughed.

"Just consider it, Ranma," Roy sighed. "He'll be almost as good as me someday once he has a little seasoning. Between you and Lisa, the only seasoning he's getting is how to clean the heads."

"A nice humble position for him, don't you think, Sir?" Ranma smirked. Roy snorted. "Look, Roy, I know he's your old pal and all and I can't speak for Lisa, but I'll cut him some slack. Not that it will do him any good. I think he's firmly on Lisa's shit list, especially after he looked up my skirt. That really pissed her off for some reason."

"I heard she's been a bit territorial concerning you recently," Roy chuckled.

"I noticed," Ranma laughed. "I just hope she's not causing herself problems. The only way she could be more blatant would be to piss on my leg."

"I told you, didn't I?" Roy grinned. "She's way too smart to let a good thing get away from her." Ranma blushed.

"Roy, I'm not such a good thing," Ranma protested. "I come with some serious issues. I don't see what she sees in me that makes it worth the risks for her."

"You don't have to," Roy smiled. "It's part of your charm."

"Where's the shovel?" Ranma quipped. "It's getting deep in here." Roy laughed.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma went through her advanced kata smoothly and gracefully. Her kicks, punches, chops and blocks were done with power and precision that made even the most advanced martial artists green with envy. She was used to having an audience when she practiced her art and today was no exception. She held her finishing position, her leg extended straight up, for ten controlled breaths before relaxing. She saw the midnight-blue haired girl, that had been watching her intently, approach.

"Hello, Ma'am," the girl said. "I don't know if you remember me as you were pretty smashed when we met, but I'm Akane Tendo."

"Hi Akane," Ranma smiled. "I remember. Sorry 'bout that. I was pretty out of it I guess."

"It's okay, Ma'am," Akane smiled. "I was glad to be there for you. After all, I do owe you my life."

"And I owe you for a very good quick explanation," Ranma giggled. "I heard all about what happened while I was passed out." Akane blushed guiltily. "Thanks for smoothing things over with Lisa. That could have been a bad thing for everyone if you hadn't said the right things."

"She's very fond of you, Ma'am," Akane said carefully.

"Please, call me Ranma here. I tend to leave rank at the door while practicing the art," Ranma said.

"Okay, Ranma," Akane smiled. "Would you mind if I asked what style you practice?"

"I practice an obscure family style called Anything Goes," Ranma answered, not seeing Akane's eyes widen in surprise. "It's really not a style though. It's basically a blend of a lot of other arts. The individual practitioner develops their own personal style based on the unique blend of techniques that they customize to suit them."

"Y...you're related to Genma Saotome, aren't you?" Akane asked. Now it was Ranma's turn to be startled out of a few years of life.

"I...I...might be," Ranma said carefully. "Not that I would claim him if I was. What did he do to you? Disgraceful buffoon..." Ranma muttered the last part.

"Nothing," Akane said. "He came to stay with us for a while. He was my father's friend. They trained together under the same master in the Anything Goes Style. They were planning on joining our families through marriage to Genma's son, but Genma said his son betrayed him. According to him, while in China, his son framed him for something and ran off while he was in the custody of the locals. I'm just glad they couldn't find him. I would have hated for my sisters or I to get stuck in some arranged marriage with a boy that would sell out his own father."

"It wasn't like that," Ranma growled.

"Oh? You know Genma's son? Is he your brother or something?" Akane asked.

"Or something," Ranma nodded. "Akane, let me tell you some things about Genma. He's a lying manipulative thief who would and did sell out his own flesh and blood if he thought it would be to his benefit. The man had no concept of honor and was a cowardly bastard that tried to dump all his problems off on his son. His son never framed him. He just refused to accept responsibility for the old man's actions and let the bastard deal with his own problems for a change. His son had to get away from the prick before Genma completely destroyed his life...any more so than he had already done."

"How do you know?" Akane asked. "Come to think of it, why do you have the same name as your brother?"

"Make no mistake, Akane, the man is an abusive piece of filth that will do or say anything to further his goals, usually those being to fill his fat stomach or to make himself look good," Ranma said. Ranma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Look, I don't want to talk about it. I despise that man and if I never see him again for the rest of my life, I'll be thankful. So I take that to mean that you practice Anything Goes as well?"

"Yeah, I was the best martial artist in Nerima," Akane said proudly. "You wanna spar?"

"Sure, why not?" Ranma smirked.

Akane's answering smirk vanished soon after the match started. She couldn't lay a finger on the agile little redhead and Ranma seemed to be able to penetrate her defenses at will. She wasn't used to being outclassed and it annoyed her greatly. In the past, she would have taken a dislike to the girl that was so easily beating her, but respect for the Dragon Lady, age, and combat experience as well as her own family betrayal had taught her some degree of humility. An hour later when they called a halt, Akane was bruised and out of breath, sweating heavily. She bowed to her opponent.

"Ranma, w...would you t...train me?" she asked clearly uncomfortable making the request. Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Akane, if I train you, I won't go easy on you," Ranma said finally. "It'll seem very harsh. I will have to be blunt about where you need to improve and you will have to accept that. You may not like me very much if I train you. Do you still want to do it?"

"Y...yes," Akane said meekly.

"You got yourself a sensei then," Ranma said. "I have to tell you, while you are better than most people on this ship, you have some very bad habits that will be hard to break. Didn't your dad tell you what you were doing wrong?"

"My father," Akane spat the title like it was something foul on her tongue, "stopped training me ten years ago. I mostly trained myself."

"I see," Ranma said. "That would explain why you're not far enough advanced to have begun to use the true concept of the Anything Goes Style."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Akane said, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Simply that you haven't learned enough styles to have developed you own personal style," Ranma said. "Once you learn enough to do that, you'll be much less predictable. You use what, two, maybe three styles? And the main one is Kenpo. Also all of your styles are hard styles. You need to learn some soft styles to balance them out and give yourself some more options. The more weapons in your arsenal, the tougher you'll be to beat."

"Hai, Sensei," Akane said, realizing just how badly her father had betrayed her.

"Good, now we're done for today," Ranma said. "I have flight duty later and I need to go grab some lunch before then."

"Okay," Akane said. "How about I buy you lunch? As a way to say thanks for saving my life and agreeing to train me."

"You're on," Ranma grinned at her new disciple. "Let's hit the showers, Teishi."

(oOO/Oo)

"So what's you're story, Akane?" Ranma asked over lunch. "I sensed a little hostility concerning your father earlier."

"We had a falling out," Akane explained. "It all started in high school. There was this upperclassman that had a thing for me. He was a real nut job, completely insane, but his family was rich so nobody said anything. If he didn't like reality he just rewrote it in his head to suit him. When I wasn't interested in him, he came up with this idea that I would only date someone that could defeat me in battle. So each day I had to fight my way through 30 to 50 boys to get to class. Thankfully, I never lost."

"Man, that's gotta suck," Ranma said. "It does explain some of you habits though. You are probably better fighting a large group than one on one. Please go on."

"It did suck," Akane continued. "I was never interested in boys in the first place and I was terrified of what might happen if one of them beat me. After all, they had already proven I couldn't stop them if they wanted to...take liberties and they had also proven that they weren't above using force to get a girl. I lived in fear everyday because of that one asshole upperclassmen. I hated him with all my being. I was so glad when he graduated and was looking forward to a more relaxed senior year."

"But that wasn't the last of him, huh?" Ranma asked.

"No, it wasn't," Akane said. "My senior year was more relaxed. With out that jerk there to goad them the Hentai Horde, as they were known, became smaller but didn't ever go away but they tended to leave me alone after the morning attack. My father and Genma gave up on finding his son and I thought things were looking pretty good. I couldn't have been more wrong."

"What happened?" Ranma asked sympathetically.

"I had just graduated and there was to be a party at the dojo in honor of my graduation," Akane growled. "My no good betraying father had other plans though. When I got to the party, I found out that my father had turned it into an engagement party. He had accepted a large amount of money and engaged me to that fucking psycho upperclassman.

"I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe my own father would betray me like this, engaging me to my worst nightmare. I beat Kuno, the lunatic, to a bloody pulp and nearly started in on my father. He started babbling about honor and how I had to marry the prick for the sake of the family and I just couldn't take it."

"What did you do?" Ranma asked.

"I went up stairs and packed a few things and left," Akane said. "I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do, but I knew I just had to get out of there. I felt so lost. This was so far outside my plans for the future. Anyway, I ended up staying with my sister for a few weeks at her apartment near the college she was going to. Finally, I joined the UNEDF Marine Corps. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Man, I'm sorry, Akane," Ranma said sympathetically. "I guess you understand a little bit about how Genma's son felt when he left Genma behind."

"Oh and how do you know?" Akane asked.

"Genma's son and I are close, Akane," Ranma said enigmatically. "Closer than you can imagine, and we tell each other everything."

"Oh," Akane said. "So Genma really did things like that to his son?"

"That and worse," Ranma said emphatically. "Akane, I have a question for you."

"Go on," the midnight blue haired girl prompted.

"Well, you're a martial artist, and well, while not quite to my level, you're a pretty good one," Ranma said. "Have you considered joining the Air Wing flying Veritechs?"

"Not really," Akane said. "I'm a Marine destroid pilot. I never really thought about flying. Why?"

"Because I think you would be a good Veritech pilot," Ranma explained. "You might be nearly as good as I am, since I owe my abilities to my martial arts skill. I could tell that you're advanced enough in the art to be augmenting you strength with your ki. Because of this I think you could take G-loading nearly as good as I can and, because you can control you're ki, you would probably score a high neural link percentage. I would like you to be a part of Wild Rose. If you're interested, I can make it happen."

"Wow, I don't know what to say," Akane said. "I'm honored that you think so highly of me. Can I think about it?" Ranma grinned.

"What's to think about?" Ranma said. "You'd be an officer instead of enlisted. You'd draw a lot more pay. You'd get to fly with the best squadron in the RDF. What more could you ask for?" Akane laughed.

"I have to admit you do make it sound tempting," Akane smiled. "You know what? Okay, I'll do it."

"Yatta!" Ranma smiled.

(oOO/Oo)

Wild Rose Alpha and Blue Angel Bravo flights sat in the Wild Rose ready room. The enemy was currently staging one of their harassing attacks that had been coming in since the last major battle where the SDF-1 had transformed. They were keeping their ships out of main gun range but they were still sending in battle pods from time to time. Currently, this was one of those times and Ranma's two flights were currently on standby incase they were needed.

"Wild Rose Alpha, Blue Angel Bravo, you are needed on the cats immediately," the call came over the PA.

Ranma was off with her team in tow. They were already in their flight suits and ready to go so they were headed toward the hanger. At that moment, the ship was struck by an out of control battle pod. The impact and resulting explosion caused the ship to pitch violently. This caused a jeep traveling down the corridor to careen out of control and slam into a high-pressure steam line across the hall from Ranma.

Ranma screamed as the extremely hot water vapor engulfed her, picking her up and slamming her into the bulkhead. The rest of her team had managed to check up before they got seared with the steam as well, so they were standing right there when it happened.

"What the hell?" someone asked as they all witnessed Ranma's body expand, stretching the flight suit to its limits, and her hair turn from flame red to jet black. The female body that bounced off the wall landed in front of them was now clearly male. The Roses and Blues would have thought they hadn't seen what they thought they did except for one rather telling factor. The man in front of them was wearing a pink and white Wild Rose flight suit with the name Saotome displayed on it.

The medical teams were arriving and the stunned pilots realized they still had a job to do so they rushed off, putting what had happened out of their minds for now.

(oOO/Oo)

"Skull Lead to all squadrons," Roy said over the Tac-net, "that's the last of them, let's go home." The various squadrons formed up and they headed back to the SDF-1. "Wild Rose Leader, where's the Dragon Lady?"

"I...um..." Natalia stammered. "I don't know, Skull Leader. We were on the way to the hanger bay when the ship was rocked. The Dragon Lady was hit with high-pressure steam when a pipe ruptured. Um...she was hit with the jet of steam and I don't know what happened after that. When the steam was turned off there were just the driver of the jeep the struck the pipe and another man there." Damned if she was going to say something as insane as she had seen Ranma change into a man across the Tac-net.

"I'm sorry, did you say steam?" Roy demanded with a sinking feeling. "As in really hot water?"

"Roger Skull Lead, that's what I said," Natalia confirmed.

"Did you see anything...well...strange?" Roy asked.

'He knows,' Natalia thought to herself incredulously. "I might have, Skull Lead, but it was pretty steamy in there so it was rather hard to see," Natalia lied.

"Judas Priest," Roy muttered. Time for some damage control. "Okay, Wild Rose and Blue Angles squadrons, report to your ready room as soon as we are back aboard. Stay there until I arrive, understood?"

"Roger, Skull Lead," Natalia said.

(oOO/Oo)

As soon as Roy brought Skull One to a stop he shut it down, ignoring the checklist, and was out of the cockpit running for the sickbay. He burst into the anteroom and grabbed the first med tech he saw.

"Where is Lt. Commander Saotome? I must see her," he demanded.

"I'm sorry, Sir, we don't have a Lt. Commander Saotome here," the man said.

"You don't?" Roy asked in surprise. "Are you sure? She was caught in a steam pipe rupture. She would have been burned."

"They only two burn victims we have are both men," the tech replied.

"Show me," Roy ordered.

The med tech shrugged and led Roy to the two men. Sure enough, one of them was Ranma in male form. He was unconscious and had a bandage on one side of his face but he didn't look bad otherwise.

"Look, I'm going to need to speak with all the medical staff that attended this man," Roy said. "Like immediately."

"Aye aye, Sir," the tech said and scurried off to get the requested personnel.

Roy grabbed a phone and called up to the bridge.

"Lisa, this is Roy," he said urgently. "Look, something's happened to Ranma...no...she's unconscious and burned but it doesn't look too bad...no wait...look, she was hit with steam, as in very hot water...exactly. I'm doing damage control now, but I think it's time you briefed the Captain on the situation if we have any hope of keeping this quiet."

Roy then called up the Wild Rose ready room and had them report to the sickbay.

Twenty minutes later a crowd of people, including the entire Wild Rose Squadron, where standing around Ranma's bed looking at Roy expectantly.

"Alright people, listen up," Roy said in a commanding voice. "You are all here because you probably saw or noticed something...strange about this person here. What I'm about to tell you does not leave this room. It's classified need to know information and if I find out anyone repeats this, I'll have you court marshaled and spaced. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir!" the gathered group chorused.

"Good," Roy said. "I'll start by saying that the person in this bed is, in fact, Lt Commander Ranma Saotome..."

"That's impossible, Sir," one of the techs protested. "I've treated Lt. Commander Saotome before and there's no way you will convince me that this man is a petite attractive woman."

"Do any of you believe in magic?" Roy asked and received several looks that appeared to question his sanity. "I didn't think so. Well, you won't be able to say that after today. I know this sounds crazy but I'll prove it in a minute. Lt. Commander Saotome is a victim of an ancient Chinese curse that she received while training in the martial arts."

Their was several snorts of incredulity, but the gathered people weren't prepared as yet to openly question the sanity of the third highest ranking officer on the ship.

"I don't expect you to take my word for it," Roy replied. "They say, however, that seeing is believing."

Roy picked up a cup of cold water and splashed Ranma. There were several gasps and at least two people fainted dead away. Smelling salts were brought out and the unconscious were brought around.

"Look, I know this rocks your world view," Roy said. "It did mine when I was told about it. But the fact is, if this got out, it would destroy a fine officer and pilot's career, and probably her personally. So what you are going to do is forget about this, put it down to a bizarre hallucination or you can accept that there are forces out there that science can't explain and leave it at that. You will not speak of this further. Am I clear?"

"Yes Sir!"

TBC

Chapter 13

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 13

May 2009...

Ranma was released from the sick bay the following day in perfect health. The med techs were amazed that the burns were completely healed, leaving only slightly pink skin to testify that they were ever there. Roy and Lisa had been by to brief her on what had happened and what had been done about it.

Lisa told her that Captain Gloval wanted a demonstration soon but was willing to wait until she had fully recovered from being burned by the steam a few days ago. He was compassionate enough that he wouldn't require her to dump boiling water on herself so soon after being in the sickbay for steam burns. She wasn't looking forward to that meeting, but she absolutely dreaded the one she was headed to now.

Ranma girded her nerve as she walked down the corridor. She was on her way to face her squadron and only hoped they would be understanding.

(oOO/Oo)

Meanwhile, as Ranma traveled the corridors, Lisa was having her own meeting with the Roses.

"Remember, this in not her fault," Lisa said. "She didn't ask for this to happen to her and she's tried to make the best of it."

"Ma'am, is Lt. Commander Saotome a guy or a girl?" one of them asked.

"What difference does it make?" Lisa asked.

"Well, I'd like to know if we were naked in the locker room in front of a guy," another Rose said.

"What do you think?" Lisa said. "She was in that locker room naked as well. You think the person in there was packing a penis?"

"Well, no, I guess not," the Rose replied. "And I recall she has periods and stuff. So she was born female then?" Lisa sighed.

"Ranma was born male," Lisa said tiredly. "The change she experiences is complete. Not only that, but it takes boiling water to return her to her birth form, while it only takes tepid water to change her into her female form. Since there's a lot more cool water around than boiling, she made a decision to live as a female to have some semblance of a normal life. She has lived as female for the last six years and as far as I'm concerned, she's as much a woman as any of us."

"But Ma'am, she showered with us," the Rose doggedly protested.

"So what?" Lisa said. "You didn't seem to have a problem with it when you thought she was a lesbian. What's the damn difference now?"

"Well, she never made us feel uncomfortable," the woman said. "She was never in our face about being a lesbian, and she never made us feel like she was getting a free show because she...never...looked..." the woman trailed off as she realized the point Lisa was making.

"Exactly," Lisa said. "She never tried to abuse her position to take advantage of anyone. Now she'll be here any minute, and if I hear any of you call her a pervert or a freak, I can promise you you'll be cleaning every head on this ship for a month or until they're all done, which ever comes last. Ranma has had to deal with a complete change in her identity. She changed into something her father constantly told her she should despise. If she could deal with that, then surely you people can deal with this."

"Are you saying we have to accept this, or we'll be punished?" a Rose asked darkly.

"I'm saying that the CAG, the Captain, and myself, will not tolerate derogatory comments made to Ranma about this," Lisa said. "She has as little control over this as Lieutenant Xao has over being Chinese, or a handicapped person has over being handicapped. She doesn't deserve to be ill treated over it. Whether you are willing to accept her or not is up to you. Just ask yourself, the times she has been there for you people and the times she has put her life on the line for everyone on this ship, does she deserve your acceptance, or does she deserve to be treated like a pariah and be frozen out?"

With that, Lisa walked out. The Roses talked among themselves for the next fifteen minutes before Ranma arrived. She entered the room timidly and stood before them, feeling naked and exposed.

"I guess you all know about my dirty little secret now," she said as they all stared at her. "Well, let's hear it. I know you all have something to say, so speak your mind. If we are to continue to work together then we need to clear the decks."

"You lied to us," Marissa said.

"We thought you were one of us," Erin said. "Now we don't even know you."

"I'm the same person I was last week," Ranma said. This was going to be as bad as she thought.

"How can we trust you anymore?" Cassie demanded.

"Yes, how can we trust you when you led us to believe you were one of us and now we know you are just some guy pretending to be a woman," Natalia demanded. Tia and Vicki said nothing, but looked on expectantly.

"Is that what you think?" Ranma asked. "You think I'm playing a game, some big joke on you? You think I'm a man playing around in a woman's world? Let me tell you something. When I came out of that spring and saw what I had become, I thought my life was over. I thought my old man had finally taken everything from me right down to my very identity. I watched as my dreams suddenly became out of my reach. After all, who would allow a freak like I had become into their world?

"But then I thought about it. I could still pursue my dreams. I just had to give up who I was to do so. I could either die or live my life as a woman and pursue my dreams. Tell me, have any of you made that kind of sacrifice to be here? I never liked keeping this a secret, but the alternative was worse. I would have been kicked out of the service so fast it would have made my head spin if this had been discovered before the aliens attacked.

"Now I've lived the last six year of my life as a woman, a real woman, that has periods, can get pregnant, has to deal with chauvinistic bullshit, everything. It's become who I am. I haven't spent more than a total of 48 hours in my male form in the last six years and the last time I tried, I found I have to pretend to be a man. Have I been deceiving you about being a woman or have I just not told you about a deeply personal secret, the fact that I have a male body sometimes, that could end my career and my reason for living? You tell me?"

"How should we know?" Marissa said. "You're obviously not the person we thought you were. Why should we trust you?"

"Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me before now?" Ranma asked. "Am I really not the same person, just because I had a secret? Do you tell everyone you meet all the sordid details of your life? Does that mean that you're misrepresenting yourself because you keep some things to yourself?"

"She's right," Vicki said, speaking up at last. "Mum has always been there for us and bloody well stuck up for us. She has treated us fairly and it's clear that she cares. I can't believe you bloody people are willing to toss her away over something, while admittedly bizarre, really makes no difference."

"I agree," Tia said. "She's been the best CO that I've ever had, and I've heard the same from most of you as well. This shouldn't change anything. If it does, then it's your perceptions that have changed, not the person Mom is."

It was clear however that the others weren't willing to let it go that easily. Ranma was growing frustrated and it hurt her that these people she had let get close to her were rejecting her.

"Okay, I'll tell you what," Ranma said, "anyone that doesn't think they can deal with this can feel free to put in your transfer papers. You'll have my recommendation. That's the best I can do for you."

Ranma spun on her heel and fled the room before she lost her composure.

(oOO/Oo)

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Ranma asked as she entered Captain Gloval's office.

"Why, yes, Lt. Commander Saotome," the elderly man said with a thick Russian accent. "Please, sit down." Ranma went and sat nervously in the indicated seat. "Now tell me of this...magical curse you are purported to have."

"Well, Sir, I got the curse while on a martial arts training journey with my father," Ranma said. "He was a complete idiot and it's not the first time he nearly destroyed my life. He took us to a place called Jusenkyo in China. He couldn't read Chinese but he had gotten his hands on a book of training grounds in China. The book was in Chinese, but he could make out just enough to read that it was dangerous. Dangerous and Training were two words that made it a sure thing that Pop would subject me to it. So off we went to Jusenkyo.

"When we arrived, the training ground didn't look like much," Ranma said. "It was just a bunch of bamboo poles sticking out of pools of water. It was nothing we hadn't done hundreds of times before. There was a guide there that tried to warn us about how dangerous the place was, but Pop ignored him. We began to spar balanced on top of the poles. Eventually, Pop screwed up and I got a kick in that drove him down into one of the pools.

"Imagine my shock when a huge panda leaped out of the pool wearing Pop's gi and his glasses," Ranma shuddered. "Well, while I was still trying to figure out what had happened, the panda attacked. I had dropped my guard in my shock and the panda got a hit in. I was knocked into another spring. The guide explained that the springs were cursed and who ever falls into them will take the body of whatever had last drowned in them. Pop had fallen into the spring of drown panda, while I had been knocked into the spring of drown girl."

"That is very interesting," Gloval said stroking his pipe. "So how is it that you change back?"

"The guide told us that the curse could be temporarily reversed with application of hot water," Ranma explained. "How hot the water has to be varies. With me it has to be nearly boiling. With Pop, it just had to be a little hotter than your average bath water. And as I said it was temporary. The very next time you get splashed with cold water, the curse activates again."

"I could see where that would be inconvenient," Gloval admitted. "So I'm assuming you were born male, yes? Why is it do you live as a woman then?"

"It was a choice I had to make," Ranma said. "It was a lot easier to have some sort of normal life if I accepted life as a woman. Because of the water temperature required to change me back, if was nearly impossible for it to happen by accident, while if I tried to live as male, I'd be changing all the time. Every time I got caught in the rain, every time someone spilled their water, every time I took a shower. It would have been nearly impossible for me to hide the curse in male form, and people would have treated me like I was some kind of freak."

A half an hour and two transformations later, Gloval was satisfied with Ranma's explanations.

"Very well, Miss Saotome," Gloval said. "Since you are one of my best and most talented pilots, I shall endeavor to protect your career if this should get out. You have my utmost respect for persevering in a difficult situation. It shows you have great character. Besides, you keep Lisa happy and that makes it all worth it right there." Gloval mumbled something in Russian. Ranma couldn't make out most of it, but she did catch the English terms 'martinet' and 'hard ass'.

"I'm sorry, Sir?" Ranma asked.

"Oh nothing, Miss Saotome, you may go," Gloval said.

(oOO/Oo)

As the SDF-1 approached Saturn, Ranma had become more and more withdrawn. In spite of Tia and Vicki's support within Wild Rose, the others treated her with suspicion and distaste. She tried to take heart that there were no transfer requests as yet, but she figured it was only a matter of time.

Ranma began to close herself off from everyone, even moving out of Lisa's quarters and into her own, saying she needed some space to deal with everything. Lisa reluctantly let her go, not knowing what else to do. She was very concerned for Ranma and it hurt that Ranma wasn't allowing her in to help.

Ranma was like a ghost, haunting the corridors of the SDF-1, wandering listlessly in her off duty hours. She was more like a silent observer than an active participant in life aboard the ship. Her performance in battle had eroded as well, but nobody could tell since she was so far ahead of everyone else to begin with.

She continued to fly without a wingman, on her own, in the normal harassing attacks by the still as yet unknown alien enemy, until Akane eventually joined the squadron.

Akane had proven Ranma's expectations, achieving a high neural link percentage and had the potential to be one of the best Veritech pilots in the RDF. She could almost keep up with Ranma, given Ranma's eroded performance. Her reflexes weren't quite as fast and she didn't quite have the grace that Ranma possessed and displayed unconsciously, but she would narrow the gap with experience.

Thus it was Akane who flew Ranma's wing. The blue haired girl was surprised by the undercurrent of tension within the Wild Rose squadron. She had expected there to be a sense of camaraderie and teamwork in the best unit in the fleet. She was told that something had happened with Ranma and some of the girls were having a hard time with it. Ranma herself had become an enigma to Akane. She was totally different from the person that Akane had come to know during their training sessions before whatever it was that happened had happened.

Be that as it may, the Wild Rose pilots were professionals. In spite of their internal divisions, they still out performed the other squadrons and there was still a sense of pride in being a Wild Rose. The Blues had stopped flying with them, having gained combat time in the harassing attacks and been deemed experienced enough to be on their own now.

Ranma didn't think things could get much worse, but she was to find out how gravely mistaken she was.

(oOO/Oo)

An intelligence officer stood before the assembled Veritech pilots briefing them on the mission they would be flying. It was a momentous occasion as it would be the first offensive the Earth forces had mounted since the alien attack.

"We will use the Veritech forces to draw them in," the officer explained. "When they have committed to the attack, the SDF-1 will rise up out of Saturn's rings and take them out with the main gun. I'd like to wish you all the best of luck and if you have anyone you want to see, then I suggest doing it tonight."

The assembly broke up and the pilots went their separate ways. Akane tagged along with Ranma.

"What do you think, Ma'am," Akane asked. "Can we pull it off?"

"Yeah, I think we can," Ranma said glumly. "It will cost us, but it's our job."

"Do you think I'm ready for this?" Akane asked nervously.

"You'll be fine, Akane," Ranma told her. "Just stay on my wing, do your best, and kill as many of them as you can. We'll get through it alive."

"How can you be so sure?" the nervous girl asked.

"Because, Akane, if you go into a battle thinking you might lose, then you've already lost," Ranma said. "Don't worry, Akane, you'll be okay. It's no different than going into battle in a destroid."

"Thanks, Ma'am," Akane said.

"Sure, Akane," Ranma said, giving her a weak smile. "Now you better go visit whoever you want to visit. We're going to have a long day tomorrow."

"What about you, Ma'am," Akane asked, concerned for Ranma. "Are you going to go visit Commander Hayes?"

"No, I think I'm just going to turn in," Ranma said.

Akane watched sadly as her CO walked off toward her quarters. She hoped that whatever was eating at Ranma would blow over because she much preferred the vivacious friendly Ranma to this sullen withdrawn person she had become.

(oOO/Oo)

The Wild Rose squadron found themselves flying through the ice and debris that made up the rings of Saturn. It was tricky going, especially once they entered the shadow of the planet.

"Eeep!" Akane squeaked as a large chunk of...something loomed up on her scanner and forced her to violently evade.

"Take it easy, Fury," Ranma's voice came over the squadron channel. "Just relax and reach out with you senses, like you do when practicing the art. The sensors will tell you what's in front of you long before the display will."

"Roger, Mom," Akane responded. She centered herself and reached out. Suddenly the sensor data started pouring in. It was as if there was no shadow. Her flight path smoothed out as she now had more time to evade.

"Skull 7," Lisa's voice came over the Tac-net, "Your speed has dropped off. Pick it up."

"That's easy for you to say," Rick Hunter fired back. "It's dark up here, Commander."

"What's the matter, Hunter," Lisa said in a smug tone, "game getting to rough for you?"

"Why am I lucky enough to be picked on by someone who's all safe in a comfy control room," Rick muttered. "I'd like to see her down here flying through this crap."

"You're lucky enough because you can't keep your mouth shut," Ranma said over the Tac-net. "When you can do her job as well as she does, then you can whine about her not being down here doing yours. Until then shut your pie hole, Rickhead."

There were several responses over the Tac-net as pilots teased Rick for being dressed down.

"Excuse me, DL, but I think I can handle the discipline in my squadron, thank you," Roy said.

"Yes, Sir, sorry, Sir," Ranma said, not sounding very repentant.

"Zentradi forces have entered the ring system," Lisa said. "All squadrons commence attack. I repeat, all squadrons commence attack."

"Wild Rose Lead to Wild Rose flights, this is it, stay on your wingman and be careful," Ranma said. "Let's make them feel it."

The Veritechs swarmed out of the shadow zone, launching missiles as they came. Almost immediately, the enemy attack ship began deploying battle pods and a major furball ensued. Space around the two forces was filled with explosions and tracers as the battle swirled and roiled. The Earth forces were taking heavy losses but so were the enemy. However, it was soon clear to the Veritech pilots that things were not going according to plan.

"They should have fired the main gun by now," Natalia said. "We can't hold out for much longer against these battle pods and that ship's batteries." Just then a scream came over the Tac-net, nearly indistinguishable from the other screams of the dying.

"Bloody hell, we lost Huntress," Vicki growled.

"We are unable to fire the main gun," Lisa announced. "Hang in there people. We have another plan."

If Ranma hadn't been so busy she would have been amazed as the SDF-1 charged the enemy ship and punched it in the nose with the Daedalus. The former naval ship was thrust into the enemy vessel nearly to the SDF-1's elbow. The skin of the vessel began to bulge and bubble as the destroids collected in the bow of the Daedalus opened fire with missiles and artillery.

The SDF-1 withdrew the Daedalus and backed off as the enemy vessel exploded spectacularly. A cheer went up from the Earth forces. Heartened by the destruction of the enemy ship, the Veritech squadrons redoubled their efforts and the remaining battle pods were mopped up swiftly.

The good cheer was short lived, however, when the Veritechs formed up to return to the SDF-1. It quickly became apparent that at least three whole squadrons had been wiped out to the man and many others had suffered heavy losses. They had achieved another victory, but to the men and women in the Veritechs, it felt hollow. Many wondered if they could keep this up with the rate of loss they were suffering.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma climbed sullenly out of her Veritech. She had lost another of her team. It wasn't any easier this time as it had been the last time and she knew with sick certainty that it would happen again. She walked toward the locker room with her head bowed and her shoulders slumped.

She said nothing as she changed out of her sweat soaked flight suit, ignoring both Akane and Vicki's attempts to speak to her. She left the locker room with the same posture she had going in to it, that of defeat.

Moving mechanically, she made her way back to her quarters. Locking the door she stripped off her clothes and collapsed on her bed in a fetal ball. Then the sobs came. They racked her slight frame violently and continued for a long time.

Ranma didn't know how long she had laid there and wept before she became aware of an insistent knocking on her door.

"Go away," she yelled.

"Ranma, it's me Lisa," Lisa called through the door. "Please let me in."

"Go away," Ranma said again.

"Ranma, please let me help," Lisa pleaded with her.

"Go away, Goddamit," Ranma screamed. "You can't fucking help me. No one can fucking help me. You can't bring Ursula back. You can't bring Tia back. You can't change the fact that I'm a fucking goddamn freak that nobody wants around them. Just leave me the fuck alone."

"Damn you, Ranma," Lisa said through the door. Ranma's words had cut her to the core. "I love you, you stubborn bitch, but all you do is shut me out when you're hurting. You don't want my help, fine. I can't force it on you. When you're through feeling sorry for yourself, maybe I'll be there." A sob escaped Lisa's lips and she turned and fled.

"I'm sorry, Lisa," Ranma whispered as she listened to Lisa fleeing footsteps. "I don't deserve you."

With that, Ranma began to weep again until she finally sobbed herself to fitful sleep.

(oOO/Oo)

August 2009...

Ranma began her approach to the deck of the Promy, barely keeping her eyes open. She was exhausted, having been out on patrols or combat for at least 12 hours or more each day. They wouldn't allow her any more than that. They said she had to sleep sometime, but they were wrong. She couldn't sleep. She desperately avoided that condition because that's when the dreams came.

She had always been prone to nightmares, but now they had taken on a more sinister and horrifying aspect. Her dreams were full of death, deaths of people she cared for. They were also full of rejection. So she refused to sleep, avoiding it until her body just shut down. Over the last three months she had slept maybe three to four hours out of every week.

She shook her head to regain her concentration on landing Wild Rose One. It had been a heck of a battle out there today and she managed to get shot up pretty bad. She lowered her landing gear with a thought and continued her approach. In her fatigue, she never noticed that her down and locked indicators stayed red.

Ranma snapped awake as an urgent voice over the comm, yelling at someone to pull up. Ranma looked around in confusion before she realized it was her they were yelling at. She was too low and it was too late to do anything about it. She struck the deck and her landing gear, stuck halfway down, folded back up. Wild Rose One belly-landed and skidded to a halt, stopped by the arresting cables.

As crash crews rushed to the wrecked plane, Ranma popped the canopy and jumped out, staggering slightly, her mind in a daze. Shrugging off any assistance she walked around the corner of the super structure and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she was seated with her back against it with her knees pulled up to her chest.

'I'll just rest here a minute,' Ranma thought to herself before slipping into unconsciousness.

(oOO/Oo)

"Hey, what's that over there?" one of the aircraft handlers asked as a group of them returned from dragging out the latest patrol. "It looks like someone is just sitting there."

Several of the crew ran over to the object in question.

"Oh my god," Another said. "It's Lt. Commander Saotome!"

The man bent down and shook her, getting no response. It had been two hours since Ranma's plane had crashed on the deck and her oxygen levels were almost non-existent. One of the men checked her oxygen gage.

"We have to get her inside NOW!" the man said urgently. "She's out of oxygen."

(oOO/Oo)

"I'm keeping her off flight status," Dr. Koenig said.

"What? Why? We need her out there," Roy protested and Lisa nodded her agreement.

"I have no choice," the counselor said. "It's my opinion that she's suffering from extreme combat fatigue and emotional distress. You forced her to see me because of the suicidal risks she's been taking in combat. In the mental state she's in right now, it will only get worse until she manages to get herself killed. She refuses to open up and talk about it and when I do get her to talk she lashes out."

"What can we do to help?" Lisa asked.

"Not much," Koenig answered. "She has to want to be helped and right now she's trying too hard to keep it all bottled up inside. I prescribed some anti-depressants that should help but I have no way to be sure she'll take them. I'm hoping that by keeping her off flight status she'll take the meds and eventually open up if for no other reason than to get back out there and help her comrades."

"Or she'll feel useless and try something stupid," Roy pointed out.

"We'll just have to watch out for her and if she does try something 'stupid' as you put it, I can have her confined to sickbay for observation and we will be sure she's taking the meds," the doctor concluded.

The doctor left the room and Lisa turned to Roy.

"Oh Roy, why won't she accept that I love her?" Lisa whimpered. "Why does she shut me out?" Roy put his arms around the stricken woman and she sobbed into his chest.

"She's hurting Lisa," Roy consoled. "She's afraid to let anyone in because she's afraid to be hurt anymore. With the way she grew up, it's not surprising that she isn't easily able to open up to people. I think, in some strange way, she's trying to protect you by pushing you away."

"But I don't need to be protected," Lisa moaned. "I need to help her. I need to take away her pain."

"Well, hopefully the meds the doctor gave her will let her see that soon," Roy said.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma stood in the dimly lit hanger bay looking at the tail of her VF-1S. Another name had been added to it. Another of her girls lost. Another friend gone. And this time it was a true friend, one who knew about her curse and stuck by her.

"I'm sorry," Ranma whispered as she raised her hand to trace the letters of Tia's callsign although she couldn't physically reach them. "I'm so very sorry."

"Why do you beat yourself up so much," Marissa asked from behind her. Her tone was neutral, neither hostile nor friendly. Ranma flinched.

"She was my friend," Ranma said softly. "They both were. You all are, whether you reject my friendship or not. It doesn't change the fact that I care."

"If you care so much then why didn't you tell us to begin with?" Marissa asked a bit harshly.

"Maybe because I was afraid you would react like you did," Ranma said sullenly. "Maybe because I was afraid you'd look at me with suspicion and disgust. Maybe because I was afraid it would get out and I'd lose the only reason I had to live for." Now it was Marissa's turn to flinch.

"Look, for what it's worth, we're still trying to understand you," Marissa said. "None of us are ready to give up on you yet, but the sense of betrayal is going to take some time to work through. You didn't trust us enough to tell us the truth so we're having a hard time trying to trust you again."

"And what is the truth?" Ranma whirled on Marissa, her battle aura flickering into visibility. "Goddamit, that's not fair. I'm just as female as any one of you. I've had to deal with all the same prejudices, all the same slights. This is my fucking reality. It's my fate to live my life as a woman, goddamit. I have no fucking choice there unless I want to pour boiling water over my head several times a day and then I couldn't be a complete man. Please fucking forgive me for trying to live a normal life. I'm sorry I'm too weak to tell everyone I meet I have a goddam magical curse. Hi, I'm Ranma Saotome, and I have a curse that makes me a sex-changing freak. What would you do if you were in my fucking shoes, huh? Would you act any differently than I did? You know what? You people can take your mistrust and your goddam conditional friendship and just fuck off! I don't need the heartache."

Marissa stared at the blue glowing girl in front of her stunned at the vitriol that she'd never seen her CO display before. She began to understand just how badly Ranma was hurting and began to feel more than a little guilty for adding to that burden. She began to think. Would she have done anything differently than Ranma did? Would she have the guts to tell everyone she met about the curse if it was her? Maybe they were being a little narrow minded. Ranma had never acted anything less than female. Tomboyish, perhaps, but not like a man. Maybe it wasn't as important as they had thought.

As the redheaded glowing ball of fury stalked off, Marissa decided that she needed to talk to the others. Maybe what she had been didn't matter as much as what she was now.

TBC

Chapter 14

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 14

October 2009...

Over the last three days, the enemy's harassing attacks had intensified. The Earth Forces were being worn ragged with the daily, sometimes several times daily, periods of fierce combat. Each time the SDF-1 was pushed a little further off course for Earth. Not only that but they were getting low on supplies with their journey lengthening.

So it was a welcome development when Sammy picked up a signal from Mars Base Sara. It appeared to be an automated broadcast, but it reminded Captain Gloval that there were still supplies to be had there. Unable to pass up the opportunity he had Claudia lay in a course for Mars Base Sara.

For Lisa, it was utter torture. Part of her hoped against hope that there might be survivors still at the base and that one of them might be Karl. Another part of her pined for a certain redhead. Her faded feelings for her old love and the painful feelings of her new were conflicting like never before. Perhaps had Ranma not shut her out and perhaps if she wasn't so depressed, it wouldn't have caused her such confusion. One thing Lisa was certain of was that there would be closure for her by the time the SDF-1 left Mars.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma was still off flight status. She had made a little progress thanks to the meds, but she was still moping around refusing contact with anyone. Ranma tried to feel guilty about not helping out in the fighting but it took too much energy to care. She just lay in her quarters in the dark and felt sorry for herself, rarely moving except when her stomach forced her to go to the galley.

When the announcement came that they would be landing on Mars, Ranma was surprised to find herself interested. She dragged herself out of the bunk and took a shower. Putting on clean underwear and a uniform she made her way to the Officers lounge which had a nice view overlooking the twin booms of the main gun.

The redhead was just in time to see a Cat's Eye recon aircraft get launched and head down to the planet below. It was fascinating to see the red orange planet from this close. It all looked very peaceful, but lifeless. Much like herself, she thought wryly.

The SDF-1 began to plow atmosphere, descending for the surface of the planet. It wasn't long before Mars Base Sara came into view. It was surprisingly large, looking like a small city. Ranma wondered what it was like to be stationed at a place like that. She thought of her friend Karl who had left Earth to get away from the fighting only to be killed when the battle came to Mars.

Her thoughts turned dark as she contemplated Karl's death. He was the first real friend she had lost and at the time she had dealt with it okay. It wasn't getting any easier though. In fact, it seemed with each friend she lost it was getting harder each time. Each time she felt a little more powerless to protect those that remained. She knew it was the nature of battle to lose your comrades, but somehow she had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that she couldn't protect them all. Survivor's guilt, the shrink had called it.

The SDF-1 settled some distance from the base and began deploying destroids to secure the base and Valkyries to fly cover. Once they reached the base and set up a perimeter, the supply convoy was dispatched. Shortly after that a lone jeep left the ship and headed toward the base.

Lisa, Ranma somehow knew, was in that jeep. She was going to search for one last contact with Karl. Taking one last chance to be with her lost love. Ranma wished her luck, hoping that Lisa would find some closure in the remnants of Karl's life so that she could move on. Not for Ranma's sake, but for Lisa's. Ranma wanted her to be happy, but she knew that she was too messed up to be the one to make Lisa happy, no matter what the beautiful brunette seemed to think. Perhaps without Karl haunting her she would find that someone.

Several minutes later, the SDF-1 rose off the ground and began to inch toward the base before settling inside the base perimeter. The supplies began to be loaded. Suddenly General Quarters sounded and Claudia's voice came over the PA.

"All personnel, battle stations, I repeat all personnel to battle stations," Claudia said. "Enemy attack force sighted. Attack is imminent. Attack is imminent."

More Veritechs were launched and the SDF-1 shuddered as it tried to rise. It failed. Ranma watched from her position in the Officer's Lounge and the battle was joined and the dying began. She had never seen the battle from quite this perspective before. It looked horrible and she wondered how anybody survived it.

It quickly became apparent that this was an overwhelming force and it had been an ambush from the start. Ranma sighed as she reached out to touch the glass as if to help her comrades as they fought for survival. Her thoughts went to the 60 thousand civilians on board. Faces flashed in her mind. Some had names like Minmei, Max, Lina. Others were familiar but she didn't know their names, like the matronly lady at the boutique, the elderly cop on the corner, the ticket girl at the theater. They would all die today.

Suddenly Ranma was pissed off. It wasn't right. They never asked for this. They never asked for their lives to be caught up in this stupid war. They were not soldiers. What was worse, was here she was, a soldier, whose job it was to fight, sitting here on her ass feeling sorry for herself instead of being out there helping. How many people had died that wouldn't have if she had been out there fighting along side them?

"Who the hell do I think I am?" Ranma snarled softly to herself. "God I'm pathetic. All I can do is hide in my cabin while others go out and die in my place..." She was interrupted from her tirade by the PA.

"Lt. Commander Saotome, please call the bridge immediately," Claudia said, her tone strident with desperation. "Please call the bridge immediately!"

Ranma grabbed the phone and dialed up the bridge.

"Claudia, it's me Ranma," she said. "What's wrong?"

"Oh thank god," Claudia said. "Ranma, it's Lisa. Something is wrong with her. We're pinned down by gravity mines and the Captain had Lisa set the base reflex furnace to overload. The explosion should take out the mines, but Lisa says she's not coming back. Ranma you have to go get her. You’re the only one that can. The rest of our forces are engaged. There is no one else."

"I'm going, just make sure Wild Rose One is ready when I get there," Ranma said.

"Already done, go, you don't have much time," Claudia said.

(oOO/Oo)

"Soon, Karl, we'll be together again," Lisa spoke. "If Ranma won't let me be with her then I'll be with you, my love."

Lisa looked over the room, at this place, Karl's place. She thought of her lost fiancé and wondered what his life here was like. Was he happy? Did he think of her often? Was it painful when he...died? She picked up a picture off his desk. One of the two of them standing arm in arm. She could remember the day it was taken. Ranma had taken it for them and they were all so happy. Next to it was another picture of the three of them. Lisa smiled at the picture. Karl had reached around Lisa and put rabbit ears over Ranma's head.

Those were good times. Death seemed so distant then. They still believed they had their whole lives to look forward to. How foolish of them. How unbelievably naïve they were.

"Oh Karl, I love you so much," Lisa said softly. "And yet I love Ranma too. I know that now. As much as I loved you. Was it foolish of me to lose my heart to Ranma? She is so troubled. I wanted so badly to help her but she wouldn't reach out to take my hand."

At that moment the window of the room crashed inward as a giant Veritech hand reached in the window and rested on the sill. The cockpit popped open and a pink and white clad figure agilely hopped out on to the arm and ran down it to land on the floor in front of her.

"Lisa, what's going on?" Ranma said. "Claudia told me you refused to leave."

"That's right," Lisa said. "I'm staying right here. If you can't accept my love then I want to be with Karl."

"Lisa?" Ranma said, dumbfounded. "Come on, Lisa, I'm just a messed up idiot. You can do better than me. Let's get you out of here. They need you one the SDF-1."

"I don't care," Lisa said. "I'm not going."

"Please, Lisa," Ranma begged. "Don't do this. I know you're hurting. I know you miss him, but think of all the people that need you on the ship. I...I need you. If you're not going then I'm not either." Ranma sat on the bed.

"Do you mean that, Ranma?" Lisa asked, a small hope dawning.

"I love you, Lisa," Ranma nodded. "I think you can do a lot better than me, but god help me I do love you."

"Oh Ranma," Lisa sighed. "I don't want any better then you. You're perfect. When you're not beating yourself up that is. If I go back, you have to promise me on that vaunted honor of yours, that you won't shut me out anymore. If we are going to be together, we are going to be a team. I will share your burdens and you will share mine. The clock is ticking. Do you promise?"

"Yeah, Lisa," Ranma said softly. "I promise, on my honor, I won't shut you out anymore. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Oh Ranma," Lisa said glomping the smaller girl. "I love you so much. Let's get out of here."

Luckily for Ranma, she could fly her Veritech 'hands free' because it was a very tight fit with the two of them in the cockpit. Ranma sat in Lisa's lap since she was the smaller of the two. Wild Rose One took off and streaked for orbit, going to fighter mode as the base, falling away below them, exploded taking out the enemy forces there. Lisa held her tightly as she jinked and dodged Wild Rose One around debris and battle pods that had managed to escape the initial blast. They didn't escape the Veritechs covering the SDF-1's assent.

They met the ship in orbit and landed on the flight deck. Ranma popped the canopy and climbed out, assisting Lisa down. The pair stood side by side holding hands and looking down at the red planet.

"Good bye, Karl," Lisa said. "And thank you."

"I'll take good care of her, Karl," Ranma said. "I promise."

"Ranma?"

"Yeah, Lisa?"

"I need you. Badly. Soon. My cabin, now."

"Aye aye, Ma'am."

(oOO/Oo)

Two hours later, Lisa held Ranma close as they basked in the after glow of their passionate lovemaking.

"Ranma?"

"Yeah Lisa?"

"I need all of you."

"But you just had all of me...several times in fact."

"No Ranma, I had your female side several times, and I loved every minute of it. But you still have your male side and I need to claim that too," Lisa purred sensually.

"I'll get the water," Ranma squeaked, and ran out of the room at mach 1.

(oOO/Oo)

Another two hours later...

"So which do you prefer?" Ranma asked as he held Lisa's beautiful naked body close against his own.

"I prefer you," Lisa purred.

"But they're both me," Ranma protested.

"Exactly," Lisa said with an enigmatic smiled.

"Lisa?"

"Yeah Ranma?"

"I hadn't planned on this, but it just feels right. Will you marry me?"

An hour later, when Lisa finished ravishing him, she lay on top of him spent with him still inside her.

"How's that for an answer?" Lisa said groggily.

"I'll take that as an unequivocal yes," Ranma smiled in contentment. "I'll ask again, of course, when I get a ring."

"You'll get the same answer," Lisa giggled.

"I was hoping so," Ranma grinned, stroking her flanks tenderly.

Nothing further was said as they succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep, resting peacefully in the warmth of their love.

(oOO/Oo)

"So why the big turn around, Miss Saotome?" Dr. Koenig asked.

"I dunno," Ranma said. "I was sitting in the Officer's lounge watching the battle that was taking place when we were trapped on Mars and I could see things were not going well. I thought of all the civilians that were counting on us to protect them and get them home and suddenly I just got angry with myself. Here I was, one of the best the SDF-1 can field, and I was sitting on my butt feeling sorry for myself while my fellow warriors were out there dying to protect the ship and its inhabitants."

"And how did that make you feel?" the counselor asked.

"I felt pretty pathetic," Ranma said. "I realized that it didn't matter if people liked me or accepted me. I could still protect them. I'm a warrior. It's all I've ever been and all I've ever wanted to be. I've trained all my life for that role. Whether or not the people I protect like me is irrelevant."

"I see," Koenig said. "How are you dealing with the deaths of you friends?"

"It hurts," Ranma admitted. "It hurts a lot. But they were also warriors. I mourn their loss, but it doesn't do anybody any good for me to be sulking. I have to be out there to make their sacrifice mean something. I have to say this though. I can deal with losing people in battle. I don't like it at all, but it's a fact of life. I probably wouldn't have snapped like I did if it hadn't been for the other crap that was bugging me."

"Tell me about the other stuff," Koenig said.

"I guess you know about my little secret, huh?" Ranma asked.

"I've been fully briefed on your condition," Koenig said. "I must admit I find it fascinating. It must have been difficult for you. Frankly, I'm amazed you haven't cracked before now."

"Yeah, well, the change itself wasn't that hard to get used to," Ranma explained. "The magic makes some adjustments that helps a person be able to live with it. It's the outside elements that make it stressful. The fear of discovery, the way people look at you, like you're some sort of freak, people you are close to rejecting you when they find out, the fact that practically no one would hire you if they knew, or that they would send you packing if they found out."

"I can understand that," Koenig said. "That has to be a terrible burden to live under."

"It is," Ranma said. "It wasn’t as bad as it could be though. At least with the temperature required to change me into my other form, it's practically impossible for me to be changed be accident. That's why I chose to live in this form."

"Was it a hard decision for you?" Koenig asked.

"At first it was, 'cause I didn't know anything about being a girl," Ranma admitted. "And my conditioning rebelled against it. All my life up until that time I was raised to be an ultra-macho poster child for the patriarchy. I was constantly told how weak and worthless women were. I knew rationally that most of that was bullshit, but the reality was that I knew next to nothing about women and without much experience to go on, some part of me had accepted that there was a grain of truth to what Pop had spouted. Now here I was left with the option of being thought of as a freak if I tried to live as male in any capacity, or living my life as a woman and at least having a sort of normal life."

"You chose womanhood, obviously," the doctor commented. "How did you handle it?"

"At first I resisted the things expected of a woman," Ranma said. "I refused to wear skirts and female underwear. The underwear thing didn't last long. I understood the need after dealing with breasts for a while. The skirts and make-up didn't come until later. Lisa convinced me that I needed to accept them so as to not stand out in a non-conformist way. It made sense since the military is not very big on non-conformists. So I accepted the necessity."

"How about socially?" Koenig prompted.

"I'd have to say that socially, I tried to keep my distance from everyone," Ranma said. "It was both a defense against being rejected and a way to avoid the female social role. But gradually, again with help, I began to accept that as well. For a while now, I've been more uncomfortable being male than I've been being female. The female role is just normal for me now. It's like my perception has turned 180 from what it was at the beginning."

"Interesting," Koenig said. "Most people that identify as male do so regardless of their sex. It causes quite a lot of problems for them when their gender and sex don't agree."

"You mean transsexuals," Ranma stated. "That's where the magic made the adjustment. The way it was explained to me was the magic gave me a full set of instincts and feelings appropriate to the body. The effect was this body never felt wrong or alien deep down. Sure my rational mind was telling me that it was wrong because I lived as and was conditioned to be male, but without the other stuff to back it up, the conditioning faded."

"So what would you say you are now?" Koenig asked. "Not just what your current form is, but how do you see yourself?"

"I...I guess..." Ranma stammered. "I guess I'm more female than anything else. Before the attack, I went out on a date as a guy and it was...uncomfortable. Not because of the date. That was great. It's just that I've had too much experience as a female. I've developed female habits and mannerisms and I know what's expected of me socially as a woman. As a male, well, I never really learned much about what was expected of men. Pop kept me away from people in general so I was really socially stunted. I suppose if I had to I could learn to be a man, much like I learned to be a woman, but there's no real reason to do so."

"Was that hard for you to admit?" Koenig asked.

"In a way," Ranma said. "There's still a part of me that resists making the final surrender. Maybe it's because I can still be male sometimes. I don't know."

"What if you could be cured?" Koenig suggested.

"There is no cure," Ranma said emphatically.

"Humor me, what if there was?" the doctor asked.

"I...don't think I'd take it," Ranma said. "Like I said, this is who I am now. I'm comfortable as a woman. I mean, I don't like being forced to be some frilly delicate flower or anything. At best, I'm a bit of a tomboy. Still, I don't mind feeling feminine, depending on who it is that's making me feel that way. I've found it can be fun sometimes."

"How about if there was a way for you to stay female all the time, so that you didn't have to worry about the change being exposed?" the doctor postulated.

"That's a tough one," Ranma said thoughtfully. "It a way it would be great, but..." She trailed off.

"But?" he prompted.

"Well, there's Lisa," Ranma said. "I don't know if she would like that. And I guess I would like to have a family someday...anyway, it's irrelevant because unless you know magic, it's not possible."

"So Lisa pushes you to be a man?" the doctor asked.

"No, it's not like that," Ranma said. "She accepts me for what I am. She loves me like this as much as the other way. I don't know what that makes her, or me for that matter, but I know she likes men too. I'm not sure if she would chose to be with another girl besides me, but she seems to want me like this as much or more so than when I'm in male form. However, I do like being able to provide for all her needs." Ranma blushed deeply.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing for both of you that you can then," the doctor grinned. "Let's go back to you're other problems since your relationship issues seem to have cleared up for now. Now I understand that you've had problems with your squadron. Tell me about those."

"Well, there's not much to tell really," Ranma said. "They didn't take the revelation too well. They seemed to think I had deceived them."

"Do you think you deceived them?" Koenig asked.

"Well, not really," Ranma answered after a pause for thought. "My past was none of their business and it's not like I was pretending to be a girl to take advantage of them. I am a girl and they knew that I am, for all intents and purposes, a lesbian. It didn't seem to bother them before. No, I really don't think it was a deception. Now if I had been in an intimate relationship with them, it would have been different. They would have had a right to know what they were getting into."

"Why do you think it's different for a non-intimate relationship?" the doctor inquired.

"Well, because our relationship, while it was close, was a professional one," Ranma replied. "And professionally, I'm completely female. Also, as long as I'm doing my job, then they have no right to know anything about my personal life. It's not like we hang out together on a regular basis. I mean sure, we go out and party together and stuff but nothing beyond that. I purposely tried to maintain that distance. The only people I let myself get really close to on a personal basis were the ones that knew about my...condition."

"So what are you going to do about the women that are having a hard time with it?" the doctor asked.

"Well, there's not much I can do," Ranma answered. "I guess I'll just do my job and act normal. Maybe they'll see that I really am the person they thought they knew and respected. I can't change the way they feel, and their approval, while it would be nice to have and it would make for better morale, is not necessary to perform our duty. They owe me respect as a superior officer, and I will insist on that, but if they want to despise me personally, then that's fine too. If they can't deal with it then I've already said I would approve their transfer request."

"You seem to be much more stable than you were. The change was rather mercurial," the doctor observed.

"Well, like I said, watching the battle on Mars put my professional life in perspective," Ranma pointed out. "And as far as my personal life...Lisa and I have worked things out. She said goodbye to Karl and I accepted the idea that she really does want to be with me. We are in a committed relationship now. Accepting her emotional support has made me feel like nothing else matters that much as long as I have her beside me."

"Good for you," Doctor Koenig smiled. "Well, I don't see why we can't put you back on flight status. Just remember, if things start to trouble you, come talk to me. That's what I'm here for. When you keep it all bottled up inside, something eventually has to give."

"I'm starting to realize that," Ranma grinned. "Don't worry, I promised Lisa I would share my problems with her. If she thinks I need it, then I'm sure she'll have me gift wrapped and delivered to your door step ASAP." Koenig chuckled.

"Well, good luck, Miss Saotome," the man said, shaking her hand.

"Thanks Doc," Ranma said. "See ya around."

(oOO/Oo)

After Ranma left the shrink, she set out to visit the merchant district of Macross in search of a particular store. She grinned to herself as she thought about what she would be buying. It was, well, not something she ever expected to need to buy, but one she was surprisingly eager to purchase.

"Oi! Mum!" Ranma turned and saw Vicki hurrying over to her. "Hello there, Gorgeous, it's good to see you out and about!"

"It's good to be out and about," Ranma smiled.

"So are you feeling better?" Vicki asked with a concerned tone.

"Yeah, I am," Ranma answered with a smile. "Very much better, thanks."

"Fantastic, what," the Brit gushed. "So that means you'll be coming back to work? We all miss you, even the ones that won't admit it."

"I got cleared to return to flight status today," Ranma grinned. "How are my...the girls?"

"We're still 'your' girls, Mum," Vicki smiled. "They've been acting like a bunch of whiney bitches, sure. They need their Mum back to set them straight."

"Well, we'll just have to take care of that, won't we?" Ranma winked at her.

"Look, Mum, I'm sorry about how you've been treated," Vicki said sadly. "T'wasn't right. I think most of them are seeing that now."

"You don't have to apologize, Vicki," Ranma said. "You and Tia, you both stood by me. The rest of them don't have to apologize either. I perfectly understand where they were coming from. What you all saw was...mind blowing and scary."

"It definitely pegged the weirdness dial," Vicki giggled. "But seriously, it doesn't matter. You've been a fine CO and never given us a reason to doubt you. They should have seen that and given you the benefit of the doubt. They're coming around though."

"Well, that's good to hear," Ranma admitted.

"So, Mum, what brings you down here?" Vicki grinned. "Doing a little shopping are we?"

"I'm looking for a diamond," Ranma grinned. "The carbon based kind as opposed to the bubbly British kind."

"Oh you..." Vicki slapped her shoulder. "A diamond you say? Well, you've managed to run into the right girl, what. There's a reason behind my call sign. Let's go, I'll help."

With that Ranma found herself being dragged bodily behind the enthusiastic British girl. She brought them right to the jewelry store, obviously knowing right where it was and having been there many times before.

"Vicki, how wonderful to see you again," the store's proprietor said merrily. "It's been what, at least 24 hours!"

"Oh stop," Vicki said with a giggle and presented Ranma to the woman. "This is my Mum and she's looking for a diamond. Mum this is Beth, purveyor of all your sparkling needs."

"Your Mom?" Beth raised an eyebrow.

"Of Course," Vicki enthused. "She's our squadron CO. How much more motherly can you get than that?"

"Pleased to meetcha," Ranma said, blushing.

"So 'Mum'," Beth grinned, "What sort of diamond are you interested in? In what sort of setting?"

"I'd like to look at your engagement rings, please," Ranma said shyly, inadvertently setting off an explosion of feminine glee in all its terrible glory right next to her.

Vicki squealed in excitement and glomped Ranma jumping up and down with her.

"Oh Mum that's fabulous!" the Brit gushed. "Commander Hayes finally managed to get through that stubbornness of yours, what? Did it take dynamite? Symtex? A nuke?"

"An overloading reflex furnace actually," Ranma blushed.

"No kidding?" Vicki said, a little shocked that an explosion actually was involved.

"No kidding," Ranma giggled.

Beth showed them the rings she had available. She had a surprisingly large selection given that they were salvaged from Macross Island after the fold. Beth intimated that she had banked on engagement rings being a hot item and she and her husband, who was a jewelry maker, had taken other pieces and made them into engagement rings.

Eventually, after much discussion, Ranma decided on a gold and platinum band with a 1 carat solitaire flanked by two smaller emeralds that matched Lisa's eyes. It cost here nearly a years salary but she had a lot saved up, not having spent much during her time in the military. Taking her purchase, Ranma thanked Beth, who thought it strange for a girl to buy her own engagement ring, and left with Vicki.

"Oh, Commander Hayes is going to just adore it," Vicki gushed...still. "I'm so happy for you! So when are you going to ask her?"

"Actually I already have," Ranma confessed. "It felt right at the time and her answer was...passionate."

"I bet it was," Vicki smirked. "But still, you should have a party. Propose to her in front of everyone."

"I dunno, Vicki," Ranma said. "I was kinda planning on doing it in...er...rare form."

"Oh, well, you could do it in front of your friends that know," Vicki suggested.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to insult anyone by not inviting them," Ranma said.

"Like who?" Vicki asked.

"Well, like I would like to invite my 'daughters' but at least one of them doesn't know," Ranma said. "At least I don't think she knows yet." Vicki shook her head. "And then there's the others that might not want to see me in rare form."

"So why are you doing it in 'rare form'?" Vicki asked. "I mean, you said you were a girl now."

"True, but Lisa likes my rare form," Ranma explained. "Don't get me wrong, she likes this form as much or better, but if I know Lisa, she's planning on turning the tables on me. She likes the role-sharing aspect of our relationship. You know, she likes to take the lead when we are girls, but she likes me to take the lead when I'm in rare form. So I imagine, she'll be the one proposing to me in this form and I'll be sporting a ring. So I'll propose to her the other way. That way it balances out." Vicki laughed.

"That must be a really interesting relationship you both have," Vicki said happily.

"Yeah, it has its rewards," Ranma grinned. "I'm just lucky I found someone like her, that doesn't mind either form and is happy with me being female most almost all the time."

"Well, it's like I always say," Vicki said sagely, "there's someone out there for everyone. Although I must confess, I suspect there are several someone's that would adore being in Commander Hayes' place."

"Oh?" Ranma asked. Vicki just grinned enigmatically and said nothing.
TBC

Chapter 15

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 15

October 2009...

"Lisa, I can't go to the party like this," Ranma protested as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Why not, Sweetie? You look stunning," Lisa said, giving her a leer. "You look so good I'm having doubts as to whether we're going to make it to the party at all."

"That's just it, Lisa," Ranma said. "This is Minmei's night to be the center of attention. It wouldn't be right to take that away from her."

Ranma looked in the mirror again at the black silk cheongsam she wore. It was embroidered with a dark pink and silver dragon that had become her trademark ever since the Wild Rose's presented her with her helmet before the show back on Launch Day. The material clung to her curves and the split went nearly to her waist. On her feet were three inch black pumps. Her hair, out of its typical braid cascaded down her back to just below her shoulder blades in silky luxuriant crimson waves.

"Minmei asked that you wear that tonight," Lisa argued.

"I look like a walking advertisement for hot passionate sex," Ranma snickered.

"I'll take a lifetime supply, please," Lisa whispered huskily in Ranma's ear, sending shivers down the smaller girl's spine. Lisa licked the edge of Ranma's ear and giggled as the redhead's arms broke out in goose flesh. She forced herself to step away before things got out of hand.

"Yeah, well, I don't see why you get to wear that," Ranma said, gesturing at Lisa's black silk pantsuit.

"Well, Sweetie, that's simple," Lisa said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Somebody has to wear the pants in the family." Ranma rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Ha ha, very funny," Ranma said sarcastically.

"Oh lighten up, Sweetheart," Lisa giggled. "Let's go. It'll be fun. I promise."

She offered Ranma her arm and the two headed for the White Dragon.

(oOO/Oo)

"Ranma! You came! And Lisa got you to wear the cheongsam!" Minmei squealed happily. "You look so great!"

Ranma looked at Mimei and began to suspect that something was afoot. The Chinese girl appeared to be the exact opposite of her, wearing a red cheongsam with a black and gold dragon on it. In contrast, her black hair was done up in odango and she had black slippers on her feet.

"Hi Minmei," Ranma said. "Of course I came to your party. I wouldn't miss it. Um...what's going on?"

"Come in," Minmei motioned. "Hey Lisa, nice to see you, and thanks for coming." She winked at Lisa and led them over to a table where Roy and Claudia were already seated.

"Ranma, Lisa, hey girls," Claudia grinned. "Good to see you."

"Yeah, I heard you're back on flight status, young lady," Roy said with a grin. "It'll be good to have my best pilot back out there. I was getting worn out carrying the load all by myself." He saw Ranma's expression darken with guilt he quickly added, "Hey don't sweat it, Kiddo. Nobody holds it against you. Not even I went for two straight years of combat flying. You needed a break. We were happy to pick up the slack."

"It wasn't two years of combat flying," Ranma protested.

"Well, you had a six month gap in there of just stressful flying," Roy smirked. "Who's counting? Anyway, it's good to have you back where you belong, Kiddo."

"Thanks Roy," Ranma said.

"Hey look, it's our newest squadron commander," Roy said looking toward the door.

Ranma and Lisa turned toward the door and saw Rick Hunter standing there talking sheepishly to Minmei.

"What, him?" both Ranma and Lisa exclaimed at the same time.

"Now, now, you two, play nice," Roy chuckled. "Rick has shaped up to be a fine Veritech pilot. Who do you think kept the aliens off of you on Mars while you were convincing Lisa to come back to the ship?"

"You mean I'm responsible for getting him promoted?" Lisa asked in dismay.

"Yup," Roy grinned. Lisa and Ranma groaned. "That's his squadron behind him."

They looked back over at the young man in question. Behind him stood a large slab of a man with wild hair. Next to the man-mountian was a character straight out of Ranma's favorite anime, Cowboy Bebop. The man was tall and skinny, almost bird-like. He was clearly African in descent and he had an afro that easily stood out ten inches from his head.

"Damn," Ranma said. "If he had a Welsh Corgi with him I would swear he was Akiim."

"That's Ensign Malcom '8 ball' McCorkle," Roy supplied. "Next to him is Ensign Ben 'Moose' Dixon."

"How does he get a helmet on with that 'fro?" Claudia wondered.

Minmei seated them as Lisa and Ranma were brought tea.

"Guess what, Kiddo," Roy said to Ranma.

"What's that?" Ranma asked.

"You're getting some new pilots tomorrow too," Roy said.

"Pilots?" Ranma questioned. "As in plural?"

"Yeah," Roy grinned. "We shaved off the top two brand new ensigns and are assigning them to Wild Rose. Since you're officially a combat squadron now, we are bringing Wild Rose to three full flights."

"Where are the other three coming from?" Ranma asked.

"I've approved three transfer requests from three top rated female pilots that wanted to be in your squadron in a bad way," Roy grinned. "You have developed a reputation, both you and you're 'daughters' and it seems that Wild Rose is nearly as desired a slot among the female pilots as Skull is for the guys. Scuttlebutt has it that the Wild Rose CO is a tactical genius who cares about her pilots."

"Yeah, but what about the scuttlebutt that says my pilots don't care for me?" Ranma countered grimly.

"I haven't heard anything like that," Roy said. "I haven't seen any transfer requests to get out of Wild Rose."

"Hi everyone," Minmei's amplified voice interrupted the darkening thread of the conversation. "Thanks for coming to my sixteenth birthday party!" Applause sounded through out the room. "But it's not just my birthday party. I have a friend here tonight that just had her birthday a couple of days ago. She just turned 24! Ranma, please come up here with me!"

Ranma looked startled and looked around. Lisa nudged her.

"Go on," Lisa encouraged with a smile.

Nervously, Ranma rose and made her way to the small raised platform where Minmei was standing. Applause accompanied her journey.

"Isn't she beautiful for someone so old?" Minmei asked with a giggle. Ranma's eyes widened. Since when was 24 old? "I'm just kidding," Minmei laughed. "Now I have it on good authority that Miss Ranma has a very pretty singing voice. Would you like to here Ranma and I sing for you?" The applause and cheers were quite loud. "Well, if you want us to sing for you, then you have to sing for us first."

And sing they did.

"Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Minmei and Ranma,

Happy birthday to you."

This was followed immediately by a cacophony of indecipherable voices adding whatever lines they had tacked on in their family.

"Thank you everyone," Minmei said happily while Ranma just blushed, looking self-conscious. "What do you say, Ranma? Shall we sing for them?"

"Sure Minmei," Ranma said.

For the next hour the people at the party were treated to two very talented young singers as they sang several karaoke songs. Everyone was very impressed and enjoyed it immensely. When the impromptu concert ended, Ranma tried to slip off the small stage, but Minmei intercepted her, still playing to the crowd.

"Uh uh, Ranma," Minmei smiled at her. "Not so fast, young lady. You still have to get your birthday present. Sit right here."

Minmei shoved Ranma toward a chair her uncle had just placed in the middle of the platform. Ranma looked confused, but did as she was asked. She wondered why people liked making such a public spectacle out of her.

Then she saw Lisa coming up on the stage. When she got before Ranma she dropped to a knee.

"Happy birthday, my love," she smiled.

"Um...thank you," Ranma said nervously as Minmei stood by holding the mic so that everyone could hear what was happening.

"Ranma, now that I've put Karl behind me, and you've accepted the fact that I love you," Lisa began, "I want to ask you...Will you marry me?" She produced a ring and slipped it on Ranma trembling finger. Ranma never felt so feminine in her life. She decided it was a good feeling, as long as it was Lisa that was causing it.

"Of course I will, Silly," Ranma smiled brightly and kissed Lisa passionately.

The reaction from the crowd was mixed. Largely there was cheering and hoots of support, but a few people hadn't gotten the memo and were shocked at the blatant display of lesbian love between the SDF-1's XO and the CO of the RDF's former image squadron.

"So that's why," Rick muttered, finally understanding why tangling with either of these to women invariably brought down the wrath of the both of them on his head.

"Ah, man, what a waste," Ben complained. "Two women that beautiful not liking men, it's just screwed up."

"Shut up, Ben," Rick said harshly. "If they make each other happy then that's good enough. Besides, trust me on this, you don't want either one of them pissed at you. The redhead could kick your ass without breaking a sweat and the brunette can make you life hell."

"Yeah, right, boss," Ben scoffed. "Like I'm scared of some little thing like that."

"You ought to listen to him, man," Malcolm said. "I've seen her fight. She's an expert martial artist and fast like you wouldn't believe."

"And she's probably three times as strong as you, Ben," Rick said seriously. "She picked me up off the ground with one hand and tossed me around like a rag doll and it didn't take her much effort to do it either. And after she's done with you, Commander Hayes will have you on every shit detail that comes up. Believe me, cleaning the ship's heads for a month or scraping the damaged paint off the hull in a P-suit for 8 hours after a patrol really sucks."

"Well, then, I guess we should be nice to the ladies then, huh?" Ben laughed nervously, not sure whether to believe his comrades or not.

"Hey Hunter," Rick spun around and was looking up at the woman that populated his nightmares...well, they were mostly nightmares. He ducked his head instinctively and began making warding gestures. "I'm sorry! I'm Sorry! Whatever it is, I didn't mean it. Please don't hurt me."

"Oh calm down, Lieutenant," Ranma smirked. "You didn't do anything wrong...this time. Roy told me what you did for Lisa and me back on Mars. I just came over to say thanks. Maybe you're not so bad after all. I guess I'm saying that we can leave the past in the past and start fresh. Whaddya say?" Ranma stuck her hand out.

"Um...okay," Rick said nervously, taking her hand.

"Great!" Ranma grinned. "You're still stuck with your callsign though, Rickhead."

"It's okay, Lt. Commander," Rick grinned back ruefully. "I deserved it and I'm used to it now. I've always found yours to be fitting to, Dragon Lady."

Ranma snorted. "Well, good luck to you. Being a squadron CO is a lot of work. If you have any questions and Roy's not available, you can ask me if you want."

"Thanks Lt. Commander," Rick said.

"Sure," Ranma smirked. "Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, Lisa and I have some celebrating to do." She held up her hand and wiggled the ring there meaningfully.

"I don't know who to be more jealous of," Ben said softly, mesmerized by the redhead's undulating curves moving under the clingy black silk as she slinked off toward her fiancée.

"Couldn't handle either one of them, Moose," Malcolm laughed. "They'd chew you up and spit you out like a piece of cud."

(oOO/Oo)

Later that evening in the Captain's cabin, another small celebration was being held. This one consisted of the 'Inner Circle', the people that knew of Ranma's condition. The guest list included Captain Gloval, Dr. Lang (who had been briefed on Ranma's condition), Roy, Claudia, Vicki, Marissa, and Erin. Marissa and Erin were still undecided if they could get passed Ranma's condition, but they had come anyway. The remaining Wild Roses, either didn't know, or were still upset with Ranma and didn't come.

Ranma had disappeared into the bathroom a few minutes ago saying she had to powder her nose and had left Lisa in the company of Roy and Claudia. She was completely taken off guard when the talking stopped and everyone gathered closer to her. She looked up and found an extremely handsome man had knelt before her. She took in his masculine presence, dressed in a steel grey button down silk shirt and a pair of black slacks that did very little to hide his powerful male build. His raven hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and fastened at the nape of his neck. The familiar yin-yang pendant hung from his neck and took on a more masculine aspect than it normally did. His arresting ocean-blue eyes looked deeply into hers as he took her hand and raised it to his lips.

"Lisa," Ranma said tenderly, "your love and acceptance has meant everything to me. Had it not been for you, teaching me and supporting me, urging me to accept who I am and showing me that you wanted me in all aspects, I could have never come this far. Though I may not be comfortable with this body anymore, it's part of me and it belongs to you and you alone. Lisa, my love, will you marry me?" Much as Lisa had done earlier, Ranma produced the ring he had gotten for her.

"Yes, yes, YES!" Lisa said glomping him. They kissed passionately, taking their time, in spite of their audience. Eventually, Captain Gloval cleared his throat as the bounds of decorum began to become strained. The pair broke it up and stared smiling at each other as Ranma slipped the ring on Lisa's now trembling finger.

Everyone clapped and came up to congratulate the happy couple.

An hour later, the party broke up as everyone suspected that from the smoldering looks Ranma and Lisa were giving each other that their restraint would soon be exhausted and they'd end up making love right in front of them. Marissa, Erin, and Vicki were the first to leave.

"I have to admit," Erin said, "Mom isn't very good at being a man. I mean her body is certainly dreamy enough, but you can still tell there's a woman underneath it all."

"You noticed that to, huh?" Marissa said thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right, Vicki. Maybe it doesn't matter what she was born as. She's certainly a woman inside now."

"Bloody well right, that," Vicki grinned. "Still, I can't help but feel a little envious of Commander Hayes. That male form certainly makes me ooze. Too bad about the condition. T'was a waste of a good man, that."

"Somehow, I don't think Commander Hayes is letting 'him' go to waste," Erin giggled.

"Aye," Vicki smirked. "T'is a shame though. As Mum said, that body is for Commander Hayes' personal enjoyment and I reckon that we won't be seeing it much at all."

"Just as well," Marissa grinned mischievously. "You wouldn't want to find yourself lusting after your mom would you?"

The other two snorted mirthfully.

"Poor Akane," Vicki said sympathetically. "The poor thing has a serious crush on Mum, but she has no idea about the condition. Something tells me she won't take it well if she finds out."

"She is the poster child for the Militant Lesbian Movement, isn't she?" Marissa snickered.

"No kidding," Erin agreed.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma walked into the ready room and looked over her new charges.

"Good morning, Ladies," She said giving them a friendly smile.

"Good morning, Ma'am," was returned to her in chorus.

"Wasn't there supposed to be another one?" Ranma asked looking around the room. "Oh well, I guess we can start anyway. As you know, I'm Lt. Commander Ranma Saotome, the CO of Wild Rose. Please introduce yourselves, starting with you, Lieutenant."

"Hi, I'm Lieutenant Midori Ishida, Ma'am," the Japanese woman said. "I was in Sepia before transferring to Wild Rose."

"Welcome to Wild Rose, Miss Ishida," Ranma offered. "You next."

"Lieutenant JG Bertha Stott, ma'am," the very pretty statuesque auburn-haired Austrian woman answered with a slight Austrian accent. "I came from Wolf."

"Good to have you aboard, Miss Stott," Ranma nodded. "Next?"

"Lieutenant JG Hillary Freeman, Ma'am," the young black woman said shyly. "I transferred from Gold."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Ranma gave her a reassuring smile. "And how about you?"

"Ensign Angelique Vasquez, Ma'am," the tall black-haired Hispanic woman announced confidently. "This is my first flight posting."

"Very good," Ranma acknowledged. "Welcome aboard. Now then, for you transfers, I have to ask, why?"

"Because Wild Rose is the best, Ma'am," Bertha said. "I like the idea of serving under a female CO in an all female squadron that consistently outperforms other squadrons."

"Because of you, as well, Ma'am," Midori added. "You have a reputation for being fair and sticking up for your pilots."

"This is an elite squadron, Ma'am," Hillary supplied. "It's the most desired posting among the female pilots. Being a member of Wild Rose commands respect even from the Skull pilots."

"I see," Ranma said, pursing her lips. "Just so you all realize, we work as hard here as any other squadron. We don't get preferred assignments and because we do have a good performance record, we actually get assigned to a lot more flight duty that other squadrons do. I expect a lot from you all. This is something of an elite unit in that you have to exceed certain requirements to be assigned here. As such, expectations are higher..."

"Oh, um, sorry I'm late," a young blue-haired man said as he rushed in the room. "I was in the simulators and lost track of time. Ensign Max Sterling reporting for duty, Ma'am."

"W...what?" Ranma asked in surprise. "Ensign, are you sure you have the right ready room?"

"This is the Wild Rose ready room isn't it?" the young man asked uncertainly.

"Well, yeah," Ranma answered. "Are you saying you've been assigned to Wild Rose?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Max confirmed.

"But, Ma'am, he's a man," Bertha said in dismay. Ranma slapped her hand to her face and shook her head. They would do this to her.

"We don't discriminate here, Miss Stott," Ranma said, then turned to Max. "You do realize this is...was...an all female squadron, Ensign."

"Yes, Ma'am," Max answered. "I was given the opportunity to take another assignment in the mixed squadrons, but I didn't mind." Ranma sighed. This was going to cause some ruffled feathers.

"Okay, before any of you say anything," Ranma began, "you should know that this unit was never intended to be exclusively female. It's just that before now, no man ever made the cut, or if he did, he chose another assignment because we were all female. It seems Max here has met the requirements, so that's that. Max, please understand, we won't be making allowances because of the fact that you're male, with the exception of the locker room, which we'll have to work something out with. If you're going to be part of the team, then you'll have to deal with the pink veritechs, the pink flight suits, and all the ribbing you're going to get from the other male pilots. I will expect this not to affect your attitude or performance, understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am, really, I don't mind, Ma'am," Max assured her.

"Very well," Ranma sighed. She turned back to the others. "Look, I know you all expected this to be an all female squadron, and to be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are. I'm going to tell you the same thing I'm going to tell the others when I brief them, you will all treat Ensign Sterling with the same respect and courtesy as you would treat each other. I won't tolerate any discrimination in my command. If I hear of any, you will be called on the carpet and disciplinary action will be taken. If it continues, I will bust the offending party out of my command, is that clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" the four women answered crisply.

"That goes for you too, Mr. Sterling," Ranma said. "If you disrupt the harmony of my unit with any chauvinistic bullshit, I'll bounce you so fast you'll think you time traveled."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Max said just as crisply. "Thank you for giving me a chance, Ma'am."

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't be here if you didn't have the potential," Ranma said.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma was at her desk going through the personnel files of her newest additions when her five original pilots filed in.

"Yes?" she said looking up at them. Marissa stepped forward and placed a form in front of her. It was mostly filled out. "What's this?" Ranma asked looking it over.

"That's how you're going to win us back and prove you womanhood to us," Marissa said. "It's an entry form for the Miss Macross Pageant. All you have to do is sign it and do you're best in the pageant and we'll forget about your...condition."

Ranma gave them a hard look, meeting each other their eyes. They held her gaze unflinchingly except Vicki who looked apologetic and shrugged.

"Etu?" Ranma asked her.

"Sorry, Mum," Vicki smiled mischievously. "I thought it was a good idea."

"You all realize that I'm the type of woman that always felt that these things were an exploitative farce, right?" Ranma asked.

"Doesn't matter," Natalia said. "No man would be caught dead competing in a beauty pageant. It works even better if you feel it's exploitative. It will show that you are willing to sacrifice to win back our trust."

"So you're asking me to sacrifice my self-respect to smooth your ruffled feathers over something that was none of your business to begin with?" Ranma said coldly. "What makes you think that giving me this ultimatum will make me feel about you any differently than you feel about me right now?"

"I guess it depends on how much you want things back to normal," Cassie said.

"Frankly, I don't need your trust, or goodwill," Ranma said. "All I need is your professionalism and I don't need this," Ranma shook the form, "to get it. I am owed it as your superior officer and if I don't get it then I'll bust you out of my command."

The five women looked taken aback at Ranma's vehemence.

"Whoa, Mum, take it easy," Vicki said. "We didn't mean to offend you."

"And just what did you think would happen when you came waltzing in here issuing ultimatums to your commanding officer, huh?" Ranma demanded. "Damn right I'm offended."

"A man would be," Cassie sneered.

"Anybody would be, goddammit!" Ranma snarled.

"She does have a point," Erin admitted. "I'd be offended to if someone tried to force me to do something I thought was exploitative. As I recall, several of us were concerned with that when we were assigned to this squadron."

"I guess your right," Marissa said. "We fucked up, Mom, sorry." Ranma sighed windily.

"Look, I know this has all been fucked up for you," Ranma said. "I'm sorry for that. It's not that I don't want things to go back to the close-knit group we were, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my self-respect to get it. For sixteen years, I was exploited horrendously. It pisses me off when someone tries to do it now. Look, everyone pull up a seat. I'm going to tell you a story; the story of a boy who was taken from his mother at 6 by his thieving, abusive, piece of filth of a father."

The five of them sat down and for the next hour listened to the most horrible tale of child abuse they could have imagined. The only thing lacking was sexual abuse.

"Bloody hell," Vicki hissed. "How did you survive?"

"I don't know," Ranma said. "I just refused to give in."

"It's a miracle you're not in a padded room somewhere gibbering and rocking back and forth," Marissa commented.

They all looked at Ranma with new respect.

"Look, Ma'am," Natalia said, "we'll think about it. It would have been easier if you had agreed to prove your womanhood in the pageant, but I understand why you were upset about that."

"You want proof of my womanhood?" Ranma smirked. "Talk to my gynecologist."

(oOO/Oo)

"I can't believe they actually wanted me to enter a goddam beauty contest of all things as a way to gain their trust back," Ranma complained to Lisa over lunch.

"Why not?" Lisa said. "I think it's a great idea."

"Huh?" Ranma said in shock.

"Sweetie, this is not just a beauty contest," Lisa explained. "This is an event to build morale for the people on the ship. It's meant to take their mind off the war and the constant threat they are under every day. Even if it's for just one night. Whether you realize it or not, you, my love, are a very popular figure aboard this ship. I think the military elements would love for you to enter as their reprehensive and I'd be proud of my fiancée for doing something so noble for the people aboard this ship. You might even win. Then I could say I was engaged to Miss Macross and I'm not the only one that thinks you are the prettiest girl on the ship." Lisa grinned.

"Etu, Brute?" Ranma asked.

"Oh come on," Lisa smiled. "Don't be like that. It'll be fun."

"Yeah? Fun for who?" Ranma asked. "Fun for the people watching me squirm?"

"Nobody wants to see you squirm, Love," Lisa chuckled. "Well, I might, but only in the bedroom. You really should think about it."

"Alright," Ranma smirked. "You think it's such a good idea then you do it." Seeing Lisa's shocked expression, Ranma added, "Tell you what, I will if, you will." 'That ought to shut her up about it,' Ranma thought.

"Okay," Lisa grinned.

"What?" Ranma squeaked.

"Okay, we'll both enter the pageant," Lisa smirked. 'Uh huh, plan backfired on you didn't it, sweetie,' Lisa thought amusedly. "It'll be fun. You'll do better than me, of course, but I can live with that."

"How could I possibly do better than you?" Ranma asked. "You're gorgeous and elegant, smart and sophisticated. I'm just a good martial artist and a good pilot without many social graces."

"You sell yourself short," Lisa said. "You'll have a major support base among the military community."

"Yeah, well, we'll see," Ranma sighed. "I guess I can tell the girls they are getting their 'proof'."

(oOO/Oo)

"Okay, my flight leaders will be as follows," Ranma announced to her gathered squadron. "I will be leading Alpha flight. Bravo flight will be led by the XO, Lieutenant Savage. Lieutenant Demitri will have Charlie flight. Flying with me will be Ensigns Tendo and Sterling and Lieutenant JG Whitehall. Bravo will be getting Lieutenant's McKenna and Ishida, along with Ensign Vasquez. Charlie will have Lieutenant's JG Constantine, Freeman and Stott. Any questions? No? Okay, we have a patrol in a couple of hours so you're dismissed until then. Vicki, Marissa, Natalia, Cassie, and Erin, a word with you in my office please."

Ranma headed to her office and the five Roses followed her in, looking expectant.

"Well, you got your ultimatum," Ranma informed them. "I'm entering the stupid pageant."

"What?" Marissa said. "Why?"

"Lisa," Ranma answered. "She explained to me that unlike other things of this sort this pageant was more about morale than exploitation. She thought it would be a good idea and maneuvered me into it by entering with me. Will this satisfy you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Natalia said. "We'll even root for you."

The others all nodded enthusiastically.

TBC

Chapter 16

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

(A/N: I know having Ranma in the pageant isn't the most original idea in the world and at first I wasn't going to do it, but after much discussion, it was decided that it was pretty much obligatory. Sorry if you don't like it. This chapter is pretty light and mostly fluff which is a nice break for how heavy the previous chapters have been.

A note on battle aura...some of you have pointed out that I got the colors wrong. I disagree. Ranma hasn't learned to focus her ki though emotions yet, at least not consciously. However, this Ranma has a lot of anger and fury inside her, hence the blue aura when it manifests, usually when someone ticks her off. Ranma's confidence aura in the anime was usually yellow/gold, not blue. Akane's aura when she was extremely furious was blue, ergo, Ranma's aura is blue, representing her fury.

Thanks everyone for reviewing.

Chapter 16

"Gunsight 1, Wild Rose Lead, we have inbound enemy attack force 3 o'clock relative," Lisa said on the Tac-net. "We are scrambling fighters to intercept. They'll get there faster than you will. Maintain your patrol off the port side of the ship against the possibility of a sneak attack. Vermillion Squadron will be joining you shortly."

"Roger, Gunsight 1," Ranma said. "Alright, you heard her people. Look alive and keep your eyes open for a possible sneak attack."

"There they go," Marissa said as explosions began to bloom in space on the opposite side of the SDF-1.

"Vermillion Lead, Wild Rose Lead, we are in route to your position," Rick said over the Tac-net.

"Roger, Vermillion Lead," Ranma acknowledged as the screams of the dying began to come over the Tac-net. "Take up a position half way between us and the SDF-1. You take out anything that might get by us."

"Roger, DL, you got it," Rick said.

"Hey boss, the fighting's over there, how come we gotta be over here to baby sit a bunch of girls?" Ben asked. Rick groaned.

"Shut up, you idiot," Rick said. "Those 'girls' happen to be the top rated squadron in the RDF. And the reason we're here is because we were ordered to be here and not there. And those 'girls' are probably babysitting us."

"Contact! Inbound 10 o'clock relative," Marissa said.

"Roger, Storm," Ranma said. "Wild Rose, break and engage. Rickhead, stay put and catch whatever gets though us."

"Roger DL," Rick said.

"Alright people, stay on your wingman," Ranma ordered.

The enemy battle pods came screaming in and began exploding as Wild Rose began to dance through them. Akane stayed glued to Ranma's wing as they took the right flank of the force while Vicki and Max took the left flank. The other Rose flights took the top and bottom of the enemy formation and began to tear apart the outer pods.

"Come on, Boss," Ben said. "Look they're getting through. I'm going in!"

"Moose, get back here...ah, man," Rick said.

Suddenly a brown Veritech charged right into the middle of the enemy formation and immediately had four battle pods on its six.

"Oh crap, I can't shake'em!" Ben said, starting to panic.

Suddenly two Veritechs came in and laid waste to the four battle pods about to annihilate Ben's Valkyrie.

"Hey thanks!" Ben said.

"Yeah? How's it feel to owe your life to a couple of girls?" Akane asked, amused.

"Get the hell out of the middle of the formation, you moron," Ranma said. "We can't keep them off you forever."

"Oh yeah, sorry," Ben said, going back to rejoin on Rick who had followed Ben in but stopped short of entering the formation.

Wild Rose continued to battle it out with the enemy, breaking up their formation into a swirling dogfight. The enemy battle pods were no match for the elite squadron, but there were a lot of them.

"Hey, Rickhead, since you're here, you might as well bring your boys in to play," Ranma said. "Just try not to get in our way."

"Roger that DL," Rick said. "Alright Vermillion, let's engage, but stay on my wing."

"Ah ha!" Ranma said, "And just where do you think you're going mister officer's pod." She had spotted a unit intel had designated an officer's pod and about ten battle pods trying to sneak around them. "Wild Rose Alpha, join on me. We are going after the officer's pod and his company. Everyone else, the others are all yours."

"Gee, thanks, Mom. You're so generous," Marissa quipped.

"I try," Ranma replied. "Okay, listen up Wild Rose Alpha. The officer's pod is mine. You guys take care of the rest, got it?"

"Roger, Mom," Akane said.

Ranma flew in and launched her missiles at the officer's pod. The pod deftly evaded and began to return fire. Ranma jinked around the return fire and shifted to battloid mode, firing a burst from her cannon which scored a hit but only caused minor damage to the pod's armor.

The swirling fight carried them to the surface of the SDF-1. The pod landed on the surface and whirled around to fire a burst of energy bolts at Ranma. Ranma leaped over the bolts and cut loose with her cannon. The cannon rounds stitched up the pod's right arm and blew it off at the mount. The enemy pod responded by leaping off the surface of the SDF-1 and coming down from above Ranma, firing all its remaining weapons in an attempt to overwhelm her. She wasn't falling for it.

Ducking and somersaulting forward she came up facing the back of the pod and ripped another burst of cannon fire into it. This time one of the legs blew off and it fell to the surface of the SDF-1 thanks to the artificial gravity field that surrounded the ship.

Ranma stalked up to the enemy pod and was about to administer the coup de gras when something really odd happened. All the enemy pods in the area began to disengage and leave. She was so surprised that she missed her chance to finish the officer's pod as it too managed to fly off.

"Hey they're all leaving," Vicki said.

"That's strange," Marissa said. "Usually they don't quit until they are all destroyed."

"Wild Rose Lead, Gunsight 1, enemy is breaking off, should we pursue?" Ranma asked.

"Negative Wild Rose Lead," Lisa said. "Let them go. All squadrons, disengage and return to the ship. Good work people."

"Roger, Gunsight 1," Ranma said then switched to the squadron channel. "Alpha flight, status?"

"Wild Rose Two, fully operational," Akane said. "Ammo down to about 50 percent."

"Wild Rose Three, took some hits, but superficial damage only," Vicki responded. "Ammo down to about 40 percent. You should have seen Maxine go though. He's good. Almost as good as you and Fury, Mom." There were a few snickers at the nickname over the comm.

"Wild Rose Four, fully operational," Max said crisply. "Ammo down to 25 percent. Maxine?"

"Don't worry about it, Four," Ranma chuckled. "It's called acceptance into the ranks. It was an all female squadron until you came along."

"Roger...Mom," Max acknowledged.

"Bravo Flight, status?" Ranma asked.

"All units operational, Mom," Marissa said. "Took some hits but not bad. Ammo's down to around the 25 percent range."

"Charlie Flight, status?" Ranma continued.

"Took enough damage to keep the maintenance crews busy for a while, but everyone is moving," Natalia reported. "Ammo also around the 25 percent range."

"Roger, Ice," Ranma said. "Good work, Kids." She switched to Vermillion's channel. "Hey Rickhead, how'd your boys do?"

"Three got shot up pretty bad," Rick replied. "I'm dragging him back. I think he'll live though, even if his Veritech is scrap. Two did great. Minor damage to both of us. Low on ammo though. I have to admit, you guys are something else. Saved our butts a couple of times in that furball."

"Roger, I'll pass that on," Ranma said. "I need to talk to you when we get back aboard."

"Roger," Rick said glumly, figuring he was going to get a strip torn off about Ben's behavior. "I'll meet you at your office."

"Roger," Ranma said.

(oOO/Oo)

"Yo Stick!" Max looked around to see some of his veteran female teammates bearing down on him.

"Stick?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Marissa grinned. "Vicki was telling us what a 'hot stick' you are." She made control stick movements with her right fist.

"And, you are the proverbial rooster in the henhouse," Natalia smirked.

"And since you didn't have a callsign," Erin said.

"Your callsign is now 'Stick'," Cassie finished.

"Hope you like it, cause you're bloody well stuck with it now," Vicki giggled.

"I was pretty good, wasn't I?" Max bragged.

"You kept up," Vicki grinned. "But don't get cocky. Mom and Akane don't like cocky guys and they can both still fly your wings off. Akane takes particular pleasure in crushing male egos for some reason."

"Um...yeah...okay," Max said nervously.

"Yoohoo, Maxiiiiine," a man called out in falsetto. "Didn't you look just adorable in your little pink flight suit?" The man's buddies laughed.

"Oh thsop," one of them lisped. "He waths the height of fathsin. Fit right in withs the rethst of the girlths." Again around of laughter.

"Guess he couldn't handle being in a real man's squadron so he had to fly with the girls," another chuckled.

At this point Wild Rose closed ranks around Max. Erin took one arm and Cassie took the other.

"Don't listen to them, Stick," Marissa said. "They're just jealous that they don't get to fly with not only the best pilots in the RDF, but the most beautiful too."

"Heh, like we would want to fly with a bunch of silly girls," the first guy said. They were all new ensigns and probably knew Max from training.

"Like we would LET a goober like you fly with us," Natalia sneered. "You couldn't keep up. Ask some of the real pilots in your unit and they'll tell you why Wild Rose is an elite squadron."

"That's right, Peters," a man said from another group that walked up, obviously veteran pilots. "Wild Rose is the top ranked squadron on the ship. They consistently beat every other squadron in enemy kills and out right flying, even Skull squadron. So I'd shut my pie hole, Cherry."

"Come on, Stick," Erin said. "We're all going to the White Dragon for dinner. Just think, you get to have dinner with a bunch of beautiful women, while that loser over there has to have dinner with his loser buddies."

With that the Wild Rose's walked off in a group, Erin and Cassie still wrapped around Max's arms. The Veteran pilots winked and grinned at him, while Max turned up his nose haughtily at the ensigns that were teasing him. The ensigns also receive dark glares from the rest of the Wild Roses who had joined them by this time.

"Kid must be pretty good for them to have closed ranks like that this soon," one of the vets said. "Hey, Peters, since you're a cherry and all, I think you need a heads up. There's a list of people on this ship that you DO NOT want to antagonize. The CO of Wild Rose is the first one on the list. Not only is she a master level martial artist and the best hand to hand fighter on this ship, once she gets done kicking your ass, you have to deal with Commander Hayes, the ship's XO. She'll make your life hell by seeing you assigned to every shit detail there is. Besides her, if you antagonize the Dragon Lady, you will have a pack of rabid Marines that are fiercely loyal to her out looking for you. The second name on the list is Commander Hayes, because if you piss her off, you also piss off the Dragon Lady. See note one. Captain Gloval and the CAG come further down the list, but you don't want to piss them off either."

"Yeah, right," Peters said. "It can't be that bad." There was a general chorus of scoffs from the vets.

"You don't think so? Ask Rickhead Hunter about how bad it is," the vet chuckled. "And he had the benefit of being an old friend of the CAG. Who's gonna save you?"

(oOO/Oo)

'Rickhead' Hunter was currently waiting outside Ranma's office for her to arrive. He soon spotted Ranma coming down the corridor and he came to attention, saluting.

"Lieutenant Rick Hunter, reporting as ordered, Ma'am!" he said crisply. He relaxed slightly when he saw Ranma smirk.

"At ease, Lieutenant," Ranma said returning his salute.

"Ma'am, I'd like to offer my apologies for Ensign Dixon's behavior," Rick said. "He was out of line."

"That he was Lieutenant, but don't worry about it," Ranma said, leading Rick into her office. "I'm not mad at you about it. We are here to discuss Ensign Dixon's behavior though. Have a seat."

"Yes, Ma'am," Rick said, sitting. "What did you want to talk about?"

"You need to step on Dixon for what he did out there today," Ranma said. "And you need to step on him hard, before he gets himself killed."

"Ma'am the poor guy's in sickbay, already," Rick said.

"Doesn't matter," Ranma said. "If you don't hang paper on him at least for disregarding orders, he'll continue to just charge in until one day somebody won't be there to bail him out. I know you want to be pals with your pilots. I'm the same way. But it's better to have a living pilot that may not like you than a dead pal because you didn't establish who was in charge when you should have. Believe me, writing letters to parents explaining why you allowed their child to die sucks big time." Ranma's eyes looked haunted for a moment. "You're his CO, so you need to take care of the discipline in your squadron. Roy would be telling you the same thing I am."

"So what would you do, Ma'am?" Rick asked.

"Well, I'd call him on the carpet and have a serious discussion about the chain of command," Ranma said. "I'd point out that he's at the bottom and isn't privy to some information that those further up the chain are. I'd also point out that whether he thinks so or not, people above him have more experience than he does and can better judge the tactical situation. You could also point out that charging into the middle of an enemy formation is tactical idiocy. Then I would tell him that I was putting an official reprimand in his file for disregarding orders. And then..." Ranma trailed off and grinned wickedly.

"You'd have him cleaning the heads for a month," Rick finished.

"You got it," Ranma said, with a bright smile. "See, I knew you'd learn eventually. Look, I'm not saying you should do this just because the guy ran his mouth and I want him punished for it. I'd do that myself if I felt it was necessary. I'm giving you advice to keep the guy from getting killed by his own stupidity. We, as fighter pilots, are brash by nature. We have to be to do what we do, but there's a limit to how brash we can be before it becomes stupidity. I'm sure you know that line well by now."

"Okay, Ma'am," Rick said. "I'll talk to Roy about it and see what he says."

"By all means," Ranma said. "Just be careful what you take to Roy if you want to keep it 'in house'. I know Roy is your friend and mentor. He's the same for me, but if it's something serious, he may feel that he has to step in in an official capacity to take action."

"Understood," Rick said. "Thanks, Ma'am."

"No problem," Ranma said. "I meant what I said about being available if you have questions. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet the kids for dinner."

(oOO/Oo)

November 2009...

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Ranma griped as she and Lisa looked at the video commercial for the Miss Macross Pageant. "It's embarrassing putting myself on display like that."

"You don't seem to mind in our quarters," Lisa teased, making Ranma blush.

"Yeah, well, that's different," Ranma replied.

"Oh lighten up, Sweetie," Lisa smiled. "It'll be fun. You'll see."

"Riiight," Ranma said. "Just like a root canal. I don't understand why everyone feels compelled to put me in the spotlight."

"It's because you are a beautiful, charismatic, vibrant person," Lisa said. "You have an inner light that shines from you that makes everybody love you and want to see more of you." Ranma raised a sardonic eyebrow.

"Are you done, or should I go get a shovel?" Ranma quipped. "'Cause it sure is getting deep."

"Hey!" Lisa protested. "It's true you know."

"Sounds to me like you just described yourself pretty well, but I don't see people trying to force you to make a spectacle of yourself everywhere we go," Ranma argued.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Lisa asked. "Obviously you haven't. I'm plain compared to you. Your body screams for attention. You have bright scarlet silky hair, really nice breasts, a tiny little waist, classic baby making hips and the most beautiful ocean blue eyes. That's enough to get you noticed, but the clincher is when they talk to you. You're intelligent, friendly...most of the time, you have an air of confidence, like no situation is beyond your control, yet at the same time you have an air of vulnerability. You have a fantastic singing voice. You're real, and honest, with a strong sense of honor, but not innocent."

"Wow, is that really how you see me?" Ranma asked with a sense of wonder.

"Well, yes, Silly," Lisa said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why do you think I love you so much?"

Suddenly, Lisa found herself glomped. Ranma held her tightly and buried her face in Lisa's breasts and trembled for a minute, overcome with the emotions and love she felt for this woman.

"God, I love you so much," Ranma said at last, giving a slight sniffle and wiping under her eyes with the back of her hand. "Sometimes I feel like I'm going to explode from the intensity of it."

"I feel the same about you, love," Lisa said stroking Ranma's hair. "Come on, we have to get to rehearsal."

"Thanks, Lisa," Ranma said softly. "For being you. For loving me."

"You make it very easy, love," Lisa said with a gentle smile.

They walked off down the street, holding hands and leaning into each other.

(oOO/Oo)

December 2009...

The lights dimmed at the Macross City Amphitheater and the Miss Macross theme music began to play. The crowd watched excitedly as a laser holographic lightshow played out above them before finally spelling out 'Miss Macross' above the stage.

"Welcome everyone, to the first annual Miss Macross Pageant," the announcer said. "Tonight ladies and gentlemen, you will see 28 of the most beautiful women found anywhere compete for the title of the very first Miss Macross! The contestants will be scored by our panel of judges in three events: Personality, the Swimsuit competition, and the Talent competition. Once the judges have selected the five finalists it will be up to the audience and the viewers to vote for their favorite girl. The girl with the highest number of votes will crowned the very first Miss Macross and will win this prize..."

A sleek two seat personal ducted fan jet rose up out of the stage.

"This sleek little two seater is the very latest in Robotechnology," the announcer claimed. "Designed by the top Robotech designer and produced right here in Macross City, this little bird can reach nearly the speed of sound and has intercontinental range. It also has limited out of atmosphere capability although it must be carried into orbit and can't reenter on its own.

"But that's not all, ladies and gentlemen; Miss Macross will also receive contracts with the music and movie industry. Now let's meet our contestants."

The fan jet sunk back into the stage as the curtain rose to reveal a line of 28 women all dressed casually and in different poses. The announcer began to introduce them, beginning with their contestant number and giving a little blurb about them.

"Contestant number 10, Miss Ranma Saotome," the announcer called.

The clapping and cheering from the audience was noticeably louder than for the previous contestants. Ranma gave a bright grin, a little wave and flashed a victory sign as she stood in her typical black uniform, with dark gray shoulder stripes and collar with vivid purple piping between them. The black skirt came to just above her knees and on her feet were her standard black flats.

"Miss Saotome, at 24 years old, is an ace fighter pilot and the commanding officer of the top ranked Wild Rose Squadron. In addition to that, she is also a master martial artist and a 'pretty good cook'." The crowd cheered wildly.

"Contestant number 11, Miss Lisa Hayes," the announcer continued.

As with Ranma, the cheering and applause was noticeably louder for Lisa than it had been for the previous girls. Lisa was also wearing her typical white uniform with blue piping and a yellow collar. Her skirt was a little longer than Ranma's and she wore white low-heeled pumps.

"Miss Hayes, the ship's First Officer, is the highest ranking female officer about the SDF-1. A product of over a hundred years of Hayes family military tradition, and at 25 she is the youngest female officer ever to reach the rank of Commander and be the first officer aboard a ship." The crowd cheered for Lisa as she gave a shy smile and waved to them.

"Contestant number 12, Miss Lynn Minmei," the announcer announced.

The cheering and applause for Minmei matched that for Ranma and Lisa. Minmei smiled a beatific smile and gave the crowd a wave as she stood on the stage in her modest green dress.

"Miss Minmei, originally from Yokohama, moved to Macross to help her aunt and uncle run their Chinese restaurant called the White Dragon. At 16, she attends Macross High and wants to be in the entertainment industry. Her hobbies are singing karaoke and writing her own songs." The crowd cheered loudly for the young woman as the announcer finished her blurb.

Moving on the announcer introduced the remaining contestants each receiving a lesser degree of cheering and applause with the exception of the last one, the famed actress, Jan Morris. However, not everyone was thrilled with the actress's presence on the stage.

"Gee, did you hear that applause?" Akane asked. "Mom might actually win this thing."

The Roses, Roy, and Rick's squadron had all sat together.

"Nah," Ben said. "That Minmei sure is cute and she got just as much applause as Lt. Commander Saotome did."

"Neither of them will win," Roy said knowingly.

"What do you mean?" Marissa asked.

"Well, isn't it obvious? This whole thing is just a publicity ploy to promote Jan Morris," Roy sneered. "Someone like that shouldn't even be up on the stage. She should be an honorary judge or something."

"So you think this contest is fixed?" Max asked.

"Nah, it can't be," Ben dismissed. "After all, the audience gets to pick the winner."

"We'll see," Roy said.

"Well, I'm still rooting for Mom," Akane said.

(oOO/Oo)

"Contestant number 10, Miss Ranma Saotome," the announcer announced.

The music played as Ranma gracefully strutted cat-like down the runway to stand before the microphone. She was wearing the same black dress she had worn to the Thanksgiving party and looked devastatingly sexy. The audience seemed to agree as they cheered loudly.

During this portion of the competition, the three judges, Mayor Tommy Laun, Captain Gloval, and Commander Brett Kingsley would each ask a question in which the contestant would have a given time to answer. Ranma didn't think she had a snowball's chance in a firestorm given that at least one of the judges knew for sure what she was. As she swayed her way up to the mic and positioned herself, she awaited the first question.

"Miss Saotome," Mayor Laun began, "tell us how you feel about being a soldier fighting in the war?"

"Well, Mayor, I've trained to be a warrior nearly all my life," Ranma said. "My desire to use my skills to protect people and make a positive difference in their lives has been the only thing that kept me going at times when everything else had been taken from me. While war is an ugly thing, I believe it is the duty and honor of a warrior to be the one to sacrifice a small amount of his or her humanity to protect others from those with ill intent and spare them that sacrifice. Though I don't enjoy the fact that we are at war, I feel my purpose is being fulfilled each day I go out and defend the people aboard this ship to the best of my abilities." The crowd applauded and cheered wildly as Ranma finished.

"Miss Saotome," Captain Gloval said in his Russian accent as the cheering died down, "how do you feel about being a woman?" Ranma could almost hear the smirk in his voice. She smiled and answered.

"To be a woman is to potentially be many things," Ranma answered. "A woman has many roles in society, a mother, a sister, a lover, a protector, a provider. She has the power to become whatever she wants to be. As a mother, she has the ability to give and nurture life. As a sister she has the ability to give her love and support freely to those around her. As a lover she has the power to stand beside her love and together make each of them more than what they could be apart. As a protector, she has the power to not just give life but to make the lives around her a little safer and a little more secure. As a provider, she is able to give warmth and comfort to those around her, providing for their needs and easing their hurts. To be a woman is to know the true power of humanity." Again the crowd cheered long and loudly.

"Miss Saotome," Brett asked as the applause died down, "who do you look up to and respect most in your life?"

"That's an easy one," Ranma smiled. "That person would be Lisa Hayes. She's very intelligent, professional, elegant, and sophisticated. She physically one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, but that pales when compared to her warm, caring personality. Lisa, in many ways, has long been my role model."

Ranma turned and swayed her way off the stage to the cheers of the audience. As she exited she paused and hugged Lisa who was to be the next out.

"Wow, that's going to be a tough act to follow," Lisa smiled at her.

"Nah, you do me one better," Ranma gave her a bright smile.

"Contestant number 11, Miss Lisa Hayes," the announcer called out and Lisa walked out on to the stage. She was also wearing the same dress that she had worn to the Thanksgiving party. She swayed sexily down the runway to stop before the microphone to the cheers and applause of the audience.

"Miss Hayes," the mayor asked, "As the highest ranking woman on this ship, how do you view yourself?"

"Stressed?" Lisa smiled jokingly, and the audience laughed. "But seriously, I see myself as having a great responsibility to the people aboard the SDF-1. I have to handle the day to day problems that come up with the running of the ship so that the captain can stay focused on bringing us home safely, but not only that. I also assist in planning for the defense of this ship and all aboard her while efficiently directing our forces in combat to assure they are as safe as possible and not taken by surprise. In spite of the power of my position, I view my role as serving others and helping them to perform duties that we all depend on." The crowd applauded.

"Miss Hayes," Gloval said as the applause died down, "what do you feel is your most important duty?"

"Professionally, that would be ensuring the safety and comfort of those aboard this ship," Lisa answered. "Personally, my most important duty is providing support and comfort to the one I love deeply. God forbid I would ever have to choose between the two." Again the audience applauded.

"Miss Hayes," Brett began as the applause died down, "who has inspired and influenced you most in your life?" Lisa smiled broadly with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"That would be Ranma Saotome," Lisa said confidently. "She has shown me that nearly any hardship can be overcome with determination and perseverance. Though having a harsh and brutal childhood, she has come through it with a strong sense of honor and is one of the kindest, strongest, most caring people I know." The crowd applauded wildly as Lisa turned and strutted off the stage.

"Contestant number 12, Miss Lynn Minmei," the announcer introduced.

Minmie walked gracefully down the runway in a purple cheongsam, looking very cute. The audience showed their appreciation loudly.

"Miss Minmei," the mayor asked, "tell us about your dreams for the future?"

"Oh, I want to be a professional singer," Minmei said. "And I want to find a handsome boy to love and who loves me and have a large family." The crowd applauded.

"Miss Minmei," Gloval asked, "have you any prospects on this particular boy?"

"Maybe," Minmei said, blushing cutely. "But I'm far too young to be considering that just yet. I'm still in high school." Minmei smiled brightly and the audience laughed and applauded.

"Miss Minmei," Brett asked. "If you had to choose between your dreams of career and love, which would you choose?"

"Well, my career wouldn't mean a whole lot without someone to share it with," Minmei said thoughtfully. "But if he truly loves me then he wouldn't ask me to choose."

Minmei left the stage to the wild cheers of the audience. The judges cycled through the rest of the contestants, ending with Jan Morris. Surprisingly, the audience was less than impressed with Morris' answers because they appeared slightly shallow and hinted at her superior opinion of herself. Still, when the judges eliminated the first 13 women, Jan Morris had made the cut.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma felt naked as she walked out on stage in her black bikini. The bottoms were high cut and made her taut legs seem to go on forever, and the waist darted down in the middle emphasizing her flat tummy and cute belly button. The top emphasized that she was indeed gifted with a competition set of breasts as it revealed a moderate amount of cleavage.

In spite of her self-consciousness, she strode gracefully down the runway in her black, three-inch heels to do a couple of turns. Her martial arts had left her body toned and tight, displaying just a little more muscle mass than the other girls. That didn't detract from her beauty if the audience's obvious appreciation was any indication.

She gave them a bright smile and returned to the back of the stage to take up the pose they had been taught, angled toward the end of the runway, right leg back, toe pointed outward with the left leg in front, knee slightly bent inward and the toe slightly outward, left hand on her hip with her right arm at her side.

She watched with no small amount of interest as Lisa made her way down the runway. Ranma felt her lust rising as she watched the way Lisa's derrière moved under her yellow, high-cut bikini bottoms. She admired the way her love did her turns elegantly and confidently and then enjoyed the way Lisa's more modest breasts jiggled slightly in her yellow top as she made her way to take her place beside Ranma. Ranma had to resist panting in desire as her eyes traveled along Lisa's seemingly endless sleek legs that ended in a pair of yellow heels.

Minmei came out next in a far more modest green, one-piece suit. She strutted gracefully down the runway and did her turns. On her way back toward the others, she had disaster befall her. Ranma felt crushing sympathy for the girl when one of her white heels broke and she took a spill. She was proud of Minmei though when after a few moments to collect her dignity she rose and bravely moved to her assigned place and stood with the rest of them.

Amazingly, when the names of the ten women that would be advancing to the next round were announced, Minmei had made the cut. So had Ranma, Lisa, and Jan Morris.

(oOO/Oo)

The next phase was the talent phase. Ranma was actually looking forward to this part. She had something special planned. When her turn came, she walked out onto the stage in an azure-blue, sequined mini-dress with matching heels. Her hair was done up in an 'up doo' and her make up was dramatic.

"I will be singing a song called 'Blue' written Yoko Kanno," Ranma said as she stepped up to the mic and removed it from its stand. "I would like to dedicate this song to all the friends we've lost in this war."

The amphitheater lights dimmed and a single spotlight illuminated Ranma, giving her an ethereal look. She was looking down at the floor as the song began with a choir singing a capella. Ranma stood unmoving during this part as if in prayer. Then the music began with a simple percussion beat accompanied by a blues guitar. On cue, she began to sing the lines in her smooth mezzo-soprano voice, at first not changing position.

"Never seen a bluer sky,

Yeah I can feel it reaching out,

(Ranma, still not looking up, extended her right arm skyward then made a fist as if grasping something before pulling her hand back down to shoulder level.)

And moving closer.

There's something about blue.

(Ranma let her arm go back to where she was holding the mic with both hands)

Asked myself what it's all for

You know the funny thing about it

I couldn't answer

No, I couldn't answer

(She shook her head as if in denial, still not having looked up)

Things have turned a deeper shade of blue

and images that might be real

may be illusion

Keep flashing off and on

(Suddenly, Ranma looked up toward the sky and extended her free hand with her fingers spread wide as she belted out the next lines as the music exploded with energy and power)

Free...

Wanna be free, Gonna be free

(She brought her free hand back to the mic, and leveled her gaze at the audience)

and move among the stars

You know they really aren't so far

(She again reached for the sky with her free arm, her voice rough and powerful with emotion as she sang the next two lines)

Feels so free...

Gotta know free... Please...

(Her hand and gaze came back down but her voice was still heavy with emotion)

Don't wake me from the dream

It's really everything it seemed

(Ranma made a fist as if holding on tightly to something and held it to her shoulder like she was holding something to her)

I'm so free...

No black and white in the blue

(Her voice came back down and smoothed out as she sang the last line and looked back down at the floor. The choir began to sing again over the continuing music and Ranma added her voice in wordless accompaniment. Slowly, the choir stopped and the music became softer and more peaceful as it was at the beginning)

Everything is clearer now

Life is just a dream, you know

that's never ending

I'm ascending"

(The last lines were sung with a reverent feel as her mezzo-soprano softened smoothly)

Ranma held her pose for a few moments after the music stopped. When she looked up the audience leaped to their feet and cheer wildly. She replaced the mic in its stand and bowed a few times before turning to leave the stage. The audience continued to cheer and applaud for a couple of minutes after Ranma had left the stage bowing.

"That was beautiful," Lisa said, hugging Ranma as she came backstage. "I'm starting to think Minmei and I got the short end of the stick, having to go behind you."

"Why's that?" Ranma asked receiving a hug from Minmei.

"Because after you, it's really hard to make an impression," Minmei pouted teasingly as Lisa headed out on the stage.

Ranma watched her as Lisa dedicated her song to 'the one she loved dearly'. The brunette did a very nice Diana Krall style rendition of the old Billy Joel song 'Just the Way You Are'.

"Knock'em dead, Kiddo," Ranma said to Minmei as she hugged Lisa. Minmei winked at her and went out on stage.

The raven-haired girl sang a song she had written called 'To be in Love'. The audience loved it and Minmei received a standing ovation as well.

(oOO/Oo)

"And now ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for," the announcer said. "Introducing our five finalists for the title of Miss Macross! Contestant number 10, Miss Ranma Saotome!"

Ranma came out on stage still in her blue sequined mini-dress, and bowed a couple of times as she took her seat on the stage to the applause of the audience.

"Contestant number 11, Miss Lisa Hayes!"

Lisa came out, also still wearing the black satin, spaghetti-strapped gown she had worn for her song. She bowed a couple of times as the audience cheered her.

"Contestant number 12, Miss Lynn Minmei!"

The crowd cheered loudly as Minmei took the stage, bowing as she moved to her seat beside Lisa. Ranma reached over and squeezed her hand in congratulations.

"Contestant number 23, Tara Wingate!"

The strawberry-blond girl came out as the audience applauded her. Minmei congratulated her as the girl sat beside her, as did Ranma and Lisa.

"Contestant number 28, Jan Morris!"

Morris came out blowing kisses to the audience as she took her seat with the others.

"Now it's up to you, the audience, to choose who will be crowned the first Miss Macross!" The announcer said. "You will now have five minutes to make your selections."

Three of the women that sat on the stage were calm and collected. Two were nervous and eager. Ranma and Lisa sat quietly chatting, neither expecting to win. Jan Morris sat haughtily keeping her own council, no question in her mind that she would win. Minmei and Tara were practically vibrating with excitement. For them, the five minutes seemed to stretch out for eternity.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you votes have been tabulated," the announcer said finally. "And the results are...Fourth runner up, Miss Jan Morris!"

Morris' eye widened in shock as she heard her self named fifth place behind these...these...nobodies. As the information was slowly processed in her brain she burst into tears and ran off the stage.

"Third runner up, Miss Tara Wingate!" the announcer said.

Tara stood and bowed to the applause of the audience and then sat back down, receiving the congratulations of the other three.

"Second runner up, Miss Lisa Hayes!"

Lisa stood and bowed to the audience as they cheered her loudly. As she sat back down, Ranma reached across her and took Minmei's hand reassuringly as the girl appeared to be about to faint.

"And the winner and new Miss Macross is..." the announcer made a dramatic pause as a drum roll sounded. "Miss Ranma Saotome!" The crowd exploded, on their feet cheering and applauding.

Ranma's eyes got big as saucers. She nearly fainted with embarrassment at having been named Miss Macross. She also felt incredibly guilty that she had taken this away from Minmei when she didn't even want to be here in the first place. She just sat in shock until Minmei and Lisa pulled her up out of the chair and gave her hugs of congratulations.

"Oh Minmei, I'm so sorry," Ranma said. "You should have been the one to win."

"Don't be sorry, Ranma," Minmei said cheerfully. "I finished second, which was a heck of a lot better than I expected to do. I am so proud of you!"

"So am I," Lisa said warmly. "Now get down there. They're waiting for you."

Ranma, still in a partial daze from the shock, moved out onto the runway. The officials came up to her and placed a sash around her that read Miss Macross. She was given a large bouquet of long-stemmed roses and a sparkling tiara was placed in her hair.

"Miss Saotome, what would you like to say now that you've been named Miss Macross, the most desirable woman on the ship?" the announcer asked her cheerfully.

"I...I...don't know what to say," Ranma stammered. "This was...so...unexpected. I really don't deserve this...honor."

"And she's modest too, ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer said brightly.

TBC

Dictionary of Acronyms and other Jargon

2IC--Second In Command

AMRAAM--Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile

APU--Auxiliary Power Unit

ATC--Air Traffic Control

AWACS--Airborne Warning And Control System

BDU--Battle Dress Uniform (fatigues)

BOQ--Bachelor Officer's Quarters

CAG--Commander, Air Group

CAP--Combat Air Patrol

CAS--Close Air Support

CBU--Cluster Bomb Unit

CO--Commanding Officer

ETA--Estimated Time of Arrival

GBU--Guided Bomb Unit

HARM--High speed Anti-Radiation Missile

JSDF-- Japanese Self Defense Force

LAV--Light Armored Vehicle

SAM--Surface to Air Missile

SDF--Super Dimensional Fortress

UNEDF--United Nations of Earth Defense Force

UNEDC--Untied Nations of Earth Defense Command

RDF--Robotech Defense Force

XO--Executive Officer (second in command)

Angels in reference to altitude is a navy thing, and is a way of saying flight level, which basically means adding three zeros on the number for the altitude reference. (JRA)

Port--left

Starboard--right

Chapter 17

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 17

December 2009...

"This is SO embarrassing," Ranma whined. "I hope you're happy. I can't even go into town anymore for fear of being accosted by my 'adoring fans'."

"Oh, I'm thrilled," Lisa smirked with amusement. "I'm marrying the confirmed most desirable woman on the ship." Ranma grumbled under her breath. "What was that, Sweetie?"

"I should have told them I was a man-hating, militant lesbian," Ranma quipped. "I'm never gonna live this down." Lisa snickered.

"At least they let you transfer the recording and movie contracts to Minmei," Lisa said.

"Yeah, but only if I agreed to sing at least one track on her album and the backups," Ranma pointed out. "I just don't understand how I managed to win the silly thing."

"Think about it, Love," Lisa said. "You had the biggest support base. All the Marines, most of the pilots and some of the crew, plus a good portion of the civilians. Minmei probably had some of the pilots and a majority of the civilians, while I had most of the crew and some of the civilians."

'You knew, didn't you?" Ranma accused.

"I suspected," Lisa giggled. "I wasn't sure about the civilians, but I knew you'd have the military vote sewed up. You're so cute when you're being indignant, you know that?"

Ranma couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.

"Come on, Sweetie, I'm hungry," Lisa said giving her a wicked grin and grabbing her hand.

"But Lisa, that's the bedroom," Ranma mock protested.

"Yup," Lisa said as she pulled Ranma in and kicked the door shut.

(oOO/Oo)

January 2010...

"Vermillion Lead, Gunsight 1, one of my Veritechs is damaged. We're returning to the ship," Rick said over the Tac-net.

"Vermillion Lead, if the damage is not major, we need you to stay out there," Lisa responded.

"Negative, Gunsight 1," Rick said. "It looks like a direct hit. Vermillion squadron let's bring it home."

"Lieutenant Hunter, are you refusing to obey a direct order?" Lisa asked, sounding irritated.

Rick got pissed. How dare she tell him to stay out here with one of his pilots in a damaged Veritech? He was just about to start running his mouth when he heard something shocking.

"Hold it a second, Gunsight 1," Ranma said. "Vermillion Lead, Wild Rose Lead, do you have a visual on the damage?"

"Roger, Wild Rose Lead," Rick said. "It looks pretty bed. He's loosing fluid. Looks like hydraulic."

"Roger, Vermillion Lead," Ranma replied. "It's your call, kid. The safety of your pilots is your responsibility. Gunsight 1, I hate to say it but Rickhead is right this time. He can see the damage. You can't. You can't make that call."

"But...but...I..." Lisa sputtered.

"Negative, Gunsight 1," Ranma said. "You don't send a soldier into battle with a broken sword unless he's all you got. We ain't that desperate yet. Besides, Moose has a hard enough time keeping a Veritech under him without starting out with a damaged one."

"Roger," Lisa said through clenched teeth. "Vermillion Squadron, return to the ship."

"Roger, Vermillion Squadron inbound," Rick said. "Thanks, DL."

"Yeah, well, don't go thinking I'm going soft on you," Ranma snorted. "But you were in the right this time."

"Somebody's sleepin' on the couch tonight," Akane teased over the squadron channel.

"Yeah, well, she'll get over it," Ranma chuckled.

(oOO/Oo)

Lisa was waiting for Ranma when she exited the locker room.

"Lt. Commander Saotome, I would have a word with you," Lisa said coldly.

"Sure, Commander, my office," Ranma walked away without bothering to see if Lisa was following. She opened the door and entered, moving to stand behind her desk. She heard the door shut and she turned. Lisa was standing by the door quaking with fury.

"Something on your mind, Commander?" Ranma asked causally. Sometimes it was just better to detonate the explosive device than sitting around waiting for it to go off.

"Where do you get off undermining my authority over an open frequency?" Lisa demanded angrily.

"Where do you get off trying to order a squadron leader to make his pilots stay out in a potential combat situation with a crippled aircraft?" Ranma fired back.

"That pilot said he was fine," Lisa snarled.

"That pilot also doesn't have the sense god gave a common dog," Ranma said. "Come on, we are talking about a cherry that charged solo right into the middle of an enemy formation and nearly got himself killed. He has way more balls than brains. Firstly, he couldn't see the damage to his plane. Rick could, and Rick made the right call when he saw it leaking fluid. What would have happened if he took that plane into combat and the flight controls failed because he lost hydraulic pressure? Wouldn't you have felt wonderful knowing that you’re the one that caused his senseless death? You don't have to write letters to parents explaining to them why you let their sons or daughters get killed. I've had to write two too many so far and believe me, it's not at all pleasant, Commander Hayes."

"How dare you..." Lisa began, but Ranma interrupted her.

"No, how dare YOU second guess the pilot that's out there looking at it," Ranma said. "Out there is combat, Commander Hayes. Out there is death. Out there is the cold airless vacuum. Out there, there is no room for unnecessary risks. If a pilot comes running back to base and there wasn't a good reason for it, charge him with dereliction, but don't by god second-guess him when he knows there is a problem. You're not the only person on this ship that happens to be a professional. You know damn good and well that Rick was following procedure. If your ego is too overblown to admit when you're wrong then one of these days you will get someone killed."

"Lt Commander, don't you speak..." Lisa all but screamed in rage before Ranma interrupted her again.

"Don't like the truth?" Ranma snarled. "Then charge me with insubordination, because I ain't gonna sugarcoat it for you when the lives of our pilots are at stake."

"So that's how it is?" Lisa growled.

"If that's the way you want it to be," Ranma replied. "You could just let it go, forget about the whole thing. Hell, you could even apologize to Lieutenant Hunter and admit you were wrong."

"Fine," Lisa said. "You want to forget about the whole thing? Sounds good to me. Here you can have this back, you...you...FREAK!" Lisa took her engagement ring off and threw it at Ranma.

Ranma didn’t even flinch when the ring hit her in the face and clattered across the floor. The furious brunette whirled and yanked open the door to see the whole Wild Rose squadron standing outside, looking everywhere but at her. She stood glaring at them for a moment before storming off down the corridor.

Ranma stood still for a moment and then grabbed the edge of her desk to steady herself on her suddenly rubbery knees, feeling like she had been kicked in the gut by a destroid. She began to shake.

The five original Rose's plus Akane filed in the room. Max started to come in, but Erin stopped him with a hand on his chest and mouthed the words 'girl talk'. Max nodded and he and the new members moved off as Erin shut the door.

"Hey Hon, you okay?" Vicki asked gently, putting her hand on Ranma's shoulder.

Ranma shook her head, dislodging a tear from the many gathering in her eyes. The tear fell down to splash on her desk. Vicki collected her in a hug.

"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry," Vicki said and the dam broke.

Ranma's body convulsed once, then again, and then she was being wracked with sobs. Through the sobs she began to speak.

"Why?" Ranma sobbed. "Why couldn't I keep my damn mouth shut? Why couldn't I just let her get it off her chest? Then everything would have been fine. No, I had to prove a goddam point. I had to be right. Why?"

The five other women in the room came over and joined the hug, offering their support. One of them even offered an answer.

"It's because you two have synced up again," Marissa said softly. "Honey, she didn't mean what she said. It was just the PMS talking. Just like it was making you stand your ground. You were right, by the way. A little harsh, but right none the less. It'll be alright in a few days. Once she calms down and realizes what she's done. You two love each other too much to let this end things."

(oOO/Oo)

February 2010...

Over the next four days, the SDF-1 saw many new developments. They had made contact with UNEDC and were told to not return to Earth to buy time for them to prepare for the enemy. The enemy, in a horrifying display of firepower, had destroyed a large asteroid that was more of a small planetoid, miring the SDF-1's movements in the resulting debris field after a carefully placed shot that took out their long-range radar. And Ranma and Lisa were still not on speaking terms. It was safe to say that morale among the bridge crew and the flight crews was at an all time low.

Captain Gloval was seriously considering spacing his XO as he listened to her dress down yet another poor bastard that had committed some unintentional and trivial gaff in procedure. That made the third one today and the shift just started two hours ago.

"Vanessa, have you finished plotting a course out of this debris field?" Gloval asked.

"Negative, Sir, the debris field is too large to plot all the debris with our short-range scanners," Vanessa reported.

"Try switching to long-range radar," Gloval ordered. "It's not like they don't know where we are anyway."

"Sir, long-range radar is still being repaired," Vanessa said. "Repair crews say it will be inop for another two days at least." Gloval muttered something under his breath in Russian.

"Very well, we will send out a Cat's Eye to be our eyes," Gloval said. 'And this with will give me a great excuse to get rid of that insufferable irritating woman for a while.' "Lisa, I want you aboard the Cat's Eye."

"But, Sir..." Lisa began to protest.

"DON'T argue with me, Commander!" Gloval said harshly, a clear sign that his patience was at its end. "I'm sure we are all competent enough to handle things without you here."

"Yes, Sir," Lisa said with resignation.

Meanwhile, while Lisa left the bridge, Claudia was putting her own plan into effect.

"Hey Roy," Claudia said into the phone.

"Yeah, Claudia?" Roy asked.

"Gloval is sending Lisa out in a Cat's Eye to scan for a path out of the debris field," Claudia said. "I think Lieutenant Commander Saotome should be the pilot of that Cat's Eye."

"Both of them in the same plane, are you crazy?" Roy asked. "They'll kill each other."

"Either that, or they'll make up," Claudia said. "Either way morale will improve."

"You have a point," Roy chuckled.

"It's Claudia's..." Claudia announced.

"And Roy's..." Roy played along.

"Operation: Get Them Back Together Or At Least To Kill Each Other So We Don't Have To Listen To The Whining Anymore!" both of them intoned at the same time.

(oOO/Oo)

"What are you doing here?" Lisa hissed as she walked up, seeing Ranma doing a preflight walkaround of the Cat's Eye.

"I'm flying this crate," Ranma said casually. "Commander Fokker wants me to evaluate the new addition of a defensive weapons system to the Cat's Eye during this mission. He said he wanted someone familiar with the weapons system to test it out. Since I assisted Lang in developing it, I got the job. What are YOU doing here, Commander?"

"The Captain ordered me to lead this mission," Lisa sneered.

"I see," Ranma said carefully. "Well, I'm a professional and this is a mission. I don't see where my personal feelings have any place here."

"Well, I'm a professional too," Lisa said haughtily. "I won't allow my personal feelings to affect the mission either." Ranma snorted. "And what's that supposed to mean?" Lisa's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Nothing," Ranma dismissed, unconcerned. "Doesn't mean a thing. Just so you remember, I'm in command of the aircraft."

Ranma climbed into the cockpit and set about securing her restraints as a chief assisted her by hooking up the leads from her flight suit and helmet that would form the neural link to the aircraft. Lisa was doing the same.

"You're all set, Lt. Commander," the chief said.

"Thanks Chief," Ranma said and hit the button to close the canopy. She ran though the preflight checklist as the Cat's Eye was pushed to the elevator and lifted to the deck. Finishing the list as the elevator reached the flight deck; she began the start up sequence for the aircraft's engines. "Let me know when you've finished your preflight, Commander."

"Preflight complete," Lisa said a minute later.

"Roger," Ranma said as she taxied the plane over and began staging on the cat. The cat crew did their thing and soon Lieutenant Flynn was giving Ranma the spool up signal. Ranma throttled the engines up and asked, "You ready, Commander?"

"I'm ready," Lisa replied and placed her hands on the assist handles on her windscreen frame to keep them from striking something inadvertently during the launch.

Ranma gave Moira the thumbs up and grabbed her own assist handle. Flynn gave the signal and the shooter released the cat, launching the recon craft into space where the rest of Wild Rose Alpha Flight awaited them to fly escort.

(oOO/Oo)

"Longview 4, Wild Rose escort, I have six battle pods, inbound, 10 o'clock relative," Lisa announced.

"Roger, Stick and I will take care of them," Vicki acknowledged. "Fury, stay with the Cat's Eye." Vicki and Max broke formation and streaked toward the incoming Zentradi.

"Wild Rose 2, break formation and go help them, we can look after ourselves," Lisa said.

"Ah, Ma'am?" Akane asked.

"Um...Commander," Ranma said, "Wild Rose is based on a four plane flight and they are used to flying with one wingman as opposed to the new three plane flight with two wingmen."

"Yeah so?" Lisa said. "Are you saying your pilots can't do it?" Ranma sighed.

"It's alright, Fury," Ranma said. "We can handle things here."

"Roger, Ma'am," Akane said. "Wild Rose 2 breaking formation and engaging the enemy."

"Commander, you had better hope that one of my pilots doesn't get hurt because you ordered them to use an unfamiliar formation," Ranma said.

"Is that a threat, Lt. Commander Saotome?" Lisa asked dangerously.

"No, it's an observation," Ranma replied calmly. "Because you're going to have to live with the consequences." They continued on in silence as the dogfight raged some kilometers away.

"SDF-1, Longview 4," Lisa said. "We are nearing position and are initiating data link."

At that moment several things happened. Lisa picked up the signature of one of the enemy capitol ships and Ranma spotted four battle pods jumping them from behind a large piece of debris. She began evasive maneuvers as enemy fire began to come in. Ranma brought them around and fired the defensive lasers to keep the battle pods at bay as she angled away from the larger ship. Unfortunately she hadn't counted on the large chuck of debris, nearly four times the size of the Cat's Eye that had collided with the hull of the large enemy ship and was sent hurtling into their flight path.

"Son of a..." Ranma snarled as she caught sight of the rock.

Ranma evaded as much as she could but it wasn't enough. The Cat's Eye's large sensor array struck the hurtling rock and was torn free. The impact ripped Ranma's seat from its mountings and slammed her faceplate into the glareshield above the instrument panel shattering the strong transparent polycarbonate material and knocking Ranma out. As the structure holding the sensor disk was wrenched and twisted, one of the coolant lines for the defensive lasers ruptured inside Ranma's cockpit and sprayed hot fluid into Ranma's shattered faceplate. Miraculously, the abused cockpit maintained its integrity and held pressure.

"Ranma?" Lisa said, dazed from the impact. "Ranma? Are you okay?" There was no answer. "Ranma! Answer me!" Lisa said starting to panic as she still got no response. Then she remembered that she could call up the crew vitals on the status display. Hoping that the system still worked she brought up the display and breathed a sigh of relief. Ranma was still alive. Lisa concluded that she had been knocked out.

Her relief was short lived however when she heard a crunch and realized that they had been captured and were being taken to the large Zentradi warship.

"Hold on Commander, we're on our way," Vicki said over the comm.

"Negative," Lisa said. "Get out of here, save yourselves. We're done."

"Negative, Commander," Vicki said.

"That's an order, Wild Rose 3," Lisa said.

"Well, you'll just have to bloody well charge me when we get you back to the ship," Vicki said flippantly, "'cause you got our CO in there with you and we're bloody well going to rescue both your sorry carcasses."

Lisa sighed and wondered, 'Why is it those headstrong idiots never listen to me?'

"Commander, how is Mom?" Akane asked.

"Unconscious, I think, Wild Rose 2," Lisa responded. "I'm still getting good vitals for her."

The Cat's Eye was brought into a landing bay and placed on the floor, and then all hell broke loose as three pink and white battloids burst into the bay and began to lay waste to the enemy forces there. The enemy retreated into the ship and the Earth forces found themselves locked in the bay.

"Status," Vicki called.

"I'm almost out of ammo," Akane said.

"I'm getting pretty low too," Max said.

"Alright, Commander, let's get you out of there," Vicki said as she came over and ripped the cracked canopy off Lisa's cockpit. She held out her battloid's hand to let Lisa climb out on to it but before that could happen the door flew open and a larger than average Zentradi charged in and knocked Vicki's battloid skidding across the deck into the wall.

The Zentradi turned and received a punch to the jaw by Akane's battloid fist. The large Zentradi stumbled back a few steps and Akane stayed on him. They grappled, hand to hand, in a contest of strength. Slowly, Akane was losing, but she had a few tricks yet.

"Hey Stick, fire your missiles into the ceiling above me," Akane said.

"Okay, sure," Max said and fired, blowing a hole in the side of the ship and opening the compartment to space.

Akane rolled back, pulling the Zentradi with her and planted a foot in his gut. As her battloid's back hit the floor, she kicked up with her leg at the same time as she fired the foot thrusters into the Zentradi's belly. The Zentradi flew up and out the hole into space.

Meanwhile the cabin pressure was being sucked out into space as well, carrying with it whatever wasn't bolted down. This included Lisa who had managed to release her seat restraints and climb out of the Cat's Eye. As she sailed up toward the hole she was caught in the hand of Vicki's battloid.

"Gottcha, Commander," Vicki said.

"Thanks," Lisa said relieved as the alien ships hull sealed itself.

"Yeah, well, Mum would never forgive me if I let anything happen to her beloved, right," Vicki chuckled.

"In that case, you should have let me go," Lisa said glumly. "She probably would have given you a commendation since I'm sure she hates me."

"Hates you?" Vicki chuckled. "Don't be stupid, Commander. The only person Mum hates is herself for hurting you. Now let's see about getting her out, shall we. Fury, Stick, see about cutting through the airlock with your lasers, what."

"Roger," Akane and Max said and got to work.

"Oh dear," Lisa said as she climbed up to Ranma's cockpit.

"What's wrong?" Vicki asked.

"Her faceplate has been broken out," Lisa said. "And it looks like she was sprayed with HOT coolant." Lisa hoped that Vicki caught the implications since the other two weren't in the circle of people that knew.

"Bloody hell," Vicki cursed. "So now what? We can't exactly open this compartment to escape if her P-suit's been compromised."

"Well, just have to stuff her in your cockpit," Lisa said pragmatically. "You can fly hand's free right?"

"Sure," Vicki said. "I guess that'll work. Let's get her out first."

However, at that moment, the large Zentradi that Akane had thrown out the hole somehow managed to not only survive the vacuum but also found his way back on the ship. He descended from above them delivering a crushing blow to the head of Akane's battloid. Akane mule kicked the Zentradi and turned to face him, only to be caught in a flying tackle.

As the two wrestled on the ground, more Zentradi troops charged in and began to fight with Max and Vicki. Soon, three Zentradi soldiers had Vicki's battloid pinned and the large Zentradi had tossed Akane against some spikey projections sticking out of the wall of the bay. The spikes had pierced her veritech and pinned her to the wall. As the big Zentradi began to rip Akane's veritech apart, Akane ejected.

The large Zentradi leapt up and caught Akane out of the air. Max, seeing this threw off the soldier that was fighting him and shifted to guardian mode, rushing over to try to save Akane. However, as he did so, Akane's veritech exploded, blowing the large Zentradi away from Max's attack and blowing a hole in the side of the ship. The resulting rush of pressure leaving out of the hole and Max's own momentum sucked him out into space before the ship sealed itself.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma groaned, slowly coming to. Something wasn't right. Slowly that something made itself known as a dull crushing ache between Ranma's legs and a general feeling of wearing clothes that are a couple sizes too small all over. 'I'm in guy form,' Ranma thought to himself.

"Oh thank god you're awake," a voice said from above him.

Ranma looked up into the scared and concerned face of Lisa and realized his head was pillowed in her lap.

"I was so worried," Lisa said as tears began to build in her eyes. "When you didn't answer me I thought you might have been d...dead and I never got to tell you I'm sorry and that I still love you." The tears began to flow as she stroked his hair.

"It's okay, Lisa," Ranma croaked. "I'm okay. And I love you too. Um...what happened?"

"We were captured by the Zentradi," Lisa told him. "Apparently, you were knocked out in the collision with the chunk of rock and your face plate was shattered. A coolant line also ruptured in you cockpit and caused your change."

"Remind me never to change in a flight suit," Ranma groaned and tried to adjust himself to ease the pressure on his currently crushed groin.

Lisa snickered a little at the absurdity of the situation. She had earlier unzipped the top of his flight suit so he could breathe a little easier and nearly broke into sobs. When she had done that she saw his dog tags lying on top of his sports bra. Next to them, hanging from the chain was both their engagement rings. She reached out and stroked them.

"You kept them here?" Lisa said.

"Yeah, close to my heart," Ranma said. "You can have yours back if you want."

"Please?" Lisa said with a tearful smile.

Ranma undid the chain and pulled Lisa's engagement ring off it, passing it to her. She quickly slipped it on and leaned down to kiss him.

"I'm so sorry for what I said," Lisa said. "I have no right to ask you to forgive me."

"You don't have to ask," Ranma said. "I forgave you as soon as you walked out. It was myself that I couldn't forgive for hurting you."

"You were right though," Lisa said. "About everything. I do let my ego get me into trouble and put others at risk. As much as what you said to me hurt, I needed to hear it. It didn't really penetrate though until I thought I had gotten you killed. If I hadn't sent Akane after the others, we wouldn't have been captured."

"Still, I was too harsh with you," Ranma said. "I was PMS'ing and I knew I was being mean but I couldn't back down. I just had to make my damn point. I'm sorry for that."

"I needed you to be harsh with me," Lisa smiled sadly. "It was the only way to penetrate the righteous indignation I was feeling. I felt so betrayed when you defended Hunter and told me I was wrong over the Tac-net. All I could think about is how stupid you made me look." She shook her head sharply. "How gaddam selfish I am. All I was worried about was looking foolish when I should have been worried about the lives I had put at risk. I deserved your harshness." Ranma reached up and wiped her tears away.

"I love you," he told her gently.

"I love you too," Lisa said back.

"You two are so bloody sweet I'm going into sugar shock here," Vicki said from off to the side.

Ranma's eyes widened and he looked over and saw Vicki seated next to Akane, who seemed to be brooding about something. From the way she refused to look at him, he could guess about what. Ranma sighed heavily.

"Max?" Ranma asked.

"Escaped, we think," Vicki said. "I saw him get sucked out a hole in his veritech." Ranma nodded.

"So anybody have a plan?" he asked.

"Not as yet," Lisa said.

Ranma sat up and groaned, his hand going to his head as he paused to let things quit spinning. When things settled he immediately felt the strong need to tend to another problem.

"Excuse me," he said climbing to his feet and stepping to the opposite side of the enclosure they were in. Unzipping his flight suit all the way he stuck his hand down his underwear and unkinked himself, breathing a sigh of relieve as he did so. Zipping back up partially, he turned, blushing sheepishly. "Um...sorry. It was really painful being folded in half like that."

Lisa and Vicki giggled while Akane ignored him.

"I take it you've told her?" Ranma said, gesturing to Akane.

"Yeah, the poor girl didn't take it too well that the girl she viewed as her idol and has a crush on turns into a guy," Vicki said.

Just then Akane stood up and looked at Ranma.

"It's you," she accused with narrowed eyes. "You're Genma's son. You're the one that he said betrayed him and set him up to get captured by those Amazon's."

"Yes, I was Genma's son," Ranma said. "No, I did not set him up. He stole their food all on his own. I just refused to fight them for him. He had just caused me to lose my manhood in those stupid springs and as far as I knew he had taken my dream of going into space from me as well. I'll be goddammed if I was going to suffer for him anymore. So yeah, I left him to their justice. I left him there and got away from him before he fucked my life up any worse. Not that I could think of how at the time, but I wasn't willing to take that chance anymore."

"So what kind of pervert goes around pretending to be a girl?" Akane sneered. "Did you get off on watching us in the shower? Did that do it for you, pervert?"

"I was not pretending," Ranma hissed. "I haven't been a guy in a long time. Unlike Genma's curse, I can't just change back with warm water. It takes boiling water to change me to male. Ever tried to intentionally pour boiling water on yourself? Believe me it ain't fun. So what choice did I have? Tell me Akane? What choice did I have but to make a life for myself as a woman? It was either that or die. Dying would have been admitting I was too weak to face life as a woman. So I chose to live my life as a woman, so that I could use my skills to help people. Anyway, who the hell are you calling a pervert. As I recall, it was you that was caught taking advantage of me when I was passed out drunk that one time. So Akane, do you get off on watching me and the other women shower?"

"You bastard!" Akane screamed and attacked with a haymaker.

Ranma stepped aside and planted his fist deeply in her gut. Akane folded over, coughing and collapsed to the floor.

"Not fun when someone makes accusations based on something you have no control over, is it Akane?" Ranma said to her as she knelt on the floor holding her gut. "I can't control the fact that I change sexes. But please try to understand, I have lived my life as a woman for the last nearly seven years now. I'm no longer a man, though I have a male body sometimes." Ranma continued to explain to her about the effects of the curse and how the only social education he'd ever had was as a woman. He explained that he was now more comfortable as female and that his male body was no longer his true form.

"You bastard," Akane growled. "It's all your fault I had to leave my family and give up being the heir to the dojo."

"How do you figure that?" Ranma asked stunned.

"If you hadn't run away from your father you would have been my fiancée," Akane said angrily. "My father wouldn't have tried to engage me to that sick pervert, Kuno and I wouldn't have had to leave to get away from them."

"Yeah, like you would have been any happier being engaged to someone that changed into a guy," Ranma said. "Don't blame me for your situation. I didn't even know you then. It was all your father's greed. I got out before my father destroyed my life. It seems to me you made the same choice I did, so don't go condemning me for doing the same thing you did."

"Mum's got you there, Love," Vicki said. "Look, all of us original Roses know about the...condition. Some of us took it badly and we made Mum prove herself by entering the Miss Macross pageant to prove she was really committed to being a woman. Who knew she would have won? Anyway, we've all accepted her as the person we came to know and trust. And if we don't mind being in the shower with you, then why should we mind being in the shower with her? Unlike you, we've never caught her checking us out." Akane blushed deeply, having been caught with her eyes on the cookie jar.

"Heh, yeah," Lisa said. "Ranma is so NOT perverted that I practically had to rape her the first time. Of course, after that she was much more willing." Now Ranma was blushing.

TBC

Chapter 18

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 18

February 2010...

"I am Supreme Commander Dolza," the large bald alien said. "You will submit to my interrogation."

"Wow, he speaks our language," Vicki said.

"Amazing," Ranma agreed.

"You! The male! Why have you attacked us?" Dolza demanded.

"Attacked you? What the hell are you talking about? You attacked us," Ranma said angrily.

"Tell us what you know of Protoculture?" demanded the smaller alien with the Marty Feldman eyes.

"Huh? What's Protoculture?" Ranma asked looking at Lisa.

"I don't know," Lisa said looking at the other two who looked just as baffled.

"What the hell are you people talking about?" Ranma said.

"So you deny you've made a secret weapon?" Dolza asked.

"Secret weapon? Look, we have no idea what you're talking..." Ranma said, but Lisa interrupted him.

"It's okay, Ranma," she said. "Look, we have no idea what you're talking about and I refuse to submit myself or my people to anymore of your questions."

"So the female is in charge," Dolza said. "Observe."

A holographic image appeared around them, depicting the area of space around an Earth-like planet. Hundreds of Zentradi ships took up orbit around the planet. Once all the ships were in position, they opened fire on the surface of the planet. Explosions blossomed and the atmosphere was filled with smoke and dust. It quickly settled, allowing the now dead, cratered surface of the planet to be seen.

"Oh my god," Akane gasped.

"Bloody hell," Vicki said in dismay.

"Fucking barbaric savages," Ranma snarled, clenching his fists tightly.

"So you see," Dolza said smugly. "The Zentradi have more than enough power to destroy the SDF-1 and your people. You will answer our questions."

"I don't think you do," Lisa said. "The SDF-1 is much more powerful than this bucket of bolts."

"Are you bloody bonkers?" Vicki gasped.

Dolza slammed his fist down on the table causing everyone but Ranma to fall down. Dolza reached out to grab Lisa. Seeing the huge hand heading toward his fiancée, Ranma snapped. Just before the hand reached her, he attacked with a brutal kick to the hand. There was a snapping sound and Dolza howled in pain as his finger broke. The Supreme Commander swung his other fist down in a brutal blow that would leave Ranma a bloody smear on the table.

"Ranma!" Lisa screamed just before the fist hit.

Everyone stood still for a moment, unable to comprehend what they had just seen. Dolza had used his considerable might to crush the tiny human...but the tiny human wasn't crushed. Instead he had caught the fist and stopped it. Ranma grunted with effort as Dolza bore down harder.

"Very well, Micronian," Dolza said. "Your size belies your strength." Nobody was prepared when Dolza withdrew his fist and snatched up Akane. "Now talk or the female dies. By what process do you become Micronians?"

"Become? We're born this way," Ranma said.

"Yes, but born from what?" the Marty Feldman eyed alien asked.

"Huh? Our mothers," Lisa said, confused.

"What are 'mothers'?" the large Zentradi with the metal faceplate demanded.

"You know, mothers, females," Ranma said.

"You mean you all come from females," the bug-eyed alien demanded. "How is that possible?"

"Well, when a man and woman love each other, they have sex and sometimes the woman will get pregnant and have a baby, a little human which they take care of until it becomes an adult human," Vicki explained.

"Sex? What is 'sex'? You, male and you," Dolza pointed to Vicki. "Show us," Dolza commanded.

"But we can't," Vicki protested, trying to thing of a way out of this. "The man and woman have to love each other."

"Very well," the bug-eyes one said. "The male and the other female then."

"But we don't," Lisa started.

"Love..." Ranma added but trailed off when the image from earlier appeared around them and displayed a very clear recording of Ranma and Lisa professing their love for each other. The bug-eyed alien sat back, looking smug and raised an eyebrow.

"Show us, or this female dies!" Dolza ordered and squeezed enough to make Akane whimper.

Ranma and Lisa looked at each other. Lisa nodded slightly and licked her lips nervously. Ranma unzipped his flight suit and pulled his arms out of the sleeves. He carefully removed the overly tight sports bra, which was actually something of a relief. With the upper part of his flight suit hanging around his waist he approached Lisa who was looking very shy and vulnerable.

He pulled Lisa to him and began to slowly caress her. First her arms and her back, and then around front to stroke her breasts. Lisa let out a little moan of pleasure. Ranma unzipped the front of her flight suit and slowly slid it down her arms. He began to stroke the bare skin he had revealed. He massaged her breast again through her bra, gently tweaking her nipples. Her hands had begun to stroke his powerfully built upper body as well. He pulled her close and leaned in, taking her lips in a deep passionate kiss.

They had been trying so hard to lose themselves in the pleasure of each others touch to forget they were doing this in front of an audience that they nearly missed it when the gathered Zentradi began to freak out in disgust at what they were seeing. They were brought back to reality to the howls of revulsion and horror the Zentradi were making.

"Stop this," Dolza demanded, having released Akane during the first shock of the kiss. "You must stop this at once!"

"That was disgusting," the large metal-faced one said as Lisa and Ranma separated.

"That was 'sex'?" the bug-eyed one asked.

"Oh no, that was just foreplay," Vicki said helpfully with a smug grin as she watched the Zentradi squirm uncomfortably. "That was just kissing, part of getting prepared for sex. Sex is when the man gets aroused and his penis gets hard. Once the woman is ready, prepared by the foreplay, he sticks his penis in her vagina and works it in and out."

By now the Zentradi were looking positively green...even those that weren't positively green naturally.

"Stop, I wish to hear no more," the metal-faced one moaned.

"Yes, take them away," Dolza ordered. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Geez," Ranma commented, slipping the top of his flight suit back on and stuffing his bra in the pocket. "Talk about a world-class case of repression..."

Lisa giggled and slipped back into the top of her flight suit.

(oOO/Oo)

'Man this is easier than I thought,' Max thought to himself as he maneuvered his battloid through the corridors of the Zentradi ship in his commandeered uniform.

Max had slipped back aboard the ship through a hole left from previous battle damage, after being blown out of the bay they had been fighting in. He had thought the jig was up when the soldier had opened the compartment he was hiding in, but Max was able to subdue the alien and take his uniform to use as a disguise. Thus far he had passed several others of the Zentradi soldiers and no one had questioned him.

Up in the distance, Max spotted two more of the soldiers pushing a cart of some sort. Something on the cart caught his eye and he zoomed in on it with the optical scanners. It was a stroke of luck. He had found his captured teammates.

Max discreetly followed the pair until they reached a compartment. They placed the small humans inside and closed the door. Max looked on as the pair took up guard beside the door. He would have to wait for at least one of them to leave before he made his move. He settled in for a long wait.

(oOO/Oo)

"I was thinking," Ranma said with a mischievous grin.

"I thought I smelled hair burning," Lisa teased as she snuggled into Ranma's side where they were sitting on the floor with their backs to the wall.

"Ha ha," Ranma said. "Anyway, I was thinking we might have a new weapon to use against these Zentradi."

"Oh?" Lisa asked interestedly.

"Yup, all we have to do is anytime they attack start broadcasting pornographic videos and watch them run," Ranma chuckled.

"Oh you," Lisa laughed and playfully punched him in the side.

Akane came over and knelt on the floor in front of them, looking down.

"Were you two really going to..." she trailed off unable to say the words.

"Make love," Lisa supplied and Akane nodded.

"...in front of all those alien perverts just to save me?" she finished.

"Well, we were going to try," Ranma admitted. "I don't know if it would have worked. Not that making love to Lisa is not my favorite thing in the universe, but I don't know if I could have performed for an audience."

"I'm sorry for what I said about you," Akane said. "I really have no right to judge you. This is twice you've saved my life and I've been watching you. You may look like a guy right now, but you move and talk like a woman still." Ranma blushed in shame.

"Yeah, well, like I said, I'm not a guy anymore," Ranma said sadly. "I've lived as a woman for too long. Even when I was a guy all the time, Pop never let me be around people long enough to learn any social skills as a guy. When I finally got away from him, I finally started to develop socially, only because I was a girl all the time, I learned female social skills."

"It really doesn't matter to you that he...she...changes, does it?" Akane asked Lisa.

"Whatever the body, it's always my Ranma," Lisa said. "Ever since the Academy, she has always been my best friend. When my fiancé Karl was killed on Mars and Ranma came back into my life, I wasn't sure what I felt for her. I was attracted to guys, but I felt a deep connection to her. I slowly realized that I was attracted to her female body as much as this one. Maybe more so since she's much more confident as a woman."

"I'm happy for you both," Akane said sadly. "I wish I could find someone to love me like that."

"Someday you will, Akane," Ranma said, reaching out and taking her hand. "I think if I had come with Pop to meet your family I would have loved you. You're a good person Akane. A little short tempered, but a great person. I already thought of you as a friend, but now that you know, if you can accept me, you can be one of my best friends. I don't have many. Basically, Vicki, Claudia Grant, Roy Fokker, and, of course, Lisa. Tia knew as well before she died. She and Vicki stood by me while the rest of the Roses took a while to come to terms with it when they found out."

"I'd like that, Ranma," Akane said.

"Thanks, Akane," Ranma said giving her hand a squeeze before letting go. "Now how about we think of a plan to get out of here?"

"I have an idea," Lisa said, grinning lecherously.

"Do tell," Ranma grinned.

"Well, you saw how they reacted when we kissed," Lisa explained. "All we have to do is wait for a guard to open the door and we start kissing. While he's stunned we make a break for it."

"Sounds good," Ranma said.

"I thought you'd like that plan," Lisa batted her eyelashes at him and Akane giggled.

"Blimey," Vicki shook her head and laughed. "I'm going to have to get bloody dentures if I have to spend too much more time around the two of you."

It was another half an hour before they heard some noises at the door. Ranma and Lisa got into position in the center of the room and began making out. Akane and Vicki stood to either side of the door and got ready to run for it.

The door slid open to reveal a frozen Zentradi soldier.

(oOO/Oo)

Max had been waiting about an hour before he saw one of the guards leave. He peered around the corner and the other guard gave a mighty yawn. 'Great,' Max thought. 'He's not very alert. Now's my chance.'

Max moved into the corridor and walked along until he got in front of the guard. He spun around and delivered a haymaker to the surprised guard's chin. Max tapped the door controls and the door slid open.

Max could only stand in shock as he looked at Commander Hayes making out with some guy. Where the hell did the guy come from? The Zentradi must have captured others. Then he stated to notice things about the guy, like the fact he was wearing a pink and white flight suit that looked too small and the fact that his black hair was in a French braid. This was definitely weird. Then he heard Vicki's voice.

"Come on Mum, Commander, it's working, let's get out of here," she yelled and she and Akane ran into the door way.

"Wait, it's me, Max," Max said.

Everybody stopped.

"Max?" Vicki said looking up at him. Max pulled his hat back a little to reveal his battloid head. "Bloody marvelous," Vicki laughed.

"Come on lets get out of here," Max said. "Commander Hayes, who's your new boy friend? And where's Mom?" Lisa could almost here a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"It's a long story, Max," Lisa said.

"He is Ranma, Max," Akane said.

"Damn, what did they do to you, Mom?" Max said, horrified.

"I'll tell you the whole story when we have more time," Ranma said. "Right now we need to move out."

Max dragged the guard in to the cell and placed Ranma and Lisa in one pocket and Akane and Vicki in the other. They left the cell and began walking down the hall, passing the other guard that was returning. The guard got past them and noticed his partner wasn't at his post.

"Hey you!" the guard yelled whirling about and leveling his weapon. "Stop right there!"

But Max was already running. The guard opened fire and shots streaked pass them down the corridor, a few of them going through Max's Veritech.

"Guardian mode, Max," Ranma yelled.

"Right!" Max called back and switched to guardian mode to get more speed.

Streaking down the corridor they smashed through a window. Ranma briefly identified Dolza and metal-face diving to the floor as the Veritech ripped through the air over them and flew through the control room and into another corridor. Now there was a platoon of Zentradi on their heels firing at them down the corridor.

"The elevator!" Max said. "We'll lose them by going to another level."

They flew down the corridor toward the elevator, which was just opening. The soldier inside had to dive out as the gunfire peppered where he had just been standing. Max brought the Veritech to a halt inside the elevator and slowly lifted the guardian's arm to the switch.

"I'm losing power and overheating, somebody has to hit the switch," Max called.

"Roger," Ranma yelled and jumped out onto the arm and ran toward the switch. He hit the switch and the elevator door shut in the face of lead pursuing Zentradi.

As the elevator descended, Max popped the canopy.

"This thing's gonna blow real soon," he said.

"We'll just have to find our way out on foot then," Lisa said.

"Right," Max said as he jumped to the ground with a laser rifle.

The elevator door opened and the five of them rushed out, only to scatter when a Zentradi tried to dive on them. Ranma, Lisa, and Max went one way and Vicki and Akane went the other. The Zentradi was just getting up when the Veritech blew, killing him.

As Ranma, Lisa, and Max wandered through the corridors looking for a way out, Ranma explained about his condition. They found themselves looking into a room with large tanks with smaller tanks in front of them. It looked as though there were Zentradi in the large tanks, but in the smaller human sized tanks, copies of the larger aliens seemed to be forming.

"I guess if I'm seeing this, I can believe your story, Mom," Max chuckled.

"That must be why they all look the same," Lisa opined. "They're clones."

"But what do you suppose is going on there?" Ranma wondered. "It looks like they are being shrunk down to human size."

"I don't know," Lisa admitted as she took video of the tanks with her micro video recorder.

Their speculation was interrupted by the appearance of a soldier and they decided to fade before they were spotted. After wandering the corridors for a while they found themselves in an armory. They hid behind a rack of rifles to rest for a bit.

"Man, this is really weird seeing you like this, Mom," Max shook his head. "Are you sure you started out as a guy? I mean because, you definitely look like a guy, but there's no question it's a woman behind the wheel so to speak."

"Yeah, I was a guy for the first 16 years of my life, Max," Ranma grinned ruefully.

"That's hilarious," Max said. "Miss Macross, the most desirable female on the ship, used to be a man. Well at least now I know why you made me wear the pink flight suit," Max laughed.

"Well, if I had to, then I don't see why you couldn't," Ranma chuckled. "But that's only a small part of it. It was an esprit de corps thing. I wanted to make sure you got accepted since a lot of those women were fond of the idea of an all female squadron. If I let you wear a different flight suit from everyone else then it would be like you were ashamed to wear the unit colors and thus ashamed to be part of the unit. They would have resented you for that."

"I see," Max said. "Well, I don't mind, really. I'm proud to be part of your unit and we do seem to be a tighter nit unit than the others. Do all of them know about you?"

"No, just the original five, you, and Akane," Ranma sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to tell them when we get back. I went for nearly seven years without being changed by accident and now it's happened twice in less than six months. I'm tired of having to explain things to people that are already pissed off because they found out by accident."

"I can understand that," Lisa said. "That's not a bad idea. I want to be there as well to explain that this is classified information."

"You got it, Love," Ranma said.

Just then a huge hand came down and grabbed Lisa.

"Gotcha, Micronian," the soldier laughed.

"Lisa!" Ranma yelled and charged the Zentradi.

The Zentradi kicked Ranma, knocking him back into the rack of rifles causing them to collapse on him.

"Ranma!" Lisa yelled, seeing Ranma buried under the rifles.

The Zentradi turned toward the door but he didn't get far when a rifle shot rang out. Ranma had picked up one of the giant rifles and was holding it aimed while Max was pulling the trigger. Five shots rang out hitting the soldier center mass. The alien convulsed and dropped Lisa.

Lisa yelled as she fell toward the floor, but then she found herself in Ranma's arms as he had leaped into the air and caught her. They landed lightly and Lisa hugged him tightly in relief. However, more soldiers came running at the sound of the rifle fire and the trio had to run for their lives with the Zentradi in hot pursuit.

As they ran out on to a catwalk, the soldiers began to open fire. The floor of the catwalk began to disintegrate under the rifle fire and the three fleeing humans fell though. Ranma pulled Lisa to him and used his aerial martial arts skills to direct their fall. He bounced off of pipes and walls slowing their fall until they landed lightly beside a large puddle of water. Max wasn't so lucky. He had no way to slow his fall but he landed in the water. He was knocked out by the impact but appeared okay otherwise. Lisa went out and got him, so that he could see Ranma's transformation when he came to.

"Man, for all their high-tech equipment, they sure let this place get run down," Ranma commented as they waited for Max to wake up.

"It's almost as if they don't know how to fix their own ships," Lisa said. "Have you noticed, that all we've seen are soldiers, no civilians, or technicians or anything?"

"They seem to be a society of only warriors," Ranma admitted. "I wonder how many planets they've destroyed, how many lives they taken?"

"They probably don't even know," Lisa said.

"I've trained all my life to be a warrior, but even I think it's pretty pathetic that all they know is war," Ranma said contemptuously.

"I can understand their way," Lisa commented. "I'm like that in a lot of ways."

"You're nothing like them, Lisa," Ranma said firmly. "They are brutal, barbaric killers."

"But still, I've come from over a hundred years of military tradition," Lisa pointed out. "My family has always been a military family. My father always said 'Where there is a battle being fought there's a life being lived'."

"In a way I can understand that saying," Ranma commented. "But I don't believe in the glorious battle concept. In battle, defending others, I feel my purpose is being served, but I hate it. I hate taking life. I understand that it's necessary, but battle is a horrible, ugly thing. There is no glory in watching your friends get taken from you. There is no glory in having the blood of others on your hands. Anyone that thinks that is fucked up. I don't feel alive in battle. I feel alive when I'm together with you or with my friends, but mostly you."

Lisa hugged Ranma and snuggled up to him. They sat quietly together for a while.

Max groaned as he began to come to. "Oww, what happened?"

"We fell," Ranma explained. "The water broke your fall."

"Oh," Max said sitting up. "Man, I hurt. Any idea where we are?"

"Nope, none," Ranma chuckled.

"Situation unchanged then," Max said.

"Here, Lisa managed to find your glasses," Ranma said passing them over.

"Thanks," Max said putting them on.

"Now are you ready for something completely different?" Ranma smirked.

"What would that be?" Max asked.

"Well, I waited until you were awake before I changed back to my female form," Ranma explained. "I thought you might like to see it."

"By all means," Max said.

"Okay now watch closely," Ranma said and stepped over to the water.

He cupped his hands and brought the water to his face, splashing himself. As Max watched his body seemed to flow like the water and form itself into a smaller form and the hair changed from black to fiery red. When it finished, the whole process had taken a second or less, but his familiar CO was back before him.

"Amazing," Max said in wonder. Ranma laughed.

"Okay, now turn around and don’t look," Ranma said. "Flight suits are kinda rough on unprotected breasts. I have to put my bra back on."

Max turned around and Ranma unzipped her flight suit shrugging out of the top and removing the bra from the pocket she had placed it in earlier. She quickly slipped it on and adjusted it noting the Lisa had no compunction at all with watching her avidly. She gave the brunette a smile and slid her arms back into the flight suit before zipping it up.

"Okay, I'm decent," Ranma said.

"More like delectable," Lisa smirked, causing Ranma to giggle.

"I have to admit," Max grinned, "I like you much better this way."

"Yeah? Me too," Ranma laughed. "Now let's get moving or we'll never get out of here."

(oOO/Oo)

"Whoa, look at all those ships," Max said in awe.

"Yeah, there must be a million of them," Ranma said, knowing this was only part of the total fleet. They had seen a lot more ships on the way inside this place. "We'd never be able fight off this many."

"We have to get back to Earth and make sure it never comes to that," Lisa said firmly.

Just then they heard footsteps behind them. They quickly ducked around the doorway and pressed themselves against the wall.

"Where do you think we are?" a familiar female voice said.

"How the bloody hell should I know?" another familiar woman replied.

"Hey guys," Ranma said. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Mom!" Akane said. "You're back!" She hugged the redhead.

"Yeah, we found some water," Ranma said, laughing. "I'm feeling much better now."

"Looking much better too," Akane grinned.

"Funny, that's just what Max said," Ranma smirked.

"So have you guys come up with an idea of how we're going to get out of here?" Vicki asked.

"Well, that cruiser over there taking on supplies looks like it's going somewhere," Lisa suggested. "How about we get on it?"

"Sounds like a plan," Ranma said.

The five humans made their way to the conveyor passing supplies to the cruiser and waited for the guard to turn his back. As soon as he did they jumped on the conveyor and were carried onto the ship. Jumping off they made their way to the hanger bay and hid.

"Now that we're here, how do we get back to the SDF-1?" Vicki asked.

"Well, I don't see why four shit-hot pilots like yourselves can't figure out how to work one of those pods over there," Lisa suggested.

The four Wild Roses looked at each other and grinned.

It took them most of the fold to figure out how to get in to the thing. They had commenced defold as the four Roses were still figuring out the flight controls. Ranma brought the pod online and the view screen came up to reveal a guard standing in the bay. The noise of the pod powering up had attracted his attention.

"We've been discovered," Lisa said urgently. "Do something."

Max moved his stick and pressed the button, firing one of the energy beams and taking out the guard. Ranma and Akane managed to bring the thing to its feet.

"Now how do we get out of here?" Lisa asked.

"Leave that to us, Ma'am," Max grinned and winked at Vicki who returned it. They both opened up with the pods weapons and blew a hole in the side of the ship. Ranma and Akane managed to move the thing out of the hole and they were free. Piloting the thing wasn't easy and they were very lucky that nobody was really trying to shoot at them. They were flying like a wounded duck.

Lisa tried tuning the radio to the SDF-1's frequency. She stumbled across a channel playing a Minmei song. They paused to listen for a minute.

"Hey, that's Minmei," Ranma said. "She must have made her singing debut while we were gone."

"That means we're close to home!" Lisa cheered. It was an unspoken fear that they would end up in some other system far from home with no way to get back.

"Well, maybe you better get the SDF-1 on that thing before we get shot," Ranma suggested with a smile.

"Roger," Lisa grinned and went back to tuning. "This is Lisa Hayes and Elements of the Wild Rose Squadron. We have escaped the Zentradi and are in a commandeered battle pod. Request assistance."

"Lisa is it really you?" Claudia's voice came over the radio. "Oh thank god."

"Yes, Claudia," Lisa said happily. "It's me and the rest of Wild Rose Alpha Flight. We all survived."

"Outstanding," Claudia said happily. "I've sent some very eager folks out to help you."

"Roger," Lisa said. "We're the pod flying like a lame duck."

Soon a group of pink and white Veritechs approached then and grabbed on, flying them toward home.

(oOO/Oo)

As the humans were making good their escape, a new type of Zentradi mecha blasted its way through the Earth forces with terrible skill. It swiftly approached the SDF-1 and tore a hole in the hull. The mecha quickly deposited its cargo inside and sealed the hole before flying off in the confusion.

The object inside the hull popped open and three human sized figures emerged.

"Hey, alright!" one said. "Miriya got us here. I can't wait to start spying."

"But first we need some Micronian uniforms," another said.

"What are we waiting for, let's go!" the third said.

TBC

Chapter 19

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 19

February 2010...

Ranma, Vicki, Akane, and even Max were practically dog-piled by their tearfully happy squadron mates as they climbed out of the commandeered battle pod. After about ten minutes of hugging and greetings, their reunion was cut short by the Ex-POW's being hustled off to a debriefing with the brass.

The five found themselves seated along one side of a conference table with Captain Gloval seated at the head of the table and the senior brass being seated opposite Lisa and the others. Gloval had begun the meeting by informing the pilots that they had all been promoted. Then he presented them all with the Solar Cross for heroism, the highest award available in the RDF Space Arm.

Lisa began the debriefing by telling them of what they saw as they came out of the fold. She described the ships surrounding the Zentradi home base and then the ships they had seen inside the enemy home base. She then filled them in on the interrogation and the conclusions they had drawn about Protoculture.

Gloval ran some computer estimations based on the observations Lisa and the others had made. The computer returned a shocking estimate of four million ships. Clearly, the officers seated across from them were not taking this seriously and they made snide remarks and jokes.

"That's pure fantasy," Commander Jenkins of the intelligence arm said, tilting his seat back.

"Yeah, and did you see any little green men?" Major Gregor chuckled patronizingly.

The others laughed uproariously. The laughs were suddenly silenced by the ring of steel. All eyes were on a glowing blue Ranma as she pulled her fist from the hole she'd just made in the steel surface of the table.

"What's pure fantasy, you rear-echelon jackass?" Ranma ground out between her clenched teeth. "That a highly advanced interstellar warrior race can snuff out our little race like a candle in a hurricane? Or that we actually have a chance against them in an all out war? Get your head outta your fucking ass, you arrogant moron. Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"Commander Saotome, STAND DOWN!" Gloval commanded. Ranma's cold, glowing blue gaze shifted to Gloval. Gloval had to call on every bit of his willpower to meet the gaze steadily without flinching, but he managed it.

"Sorry, Sir," Ranma said, taking her seat as the glow faded.

"Now, as the Commander so succinctly put it," Gloval continued, "this is a very grave matter that we cannot afford not to take seriously."

"You don't mean you believe this load of bunk, do you?" Maistroff demanded.

"Were you there, Colonel Maistroff?" Gloval asked, giving Ranma a warning glace. "I've never seen two more reliable officers than Commanders Hayes and Saotome. Their story is backed up by three other officers who all have excellent records. Furthermore, to disbelieve that these invaders do not have far more potential than they have shown thus far would be extremely foolish. You have been on this ship for the last year. You know that the only explanation for the fact that we have survived this long is that they want this ship intact. Don't be a fool, Colonel. The fate of the human race is at stake here. This is no time for wishful thinking or denial of the threat. The high command must be apprised of this situation."

"Very well, Captain Gloval," Maistroff said. "I'll send a coded message at once."

"No, you will not, Colonel Maistroff," Gloval said flatly.

"What?" the shocked man asked.

"You will not send a message because this information is too important to be transmitted and potentially blocked," Gloval said. "We are going back to Earth."

"What? Are you mad?" Maistroff demanded. "We'll never make it through that blockade."

"What's the matter, Colonel?" Gloval growled. "A minute ago the Zentradi didn't present a threat worthy of your concern, now you don't believe we can break out of a simple blockade?"

"I...you..." Maistroff sputtered then gave up.

"As for you five," Gloval said with a smile. "You won't be leaving the ship for the time being. You have all earned a little rest and relaxation. You are dismissed."

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma was sitting on the couch in male form wearing a pair of black and red silk boxers when Lisa entered the room. Ranma's eyes traveled avidly over her graceful form clad only in a pair of emerald green lacy thong panties and a matching bra. She strutted sensually across the room until she stood before Ranma. Seductively she climbed up on the couch, straddling his lap, and slid her breasts enticingly up his hard muscled chest.

"Well, now, Mister Saotome, you started something a while ago and now you need to finish it," Lisa purred as she sat back a bit with her hands on his shoulders.

"Lisa, we need to talk," Ranma said as he placed his hands comfortable on her hips. "I've been thinking about it ever since the interrogation. We never talked about having a family. I know we are both pretty career oriented but I would like to have kids someday. How do you feel?"

"Do you want me to go off the Depo?" Lisa grinned in answer. Ranma smiled.

"Well, I think it might be a little soon for that," Ranma chuckled. "We are in the middle of a war, ya know."

"That hasn't stopped the civilians in Macross City," Lisa pointed out.

"True, but how could we handle it?" Ranma asked. "We are both so busy with our jobs. Would we have time for kids? What about my...condition? I couldn't be a father to them. Do we really want to raise kids as two mothers?"

"Why not?" Lisa asked. "Lesbian couples do it all the time."

"Yeah, but you know the kids get picked on," Ranma pointed out.

"Ranma, I have a very hard time seeing any kids of ours getting picked on," Lisa giggled. "The other kids would be too afraid of getting beaten up."

"True," Ranma conceded. "But would we be good parents? I mean, I certainly didn't have any good examples to draw from."

"I completely understand your fear," Lisa sighed. "For some reason, when I was planning my life out, kids never occurred to me. Not even with Karl. How would I balance my career and my child? It's been easy with you because we are both dedicated and we respect that in each other. With kids, it would be different. They'd be dependant on us for everything. But, you know what? Other career officers handle it. Why can't we?"

"I guess you're right," Ranma said. "But when should we start?"

"Ranma, I think you should know, I'm terrified every time you go out on a mission that you won't come back," Lisa admitted. "I love you so much that I'd die if I lost you. My career may be my purpose in life, but you are my reason for living. You know it's true. If I had your baby, then even if, god forbid, I lost you, I would have a little piece of you to hold to me. I think we should start trying immediately. We've been gone from the SDF-1 for a month and I'm due for my next shot of Depo. So I should be able to get pregnant soon." Ranma looked at her, his eyes wide in shock.

"But...we aren't even married yet," Ranma protested.

"Then we should take care of that detail right away," Lisa grinned. "The Captain could do it. There's also a minister among the civilians, and the city officials, notary publics and the like. I think given your condition the Captain would be a better choice. I want to give my vows to my husband as well as my wife."

"Not like I can be much of a husband," Ranma quipped.

"My husband will only have one duty," Lisa grinned mischievously. "It's one that he has proven he can handle with extreme expertise...fucking me senseless. My wife has proven herself more than exceptional at satisfying my needs in all other aspects."

"I knew it," Ranma quipped jokingly. "You just love me for my body."

"Damn straight," Lisa grinned wickedly and ground herself into him a little. "Now, is that a cluster bomb in your shorts, or are you just happy to see me?"

"Oh it's a cluster bomb alright," Ranma chuckled, "and it's very happy to see you."

Ranma pulled her to him and proceeded to perform his husbandly duties with great care and attention to detail.

(oOO/Oo)

"Hey there, Rickhead," Ranma said as she walked up to Rick, who was staring off into space from the large window of the Officer's Lounge.

"Oh, hey Commander," Rick said in a subdued tone. "Congratulations on your safe return and promotion."

"Gee, you really know how to make a girl feel like you're glad to see her, dontcha?" Ranma teased.

"I guess not," Rick replied glumly.

"Okay, what wrong?" Ranma inquired, taking a seat and looking expectant.

"It's nothing," Rick said, but Ranma just raised an eyebrow and gave him a look. "Okay, it's Minmei. She hasn't had much time for me anymore since she started her singing career. I suppose I have you to blame for that, but I guess it would have happened eventually. I just feel like we're growing apart."

"Rick, she's sixteen," Ranma pointed out. "You're what, twenty now? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but you have to keep in mind, she's still a kid. You've grown up a lot since Pluto. You've had to. I've seen you mature from a loudmouth punk with no common sense into a promising young officer. You've become much more responsible with pilots under your command that look to you for leadership. Minmei hasn't had to deal with the harsh realities of the war like you have. She still has her innocence. If you love her, you have to be patient with her and explain to her what's on your mind."

"What do you mean, Commander?" Rick asked.

"Look, your job is just as demanding on your time as hers is on hers," Ranma explained. "In fact, it's probably worse since you might have to jump up in the middle of a romantic moment to answer a scramble. Lisa and I are the same way. Our responsibilities don't allow us to see as much of each other as we would like. The point is, in the time you do have, you have to make it count. You have to communicate clearly and make your feelings known. Don't even think about telling her to make more time for you because that would force her to choose between you and her dreams. Just tell her what's on your mind in a non-demanding way."

"But every time I try to talk to her she gets distracted by something," Rick complained. "Do you think you could talk to her for me? I just want to know where she stands. I could deal with us being too busy to see each other if I just knew where she stood."

"Alright," Ranma said. "I'm not going to be your go between, but I'll talk to her and suggest that maybe she needs to clarify things with you. You realize that she may not have even considered how she feels, don't you?"

"Yeah, I get that impression," Rick said sadly. "But I really appreciate you making the effort to talk to her."

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma looked at Lisa who smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly. Opening the door to the Rose Garden, they walked in to address the squadron.

"Ladies," Lisa addressed, "what you will hear in this room today has been ordered by the captain to be classified information and repeating it is, in fact, a court marshalable offense. Most of you know about what we will be disclosing to you today. Those of you that don't, please keep an open mind and look to your squadron sisters for guidance because what you will learn today may be very hard for some to come to grips with."

"I've have a secret," Ranma said. "I've kept it for 7 years but lately a couple of incidents have caused it to be revealed. I'm tired of explaining it to people after they already feel angry and betrayed so I think I must reveal it to all of you since we must maintain a high level of trust with one another. I'm trusting you to keep this secret for me as it would end my career if it was general knowledge.

"First I'd like all of you that know what I'm about to disclose and accept me to raise your hands," Ranma requested.

The five original Roses plus Akane and Max raised their hands. The four newer pilots looked around themselves, noting that they were, in fact, in the minority.

"What you're about to hear will sound unbelievable, something straight out of the pages of a fantasy story, but by the time you leave this room your world view will be changed forever," Ranma continued. "Rest assured, that this is the truth and it'll be demonstrated."

"Gee, Mom, with a build up like that, you aren't planning on telling us you're the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are you? Mom, are you telling us you're a pretty sailor suited soldier for love and justice?" Midori giggled and everyone laughed, breaking the tension.

"Well, you found me out," Ranma said, gaining control of her laughter as the others that knew were still in hysterics. "I don't know about the rest, but you could say that I'm a sort of magical girl." This caused more laughter from those that knew and gave the ones that didn't pause.

Thus, Ranma began to explain about Jusenkyo and its effects and the how's and why's she was the way she was now. Of course the four women that this was news to were looking at the others as if to determine if this was a joke. They weren't sure because every time they caught one of their eyes, the person in the know would start giggling about the magical girl thing. However, any doubts as to this being a joke were laid to rest by the simple expedient of a demonstration.

"So you see," Ranma joked with the four stunned women, "I'm actually a pretty sailor suited aquatransexual soldier for love and justice." The other six women in the room, plus Max, dissolved into laughter again.

"Well?" Ranma asked, once the laughter died down. The four new members of the inner circle stared at Ranma for a while. Ranma was starting to sweat under the scrutiny when Bertha burst into laughter.

"You know," the large German woman said, "before I joined the RDF, I was a professional Dominatrix. I believe I have seen every twist and kink that the human psyche has to offer. This is not even close to being one of them. Mom, I accept your choice and respect you for having the strength to overcome such a difficult situation. I must say it's certainly...unusual but not something that freaks me out. However, if you would like to play at some point, I still pursue my hobby in my off time. I think we could have some interesting fun."

"She's mine," Lisa growled dangerously, putting her arms around Ranma possessively. Bertha laughed.

"You are both invited then," Bertha grinned.

"Ah, thanks, but, I'll pass," Ranma laughed then took on a haunted look. "I had enough of that BDSM stuff growing up, only it was real, not something done for enjoyment."

"Understandable," Bertha said.

"And the rest of you? Midori?" Ranma asked.

"Well, I think it's weird, but in a kinda cool way," the young Japanese woman said. "I never thought I'd meet a real life magical girl, but you certainly fit the description."

"I don't know you that well, Ma'am, but I like what I've seen of you so far," Angelique said. "It took a lot of guts to come in here and be upfront with us, and you obviously have the support of those that have served with you for a while. I don't feel like you are anything other than you have shown yourself to be, an outstanding female officer and a great CO that will stand up for her pilots no matter what it costs her personally. I remember the fight between you and Commander Hayes. You had my loyalty locked up right there."

"I completely agree with Angie, Mom," Hillary said.

"Thanks," Ranma said, giving them a grateful smile. "You don't know what a relief that is."

(oOO/Oo)

Bertha Stott was walking down the sidewalk when she saw them. Three men, one wearing a dress and seemingly oblivious to the stares they were receiving. These three would be perfect for her needs. She had a BDSM party coming up and needed a few subs for some of the performances to be held at the party.

Bertha strode up to them, looking them over imperiously and wordlessly establishing her dominance. The men began to sweat under her scrutiny and she knew they would work out fine.

"You three, come with me," she commanded with authority. "I have a job for you."

Rico, Konda, and Bron, three Zentradi spies, didn't know quite what to make of this. At first they thought their cover had been compromised, but then the woman, obviously someone in charge, said she had a job for them. They decided that they had no choice but to follow her orders or their cover would be blown.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma walked into the White Dragon. Lisa was off doing something that she wouldn't tell Ranma about and had told Ranma not to expect her for most of the day. So, after coming out to the girls and talking to Rick, she decided to have lunch at the White Dragon and maybe talk to Minmei.

"Ranma!" Minmei exclaimed, catching sight of the redhead. "You bad girl! You still have to get with the studio to do the back ups and the song you promised them before they can release the album."

"Yeah, sure Minmei," Ranma said. "Do you think I could talk to you for a bit?"

"Um...sure," Minmei responded. She led them over and sat them down in a booth. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you a story," Ranma said. "It's the story of a young man and a young woman and a war. You see, this young man was against wars and the people who fought them. Unfortunately one day war came to his life. Now there was this girl the young man was interested in and cared about a lot. The war threatened her though it really didn't touch her world beyond a looming specter of impending tragedy. This young man found that he couldn't stand by and do nothing when the girl that he cared so much for needed to be protected. So against everything his father had taught him, he became a soldier to make sure the war never touched the girl.

"As the war raged on, just outside of the girl's world, the young man saw many horrible things and lost friends and comrades to the war. He was forced to grow up very fast as his youthful idealism was torn from him. Still, as long as the girl was safe, he could bear the burden placed upon him. The girl went about her life, looking forward to her future and was largely able to ignore the war. She kept busy and between both their responsibilities, they weren't able to see much of each other.

"And then one day the young man didn't come home from the war. The war had claimed him and took him from the girl. When she was told what had happened, the girl realized that she had never told the young man how she felt about him. She had always thought she was too young to have to worry about such things and had assumed that there would be plenty of time to tell him she cared when she was older. But now that could never be. You see, she didn't have plenty of time and now she would never have the chance to be with him."

"That's so sad," Minmei said wiping a tear from her eye.

"Yeah, it is," Ranma said. "Minmei, don't let this be your story."

"What do you mean, Ranma?" Minmei asked.

"I mean, Rick," Ranma said. "Do you care for him?"

"Well, of course I do," Minmei said. "He's a really good friend."

"Is that all, Minmei? Just a friend, or maybe more than a friend?" Ranma asked.

"Well," Minmei said blushing. "Maybe someday when...I'm...older..." she trailed off as the import of Ranma's story snapped into perspective. "You're saying I should tell him?"

"Yes," Ranma nodded. "I'm not saying you have to do anything you aren't ready for, but right now he's feeling pretty lonely and confused. He doesn't know how you feel about him and feels like he's losing you because you get to see so little of each other with your singing taking off and everything. He doesn't feel like there's a place in your world for him anymore."

"But that's not true," Minmei denied. "I do want him in my world."

"Then maybe you can talk to him," Ranma said. "About the two of you. I know he wants that. He told me he could handle not seeing you much if he just knew where he stood. Maybe you should tell him how you feel."

"You're right, Ranma," Minmei said with determination. "I just never thought..."

"And you shouldn't have had to," Ranma reassured her. "That's why war is so terrible. It forces us to grow up too fast."

"Thanks Ranma," Minmei said. "I'm gonna go call Rick right now."

(oOO/Oo)

March 2010...

As the SDF-1 neared Earth, Ranma and Lisa were quietly married in a small, private, but completely bizarre double ceremony performed by the captain. Guests included only Roy, Claudia and the members of Wild Rose Squadron. Roy stood as Ranma's best man for that part of the ceremony, while Claudia was Lisa's maid of honor. For the second part, Vicki stood as Ranma's maid of honor while Claudia still stood for Lisa.

After the ceremony, there was a small reception that included a few more guests. It was kept short and non-alcoholic due to the threat of attack as they got closer to Earth. The Brides, now known as Lisa and Ranma Saotome-Hayes, were eventually sent off and informed they would be court marshaled should either of them turn up for duty before the SDF-1 touched down on Earth again.

Gloval's plan, based on Lisa's assessment that the Zentradi didn't want to destroy the SDF-1, was working perfectly. They had been surrounded and shadowed the whole way back to Earth but the aliens did not attack. This held until they reached Earth orbit. Then something bizarre happened.

Part of the alien force attacked, forcing Gloval to scramble the fighters, transform the ship and fight off the first wave. The second wave was coming in, but then the other part of the Zentradi fleet moved to intercede on the SDF-1's behalf. It was a perplexing action for the Earth forces but they were thankful for the respite as the massive ship began to plow atmosphere.

Ranma and Lisa were of course going nuts through out the battle, unused to not being in the thick of it but they managed to distract themselves...barely.

Once the SDF-1 touched down in the Pacific Ocean, the newly weds did something they hadn't done in a long time. They carried a pair of deck chairs out onto the deck of the SDF-1 and proceeded to sunbathe. They were shortly joined by the other Rose's, much to the delight of the crew who were also out to get the first breath of fresh air they'd had in a long time.

Of course, sunbathing entailed quite a lot of their slow sensual sunscreen application, much to Akane's discomfort as she looked on enviously.

"You know, Ranma," Lisa said lazily as Ranma rubbed sunscreen on her. "The only thing that would make this better is a frozen Rumrunner."

"Nu uh," Ranma said with a wicked grin. "No booze for you, Momma."

Lisa looked at her curiously for a moment and then nearly fell out of her deck chair as the implications sunk in.

"No way!" Lisa said. "You couldn't possible know that." Ranma grinned and tenderly rubbed Lisa's flat tummy.

"Ki doesn't lie, Love," Ranma smiled. "I can feel it in your ki right here." Ranma placed her hand over Lisa's womb. "It's mostly just a pooling of your ki, but I can very faintly feel another ki signature developing."

Lisa looked down in awe and wonder at where Ranma's hand rested. Suddenly she burst into tears of joy and grabbed Ranma in a hug.

"I'm so happy, Ranma," Lisa said. "I love you so much..." Lisa trailed off, suddenly tense. "Oh dear..."

"What's wrong, Beautiful?" Ranma asked.

"What are we going to tell my father?" Lisa said, suddenly afraid of what her father might say.

"I guess it'd be too much to ask that he wouldn't have an issue with this, huh?" Ranma sighed. Lisa looked up at Ranma, narrowing her eyes.

"It doesn't matter if he has an issue with it," Lisa said fiercely. "I'm your wife and I'm proud to be so. If he can't handle that then it's his problem."

"Are you sure, Honey?" Ranma said, concerned.

"I've never been more sure of anything more than I am of the fact that I love you and I am ridiculously proud of you," Lisa smiled reassuringly. "You know, Daddy didn't approve of Karl. He wanted me to find someone with 'more fighting spirit'. Well, I did, so if he doesn't like the rest of the package he can't go pound sand. I can't wait to introduce you." Ranma laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I can't wait," Ranma said deadpanned.

(oOO/Oo)

"Hey Commander?" Rick said, knocking on Ranma's office door.

"Yeah?" Ranma asked, motioning for him to come in.

"I wanted to say thanks for talking to Minmei for me," Rick said.

"Is everything all better now?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah, we finally cleared the air," Rick said. "She's officially my girlfriend now and we worked things out so we could see more of each other. We also communicate a lot better now."

"That's great," Ranma smiled. "I'm happy for you both."

"I have another favor to ask, Ma'am," Rick said scratching the back of his head uncertainly.

"Go on," Ranma prompted.

"Well, you see, Minmei is being allowed to leave the ship to go see her family in Yokohama," Rick explained. "She's asked me to go with her."

"Oooo, things must be getting serious if you are going to meet the folks," Ranma teased. Rick laughed nervously.

"Uh...yeah, well, I was wondering if Icouldborrowyourfanjettoflyherthere?" Rick finished in a rush. Ranma blinked a couple of times.

"You want to borrow my fan jet to take Minmei to see her parents?" Ranma asked. Rick nodded in confirmation. "Well, I don't know..." Ranma said thoughtfully. "Do you promise not to fly it into the middle of any airshows you might happen to be near?"

"I...um...learned my lesson the last time, Ma'am," Rick sweatdropped. Ranma chuckled.

"Good to hear it," Ranma said. "Sure, you can borrow it. But if it comes back with so much as a scratch, you'll be eating through a straw. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you, Ma'am," Rick said excitedly. "I'll take good care of her for you, Ma'am."

"Take good care of both of them," Ranma chuckled. "Have a good time."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Rick said, rushing out of the office to give Minmei the good news.

(oOO/Oo)

"Are you ready, Mrs. Ranma Saotome-Hayes?" Lisa smiled at the woman beside her as they approached the shuttle hand in hand.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Mrs. Lisa Saotome-Hayes," Ranma said with a look of determination.

"Just remember, if Daddy makes me choose, you and the baby are going to win hands down," Lisa said reassuringly. "I love you and I'll never let you go."

"Thanks, Lisa," Ranma gave her a weak smile. "I love you too."

"Ladies, are we ready?" Gloval asked, giving them a fatherly smile as they boarded the shuttle.

"Yes, Sir," Lisa smiled. "Let's go face the music."

As soon as they were in the air and at cruising altitude, Ranma made her way to the small galley and began to heat up some water. While it was heating she entered the lavatory and changed into the male version of her uniform. Once that was done she adjusted her ribbons and medals, took her hair out of its French braid, putting it in a low ponytail, and exited the compartment. The water was boiling so she steeled herself and dumped the minimum amount to cause the change over her head. Now male and properly attired, he spent the rest of the flight being coached by Lisa and Captain Gloval on monitoring his mannerisms.

Their plan was to show Lisa's father a son-in-law he would be proud of and once Donald Hayes expressed his approval, they would drop the bomb on him. To make it work, Ranma had to be on his best male behavior. He would have to monitor his mannerisms ultra closely. It was, perhaps, not the nicest way of doing it, but Lisa was still harboring some resentment about her father disapproving of Karl.

Ranma hoped this would be the last time he had to explain about the curse. He was getting seriously tired of repeating the tale.

TBC

Chapter 20

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

(A/N: Well, two thirds finished. Only 10 more chapters for you guys to endure! Thanks for all the great reviews and critiques! I never thought this would be quite as popular as it seems to be. I figured it would be more clique oriented. I'm glad everyone is enjoying it so much though.)

Chapter 20

March 2010...

While Rick was getting a tour of Yokohama, and being introduced to Minmei's parents, Gloval, Lisa, and Ranma were traveling down the barrel of the Grand Cannon as Gloval recounted tails of Lisa's father Admiral Hayes. Lisa laughed happily at some of the outrageous stunts her father had pulled and Ranma was beginning to think that maybe Admiral Hayes wasn't as uptight as he was lead to believe.

Soon the trio was sitting in the counsel chamber and Lisa was giving her report to the chiefs of staff. Sadly, it was greeted with the same skepticism as it was aboard the SDF-1. Ranma managed to hold his tongue this time, though. After a brief discussion, they were told to wait for a decision concerning what would happen.

And wait they did...for several hours. And when the decision came it stunned them to the very core.

"Your orders are to take the SDF-1 and return to space," Admiral Hayes told them. "You are to lead these Zentradi away from the Earth to give us as much time as we can to build up our defenses."

"But Sir, do you not understand?" Gloval asked. "We can't fight a power of this magnitude. We must sue for peace with them."

"We cannot negotiate," Admiral Hayes said. "We have no idea if these aliens would even listen to negotiations or abide by the terms if they did. No, Captain Gloval, we find that we cannot negotiate at this time."

"Very well," Gloval said with resignation. "What of the civilians? When came we start relocating them?"

"The civilians are to remain aboard the SDF-1," Admiral Hayes stated. The three junior officers gasped in outrage.

"What?" Gloval demanded. "We can't make those people stay aboard the ship after all they've been through to get home! We'll have a riot on our hands!"

"Control of the civilians is your responsibility, Captain," Hayes dismissed. "You have to understand, after you left, we couldn't exactly tell the people that we had been attacked by aliens. We instituted total press censorship of the matter. We told the people that Macross Island was destroyed by anti-unification terrorists while the SDF-1 was on its first trial flight. We can't exactly have 60 thousand people that are supposed to be dead and know the truth showing up among the population. The results would be a disaster." Ranma could no longer keep control of his mouth as his outrage reached new heights.

"So what you are telling us, is that we have to hold 60,000 innocent civilians prisoner and take them into combat on a war ship so that you people don't get your little lies exposed?" Ranma asked coldly. "Why don't you just order them executed? I hear dead men tell no tails. What the hell kind of people are you? You're fucking sick. You guys make me ashamed to be an officer. If it weren't for the Zentradi threat to all the people on this planet, I'd resign my commission right here and now."

"Commander, that's enough," Gloval said. "You will have to excuse the commander. He has a very strong sense of honor that is obviously not shared by most of the people present. It will be as you command."

With that Gloval turned and walked out with his subordinates in tow, leaving several of the men sputtering in indignation.

(oOO/Oo)

"Lisa, my daughter, how I've missed you," Donald Hayes greeted as Lisa walked in his office. He came over and hugged her. Suddenly, he stiffened when Ranma walked in. "What are you doing here?"

"Father," Lisa said, "I'd like you to meet my husband, Ranma Saotome-Hayes."

"H...husband?" Hayes sputtered. "You married that...that..."

"Brave, honorable, highly decorated, incredibly handsome, ace fighter pilot?" Lisa supplied. "Yes, I did. You know father, I came here hoping that you'd be proud of the man I married, but now I find I couldn't care less because I'm ashamed of my own father right now."

"But Lisa..."

"No Father," Lisa said, closing her eyes briefly to get a grip on her emotions. "I just came to tell you that I was married and that I am pregnant with Ranma's child. And while we're at it, Ranma is not just my husband." Lisa grabbed a glass of water off the desk and dumped it on Ranma's head. "She is also my wife."

"What the hell?" Hayes exclaimed, gripping the edges of his desk as his knees went weak.

"Aw, man, Lisa," Ranma complained. "What'd you do that for? Now I'm going to have to walk through the base looking like I'm wearing some other guy's uniform."

"It's okay, Sugar," Lisa smiled to her. "You can go change in Father's private bathroom over there while I explain things to 'Pop' here." Ranma smirked a little at the subtle hint that Lisa's respect for her father now mirrored her own for the panda.

"Okay, Sweetie," Ranma chirped and gave Lisa a light kiss on the lips before heading to the bathroom indicated.

While Ranma changed her clothes back into her standard uniform, Lisa explained to her father about what he had just seen. Several minutes later, Ranma rejoined them. Hayes looked her over.

"Lisa, I don't approve of this," he said flatly. "You won't be going back to that ship. It's too dangerous and obviously it has been a negative influence on you."

"What?" Lisa said, dumfounded. "You can't be serious. Is there no low that you won't stoop to? I am a soldier, Father. It's my job to fight. Yet you want to keep me here and safe while you force us to hold 60,000 innocent civilians prisoner aboard the SDF-1 which you have ordered back into battle. Ranma is right. You should change your name to Stalin or Hitler or something so that history doesn't stain the Hayes family honor forever. Anyway, I'm going back to the ship with my wife."

"I can order you not to return to the ship," Hayes threatened.

"Then I'll resign my commission, return to the ship with my wife anyway, and join the civilian prisoners there," Lisa threatened right back.

"So it's that important to you that you'd turn your back on your family?" Hayes demanded.

"You don't seem to understand, Father," Lisa said. "Ranma is my family. She and the baby that's growing inside me. And yes, they are the most important things in my life. If you make me chose between you, you've already lost."

"Very well," Hayes said. "But if you return to that ship, then I don't wish to have anything further to do with you."

"So be it," Lisa said. "Frankly, I don't want anything to do with the megalomaniac you've become either. If you come to your senses and ever wish to have anything to do with your grandchildren, then call me. Come on, Love, let's get out of here."

The two women let the office holding hands.

(oOO/Oo)

As soon as the plane was in the air, Lisa began sobbing uncontrollably. Ranma held her close and tried to give what comfort she could. The redhead knew well the pain of betrayal by one's parental figure. After awhile, Lisa wept herself to sleep in Ranma's arms.

"Captain," Ranma asked, "how could they do something so horrible to all those innocent people?"

"I do not know," Gloval said sadly. "They seemed drunk on their own power and have deluded themselves into thinking that it is omnipotent."

"I'd say they are in for a rude awakening," Ranma commented. "I just hope the Earth doesn't have to pay the price for their hubris. I can't help but feel terrible for the citizens of Macross. They've put up with a lot and now when they finally made it home, to be told they have to leave again, it's so tragic."

"It is all my fault," Gloval lamented. "It was my decision to perform the fold operation and I put them in this position."

"Maybe so, Sir, but you also got them this close to being home again," Ranma said. "We lost very few civilians during our trip back. That's something we can be proud of. Don't beat your self up over it too much. You redeemed yourself by getting them this far. It's those bastards in command that are screwing them now."

"This is true, Commander," Gloval said. "I take it by Lisa's condition that your visit with your father-in-law did not go well?" Ranma shrugged a little.

"It went about as well as could be expected under the circumstances," Ranma sighed. "It would have been bad enough if it was just me, but with the orders they gave us, it started out on the wrong foot and got worse from there. You know he wanted to make Lisa stay there, not let her return to the ship? He even threatened to order her not to go back. She told him if he did that, she would resign her commission and join the civilian prisoners aboard the ship." Gloval chuckled.

"Yes, that's our Lisa," he said. "Always the firebrand. I must say, the pair of you can be quite a handful sometimes." Gloval snickered. "Do you know what the crew calls you two?"

"Probably a lot of unpleasant things," Ranma grinned.

"They call you the Dragon Lady Squared, or DL2 for short," Gloval chuckled and then sobered. "Ranma, I must ask a favor of you."

"What'd you need, Captain," Ranma asked.

"You see, you are very popular with the citizen's of Macross City since winning the Miss Macross pageant," Gloval said. "I would like you to make the statement to them about not being able to leave the ship. They will probably take it better from you than anyone else and you have a way of expressing your displeasure in such a manner as to make us sound sympathetic to their plight."

"We are sympathetic to their plight," Ranma said.

"Yes, yes, we are, and I am working on that," Gloval said.

"Alright," Ranma said. "I'm not happy about this and it goes above and beyond, but you've been more than understanding with my issues. I owe you this much at least."

For the rest of the journey, Ranma and Gloval worked out the key points of the statement to be made. By the time they began their descent, the statement was worked out and Ranma awoke Lisa.

"Liiiisa," Ranma sang gently. "Sweeetie." Lisa shifted groggily.

"Hmmm?" she mumbled plaintively.

"Lisa, we are landing in a little bit," Ranma told her with a gentle smile. "I just thought you might like some time to put yourself back together. You're a mess, a heart-stoppingly beautiful mess, but a mess."

"Thanks a lot," Lisa said with mock sarcasm. "I suppose you're right though."

With that she reluctantly removed herself from Ranma's embrace and made her way to the lavatory to repair her tear-streaked makeup.

(oOO/Oo)

Several hours later, Ranma, Lisa, the terrible trio (a.k.a. the bridge bunnies, a.k.a. Sammy, Kim, and Vanessa), ran into Max Sterling as they were about to enter the White Dragon.

"How did it go with your father-in-law, Commander?" Max asked.

"Don't ask," Ranma said grimly.

"That well, huh?" Max asked sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks, Max," Ranma said as they entered the restaurant. "Whoa, what's going on here?" She looked around at the crowd of people in the restaurant.

"Hey, Commander, over here!" Rick called from a table, waving.

"Hey it's Rickhead," Sammy giggled. "Let's go sit with him."

The gang made their way over to Rick's table and sat down.

"What's all this?" Ranma asked.

"Oh, Minmei's cousin came back with us," Rick said, obviously unhappy with this event. "Everyone in the neighborhood has heard and came by to say hi."

"You don't sound real thrilled with that," Ranma observed.

"Yeah, well, I know it's silly, but Minmei has all but ignored me since he showed up," Rick said glumly. "We finally have a chance to spend uninterrupted time together and he shows up. How did things go with you two?"

"Worse than expected," Ranma said sourly.

"Sorry," Rick said.

"So am I," Ranma replied.

"So who is that guy?" Sammy asked. "What's his name?"

"I think he said it was Kyle," Rick mentioned absently.

"He's Minmei's cousin?" Kim asked. "Look at her, Minmei looks so happy."

"He's very cute too," Sammy added.

"Oh yeah," Vanessa enthused.

"He's adorable," the Terrible Trio sang simultaneously.

The Mayor, who had been walking by heard this and asked if they would like to meet him. Rick didn't look happy about it but the mayor called the young man over anyway.

"He moves like a martial artist," Ranma commented in a low tone to Max. "A good one too. Not in my league or even Akane's but better than average. How has your training been coming?"

"Akane's been a great Sensei," Max grinned.

"Kyle, I would like to introduce you to the people who have saved our lives many times over," the mayor said grandly. "I know you don't like the military, son, but you have to admit there are some beautiful women to be found there. Ranma here is our first Miss Macross."

"Excuse me, do you have some problem with the military?" Sammy asked dangerously.

"Since you asked," Kyle said, "yes I do. The military produces nothing but devastation and destruction. We'd all be better off without it."

"Hey, are you trying to say that everyone in the military likes to destroy things?" Max demanded.

"Well, and I think I speak for everyone at this table when I say this," Rick said, "I didn't join the military because I like devastation and destruction." There was a chorus of agreements.

"So, Kyle, was it?" Ranma said standing up. "You don't think the military has a purpose, huh?"

"None at all," Kyle said. "You catch on fast, Cutie." Kyle was vaguely perplexed to see Max and Rick dive under the table.

"I see," Ranma said neutrally and then launched a slow (for her) but vicious punch at Kyle's nose.

Kyle easily blocked the punch as Ranma had intended. She allowed him to grab her arm as it went by and bend it back behind her shoving her forward, bent over the table in a submission hold.

"Now, now, gorgeous," Kyle said stepping close behind her and subtly pressing his groin into Ranma's rear. "We'll have none of that."

"So you still think the military has no purpose?" Ranma asked.

"Just like I said," Kyle confirmed.

Nobody was quite sure how it happened, but suddenly, Kyle was on his knees with his arm twisted behind his back and had Ranma's hand gripping his neck. She had leaned him back so that he couldn't get any leverage to break the hold.

"You're a damn hypocrite, Kyle," Ranma sneered. "You profess to be a man of peace, yet you will fight to defend yourself when attacked. That is the purpose of the military, asshole. It's not to go out and pick fights and destroy things. It's to defend the people against evil or greedy people that think that they can take what they want if they have enough force backing them up, just like you defend yourself with martial arts against someone that wants to hurt you. And I would imagine with that attitude of yours there are quite a few people that want to hurt you. You're just a little punk that wants to make yourself seem superior by belittling people that have more courage and self-sacrifice than you do. And don't think I missed you getting your jollies by rubbing your little prick against my ass, pervert."

"Please don't hurt him," Lina began to plead with Ranma. "He's my only son. I know he's not the brightest but he's all I have."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Lynn," Ranma said. "I wasn't planning on hurting him. I was just proving a point. Of course, I ought to hurt him for being a womanizing pervert, but I'll let it go this once." Ranma let him go and went back to her seat.

"Lynn Kyle," Minmei said standing before him as he remained on his knees rubbing his neck. "How could you? You...you...pervert!" Minmei slapped him across his face. Enraged, Kyle leapt to his feet.

"Shut up you spoiled little slut," he snarled and backhanded her, shocking nearly everyone in the room.

Time seemed to slow down as Minmei was spun around by the strike before she fell to the ground. Rick was moving immediately to attack the man who had hurt his girlfriend, but he was far too slow. Before he even got out from under the table, Ranma was there delivering a brutal punch to Kyle's solar plexus, making the air explode out of his lungs before she nailed him in the face with a spinning back fist that crushed his nose. A thrust kick sent Kyle to splatter against the wall as Ranma stalked up to him and grabbed him by the throat again, this time holding him off the floor with one hand and sticking her finger in his bloody face.

"If I ever, EVER, hear about you hitting another woman," Ranma growled, her eyes glowing with blue angry light, "I'll rip your balls off and feed them to you."

Ranma dropped him and walked back to Lina, where she bowed deeply.

"I am very sorry for my actions, Lynn-san," Ranma said formally.

"And I apologize for the actions of my son," Lina said, returning the formal bow just as deeply as Ranma had.

"His actions were his own," Ranma replied. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Lina nodded and turned to Minmei who was still on the floor being held by Rick. Rick was wiping a trickle of blood from her lips as she sobbed.

Just then, the TV which had been playing a taped performance by Minmei emitted a tone that everyone came to know preceded an official announcement.

"We interrupt this program to bring you an announcement from the command staff of the SDF-1. Military spokeswoman and our own Miss Macross, Ranma Saotome-Hayes, had this to say..." Ranma groaned as her image appeared on the screen.

"People of Macross," Ranma's image said, "it is with a heavy heart and a great deal of anger, that I must share with you the decision of the high command. The UNEDC has, in an effort to cover up the lies they told the world about your disappearance, denied permission for you to leave the ship." There were several gasps around the room. "Please believe me when I tell you this; we, the crew of the SDF-1, are as outraged by this unjust decision as you are and we are taking every step we can to try and secure your relocation. I know you are all upset and angry. I assure you, we, of the crew, feel the same way. We ask for you to be patient for just a little while longer until we can secure your release."

The civilians in the room were angry and upset, making outbursts to express their outrage. One man stepped angrily up to Ranma.

"What's the meaning of this?" the man demanded.

"It wasn't our..." Ranma started but was cut off.

"You can't keep us prisoners here!" The man shouted and several others agreed as the crowd began to turn ugly, gathering around the military personnel in the room.

"You know what?" Ranma said. "You're right. We can't keep you prisoners here. You're free to go. We won't stop you."

"Really?" the man said in surprise.

"Yes, really," Ranma said. "Of course we can't help you either. So I tell you what, you just make you're way out on to the deck and jump overboard. I suggest swimming east, since land is closer in that direction. I hope you’re a good swimmer. You'll either reach land, or drown trying but at least you won't be a prisoner on this ship. So see, you're all set."

"Why you smart-ass little bitch," the man snarled.

"What else do you want us to do?" Ranma demanded. "We have our orders and if we go against them, the UNEDC will install a command staff on this ship that will be far less sympathetic to your situation. Believe me, we are trying everything we can to get them to reconsider their position, but they are arrogant asses that are more concerned for their own power than doing the right thing. I'm ashamed to serve under their command and if it weren't for the Zentradi threat to all the people of Earth, I'd resign my commission and join you in a microsecond."

"Yeah, well that ain't good enough!" another man yelled. "We want off this ship now!"

"Hey, back off," Max said stepping between the man and Ranma. The man took a swing at Max who dodged and counter punched him. Things rapidly turned into a brawl after that as the crowd attacked and Ranma, Rick, and Max fought to defend the other female officers. Soon the three were standing amidst a pile of groaning men.

"Damn, that redhead is good," one of the men groaned.

"No kidding," the other man said. "I've never seen anyone move that fast and she hits like a wrecking ball. Did you see how she tossed Jack around like a feather? You know Jack weighs about two-fifty and she handled him like a child."

"Yeah, I saw that," the first man groaned. "The one with the glasses wasn’t too bad either."

"I think it would be a good idea if we didn't pick any fights with her around anymore," the second man declared. "Who knew Miss Macross could kick ass like that?"

"No kidding," the first said.

(oOO/Oo)

As the crew of the SDF-1 went about making repairs and refitting the ship and the citizens of Macross City brooded about their confinement to the ship, a drama was unfolding high above in Earth's orbit as a certain Zentradi commander became impatient with the orders to wait and took matters into his own hands. Launching his atmospheric entry craft, he initiated his plan to destroy the SDF-1.

"Captain, I've detected an atmospheric entry," one of the sensor techs announced. "The trajectory should bring it to a touch down point within twenty miles of us."

"Very well," Gloval said. "Keep tracking it and put the ship on alert. And get Commander Hayes up here."

"Yes Sir!" the bridge crew responded.

General Quarters was sounded and preparations were made. Veritechs were launched and destroids were positioned on the decks. Lisa was just entering the bridge when the sensor tech announced that the UNEDC had launched missiles at the enemy craft.

"Those fools, they know that conventional missiles have no effect on the Zentradi ships," Gloval growled. "What do they think they're doing?"

"Sir, the enemy craft is launching battle pods and fighters," the tech announced.

"Scramble all fighters," Gloval said. "Get them in the air."

"Missile impact in 15 second, Captain," the tech called.

Soon the UNEDF missiles began to detonate on the hull of the Zentradi ship doing no damage beyond scorching the paint. Even as the last missile detonated the SDF-1's Veritechs were lifting off the deck of the Prometheus and streaking skyward toward the threat.

(oOO/Oo)

"Alright, Wild Rose, break formation and engage," Ranma ordered.

The Roses scattered and swept in around the battle pods that were descending to the SDF-1. Explosions began to light up the sky as both the Zentradi and the RDF pilots began to die. The Veritechs swirled through the pods and fighters in vicious dogfights, but though they were doing heavy damage to the Zentradi, the sheer numbers of pods made it inevitable that some get through.

The decks of the SDF-1 began to crawl with battle pods slugging it out with the Marine destroid units. Explosions blossomed across the decks as the defenders strove valiantly to stop the Zentradi threat. Veritechs in battloid mode dropped in to shore up the destroid units as holes were forced into the defenses by the Zentradi onslaught.

Ranma found herself squared off with a Zentradi Officer's Pod that she somehow knew contained the same pilot she had faced on the deck of the SDF-1 once before. Her comm screen flared to life.

"So, Micronian, we meet again," an aristocratic looking blue-haired Zentradi sneered at her. "This time I will destroy you. No one beats Kyron."

"Heh," Ranma said. "As I recall, I already spanked your ass once, blue boy. If you want another ass kicking bring it on."

"You will die for you insolence," Kyron responded, opening up on her.

Ranma spun out of the way of his fire and returned fire of her own. Her cannon fire stitched up the pod's carapace, destroying one of its torso weapons before Kyron could evade. He launched a vicious counterattack with a pair of short-range missiles. Ranma leaped over the missiles and then had to twist in the air to avoid two more. A shot from the heavy beam cannon mounted on top of the pod caught her in the upper torso as she spun away from the missiles. Rose One was slammed against the super structure of the SDF-1 by the hit. Ranma was quickly on the defensive and she rolled away from the follow up shots from the arm mounted medium-beam cannon.

Shifting to guardian mode Ranma skated around in an arc to gain some breathing room. Letting loose with a volley of the last of her ammo from her cannon, she managed to blow one of the arms away from the pod. At the same time she fired her own short-range missiles and the heavy cannon on top of the pod exploded into shrapnel, staggering the pod. Having regained the initiative, Ranma skated in and shifted to battloid mode, grabbing the remaining arm of the pod and wrenching it free. Ranma clubbed the pod several times with its own arm and then connected with a brutal kick to the rear of the pod.

"Get off my deck!" Ranma yelled as the pod flew off the deck to splash into the ocean.

"Curse you, Micronian female," Kyron said. "You haven't seen the last of Kyron!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say," Ranma returned. "Just come back and ask for the Dragon Lady when you're ready for some more humiliation, blue boy. I'll be happy to come out and deliver your smack down."

Her only answer was a shriek of incoherent rage from Kyron as he bobbed impotently in the water.

Then the new type of Zentradi mech arrived, destroying attacker and defender alike.

Ranma had to throw her battloid to the side as enemy fire passed through the space she had occupied. She found herself dancing furiously as one of the new humanoid type of mech seemed to have targeted her. The pilot in that suit was good. Of that there was no doubt. It was everything Ranma could do to stay alive as she dodged the incoming fire. She was unable to fire back, all her missiles gone and her cannon having run out of ammo. Kyron's earlier shots had even taken out half her lasers.

The new enemy kept Ranma from getting close enough to grapple by maintaining a withering fire. As Wild Rose One's arm fell away, Ranma knew she couldn't keep this up for much longer. Then a line of cannon fire stitched its way across the torso of the enemy mecha. This was followed by two more streams of fire that had the enemy dodging as furiously as Ranma had been only moments ago.

"Looked like you could use some help there, Mom," Akane said over the squadron channel as she, Vicki, and Max drove the mecha off with concentrated fire.

"Yeah, thanks," Ranma said with relief.

In spite of the heavy losses they were taking, it seemed the defenders were successfully driving the Zentradi units off. The attackers began to fall back and retreat to their extraction craft.

"Gunsight 1 to all Veritechs," Lisa said on the Tac-net. "We have an enemy ship approaching on an apparent collision course. Clear the decks and attack the ship. We're going to do a Daedalus maneuver if you can't stop it."

"I'm done," Ranma said. "Alpha, you guys got anything left?"

"Got a few missiles and a little ammo," Akane responded. The others responded similarly.

"Alright get up there and put your ordinance into that ship," Ranma said. "Three, it's your flight. I'm going below."

"Roger Wild Rose Leader," Vicki said.

The Veritechs maintained a steady fire on the incoming vessel but they were unable to destroy it. The Daedalus Maneuver was employed. However, due to the approach angle of the ship and the relative position of the SDF-1, the Daedalus punched into the ship at an angle tearing through structures and causing critical amounts of damage before the tip of the Daedalus emerged from the other side of the ship. Unaware of this, Lisa gave the order to open fire with the missile batteries gathered in the bow of the former landing craft. As the missiles fired, disaster struck.

"Gunsight 1, this is Vermilion Leader, cease fire, cease fire, I'm right in the path of our missiles," Rick called out desperately. "Mayday, mayday, may...arrrgh!" The transmission ended with abrupt finality and a pall fell over the bridge.

As the SDF-1 withdrew the Daedalus, the Zentradi ship exploded.

TBC

Chapter 21

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 21

March 2010...

Ranma sighed tiredly as she entered their quarters. That battle had been an intense one for her, first facing the Kyron guy and then that other even better Zentradi pilot. She was certain she could have taken the other pilot had she had something to shoot back with, but as it was; it was all she could do to keep from getting pasted.

The sounds of someone crying their heart out ripped Ranma from her thoughts. She headed toward the bedroom where the sounds were coming from. She found Lisa laying on the bed in fetal position, weeping uncontrollably. Ranma rushed across the room and immediately pulled Lisa into her arms. The weeping women latched on to her desperately, clinging as if her life depended on it.

"Lisa, what's wrong Honey?" Ranma asked gently.

"I killed him," Lisa sobbed out. "I fired the missiles and he was caught in the line of fire. Now, Rick is dead because of me."

Ranma honestly didn't know what to say. She was shocked to hear that Rick was dead. She just couldn't believe it. Sure they had gotten off on the wrong foot, but she had begun to respect the guy since he had grown up a bit.

"Lisa, are you sure, Honey?" Ranma asked.

"Yes," she whimpered. "He was broadcasting mayday on the Tac-net and was suddenly cut off with a burst of static."

"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry," Ranma said comfortingly as she held Lisa.

Ranma continued to hold her sobbing wife until Lisa cried herself to sleep. Gently disengaging from her, the redhead got up and went to the phone, dialing Roy's number.

"Hey Roy," Ranma said when the phone was answered. "I need to know, have you heard anything about Rick?...Oh I see...in critical condition?...I'm sorry to hear that, I know you guys are close...Well, I called because I found Lisa crying her eyes out and saying that he was dead and that it was her fault...yeah, I know she couldn't have known, but you know how she is...she sleeping now. If you could keep me posted...yeah thanks. Again I hope he's okay. See ya later."

Ranma was relieved that the kid wasn't dead, but from the way it sounded it was still a possibility. She hoped for everyone's sake the kid pulled through. Ranma went back to the bedroom and laid back down with Lisa. The brunette instinctively latched on to her again and snuggled up tightly.

As she lay there, tenderly stroking her sleeping wife, Ranma tried to think of how she would feel if she had shot down one of her own. Her confidence would definitely be shaken badly. She knew she would probably take it at least as badly as Lisa was and that all the reassurance in the world wouldn't change that. She also knew that Lisa had been under a tremendous amount of pressure recently with matters concerning the baby, her father, and the SDF-1. With Lisa being pregnant, Ranma couldn't even take her out to get falling down drunk, but then Lisa didn't really have the same problem with bottling up the pain like Ranma had. Perhaps it was Lisa's turn to visit Dr. Koenig. She would suggest it when Lisa woke up.

(oOO/Oo)

April 2010...

Over the next several weeks, the crew worked feverishly to complete the repair and refit of the SDF-1 and the ship was soon back to its pre-Launch Day status. They had been steadily taking on supplies and personnel to prepare for what was effectively their banishment from the planet. Lisa was doing a lot better now that she knew Rick was alive, but she was still being eaten up with guilt over the whole incident. Rick was out of critical condition, but still lay in a coma. The doctors were hopeful that he would wake up soon.

Ranma was in her office doing paperwork when Akane knocked on her doorframe.

"Hey Akane," Ranma said, giving her sometimes student a bright smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey Mom, I have some people I'd like for you to meet," Akane said happily.

"Okay, sure," Ranma agreed.

Akane entered the office followed by two women. The first, a gentle looking brunette, didn't look much older than Ranma while the second was an older lady with deep red, almost maroon colored hair, perhaps in her mid-forties. Ranma stood and walked around her desk to greet them.

"Mom, this is my sister, Kasumi," Akane said. "She's a doctor. I was able to call her and tell her about what I had been doing and somehow she managed to get permission to come aboard. I guess we need all the doctors we can get. Kasumi, this is my commanding officer, Ranma Saotome-Hayes"

"Welcome aboard, Kasumi," Ranma said, bowing politely. "I'm glad you were able to come. Akane's told me a lot about you and I know she's missed you."

"Oh my, thank you, Miss Saotome-Hayes," Kasumi said returning the bow.

"Actually, it's Mrs.," Ranma grinned, "But please, just call me Ranma."

"Certainly, Ranma," Kasumi smiled. "I just hope I can help out here."

"I'm sure you will be a great help, Kasumi," Ranma said and then glanced at the other lady meaningfully, before shifting her gaze to Akane expectantly.

"Ranma, I have to confess, I told Kasumi about who you are," Akane said.

"Yeah, well, I suppose that's okay," Ranma said. "As long as she understands that it will probably end my career if it comes out."

"She promised not to tell anyone else except one person," Akane said and Kasumi nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, I guess that's okay," Ranma said slowly, wondering what the heck was going on.

"Ranma, I would like you to meet Kasumi's nurse, Nodoka Saotome," Akane said.

Ranma's ears began buzzing as she heard this and the edges of her vision began to get black. She suddenly didn't feel too stable on her feet and abruptly leaned back on her desk for support.

"N...N...Nodoka S...Sa...Saotome?" Ranma asked softly.

"Yes, Ranma," the older woman said with a warm smile. "Your mother. I don't even have to ask if it's really you. You look just like me when I was your age, except your hair is a much brighter red than mine."

"B...but...Pop told me my mother was d...dead," Ranma stammered.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Nodoka said, "especially after hearing the truth about why you left him. I never did believe that you framed him and left him to face the punishment for crimes he was innocent of. Come daughter, give your mother a hug."

Ranma stood shakily and stepped into her mother's embrace. Her mother wrapped Ranma in her arms and both of them began to cry tears of joy for their reunion and regret for lost years. Akane and Kasumi looked on, tears filling their own eyes, both touched by the scene and longing for their own mother who had died when they were just children.

(oOO/Oo)

Nodoka sat on the couch in Ranma's quarters as Ranma told her mother of her life with Genma. By the time Ranma reached the point where she had left her father, Nodoka was quivering with rage at the abuse her child had been subjected to. At the same time, she was glowing with pride at what her child had accomplished in spite of her father. She hugged her daughter, her tears once again flowing. This is how Lisa found them when she came in, in the arms of another woman.

"Ranma?" Lisa asked confused. "What's going on? Who is this?" Ranma disengaged from Nodoka and smiled at Lisa.

"Lisa, I would like you to meet Nodoka Saotome, my mother," Ranma said, standing and going over to take Lisa in her arms. "Mother, I would like for you to meet my wife, Lisa Saotome-Hayes, the first officer aboard this ship and the mother of my child."

Nodoka blinked, and blinked again.

"Your...mother?" Lisa asked. "But I thought..."

"I guess that was just another of Pop's lies," Ranma said.

"But...you're both women," Nodoka said.

"Yeah, so?" Ranma said. "My sex changed, not my sexual orientation, and anyway, I do still have a male body sometimes. How do you think Lisa is carrying my child?"

"Oh, well, it was just a surprise is all," Nodoka said. "Even in this day and age, you don't see two women that are actually married. I didn't think they allowed that sort of thing."

"The captain knows the truth and he has been very accommodating with us," Lisa explained.

"Ah, well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Daughter-in-law," Nodoka said. "How far along are you? You certainly don't show yet."

"Almost a month," Lisa smiled, rubbing her tummy.

"I was just telling Momma about my life," Ranma said. "Come on and sit. I was just getting to the part where I went to the RDF academy and met you for the first time."

Lisa allowed herself to be led to the couch and sat down. Ranma continued her tale and Lisa added bits about her and Ranma's time together at the Academy. All three women laughed at some of the exploits the two had had while there. Ranma then told her mother about her career after the Academy and how she earned the two Distinguished Flying Crosses and the Navy Cross.

When they finally got to the point where Ranma had gotten her transfer to Macross and had been posted to the SDF-1, Lisa joined back in. They told Nodoka about the, at times, bitter sweet development of their relationship and how their fears kept them from embracing their growing attraction for one another. Nodoka was told of her daughter's gradual education in the feminine arts and about the stress it had put on her and how she was afraid of loosing herself. She was told about the inception of Rose Squadron and then about the fold and subsequent events.

Nodoka cried with her daughter over the loss of friends and was fiercely proud of her many accomplishments. She shed bittersweet tears at the story of Mars and how that had finally brought Lisa and her daughter together. Nodoka laughed at the irony of her daughter winning the Miss Macross pageant. She felt joy as they told her of their decision to marry and try to get pregnant as soon as possible and felt righteous anger at Lisa's father for not only his orders concerning the citizens of Macross, but his rejection of her.

"Ranma, do you think I could see my son?" Nodoka asked.

"Sure Momma," Ranma said and pulled out their wedding pictures.

"Oh, you are so handsome," Nodoka commented as she looked through the pictures with them. "You are such a fine young man. But, Ranma, this isn't what I meant. I wanted to see you in male form so that I could hold my son again."

"I...um...I don't...think..." Ranma stammered, blushing in embarrassment.

"What's wrong? I guess I can understand if it hurts too much," Nodoka said.

"It's not that, Momma," Ranma denied quickly.

"Well, what is it then?" Nodoka asked gently.

"I...well...it's just that..." Ranma trailed off again.

"She's worried about what you would think of her," Lisa explained. "She's lived as a woman for so long that, even with that gorgeous male body, she has a hard time being a man. She comes off a bit effeminate at best. Unless she is concentrating really hard, you can tell there's a woman between those ears."

"Oh, I see," Nodoka said. "That's perfectly understandable. It's rather funny, actually. Tell me, Daughter, did Genma ever tell you about the contract he had with me?"

"Contract?" Ranma asked with a sinking feeling.

"Yes," Nodoka giggled. "He promised to bring you back as a man among men or you'd both commit seppuku." Ranma looked horrified as did Lisa.

"I won't do it," Ranma said softly. "I won't do that to Lisa." Nodoka looked confused, then the light of understanding dawned in her eyes.

"Oh don't be silly, Daughter," Nodoka said. "I could never have enforced that contract on you. No mother would demand that her child kill herself. Genma, on the other hand, would deserve it. Though after your tale, I doubt he would have the honor to perform the ritual."

"You mean you aren't going to..." Ranma began before Nodoka interrupted her.

"Ranma, I love you," Nodoka assured her. "I'm very proud of you. It took a lot of strength and courage to make the choices you did and you've become a fine young woman as well as a strong and skilled warrior. You've sacrificed so very much. It would be a sin of epic proportions to take you away from the people that love and respect you now when you have a chance of true happiness. I did a lot of thinking when Kasumi told me about you. I decided that if this was how you chose to live your life then I would rather have my child in mine regardless of my foolish expectations. Besides, I still get my grandchildren!"

Nodoka's eyes became wide and sparkly as she folded her hands beside her face and gazed at Ranma and Lisa in rapture. Ranma coughed nervously and looked at Lisa who appeared uneasy.

"Um...Momma?" Ranma said uncertainly.

"So tell me, Ranma, are you planning on carrying the second child?" Nodoka asked, oblivious to Ranma's look of horror. "It would be easy you know. We could have one of Lisa's eggs artificially inseminated with your male form's seed, then we could implant the fertilized egg in your womb and you could also know the joy of motherhood."

Ranma's eyes were opened wide in alarm as she mechanically looked over at Lisa. Seeing Lisa looking at her with a speculative, calculating look, Ranma's eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she hit the floor unconscious.

"Oh, goodness, I don't think she took that very well," Nodoka remarked.

"Don't worry, Mom," Lisa grinned wickedly. "I'll work on her."

"We both will," Nodoka produced a matching grin. "It's Nodoka's..."

"And Lisa's..." Lisa added.

"Operation: Get Ranma Pregnant!" they both said at the same time.

Ranma shuddered in her unconsciousness.

(oOO/Oo)

"Hey Rickhead," Ranma chirped as she came into the room followed by a subdued Lisa.

"Hey DL2," Rick greeted. Ranma raised an eyebrow and Rick explained the joke. "Well, you two are the twin Dragon Ladies, so DL2." Ranma chuckled.

"So how ya feelin' kid?" Ranma asked.

"Like a battloid stepped on my head," Rick replied and noticed that Lisa looked positively forlorn. "Hey Commander, what's up?"

Lisa shuffled forward and Rick could see the tears filling her eyes. Ranma stepped up beside her and rubbed her back reassuringly.

"I just wanted to say...I'm sorry," Lisa breathed softly. "It was my fault you're in here. I was the one that ordered the missiles to be launched. I feel just terrible." Lisa wiped a tear off her face that had escaped.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," Rick said. "There was no way for you to know that was going to happen. I was just in the wrong place at that wrong time, is all." Ranma shot Rick a look of profound gratitude.

"The guilt over this has been eating her up," Ranma explained.

"Well, don't worry, Commander, I don't blame you for this," Rick said. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm fine. Just a little headache is all. I'll be back up there giving you a hard time before you know it, okay?" Lisa giggled in spite of herself.

"You better be, Lieutenant Hunter," Lisa said with some of her old fire. "I won't have any pilots loafing around taking up space in the hospital." The small smile on her face betrayed her stern tone.

"Yes, Ma'am," Rick grinned back. Lisa went over to put the flowers she had brought in a vase.

"Has Minmei been to see you yet?" Ranma asked and Rick's face fell.

"No, not at all," Rick said soberly.

"Well, I'm sure she will," Ranma said. "It could be that nobody has told her you were here. She's rather hard to get a hold of these days. She's become the sweetheart of Macross City now days."

"Don't be silly, Love," Lisa said. "You're the sweetheart of the SDF-1 and everybody knows it." Ranma rolled her eyes. "You can't walk down the street without someone wanting you to sign a photo or something."

"Don't remind me," Ranma groaned. "Stupid pageant. It was bad enough before I won the stupid thing with guys leering at me. Now everyone wants a piece."

"Must be a tough life," Rick joked. "Top rated fighter pilot in the RDF...tons of loyal followers...free stuff...beloved by everyone. I don't know how you stand it."

"It's the price of having all this beauty and talent, I guess," Ranma said airily, striking a pose that would have made Rick's nose bleed if it hadn't been for her conservative uniform.

"Oh you," Lisa slapped her playfully on the shoulder. "Stop teasing the invalids."

"Hey! Invalid?" Rick protested.

"You're right, Sweetie, there's no sport in it," Ranma said. "I know someone it's much more fun to tease." Ranma shot Lisa a sultry, wanting look.

"Hey, you two get a room, will ya?" Rick griped. Ranma winked at him.

"Well, now, that doesn't sound like a half-bad idea," Ranma purred and grabbed Lisa's arm. "Take it easy, Rickhead. Hope you feel better soon. Now let's go see how Momma and Kasumi are settling in."

The pair of women left the room leaving Rick to his thoughts.

(oOO/Oo)

"Bridge to Commander Fokker," Lisa said over the personal comm. "Come in Commander Fokker."

"This is Fokker," Roy responded.

"Commander, we have an incoming enemy unit," Lisa said. "It doesn't look like a full-scale assault but we are sending up Wild Rose Alpha and Lt. Commander Whitehall is currently off of flight status. We need you to make up the position."

"Roger, Commander," Roy said. "I'm on my way now."

Ten minutes later, Roy was forming up on Wild Rose Alpha flight's wing.

"Hey, DL," Roy said over the Tac-net. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Hey Cowboy," Ranma said cheerfully. "You ready to party?"

"I'm ALWAYS ready to party, DL," Roy laughed.

"Good, 'cause here come the party crashers," Ranma said. "You have Stick's wing. Try to keep up with us, huh?"

"Heh, coming from anybody but you three I'd be insulted," Roy laughed. "I'll try not to slow you down too much."

"Alright, break formation, Fury and I are going right," Ranma said. "Stick and Cowboy, you go left."

Ranma and Akane broke right and tore into the right flank of the incoming units while Max and Roy did the same for the left side. Ranma noticed that they were all the big humanoid gorilla-looking mecha this time. They tended to be tougher than the standard battle pods they have been facing.

'But they die just the same,' Ranma thought grimly as two of the things exploded under her guns. Akane wracked up her own pair of kills and they sought new targets.

(oOO/Oo)

Miriya Perino, the premier pilot of the Zentradi/Meltradi fighter pilots, was confused. Scything into her command was three of those black-tailed, pink and white Micronian craft. They appeared to be the same unit of the one that had defeated Kyron and kicked him off the Micronian ship. They also appeared to be the same ones that chased her off when she almost had the illusive one that had defeated Kyron.

Kyron had said that she could not beat the one who had bested him after she had mocked him for being ignominiously kicked of the SDF-1 by a Micronian. She had come to face this ace that Kyron said she could not beat. She'd come to prove Kyron a fool. The trouble was, she couldn't tell which one the Micronian ace was. The lone plane with the skull and crossbones on the tail was obviously not the one. That one seemed to be barely keeping up with the other three.

Then she noticed the markings on the nose of the Micronian craft. The first one had a single line, the next had a more elaborate odd curl with a line on the bottom and finally the remaining one had an even more elaborate angle with a line intersecting the longitudinal leg.

'That must be the one,' Miriya thought. 'The one with the most elaborate insignia must be the most respected warrior.'

(oOO/Oo)

Of course she had no idea that she had it all wrong, not that the numbers 1, 2, and 4 had anything to do with the skill of the pilots, but lacking anything better to go on since they all appeared similar in skill, she chose Max as her target. She had no way to know that Ranma, the true ace of aces, was flying down to Akane's level which was only a little better than Max and the fact that Roy was struggling to keep up with Max gave the perception of Max being that much better.

Max and Miriya began to test each other's skill, fighting back and forth in moves that left Roy behind. This, of course, left Roy to fend for himself, which he did. Ranma and Akane continued to work in concert and quickly shot down more than half the units that had originally engaged them. Having some breathing room, Ranma saw that Roy was in trouble. He was concentrating on shooting down one of the remaining units and had failed to see one that had moved in for a high deflection shot.

"Cowboy, break right, Now!" Ranma yelled; but even as Roy's plane began the hard break turn, the enemy opened fire and scored several direct hits on Skull One. The enemy mecha didn't live to celebrate its success, though, as Ranma blew it out of the sky a microsecond later. Akane took care of the remaining unit as Ranma dove down to Roy.

"Hey Cowboy, you okay?" Ranma asked as she pulled up beside Skull One, which was trailing black smoke.

"Yeah, I'm fine DL," Roy said. "Took a good hit, but I'll make it." Ranma was skeptical.

"Bullshit, Cowboy," Ranma said. "You're wounded, I can hear it in your voice. Get your ass back to the ship now. Come on, I'll cover you."

"No need for that," Roy said. "I'm okay, really."

"Fury, you go see if you can help Stick out," Ranma said. "I'm escorting Cowboy back to the ship."

"Roger, Mom," Akane said.

"Hey, I said I was fine," Roy protested.

"And I can tell you're lying, you macho pighead," Ranma said. "Now get that aircraft on the deck before you pass out."

"Commander Saotome-Hayes, have you forgotten who your CAG is?" Roy tried.

"Nope," Ranma replied. "He's the guy I am threatening if he doesn't land his aircraft and check in with the medics then I'll personally drag his plane out of the air and carry him to the hospital. On the deck NOW, mister."

"Alright, alright, you win," Roy said in resignation, "but I'm telling you I'm fine."

"You just keep saying that, Cowboy," Ranma said. "Gunsight 1, Wild Rose Lead, I'm escorting in Skull One who took a pretty bad hit. Have a medical team standing by on the Promy to check him out as soon as he's on the deck."

"Roger Wild Rose Leader," Lisa said.

(oOO/Oo)

Meanwhile, the remaining enemy unit had managed to make it aboard the SDF-1 and find its way into Macross City with Max hot on its heels. The mecha landed and rocketed off down the street. A second later Max also landed in battloid mode and took off in pursuit.

As he ran into an intersection and turned, he saw the enemy mecha had paused as if confused. Max used the hesitation to line up his cannon and fire a burst of direct hits into the mecha. The enemy whirled and returned fire, damaging several of the buildings in the area.

Suddenly the roof opened up and the gorilla looking mecha rocketed up toward the sky leaving behind a trail of missiles as Max pursued it. As the enemy unit cleared the ship a burst of fire took it from the side, blasting free an arm. Akane joined Max in pursuit as the harried mecha began wild evasive maneuvers.

"Wild Rose 2 and 4, you've won," Lisa said on the Tac-net. "Let it go and bring them home. Good work."

"Roger, Gunsight 1," Akane said. "Alright Stick let's get on the deck."

"Roger that, Fury," Max said. "I wonder why that guy seemed to be targeting me."

"Maybe he heard about your charming personality," Akane joked.

(oOO/Oo)

Miriya limped back to her ship only to find Kyron waiting for her. As she climbed out of her cockpit, the blue-haired Zentradi began to laugh at her.

"What's this? The greatest pilot in the Zentradi fleet, suffering a humiliating defeat by a mere Micronian?" Kyron mocked.

"The same Micronian that defeated you twice," Miriya shot back.

"Don't be absurd," Kyron said. "The one you fought was merely her underling. The one in this craft here..." Kyron pointed out the fighter with the single line, "...is the Micronian ace. She called herself the Dragon Lady. I would avoid her if I were you, foolish woman. You couldn't even defeat one of her underlings, so you don't have a chance against her."

"Very well, I will defeat the one I fought today and then I will defeat this 'Dragon Lady'," Miriya said confidently. Inside she was feeling an unaccustomed fear. The Micronian she fought today was truly formidable. It this Dragon Lady was better, she knew she would be hard pressed to face her in combat.

(oOO/Oo)

"Commander Fokker?" a pretty brunette woman asked as he climbed out of his cockpit.

"Yeah?" Roy asked.

"I'm Dr. Kasumi Tendo," Kasumi said. "This is my nurse Nodoka Saotome. We're here to check you out. I hear you were injured in combat?"

"No, I'm fine," Roy said. "Thanks for your concern but there's nothing wro...unnghhh!"

Roy groaned and collapsed to his knees as Kasumi lightly poked him in the side he had obviously been favoring.

"You were saying, Mister Fokker?" Kasumi gave him a smug grin. "Come on, let's get this flight suit off you and see what the problem is."

Kasumi and Nodoka quickly but carefully removed the flight suit from the resigned Roy.

"Oh my," Kasumi said as they pulled the flight suit down to Roy's waist.

From Roy's armpit down to his hip was a large purple bruise. Kasumi gently probed the area with a growing look of concern.

"He has several shattered ribs and likely has internal bleeding and some ruptured organs," Kasumi said to Nodoka. "We have to get this man to surgery, stat."

The medics quickly placed Roy on a gurney and loaded him in the ambulance. He was rushed to the hospital and into surgery immediately.

(oOO/Oo)

"How is he?" Ranma asked, stepping up beside Claudia as she looked at the doors of the operating room.

"I don't know," Claudia said softly, her voice heavy with worry. "So far all I've been able to find out is he's got several ribs that were little more than dust, he has a ruptured spleen and he's going to lose a kidney. They say he may never fly again, at least not combat. They are still operating on him. Oh Ranma..." The gregarious, always cheerful woman suddenly went to pieces right before the redhead.

Ranma awkwardly put her arms around the much larger woman and held her as she wept. Ranma felt the tears roll down her own face as she stroked Claudia comfortingly. Ranma didn't know how long they stood there. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours, when the sound of a throat being clear alerted them to Kasumi's presence. Ranma and Claudia looked at her expectantly. Kasumi gave them a small smile.

"He's out of surgery and we've stabilized him," Kasumi said. "He's going to be in ICU for a few days at least, but we are optimistic that he'll pull through. He's a tough one. As we expected we had to remove his spleen and a kidney. He should be fine with the other one. The bad thing is we had to remove three ribs as they were too badly damaged to heal. I'm afraid it's as we feared. He won't be able to withstand the strain of combat flying anymore without those ribs. It's a good thing we got to him when we did though. Another half an hour and we wouldn't have been able to save him. The internal bleeding was extensive."

"Th...Thank you, Doctor," Claudia said tearfully.

"I just wish I had better news," Kasumi said sadly. "He'll be out until tomorrow at least. Ranma, why don't you take Miss Grant home so she can rest." Ranma looked at Claudia who nodded slightly.

"You place or mine, Beautiful?" Ranma asked waggling her eyebrow. Claudia let out a half laugh, half sob.

"If I won't be cramping your and Lisa's style, I'd rather not be alone tonight," Claudia said softly.

"I'm sure Lisa and I can abstain for one night," Ranma grinned reassuringly. "It won't be easy, but it can be done."

TBC

Chapter 22

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 22

April 2010...

"Rick?" Ranma said as she entered his room.

The dark-haired young man was in his bed playing with a model biplane that Roy had brought him to occupy his time.

"Hi DL," Rick said cheerfully. "Minmei came by to visit..." Rick trailed off when he noticed the grim expression on Ranma's face.

"Rick..." Ranma said, coming over to the bed.

"W...what's wrong, DL?" Rick asked.

"It's Roy," Ranma said sadly. "He got shot up pretty badly. He's in ICU. They had to remove his spleen, a kidney, and three ribs. There was a lot of internal bleeding and most of his other internal organs were bruised. He won't be able to fly combat anymore."

"Big Brother?" Rick said in shock. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sorry, Rick," Ranma said. "I couldn't get to him in time. All I could to was kill the one that got him and make sure the medical team was waiting when he got on the ground. He kept saying he was fine, the macho jerk. If we had believed him he'd be dead. As it was it was a close thing. They say he'll be okay though."

"Big Brother can't fly anymore?" Rick asked, still clearly in shock.

The model slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor. The little biplane was painted in Skull livery, making for a poignant symbolism as it nosed into the floor and broke into pieces. Ranma took Rick's hand supportively.

"Not combat, or aerobatically," Ranma said sadly. "Without the ribs, his body won't have the support necessary to endure the g-forces involved. I'm sorry, Rick. I know how close you two are. He'll need you now, to help him get through this. He's a good friend to me too."

"Can I see him?" Rick asked.

"Not until he's out of ICU," Ranma said. "They said it will be a few days. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Rick said somberly. "At least he's alive."

"Yeah," Ranma said. 'At least,' she thought, trying to imagine how she'd feel if she wasn't able to practice her art anymore.

(oOO/Oo)

A week later, they took Roy out of ICU and Ranma came to visit him.

"Hey Roy," Ranma said cheerfully coming into the room.

"Are you happy now?" Roy asked weakly as Ranma stepped up to the bed. "You should have let me die."

"Whoa, where did that come from?" Ranma asked.

"They told me I couldn't fly combat anymore," Roy said, depressed. "I'm washed up, useless. I always thought I would die in combat. I'd go out in a blaze of glory. Now, I'm gonna die as some useless has-been."

"Well, with that attitude you just might," Ranma said sourly. "You're far from useless, Roy. So what if you can't fly combat anymore. There're other things in life besides that. There's other ways you can help fight the war besides in the cockpit of a Veritech."

"Like what?" Roy asked bitterly. "You're a fighter pilot and a damn good one. Are you telling me that you would find anything else as fulfilling?"

"How about fatherhood?" Ranma asked. "How about being a husband? Are you that big of an adrenaline junky that you don't care about the woman that loves you? I'm not saying that you don't have a right to be depressed over losing something as important to you as my art is to me, but there are other things that you can be just as dedicated to."

"Yeah, like Claudia would want some washed up has-been like me," Roy argued.

"Roy," Ranma said, "don't be a jackass. You're more than just a fighter pilot, you know? You're a great CO, a fantastic mentor, a really great friend, and I'm sure if you weren't a better than average lover, then Claudia wouldn't give you the time of day.

"You once told me that you respected my courage and inner strength for choosing to go on with my life in spite of the major change that was thrust upon me. Well, guess what my friend? It's time for you to step up to the plate. You've just had a major change thrust on you. You can either choose to make the best of it, or you can be a fucking wuss and let it kick your ass."

"Flying is all I know," Roy said. "What else am I good for? Flying transports? No thanks."

"Bullshit Roy," Ranma denied. "You know a lot of things. How about command of your own ship? With your career it'd be yours if you wanted it. How about being an instructor? You'd be a good one. Remember I know. You taught me a lot about being a fighter pilot. That's just what I can think of off the top of my head. I bet Claudia would have some ideas for you."

Roy said nothing. He just stared at the ceiling. Ranma couldn't tell if he was thinking over what she had said or if he was just refusing to argue anymore.

"She loves you, Roy," Ranma said softly. "We all do. Me, Lisa, Rick, but most of all, Claudia. Seeing you give up on yourself is tearing her apart." Ranma took Roy's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I've gotta go. I have a real hot brunette to take on a dinner date. Think about what I said, Roy." Ranma tried to release his hand but Roy held on to hers.

"Ranma," Roy said, his voice carrying more life in it than any other time since she'd come in. "I want Rick to take over Skull. I want you acting CAG." Ranma nodded.

"Done," Ranma said. "I'll inform the Captain. This means Rick and I are going to need you around to make sure we don't screw everything up."

"Then I guess I'll have to stick around to bust your chops when either of you get too cocky then, won't I?" Roy asked. "Now there's something to live for."

"Roy, believe me when I say that getting 'cocky' is not one of my problems," Ranma joked. Roy was still grinning when she left the room.

(oOO/Oo)

"RANMA SAOTOME-HAYES!" someone shrieked behind Ranma and Lisa as they strolled through the park holding hands.

Ranma whirled about just in time to get swept up into a crushing hug and spun around before being placed back on the ground and kissed thoroughly. Her eyes widened into saucers and her braid stuck straight out as she flapped her arms. Her amorous assailant disengaged and let her go. Ranma looked up to see the broadly smiling visage of one Claudia Grant.

"I...uh...Claudia...w...what was that about?" Ranma stammered.

"I don't know what you said to Roy to break him out of that funk he was in, but I owe you big time, girlfriend," Claudia practically glowed with joy. "Not only is he acting almost not depressed anymore, but he asked me to marry him!" Claudia swept Lisa up in a hug next and twirled her around.

"Hey, easy on the mother to be," Ranma giggled.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Claudia set Lisa down with a sheepish grin. "I'm just so happy."

"He really asked you to marry him?" Lisa asked enthusiastically. "And you said yes, of course."

"Yup," Claudia smiled brightly. "And I owe it all to Ranma. Roy said he had a nice talk with our little redhead here and she put some things in perspective for him."

"Well, I just pointed out some things to him and told him to quit being a jackass," Ranma blushed.

"You didn't?" Lisa asked, giggling.

"Yup," Ranma said. "I told him that he could either choose to make the most of this change in his life or he could be a big wuss and choose to let it destroy him."

"Whatever you said, it was what he needed to hear," Claudia said gratefully. "I don't know what I would have done if he had just given up."

"Just remember, Claudia," Ranma said, "he's going to have a hard time for a while. He has to find a new place in life and there's gonna be some growing pains. You need to be patient with him and support him as much as possible."

"Of course," Claudia said. "I'll do whatever I need to. I love him."

"Good," Ranma smiled. "He's a great guy and I'd hate to lose him."

"You're going to be a great CAG, Ranma," Claudia said.

"What?" Lisa asked, surprised.

"Ranma didn't tell you?" Claudia grinned. "Roy wants her to take over his position as CAG and he wants Rick to lead the Skull."

"No, Ranma failed to mention that," Lisa said, looking at Ranma with half lidded eyes. "Why did you not mention that, Honey?"

"Um...it never came up?" Ranma said nervously. "Besides, it's not something I think of as good news. It's not as if I wanted it. I can never replace Roy."

"I think you'll be just as good a CAG as Roy," Claudia said. "You are both a lot alike as far as your leadership style."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Ranma grinned.

"You'll do fine, Sweetie," Lisa assured her.

"And it's not like Roy won't be around to mentor you," Claudia pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I just don't know if I want all the responsibility," Ranma said. "I only agreed to it because Roy wanted it."

"Yeah, yeah, and you're just a simple fighter pilot..." Lisa rolled her eyes. "Besides, would you rather have some pompous ass like Maistroff be the CAG?" Ranma shuddered.

"Well, not that we've settled that," Claudia said. "I certainly have started moving in some high circles. Imagine me being best friends with the two most powerful women on the ship. Who'd have thought?"

"Yeah, right," Ranma snorted.

"Honey, you just don't realize it, but you and your spouse have run this ship for a long time now," Claudia smirked. "The captain is only in charge because you allow it. Lisa runs the crew and Roy has made it no secret that you are his protégé. You have a lot of loyalty from the pilots and even the Marines. Whoever isn't loyal to one or the other is terrified to cross you."

"That's us," Ranma quipped. "DL2, ruling the ship with an iron fist."

(oOO/Oo)

"Well if it isn't the little redhead bitch," Ranma heard a voice say as she was walking along on her way to see her mother. She turned and saw who had verbally assaulted her...Lynn Kyle. Great.

"What do you want, Pervert?" Ranma sneered.

"You ruined everything," Kyle snarled at her. He was obviously drunk. "Minmei hates me now and my parents kicked me out of my own home. And now I'm stuck on this goddam ship. All because of you."

"I'm not the one that hit Minmei, asshole," Ranma said. "It seems to me that you need to take responsibility for your own actions."

"It seems to me that I'm about to kick your ass, little girl," Kyle smirked. "You caught me by surprise before. That won't happen again."

"Oh? That's interesting," Ranma said. "How's the nose, by the way? Still sore, I bet. As much as I could use the stress relief beating the shit out of you would bring, I'm afraid I'll have to decline you offer. There's no honor in beating on a pathetic juicer like you. How much liquid backbone did it take you to challenge me anyway? You're so drunk you couldn't whip your way out of a wet paper bag."

Kyle took a jab at her. Ranma leaned slightly to the side and Kyle struck nothing but air. She leaned back to avoid a thrust kick then leaped over a foot sweep. Stepping out of the way of another jab, she then flipped backward away from the follow up high kick. By now a crowd was gathering to watch Kyle being humiliated.

"Hi Mom," Bertha said.

Ranma looked over and gave Bertha, Natalia, Marissa, Erin, and Midori a smile.

"Hey, Bertha, girls," Ranma said conversationally, clearly ignoring Kyle's attempts to hit her even while ducking and dodging them. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Ah, well, we were going out to the club," Bertha chuckled. "I have to ask, what's with him and why don't you just put him down and be done with it?"

"Oh, this is Lynn Kyle," Ranma said casually. "He's a pervert and an idiot. He likes to beat on girls, usually defenseless ones, but right now he's so drunk he managed to confuse me with the latter category. As to why I just don't take him out, well, there's no honor in beating up those so much weaker than one's self. He's just a pathetic juicer, no threat to me."

The truth of her words was clear as she chatted with the girls, ignoring Kyle while nonchalantly avoiding his continued attempts to strike her.

"Likes to beat on girls, huh?" Bertha said with a wicked grin.

Ranma shrugged and gestured with her head in Kyle's direction as if the truth was self-evident. Indeed, it was.

"Would you mind if I take him off your hands?" Bertha grinned evilly.

"Not sure why you'd want him," Ranma said, "but be my guest."

Bertha grinned and nodded. She stepped in and caught Kyle's fist in her hand. Kyle looked perplexed and looked to see who had caught his hand. He looked up...and up...and up a little more until he met the eyes of the statuesque beauty before him.

"Hey cutie," Bertha said. Kyle blinked and lowered his gaze to her generous cleavage.

"Hey, Babe," Kyle flashed her a smile.

"What do you say you forget about Little Red here and we go off and have some fun?" Bertha suggested.

"Um...sure," Kyle said glancing at Ranma. "I can kick her ass anytime. Let's go. Your place or mine, Sweetness?"

"Oh mine, definitely," Bertha grinned evilly as she led him off amidst the giggles of the other Roses.

"You know, I almost feel sorry for him," Ranma giggled. "Almost."

"Heh, he has it coming," Erin said. "You want to join us, Mom?"

"Thanks, but no," Ranma declined. "I'm taking my mother to dinner."

"Aw, that's sweet of you," Marissa said with a smile.

"I haven't seen her since I was 6 years old. We have a lot of catching up to do and she wants to get to know her daughter," Ranma grinned.

"Well, you two have fun then," Marissa said. The others waved and they headed off toward the club.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma knocked on the door of her mother's apartment and waited. After a minute, the door was opened to reveal the person in question dressed in an elegant traditional kimono printed with images of cherry blossom trees in full bloom. Her deep red hair was pinned up and her makeup was flawless.

"Wow, Momma, you look great," Ranma said, impressed. She felt underdressed in her uniform.

"Why thank you, Daughter," Nodoka smiled warmly. "Are you ready?"

"If you are, Momma," Ranma said. "We're going to a great place called the White Dragon. They have the best food in Macross."

"Very good," Nodoka said and turned to lock her door.

The pair linked arms and strolled toward the restaurant.

"So how are you?" Nodoka asked casually. Ranma sighed.

"I've been better, Momma," Ranma admitted.

"Oh? What's wrong?" the older woman asked.

"Well, it's just that my life has just gotten a lot more complicated," Ranma said. "The man you and Kasumi saved the other day, Roy Fokker?" Nodoka nodded. "He is one of my best friends and my mentor. It's very hard on him that he can't fly anymore. I can only imagine how difficult it would be for me if I found out I couldn't practice the art anymore. He's taking it pretty hard."

"I spoke with him earlier and he mentioned that you told him a few truths that improved his outlook," Nodoka said.

"For now," Ranma said cryptically. "It's not going to be easy for him to adjust. Especially when the rest of us are out there slugging it out with the Zentradi."

"He'll be fine," Nodoka said firmly. "He has friends like you and Lisa and a fiancée like that nice Miss Grant to help him get through it. I'm very proud of how you handled it, Daughter. Before you spoke with him, it was like he was dead, but his body just didn't know it yet."

"Yeah, well, he's been there for me enough," Ranma replied. "But that's not the real problem."

"Oh?" Nodoka prompted.

"The real problem is he wants me to take over as CAG," Ranma said. "I don't know if I'm ready for that sort of responsibility. I have a hard enough time dealing with losing people in my squadron without feeling responsible for the entire air group."

"I see," Nodoka said as they walked down the sidewalk. "So do you doubt Commander Fokker's judgment?"

"No, never, why?" Ranma asked.

"Well, he obviously seems to think you are the best one for the job," Nodoka explained. "I've spoken with him about you at some length during the course of my duties. He holds you in quite high regard, both professionally and personally." Ranma blushed slightly at the indirect praise.

"I try my best, Momma," Ranma said. "He's been a good teacher. I learned a lot from him and I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for him. There's still a lot of chauvinism out there in the fighter community. He ignored that and saw me for my abilities to the point of going out on a limb to get me my own command."

"And it paid off for him, didn't it?" Nodoka asked. "I've heard all about your Wild Rose squadron. You girls are very highly regarded by the military personnel that I've treated. Quite a few of them say they wouldn’t be here today if not for you and your girls."

"Well, we do have one guy in the unit now," Ranma grinned. "I guess he does tend to get overlooked in spite of the fact that he's one of our top pilots."

"Indeed?" Nodoka smiled. "Life must be interesting for him, being in a unit full of lovely and highly skilled young women."

"You have no idea," Ranma giggled. "I don't know how he stands it. If the girls aren’t teasing him, then it's the male pilots from other units. He just blows it off like it's no big deal. He's actually proud to be one of us."

"Well, you are an elite unit if what I've heard is correct," Nodoka said. "Which brings us back to Commander Fokker's recommendation; he was right to give you your own command, so could it be that he's right to recommend you for Commander of the Air Group?"

"I know, Momma, but it's just that I'm not very diplomatic at times," Ranma sighed. "I'm not into the whole political butt-sucking thing and that might hurt my ability to get things done. You should hear what I told the UNEDC brass. It's a wonder I wasn't thrown in the brig."

"We're at war, Dear," Nodoka said simply. "We need men and women of action in command. We need people that aren't afraid to step on a few toes to get the job done. Sounds to me like you're exactly the person needed to fill Commander Fokker's shoes."

"And I'll do the best I can," Ranma agreed. "I just hope it's good enough."

"I have faith in you, My Daughter," Nodoka smiled. "I'm certain you will be more than good enough."

"Thanks, Momma," Ranma gave her a warm smile. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad also," Nodoka said, hugging her daughter.

"We're here," Ranma said, opening the door for her mother.

"Oh, hello, Ranma," Lina greeted.

"Hi Lina," Ranma said. "I'd like you to meet my mother, Saotome Nodoka. Momma this is Lynn Lina. She and her husband Max are the owners."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Saotome-san," Lina said with a deep bow of respect. "You're daughter is not only one of our best customers, but a personal friend to our family. It is a great honor to meet her mother."

"Thank you, Lynn-san, though I can't claim any responsibility for the fine respected person my daughter seems to be," Nodoka said sadly. "I have only just been reunited with her after nearly 20 years."

"Oh, how sad," Lina said sympathetically. "Well, let me assure you, Saotome-san, your daughter is a fine young woman and is highly respected in the community."

"Thank you, Lynn-san," Nodoka said sincerely. "I grow more proud of her every day. But, please, call me Nodoka."

"Certainly, Nodoka, if you call me Lina," the other woman smiled warmly.

"So how's Minmei doing?" Ranma asked.

"She's currently working on a movie," Lina replied. "They are having...problems though."

"Oh? How so?" Ranma asked.

"Well, it seems they cast my honorless son as the leading man and Minmei has refused to work with him. She told them that they could either fire him, or she was quitting. I say good for her."

"Yeah, I had another altercation with him while on the way to Momma's apartment," Ranma said. "He was drunk and challenged me. I refused because it wouldn't be honorable to beat up on someone that wasn't a threat to you, but he attacked anyway. I just avoided him until someone...um...distracted him." Ranma said the last part with a smirk.

"Oh, I hope you weren't hurt," Lina said, bowing her head in shame.

"Not at all," Ranma said. "He couldn't even touch me. I get the feeling he'll be getting an attitude adjustment very soon though."

"Oh?" Lina asked curiously.

"Don't ask," Ranma grinned enigmatically. "Suffice it to say, he left in the company of a certain dominant woman I know. If anyone can, she can set him...er...straight."

"I see," Lina said, obviously not seeing, but willing to let it go. "Come then, let's get you a table."

(oOO/Oo)

May 2010...

"Hey Big Brother," Rick said cheerfully as he walked into the room.

"Hey Kid," Roy said. "So did Ranma tell you?"

"About what happened to you?" Rick asked. "Yeah, she told me. Tough break. How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay," Roy said. "Did she tell you I wanted you to take over Skull Squadron?"

"Yeah, I heard that," Rick said. "I guess I have some pretty big shoes to fill."

"Don't sweat it, you'll do fine," Roy assured him. "Just listen to your CAG and follow her lead."

"Her lead?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, she didn't tell you that part?" Roy asked. "I guess she wouldn't, would she? I recommended Ranma as the new CAG and Captain Gloval approved it."

"Oh, okay," Rick said. "Better her than me. That's a lot of responsibility."

"She can handle it," Roy said. "I always intended to pass the reigns to her, but I never thought it would be this soon."

"We'll miss you out there," Rick said. "Have you thought about what you will do now?"

"I've got some ideas," Roy said. "When I get out of here, I'll probably do some instructing. I've also agreed to work with Dr. Lang on some Veritech improvement projects."

"Great," Rick smiled. "I also hear that there are some congratulations in order. You finally decided to quit living in sin with Lt. Commander Grant, I heard."

"Heh, yeah, I asked and she said yes," Roy smirked. "Don't know why she would want a washed up old has-been like me though."

"Oh stop it, Big Brother...or I'll send DL in here after you," Rick said with a wicked grin.

"No, please, anything but that," Roy said with an obviously contrived look of horror and waving his hands mock surrender. Rick laughed.

"You know, I never thought in a million years that I'd be more scared of facing one little redheaded girl than a squad of forty foot giants," Rick said, "but I have to admit, that's one scary woman."

"Yeah," Roy agreed. "But she's got a heart of gold."

"And a fist of depleted Uranium," Rick snorted.

"On no," Roy disagreed. "It's much harder than that."

Both of them laughed merrily, though Roy did have to grimace at the pain the laughter caused.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma, Lisa, Akane, Max, and Kasumi stood on the deck as the sun broke the horizon.

"Oh my," Kasumi said. "What a lovely sunrise."

"Enjoy it now, Sis," Akane said. "Eventually the repairs with be complete and we'll be done taking on supplies. Then those bastards in charge will be running us off the planet on a rail."

"Akane!" Kasumi protested.

"She's right, Dr. Tendo," Lisa said. "We spent over a year without the simple pleasure of seeing a sunrise or sunset or even smelling the crisp morning air. And soon, we'll be ordered back in to space for who knows how long, if we even survive."

"Still, space can be beautiful too," Max pointed out. "I'll miss being able to walk around out here unprotected and smelling the salt air, but there's nothing quite like the view of the stars from space."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed. "There's more of them than you can ever imagine. Like grains of white sand scattered on a black cloth, and the planets were an incredible sight. Saturn had to be the most awesome sight. I remember flying above the rings. I didn't have much time to appreciate it, but I did get a few moments to enjoy the view before we engaged the Zentradi forces."

"It would have been a much more pleasant tour of our solar system if we weren't fighting for our lives," Akane said. "It was hard to really take the time to enjoy it with the threat hanging over our heads."

"Yes, I can see where that might make things less pleasant," Kasumi admitted. "But still you managed."

"We got lucky," Ranma said. "These Zentradi don't seem to know quite how to deal with us. Eventually they'll figure it out and we'll be finished."

"Ranma, that's not a very inspiring thing to say," Lisa admonished.

"It's true though," Ranma said. "Those fools in command are making a huge mistake that's likely to cost a lot of lives, both on Earth and on the SDF-1. And the way they refuse to let the civilians off the ship pisses me off to no end."

"We all feel that way," Lisa agreed. "It's shameful what they have done."

"Shouldn't you be careful of saying such things?" Kasumi asked. "Isn't that sedition?"

"What are they gonna do? Kick us off the planet?" Max asked wryly, which caused the other officers to chuckle ruefully.

"Anyway, Ranma here, with her astounding skills in diplomacy, told them that to their faces," Lisa giggled. "She told them point blank that they had no honor and that they made her ashamed to be a UNEDF officer."

"Oh my," Kasumi said.

"That's our Mom," Akane chuckled. "Never afraid to call it like she sees it."

"I've been through too much crap to engage in platitudes with self-important fools," Ranma said flatly.

"And that's why we love you, Mom," Akane grinned.

"Yup," Max agreed.

"Gee, thanks," Ranma smiled. "You guys really do care." Her tone shifted into her 'Sensei' voice. "Okay, you guys ready to do some Tai Chi?"

"Yes, Sensei," was said in chorus.

"Very well, take your places and let's do it," Ranma grinned.

TBC

Chapter 23

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 23

May 2010...

The SDF-1 had finished its refit and repair and was currently traveling at an altitude of 2000 ft directly over a large North American city. In spite of this altitude, the enormous size of the ship, still in its battoid configuration, made it seem so close the people on the streets felt the urge to duck. This was especially so since the massive fortress was traveling at a speed of about 30 knots and appeared to be hung precariously suspended just above the roof tops.

It was a calculated move that Captain Gloval had come up with to try to raise public awareness of the plight of the citizens of Macross. When he had been ordered to increase altitude, he had broadcast in the clear about how that couldn't happen because of the danger to the 60,000 civilians they carried onboard. And it seemed the plan was successful.

They had received an encrypted message from the North American Ontario Quadrant that they would be happy to take any civilians that wished to leave the ship as residents there. So it was that the SDF-1 changed course and headed for the Ontario Quadrant.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma walked up next to Rick who was standing on the observation deck watching the cityscape below creep by. She leaned on the railing much as Rick was doing and silently watched for a minute.

"Finally set you free, huh?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah, I figured I'd come up here and get some fresh air while I could," Rick replied.

They stood and watched silently for a few minutes and then Rick spoke.

"It's scary, you know?" Rick said. "I mean I always thought Big Brother was indestructible. He went through the Global Civil War without a scratch and he came through the whole trip home and nothing touched him. Then suddenly it's over for him." Rick snapped his finger. "Just like that. He almost died. It makes me think that if he couldn't make it through, what chance do the rest of us have?" Ranma nodded.

"Okay," Ranma said. "I can understand how you would think that. How about instead of thinking about what chance we have, you think about what choice we have? We have a job to do and people to protect. If we die trying then at least we know we gave everything we had. There's a sense of comfort knowing we did not 'go gently into that good night'. That peacenik hypocrite Kyle would have us throw down our weapons and bare our bellies to these Zentradi. What do you suppose would happen then? The Zentradi would take their ball and go home because we refuse to play anymore? Heh, if only it were that easy. At best, we'd be enslaved. At worst, we'd be euthanized."

"I guess you're right," Rick said. "I certainly wouldn't want to be a slave of some alien race and the other alternative is even less pleasant."

"We do what we have to do," Ranma said. "Some of us are gonna die doing it. A lot of us already have. We have to make their lives and deaths mean something. So we continue the fight and hope to make their sacrifices count. Roy gave up something important to him to protect all of us. We have to make that have some kind of meaning."

"I never thought of it that way," Rick said. "You're right. It wouldn't be fair of us to roll over now that so many of us paid with their lives. Thanks DL. I think I'll go check out my new plane now."

"Sure, Rickhead," Ranma smiled. "Make sure you treat her right, now. She's been with us a while. Wild Rose One and Skull One are the only remaining S models left."

(oOO/Oo)

High above the SDF-1, a heated argument was taking place between a certain blue-haired warlord and Azonia, the commander of the Zentradi task force. It seemed the orders not to destroy the SDF-1 didn't sit too well with the repeatedly humiliated Kyron. Once again he decided he had had enough of sitting on his hands and devised yet another plan to attack the fortress against orders.

Shortly after that, Azonia had another visitor, this time with a strange request. It seemed that Miriya was deeply disturbed by her defeat at the hands of the Micronian pilot and wished to be Micronized and placed aboard the SDF-1, ostensibly to be a spy, but the real purpose was to hunt this Micronian down and personally eliminate the threat. After she had killed the one that defeated her, perhaps she would challenge this 'Dragon Lady' and remove her as a threat as well.

(oOO/Oo)

"Hey, there he is," Ben said to Malcolm. "Hey Boss, what's up?"

"S'up?" Malcolm greeted.

"Nothing, guys," Rick said. "Just getting familiar with the differences in my new plane here. It's an S model. It has a lot of extra stuff in it than the J model I usually fly."

"Say, isn't this Commander Fokker's plane?" Malcolm asked.

"Yeah," Rick said. "I'll be flying it now. Pretty ironic when you think about it."

"How so?" Ben asked.

"Well, Big Brother was always so proud of the fact that he never got shot down," Rick said. "Now I'll be flying his plane and I'm the guy that's always getting shot down."

"Well, maybe your luck will change now," Ben said. "Anyway, Malcolm and I were going to this new steak place that just opened. You wanna come along?"

"You know," Rick said as he closed an access panel, "that sounds like a great idea. In fact it sounds so good, I think the meal's on me."

"Hey alright!" Ben cheered. "That sounds like just the thing the new pilot of Skull One would do."

The big man clapped both Rick and Malcolm on the shoulders and directed them toward the hanger deck exit.

(oOO/Oo)

Minmei came out of the dressing room and her agent immediately descended on her.

"Minmei, come on, they're waiting on you," the bespectacled man said. "We have to...go...Are you okay?"

Minmei looked glassy-eyed and her movements seemed a bit uncoordinated. She stood a bit unsteadily and blinked at him.

"Oh, sure," Minmei reassured him. "I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. I'm just a little...tired...is...all."

As she said this, she slowly fell forward into her agent's arms as consciousness fled her.

(oOO/Oo)

"Mmmm, that was good," Ranma said as she polished off her second giant super-deluxe sirloin steak as her mother and Kasumi gaped at her. Akane was used to seeing Ranma put away massive quantities of food so wasn't shocked.

"Well, you certainly get your appetite from your father," Nodoka commented and Kasumi nodded in agreement.

"Don't even go there," Ranma said. "My appetite comes from my active life. Genma's was just plain gluttony." Ranma was clearly a bit miffed at being compared to her father in any way.

"Hey DL," Ranma turned to see Rick and his flight mates sit down beside them.

"Hey, Rickhead," Ranma grinned. "How's it going?"

"Oh, well, the guys heard about this new steak place and invited me along so I figured I'd treat them," Rick said. "Is it any good?"

"Oh yeah," Ranma said with a dreamy look on her face. "It's wonderful. I'm thinking of having another."

The cook shook his head in disbelief. How one small girl could eat so much was beyond him, but at least business was good. As he took the three men's orders, he sighed as he received yet another order for the giant super-deluxe from the big guy. He hoped his supplies would last the night.

"So Ranma, Dear, who is you friend?" Nodoka asked.

"Oh, sorry," Ranma said. "Momma this is Rick Hunter. He'll be taking over Commander Fokker's squadron. Roy and I raised him up from a reckless, loudmouth little cherry into the promising young fighter pilot he is today. Rickhead, this is my mother, Nodoka Saotome. Next to her is Akane's sister, Doctor Kasumi Tendo. Of course you all know Akane."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Saotome, Miss Tendo," Rick greeted. "These are members of my squadron, Ben Dixon and Malcolm McCorkle."

"Pleased to meet you," Kasumi said.

"How do you do?" Nodoka greeted.

"Wow, the Dragon Lady has a mother," Ben said with a chuckle. "I guess the rumors that she was spawned from the pits of hell and sent here to torment us weren't true after all." Ranma and Akane laughed.

"Oh you never know," Ranma said. "I do so enjoy tormenting loudmouth cherries that think they know better than seasoned fighter pilots."

"And you're so good at it too," Rick quipped.

"Here you go," the cook said handing Ben his steak. "One Giant Super-Deluxe Sirloin, medium rare."

"Geez, Man, you gonna eat all that?" Malcolm asked as he eyed the huge slab of meat in front of the big man.

"Heh, it looks so good, I might just order another," Ben said, digging in.

"Why not? I did," Ranma smirked as the three men goggled at her.

Just then General Quarters sounded.

"General Quarters, General Quarters," Lisa's voice came over the PA. "All personnel to battle stations. All Veritech pilots scramble. Zentradi attack force inbound. This is not a drill, this is not a drill."

"Alright, people," Ranma said jumping up. "Party's over; let's get'em in the air."

"Aw, man," Ben said sadly, stuffing one last bite of his steak in his mouth before reluctantly following the others.

"Oh my," Kasumi said. "That sounds serious."

"Yes, it does," Nodoka agreed. "I guess we should get ready for the wounded."

The two women paid for everyone and left the restaurant.

(oOO/Oo)

As the Veritechs deployed and the Zentradi forces closed in, nobody noticed the lone Meltradi mecha slip in stealthily from the opposite direction. The pilot approached the SDF-1 and ripped open a hull plate, depositing a pod containing one micronized Meltradi assassin.

As the mecha restored the hull plate to its original position, Miriya Parino extricated herself from the pod and began her search of the Micronian that had humiliated her so.

(oOO/Oo)

"Alright, people, here comes their fighter screen," Ranma said over the Tac-net. "Break and engage. Stay with your wingman and cover each other. Good hunting."

Ranma and Akane went in and began to lay waste to the incoming Zentradi forces. Nearby, Max and Vicki were also flowing through the chaotic dance of death and fire. The battle was joined and slowly the defenders began to come out on top.

Unfortunately, behind the fighter screen came four Zentradi Destroyers. As the ships came into firing range, the SDF-1 deployed its new omni-directional barrier system and braced for the attack. Having reached maximum weapons range, the four destroyers opened fire on their target.

The globe shaped barrier boiled with hundreds of laser impacts set loose by the hellish barrage. Everyone, Zentradi and Human alike held their breath as the flashes from the impacts cleared. The SDF-1 remained. To the Zentradi dismay, it not only remained, but appeared undamaged.

"Impossible!" shrieked Kyron. "There's no way they could withstand that barrage."

"What are you orders, Lord Kyron?" asked his second in command.

"Keep firing," Kyron commanded, the light of bloodlust in his eyes. "Keep firing until they have been obliterated!"

Soon the four destroyers were firing as fast as their weapons could recharge.

"Wild Rose Lead, this is Gunsight 1," Lisa said. "The barrier system is beginning to lose power. You have to take those destroyers out. You're our only hope."

"Roger, Gunsight 1," Ranma replied grimly.

"Wild Rose Leader, the captain wanted me to tell you that the lives of everyone onboard are depending on you to destroy those ships," Lisa said.

"Talk about a little pressure," Ranma smirked. "Roger, Gunsight 1, we'll get it done. Wild Rose Lead to all Wild Rose and Skull flights. We have to take out those destroyers before they overload the barrier system. Alpha, we are taking the western most ship. Bravo, the next one over. Charlie, you have the eastern center ship. Skull, you have the eastern most. The rest of you keep the fighter screen off us. Let's get to it."

Ranma and her flight swept in and landed on the hull of the Zentradi ship in battloid mode. They, without much hope of doing enough damage to stop the ships quickly, began to take out the gun emplacement blisters along the hull. They had taken out nearly half the gun emplacements when Lisa came back over the Tac-net.

"All squadrons, all squadrons, evacuate the area, evacuate the area," she said urgently. "Proceed on a heading directly away from the SDF-1 at all available speed. Good luck."

"Lisa, what's happening," Ranma demanded.

"The barrier is going critical," Lisa said sadly. "You have to get away. I love you."

"Alright people you heard her, let's put as much distance as we can between us and that barrier," Ranma leaped off the destroyer's hull and firewalled the throttles as she shifted to fighter mode. Behind her Akane, Vicki, and Max matched her as they streaked away.

The barrier blew and a huge globe of hellfire expanded outward in all directions. Two screams were heard as the barrier caught up to two unfortunate Veritechs that weren't able to outrun the expanding ball of energy. All four of the destroyers were consumed and vaporized. The remaining Zentradi forces burned for orbit.

"Skull Lead to Wild Rose Lead," Rick said grimly. "We lost Ben Dixon, Ma'am."

"Roger," Ranma acknowledged.

"Wild Rose Nine to Wild Rose Lead," Natalia came over the squadron channel. "Siren didn't make it."

"Acknowledged," Ranma said somberly. "Did we lose anyone else?"

"No, Mom," Marissa said. "Everyone else made it."

"Wild Rose Leader, this is Gunsight 1," Lisa came over the Tac-net, the grief clear in her voice. "We survived the blast, but the area in a 25 mile radius around us was completely destroyed."

It was left unsaid that they had been directly over a good-sized city. Now it looked like a flat plane of glass with a large crater in the center. Hundreds of thousands of people had been instantly turned to ash.

"Roger, Gunsight 1," Ranma said in a subdued tone. "Let the Captain know that we lost Cassandra Constantine and Ben Dixon."

"Roger, I'll let him know," Lisa said as the remaining Veritechs headed back to the ship.

(oOO/Oo)

"Rick Hunter, please pick up the yellow courtesy phone," the announcement penetrated Rick's daze. "Rick Hunter, please pick up the yellow courtesy phone."

He sighed heavily and listlessly went to the phone, picking it up.

"Hello, this is Rick Hunter," he said.

"Oh Rick," a cheerful voice said on the other end of the line. "I'm so glad I found you. I thought you might have heard I was in the hospital. I just wanted you to know, I'm okay. You don't have to worry. I was just exhausted, is all. Why don't you come up and see me. It'll be fun. We could play some games and..."

Rick slowly hung the phone up and sighed heavily. Minmei's cheerful, carefree attitude wasn't something he felt like dealing with right now. Her inane prattle grated on his nerves as heavy thoughts filled his mind. She just didn't understand. Even though she had been on the ship the whole time, she didn't understand that people were dying around her. Christ, they had wiped out a whole city full of people and she wanted to play games and have a little party. He'd lost one of his men and she wanted to have a good time.

"You okay, Rick?" Ranma asked, walking up to the somber young pilot. Rick closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I just hung up on Minmei," Rick said emotionlessly.

"You wanna talk about it?" Ranma asked. "Sometimes it helps."

"I don't know," Rick said. He didn't. Things just seemed so overwhelming.

"It's hard losing members of your team," Ranma said softly. "I know. I've lost three of my original pilots now and I can tell you, it doesn't get easier. Losing the third is just as hard as loosing the first. All I can say is; you learn to move on. You honor their memory and you fight to avenge them, but you move on."

"It's just so overwhelming," Rick said sounding lost. "First what happened to Roy and now I've lost Ben. How do you move on?"

"Well, the first part probably won't work for you," Ranma explained. "We put their call sign on the tails of our planes and we have a good group cry and promise each other not to let their sacrifice be meaningless. Then we go get stupid drunk and celebrate the lives of those we lost."

"The last part doesn't sound too bad," Rick said.

"Then I say collect 8-ball and you guys can come with us when we go out for Cassie," Ranma suggested.

"Okay," Rick agreed.

(oOO/Oo)

Rick and Malcolm watched discreetly from the hanger deck door as the Wild Rose squadron reverently looked at the tails of their Veritechs and the three names that they now featured. Each woman and the one man seemed lost in their own thoughts. Some openly cried. Those tended to be the ones that knew all three of the people who were now memorialized on the Veritech tails.

Then by some unspoken signal, they came together in a big group hug and cried together. Even Max was included and even he had tears leaking from his eyes. Some of the women wept loudly as they other supported each other. It wasn’t the last time that they would cry for their lost members that night, instead, it was just the beginning. As the tears subsided, then came the vows. Each woman and the one man vowed to make the Zentradi pay for taking their blood, and they each vowed to not let their sisters' sacrifices be in vain.

"Sometimes, women are lucky," Malcolm said softly to Rick as the Wild Roses broke up. "That looked cathartic as hell."

"It did," Rick agreed. "But it's their way, not ours. We'll just have to be content with the second part of their mourning process. The part where we get pissed drunk and tell stories about Ben." He clapped the tall afro'ed man on the shoulder.

"I here ya," Malcolm shot him a weak smile as the women and Max joined them.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma staggered through the door of her quarters and headed for the bedroom, peeling off her uniform. She deposited it in the hamper and went to the dresser, pulling out a t-shirt. Taking off her bra, she slipped the t-shirt on and climbed into bed beside Lisa.

"Did you get it all out of your system?" Lisa asked sleepily.

"Yeah," Ranma slurred slightly, hugging Lisa to her and tenderly stroking Lisa's gravid belly. "I love you so much."

Lisa turned in her arms and kissed her with savage passion.

"I love you to, Ranma," Lisa said, her voice heavy with emotion. "I thought we were finished today. I'm so glad you survived. I'm so glad we survived."

"Me too," Ranma said, kissing her hungrily. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Lisa smiled softly as she slipped her hand into Ranma's panties. For the next hour, the two women made desperate love to each other, feeling as if they were trying to merge into one being so that they would never be in danger of being separated.

(oOO/Oo)

Minmei lay in her hospital room feeling very lost and confused. She didn't understand why Rick had hung up on her. It had hurt when he did that. It hurt a lot more than she could have imagined. She had cried for hours afterward. The worst part was that she didn't know why. Didn't he care about her anymore?

She rolled over restlessly, her red-rimmed eyes staring off into space as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"Hello, Dear, how are you feeling today?" an older nurse with deep red hair asked as she bustled in.

"I'm okay," Minmei said somberly. The nurse looked at her, taking in her depressed posture and her red-rimmed eyes.

"Aw, honey, what's wrong?" the nurse said coming over and sitting on the bed, stroking her hair gently.

"H...he hung up on me and I don't know why," Minmei said, beginning to sob again as she sat up and hugged the nurse tightly.

"It's alright, Dear," the nurse said soothingly. "Who hung up on you?"

"M...my b...boyfriend," Minmei whimpered. "He's a pilot. I had called him to tell him I was okay in case he was worried about me and he hung up on me."

"He's a pilot?" the nurse asked.

"Y...yes," Minmei said. "He's a good one too. His name is Rick Hunter."

"Oh, I met him yesterday when I was having lunch with my daughter, Ranma," Nodoka said. "She's a pilot too."

"You're Ranma's mother?" Minmei said in a bit of awe. "Ranma is a good friend of mine. She's the one that gave me the chance to live my dream of being a singer. She won the Miss Macross pageant and gave me the recording contracts."

"That was very sweet of her," Nodoka said. "My name is Nodoka Saotome, but you can call me Auntie Nodoka if you want."

"Okay Auntie," Minmei mewled. "I just don't understand why Rick hung up on me."

"Well, Dear, my daughter told me that he lost his first man in the battle yesterday," Nodoka said. "She said he was very upset and was taking it badly."

"Who?" Minmei asked softly.

"A young man named Ben Dixon," Nodoka said.

"Oh, no," Minmei whispered. "He was a nice guy. A little...enthusiastic, but a nice guy. But why didn't Rick tell me?"

"I don't know, Dear," Nodoka said. "Maybe he didn't want to trouble you."

"I don't understand," Minmei said.

"Warriors are like that, Sweetie," Nodoka said. "They try to protect those they care about from the bad things in their world."

"Their world?" Minmei inquired.

"Yes, Dear," Nodoka said. "He lives in a different world than you. You live in a world where the worst thing you have to worry about is collapsing from exhaustion. In his world his life could end at any moment. The lives of his friends and those he's directly responsible for could end at any moment. Every time he goes out there's a chance that he or someone he's responsible for won't be coming back. That's his reality and it hit very close to him yesterday."

"That's horrible," Minmei whimpered. "How can he do it?"

"Because he has to," Nodoka said. "Because he wants to give people like you and me the chance to work ourselves to exhaustion, or have a good time, or to just live our lives without having to fear. My daughter, your boyfriend, all the men and women that defend this ship, all do it to protect us from the reality they go out to face everyday. They don't talk about it with us because we can never truly understand what it's like. We aren't part of that world."

Minmei looked deeply thoughtful. "It all seems so petty when you put it that way," Minmei said. "My career, my fame, all the fans," Minmei said softly. "All the while those men and women are out there dying so that I can play. And all the while I'm losing the man I love because I can't be a part of his world."

"Maybe it is," Nodoka agreed, "but that's why they do it, to give us a chance."

By the time Nodoka left the room, Minmei was deep in thought. She had to decide what she wanted. Now that she had a taste of the fame and the hectic lifestyle that stardom had brought her, she was slowly reconsidering her priorities. Fans and fame were great, but she couldn't help feeling lonely. It was a turning point for her. She had been asked, what seemed like so very long ago now, what she would do if she had to choose between her heart and her career. Now she faced that very choice.

Before she left the hospital, she had made a decision. She had thought of the couples she new of, including Roy Fokker and Claudia Grant, Lisa and Ranma, her other friends and their boyfriends. Of them, the military couples shared a closeness that she hadn't seen much in others. Her agent wasn't going to be happy with her decision, but she knew now what she wanted.

'I want to be a part of your world, Rick,' she thought to herself. 'I want to understand. I want to help. I want to be closer to you.'

(oOO/Oo)

June 2010...

"You wanted to see us, Captain?" Lisa asked as she and Ranma entered the office.

"Yes, I have just received the orders we've been expecting for some time," Captain Gloval said, his anger and frustration was clear in his voice. "It was as we expected. We've been ordered off the planet immediately."

"I see," Lisa said. "How will we tell the civilians?"

"Do you want me to make the announcement?" Ranma asked.

"No, thank you, Commander, but I couldn't do that to you again," Gloval said. "This time I will tell them myself. Those bastards haven't an ounce of compassion."

"I'll set up the press conference," Lisa said grimly.

"We'll be there for support, Captain," Ranma said sympathetically.

(oOO/Oo)

Gloval stood in front of a large stylized 'M' as the cameras and microphones were positioned. The TV crew producer gave a countdown and then gave the captain the signal to begin as Lisa, Ranma, and Minmei stood off to the side watching.

"Citizens of Macross City," Gloval began, "as you know, the government has refused us permission to relocate the civilian population aboard this ship. I've appealed this decision repeatedly in hope that they would reconsider. Unfortunately they have proven to be insensitive to your situation and as the captain of the SDF-1 it is my sad duty to inform you that this ship, including all its passengers, has been ordered to leave Earth immediately. I have been informed that if we fail to comply, then we will be attacked by elements of our own defense forces. This cannot be allowed to happen. So it is with great reluctance that I must comply with the orders. I'm so very sorry that you have all been dragged into this; but now more than ever, we need your cooperation. I...I'm sorry..."

The captain might have said more, but he was overcome with his emotions and placed his hand over his face pinching the bridge of his nose as his shoulders shook. The three women watching each had tears in their eyes as they watched a man endure the unendurable.

Suddenly Minmei rushed to the Captain's side, dragging Ranma by the hand.

"It's alright, Captain, we know you did your best for us," Minmei comforted him. She turned and addressed the cameras. ”I don’t understand anything that has to do with politics, but I do know that the only way we’ll survive this is to pull together… I think of the SDF-1 as my home now. We’ve been through a lot together, but look at how strong we’ve become because of it. I have way more friends here than I ever did on Earth. You’ve been like a big family to me. Someday we’ll return to Earth. We’ll never give up hope. But for now, I’m proud to be a citizen of Macross City and this ship.

"Furthermore, I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone that I've made a decision. I plan to join the RDF and help the brave men and women of the crew to protect this ship and all its people. I don't plan to give up singing, but I feel that this is something I have to do to help out.

"Miss Macross and I will now sing for you," Minmei said, stepping close to Ranma. "We would like to dedicate this new song, 'The Power of Love', to everyone aboard the SDF-1." She gave Ranma a wink and Ranma nodded her acceptance.

The music started in an upbeat fast paced piano lead-in that was joined by other instruments at each measure. On cue, Minmei began to sing with Ranma providing back up vocals during the chorus and singing the second verse.

There comes a time

when you face the toughest of fights

searching for a sign

lost in the darkest of nights

the wind blows so cold

(you're) standing alone

before the battle's begun

but deep in your soul

the future unfolds

as bright as the rays of the sun

You've got to believe

in the power of love

you've got to believe

in the power of love

Blazing emotions

there's a light, that flows from your heart

it's a chain reaction

and nothing will keep us apart

Stand by my side

there's nothing to hide

together, we'll fight to the end

take hold of my hand

and you'll understand

what it truly means to be friends

You've got to believe

in the power of love

you've got to believe

in the power of love

it gives meaning to each moment

it's what our hearts are all made of

You've got to believe, in the power of love

The power of love

You've got to believe

in the power of love

you've got to believe

in the power of love

it gives meaning to each moment

it's what our hearts are all made of

You've got to believe, in the power of love

The power of love
(oOO/Oo)

Out in the streets, the outraged and saddened people were moved by Minmei's speech and many began to feel a sense of pride in being aboard the SDF-1. They felt a sense of solidarity with each other and found the strength in their newfound sense of community to endure leaving Earth once more.

Many were enraptured by the song and began to sing along with it. It gave them a sense of hope and joy that they needed at this time.

Seated in a fighter, on ready alert status, watching the broadcast on his cockpit monitor, was a stunned young man. He wasn't stunned about the order, nor was he stunned about the song. He was stunned about the announcement that had preceded the song.

"Minmei's joining the RDF?" Rick said to himself. "She's giving up her career to become a soldier? Why did she decide that?"

(oOO/Oo)

Three men, known as Rico, Konda, and Bron, listened to Minmei's impassioned speech from the comm unit aboard their battle pod. They were going to miss life in Macross City. They listened to Minmei and Ranma's song wistfully, wondering if they would ever hear such a wonderful thing again. They would also miss Mistress Bertha who had trained them sternly but caringly and allowed them to find Mistress Sammy, Mistress Vanessa, and Mistress Kim, to whom they were sold to at the party. They would miss serving the four women and felt terribly guilty about abandoning them.

As their sensors reported the pick up ship swinging low through the upper reaches of the atmosphere, the three spies launched the pod section of their battle pod and were picked up.

(oOO/Oo)

As the song played, the SDF-1 began to rise out of the ocean and ascend through the atmosphere. Even as they achieved orbit and prepared for their run through the blockading ships, a huge space fold was detected as one million Zentradi ships entered the system at a point somewhere behind the Moon.

(oOO/Oo)

(Authors note: 'The Power of Love' is from the Sailor Moon original soundtrack and is owned by its respective copyright holders)

TBC

Chapter 24

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 24

July 2010...

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Roy asked as he came into Gloval's office.

"Yes, please sit down, Commander," Gloval said pleasantly. Roy took a seat in front of Gloval's desk. "Now that you are finished convalescing from you injuries, I would like to discuss your future duties, if any, with you. Assuming you do not wish to leave the military, I have an offer to make to you."

"I'm listening," Roy said, curious.

"With your record, you would warrant a promotion and your own ship now," Gloval explained. "However, we are not in a position to do this. What I can do is offer you the position of third officer here aboard the SDF-1. Right away this would mean you would be responsible for coordinating the Veritechs in battle. In the long term, you would be learning Lisa's job and slowly phase into her position as she becomes unable to perform her duties during the course of her pregnancy. She will of course be taking her duties back after she recovers from giving birth to her child.

"During normal times you and Claudia would stand 2nd and 3rd watches on the bridge," Gloval said. "You would also handle any air group matters that don't come under the purview of Commander Saotome-Hayes as the CAG. What do you think, Commander?"

"I think it sounds good," Roy said. "A lot better than being an instructor."

"Very well then, Commander," Gloval smiled broadly. "Welcome to the ship side of the operation. I will instruct Lisa to begin training you immediately."

(oOO/Oo)

Over the next four months, Roy took gradually took over more and more of Lisa's bridge duties, allowing her more free time to deal with her swelling tummy. The whole bridge crew doted on her when she was on the bridge and Ranma had become extremely attentive to her as well.

Ranma, for her part was experiencing something strange. Kasumi surmised it was some sort of sympathetic hormonal reaction to Lisa's pregnancy, but Ranma was experiencing the side effects of being pregnant herself. She often had the same bizarre cravings as Lisa had and the most odd thing was that her breasts had begun to swell and ache. Kasumi said that her breasts were preparing to produce breast milk to nurse a child.

While Ranma was a little less than enthused about this, Lisa was thrilled. She teased Ranma relentlessly about their child never having to go hungry with an impressive set of mammery glands like Ranma sported. She also cited that if the child ate like Ranma, then it would need all four breasts to keep it satisfied. While everyone else thought this was hysterical, Ranma failed to find the humor in it most of the time, especially once her breasts began leaking during combat maneuvers and forced her to begin wearing pads.

Of course, the Roses all thought this was highly amusing in the locker room after a mission, as Ranma disgustedly had to change the sodden pads.

By the time Lisa was well into her 7th month, Minmei completed her training and joined the bridge crew as one of the Bridge Bunnies. Sammy, Kim, and Vanessa welcomed their new addition as it took some of the strain off them. Her primary bridge duties encompassed the modular transformation and coordinating the damaged control crews. Minmei was also made the primary liaison officer to Macross City.

In her off time, she continued her recording career, though it was now severely curtailed. In spite of this, her popularity with the people onboard the SDF-1 had soared with her announcement that she was joining the military. She had held several concerts, which also included a reluctant Ranma, setup by Lisa and Gloval under the heading of Morale Building. The fact was that Ranma was nearly as popular as Minmei, performing three or four 'cover' songs during these concerts while Minmei sang back up for her.

Minmei hadn't seen much of Rick since she joined up, having been busy with training, but she had talked to him and their relationship had begun to improve. Her desire to be a part of his world had touched him and he began to open up to her more of late.

Shortly after Minmei joined the bridge crew, Roy took over all of Lisa's bridge duties as it had become difficult for her to move around easily and she had taken to handling most of her administrative duties from her bed with laptop. Ranma, also, had taken to handling much of her administrative duties as CAG from their quarters after Gloval 'strongly' suggested it. However, she refused to allow herself to be taken out of the patrol rotation, in spite of assurances that she wasn't needed.

Fortunately, aside from the odd harassing probes, the Zentradi fleet was largely quiet. Most of the probing attacks were quickly beaten back and things calmed down again. Everyone hoped it would remain this way indefinitely, but they all knew it was a faint hope at best.

(oOO/Oo)

December 2010...

"RANMA!" Lisa shrieked from the bedroom. "My water just broke! It's time!"

Lisa was forced to reassess the wisdom of shrieking such information, as for the next ten minutes all she saw was Ranma running past the bedroom door on a high speed circuit of the living room in a complete panic, screaming "It's Time, what do I do?" repetitively. Lisa would have laughed hysterically if the contractions hadn't begun.

She gingerly levered herself out of bed and collected the suitcase that had been set aside for just this event. She awkwardly made her way to the door and waited until Ranma came by on her next circuit. Lisa thrust the suitcase out at head level and Ranma's face smacked into it. The redhead's feet ran out from under her and she remained suspended in the air for a couple of heartbeats before slamming to the floor flat on her back.

"Ranma, honey, take this and meet me at the jeep," Lisa said sweetly, dropping the suitcase on the prone redhead's belly before heading to the door and the jeep that was stationed outside it.

Ranma grunted as the suitcase impacted her stomach, but she was immediately up and running to the door, beating the awkwardly moving Lisa to it and assisting her out of the cabin and into the jeep. Leaping behind the wheel, Ranma floored the accelerator and they charged off toward the hospital at a suicidal speed.

"Ranma, sweetie," Lisa said calmly, "I'd like to make it to the hospital alive, please." Ranma nodded and sped up. "Ranma, sweetie, THAT MEANS SLOW THE FUCK DOWN!" Ranma slowed down, looking very sheepish. "Thank you, honey, you're so sweet."

While Ranma concentrated on getting them to the hospital, Lisa called ahead and let them know to expect them and to inform Dr. Tendo and Nurse Saotome they were on their way. Ranma and Lisa had quickly made Kasumi their primary doctor when she arrived, both for her evident competence and the fact that she was familiar with Ranma's condition.

Nine hours later found the couple in the delivery room, Lisa laying on the table with her legs spread wide in the stirrups and looking quite bedraggled. Her hair was soaked with sweat and her face was a mask of pain.

"Lisa, Honey, I need you to push," Kasumi said again.

Lisa squeezed Ranma's hand hard enough to crush granite and screamed as she pushed again. She relaxed, gasping for air as she steeled herself for the next effort.

"Ranma!" she growled at her wife.

"Yeah, love?" Ranma said, blotting the sweat off her face.

"You're having the NEXT ONE!" she screamed as she pushed again.

Ranma looked at Lisa with her eyes widened in fear, as she took in the fierce grimace of pain on Lisa's face and her overall state of exhaustion, and promptly fainted with a loud thump.

Nodoka looked around from her position over Kasumi's shoulder and grinned at her daughter's fate.

"Okay, Honey, I can see the head," Kasumi said. "You're almost there. Give me one more big push."

Lisa screamed again and pushed with all her waning strength.

"Good Job!" Kasumi said. "You're done!" Lisa collapsed back on the delivery table breathing heavily while Kasumi cleaned the baby up and determined the sex. Glancing at Ranma's unconscious form, Kasumi smiled and said, "Oh my, I guess she doesn't want to cut the umbilical then. Mrs. Saotome-Hayes, you are the proud mothers of a beautiful baby boy!"

Kasumi handed the baby to Nodoka to be washed and wrapped while she cleaned up some. As this was happening Ranma began to come around.

"Ranma," Lisa said with a tired but happy smile. "We're parents. We have a son."

Ranma smiled brightly as she stood back up, and kissed Lisa tenderly. Nodoka brought the baby over and handed him to Lisa so that she could get her first look at her child. Seeing Lisa tenderly hold their baby and the look of pure adoration in her green eyes, Ranma felt overwhelmed. Tears ran down her face as she felt an intense burning love for both her wife and child well up within her.

"Have you decided on a name?" Nodoka asked, tears running down her own face as she watched the tender moment between her daughters and grandson.

"We chose the name Yoshima," Ranma said.

"Free Horse, son of the Wild Horse," Nodoka smiled. "It's a fine name."

(oOO/Oo)

The day that Lisa and Yoshima were released from the hospital, Kasumi lost her nurse. Nodoka turned in her resignation in favor of being a fulltime grandmother/nanny. They had talked about it and decided that this would work out best because of Ranma's and Lisa's duties and the uncertainty of their schedules, possibly being called to GQ at any given moment. This way, Nodoka would always be there to take care of Yoshima if they were suddenly called to action.

Ranma was able to breastfeed the baby, and for some odd reason, Yoshima seemed to prefer Ranma's breasts to Lisa's. Instead of being offended by this, Lisa found it highly amusing. She teased Ranma about their son preferring Ranma to her because of the size of the meal. Ranma found it hard to be irritated as her infant son suckled on her nipples greedily. Quite the opposite, she was proud that she could provide for him in this way.

Not that little Yoshima turned his nose up at Lisa's breast when offered, but he seemed to be happier feeding with Ranma. The joke between them was that when Yoshima fed from Lisa it was a just a snack, while when feeding from Ranma it was a full meal.

Thankfully, because of the excess of space aboard the SDF-1, construction crews had been able to add two rooms to Ranma and Lisa's quarters a couple of months before the delivery. One was the nursery, while the other was now Nodoka's room.

(oOO/Oo)

January 2011...

Toward the fifth week after Yoshima's birth, Lisa began to get around a little better and Nodoka insisted that Ranma and Lisa go see Minmei's movie that was debuting. Lisa thought it sounded nice so they decided to go.

They were surprised at the turnout. It seemed like everyone was there to see the film. While they were standing in line to get in, Ranma was forced to take a double take.

There, standing about ten feet behind them in line was Bertha Stott, in full Dominatrix persona. The auburn haired woman, already tall, towered above most of the people in the line by virtue of her 6-inch, spike-heeled, black patent leather, thigh-high boots, polished to a high gloss. A brief expanse of black fishnet stockings, the lace tops of which could just be seen when she took a step, disappeared under a very tight, black leather mini-skirt. A black leather corset finished out the outfit. But it wasn't this that drew the most attention.

In her right hand was a riding crop. In her left was the end of a leash. On the other end of the leash was Lynn Kyle, crawling around on his hands and knees wearing a black leather harness and a pair of black leather shorts. Ranma had to use every ounce of her will power not to fall on the ground laughing at the unusual sight. She nudged Lisa and gestured with her head in that direction. Lisa's eyes got huge and her hand came up over her mouth as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Let's go check this out," Ranma said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Let's," Lisa agreed with her own smile.

They moved back in the line toward Bertha. As the neared, Kyle caught sight of Ranma and leaped toward her, growling, only to be brought up short by the leash. He strained at the restraint trying to get at Ranma while growling.

Suddenly there was a whizzing sound cutting through the air. Bertha swung the riding crop in a vicious arc that ended in a loud smack between Kyle's legs. Ranma swore, from the way Kyle's eyes bugged when the crop connected, that his balls were trying to force themselves out of their sockets. Kyle let out a loud yelp that sounded just like a dog and scrambled back to Bertha. When he reached her, he began to lick the toes of her boots, much like a dog would when trying to placate an owner that had been angered.

"Forgive my dog, Lady Ranma," Bertha said imperiously. "He can be so ill-mannered sometimes. And he had been so well behaved lately, I thought I'd take him out for a walk and to see the new movie. Rest assured he will be punished for his effrontery."

"Thank you, Lady Bertha," Ranma grinned. "So how are you enjoying your new pet?"

"His training has been quite amusing," Bertha said in a regal tone. "Although his sub-par intelligence has given rise to many an occasions to discipline him."

At that moment, a large stir was caused with the arrival of the stars of the movie, Minmei and a Korean man with the unlikely name of Kai Pao Wei. Ranma had worked with them both on the movie as they had hired her as a martial arts consultant. Kai was a reasonable martial artist and in Ranma's opinion had been a great choice for the movie. Far better than Bertha's dog had been.

After the stars had entered the theater, they began to let the crowds in. Ranma and Lisa waved good-bye to Bertha and her dog as they went to their seats.

(oOO/Oo)

The movie, a martial arts extravaganza entitled "Small White Dragon", portrayed a young powerful martial artist (Kai Pao Wei) who had to fight off an army to save the woman he loved (Minmei) from an evil Chinese warlord, using extreme martial arts moves that appeared to be fanciful to most everyone but Ranma and a few others. Even the ki blasts, Ranma knew were possible, although she hadn't yet figured out how to do one. She was certain that she could eventually.

To one group, however, the film was horrifying. The Zentradi which were monitoring the signal from the SDF-1, watched the Micronian take out hundreds of warriors, even a group of Zentradi-sized fighters with hand to hand combat techniques and shocking energy projection techniques performed with no weapons.

They had no idea that this was a fictional story and that most Micronians didn't believe in such techniques, let alone perform them. The Zentradi believed this to be some form of battle record and believed it to be factual. This was particularly understandable when one considered that they had seen Ranma stop Dolza's fist from crushing him.

A gravely concerned, Breetai took this "battle record" and the recording of the SDF-1's barrier overload that had wiped out an entire population center to destroy four Zentradi destroyers, which they had no idea was completely accidental, and went to brief Dolza.

While this was happening, the three spies were detailing their stay aboard the SDF-1 to their comrades. They told of the wondrous sights they had seen, and the things they had heard, and even their strangely compelling sessions with Mistress Bertha whom they had served to earn a living aboard the SDF-1.

Also featured in their tale were the two Micronian females, called Minmei and Ranma Saotome-Hayes, who did what the Micronians called singing. This singing was unlike anything the Zentradi had ever heard and the three former spies let their comrades listen to reproductions of it. The Zentradi were riveted by the strange, but pleasing sounds, which made them feel things they had never felt before. Soon, stories of the wonderful Micronian way of life spread like a virus through the entire Zentradi task force and there began to be talk of defection to the SDF-1.

Dolza, having reviewed Breetai's report, developed a multi-phased plan. The first phase required the capture and scientifically study of the Micronians to attempt to discover how they used Protoculture. The next phase was much more final. It called for the eradication of the Micronians as Dolza believed, quite accurately as it happened, that prolonged exposure to the race would contaminate the Zentradi.

As the Zentradi fleet awaited its directive, still a third plot was being hatched. This time by Kyron. Kyron planned to wait for the opportunity when he could act without Breetai's knowledge. He would seize this opportunity to destroy the Micronians that had repeatedly humiliated him once and for all. Especially that damnable 'Dragon Lady'.

(oOO/Oo)

March 2011...

"Commander Grant, I've detected an incoming Zentradi attack force," Vanessa said urgently. "It looks like a big one."

"Understood," Claudia said, keying the PA. "General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands to battle stations! Civilians should move to shelters and prepare for Modular Transformation!"

Gloval and Roy ran onto the bridge, followed soon after by Lisa and Minmei. Vanessa informed them that they had a force of about thirty Zentradi ships coming in on attack vectors.

"Scramble the fighters," Gloval ordered. "Transform the ship."

"Commander Fokker, deploy the Veritech Squadrons," Lisa commanded. "Ensign Lynn, start the countdown for Modular Transformation."

"Veritechs deployed and engaging Zentradi fighter screen, Ma'am," Roy announced.

"Commencing modular transformation," Minmei said a moment later.

The mighty battle fortress began to move and shift as it reconfigured itself.

"Captain!" Vanessa gasped. "The large enemy vessel appears to be on a collision course with us and isn't slowing down."

"Hard astern, Cluadia," Gloval ordered.

"We can't, Sir," Vanessa said. "The enemy has us surrounded!"

"Very well, we have no choice then," Gloval growled. "Lisa, prepare for the Daedalus Maneuver."

"Preparing for the Daedalus Maneuver," Lisa confirmed. "Kim, direct the destroids to the bow of the Daedalus and engage the pin-point barrier system."

"Yes, Ma'am," Kim acknowledge.

As the huge Zentradi ship reached the position, Lisa ordered the Daedalus Maneuver to begin.

(oOO/Oo)

When the Daedalus punched through the nose of the Zentradi ship and dropped its boarding ramp, the Zentradi sprung their trap. The destroids gathered in the bow of the Daedalus were met with withering fire and were destroyed before they ever fired a shot. Zentradi battle pods quickly ran up the ramp and were aboard the SDF-1 before anyone knew what was happening.

They charged through the corridors, taking out internal security forces and leaving destruction in their wake. Unnoticed, a small group of pods broke off from the main force. The invaders reached Macross City and began to beat back the civil defense forces. Soon it was clear that the defenders were being overrun.

(oOO/Oo)

"Wild Rose and Skull Squadrons," Roy's voice came over the Tac-net, "Zentradi have boarded the ship and are destroying Macross City. We need you in here to shore up the civil defense. Proceed to access Delta-oh-niner."

"Roger, Gunsight 2," Ranma said. "Okay, Ladies and Gentlemen, you heard'em. Lets get in there and kick those interlopers off our ship!"

Ranma led Akane and Max into the specified access point, followed by the other Wild Rose flights and Skull Squadron. Unfortunately, a Zentradi officer's pod leading an attack force also managed to slip in behind them before the doors closed.

Ranma entered Macross City to see a scene of devastation. Fires burned and many buildings were little more than piles of rubble. She shifted to battloid mode and started down the streets, directing her team to spread out and begin a sweep for invaders.

A group of battle pods leapt out in front of her and Ranma opened up on them with her gun. They fell quickly, smoking holes littering their chassis'. More battle pods rushed her and met a similar fate as Ranma stalked through the streets.

As she approached an intersection, a large group of battle pods rushed by at high speed heading down the cross street. One blew up as it was hit with an energy blast. The source of the blast soon appeared. It was a Zentradi officer's pod, firing on its own people. Ranma targeted the pod and fired a burst of high velocity armor piercing slugs into the side of it, knocking the pod over.

As it stood back up, Ranma's comm screen lit up.

"You!" said the snide sounding Zentradi that had identified himself as Kyron sneered.

"Hey, Blue Boy," Ranma greeted. "I guess you felt the need for another smack down, huh?"

"You will not defeat me!" Kyron shrieked.

He launched a spread of missiles at Ranma. Ranma used her head lasers and her cannon to take out five of the six and, in an incredible display of piloting, grabbed the other one out of the air and flung it back at Kyron like an oversized explosive shuriken. Kyron tried to evade but again his heavy beam cannon was struck and blasted off by his own missile.

The explosion knocked Kyron into a building. Ranma fired another burst from her cannon and blasted away one of Kyron's arms. She charged down the street as Kyron struggled to extract himself from the rubble of the building. Just as he managed to regain his feet, Ranma fired her lasers into the knee of Kyron's pod, fusing it solid. Kyron returned fire with his remaining arm mounted weapons, which Ranma evaded readily. Another burst from Ranma's cannon and the weapon pod on the remaining arm exploded.

Unarmed, Kyron tried to escape by firing his thrusters.

"Uh uh uh," Ranma chided as she grabbed the fused leg and slammed the damaged pod into the ground. She used her lasers to destroy the pods main thrusters. "You're not getting away this time, Blue Boy," Ranma said.

The hatch popped open on the pod and Kyron crawled out. He took his helmet off and threw it on the ground in frustration.

"Damn you!" Kyron yelled at Ranma. "I will not be defeated again!"

Kyron charged Ranma, knocking her gun out of her hands and attempting a spinning back-fist to her head. Ranma ducked the fist and planted a two-fisted hammer blow to Kyron's ribs, knocking him across the street into a building. Kyron pulled himself out of the building and charged in rage again...right into the hay-maker Ranma had launched.

Kyron flew back about twenty meters and landed on his back, unconscious. Ranma picked up her gun and walked up to Kyron. Seeing he was out cold, she smirked wickedly while thinking about what to do to make sure he was manageable. Grimacing, she raised her gun and shot him in the knee.

The pain immediately awoke the Zentradi warlord as he sat up screaming and clutching his knee. Ranma kicked him in the head and put him out again.

(oOO/Oo)

Unknown to Ranma, she had an audience.

"Magnificent," Miriya said in awe, from her vantage point behind some rubble. "Truly a skilled and ruthless warrior, this Dragon Lady." She had since learned to read the Micronian language and knew from the large '1' on the Micronian mecha that this was the one Kyron had told her about.

She turned her attention to her true quarry, the one she had come to kill, who was having his own battle down the cross street. This warrior, too, was magnificent, though not so graceful as his commander. She watched as he danced through a group of battle pods that had rushed him. He emerged on the other side, and as the pods started to turn toward him again, they began exploding.

"These Micronians are truly great warriors," Miriya said in wondrous admiration. "But I will find you and kill you Wild Rose 4. I will have my revenge."

(oOO/Oo)

"So what should we do with them?" Roy asked, glancing at the three former spies.

"I say we should grant their request for political asylum," Ranma said.

"We can't do that without approval from the UNEDC," Maistroff protested. "We can't trust them. They are aliens."

"Who the hell cares what the UNEDC says?" Ranma snarled. "They banished us and the whole civilian population of Macross City from Earth. I say that means we make our own decisions."

"What?" Maistroff screeched. "That...that's treason!"

"What's treason is sending thousands of innocent civilians into harm's way just because you don't want to get caught in your own lies," Ranma snapped.

"Commander Saotome-Hayes has a point," Gloval said. "While I feel our loyalty to Earth remains, I no longer feel that this ship owes any loyalty to the UNEDC. They have cut us adrift and chased us off the Earth under threat of attack. They no longer have any say on how we conduct ourselves aboard this ship."

"I agree," Lisa said. "Having talked to the defectors, I think we have a shot at a peaceful end to this war."

"You can't be serious," Maistroff said in dismay.

"I am gravely serious about this," Gloval said. "The United Earth Government has cast us out to die in an attempt to buy themselves some time that will not help them. All the Zentradi want is this ship. We have a responsibility to all the people aboard this ship to do everything in our power to ensure their safety. And this we will do."

"But it's our job to fight and die to defend Earth!" Maistroff said. "Everyone knew that was a risk when the signed on!"

"BULLSHIT!" Ranma roared. "What about the 50,000 civilians that got dragged into this against their will, you stupid, boot-licking jackass? They didn't sign on for anything. They have just as much right to be protected as anyone on Earth does. And since the honorless pricks in charge would rather them die than admit they lied, it's up to us to ensure their safety."

"How dare you speak to me this way!" Maistroff shrieked. "That's it! I've heard enough of this seditious idiocy!" Maistroff pulled his sidearm and pointed it at Gloval. "Captain Henry Gloval, I am hereby relieving you of command. Lt. Colonel Mayo, take the Captain and anyone who resists into custody." Mayo also pulled his sidearm.

"Just what in the fuck do you think you're doing, you fucking mutinous slime?" Ranma growled. "Put those sidearms away before I shove them up your fucking asses. Do you honestly expect anyone to listen to a butt-sucking toady like you?"

The Zentradi and the MP's that guarded them watched all this in utter shock.

"That's enough out of you, Commander," Maistroff snapped. "You're mouth just bought you an extended stay in the brig."

Nobody was sure what happened, but suddenly, Maistroff's gun went flying across the room and he was screaming and cradling his broken wrist as Ranma stood in front of him. Mayo swung his sidearm to fire on Ranma, but Ranma delivered a thrust kick to Maistroff's chest knocking him into Mayo. Mayo's gun went off and the bullet struck the headrest of the chair right beside Lisa's head.

Ranma slowly looked at how close the bullet had come to ending Lisa's life and then looked back at Mayo. Her eyes flashed with a cold ice-blue light and her battle aura exploded from her, wreathing her in blindingly bright blue flames of righteous fury.

"You're a fucking dead man," Ranma ground out through her fury as she glared at Mayo.

Suddenly, she appeared in front of the man and his gun was in her hand. With one hand, she crushed it to twisted metal and powered polymer. Mayo peed his pants and whimpered. That's all he got out before Ranma buried her fist in his guts and then delivered a spinning back-kick to his chest. Mayo flew across the room and slammed into the steel bulkhead with a sickening crunch.

The three Zentradi huddled on the ground jabbering in abject terror. They had never seen such a display of horrifying power before. It frightened them to the core in spite of being battle-hardened veterans. This beautiful Micronian redhead instilled more fear and terror in them than both Breetai and Dolza put together.

Ranma began to slowly stalk toward him, the flames of her battle aura flowing and guttering around her. She was going to kill this asshole painfully.

"Ranma STOP!" Lisa's voice cut through her rage. "Ranma, please don't kill him. He's not worth it. I'm okay. Please."

Ranma slowly looked over to Lisa, who came around the table and approached her.

"Please, Honey," Lisa begged. "I'm safe. We're all safe. He can't hurt anyone now. Look at him."

Ranma swung her gaze back to Mayo who was lying in an unconscious crumpled heap at the base of the wall, blood leaking out his mouth. The bright blue aura flickered and guttered out. Lisa hugged the redhead.

"Get these men some medical attention," Gloval ordered the MP's in the room. "And put them under arrest on the charge of mutiny."

TBC

Chapter 25

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

(A/N: I know I pretty much ignored the three Zentradi spies' experiences with Mistress Bertha. I thought it would make a good side-story, but one I am not knowledgeable enough in the BDSM community to write. I would like to open the floor for somebody else to write it that is either into the BDSM scene of at least can bluff it better than I can. If you're interested, contact me.)

Chapter 25

March 2011...

"How is he?" Ranma asked as she looked into the room where the Zentradi she captured was strapped down.

"He has a broken nose, a concussion, and his knee is destroyed," Lang said. "I really don't know what we're going to do with him."

"Neither do I," Ranma shrugged. "It's not like we really need to interrogate him with all the ones that defected. I couldn't just kill him though. Not in cold blood like that."

"I understand," Lang said. "The others did say that he is one of their higher ups. They called him Kyron the Backstabber because he will kill his own troops just to get at the enemy."

"Real stand up guy, huh?" Ranma remarked. "He doesn't seem to take defeat especially well either."

"Yes, I heard that," Lang chuckled. "Capturing him will be a good thing from what we've been lead to believe though. It seems he is something of a loose cannon and is responsible for most of the attacks on the SDF-1. Most of the time he was operating against orders."

"Look, he's awake," Ranma commented. "I think I'll go in and talk to him."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Lang asked.

"Sure, it'll be fun," Ranma grinned. "The guy has a seriously inflated ego. I just have this irresistible urge to deflate it a bit."

Ranma entered the room and walked up to the prone, forty-foot egomaniac.

"So, Blue Boy, how's the knee?" Ranma smirked.

"You!" Kyron snarled. "Release me at once, you little Micronian bitch!"

"Not happenin', Blue Boy," Ranma said. "I have to ask; how's it feel to get your giant, forty-foot ass kicked by a tiny Micronian girl?"

Kyron began to sputter incoherently.

"Yeah," Ranma agreed, "if I was you, I'd be feeling pretty humiliated right now. Ah, well. I was getting kinda bored kicking your ass all the time. Just think, now I won't have to."

By now, Kyron was so furious, he was frothing at the mouth. He thrashed against his bounds, but that didn't last very long as the pain from his wounds quickly made itself known.

"Well, I just wanted to come in and meet the great Kyron face to face," Ranma said. "I gotta tell you, Blue Boy, I'm not impressed at all. You're just an egocentric weakling that likes to kill his own troops. Heh, loser."

Kyron snarled in frustrated rage as Ranma walked out.

"Wow," Lang commented, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone turn quite that shade of puce before."

"Not pretty, is it?" Ranma grinned.

"Not at all," Lang chuckled. "By the way, Commander, we've developed a new weapons system. It's a new armored Veritech package. Basically, it's made up of add-on pods that give a Veritech 10 times the firepower of a standard Veritech. It mounts two heavy beam cannon based on the Zentradi weapons and an auxiliary reflex power source to power them. There's also a sensor upgrade that allows you to target lock more enemies at once and a greatly increased missile payload."

"Sounds good," Ranma said. "Have it installed and I'll evaluate it."

(oOO/Oo)

April 2011...

"Yo, Stick!" Marissa called as she walked up with Erin and Vicki.

Max looked up from his lunch and waved.

"Hey, Marissa," Max greeted. "What's up?"

"Hey, Vicki, Erin, and I were going down to the arcade for some R&R," Marissa explained. "You wanna come along?"

"Sure, I'm always up for a good game," Max agreed.

The four of them trooped down to the arcade. Once there, they began to play the various games offered. Max proved to be some sort of video game genius as he won almost every game he played.

"Damn, Stick," Marissa grinned as she watched him. "You're gonna break the bank there if you keep it up."

"Yeah, I always win more money than I can carry away," Max said casually. Marissa laughed as more tokens were dispensed from the game Max had just won. "I guess you're right though. I better cash in before they don't allow me to play anymore."

Max picked up his tray and stacked his newly won credits on it. They headed down from the mezzanine level toward the checkout, but Max suddenly stopped on the stairs.

"What's up?" Marissa asked, having almost run into him.

"Look at that girl down there," Max said in awe. "I've been seeing her everywhere. She's totally hot."

"Oh?" Marissa grinned. "Got a thing for her, huh? Why don't you go ask her out?"

"Oh, no I couldn't do that," Max said shyly. "I mean look at her. She's so exquisite. What would she want with a guy like me?"

"You might be surprised, Stick," Marissa laughed. "I mean you're not hard on the eyes and you're a damn good pilot. Hey, look at that pile of tokens she's won. She looks like she's pretty good at the games. Maybe you could challenge her. That way you could put yourself on the scope and she'd notice you."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Max said excitedly. "I'll do it! Thanks, Marissa."

"Sure, Stick. Glad I could...help..." Marissa blinked at the empty air she was talking to. "Geez, he must really have it bad for her."

"Hi there," Max said as he made his way through the crowd of people watching the girl play. "I couldn't help but notice, you're pretty good. I'm pretty good too, would you like to play against me?"

The green-haired beauty looked up from her game at the tray of tokens in Max's hands.

"Are you going to bet all that?" the woman asked with a slight smile, obviously thinking this would be easy pickings.

"Well, sure. Why not," Max grinned, sliding into the seat on the opposite side of the game. "Why don't we start on level B?"

"Of course, if you like," the woman agreed.

Over the next half-hour the two battled it out. The game was a Veritech simulator game and Max had started them on the second hardest difficulty level. Eventually, Max managed to come out one top. He completely missed the woman's look of anger at the defeat.

The woman, none other than Miriya Parino, Maltradi division spy/assassin, seethed at her defeat by yet another Micronian. That is until she caught sight of his unit patch. It was a black oval with a dark pink rose in it. Around the edge it read in silver script 'Wild Rose Veritech Fighter Squadron'.

"You fly with Wild Rose?" she asked casually.

"Yeah," Max replied. "We're the best."

"What number are you?" Miriya inquired conversationally.

"Right now, I fly Wild Rose 3, but I used to be 4," Max replied. "Would you like to play again on the highest level?"

"Yes, let's do that," Miriya said, feeling strange inside as she looked up at the man she now knew as her prey. She felt...excited. 'Soon,' she thought, 'soon I will have my revenge.'

They played against each other for another hour. The battle was drawing quite a crowd and the staff had put it up on the big monitor so everyone could watch. Finally, Max managed to score a crippling hit and Miriya's battloid soon disintegrated.

She was furious at having been dealt yet another humiliating defeat. It was intolerable. She had to get away before she...well, she didn't know what she would do, but her eyes seemed to burn and she felt so...frustrated. She rose and turned to leave but a hand caught hers.

"Please, I don't even know your name," Max said. "Mine's Max, Max Sterling."

"My name is Miriya, now may I please go?" Miriya replied, barely keeping her intense feelings in check.

"Can I see you again? How about meeting me in the park at 9pm tonight?" Max said, unable to believe he actually asked this vision of loveliness out.

"Yes, yes, of course," Miriya said, ready to agree to anything just to escape this situation before she further humiliated herself. "I must go."

"Sure, it was nice to meet you," Max said as the woman practically fled the arcade.

"Way to go, Stick!" Marissa cheered. "I knew you had it in you. I hope she shows though. She didn't seem too happy about you winning."

"You think?" Max asked, surprised that someone would take a game so seriously.

"Sure seemed that way," Marissa observed. "I guess you'll find out if she stands you up."

"Geez, I hope I didn't offend her," Max said, distressed. "Maybe I should have let her win."

"Nah, don't worry about it, Stick," Marissa reassured him. "If she doesn't show it's her loss, not yours. Got it?"

"Yeah, sure," Max said, still worried. "Thanks Marissa."

(oOO/Oo)

"I guess Marissa must have been right," Max said to himself morosely. "I guess I did offend her. I hope nothing happened to her though." He looked at his watch. It was ten minutes after nine. "I'll give her a few more minutes."

"MAX STERLING OF THE WILD ROSE SQUADRON!" Max whirled at the angry sounding shout. "PREPARE TO DIE!"

Max had to use all his training with Ranma to dodge out of the path of a dagger that flew at him. He was shocked to recognize his attacker as the girl, Miriya, her face twisted with hatred and rage.

"Miriya! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Max yelled.

"I am Miriya Parino, Captain of the Quadrano elite squadron of the Meltradi division of the Zentradi," she announced proudly, pulling a tanto. "Now I will have my revenge on you!"

She slashed at him, but Max evaded easily thanks to Ranma's training.

"I...I don't understand," Max asked, evading another slash. "I know you said you're of the Zentradi, but what revenge?" Max was proving to be a frustratingly illusive target.

"I will have my revenge for the humiliation you've caused me!" Miriya shrieked and slashed again, fruitlessly.

"How did I humiliate you? It was just a game," Max said, not understanding the evident hatred and rage she held for him.

"I am the greatest of the Zentradi pilots," Miriya screamed. "I cannot accept defeat at the hands of a mere Micronian. I was undefeated until I met you in the battle inside this city! Now stand still and die!"

"Sorry, that'd be bad for my health," Max smirked as he dodged another slash.

He realized he would have to do more than dodge, so he steeled himself of combat. Dodging a few more slashes, he saw his opportunity. She thrust the tanto at him and he used one of the disarming moves Ranma had showed him. He chopped the nerve cluster located in the inside of her wrist while slapping the back of her hand with his other hand. The tanto went flying out of reach.

Stunned at his speed, Miriya knew she couldn't defeat him unarmed. He was clearly better than her at unarmed combat. She sank to her knees in defeat. Tears of humiliation began to run down her cheeks.

"Please," Miriya said. "Please just end my life. I can't live with this defeat."

Max saw the tears and felt his heart twist in his chest. He reached down and gently tilted her head up until he met her beautiful grey-green eyes.

"But you haven't been defeated," Max said softly. He tenderly wiped her tears away as she looked at him in confusion.

"W..what do you mean?" she asked.

"You've conquered my heart," Max said with a gentle smile. "I could never hurt you, because I've fallen in love with you."

"What is 'love'?" she asked, still confused.

"I once heard my commanding officer say that you know you're in love when there is a person you are attracted to and suddenly you find that their happiness and wellbeing mean more to you than your own," Max explained. "She told me that when you're in love, you will do anything to make the person you love deliriously happy, even if it hurts you. I love you, Miriya. I want to marry you."

"Marry? What does that mean?" she asked.

"Well, when two people are attracted to each other and they fall in love, they get married," Max explained. "Marriage is a ceremony where two people pledge themselves to one another, to always be together and to have a family."

"I...I think..." Miriya searched herself. Looking at Max made her feel warm all over. She still felt the same sense of excitement that she felt before and had mistaken for the anticipation of battle. Suddenly, it all snapped into place for her and her basic human instinct rushed to the fore and she understood what love was. "I think I love you too, Max. I want to marry you too. I am attracted to you. You are a fine warrior and I've never seen better."

"You're about to," Max said with a happy smile.

"What do you mean?" Miriya asked.

"Well, we need to go talk to my CO, the Dragon Lady," Max said. "If we want to marry, we will need her help."

"Is she really better than you?" Miriya asked in wonder.

"Who do you think taught me everything I know?" Max said. "She has more raw talent than anyone on this ship, both in the cockpit and in unarmed combat. She's a high-level martial artist and you wouldn't believe how powerful she is. But don't get any ideas, she's already married." Max chuckled at his own joke.

"Don't worry, Max," Miriya said. "I've fallen in love with you. I would like to meet this Dragon Lady though. To be in the presence of one so powerful would be an honor."

(oOO/Oo)

Max knocked on the door to Ranma's quarters. After a short wait, the door opened to reveal Ranma holding her baby on her chest.

"Hey Mom. Hey, Yoshima, how ya doin' lil' guy?" Max greeted, his voice taking on a gentle tone and a warm smile. Yoshima cooed at him, producing a bright smile that only babies are capable of.

"Hey, Stick. What's up?" Ranma greeted with her own smile.

"Well, I kinda needed to talk to you about something," Max said, a little nervously. "I can come back if now's not a good time."

"No, it's okay," Ranma said. "I just finished feeding Yoshima. Lisa's on duty and Mom stepped out for a bit to do some shopping. Come on in."

"Oh, okay, um...Mom, I'd like you to meet Miriya Parino," Max said as he pulled an absolutely gorgeous woman into view at his side. She was tall, with deep green hair, and had on a lovely sundress. "Miriya, this is my commanding officer, Ranma Saotome-Hayes, otherwise known as the Dragon Lady or DL for short. The members of Wild Rose Squadron call her 'Mom'. The little guy in her arms is her son, Yoshima, who will also call her 'Mom' when he learns to speak."

Miriya was utterly captivated by the mother and child...on several levels. On the one hand, she was surprised to find that this petite redhead was the Micronian's greatest warrior. She seemed almost frail and couldn't possibly be as powerful as everyone seemed to think. But she was unwilling to doubt her new love. She had also seen this woman fight Kyron and knew she was as good in the cockpit as had been said.

Yoshima, however, was something else entirely. This small Micronian seemed so tiny and fragile, but somehow the baby fascinated Miriya. Something inside her called out for...something...one of her own? Clearly there was a link between the mother and the child. A glow of fulfillment, of pure and total love and trust that was shared between the two. Yoshima looked at Miriya with bright cerulean eyes and cooed happily at her. Miriya felt her insides turn to goo. She had seen the small Micronians during her search for Max, but this was the first time she had been this close to one.

"Hi, Miriya," Ranma said cheerfully, shaking Miriya out of her thoughts. "Nice to meet you."

"It's an honor to meet you, Commander," Miriya said.

"Please, just call me Ranma," Ranma said. "Come in both of you and have a seat. Can I get you a soda or something?"

"Sure, that'd be great," Max said.

"Yes, please," Miriya said politely.

Ranma went to the kitchen and soon returned to the main room with two sodas. She passed them out and sat in the chair next to the couch.

"Would you like to hold him?" Ranma asked with a warm smile, noticing Miriya's continued fascination with Yoshima.

"Oh, may I?" Miriya asked with unaccustomed eagerness.

"Sure," Ranma said cheerfully, standing and coming over to Miriya.

She took the towel off her shoulder and instructed Miriya to lay in on hers, explaining that Yoshima just ate and Ranma didn't want him to spit up on Miriya's pretty dress. Clearly Miriya wasn't experienced with babies so Ranma showed her how to hold him correctly and soon Miriya was off in her own little world, gazing in rapt awe at the little one she now held. Ranma grinned and returned to her chair.

"Now what did you want to talk about?" Ranma asked.

"Well," Max said nervously. "I've asked Miriya to marry me."

"Wow, congratulations," Ranma said, happily. "I didn't even know you were seeing anyone." Max chuckled nervously.

"Ah, yeah, well, I just met her this afternoon," Max grinned. Ranma blinked once, then twice at him.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ranma asked, not sure she believed what she just heard.

"I just met her this afternoon," Max repeated. "I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

"Um...okay, that's a little fast, but it's your life," Ranma said cautiously.

"There's a small problem though," Max admitted.

"And that would be?" Ranma asked.

"Miriya is a Zentradi," Max confessed.

Ranma's eyes snapped to the green-haired woman holding her son, her whole body singing with tension. Her blue-grey eyes met the other woman's grey-green ones and promised vast amounts of pain if any harm came to her baby. Miriya clearly understood the message behind the intense gaze.

"Would you like him back?" Miriya offered somewhat sadly. Ranma looked deeply into her eyes for a few more moments. Miriya got the impression the smaller woman was looking right into her soul.

"Only if you're tired of holding him," Ranma said. "There's no hostile intent in you aura. Just be very clear that if you harm him your death with be long and painful."

"I understand," Miriya said, truly she did. Long unused maternal instincts told her the same thing. These little ones were to be protected. Ranma smiled warmly at her.

"He's the most important thing in the world to me," Ranma said. "I didn't mean to sound rude, but I needed to be clear."

"Perfectly understandable," Miriya said. "I mean him or you no harm." Ranma nodded.

"Geez, Max, a small problem?" Ranma grinned at him. "I'd hate to see your idea of a big problem."

"Well, that's why I'd like your help," Max admitted.

"You know this is going to be a political circus, don't you?" Ranma asked. "I actually rather like the idea. We already know that Zentradi DNA and Human DNA are identical, which is lucky for you, since it looks like Miriya wants one of her own." Ranma giggled and gestured to Miriya who was once again absorbed gazing adoringly at little Yoshima. "The thing is, the brass are going to want to use your marriage as a tool to show that Humans and Zentradi can live in peace. Are you ready to deal with that kind of pressure?"

"I love her," Max said simply.

"I will stand beside Max no matter what," Miriya vowed.

"Alright," Ranma said. "I'll talk to the captain. And you certainly have my blessing. Not that you need it, but you have it anyway."

"I can't tell you how much that means to me, Mom," Max said with a brilliant smile.

"I too am honored by your approval," Miriya stated. She indicated the baby in her arms. "I am also honored by your trust in me."

"That's not such a big thing," Ranma gave her a warm smile. "I can see the maternal protectiveness in your aura. I saw you couldn't hurt him intentionally."

"In my aura?" Miriya asked.

"Yes, everyone has an aura," Ranma explained. "A person's aura will change with their different emotions or intents. With enough training in the art, one can begin to read these emotions and intents. It makes reacting to attacks much faster and after a certain level, one becomes consciously aware of what another person's aura is telling them."

"Is that why you're so good?" Miriya asked. "I saw you take down Kyron in the city. I was very much impressed. Especially the way you caught the missile out of the air and threw it back at him."

"That's part of it," Ranma admitted. "With the martial arts training I've had and the level of bodily control I have attained, I can, for all intents and purposes, fully link with me Veritech. That means I can use it very much like an extension of my own body."

"I too have a similar level of link with my mecha," Miriya said. "It's the reason I am the best of all Zentradi pilots, although I do not think I could manage to catch a missile in flight and throw it back at the one who launched it."

"That has to do with my unarmed training more than my piloting ability," Ranma smiled. "I'm the best hand to hand fighter on this ship. Probably one of the best of my people, but I do know there are several people on Earth that make me look like a rank amateur. They're usually very old and very experienced."

The three chatted for about another hour before Nodoka arrived. Miriya reluctantly surrendered the baby to his doting grandmother and the couple made their goodbyes. Ranma told Max that she would go speak with the captain as soon as she put her uniform on and would contact him later. She told him to be ready because Gloval was probably going to want to meet with them.

"So what did you think of her?" Max asked after they had left.

"She's a very pleasant person," Miriya said. "It must be wonderful to serve under such a commander."

"Yeah," Max agreed. "The whole ship loves her. She's actually the commander of the whole Veritech group aboard the SDF-1. She and her wife are reputed to run the whole ship between them."

"Her wife?" Miriya asked curiously.

"She's actually married to another woman," Max explained. "Her wife is the First Officer of the ship, Commander Lisa Saotome-Hayes."

"But I thought marriage was supposed to be between a man and a woman," Miriya remarked, confused.

"Normally it is," Max said. "There are certain groups of our people that look down on same-sex unions, but they aren't that uncommon. On the other hand, things are...complicated for Mom and her wife. I can't explain it right now, but things are not quite what they seem."

Miriya looked at him strangely, but let it go.

(oOO/Oo)

After Ranma discussed the matter with Gloval, they met with Max and Miriya. The captain was very impressed with the young couple and soon gave his full approval to them. A date was set for the ceremony to be held in a week. Due to the lack of available friends, Ranma found herself drafted into being the Maid of Honor accompanied by Lisa and Minmei as bridesmaids. Indeed, if the truth were told, Ranma would likely have been Miriya's choice for Maid of Honor anyway. Miriya seemed to respect Ranma greatly and they had quickly become friends.

Between being fitted for her dress, spending time with her family and her administrative duties as CAG, Ranma completed the flight trials of the new armored Veritech package. She was greatly impressed with the speed and firepower increases that it gave. The modular add-ons were scheduled for production to be combat tested by Wild Rose and Skull flights.

The day finally came for the ceremony and the whole ship was rife with a festive atmosphere. Many people had heard about the event and eagerly waited to see the Zentradi that had won a human heart. The whole event was to be broadcast throughout the ship, to the UNEDC, and the Zentradi fleet.

Max stood before Gloval in one of the large observation lounges. Beside him, stood his best man, Roy Fokker. To Roy's side stood the groomsmen, Dietrich Johansen, and Rick Hunter. On the bride's side of the room sat the Zentradi defectors along with the Bridge Bunnies who had been reunited with Rico, Konda, and Bron. Also in a show of acceptance, various important people that were invited to attend were seated on this side. On the groom's side sat all the remaining Wild Roses and many more of Max's friends.

The cameras and lights came up and the wedding march began to play. Minmei was the first done the aisle, looking gorgeous in her steel-blue, formfitting dress. The dress had a metallic sheen to it that shimmered as she walked. She stepped up to her position across from Rick and gave him a wink as he gaped at her. Rick gulped hard. Next came Lisa, in a matching dress and looking no less beautiful depending on who you asked. The dress hugged her tall form down to her knees where, like Minmei's, it flared out and a full flounce that swung and rustled as she walked. Lastly came Ranma. She unintentionally made it very clear why she had won the title Miss Macross. She managed to eclipse the other two, wearing an identical dress. The dress's sweetheart neckline displayed a much more aggressive show of cleavage by virtue of Ranma's more generous bust. The dress hugged her tiny waist and clung to her full hips while the shimmering white satin gloves emphasized her shapely arms. No one in the room, except maybe Ranma herself, would have disputed who the most beautiful bridesmaid was.

However, though Ranma was resplendent, she was surely outshone by the bride herself. She wore a gown of the purest white satin and seemed to glow brighter than the lighting of the room could explain. At her wrists and at the hemline of the gown's full skirts there was a spill of delicate white lace. The gown had an empress waistline and hugged her hips, waist, and full breasts in a sleek satin embrace. The décolletage went from satin to lace, just above her breasts and went to her neck in a demure ruffled collar. Over her freely flowing deep-green hair, was a full lace veil, pinned in her hair with flowers and pale pink ribbons. Behind her was a long train of white satin.

The entire audience caught their breath as the stunningly beautiful bride made her way down the aisle in proper hesitation step, but none more so than the groom. Max was utterly blown away as he stared transfixed at the goddess approaching him.

"Breathe," Roy whispered to him sharply, grinning with amusement. Max nodded slightly and began to breathe again.

Then she was beside him, her delicate perfume filling his nostrils and her presence filling his senses. He barely noticed when the ceremony began. He tenderly lifted her veil as if unwrapping the most fabulous present he had ever gotten and stared, lost in her joy-filled eyes.

(oOO/Oo)

Some distance away, the ceremony was being monitored by Breetai and Exedore. They watched as Miriya and the Micronian exchanged vows with each other.

"Exedore, don't you think that Miriya is getting carried away in her role as spy?" Breetai asked.

"Indeed, Mi'lord," Exedore said thoughtfully. "She looks very...happy."

"So do you suspect that she too has been affected by this Micronian way of life?" Breetai asked.

"Very possible, Mi'lord," Exedore agreed.

The pair shuddered as the couple in the monitor kissed tenderly, an act that was clearly full of emotion as tears were seen trickling down Miriya's face.

"Dolza must be informed of this," Breetai said.

"Yes, Mi'lord," Exedore said. "I shall send a message right away."

(oOO/Oo)

Meanwhile back on the space fortress, the reception was about to get underway. Captain Gloval stood to give a speech that he felt a little guilty about giving, but knew it was necessary for the good of both their peoples. Clinking his champagne glass with his spoon, he called the room to attention.

"This wedding carries with it a great historical significance," Gloval said solemnly. "As you all know, Miriya was a Zentradi warrior who destroyed many of our own ships. She comes from a culture that we have grown to fear and hate. It is the Zentradi who caused our present situation. They alone prevent our return to Earth, our homes and our beloved families. It is they who have caused destruction and endless suffering.

"Now, I know what you are thinking, ‘Why is he choosing this time to remind us of all these terrible things?’ I remind you of these brutal acts, ladies and gentlemen, because we must learn to forgive; not blindly, not out of ignorance, but because we are a strong and willing nation. We cannot blame the Zentradi for this inexplicable lust for war. They have never known any other way of life, and it is their only means of survival. Nor can we condemn the individuals of that society for the being born into this war machine. Instead, we must look to their good nature. Some have made a request to stop fighting, and I believe it is a genuine request. We must respond with equal integrity.

"The blood of both these young people was tested before the ceremony. Zentradi blood was found to be exactly the same as human blood. Since it is apparent that we share a common ancestry, there is no reason why we cannot find peace and live in harmony with one another. Let this occasion represent a future where all people live in peaceful and beneficial coexistence! Each and every citizen must develop a responsible attitude toward the prospects of peace. We must learn from our mistakes. To live with different people, different nations; think of the challenge! I am not proposing laying down our arms, but extending them so that if there is a chance of a peaceful solution, we may find it together.

"Max and Miriya, it is my hope that you share a long and wonderful life together and I wish to extend to you my sincerest congratulations."

Everyone in the room clapped and approved of the sentiment. However, it was not universally shared. While most everyone in Macross City cheered Gloval's speech and celebrated his leadership, there were more than a few that were not so willing to be so forgiving. Luckily, they were by far the minority.

Down on Earth, Admiral Donald Hayes growled at the monitor. "Goddam ship," he muttered. "It's like the Perverted fucking Love Boat. First Lisa gets married to that...that...thing and now we have men marrying alien freaks." He had seen his daughter standing next to the redhead he recognized as the one his daughter claimed to be married to. He was horrified to find himself thinking that the top-heavy redhead was even prettier than Lisa. This was, of course, before he recognized her.

Aboard Breetai's flagship, there were more mixed sentiments. Breetai and Exedore watched with only the vaguest notion of what the speech was promoting, neither able to envision a life outside of the great Zentradi war machine. Many of the crew however, harbored different thoughts. The ceremony had awakened in them long dormant human emotions and made them feel inexplicably happy. They found themselves longing to be with their friends and comrades aboard the SDF-1 to share in the evident joy that seemed to be so abundant there.

Unaware of any of this, the reception went on. Dinner was completed and the cake was cut. Max and Miriya fed the first piece to each other in a tender moment. Then Minmei took the small stage along with, the by now resigned, Ranma.

"Hi everyone," Minmei said into the microphone. "Ranma and I are now going to sing a song that we would like to dedicate to Max and Miriya. Miriya picked this song herself. It's a new one that I've been working on with Ranma called 'Adesso e Fortuna' and I hope you all enjoy it."

With that, the music began to play the lead in. On cue, Minmei began to sing.

The way that you,

Embrace me with your strong and powerful arms,

Your haunting words,

Keep me close, to everything about you.

(Ranma began to sing the second verse)

Romantic in ways,

In ways that almost tear upon my heart,

Can't let you go,

Don't you know?

(Both sang the next line before trading off the next two, Minmei first then Ranma and then singing the fouth line together)

Io sono prigioniera,

A captive in your gentle hands,

A prisoner of your soulful eyes,

Your special smile, we'll never part.

(They again traded off singing the lines of the next verse, Minmei first then Ranma)

If the morning sun should free me,

It really wouldn't let me go,

I'd still be caught inside your love,

Can't rise above the chains of your heart.

(the following two verse were done the same as the previous two)

Io sono prigioniera,

A captive in your gentle hands,

A prisoner of your soulful eyes,

Your special smile, we'll never part.

If the morning sun should free me,

It really wouldn't let me go,

I'd still be caught inside your love,

Can't rise above the chains of your heart.

(oOO/Oo)
TBC

(AN: Adesso e Fortuna is the opening theme for Record of the Lodoss War OAV and belongs to its copyright holder.)

Io sono prigioniera: (Italian) I am your prisoner

Chapter 26

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 26

April 2011...

The monitor on Breetai's flagship currently displayed two beautiful Micronian females singing a song they called 'The Power of Love'.

"Those females...their voices have the power to make a man feel sadness and...longing," Breetai said to Exedore.

"Indeed, Mi'lord," Exedore said. "Their ability to make us feel emotion is a very powerful weapon and is likely the exact reason the archives warned us to avoid contact with them. We have no defense against it."

"Lord Breetai," the messenger's face popped up on the monitor, interrupting the broadcast of Ranma and Minmei singing. "Forgive the interruption but I have orders from Lord Dolza. He had ordered a full scale assault on the Space Fortress and that the Micronian ship be completely destroyed. There are to be no survivors."

"Understood," Breetai said as the monitor returned to the broadcast of the wedding reception. "So Exedore, I fear the moment has finally come when we must end this. I do not look forward to what I must do. I don't know why, but I will not take any satisfaction in the destruction of the Micronians. I regret what I must do. Order the attack."

"Yes, Mi'lord," Exedore acknowledged.

(oOO/Oo)

As the Zentradi forces closed in for the attack, General Quarters was sounded throughout the SDF-1. The festiveness and joy of the reception was instantly replaced with a grim, all-business atmosphere as Gloval ordered everyone to battle stations.

"Hey Max," Ranma called as she made her way to the door, "you can sit this one out. We can get by without you for one battle."

"No way, Mom," Max said. "I can't let my comrades go out there without me. I'm sorry Miriya, but I have to go." He began pulling off his tie.

"I'll go with you, Max," Miriya said.

"But you can't," Max protested.

"I can pilot your Robotech mecha just as well as any of you," Miriya disagreed. "When they did the tests on me they even check my neural link ability and found the I am qualified to be a member of Wild Rose. Ranma even got me my own helmet and flight suit. My place is by your side, Max. Even in battle. I won't let you go without me."

"Well, I guess I can't stop you then," Max smiled tenderly at her. "I'd be honored to have you fight by my side."

"Then lets go, Max," Miriya returned his smiled. "I'll be right beside you."

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma and Akane had just launched off the waist cats and were forming up with the rest of Wild Rose to head into battle when Ranma heard something surprising on the Tac-Net.

"Pilot Max Sterling, Wild Rose 3, prepared for launch," Max's voice said. Ranma was about to chastise him when the next voice came over the radio.

"Pilot Miriya Pa...Sterling, Wild Rose Four, ready for launch," Miriya's voice said.

Ranma groaned. She was going to catch hell for this, she just knew it. She almost wished that she hadn't gotten Miriya the neural helmet and flight suit in anticipation of her being approved to fly. Still, she could understand Miriya wanting to go into combat with her new husband. That's why she told Max to stay put.

"Wild Rose 3 and 4," Ranma said. "As soon as you're launched join on me and Fury. You know I'm gonna be in deep fecal matter because of this, don't you?"

"Sorry, Mom," Max said sheepishly as he and Miriya pulled into echelon formation with Ranma and Akane, who were both flying with the new armored Veritech package. "I couldn't just let my flight-mates go into battle without me, could I?"

"Well, yeah, you could have," Ranma responded. "Fury and I have more than enough fire power to make up for the rest of the flight. It doesn't matter now though since you're here."

"Mom?" Miriya asked, the grin in her voice could be heard as she used Ranma's squadron call sign. "Don't worry, okay? I won't let you or Max down. There is something I'd like to suggest though."

"What might that be?" Ranma asked.

"If we truly want peace, then it's time for the talking to stop and the action to speak for itself," Miriya said. "If you target the battle pods between where the legs meet the torso, you will destroy their primary power coupling and render them disabled without killing the pilots."

"Four, that's a good idea," Ranma said, "but I can't order everyone to do that. Not everyone is good enough to take the time to maneuver for that shot. Wild Rose can do it and I will advise everyone else that this is the preferred shot to take, but I can't order my people to take those kinds of risks. Please understand."

"I understand, Mom," Miriya said. "But it will still make a difference if just the pilots that are good enough to do it without risk, did so."

"Hey DL, I heard what she said and Skull will try for the disabling shot," Rick said. Several other Squadron leaders chimed in with their agreement as well.

"Okay, people," Ranma said. "I'm very proud of you all. Just remember, don't take any unnecessary risks and get yourselves killed. Wild Rose 4, are there any disabling points on the fighters?"

"No, I'm sorry," Miriya said sadly.

"Okay, well, all Veritech groups, listen up," Ranma said. "Target only the fighters with your missiles. Take the pods out with cannon and lasers and try for the disabling shots if you can."

Five seconds later the battle was joined. Ranma and Akane used their augmented systems to target the fighter with their heavy missile payload while using their heavy beam cannon to disable the battle pods. Max and Miriya danced though the pods leaving them adrift, but intact, in their wake. The pair seemed to be made for each other as they worked as an amazingly synchronized team. Miriya proved to be every bit as good as Max, matching him move for move.

The two of them caused nearly as much damage and Ranma and Akane did, actually working better as a team in spite of Ranma and Akane having flown together for a lot longer. While on an individual basis, Wild Rose 1 and 2 were both better than 3 and 4, only the augmentation on their Veritechs allowed them to make a bigger impact than Max and his wife's perfect coordination.

(oOO/Oo)

Aboard Breetai's fleet, another drama was unfolding. Many of Beetai's best pilots were refusing to fight. They would not fire on their friends aboard the SDF-1 and were quite adamant about this fact. There were more than a few incidents where the point was made with the muzzle of a gun.

Breetai, recognizing what was happening and where it would lead, ordered the withdrawal of his troops to begin planning for what he suspected was coming.

(oOO/Oo)

It had been two days since the wedding and things had begun to calm down. Max and Miriya had moved into the Married Officers Quarters and were deliriously happy together. Which is not to say that things were going smoothly; Miriya was discovering such things as cooking were formidable tasks. She had set the kitchen on fire no less than three times and sent the coffee pot into a thermonuclear meltdown while trying to make coffee. Max was very patient with her, however, and resigned himself to doing the cooking for the near future.

Miriya wasn't taking her failures in the kitchen very well, but had soon discovered a friend in misery. Apparently, Akane had the same problems in the kitchen and that reassured Miriya. At least it was a problem that afflicted Micronians as well. Thus, it was something of a relief when Max and Miriya were invited to dinner with Ranma and Lisa. Miriya was very eager to see Yoshima again as well. There was something about the baby that made her feel a strange sense of need.

Max and Miriya arrived at the appointed hour and as soon as greetings were made, Miriya was at the bassinet cooing and playing with little Yoshima.

"Would you like to hold him?" Ranma offered with a warm smile. Lisa and Nodoka snapped their gaze to Ranma, instantly tense. "Oh, you two relax. Not every warrior is a ham-handed brute. She held him for over an hour the day Max came to introduce me to her and she did fine. She's a natural."

"Thank you," Miriya said. She gently reached into the bassinet and tenderly picked Yoshima up. The baby made delighted sounds and seemed nearly as fascinated with Miriya as she was with him. "Oh Max," Miriya said pleadingly, "when can we get one?"

"I...um...well...we'reworkingonthat,honey," Max said with a deep blush.

"We are?" Miriya said in surprise. "I didn't know that. Where do we go to have one made?"

Four sets blinking eyes looked at her for a minute. Finally Ranma's snort of laughter broke the dead silence.

"You haven't explained this to her yet, have you, Max?" Ranma giggled.

"I...well...uh...no," Max stammered blushing deeply.

"Explained what?" Miriya wanted to know.

"Lisa? You wanna handle this one?" Ranma asked.

"Oh no, Dearest," Lisa smirked. "You're her best friend. You should explain it to her."

"Mom?" Ranma looked at Nodoka pleadingly. Nodoka just grinned wickedly and shook her head. "Oh boy," Ranma sighed. "Miriya, lets go in the bedroom for a minute so we don't cause your husband to die of embarrassment."

The pair entered Ranma and Lisa's room and Ranma shut the door. She directed Miriya to sit on the bed and sat down facing her.

"Okay, I guess I get to tell you all about human sexuality 101," Ranma smiled uncomfortably.

"What's that?" Miriya asked.

"Well, first let me ask you this," Ranma said. "Do Meltradi, well, menstruate?"

"What's that?" Miriya asked, sounding like a broken record, but listening with wide-eyed attention. She was clearly eager to learn everything there was to know about how to get her own baby.

"Well, a female has a biological cycle...er...well, do you ever bleed from down there," Ranma said gesturing to her nether region.

"OH! That! Well, not normally but if we miss our yearly implants, it does happen," Miriya said. "It's a great burden for the Meltradi to have to have a stupid yearly implant so as to not bleed to death." Ranma put her hand over her mouth and snickered a little.

"I'm sorry," Ranma apologized at Miriya's hurt look. "You wouldn't bleed to death, Sweetie. It's natural for a female to bleed from there for a few days a month. It's part of her natural cycle."

"You mean you do it?" Miriya asked, incredulously. "Micronians don't have medication to stop it?"

"Well, there are certain birth control methods that will prevent it," Ranma explained, "but most women have to just deal with it. It's kinda gross and messy, but yeah, I go through it every month."

"Oh my," Miriya said, wide-eyed. "But what does this have to do with babies?"

"I'm getting there," Ranma grinned weakly. "You feel an attraction to Max right?"

"Oh yes, most definitely," Miriya smiled brightly.

"Do you know why you feel that attraction?" Ranma inquired.

"Um...not really. He such a skilled and strong warrior, and whenever he looks at me, I feel all warm and gooey inside," Miriya said, blushing slightly.

"Women are attracted to men that their instincts tell them will provide them with strong healthy babies," Ranma explained. "It's a mating instinct, just like animals have."

"So how do they provide babies?" Miriya asked.

Ranma sighed, and began to explain human reproduction to Miriya, complete with pictures of Lisa's progress through her own pregnancy and the video of the childbirth. When she was done Miriya's eyes were as wide as saucers and she sat stunned.

"That's what would happen to me?" Miriya asked. "It looked so painful."

"Yes, but did you see the look on Lisa's face afterward, as she held Yoshima for the first time?" Ranma asked gently.

"She looked so...blissful," Miriya said. "I have a question though..."

"Sure, ask away?" Ranma smiled.

"You said that for a woman to get...pregnant, she must have sex with her husband. But you and Lisa are both females, so how did Lisa get pregnant?" Miriya asked in confusion.

"Well, there are several ways it could have happened," Ranma said. "The man doesn't have to be the woman's husband. Having sex with any man could get a girl pregnant. There's also artificial insemination, where an egg is taken from the woman and fertilized in a lab then implanted back in her womb. This is how most lesbian couples have babies. But how we did it, is part of the reason we asked you to dinner tonight. You see, I have a secret. Very few people know about this and fewer still would believe it without seeing it. Everyone in Wild Rose knows, including Max. Since you're a part of the Squadron now, it's only fair that you know as well. It's kind of shocking, so how about we go back out there so Max can help?"

The two women reentered the main room to find a deeply blushing Max. Seeing Max blushing, Miriya blushed as well.

"I take it you got it all explained," Lisa smirked.

"Yeah, I might have overdone it with the video of Yoshima's birth though," Ranma said chagrinned.

"Oh?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, I think it scared her a little," Ranma admitted.

"Was it worth it?" Miriya asked Lisa.

"It may have looked bad, but it was the most rewarding thing I've ever done," Lisa stated emphatically. Miriya nodded.

"I hope I can be as strong as you when the time comes," Miriya said.

"It's natural, Honey," Nodoka said reassuringly. "It's what women were built for. You can handle it, I'm positive." Miriya, again, nodded.

"We got up to the point where it's time to tell her about my condition," Ranma said. "Miriya, I'm sure you've seen some odd things in you travels, huh?"

"Oh yes, definitely," she agreed.

"Have you ever seen any magic?" Ranma asked.

"What's that?" Miriya asked. It was becoming a common utterance for her tonight.

"Magic is a force, or power that science can't explain," Max said. "It can do things that are scientifically and technologically impossible."

"I see," Miriya said. "No, I've never seen anything like that."

"You won't be able to say that after tonight," Lisa grinned.

"Please understand, that this needs to be kept in the strictest confidence," Ranma said. "I need you to give me your strongest oath that you won't tell another soul about what you are about to see." Miriya nodded in understanding.

"I swear on my honor as a warrior that I won't tell anyone your secret," Miriya vowed.

An explanation and two demonstrations later and Miriya sat stunned once more. They discussed Ranma's condition and her status for another hour until dinner was ready. Miriya didn’t think her eyes were ever going to go back to normal size again after all the shocks she had seen tonight. The only thing that prevented her from going off the deep end was the fact that Max was completely calm and took it all in stride.

Miriya had no trouble with Ranma's claim to being mostly female in spite of her birth sex. The Zentradi had no real preconceived notions or taboos about this. It was the actual change that shook her up most. In the end, while it may have been the most fantastic of the things she had learned tonight, it didn't rate much more shock than the others.

(oOO/Oo)

"Captain, I'm picking up a single Zentradi ship approaching," Vanessa said.

"Put the fighters on alert," Gloval ordered. "Lisa, ready the main gun."

"Aye aye, Sir," Lisa said. "Roy, I want Ranma's flight on the cats. Have the rest of Wild Rose and Skull on ready alert."

"Yes, Ma'am," Roy said.

"Captain, I'm receiving a signal from the Zentradi ship," Sammy chimed in.

"Put it on the speaker, please, Sammy," Gloval said.

"...unarmed. Repeat, we are sending an unarmed envoy to meet with you," the voice over the speaker said. "Please hold your fire. We do not have hostile intent. Our weapons systems are offline and unarmed." The message began to repeat again as the Zentradi ship ceased its approach and waited.

"Sammy, send our agreement to meet with them and inform them that we are sending an escort to bring them aboard," Gloval said.

"Yes, Sir," Sammy said and carried out the orders. "They have acknowledged Captain."

"Very well, launch the escort," Gloval said.

"Escort away, Sir," Roy said.

"Captain, I'm picking up the launch of a single pod from the Zentradi ship," Vanessa reported.

(oOO/Oo)

A half an hour later, Ranma was in a jeep with the Zentradi Emissary, the oddly shaped man that Ranma had seen before during the interrogation named Exedore. Exedore, of course, didn't recognize Ranma from the interrogation, but he did recognize her. In fact, he seemed quite happy about meeting her.

"You're one of the Micronian females that do what you call singing, aren't you?" Exedore asked.

"You could say that, yeah," Ranma said guardedly.

"Why do you do that?" the Zentradi minister asked curiously.

"Well, to make people happy, I guess," Ranma said. "People seem to enjoy it and happy people boost morale."

"So you deny it's some sort of weapon?" Exedore asked.

"Look, Exedore," Ranma sighed, "singing is just singing. It's of no military significance to us."

"I see," Exedore said slyly. "So where are we now?"

"We're going through the shopping district of Macross City at the moment," Ranma answered.

"Ah, yes, the place were you Micronians go to exchange what you call money for goods," Exedore said in understanding.

"Right," Ranma agreed.

"And what is the purpose of that?" Exedore asked, pointing to a billboard with a bikini clad girl on it.

"That's an advertisement," Ranma informed him.

"And what is an 'advertisement'," Exedore inquired.

"It's supposed to make people want to buy what ever product it being advertised," Ranma explained. "That particular display is promoting body lotion."

"I see," Exedore said. "So why does it show an unclothed female?"

"It's supposed to make other females want to buy the stuff so their skin can look as nice as the one in the picture," Ranma answered. "Look, we could go into all the theories and thoughts behind advertising, but it would take a few hours and it really isn't relevant."

"Ah, so it's a military secret," Exedore said knowingly. Ranma snorted in laughter and rolled her eyes.

"No, it's not a military secret," Ranma explained in exasperation. "It's just not something that really needs to be discussed unless the Zentradi are planning to go from a warrior race to a consumer-based culture. Which is something that I, personally, would heartily approve of so we could stop killing each other and go home."

"I'm sorry to ask so many questions," Exedore said. "But there are just so many interesting things here." Ranma gave him a smile, which made the minister feel all gooey inside.

"Don't worry about it," Ranma said. "Believe me, any military secrets we might have, you will not be seeing. It's not as if we leave these things lying about in plain sight, you know."

"Yes, I suppose that does make sense," Exedore said chagrined.

"Anything you see you are free to ask me about," Ranma said. "Just don't expect me to go into any long boring theories about the how's and why's. If you want to know, then I'm sure once there is peace between our people that we'd be glad to exchange all the cultural information that you'd like to whatever extent you'd like. But right now it's just not useful information."

"I understand," Exedore said.

(oOO/Oo)

"Would you like a drink, Sir?" the steward asked Exedore as they awaited the arrival of all the key personnel.

"Why yes, thank you," Exedore said.

The steward placed a glass of fruit juice in front of the Zentradi Minister. Exedore picked up the glass and sniffed it, unsure of what the liquid was. He took a small sip and then quickly quaffed the whole glass like he was dying of thirst.

"My, that was VERY refreshing," he said in amazement. The steward giggled as she placed another glass in front of him.

"Here have another, Sir," she said pleasantly, taking the empty glass.

At this point the door opened and admitted Max and Miriya. Exedore glanced up from his juice and did a double take.

"Greetings, Quadrano Leader," Exedore said, standing.

"OH!" Miriya said, startled. "Minister Exedore, forgive me, I had no idea you would be the emissary."

"Indeed," Exedore said pointing to her. "I must say we found your joining ritual to be most fascinating."

"Oh, you must mean the wedding," Miriya said in a subdued tone.

"And this must be the male half of your pair," Exedore said, pointing to Max.

"Um, yeah, that's him," Miriya said, looking at the floor uncomfortably.

"Well you don't have to sound all thrilled about it," Max said sarcastically.

The door opened again revealing Rico, Konda, and Bron. The trio froze when they saw Exedore. Exedore grinned wickedly at them and waved.

"Minister Exedore!" Rico exclaimed.

"I must say, I didn't expect to see the instigators of the mass defection at this meeting," Exedore said.

"It wasn't us," Konda denied.

"It wasn't our fault," Bron said in fear.

"You can relax," Exedore said. "I didn't come here to harm you."

The three let out a sigh of relief and went to take their seats.

At this point Ranma and Lisa came in.

"You!" Exedore exclaimed, jabbing a finger at Lisa. "You were one of the prisoners that escaped Breetei's flagship!"

"Uh, yes, that was me," Lisa admitted.

"Well the situation is different now, but tell me," Exedore asked, "how did you escape? Was it by some secret Micronian powers?"

"Not at all," Lisa said. "It was by determination and skill."

"And pure, blind luck," Ranma muttered, only to receive an elbow to the ribs.

"I see," Exedore said as Ranma and Lisa took their seats.

"Well, now that we are all here, why don't you tell us what it is you wish to discuss with us, Minister Exedore," Gloval suggested.

"Your curiosity is understandable, Captain, but all the parties are not yet here," Exedore stated.

"I'm sorry, who is missing?" Gloval asked.

"I wish to speak to the man that throws the strange energy blasts without a weapon," Exedore said. "I would also like to speak with the other female who is at the core of you psychological assault that you call 'singing'."

Ranma groaned and resisted the urge to bang her head on the table.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to be more specific," Gloval said. "I know of no psychological assault."

"Captain, I think he's referring to Kai Pao Wei and Minmei," Ranma said. "I've already explained that the singing isn't an attack of some kind, but obviously I didn't get through."

"Very well, have Kai Pao Wei brought here immediately and have Ensign Lynn come down from the bridge."

After a half hour wait, Kai was shown in. Minmei had arrived shortly after Gloval had requested her.

"Now we are all here," Exedore said. "Mr. Wei, what is your military rank?"

"Rank? I'm a civilian," Kai said.

"With super powers like yours, I doubt it," Exedore said.

"Super powers? I don't have super powers," Kai said in confusion.

"He's talking about the movie," Ranma clarified for everyone.

"Ah, Minister, that was a movie, for entertainment," Gloval explained. "It wasn't real. Mr. Wei has no super powers and the same can be said for everyone in this room."

"That's not necessarily true, Captain," Ranma disagreed.

"What are you talking about?" Gloval asked, slightly irritated.

"Well, what was depicted in the movie was a ki blast, a projection of life energy," Ranma explained. "It's a martial arts technique and very much possible. You've seen my battle aura. A ki blast is the same stuff, only it's condensed and projected at a target."

"I would like a demonstration," Exedore said.

"I'm not able to do a ki blast yet," Ranma said. "I'm close, but I haven't gotten it quite figured out yet. I can do other things with my ki though."

"Maybe you could demonstrate, Ranma," Lisa suggested.

"Okay," Ranma said, glad, for once, to be asked to show off her martial arts abilities instead of her body or her voice. "First, I'll demonstrate the battle aura for those that haven't seen it."

"Please do, Commander," Gloval said, smirking. He knew this was quite impressive.

Ranma walked up to Exedore.

"Are you ready Minister?" she asked.

"Certainly," Exedore said.

Suddenly Ranma's body burst into bright blue flames and her eyes glowed a bright blue.

Exedore gasped, rising and taking a step back. Rico, Konda, and Bron ducked under the table, remembering the brutal violence unleashed the last time they saw this.

"Miss Macross is scary," Bron whimpered.

"Terrifying," Konda agreed.

Ranma cupped her hands near her belly and began to pull her battle aura into a ball of energy that hovered slightly above them. The energy condensed and turned brighter. She turned toward the wall and yell 'ha' before pushing the ball toward the wall. It flew toward the wall, but it was clear it was dissipating too fast. It struck the wall with a dull thud and left a slight scorch mark.

"That's the best I can do right now, but I know other masters of the art that can reportedly do much more," Ranma explained, breathing heavily.

"Very interesting," Exedore said nervously as he went over to the scorch mark and examined it.

"You can come back up now guys," Kai chuckled at the three men hiding under the table. "She's not glowing anymore."

The three came back up and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, Bron, you look pretty strong, come here a second," Ranma directed.

"Yes, Ma'am," Bron said fearfully.

"Minister, you seem to know this man," Ranma said. "How strong is he in relation to the Zentradi?"

"He's very strong, Commander," Exedore said.

"Do you think any one in this room could beat him in a contest of strength?" Ranma asked. Exedore looked around the room. Bron certainly seemed to be the largest male in the room.

"I doubt it," Exedore answered.

"What if I told you I could over power him easily?" Ranma asked.

"I would like to see that, Commander," Exedore said, obviously skeptical, but unwilling to discount it after what he had seen.

"Have you experienced arm wrestling yet, Bron?" Ranma asked.

"Sure," Bron said. "The Zentradi do that too. I was one of the best on the ship."

"Think you can beat me?" Ranma smirked.

Bron looked down at the petite female in front of him.

"I've seen you in action, Ma'am," Bron said. "I don't know."

"Let's find out, shall we?" Ranma grinned wickedly.

"Um...okay, just don't do that blue glowy thing, okay?" Bron said nervously.

"Sure, no problem," Ranma smile reassuringly at him.

They got down on either side of the table and grabbed hands. Ranma nodded readiness and Bron began to try to force her wrist to the table, the muscles of his forearm bulging and the veins of his neck standing out. Ranma's arm remained still while she seemed to be putting forth no real effort.

"Minister," Ranma asked with no apparent strain in her voice, "you wanna help him out? Go on, grab our hands and try to force my wrist down with everything you have."

Exedore grabbed on with both hands and began to pull, grunting with the effort. Ranma's arm moved this time...in the opposite direction. She smirked as she brought her Bron's wrist smoothly toward the table. Finally it was touching and Bron conceded. Murmurs traveled through the room as many didn't really realized just how strong Ranma actually was.

"That was most impressive," Exedore said, gasping for breath. "I would have never thought someone so petite would be capable of that kind of strength. How is it possible?"

"The same way I produce a battle aura," Ranma said. "I use my ki, my life energy, to augment my muscles and bones to strengthen them. I can do the same thing to increase my speed."

"And other Micronians can do this?" Exedore asked.

"Currently I know of one other aboard this ship that can," Ranma said. "Several on Earth can do it. Honestly, anyone can, with the proper dedication to training in the martial arts."

(oOO/Oo)

"How much longer do you intend for us to just sit here, Breetai?" Azonia asked, appearing on his monitor.

"There is little more we can do given the circumstances," Breetai said.

"Yes, well, we'll see about that," Azonia said imperiously. "I've sent my report of this incident to Dolza and he is bringing the Grand Fleet here as we speak."

"YOU DID WHAT?" Breetai exclaimed. "You fool! Do you realize what you've done?" Azonia was taken aback by Breetai's reaction. "You doomed us all! Don't you see? We have all been contaminated by the Micronians and Dolza will exterminate us to keep the contamination from spreading."

"I...I...that never occurred to me," Azonia said in shock. "We must leave then."

"We cannot," Breetai said tiredly. "We don't have enough Protoculture left. Unless we can get the factory from the Micronians then we will share their fate."

(oOO/Oo)

"I see," Exedore said. "That is a most distressing development." He hung up the handset, and addressed the assembly. "I regret to inform you that Supreme commander Dolza is on his way to this system with the Grand Fleet to destroy you all."

"The Grand Fleet," Gloval said. "Do you think he means the one in your report?"

"Most likely," Lisa said.

"Yes, the Grand Fleet," Exedore said. "At this very moment 4 million, 800 thousand battle ready warships are headed here. You must leave the system at once."

"We can't do that," Gloval said. "We are sworn to protect the Earth at any cost."

"I understand," Exedore said. "The Zentradi would not have acted any differently in your position. However, it seems that we must now join forces against a common enemy."

"Explain," Gloval said.

"Our forces currently in system have been contaminated by your Micronian culture," Exedore told them. He began to walk toward the head of the table where Gloval sat. "This has happened once before in our history and it nearly destroyed us completely. Dolza will seek to avoid making the same mistakes of our ancestors by exterminating the contamination. We do not have the energy to leave the system without your help so our lot has been cast with yours I'm afraid." Exedore reached Gloval and stuck out his hand in friendship as Ranma had shown him upon his arrival.

"Very well," Gloval said, taking Exedore's hand. "We will face this threat as comrades then."

"Minmei, Ranma, it has been an honor to meet you both," Exedore said. "Without your singing, this alliance would never have been possible."

What followed was an in-depth planning session that lasted well into the night.

(oOO/Oo)

"Azonia, what have you decided?" Breetai asked.

"I've decide I have no choice but to fight," Azonia said. "It will be an honor to go into battle by your side, Lord Breetai."

"May you win every battle," Breetai said.

"And you as well," Azonia said as her image flicked off.

"And you, Grell? What are you plans?" Breetai asked.

"We can't run," Grell said. "They would eventually find us. We will fight."

"Very well," Breetai said. "You have more courage than Kyron. If he were still in command, I would have expected him to run. May you win every battle, Grell."

"And you as well, Mi'lord," Grell said and disconnected.

(oOO/Oo)

All around the planet Earth, scores of ships began to defold in clusters so dense, they blocked the view of the surface of the planet and began spreading like a cancer. A cancer that would kill the entire planet.

TBC

Chapter 27

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 27

April 2011...

"Oh and before we forget, Minister Exedore," Gloval said, "since we are now allied together, I would like to return one of your people, a man named Kyron, who was injured in combat and captured. We haven't really had time to deal with it, but keeping him fed and his wounds treated have been a huge strain on our resources. We had planned to send him back soon anyway."

"Oh?" Exedore said. "Well, do you think you could hold on to him until after the battle? He is a troublesome one and may cause us problems."

"Well, yes I suppose a few hours won't make a difference," Gloval said.

(oOO/Oo)

"Minister Exedore?" Ranma asked, coming up to the man.

"Yes, Commander?" Exedore replied.

"Do the Zentradi follow the code of personal challenge?" Ranma asked.

"It is a way of settling disputes between us," Exedore said. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking, Human and Zentradi DNA are identical so the process that makes you big would also work for a human," Ranma said pensively. "What if you were to make me Zentradi-sized and I challenged Dolza to single hand-to-hand combat? The stakes being that if I win, he leaves us alone?"

"Hmmm, very interesting suggestion," Exedore said. "Properly worded, he would be forced to accept such a challenge or he would lose the respect of the Zentradi. It would have to be to the death though. I doubt anything less would stop him from attacking with the fleet. If you fought him to the death and won, Breetai is the next in line of succession. He could step in and take control of the Grand Fleet."

"I don't like killing but if I have to, to save my people, I will," Ranma agreed.

"Very well, I shall talk to Lord Breetai," Exedore said. "We don't have much time though."

"An excellent idea, Commander," Gloval said in approval. "It would certainly save a lot of lives if you were successful."

"Ranma are you sure about this?" Lisa asked. "This Dolza is probably a skilled fighter to be the supreme commander of a warrior culture."

"We haven't got anything to lose at this point, Love," Ranma said. "It's a risk I'm willing to take to try to save lives."

Lisa hugged her tightly. "That's why I love you," the brunette said to Ranma. "But I do worry about you."

"I know, I worry about you too, Love," Ranma said.

(oOO/Oo)

As soon as Dolza's Flagship completed its defold operation, his comm screen appeared displaying Breetai's image.

"Breetai," Dolza sneered. "You have once again failed me."

"That may be true, Lord Dolza, but it is irrelevant for the moment," Breetai said. "For now, I am contacting you to inform you that you have been challenged to personal combat with a Micronian female. Please issue your challenge, Commander."

The view panned down to the control consol in front of Breetai and zoomed in on a tiny Micronian female that would have been engulfed in Breetai's palm.

"Lord Dolza, Supreme Commander of the Zentradi," Ranma said grimly. "I, Commander Ranma Saotome-Hayes, best fighter pilot on the SDF-1 and commanding officer of the SDF-1's fighter group, challenge you to one-on-one, hand-to-hand combat to the death. You may use any melee weapons that you wish. Should I win, hostilities between our people will cease and there will be peace between the Zentradi and the people of Earth. Will you agree to this challenge or will you cower behind your 5 million ships, afraid to face one Micronian female? What say you, Dolza?"

"Before you answer, Lord Dolza, you should be aware that this transmission is being sent to the entire fleet," Breetai added.

Dolza blinked a few times trying to process the fact that this tiny Micronian had challenged him to hand-to-hand combat. Finally, he began to laugh hysterically.

"Very well, foolish Micronian woman," Dolza said still chuckling. "I must say, you Micronians do have courage far in excess of your size and intelligence. It is most amusing. I accept your challenge, since you are in such a rush to die before the rest of your people."

(oOO/Oo)

Arrangements were made for the place and time of the battle. It would take place in 6 hours on one of the cavernous hanger bays of Breetai's ship. Until then, Ranma was shuttled off to Azonia's ship where she would be Macronized and given a Meltradi uniform to wear.

Four hours later, Ranma stepped out of the Macronizaion chamber and looked at herself. In truth, she felt no different than before. The only thing that gave away the change was the fact that everything looked much smaller now.

"Greetings, Commander," Azonia said with a grin, looking Ranma's naked form over with an odd half-smile. "You're a bit on the small side, but you would make a fine Meltradi," the shorthaired Meltradi commander assessed. "I have your uniform and undergarments." Azonia handed them over.

"Um...thanks," Ranma said, noticing the odd sound of her voice. It seemed to have a lot more frequencies than it had before.

"As soon as you are dressed, I will take you to select your weapons," Azonia said. "You will then have some time to practice with them and your body. You have much courage to face Dolza. He is the greatest fighter of our people."

"Heh," Ranma smirked. "I guess you could say I'm the greatest of mine at the moment. I'm not the most skilled fighter on Earth, but I'm likely one of the best of my generation. From what I've seen, Dolza isn't much of a threat to me in either form. I may need to be Macronized in order to be a threat to him, but he couldn't touch me otherwise."

"You have much confidence," Azonia said solemnly. "I hope for both our sakes it is not misplaced."

"Don't worry," Ranma said, placing her hand on Azonia's shoulder. "I had ten years of the most intense combat training you could imagine, stuff that would give even the most battle hardened Zentradi screaming nightmares, backed by nearly eight years to hone my skills. Believe me when I say I'm not worried." Azonia nodded.

"Come, I will take you to the armory," Azonia said.

Once there, Ranma perused the available melee weapons. She avoided the various knives and swords, instead, selecting a pair of Tonfa-like weapons and a long metallic bo-staff.

"If I might ask, Commander," Azonia asked curiously, "why have you chosen non-lethal weapons for a death match? Why not a blade?"

"Like guns, blades have their place, Azonia," Ranma smiled. "They're not really my style normally. It's too easy to kill or maim by accident. It's not really a concern here, but the Tonfa and the staff can equally as deadly as the blade when used right. Besides that, I know loads of lethal techniques that can be done with my bare hands."

"I see," Azonia gulped. Could it be that this Ranma was truly that dangerous?

(oOO/Oo)

"So what are we going to do about this, Gentlemen?" one of the joint chiefs asked the others.

"What can we do? I mean, there's nearly five million warships in orbit around the Earth," a general said.

"I think we should let this 'challenge' play out," an admiral suggested. "Maybe the aliens will abide by the terms should Don's 'daughter-in-law' win." There were a couple of snickers around the table at the thought of Admiral Hayes' daughter being in a lesbian marriage. Hayes growled darkly.

"How could that happen?" the first man said. "I mean look at her. Sure, she's a great pilot but what chance does a tiny girl like that stand against one of those monsters?"

"They say she's the best hand-to-hand fighter in the RDF," the admiral argued. "You all saw the recording of the conference. She may have a good shot."

"Enough!" Admiral Hayes commanded. "Even if that perverted...even if this woman wins, these aliens are completely untrustworthy. Here is what I propose, we let the challenge proceed and once the aliens' attention is on the fight..."

Hayes laid out his plan. And hour's worth of arguing later, the Joint Chiefs approved it, although some of them quite reluctantly.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma finished the bo staff kata in amazement. She was surprised to find that she had suffered no degradation of her abilities in the macronization process. Her speed, strength, and ki had all increased in proportion to her size. It felt more like the world had shrunk around her than the other way around.

"It's time," Azonia said, entering the room.

"Let's do it," Ranma said, her eyes flashing with determination and her face going grim.

Ranma collected her weapons and followed Azonia to the shuttle that would take them to Breetai's ship. The shuttle ride was short and after they got off the shuttle, Azonia led Ranma through the corridors to the specified hanger bay.

Entering the room Ranma saw that Akane, Max, and Miriya were there in their battloids. There were also various Zentradi officers from both sides. Glancing at the observation window, Ranma saw that Lisa and Roy were there to watch as well. Finally her eyes met Dolza's from where he stood at the opposite end of the room.

"So, Micronian, you've been macronized," Dolza grinned wickedly. "It won't help you." As the second tallest Zentradi in the room, second only to Breetai, Dolza still towered head and shoulders above her. Ranma was only a little taller than Exedore and appeared nearly as frail. Dolza was judging a book by its cover and he was in for a rude shock.

"Oh I think you might be surprised," Ranma said grimly. "If you're through with your pathetic posturing let's get on with it."

"Yes, let's," Dolza said. "I have a planet to destroy." He opened his robe and removed it, handing it to his second. His bare, thickly muscled chest was revealed as he stood wearing only a pair of trousers and boots. Old scars covered his torso from his obvious battle experience. He took two curved swords from another Zentradi and swung them experimentally to loosen up his muscles.

Ranma handed her weapons to Breetai and removed her Meltradi jacket and handed it to Azonia. Wearing only a t-shirt type top and her Meltradi leggings, she took the bo staff back from Breetai and strode nonchalantly out into the center of the room. Twirling the bo staff around her, moving it so fast it blurred from sight, she ended up in an open stance, slightly crouched with one leg poised in the air in front of her with the staff under her underarm and pointed straight out to the side. With her free hand she beckoned Dolza to bring it on.

Dolza approached and dropped into a half crouch, his swords held defensively before him. Slowly, he began to circle Ranma. She matched his circling, waiting for him to make his move.

Suddenly, Dolza exploded into motion, whirling like a dervish, slashing out at Ranma with the curved swords. Steel clanged against steel as she deflected his strikes with her spinning staff. Ranma was forced to give up ground under the onslaught.

Ranma back-flipped away from Dolza and then leaped high into the air, swinging the staff in a vicious whistling arc toward the top of Dolza's bald head. Dolza was forced to dive inelegantly to the floor to avoid the blow. He quickly rolled to his feet and turned to find Ranma waiting for him to rise.

"I see you are not without some skill, little one," Dolza said. "It will not avail you."

"You talk too much," Ranma said, leaping forward, her staff spinning too fast for the eye to follow.

Dolza found himself pressed on the defensive and blows seemed to materialize from out of nowhere amidst the spinning arcs of the whistling staff. It was everything Dolza could do to maintain his defense. Suddenly, to Dolza's shock, one of his swords shattered. He threw the hilt at the redhead to try to disrupt her motion but she merely shifted her head aside and let the impromptu projectile pass by her.

Dolza was now completely absorbed in blocking the half-seen blows coming in from Ranma's blurring staff with his one remaining blade. It was a total shock when he raised his blade to deflect a high diagonal strike and felt an impact in his solar plexus. The air exploded out of his lungs even as his body flew back and slammed hard into the bulkhead. His remaining sword went clattering out of reach across the floor.

Dolza looked up from where he was sitting on the deck against the wall, gasping for breath. He saw Ranma standing with her leg still raised from the kick. She lowered her foot and spun the staff around before bringing it to a sharp stop along the back of her forearm.

"You may know how to run a mechanized battle, Dolza, but I find you skills as a warrior...lacking," Ranma stated in a matter of fact tone. She tossed her staff to Breetai. "I don't even need a weapon to tear you apart."

Gasps filled the room as the greatest of all Zentradi was so cavalierly dismissed as a threat. What's more, many feared this was exactly the case.

"I will not be made a fool of by a mere female!" Dolza roared having regained his breath.

The Zentradi supreme commander leapt to his feet and charged Ranma. Ranma flipped into the air, springing off Dolza's head and landed a two-heeled kick to his lower back, which sent him sliding across the deck on his face. Dolza leaped up immediately, blood now running down his face from the broken nose he received from his face impacting on the floor.

"Look at you," Ranma said. "Face all bloody, breathing hard, sweating. You might as well just fall on your own sword and save me the trouble of having to kill you. You're pathetic."

Just then a frantic commotion from over near Breetai distracted Ranma for a moment. Dolza saw the opening and charged in. The large Zentradi drove his shoulder into the redhead's solar plexus and picked her up, never breaking stride. Ranma was stunned as the air was unexpectedly driven from her lungs. She was unable to do anything as Dolza slammed her at full speed into the bulkhead, driving his shoulder deeper into her.

Ranma tried to cover up as best she could as stars exploded into her vision. The blows began to rain down on her brutally. She felt her ribs crack as Dolza drove his knee into them repeatedly while keeping her pinned to the wall. If Dolza had continued with his relentless assault, he might have beaten her, but he made a critical and fatal error.

Believing his strength to be superior, now that he had her in his grasp, he wrapped his hands around her throat and lifted her up off the floor and high against the wall, intent on strangling the life out of her. This allowed Ranma to bring her feet into play. She kicked him hard in the ribs but he was too focused on maintaining the pressure on her neck. She tried again, this time in the face, but again the results were ignored.

As the edges of her vision began to blacken, Ranma had an inspiration. Holding on to his wrists and using them for an anchor, she hooked her right foot behind his neck and the left she placed on the side of his face. With only seconds of consciousness left, she sharply extended her left foot with all her strength, twisting his head back and to the side.

There was a loud, sickening crack and suddenly she was on the floor on her hands and knees gasping for breath. Looking over she saw Dolza lying on the deck with his neck twisted at an odd angle. He was very much dead. She had snapped his neck with that last move with only moments before she herself would have been the one lying on the deck dead.

Breetai walked over to her, going to one knee before her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Ranma nodded and coughed a couple of times, one hand going to rub her throat.

"I was...stupid," Ranma said. "I let...myself...be distracted. What was all that commotion?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but an attack was launched from the planet," Breetai said grimly. "It took out a third of the Grand Fleet. The rest retaliated with a full-scale bombardment. We estimate that nearly fifty percent of the planet's surface was destroyed."

A loud clang brought the attention of everyone in the room.

"No," Ranma breathed, her fist still resting in the depression in the deck and her whole body wreathed in blue flames. "Those unbelievable fools. We almost had this problem solved. Nobody else had to die. All those innocent people..." Ranma looked up at Breetai, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry. Once again I've been shamed by the actions of the leadership of my planet. That attack was totally dishonorable."

"It wasn't your doing," Breetai said. "It means nothing to our arrangement. I, too, regret the deaths that they caused, but it is time to look beyond that. You have defeated Dolza. Even now I have taken steps to take command. It should be remarkably easy. Dolza was as big a fool as those in control on your planet. In his arrogance in the Zentradi superiority, he made no contingencies in the event of his defeat. I will honor the terms of his defeat, this I swear on my honor as a warrior."

Breetai stuck out his hand to Ranma and she clasped forearms with him in friendship and mutual respect. Breetai helped her up and steadied her as the pain from her fractured ribs caused her to sway somewhat.

"You are a warrior like no other I've seen," Azonia said as Ranma and Breetai approached the group. "Not many would have survived that pummeling you took and remained strong enough to do what you did. It is an honor you have met you, Ranma Saotome-Hayes." She and Ranma clasped forearms.

"So I gotta ask," Ranma said, "can I change back to normal size with broken ribs, or do I have to wait until they heal?"

(oOO/Oo)

"RANMA!" Lisa exclaimed as Ranma stepped out of the micronization chamber. "Oh Ranma, I was so scared!"

Ranma looked up to see Lisa bearing down on her. She screwed her eyes shut and braced herself for the painful glomp her ribs were about to receive. Instead she felt gentle hands on either side of her head and then she was being thoroughly kissed. When Lisa released her, Ranma cracked one eye open.

"What?" Lisa asked, smiling. "Did you think I was going to crush your ribs?" Ranma opened both eyes and looked sheepish. "Don't be silly, Sweetie. Your whole torso is like one big bruise. I wouldn't want to hurt you."

"That was amazing, Mom," Miriya said. "I knew you were skilled, but I never thought you could handle Dolza as easily as you did."

"How do your ribs feel?" Akane asked.

"They hurt like hell," Ranma grinned wryly.

"Good, that'll teach you to stay focused on the fight," Akane smirked.

"Ooooo," Ranma said evilly, while Lisa gently toweled her off, "somebody wants an extra long sparring session with sensei." Akane shook her head rapidly and gulped. "It's okay Akane. You happen to be right. I did let myself be distracted and now I'm paying for it. At least the Protoculture chamber gave me a few days head start on the healing process. So how are things?"

"Breetai is now in control of the Zentradi fleet and has relocated the bulk of them, including his new flagship to the far side of the Moon," Lisa said. "We've determined that 47 percent of the Earth's surface has been destroyed, including just about every major population center. There are survivors, but we estimate up to 70 percent of the population died in the Zentradi retaliation."

"Damn it," Ranma cursed. "Lisa, please understand, I mean this in the nicest way, but if your father lived, I'm gonna beat him to death."

"Not if I get there first," Lisa said grimly. "Anyway, Breetai has offered us several of his ships that we can land in various locations around the world to use for assisting survivors by providing them power and shelter until the infrastructure can be reestablished."

"What about the government?" Ranma asked, finished getting dressed.

"It's either mostly gone or in hiding," Lisa said as they left the room and headed toward the shuttle bay. "It doesn't matter anyway. Too much of the infrastructure has been destroyed for them to be effective anyway. And once the story gets out about what happened, they won't be very popular among the survivors."

"So what do we do now?" Akane asked.

"Well, that has yet to be decided," Lisa explained. "The command staff of the SDF-1 is most likely the highest ranking governmental unit left intact, at least that's reliable."

"One thing we have to get started on right away is setting up some processing stations to get clean water out to survivors," Ranma said. "Then we'll likely have to airlift it all over the world. After that I want to round up any of the fucking imbeciles that fired the fucking cannon and beat the hell out of them."

"There are already plans to charge them," Lisa said as they entered the shuttle bay.

"Ah there you are, Ranma Saotome-Hayes," Azonia said cheerfully. "I wanted to see you off and congratulate you again on your glorious victory."

"Thanks, Azonia," Ranma said. "It wasn't all that glorious though. If nobody had died, then it would have been glorious."

"As you say," Azonia said. "However the deaths were not you fault. A lot more would have died but for your courage and skill."

"I only did what I had to," Ranma said. "But thanks for appreciating it. And thanks for your hospitality."

"Certainly," Azonia smiled. "It was my honor."

"If you like, maybe you can get micronized and visit me," Ranma suggested. "I'd be happy to take you on as a student of the art if you like."

"You would teach me your fighting art?" Azonia asked, surprised.

"Sure, why not?" Ranma smiled. "Miriya says you were a good commander to serve under. I'd be willing to teach you if you want."

"You do me great honor, Commander," Azonia said.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma looked stunned as Max drove the jeep down the streets of Macross City on their way from the shuttle bay. Every inhabitant aboard the ship lined their route, cheering as they passed. People were throwing streamers and confetti and the rear compartment of the jeep where Ranma was sitting flanked by Lisa and Akane was filled with bouquets of flowers that had been thrown in by the crowds.

"Wha...what's going on?" Ranma asked.

"The fight between you and Dolza was televised," Lisa explained with a proud smile. "You're the hero of the people now." Lisa giggled. "If you thought being Miss Macross was bad, you're really in for it now. You're a certified celebrity now."

"Great," Ranma said depressed.

"So tell us, Miss Macross," Max said over his shoulder, "now that you've saved the world from the ridiculously powerful alien threat, what are you going to do now?"

"Um...go to Disneyworld?" Ranma deadpanned. Everyone in the jeep laughed at that, except for Miriya who didn't understand the cultural joke.

"You know, Pop would be eating this up," Ranma said to Lisa and Akane while Max explained the joke to Miriya. "Literally."

"Ranma...do you think our father's survived?" Akane asked, subdued.

"I don't know, Akane," Ranma said. "They were in Tokyo so I don't think the chances were very good. I sure hope my father-in-law lived though." Ranma said, cracking her knuckles.

(oOO/Oo)

"Captain, we are entering Earth's atmosphere," Claudia reported.

"Very well," Captain Gloval said. "Steady as she goes."

"Captain," Sammy reported, "we're receiving a signal on the command frequency."

"So, some of them did survive," Gloval said. "Very well, put it on the speaker."

"SDF-1, this is the North American Defense Command, you are ordered not to approach the surface of the Earth," the speaker said. "If you continue your approach we will be forced to fire on you."

"WHAT?" several people on the bridge exclaimed.

"North American Defense Command, why do you persist in these unlawful orders?" Gloval demanded.

"SDF-1, you have allied yourselves with the enemy," the speaker said. "You will not be allowed to land."

"There is no enemy anymore, no thanks to you paranoid egomaniacal idiots," Gloval growled. "Who is in charge there? I demand to speak with them at once."

"Gloval, this is General Howard of the Joint Chiefs," Howard said. "You had no authority to make any kind of treaty with the enemy. You have been labeled a traitor and you will not be allowed to land on this planet."

"You brainless, running-dog bastard," Gloval snarled. "We saved the planet from annihilation. It was the actions of the UNEDC that caused the destruction of 47 percent of the Earth's surface. You no longer have the authority to give me orders. As much as I hate to say it, if you fire on us, we WILL, I repeat, WILL return fire. Do not cause any more needless deaths and add to the charges that you and the rest of the Joint Chiefs will face."

"How dare you presume to give me orders, Gloval?" General Howard snapped. "I am a general in the EDC. I give the orders here."

"You are wrong, General," Gloval stated. "The United Nations of Earth is no more. Currently, anarchy exists without the infrastructure to maintain order. You do not represent the people of Earth. You are just a man with a private little army. And General, do not forget, in anarchy, he with the most effective means to enforce his will has the control. You cannot hope to be successful in any attack against my people. We are all battle-hardened veterans with hundreds of hours of the most intense combat you can imagine against forces far superior to your meager forces.

"We will land. And we will begin relief efforts for the survivors of the rain of death that the UNEDC brought down on the Earth. That is all, General."

Gloval cut the line and sighed heavily.

"Lisa, if they fire on us, I want the position fixed and I want that location destroyed," Gloval said. "Roy, put the fighters on alert. As soon as we can, I want a fighter screen launched."

"Sir," Vanessa reported, "we have incoming fighters. I count twenty signatures."

"Sammy, get them on the comm, please," Gloval said.

"Yes, sir," Sammy acknowledged. "Go head when you're ready, Sir."

"This is Captain Henry Gloval of the SDF-1 to incoming fighters," Gloval said. "If you have been ordered to attack, you have been given unlawful orders. I urge you not to fire on fellow citizens of Earth. Please turn back, or if you fear reprisals from you commanding officer, join us. I strongly caution you not to fire on us. If fired upon we will defend ourselves. You cannot hope to be successful if you intend us harm. This ship has more than enough firepower to make twenty fighters a mild annoyance. Please reconsider your intent."

"Sir it looks like seven...nine...no, twelve fighters have broken formation and are headed away," Vanessa reported.

"Commander Fokker, are we able to launch fighters yet?" Gloval asked.

"Yes, Sir, in about thirty seconds," Roy said.

"I want Wild Rose out there to intercept," Gloval said. "Maybe if they won't listen to reason they can be intimidated away by our fighters flying rings around them."

"Yes, Sir, I'll have Rose Squadron in the air ASAP," Roy smirked.

(oOO/Oo)

"All right Rose's listen up," Ranma said. She had chosen to fly the mission in spite of Kasumi's recommendation that she should take it easy until her ribs completely knitted. Ranma was used to performing in pain though. "Alpha and Bravo flights are going to intercept the incoming fighters and stick on them like white on rice. I want you to get and maintain a missile lock on them but do not fire unless they do. Charlie flight will loiter around the SDF-1 against anything unexpected. Is that clear?"

Everyone acknowledged.

"Wild Rose Lead to incoming aircraft," Ranma broadcast. "You are warned not to approach the SDF-1. If you do not comply you will be forced from the sky. If you fire on the SDF-1 or my fighters, you will be splashed. Come on guys, you're out numbered and out gunned. Don't throw your lives away for a bunch of self-serving rear echelon assholes that no longer have any authority thanks to their own actions."

"Why should we listen to you?" one of the pilots said. "You're traitors who have allied yourselves with the aliens that killed our families."

"Don't be stupid," Ranma snapped. "The only reason this planet isn't a smoking cinder is because we reached a peace accord with the aliens. And don't give me any of that shit about the alien threat either. Who do you think has been fighting that threat for the last two years while you were all safe in your beds? We were, goddamit! As for the aliens killing your families, I personally killed the one responsible for that. The alien leadership has changed and the new leader has offered assistance in providing relief for the survivors. Anyway, it was the leadership of the UNEDC that killed your families by firing on the aliens during a cease-fire agreement. I deeply regret the loss of life. It was unnecessary. If the aliens hadn't been fired upon they wouldn't have fired the retaliatory bombardment."

"So you say," the angry pilot said. "Why should we believe you?"

"Frankly, I don't give a shit whether you believe me or not at this point," Ranma growled. "If the aliens still had hostile intentions towards Earth, we'd all be dead right now. If you want to die, then keep coming. We are veterans of two years of constant combat against adversaries technologically superior to anything you can send against us. You haven't got a chance. Don't be a fool."

At this point the two forces met and all eight planes broke, trying to get the others in their sights. The hostile aircraft quickly found themselves with missile locks on their aircraft. The next two minutes were spent with them frantically trying everything they could think of to shake the Roses off their six, but the pink and white aircraft were stuck to them like glue.

"Fuck this," one of the pilots said and bugged out. One by one each of the remaining planes followed until the sky was clear of enemy aircraft.

"Gunsight 2, Wild Rose Lead, Hostiles are headed home," Ranma said. "No shots fired."

"Roger, Wild Rose Lead," Roy said. "Maintain CAP."

"Roger, Gunsight 2," Ranma said and instructed her three flights to begin orbiting the SDF-1

TBC

Chapter 28

[Author's notes: Before anyone whines about it, the form of the good doctor's name I used here is the correct form according to my handy online Japanese/English dictionary. I'm assuming of course that my second hand information is accurate that his name in Kanji means Eastwind.]

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 28

August 2011...

"Hey Lisa, look down there," Ranma pointed as they cruised low over the valley. Ranma banked the VF-1D a little so that Lisa could get a better view. Below them, the valley floor was dotted with hundreds of pools of water.

"It's beautiful, Ranma," Lisa said.

"Heh, don't let it fool you," Ranma snorted. "It's a place of unspeakable horror."

"So this is where it happened, huh?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, that's Jusenkyo," Ranma told her. "Where my life changed forever."

"I'm glad," Lisa said, shocking Ranma.

"You're glad?" Ranma asked with a hint of anger. "How can you be glad?"

"Because if it hadn't been for this place, I may never have met you," Lisa explained. "You wouldn't have been the woman I love and without you, things could have gone much worse for the Earth. So yes, I'm glad this place changed your life."

"I guess when you put it that way..." Ranma said with resignation. "Hey, look, there's the village. Looks like it came through everything okay."

Ranma shifted to guardian mode and set the Veritech down outside the village gates. She popped the canopy and removed her helmet as curious, but wary villagers began to collect at the gate. She stood up in the cockpit and addressed the villagers.

"This one mean no harm," Ranma shouted in Mandarin. "This one like speak with Elder Khu Lon or Warrior Xian Pu, please."

"I am Elder Khu Lon. Who are you that wishes to speak with me?" an ancient shriveled woman demanded as she hopped forward on her staff in an amazing display of agility.

"This one visit village long ago," Ranma said. "This one called Ranma Saotome-Hayes." Khu Lon looked blank before turning to a lovely purple-haired woman.

"Do you remember her, Xian Pu?" Khu Lon asked.

"No, Great-grandmother," Xian Pu said. "She looks very familiar, but I can't recall her."

"This one come during tournament nearly ten year ago," Ranma said. "This one's dishonorable father eat prize." The light of recognition flared in their eyes.

"So why have you come, Ranma Saotome-Hayes?" Khu Lon asked.

"This one come see if village is okay," Ranma answered. "Is very remote so maybe not get checked by others. Is okay? Village need anything?"

"We're okay," Khu Lon said. "The rain of death passed us by."

"Is good," Ranma smiled. "This one glad you not harmed. Many others not so lucky."

"Indeed," Khu Lon observed. "So you came all this way just to check on one small village?"

"This one did," Ranma nodded. "Remember help that was given and wished to make sure village okay. This one on honeymoon of sorts. Bring wife and child on trip."

"I see," Khu Lon said. "Would you like to come in and have some tea?"

"This one would be grateful," Ranma nodded.

Ranma turned and took Yoshima from Lisa and casually flipped to the ground. Lisa climbed out the normal way.

"Elder Khu Lon speaks English?" Ranma asked.

"I do," Khu Lon said in that language.

"Great," Ranma sighed in English. "Now I can stop sounding like an idiot. I don't have much reason to speak Mandarin normally so it hasn't improved much over the years. Elder Cologne, I would like to present to you my wife, Lisa Saotome-Hayes and my child, Yoshima."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear," Cologne bowed slightly to Lisa.

"And it's an honor to meet you Elder," Lisa said returning the bow.

"Lisa, this is the Warrior Shampoo, who assisted me with my panda problem," Ranma grinned.

"It's nice meet you, Shampoo," Lisa said with a respectful bow.

"Is pleasure," Shampoo said.

"Come, Ranma," Cologne said. "We will get you and your family some tea and perhaps you can tell us what has happened to the world."

(oOO/Oo)

"Wow," Lisa said as she and Cologne watched Ranma spar with Xian Pu. "I haven't seen anyone give Ranma that much competition ever."

"She's very skilled," Cologne observed. "Tell me, you carried this child?"

"Uh huh," Lisa smiled proudly, stroking Yoshima's head.

"I recall you teased Ranma about carrying the next one. I can help you," Cologne grinned.

"Oh? How so?" Lisa asked curiously. Cologne disappeared into her hut and returned after a minute handing her a packet. "What's this? I'm sorry, I can't read Chinese."

"That is a packet of instant Nannichuan," Cologne cackled. "You just mix it with water and pour it on yourself and you will have a male body until you deactivate the curse with warm water."

"Ohhhhhhh," Lisa said with a similar cackle to Cologne's. "We were planning on doing it by artificial insemination, one of my eggs with her male form's seed. This will be MUCH more interesting. Of course, her mother and I still haven't convinced her to do it yet. She did so enjoy breast feeding though." Cologne chuckled.

"So, she went through the sympathetic pregnancy with you then?" Cologne asked.

"Yes, it was a really exciting time," Lisa laughed. "I don't know whose mood swings were worse, hers or mine."

"You know it is said that only those that are truly of one heart and soul can share such an experience," Cologne smiled. "To have found one such as that...I envy you. I have lived for three hundred years and have only seen a handful of such couples. It's very rare indeed."

"We do seem to fit together well," Lisa agreed. "I always felt drawn to her, even before we thought about being together."

At that moment they were interrupted by a loud yell from the sparring pair.

"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Shampoo yelled out.

Suddenly her fists blurred as she delivered several hundred punches in a three second burst. Ranma, as fast as she was couldn't keep up with that sort of speed. However, she didn't need to. As the punches began a faint silvery shimmer coalesced around Ranma's body. As Shampoo completed her move, Ranma went flying back to land on her butt.

Shampoo looked superior for about two seconds before the pain hit. She began to jump around waving her hands squeaking exclamations of pain. Ranma got up and dusted herself off with a sly grin on her face.

"Well done, Shampoo," Ranma grinned and bowed to her opponent.

Cologne hopped out and took hold of Shampoo's hands, seeing that her knuckles were blistering with painful burns. The old woman cackled in amusement and instructed Shampoo to go get some salve to put on them.

"Interesting technique you have there, Ranma," Cologne said, hopping up to the redhead. "Might I ask what it was and where you learned it?"

"It's just something I've been working on myself," Ranma said. "I got the idea from the barrier system on the SDF-1. The SDF-1 and the Veritechs use Reflex energy, which is a lot like ki, only for machines. I figured if it can be done with Reflex energy then it could maybe be done with ki as well."

"You made it up yourself based on watching a barrier system on a spaceship?" Cologne deadpanned.

"Yup," Ranma said.

"Do you know any other chi techniques?" Cologne asked.

"Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Ranma smiled slyly, then broke out laughing at the look of consternation on Cologne's face. "Honestly, not many. I can produce a battle aura and I've learned to consciously produce small Nekoken claws..." She was interrupted by a gasp from Cologne.

"Y...You were trained in the Nekoken?" Cologne asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ranma admitted.

"What idiot would have done such a ludicrous thing?" Cologne asked.

"The fat fool that I arrived in this village with ten years ago," Ranma said darkly. "The same fool that was responsible for my curse and just about every other horror in my life."

"I knew we should have made his punishment more severe," Cologne growled. "You're lucky to be alive and it's a miracle that you're even sane."

"What did you do to him, anyway?" Ranma asked curiously.

"We sentenced him to ten lashes from a whip each day for five days," Cologne grinned wickedly. "He spent another week recovering before he left. Now, I think we let him off lightly. We should have locked his curse and let him live out his days as a panda."

"That may have been better," Ranma nodded. "It's a moot point now. He's dead."

"You will forgive me if his passing does not distress me," Cologne commented.

"You wouldn't be alone in that," Ranma smirked. "I can't find it in my heart to mourn his passing either. Unfortunately, since the Grandmaster and the only other master of my style died with him, that makes me the grandmaster and I'm woefully under-trained. Many secretes died with them I'm afraid."

"Well you seem to be working on your own secrets," Cologne grinned. "So what else can you do so far?"

"Well, aside from the ki barrier which you saw, I can almost do a ki blast, but I've been unable to figure out how to keep it stable until it hits the target," Ranma explained.

"Show me," Cologne directed.

Ranma nodded and turned toward a punching post. Suddenly her body was wreathed in bright blue flames. Ranma cupped her hands at her waist facing the post. The flames began to flow and condense into an intense bright blue-white ball of energy hovering in front of her. Ranma was sweating with the effort and her brows were knitted with concentration.

"HA!" she yelled and thrust her hands toward the post. Like the last time she demonstrated this, it was clear that the ball of energy was fading quickly as it traveled to the target. Also like the last time, it struck the target with a dull thump, doing no damage save some light scorch marks.

"Very interesting," Cologne said. "What are you using for your focus?"

"Using for my focus?" Ranma asked. "I'm just concentrating and using my willpower."

"Indeed?" Cologne asked in surprise. "You are very disciplined then. Most people couldn't do even what you did on will alone. Most chi blasts are focused through a strong emotion. Perhaps if you try to focus through an emotion you can stabilize the blast until it hits a target? Just be careful what you use. Some people make the mistake of using a negative emotion like hatred or anger to focus. The problem is the more you use the emotion the more prone you are to feel it."

"I see," Ranma said and grinned. She turned back to the post and began to think about her love for Lisa and Yoshima. Once again she brought forth her battle aura and began to collect the energy in her hands. This time it seemed easier and the ball grew much bigger than she had been able to bring forth before. The blue had taken on a pink tint to it as well.

"Heki no ai!" Ranma shouted and thrust her hands forward. What happened next was probably the most embarrassing moment in Ranma's life, for as soon as the ki left her hands if morphed into the shape of a nine foot pink heart that streaked down range. It vaporized the pole, the large tree behind the pole, a nine-foot section of the meter thick stone wall around the village and kept going for about a hundred meters, vaporizing everything in its path until it dissipated.

Ranma groaned and put her face in her hands in embarrassment as Cologne snickered beside her. Shampoo, who had returned from putting salve on her hands just in time to see the heart flying down range, was laughing hysterically.

"'Burst of Love', huh?" Cologne cackled. "You don't by any chance own a seifuku with a really short skirt do you?"

"I've never been so embarrassed in my life," Ranma groaned plaintively.

"It was rather..." Cologne snickered again. "...cute for an attack, but it was very powerful, Ranma. I haven't seen a lot of chi attacks that could match up to it. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of such an..." Snicker. "...adorable chi attack. Just think, you'll be the envy of teenaged girls everywhere."

"Ha ha ha," Ranma said sarcastically. "Very funny."

Cologne joined Shampoo in the hysterical laughter.

"Look at bright side, Ranma," Shampoo gasped out between peals of laughter. "Whoever no hit with..." Snicker, giggle. "...pink heart attack, be laughing too too hard to continue fight. All Ranma need is sailor outfit with really short skirt and stupid speech and enemy think Sailor Moon attack them."

Both Shampoo and Cologne were reduced to tears as they laughed it up. Ranma just hung her head and moaned pitifully.

"Ranma, what was that?" Lisa asked, coming over with Yoshima.

"That was the most embarrassing ki attack on the planet," Ranma answered despondently. "Elder Cologne suggested I use a strong emotion to focus the ki blast and it worked."

"Oh? And what emotion did you use?" Lisa asked curiously.

"I used my love for you and Yoshima," Ranma said softly.

"And you're embarrassed about that?" Lisa asked, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

"I...um...well...that is..." Ranma stammered. "No, I guess not," she sighed in defeat. "Did it have to be so darned cute though?"

(oOO/Oo)

September 2011...

Ranma and her family spent a month with the Amazons after Cologne offered to teach her some advanced ki techniques, among which were the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken, the Bauksai Tenketsu, the Soul of Ice, and the Hiryuu Shoten Ha.

"Ranma, you're crazy," Lisa said to her spouse as they flew back to Tampa, the site on the southeastern peninsula of the former United States chosen for the SDF-1's landing. "I mean, letting that old woman swing boulders at you."

"The path of the martial artist is fraught with peril," Ranma quoted with a wry chuckle.

"I still say you're nuts," Lisa said, a little agitated. She had wanted to cry with every impact suffered by her wife. "And don't you even thing about training little Yoshima that way."

"Come on, Lisa," Ranma said indignantly. "I'm not my father. I won't force it on him. But when he's old enough to decide for himself, I will if he wants me to."

"Oh and how old is that?" Lisa demanded.

"Um...43?" Ranma replied, and then laughed. "How about 16, Lisa?"

"We'll see," Lisa said.

Ranma had already started conditioning their son for martial arts training, doing little exercises to train Yoshima's reflexes and things. She did, however, freely admit that she wasn't willing to do what her own father had done to her to make Yoshima her equal in the art someday.

"So what did you think of the Chinese Amazon's?" Ranma chuckled.

"Strange people," Lisa remarked. "Nice though. They were very helpful." Lisa was thinking of a certain box that Elder Cologne had slipped her as she was packing.

"They were, weren't they," Ranma said. Suddenly, alarms started going off in the cockpit. "What the hell?" Ranma growled and deepened her neural link. "Okay, Lisa, hang on, we have an incoming missile locked on us. Shit! Shit! I can't pull many G's with Yoshima in here."

Ranma fired off several flares and a cloud of chaff, making a break turn as hard as she thought she could get away with. The missile remained locked on. Desperately, she targeted the missile with her laser turret. Meanwhile, Lisa was on the radio calling for help. The first three shots from the laser missed the fast moving missile but Ranma hit it with the fourth. The missile detonated close enough to shake the plane but there didn't seem to be any damage.

They weren't out of the woods yet though. Ranma sensed two incoming aircraft from the direction of Alaska Base. They were in deep trouble. Their Veritech was all but unarmed, having only a centerline drop tank and two personal effects pods on the wing hard points. They only had the laser turret and the nose lasers to fight with and their maneuvering ability was critically limited with Yoshima onboard.

Ranma quickly queried the nav computer for a heading to the nearest friendly base and then turned away from the incoming fighters, firewalling the throttles. They were slowly losing ground though. The VF-1D was heavier than the A models that were chasing them, even if they were carrying a heavier load out. Ranma glanced at the fuel indicator. The aux tank was still about half full. She did some quick calculations. If she could stay ahead of them for another two minutes and didn't have to do much maneuvering, she could jettison the aux tank and get a little more speed.

Ranma jettisoned the tank just before she crossed over the Oregon coastline. The pursuing fighters had nearly drawn to extreme missile range, and from time to time her warning systems would chirp as they were painted by the fighters trying to get a missile lock. Fortunately, without the weight of the aux tank and by virtue of their cleaner aerodynamic shape, the pursuers stopped closing the gap. Still, landing in Denver would be a close thing if she didn't back the throttles off soon.

"Victor Sierra zero one, this is Widowmaker Lead, you requested help with a couple of pests?" came a voice over the comm.

"Yeah, we got a couple of persistent pricks back there," Ranma said. "I'm basically unarmed and have non-combatants onboard. I could use the help."

"Roger," Widowmaker Lead said. "Hey, is that you DL?"

"Um...Snake? Is that you?" Ranma asked cheerfully.

"That's me," Snake said. "Been a long time DL."

"That it has," Ranma agreed. "I guess you finally get to return the favor, bailing my ass out this time, huh?"

"Oh please," Snake said. "I could never repay you for keeping those anti-unificationists off me until the extraction team got there. Just the same, it'll be my pleasure to take care of those goons for you. After all, there's bragging rights involved in helping out a planetary hero and all that."

"Yeah, right," Ranma snorted. "You just get'em off me and the booze is on me."

"Roger that, DL," Snake said.

It was really an anti-climax because as soon as the pursuers detected Snake's flight they turned and bugged out. Ranma sighed in relief and backed the throttles down to a more efficient power setting while Snake's flight took up escorting positions on her wingtips.

"So DL, where you headed?" Snake asked conversationally.

"Back to Tampa," Ranma said. "Took the family on an extended vacation to China. We were on our way home when we were jumped. I have my son in here so we couldn't maneuver or I might have taken them on with just lasers."

"Yeah, we've been getting more and more trouble from those pricks up there at Alaska Base," Snake said. "Usually they're hijacking supply transports. I guess they couldn't resist a single Veritech though."

"I'm just glad you guys came along when you did," Ranma said. "As it is fuel's going to be tight getting to Denver. If I'd had to run for too much longer at full power we may not have made it."

"Well, like I said, I was glad to help out an old friend," Snake chuckled. "I'm looking forward to the free booze and meeting your family too."

(oOO/Oo)

Akane, Kasumi, and Nodoka stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting to the passengers to deplane the transport. Soon the person they had been waiting for appeared at the top of the steps and proceeded down. She was an immaculately dressed woman with brown shoulder-length hair. The woman barely made it to the tarmac when she found herself swept into a crushing hug and twirled around.

The woman gave Akane a reproachful look before her lips curled in an ever so slight grin.

"It's nice to see you too, Little Sister," the woman said with just a hint of warmth.

"Oh, Nabiki, you'll never change, will you?" Akane grinned brightly. "I'm so glad you survived."

"It's just a lucky thing for me I chose that week to spend at that secluded hot spring resort," Nabiki smirked.

"Come give you other sister a hug, Nabiki dear," Kasumi smiled warmly. Nabiki did so. "Welcome to Tampa. It's good to have all of us Tendo sisters back together again."

"Yes it is," Akane agreed.

"Yes, well, I couldn't exactly run for office without coming to the new government capital now could I?" Nabiki said. "And look who I found along the way."

She pointed back at a man who had been hanging back, allowing the sisters their reunion.

"Oh my!" Kasumi said happily. "Dr. Toufuu! Welcome to Tampa. I'm so glad you survived as well."

"Yes," Dr. Toufuu replied. "It's very nice to see you as well, Kasumi. So many people didn't survive." Dr. Toufuu's eye looked haunted for a moment, like eyes that had seen much horror.

"It was horrible," Kasumi agreed. "And so unnecessary. The brave men and women aboard the SDF-1 had almost won a peace agreement from the Zentradi when those silly generals fired that weapon."

"So you say you plan to run for office, Nabiki-chan?" Nodoka asked.

"Yes, Auntie," Nabiki said. "The Minister of Finance to be specific."

"Then I shall put in a good word for you with my daughter," Nodoka grinned. "If she endorses you it should help you a great deal."

"Your daughter?" Nabiki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, that's how Ranma has felt it best to live her life," Nodoka said. "I'm very proud of her. She is the greatest hero of the war. She's almost single handedly responsible for the peace agreement."

"I can't wait to meet her," Nabiki said, grinning.

"She and her wife are due back with my grandson sometime today," Nodoka said. "Perhaps everyone would like to join me for dinner tonight?"

"Certainly," Nabiki agreed, followed by everyone else.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma and Lisa entered their home to find it full of people. As they stood just inside the doorway, Nodoka spotted them and hurried over to greet them.

"Mom," Ranma mock growled at her as she took Yoshima from Lisa, "what have I told you about having unsupervised parties when we're not home?" Lisa giggled.

"Oh my," Kasumi laughed. "You certainly have the 'mother' thing down, Ranma."

"Oh you," Nodoka chuckled. "Welcome home, Daughters. Let me introduce you to some people."

Introductions were made and stories were exchanged. Nodoka was horrified to hear how close her family had come to death on their return from China. Akane, on the other hand, seethed with anger at the audacity of those bastards at Alaska Base. At the same time she was thrilled to hear about the new techniques Ranma had been taught by the Amazons.

"Ranma, you forgot to mention that you managed to perfect your ki attack," Lisa said innocently. Ranma groaned.

"You can do a ki attack now?" Akane asked in awe.

"Actually, I didn't forget to mention it, Lisa," Ranma said darkly. "And yes, I finally managed to pull one off."

"Oooo, can you show us?" Akane asked, excited.

"No way, no how," Ranma said emphatically. Akane blinked at the abrupt refusal.

"Um...why not? Does it hurt or something?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, it hurts alright," Ranma groaned.

"It does not," Lisa protested. "She's just embarrassed about it because it looks so adorable. I think the Amazons said it looked like a Sailor Moon attack after they quit laughing."

"Lisa, you're not helping," Ranma grated out between her clenched teeth.

"A Sailor Moon attack?" Nabiki grinned. "What did it look like?"

Lisa opened her mouth and Ranma clapped her hand over it.

"Don't even think about it," Ranma growled. Lisa crossed her arms and glared at Ranma petulantly. Ranma slowly took her hand down.

"If you do that again," Lisa said dangerously, "I'll send out a planet-wide bulletin."

The two women glared at each other, both their stubborn streaks manifesting in full, neither willing to back down.

"Fine," Ranma said bitterly. "Just go ahead and tell everybody in the world all the embarrassing details of my life. Hell, you might as well tell the fucking planet about my curse too. I'm not gonna sit here so they can laugh at me though. I'm outta here."

With that, Ranma stood and stalked out the front door, slamming it. Silence reigned as everyone looked at each other.

"Oh my," Kasumi said.

"Guess I better go find her," Lisa sighed.

"Let me," Dr. Toufuu said, standing up. Lisa nodded.

(oOO/Oo)

Ranma was sitting on a park bench with her knees tucked up under her chin when Toufuu found her. He walked over and sat down beside her, not saying anything.

"You come to laugh at me about my stupid ki attack?" Ranma said finally.

"Why would I do that?" Toufuu asked. "First of all, Lisa didn't tell us anything. Second of all, the ability to project ki energy is a very impressive ability. Laughing at someone that has that kind of power wouldn't be very healthy."

"Oh," Ranma said tonelessly.

"So you want to talk about it?" Toufuu asked.

"Nothing to talk about," Ranma said.

"So you're just sitting out here sulking for no reason then?" Toufuu asked with a small grin.

Ranma looked at him for a minute.

"Okay," Ranma said at last. "Sometimes I feel like my life is just somebody's idea of comic relief. Mainly, Lisa's. She seems to enjoy embarrassing me sometimes."

"It seems to me that she loves you very much and is proud of you and your abilities," Toufuu observed.

"Then why does she try to embarrass me?" Ranma asked. "Why does she feel the need to tell people things that I'd rather they not know?"

"Ranma, you're a very powerful person," Toufuu said. "I can see it in your ki. For one so young you've made a great deal of accomplishments. From the stories I've heard, you are beloved by the people as their savior. You're beautiful, talented, not afraid to speak you mind, and, in most cases you can back it up. Maybe Lisa is just a little intimidated by that. Maybe what you see as her trying to embarrass you is just her way of keeping you from ascending beyond her." Ranma blinked at him.

"You think she doesn't feel worthy of me?" Ranma asked incredulously.

"Not consciously," Toufuu said. "But maybe deep down she's afraid that you'll grow beyond her. Getting a few laughs at your expense is her way of keeping you down to Earth and by her side."

"But why would she worry about that?" Ranma asked, confused. "She's every bit as beautiful and talented as I am. She's way more intelligent than I am. I may know fighting, and the martial arts, but her art is the ship. She knows every nut and bolt and what it is and isn't capable of. She's every bit as good at being a ship's officer as I am at the art. She has nothing to feel inferior about."

"Maybe so, but who's the public's sweetheart?" Toufuu asked. "Who has gained the most recognition?"

"She has just as much recognition as I have where it matters," Ranma dismissed.

"It all matters, Ranma," Toufuu said. "Her insecurity is that maybe one day the adoring public will take you away from her." Ranma sighed.

"I guess it never really occurred to me that Lisa would be threatened by something I could care less about," Ranma said. "I love her. She's the best thing that ever happened to me and I would never leave her. As for the public recognition, I hate it. I hate not being able to walk down the street like a normal person. I guess it's nice to be appreciated but still, I'm a military officer, not a public figure. I never wanted that. I just want to do my job and protect people. I'm good at it and so is she."

"Well, maybe you could humor her and let her have a few laughs at your expense if it makes her feel better about herself in regards to being with you," Toufuu suggested. "Either that or talk to her about it, but I seriously doubt she will ever not fear loosing you."

"I guess you're right," Ranma said with resignation.

"Now tell me about this ki attack," Toufuu grinned. "What's so embarrassing about it?"

"It's like something straight out of a shoujo manga," Ranma said bitterly. "You should have heard the Amazon's laughing at me. One of them said that whoever didn't get hit by it would be laughing to hard too continue fighting."

"Do tell," Toufuu said raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Don't laugh," Ranma cautioned.

"I wouldn't," Toufuu agreed.

"It looks like a frikkin giant pink heart," Ranma said softly. Toufuu blinked.

"A giant pink heart, you say?" Toufuu asked. Ranma nodded. "That's interesting. What emotion do you use to focus the ki?"

"My love for Lisa and Yoshima," Ranma answered. "The Amazon elder told me to use a strong positive emotion because negative emotions were unhealthy to the user in the long term. It worked perfectly. And aside from looking so ridiculous, it was incredibly powerful. It vaporized everything in its path for about a hundred and fifty meters before it dissipated. And I mean everything, wood, stone, metal, everything."

"Um...Ranma?" Toufuu asked.

"Yeah?"

"Does Lisa know what emotion you used?" Toufuu asked.

"Yeah," Ranma replied.

"I think I understand a little better why Lisa felt it necessary to tell us all about it," Toufuu said. "She sees it as the power of your love for her manifested and she's very proud of that. It probably hurts her that you're embarrassed about it."

"But how could I not be?" Ranma asked. "I mean my most powerful attack is disgustingly cute. How could anyone take me seriously?"

"I think once they saw it vaporize a few things they might be more than inclined to be intimidated," Toufuu chuckled. "Now how about we go back. I think Lisa is probably beside herself right now. You're both obviously pretty stubborn, you know."

Ranma chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose we are."

TBC

Chapter 29

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 29

November 2011...

"Hey, Akane," Ranma greeted as Akane walked up.

"Hey, Mom," Akane said brightly.

"You seem awfully cheerful," Ranma smiled. "Happy to have Nabs here?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not why I'm so happy," Akane grinned.

"Do tell," Ranma asked, glad that her friend was so happy.

"I think I may have found the One," Akane broke back into a huge ecstatic smile.

"Really?" Ranma asked, excited for Akane. "Who's the lucky girl? Tell me all about her. You know you wanna." Ranma giggled.

"It's Azonia," Akane said happily. "We've been getting really close. We started dating while you and Lisa were in China. Our last date she even asked if she could 'press lips' with me." Ranma laughed.

"I'm glad for you," Ranma said. "Azonia seems like a fantastic match for you. Just be careful with her. She's still pretty new to the whole emotional thing. You don't want to scare her off."

"Yeah," Akane said. "I'm letting her take it at her pace, letting her know I'm willing to go as far as she wants. She's actually a really good kisser."

"I'm really, really happy for you," Ranma said, hugging her. "You're one of my best friends and you deserve to be happy."

(oOO/Oo)

"We have to do something about Alaska Base, Admiral," Lisa insisted. "My father and his thugs can't be allowed to continue unchecked. Intel indicates that they are trying to repair the Grand Cannon. If they do then they will be a threat to all orbital shipping. And I doubt they will stop there."

"I see," Gloval said. "So what do you propose?"

"Ranma and I have been working on a plan to go in and clean them out," Lisa explained. "Orbital surveillance suggests they have a force of about 60 Veritechs and a division of destroids. The plan we came up with was to soften them up with an orbital bombardment, taking out the runways and any units currently on the ground. The next phase would be to go in with four squadrons of Veritechs, Wild Rose, Skull, and two others, and take out any remaining mechanized resistance. Once the surface is secure, we bring in a platoon of Marine commandos to go in and clear the underground facility room by room."

"And I'm assuming that Captain Saotome-Hayes would be leading this operation?" Gloval remarked.

"No, Sir," Lisa said. "I would be. He's my father. Maybe he'll listen to reason if I was there."

"But Lisa," Gloval protested. "You're not trained to be involved in a ground assault."

"I can pull a trigger as well as the next person," Lisa disagreed. "And Ranma has been teaching me her art for some time now. I'm nowhere near her level, or that of her advanced students, but I can hold my own against the average soldier. Besides, Ranma will be with me. She won't let anything happen to me if she can help it."

"Very well," Gloval conceded. "You have my approval to mount the operation. Let me know when you have the details worked out and have set a time table."

"Yes, Sir," Lisa said.

(oOO/Oo)

"Orbital Laser Bombardment complete, Ma'am," reported the Zentradi commander.

"Thank you, Commander," Lisa acknowledged. "Ranma, we're go for phase 2."

"Roger, Lisa," Ranma said. "Okay, boys and girls, this is it. We're going in. It's libel to get ugly in there so watch each other's six."

Ranma turned toward the target and led the 48 plane assault force in. As she approached the site, she saw that it was leveled and pockmarked with smoking craters. Nothing appeared to be moving. That quickly changed though once her Veritechs began to touch down.

Defenders began to boil out from underground entrances and soon they were in a massive firefight. Ranma and her flight cut through them like a scythe through wheat. The defending forces couldn't even begin to understand what they were up against. Even the non-Wild Rose squadrons were battled hardened and very experienced Veritech pilots. The defenders, while many and having a lot of hours, where unused to the surrealism of a pitched battle.

Still, there were many of them. Ranma fired a round from her heavy beam cannon at a Tomahawk that was trying to flank another member of her team. The heavy destroid toppled as the drive unit for its legs was gutted by Ranma's fire.

Then she had to throw herself to the side as a defending Veritech strafed the space she was standing in a moment before. It skated in on her, in guardian mode, and was gutted by Akane.

"Thanks, Fury," Ranma said.

"No problem, Mom," Akane laughed.

Ranma quickly got to her feet and launched her missiles at a large formation of enemy mecha. The formation broke up as the missiles rained in around them. Charging in, Ranma took out several Defender and Phalanx model destroids with her beam cannons, trusting Akane to keep them from flanking her. Then she engaged two enemy Veritechs at once. She managed to destroy one's gun pod with her right beam cannon and blew the other ones left leg off with her left cannon. She finished it with her head lasers as it fell. Dodging the return laser fire from the other Veritech, she took out its head with another cannon shot.

Then she and Akane came under fire from a pair of Monster class destroids. They both took desperate evasive measures trying to avoid the withering fire. Before they could get a shot off at the two fire support mecha, the Monsters blew up. Two armored Veritechs streaked by overhead, having just destroyed the two problem mecha.

Max and Miriya were once again operating in perfect sync as they sliced through defenders. By the time it was over the pair had accounted for the most destroyed enemy mecha of the assault team. The other members of Wild Rose Squadron also proved why they were the elite squadron of the SDF-1. Once again, the twelve mecha accounted for the bulk of the enemy losses.

Faced with this unimaginable onslaught, seeing their 80+ mecha cut down around them, the last twenty surrendered. They climbed down from their mecha and were herded into a crater with two Armored Veritechs set to guard them. Ranma had the remaining units set up a defensive perimeter. Once that was done, she called in phase three.

"Chimneysweep, this is Clean Sweep, perimeter secure," she called over the comm. "You're clear to approach."

"Roger, Clean Sweep, we're on our way," a man acknowledged.

About twenty minutes later, Ranma heard the thumping of rotor blades as the transport helos came in. Ranma and Akane had already shut down their Veritechs and climbed out as the helos set down. They took off toward the lead helo even as its doors opened and Marines poured out, setting up a perimeter.

Ranma and Akane leaped aboard the helo and began to remove their flight suits and put on winter camo BDU's and body armor. They put in earpieces and adjusted their boom mics before doing a fast radio check. After strapping on pistols, they grabbed their rifles and joined the others.

"You ready for this?" Lisa asked them.

The pair nodded. Ranma hung close by Lisa while Akane sidled over to Azonia as Lisa gave the order to enter the underground facility. The platoon of Marine commandos entered the facility through a destroyed mecha hanger door. It was deserted, but the large steel door at the end of the room was locked tight. The Marines blew the door and they quickly entered the corridor.

They made their way down the corridor and after a brief but intense firefight they cleared the resistance from the stairway. As they came to the first sublevel, two squads were sent in to clear it. The rest proceeded down to the next level. And so it went. As each level was cleared, the Marines would mine the elevator doors to prevent anyone from slipping back behind them and proceeded down to the next level beyond. Two squads remained in the stairwell at all times to prevent anyone from coming up at them.

They largely encountered very little resistance on the uppermost levels, but as they got deeper in, the resistance got stiffer. Any prisoners they captured were taken up to the Mecha hanger and guarded by Max and Miriya. Distressingly, not many prisoners were taken. The defenders had obviously decided to hold out to the end.

Ranma placed her hand on the doorknob that intel indicated lead into the Command Center. She paused, having an ill feeling. Removing her hand, she backed away from the door.

"Sergeant Rinkin, get up here," Ranma whispered into her mic.

The Marine in question moved up beside her. "Ma'am?" he asked.

"I think this door is rigged," Ranma said. "Check it out."

"Yes Ma'am," Rinkin said removing a drill from his pack.

He drilled a hole through the wall beside the door and put the drill away. Taking out a small LCD monitor with a cable and some controls attached, he passed the cable into the hole and watched the monitor. Slowly he manipulated the controls. The view first showed a view of the corridor beyond the door. It wasn’t good. At the end of it was a sandbagged gun emplacement. It appeared to have a .50 caliber BMG along with several men with rifles waiting for them.

Rinkin moved the view to the door. Also not good. There was a claymore mine sitting about a foot away in front of the door. The triggering device was attached to the door. Any move to open it would result in the detonation of the mine.

"Everybody, pull back up to the next level," Ranma ordered.

They moved back up and Lisa, Ranma, Akane, Azonia and the Marine commander, Major Kudrow put their heads together.

"Okay, this is what we have," Ranma briefed. "They have the door mined. Any move to open the door and the mine goes off. I could open the door. With my Bauksai Tenketsu training and my ki shielding technique, I could probably survive the explosion."

"Wait a minute," Lisa said narrowing her eyes, "probably?"

"Yeah, well, I've never tested them out by detonating a mine in front of me," Ranma said. "So, yeah, probably."

"Not good enough," Lisa said. "I'm not letting you take that chance."

"It's a moot point anyway," Ranma said. "Even if I did survive the explosion and shrapnel, after that, there's about a 30 meters of straight corridor with a heavy machine gun and a company of men with rifles in a fortified position at the end of it. It'd be a killing field."

"What if we blow the door remotely," Kudrow suggested. "That would set off the mine harmlessly. Then we could launch a couple of 40mm grenades down the corridor to take out the gun position."

"That would cost us some people," Akane said. "They'd have to be in the line of fire to launch the grenades and you can bet with that kind of firepower, they'd be laying it on thick."

"Maybe it's time we negotiated," Lisa suggested. Her eyes grew harder than Ranma had ever seen them. "We really don't need to take them into custody to remove them as a threat." The others shuddered at the chilly tone in her voice.

(oOO/Oo)

The remains of the Joint Chiefs sat in a conference room wearing full combat gear. Tension was running high as they waited. They had tracked the progress of the enemy as they moved methodically from level to level, taking out the men defending each level and then the security cameras. They knew it was only a matter of time before they assaulted this level. Grips were tightened on weapons as they each prepared to fight to repel the attack.

"Admiral Hayes, I'm getting a signal," one of the comm techs said.

"Ignore it like we have all the others," Hayes said grimly.

"Sir, it's your daughter," the tech said. Hayes sighed.

"Very well, let's hear what the traitorous little dyke has to say," Hayes snarled. "Put it on the screen."

"This is Captain Lisa Saotome-Hayes of the RDF," Lisa said. "I'm giving you this last chance to surrender peacefully. There's no way out for you."

"We'll never surrender," Hayes said. "You have to come in and get us. We'll fight to the last breath against the unlawful alien allied forces taking over the planet."

"You don't seem to understand, Father," Lisa sneered. "We don't HAVE to come in and get you. You are no longer a threat. All we HAVE to do is wait you out. You're trapped. Now you can either gather the scraps of what tattered honor you have left to you and face the charges against you with dignity, or you can die like rats in your dark little hole. We can, and will make this place your prison. Don't push me or I'll blow the whole facility on top of you and bury you in there for the rest of your despicable lives."

Donald Hayes was taken aback by the intensity of his daughter's rancor. "You wouldn't dare," he said.

"You hateful, xenophobic idiots cost the lives of half the people on this planet, on the very cusp of a peaceful end to the hostilities," Lisa snarled. "You sent over 50 thousand civilians into what you presumed would be their deaths because you didn't want to get caught in a dirty little lie. You fired on the Zentradi during an honorably agreed to cease-fire. Your self-serving lack of honor knows no bounds. Do not presume to tell me what I would dare do. You are little better than pirates. Nobody would question me if I sealed you in the tomb of your choosing."

"Betraying witch," Hayes growled. "You're a traitor to the Earth!"

"Who's a traitor to the Earth?" Lisa asked. "The people responsible for the deaths of half the population, or the people who managed to save the other half? All you can do is sit in your dark little hole and hatch schemes to put you back into power. Enough is enough. I demand your immediate surrender. Lay down your weapons and face justice or let this be your tomb. That's your choice."

After about a half an hour of deliberation, Hayes called back.

"Okay, we're coming up," he told his daughter.

"I want you and the other brass up here first. Use the stairwell," Lisa told him. "The elevator would be...unhealthy."

'When did my warm happy little girl become so cold and angry?' Hayes caught himself wondering.

(oOO/Oo)

Lisa looked over the 60 men who knelt on the floor with their hands behind their head. The Marines were stationed at various places throughout the room covering them.

"Is this all of you?" Lisa asked Hayes.

"Yes," the older man said somewhat shortly.

"It had better be," Lisa said grimly. "Major Kudrow, I want a company to go down and clear the last three levels and the rest to begin escorting prisoners to the surface. 10 prisoners to a squad leaving five minutes apart."

"Yes Ma'am," Kudrow saluted. "Aright, Parker, take your company and make sure things are clear. Atkins, start escorting the prisoners up."

"Sir!" the men acknowledged.

A twenty minutes later only the former Joint Chiefs and a few of their staff were left.

"We'll take these up, Major," Lisa said. "You and the others stay here in case the clearing team needs backup."

"Yes, Ma'am," Kudrow acknowledged.

Lisa and Ranma took the lead and Akane and Azonia fell in behind the prisoners as they were herded up the stairwell. They had made it about three floors up when a muffled explosion shook the complex. Lisa was immediately on the comm demanding to know what happened. The remaining Marines sent to clear the last three levels reported there had been a booby-trap.

Unfortunately, Hayes used the distraction to grab her and take her sidearm. He held Lisa in front of him as a shield and pointed the gun at Ranma as she turned around to see what the commotion was. Her rifle was off her shoulder faster than anyone's eye could follow and Hayes found himself looking down the bore. Everyone was frozen as the tableau held.

"Lisa, drop your rifle or I shoot her," Hayes said coolly. Lisa's rifle clattered to the floor and one of his cronies quickly picked it up. "Good, now tell them to put down their weapons."

"Lisa, don't do it," Ranma said. "He can't hurt me. Remember the Bauksai Tenketsu and the barrier. He can't hurt me." Lisa noticed a faint silver shimmer in the air around Ranma.

"Hurt you?" Hayes scoffed. "I'm going to kill you, freak, for turning my daughter against me."

"Father, your own dishonorable behavior turned me against you," Lisa hissed. "Don't even think about blaming Ranma for that. It was all your doing."

"Tell them to put down their weapons," Hayes ordered again. His crony positioned himself to cover Akane and Azonia.

"Lisa, he's your father so it's your choice," Ranma said, the bore of her rifle rock steady on Hayes' eye. "Does the bastard live or die. I can take him out right now with a clean headshot, or I can take the gun from him and shove it up his ass sideways. Which do you prefer?"

"I'm not joking here," Hayes hissed. "Give the order or I shoot her."

"If he shoots, execute them all," Lisa said.

Then the fecal matter hit the rotary air-moving device. One of the unarmed men took a step toward Akane. She jerked her muzzle toward him to make him think twice about it and the man with the rifle freaked out. He jerked his aim toward Akane and fired.

"No!" Azonia screamed and shoulder blocked Akane to the side. The burst of rifle fire tore into Azonia's arm and shoulder sending her spinning to the floor in a spray of blood.

At the same time, Ranma shifted her aim and ripped a burst into the man, killing him. Hayes saw his opening and fired the pistol at Ranma...with no effect. The bullets seemed to slow to nearly a halt in a flash of silver light as they neared the redhead. Hayes was so stunned he didn't know what hit him when Lisa grabbed his arm and tossed him over her shoulder into the wall.

At that moment, a burst of fire sounded from behind. The remaining unarmed men had attempted to bum rush Akane as she was stunned from the shoulder block and Azonia taking the hits for her. Akane's training held though. She opened fire on them, killing three and wounding the other five.

Ranma had Hayes in a wristlock with her foot on his neck and the bore of her rifle to his temple.

"Put the gun down," Ranma growled at the man.

"Go to hell," Hayes snarled and tried to bring the gun up.

"You first," Ranma said, pulling the trigger.

Akane rushed to Azonia's side.

"Why?" Akane asked softly. "Why did you take those rounds for me?"

"Because..." Azonia said through her grimace of pain, "I now...understand what...Miriya feels...for Max. Your life...has become...more important to me...than my own."

Akane let out a half laugh, half sob and leaned down to kiss Azonia tenderly.

"I love you too," Akane whispered to her, causing Azonia to produce a small smile.

(oOO/Oo)

"Are you alright, Love," Ranma asked, stepping up beside Lisa as she watched the prisoners and wounded being loaded into the transport helos.

"Oh Ranma," Lisa said, hugging the smaller woman to her tightly. "Why did he become such an evil, hateful bastard?"

"I'm sorry," Ranma said, stroking her back as Lisa began to cry. "I'm really, really sorry, Love."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Lisa said, holding her tighter.

"I...I...executed him," Ranma said softly.

"If you hadn't I would have, Love," Lisa said darkly. "He tried to kill you. He tried to kill our family. He was responsible for the deaths of millions. He deserved what he got. We gave him a chance, but he threw it in our face. Please don't feel guilty over what he forced you to do."

"I know, Lisa," Ranma said, her own tears starting to flow. "I'm just scared of what I'm becoming. First Dolza, then you father. Am I becoming a ruthless assassin? An executioner? I don't think I can live with that."

"It's over now, my Love," Lisa whispered to her. "There's no more need for killing. Don't worry, Sweetie, we'll keep each other from becoming cynical and jaded. Let's just try to put this ugliness behind us, okay?" Ranma nodded into her shoulder. Lisa looked over to see the transports taking off. "Come on, Love, let's go home. Maybe we should both talk to Dr. Koenig when we get back."

"You sure you can handle a Veritech?" Ranma asked her.

"I'm qualified," Lisa assured her. "I may not be as good as you guys, but it's just a short flight to Denver. It's not like I'll be flying combat or anything."

"Okay," Ranma smiled. "I'll be right beside you the whole way though."

"Worry wart," Lisa accused as she climbed into the cockpit of Wild Rose 2.

Akane had chosen to ride on the transport with Azonia, so Lisa was flying her plane back. Ranma chuckled and climbed into Wild Rose 1.

As the RDF forces left the area, Ranma sent a signal. High up in orbit, a Zentradi cruiser launched a single nuke. The missile traveled down through the atmosphere and plunged straight down the barrel of the Grand Cannon. It detonated deep underground and collapsed the facility, destroying it utterly.

(oOO/Oo)

October 2012...

"This session of the Macross Military War Bride's Club will now come to order," Claudia said officiously. Everyone rolled their eyes and giggled.

"Claudia, we just all got together for lunch," Lisa grinned.

"So what?" Claudia grinned back. "We; you, me, Ranma, Minmei, Miriya, were all engaged on the SDF-1 during the war. So we're like a club."

Everyone more or less agreed.

"I think it's a cool idea," Minmei giggled.

"Now for our first order of business..." Claudia began before Ranma interrupted her.

"Ordering lunch," Ranma supplied.

"No, the first order of business is the progress on Operation: Get Ranma Pregnant," Claudia announced.

"Eep!" Ranma squeaked. If she had been drinking something it would have been sprayed all over the table.

"Yes, Lisa, how is that going?" Miriya asked, stroking her gravid belly. "Max and I are expecting soon and I'm so excited."

"Mom and I haven't made much headway, I'm afraid," Lisa said with not a little disappointment. "I'd really like to have another and it is her turn. I wouldn't dream of depriving her of the experience."

"Um..." Ranma laughed nervously, "I'll pass, honey. If you want another, I'll let you have the honors."

"Oh no, that just wouldn't be right," Miriya grinned. "You should both share the experience. It would bring you even closer. There's nothing like the joy and wonder of carrying a small life inside your body."

"I can't wait," Minmei gushed. "Rick and I have decided to try too, now that things have settled down."

"Roy and I were thrilled when we found out I was pregnant a couple of months ago," Claudia added.

"Oh please, Ranma," Lisa said, turning her ultimate weapon on the redhead, the big, glistening, puppy dog eyes. "Please carry my child."

Ranma blushed as red as her hair.

"Oh how can you resist that, Ranma?" Claudia giggled.

"Please? There's no more excuses," Lisa said. "Things are calm now and we can do without our star Veritech pilot for long enough. I promise, there's no feeling in the world like holding the child that grew inside you for the first time."

"Except for maybe watching your wife hold the child that grew inside her for the first time," Ranma said.

"And you would deprive me of that?" Lisa asked, smirking as she saw victory in her grasp.

"You guys aren't going to let up until I do it, are you?" Ranma asked.

"Nu uh," came four answers in unison from four faces with eager grins.

Ranma sighed heavily, knowing she was out of excuses. She asked herself if it would be that bad. Looking at Claudia and Miriya, she decided that it probably wouldn't be. They looked very happy. Finally, she held her hands up in defeat.

"Okay, you win," Ranma said. "I guess I get to be the newest member of the Pregnant War Bride's Club."

Lisa squealed in feminine glee and glomped Ranma, nearly knocking her off the chair.

"Oh thank you, Honey!" Lisa gushed. "You don't know how happy this makes me!" She gave Ranma a steamy look. "We'll get started right after lunch."

Ranma blushed deeply once again.

(oOO/Oo)

"Do you trust me?" Lisa asked, coming up to her with a silk scarf.

"Implicitly," Ranma answered without hesitation.

Lisa smiled and tied the silk over Ranma's eyes, making sure she could see nothing. The brunette then began to slowly and sensually unclothe the redhead. Leading her to the bed, Lisa scooped her up and laid her down on the mattress. Taking an arm she secured it to the silk-lined cuff connected to on corner of the bed. She repeated the process with the other arm and each ankle until Ranma lay chained and vulnerably spread before her.

"Comfy?" Lisa purred, dragging her nails lightly across Ranma's flat tummy.

"Uh huh," Ranma said, smiling. "I never knew you were so kinky."

"I was talking to Bertha," Lisa giggled. "She gave me a few ideas."

"You're not going to do anything...bizarre, are you?" Ranma asked, her lips making a worried pout.

"No, Sweetie, this is just a little bondage," Lisa said. "Bertha explained that not all parts of BDSM are about domination and humiliation. She explained that a person in bondage has the control taken from them. That frees them to focus just on what's being done to them. Done between two people who love each other, it allows the bound person to relax and enjoy what their lover is doing to them without feeling the need to give anything in return. So you just have to lay there and concentrate on the pleasure I'm going to give you, okay?"

"Okay," Ranma smiled and nodded.

"Good," Lisa grinned.

Lisa took out a feather and started at Ranma's wrist, dragging the feather lightly over her sensitive skin. Ranma shivered at the sensations, developing goose flesh and her nipples going instantly hard. Lisa lightly brushed the feather down Ranma's arms and over her shoulders, up her neck, along the line of her jaw and back up the other arm. She came back down and began to stroke the feather over Ranma's breasts, avoiding the areolas and nipples until each breast was stroked thoroughly and Ranma's engorged nipples were standing out, large, hard, and dark.

With the first teasing contact of the feather on her nipples, Ranma gave a deep sensual moan that sent a shiver down Lisa's spine. The moaning continued as Lisa slowly went from breast to breast, teasing Ranma's nipples lightly with the feather.

The feather left her breasts causing her to moan in complaint and then jump and giggle as it caressed her sides and across her flat, well-toned tummy. Ranma moaned and had a small climax as she felt Lisa's mouth and tongue come into play where the feather had just left. Meanwhile, the feather continued down and danced along the outsides of her legs before slowly and sensually moving upward and inward along her inner thighs.

By the time Lisa was done with the feather, Ranma's whole body was flushed pinkly with her arousal. The feather was removed from her skin and Ranma heard a buzzing sound as something smooth and vibrating was now caressing her sensually, following the same path as the feather. She squirmed and moaned as the object passed over her sensitive regions and jumped and giggled as it passed over her ticklish ones, working its way ever closer to her center.

By the time Lisa was done with this phase of Ranma's pleasurable torture, the redhead was begging Lisa to finish her.

"You really want me to, Sweetie?" Lisa asked teasingly.

"Oh yes please," Ranma pleaded. "I can't stand it. I'm on fire."

"Okay, just hold tight for just a second," Lisa said. Ranma could here the amusement in her tone even through her arousal-fogged mind.

The bound redhead felt Lisa's weight leave the bed. Ranma heard what sounded like water but was too fogged to put any significance on it. She didn't have time to think much because Lisa's weight returned to the bed as her wife climbed up between her spread limbs. She felt her lower region lifted up and a pillow was placed under her.

Some indeterminate amount of time and several screaming and whimpering releases later, Ranma lay panting, coated with a light layer of sweat in the aftermath of their delicious passion. It had been odd at first. Scary for Ranma, because she could almost swear she was being made love to by a man. But it had been Lisa's aura so Ranma had just put it down to Lisa using a life-like new toy.

Lisa had gotten out of the bed almost as soon as they were finished, but she soon returned to cuddle the redhead who was beginning to get cold.

"Did you like that, Sweetie," Lisa asked.

"Oh yes," Ranma purred with contentment. "That was great."

"I'm glad," Lisa giggled as she set about removing the bonds and blindfold. "I have a confession to make."

"Oh?" Ranma asked, distracted by an odd feeling of something draining out. She put her finger in it and brought it where she could look. Her eyes grew big as saucers as she recognized the substance.

Lisa winced as Ranma's fearful gape snapped over to her and took on a betrayed expression.

"Now, Honey, calm down," Lisa said, trying to sooth the obviously freaked out Ranma. "It's not what you think."

"You mean you didn't let some guy in here to take advantage of me?" Ranma hissed.

"I promise I was the only one in here with you," Lisa said firmly.

"Then how do you explain this?" Ranma demanded, thrusting her fluid coated finger in Lisa's face.

"With this," Lisa said thrusting a paper packet in Ranma's face. Ranma took it and read the Chinese words on the packet.

"Instant Nannichuan?" Ranma asked. "What's this?"

"It's a temporary form of the opposite spring you fell into," Lisa grinned. "The Amazons gave it to me and I've been waiting for months to try it out. See, Honey, now we can get you pregnant the old fashioned way and have a lot of fun doing it." Lisa gave her a triumphant smile, which faded as the look of horror grew on Ranma's face.

"It...it works?" Ranma asked and Lisa nodded. "Then that m...means I...I ha...had sex with a g...guy?"

"Don't be silly, Ranma," Lisa said harshly to snap the redhead out of whatever line of thought she was going down. "You had sex with me, your wife, the woman you love." Lisa grabbed the packet and waved it in Ranma's face. "This is just another form of toy, another way for me to give you pleasure. You didn't have sex with a guy, understand?"

Ranma stared at the wall for a while, her need to feel disgusted warring with the memory of how good it had felt and the irrefutable logic of Lisa's argument. After a fierce battle of emotions played out on the redhead's face, pleasure and logic won out. Ranma sighed.

"I wish you had told me first," Ranma said at last.

"I didn't want you to get hung up on the idea of having sex with a man," Lisa admitted. "I thought this would be a better way to get past that. You know I would never hurt you."

"I know, Lisa," Ranma said hugging her. "So how was it for you? And when do I get to meet my 'husband'?" Ranma gave a small smirk.

"It was fantastic," Lisa laughed. "Very novel and something I could get to enjoy from time to time. I prefer the other way around though. As for your 'husband', I'm afraid my husband is far more manly than yours is."

"Thank god for that anyway," Ranma laughed.

TBC

Chapter 30

Dragon Lady of Macross

Written By Lisa Grey

Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad

Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G

Chapter 30

January 2013...

Ranma woke up slowly, enwrapped with warmth. She slowly became aware of her surroundings and smiled a gentle smile as she lay cuddled in her 'husband's' arms. She giggled a little when she felt something poking her below her waist. Ranma suddenly felt stunned at how far she had come. This was the third time in two months she had spent the night with her 'husband'. Who would have thought that she could take pleasure in being with a man, even if that man happened to be the woman she loved deeply?

She began to understand how it must have been for Lisa. She gently turned over to face him, tenderly scanning his handsome face beneath his shock of long, chestnut hair. Her newfound insight eased some of the remaining doubts in her heart. Until now, Ranma had always had a deeply repressed fear that Lisa would ultimately need a man to complete her, a man that Ranma couldn't be. She feared that eventually, Lisa would leave her for this reason.

Her fears faded as she watched her lover sleep. She finally understood completely how Lisa felt. It was what was between the ears that counted, not what was between the legs. Even if Lisa were to become stuck like he was now, Ranma would still love him with all her being, all that she was.

As if sensing her regard, emerald-green eyes flicked open and looked deeply into her own ocean-blues. Ranma smiled warmly and placed a tender kiss on Lisa's forehead.

"I love you," Ranma said.

The chestnut-haired man smiled a sleepy smile and pulled Ranma closer, tenderly caressing her back and nuzzling her neck.

"I love you too, my beautiful goddess," Lisa murmured in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine and small jolts of electricity through her belly.

They basked in each other's warmth and presence for several minutes before something made its presence known. Ranma giggled.

"You're insatiable. You know that, don't you?" Ranma said affectionately.

"I didn't hear you complaining last night," Lisa chuckled, rolling them over so that he was poised over top of her, supporting his weight on his elbows and looking lustfully into her clear, blue-grey eyes. She snaked her arms up around his neck and ran her fingers through his long, silky hair.

"I'm not complaining now either," Ranma smirked. Lisa grinned brightly.

About an hour later, Ranma dragged herself to the bathroom on shaky legs and sporting a satisfied glow. She set about her morning routine, brushing her teeth before entering the shower. She felt a little off for some reason, more so than the small amount of wine they had consumed the night before could account for.

As Ranma cleaned herself she focused her ki to find her center. Her ki seemed to be off somehow so she closed her eyes and looked inward for what was causing the disturbance. After a minute her eyes flew open wide and her knees buckled.

"Oh...my...GOD!" Ranma shrieked as she knelt in the shower, shaking.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Lisa demanded as he burst into the room and flung open the shower curtain. Ranma looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes.

"I...I..." Ranma stammered, "I'm pu-pu-pregnant."

Lisa made a feminine squeal that sounded really ridiculous coming from his tightly muscled 6'1 masculine body and snatched his dripping wet wife up into a crushing hug.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Lisa gushed, practically dancing around with Ranma whose feet were currently dangling several inches off the floor. "This is so wonderful!"

Ranma, still in a state of shock, just held on to him as visions of all the discomfort and pain that Lisa had been in at the various stages of her pregnancy passed through her mind. She tried to wrap her mind around the fact that it would be her going through that now and failed. Overwhelmed, she fainted dead away.

(oOO/Oo)

Nodoka watched in amusement as Lisa hovered around Ranma. Ranma had a look of mild irritation mixed with resignation that made her face look even cuter than normal.

"Lisa, I've been pregnant for, like, two weeks," Ranma finally said in exasperation. "I'm not helpless. Just sit down and relax. Please?"

"I know, I know," Lisa said, reigning herself in and alighting in a chair. "It's just that I know this isn't something you wanted for yourself and I want to help. I mean, I had all my life to prepare for being a mother. It's something I always expected and something I wanted someday. You've only had a couple of months to get prepared. I just need to know you're okay."

"I'm fine, Lisa," Ranma laughed ruefully. "I admit it was a bit of a shock at first. I more than halfway expected it to be impossible in spite of all evidence to the contrary. I'm okay with it now, I promise. Now hurry up and eat. We have a staff meeting soon." She caught Nodoka's look of amusement and asked, "Was I this bad?"

"Only after she started showing," Nodoka grinned. "But then you were worse." Ranma groaned which caused Nodoka to laugh lightly. "Now hurry up and eat, children. Ranma's right, you do have a staff meeting to get to. You shouldn’t keep Henry waiting."

"Henry?" Ranma said, raising an eyebrow. "Something going on I should know about?"

"The Admiral and I have been dating for some time now," Nodoka said with a little smile. "Things have gotten...serious of late."

"That's great, Mom," Lisa said happily. "Admiral Gloval is a good man."

"Yeah, Momma, I'm happy for you," Ranma agreed. "I always did think of him as a father figure to me. The right kind of father figure, not like that bastard, Genma."

"Well, we'll just have to see," Nodoka grinned.

(oOO/Oo)

"Exedore and I have discussed this at some length," Breetai said from the conference screen. "We have determined that it would be best to inform you of our origins. The Zentradi were created by an advanced civilization to be a police force. It was later determined that because of our warlike nature that we would be better suited as a military force. A scientific genius, called Zor, discovered what we know as Protoculture and Robotechnology. His masters, whom we now know as the Robotech Masters, in their greed, angered a once peaceful race called the Invid. The Invid destroyed their civilization but the Robotech Master's got away. The Zentradi were sent to Earth by the Robotech Masters to recover Zor's ship, the SDF-1, in hopes of unlocking the secrets that Zor took to his grave. They are desperate to find the power to stop the Invid and Exedore and I suspect that once they realize that the Zentradi are no longer under their control, they will come here themselves."

"It would be most advisable for you to prepare yourselves for their arrival," Exedore said.

"I see," Gloval said. "Then we shall have to step up our plans to build a fleet."

"Indeed," Exedore said. "We believe we have a solution that will help both our peoples to prepare for the Robotech Masters. The Zentradi possess a factory satellite that would be of great assistance in rebuilding both our fleets."

A couple of hours of discussion later, a plan was hatched to capture the satellite and bring it into Earth orbit. Lisa, Ranma, and Minmei, along with Wild Rose and Skull Squadrons, were to travel onboard Breetai's ship. They would then secure the satellite as bloodlessly as possible and prepare it for its journey to Earth.

Meanwhile, Roy and Claudia were to get with the engineers and work with them on making improvements to the SDF-1 design as well as a fleet of escort ships. Construction on this new fleet would begin as soon as the factory was relocated and prepared.

"Very well, then," Gloval announced. "If there are no further questions, then you may all be dismissed. Ranma, if you could stay for a moment, I would like to speak with you briefly." Everyone left the room except for Ranma and Gloval.

"What can I do for you, Sir?" Ranma asked.

"Ranma, as you might know, your mother and I have been seeing each other," Gloval explained.

"Yeah, I heard something about that," Ranma grinned.

"Well, I have come to care for her a great deal," Gloval said. "I plan to propose to her very soon. I would like to know your feelings on this."

"Sir, I would be proud to have you as my stepfather," Ranma said happily. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather have for my children's grandfather. Yoshima, at least, needs a good male role model and you would be the best."

"I'm deeply honored that you think so," Gloval said, touched by the degree of Ranma's sentiments.

"Well, neither Lisa nor I have had fathers that were worthy of respect," Ranma said sadly. "I know Lisa holds you in high regard, as do I, and I think I can safely say that we would be thrilled to have someone in the role of a father that measures up. You would be more than qualified."

"I would be proud to call you both my daughters," Gloval said, then smiled mischievously, adding, "and sometimes sons."

"You know about that, huh?" Ranma laughed nervously.

"You mother mentioned Lisa's plan for a second child, yes," Gloval smiled. "Please don't mention my plans to your mother. I think she suspects but I want it to be a surprise."

"No problem," Ranma grinned. "I won't say a word."

(oOO/Oo)

March 2013...

Akane, Azonia, Max, and Ranma flew escort around the shuttle as it climbed out of Earth's atmosphere. Ranma was currently flying Wild Rose 4. Miriya and the rest of the command crew were aboard the shuttle, since Miriya had little Dana with her.

Nobody thought it was a good idea to take a child into a battle, but it was determined that their best shot of achieving the objective was to show the Zentradi forces what could happen when a man and a woman come together. The tricky part was going to be getting Max and Miriya on board the satellite for this plan to work. Fortunately, Lisa had come up with their ace in the hole. The idea had unwittingly been Ranma's. Lisa had remembered something Ranma had said once and decided to use it.

From the effects on the other Zentradi that they had shown the idea to, it would be very effective. It had taken quite some time to desensitize the task force to its psychological effects. Ultimately, it was this idea that would change the Zentradi culture forever.

As soon as the Micronians were all aboard, the task force executed a hyperspace fold.

(oOO/Oo)

"I still don't like this, Lisa," Ranma complained again. "I should be going out there."

"Oh no you don't, Missy," Lisa chastised her. "We've been through this all before. You might be able to take the G forces of combat flying, but do you want to risk our baby you are carrying?"

"Max and Miriya will be taking their daughter into harms way," Ranma protested.

"And nobody likes the idea," Lisa agreed. "However, it's our best hope to ensure their surrender. Max and Miriya will be allowing Dana to be endangered to directly impact the outcome of the mission. If you went out to fight you would be endangering our child for no reason."

"I know, but I just hate sitting around while my squadron goes out to fight," Ranma grumbled.

"They'll be fine, Sweetie," Lisa soothed her. "You have other things to think about now."

"Yeah, like getting up early every morning and puking my guts out," Ranma sighed in defeat.

"That's the spirit," Lisa laughed. Seeing Ranma's dark look, she added, "I know it's not fun, Sweetie. Believe me, I know, but it'll all be worth it."

"If you say so," Ranma said looking dubious.

"If it wasn't then the human race would have died out long ago," Lisa laughed.

(oOO/Oo)

Commander Reno was sitting in his chair in the command center of the Robotech Factory Satellite when one of his sensor techs called out a report.

"Mi'lord, we have fold activity in sector 15," the tech said. "Detecting several vessels exiting fold space."

"One of them is hailing us," the comm tech said.

"Put it on the screen," Reno ordered. The screen came up to display a familiar face. "Greetings, Breetai. Do you come as friend or foe?"

"That depends on you, Reno," Breetai said. "Dolza is no more. I am now the Supreme Commander of the Zentradi. I have come to secure the Factory Satellite. Will you comply?"

"Dolza informed me that you were corrupted by the Micronians," Reno said.

"Dolza was a fool," Breetai said. "The Micronians are our allies."

"I do not recognize your authority, Breetai," Reno said. "Leave at once, or I will be forced to destroy you."

"Oh, I think not, Reno," Breetai chuckled. "Behold."

The view recentered and zoomed in on two Micronians standing on the bridge consol next to Breetai. Strange melodic sounds began to pour from the speakers as the two Micronians stepped up to each other. Slowly, their lips met and caused the factory's defenders to gasp.

If they were horrified and disgusted by this, they were completely unprepared for what followed. The screen changed, displaying the words "Debbie does Dallas". What followed after that was nothing short of the most terrifying psychological attack ever unleashed against the Zentradi.

Reno's men were alternately vomiting or shocked senseless by the carnal scenes being displayed on the screen. Though shocking and repulsive, the scenes were strangely compelling, making them unable to look away. Strange new feelings coursed through Reno's men as they watched the screen in horror and fascination.

Then the wall blew in as two mecha entered the command center. This shook the men in the command center out of their shock and they leveled weapons at the mecha as they landed on the plotting table. The canopies opened revealing two Micronians. One of them Reno recognized and couldn't hold back his gasp.

"Miriya Parino?" Reno hissed.

"Yes, Reno, it is I, Miriya Parino, greatest of all Zentradi pilots," Miriya announced with authority. "We discovered the secrets of Protoculture. I have become micronized to be with my mate, Max Sterling, whom I have falling in love with."

"What is the meaning of this? What is 'love'? What is 'mate'?" Reno demanded.

"Love is the basis for Protoculture," Miriya intoned. "Without love there could be no Protoculture. Max is my mate, the man I have chosen to spend my life with and build a family with."

"Show them the baby, Miriya," Max suggested.

Miriya bent down into her cockpit and stood up with something. The something wriggled and moved, causing a new round of horror in the gathered Zentradi.

"Behold the power of Protoculture," Miriya shouted holding little Dana aloft and turning slowly so every one in the room could see. "This is a baby, created inside my own body with the help of my mate, Max. In a matter of years she will grow to be a full-sized human and is a combination of our genetic make up! This is the power of Protoculture! This is the power of love!"

This was all too much for the Zentradi and they fled the room in terror.

Reno, seeing his fleet paralyzed by the psychological attack and confronted to the horrifying little mutant that Miriya was displaying, saying it grew inside her, had no alternatives. He gave his unconditional surrender.

Preparations were soon made to bring the factory satellite back to Earth. The fold operation was a risky operation because of the size of the factory. Before it was done, several power units were damaged and the satellite was running on minimal power, but they defolded safely on target in high Earth orbit.

(oOO/Oo)

September 2013...

Lisa sat by Ranma's side while she was in what was becoming a marathon labor. It had gone on for fourteen hours already and looked as though it would go on longer. The doctors had discussed performing a C-section with them, but Ranma said she would only agree to it if the life of the baby or herself was threatened. Thus far that hadn't been an issue.

Lisa thought back over her life and how differently things had turned out than what she had expected. Both she and Ranma had experienced much pain and anguish to reach the point they were at now. They had been forced to grow in ways that most people couldn't imagine.

Lisa would have laughed in someone's face back in the academy if they had told her she would fall deeply in love with another woman. But then, male and female for Ranma and Lisa had become quite literally a fluid thing. They no longer felt Ranma's transformation was a curse, but instead, a blessing that brought them to each other.

They had connected in the Academy on a deeper level than either of them knew or were willing to acknowledge. Lisa wondered if Karl hadn't been lost, if they would have shared such a close bond as she and Ranma had. Somehow, Lisa doubted it. If they had, Karl would never have gone to Mars and left her behind. Lisa wasn't bitter about this, but age and wisdom had led her to believe that there would have always been a certain distance between them, a willingness for Karl to go off in pursuit of his own dreams and leave her behind. He may have always come home to her, but he would have still left her behind.

With Ranma, she never had to worry about that. They shared everything, true partners on a level that a man and woman could never hope to reach. After all, how many couples could share the experience of giving birth to their children? They were truly two sides of the same coin and neither was complete without the other.

This had been a realization that had been painfully forced on them. They had both unintentionally hurt one another trying to fight it, but once they accepted it, it had been glorious. It still was. Even after all this time, Lisa still felt a sense of wonder as she watched Ranma sleep beside her and she could see the same sense of wonder in Ranma's eyes when Ranma looked at her.

Oh, they still had their hiccoughs, as did any couple, but Lisa never feared losing Ranma in that way anymore. She did fear losing Ranma to battle, or in some stupid flying accident, but it was something she had to deal with. Ranma wasn't some exquisite creature to be kept in a gilded cage, safe and protected. She was made to fly free, but unlike Karl, she would never fly far from Lisa. Though the future held different roles for them, they would always be a part of each other's world.

Lisa thought about what the future held for them as she blotted the sweat from her lover's forehead and gently stroked her fiery hair.

When the new government had taken control, some months ago after the mission to retrieve the factory satellite, they reorganized the flag rank officers and Lisa had been promoted to Fleet Admiral. Lisa was given command of the Solar Expeditionary Fleet, whose mission was two fold; go forth and explore near-Solar System space and try to establish diplomatic relations with any of Sol's neighbors.

Her flagship would be the SDF-2, which would be christened 'Amaterasu no Kami' upon its commissioning soon. Her fleet would also include the SDF-3, to be christened 'Hiryuu' under the command of Roy Fokker. Roy had accepted a promotion to Admiral and Claudia, who was now a Captain, would be his XO.

Ranma had reluctantly accepted a promotion to Vice Admiral and would be the Fleet CAG for the entire fleet air wing. This included all fighter, recon, and transport operations. She had only accepted the position with the understanding that she would still fly missions and wouldn't be chained down to a desk pushing papers all the time.

In contrast, Rick Hunter had all but given up flying, accepting a promotion to Captain and given command of one of the SEF's heavy cruisers. Minmei was to be his XO. Akane and Azonia, now married, had also opted to be assigned to the SEF. Azonia was given command of another heavy cruiser and Akane would be her CAG in charge of the small, four-squadron group of the new model of Veritechs, called Alphas, that would fly from each heavy cruiser.

In addition to the two improved SDF designs and the four all-new heavy cruiser models, the fleet would also consist of eight new light cruisers. These would carry no fighters and were mainly heavy weapons platforms whose role would be to defend the capitol ships. Sixteen new destroyer models would support the light cruisers in their role. Also there would be ten new stealth frigates which would be used for picket duty, providing the fleet with an early warning should other vessels approach them. Lastly, the fleet would have two refinery ships which would provide reaction mass for the Veritechs and other smaller, fuel-using vessels, and two large cargo/tanker ships which would carry supplies and store the reaction mass produced by the refinery ships.

All told, Lisa would be in charge of a fleet of 44 ships. Her grandfather would have been proud of her. At the age of 29, she would be in command of a powerful fleet on an important mission. It was the Hayes clan tradition at its finest. Hopefully she could remove the stain on her clan's honor that her father created.

Lisa looked up from her beautiful, if bedraggled wife at her mother-in-law seated at Ranma's other side. The elegant woman's marriage to Admiral Henry Gloval had been a beautiful event. Ranma had once again found herself roped into being the maid of honor and Lisa had again been a bridesmaid. It seemed to happen with astonishing frequency. The roles had been reversed during Roy and Claudia's wedding, though. Lisa had been the maid of honor and Ranma had been a bridesmaid.

This all caused Ranma to grumble a little about how people liked to get her into formal overly feminine gowns, but she soon got caught up in the spirit of the event. Ranma would always be a tomboy, but she had long since accepted that there were times when her womanhood would require her to appear the delicate and proper lady.

With Nodoka's marriage to Gloval, Lisa was thrilled that her children would have a fine grandfather. She was also happy that she and Ranma finally had a father figure they could respect. In fact, their new father had taken right to the role and was currently sitting in the waiting room with Yoshima, anxiously awaiting the birth of his newest grandchild.

The only dark spot on the horizon was that the children would most likely not get to know their grandparents for some time. The SDF-1 having Macross City aboard had worked so well that it was decided to continue the trend with the new SDF class ships. The personnel in the SEF would be bringing their families and civilians would be allowed to volunteer to live aboard them in cities much like Macross. Unlike, Macross, the civilians wouldn't be forced to stay aboard.

Gloval was put in charge of all military forces, promoted to Grand Admiral, the highest ranking military officer in the Solar System and direct commander of the Terran Defense Fleet, of which the SDF-1 was the flagship of. He and Nodoka would be staying on Earth. Sadly, this meant that they wouldn't get to see much of their grandchildren.

Defense of the Solar system would be bolstered by the Zentradi Fleet. Mars had aquired a new moon in the form of Dolza's former flagship. Plans to terraform the red planet were being made and it would be the new Zentradi homeworld.

Lisa was shaken out of her reverie by a particularly loud scream by her wife and Kasumi's announcement of the imminent arrival of their newest child. She smiled reassuringly at Ranma and gave her hand a squeeze. Looking the sweat-soaked, bedraggled little redhead, Lisa could appreciate why Ranma had been so reluctant to go through this. Lisa also knew that it would all be worth it when Ranma held the child that had grown inside her body in her arms for the first time.

The scene was much similar to the one that had played out with Yoshima's birth, Kasumi gently urging Ranma to push, Ranma screaming and sweating with the effort and pain, Lisa blotting her brow and gently speaking words of encouragement. Finally, the cries of a newborn filled the room and Kasumi announced the arrival of their healthy new daughter.

Lisa watched the tender moment with tears in her eyes as Ranma held their daughter, Ursula Saotome-Hayes. The look of awe and wonder on Ranma's tired face was something that Lisa would hold in her heart for the rest of her life. She also found that Ranma was right, as she felt a passionate upwelling of love for the mother and the child she helped to create. She giggled through the tears of joy running down her cheeks as she thought about the fact that she had fathered this little girl.

Ranma looked up from the baby and gave Lisa a look of utter love, inviting her closer to share in the moment. As Lisa greeted her daughter, she looked forward to sharing all the things that Ranma had shared with her, for indeed, Lisa had also had a sympathetic pregnancy along with Ranma and could share in the motherly duties such as breast feeding.

Lisa couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of optimism in this moment, looking into the crystalline blue eyes of her daughter. She was as happy as she could have ever imagined and she owed it all to the exquisite redhead holding their child.

(oOO/Oo)

January 2016...

Ranma held her wife's hand as they looked out the shuttle window at their new home, the Amaterasu no Kami. It was a magnificent ship, slightly larger than its predecessor, gleaming in the unfiltered light from the sun.

"Yo-chan, Ursa-chan, come look," Ranma said cheerfully.

"What, Okasan, what?" her 2 year old daughter asked running up.

"See out there, Princess?" Ranma said pulling the small, blue-eyed, redheaded version of Lisa into her lap and pointing out the window. "That's going to be our new home."

"Really?" Ursula asked in childish wonder.

"Yup," Ranma grinned.

Lisa smiled as she pulled Yoshima into her lap and stroked his black hair as he looked out the window too.

"Neat," the little boy said enthusiastically.

Both children were proving to be astronomically intelligent, the intelligence of both parents combining in them, and if Ranma had anything to say about it, and she did, they would be physically gifted as well. Though Ranma hadn't begun their formal training in the art yet, she played with them often, developing their coordination and grace. By the time they began their formal training, they would be miles ahead of children their age.

Behind them sat Toufuu and a very pregnant Kasumi. It was expected that Kasumi would be giving birth to the very first child of Amaterasu City while the fleet was on its shake down voyage.

Civilians hadn't yet been included to the ship's compliment yet as the fleet would be taking a quick arc around the Solar System about a few hundred light years out to work out the bugs that might crop up. It was largely a safety precaution in case something went wrong. Once they were sure everything was going to work properly, they would return after a few months and begin taking on civilian volunteers.

Ranma looked at Lisa and smiled brightly. She leaned over and stole a quick kiss from her wife.

"Are you excited, Love?" Ranma asked gently.

"You always excite me, Sweetie," Lisa smiled back.

"I mean about taking command of your new fleet," Ranma said with a slight blush.

"Yeah," Lisa grinned. "I'm sorry to be leaving Mom and Dad behind, but I'm looking forward to exploring the stars. It'll be fantastic to meet new and interesting races of beings, and we might even find other lost races of humans, like the Zentradi."

"It's bound to be an adventure," Ranma laughed.

The shuttle began its approach to the docking bay of the Amaterasu no Kami and its passengers eagerly looked forward to finding out what the future held for them.

(oOO/Oo)

The End