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. (oO\O/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. (oO\O/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." (oO\O/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." (oO\O/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. (oO\O/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. (oO\O/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
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