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Rick made a dismissive gesture。 〃Don't give me that Robotech Academy superiority。 I'm talking about bat experience。〃
Lisa crossed her arms to keep him from noticing that she was shaking with anger。 Her foot tapped reflexively。
〃Do you need to be reminded of the conversation we had yesterday…the one where you plained about my always being ‘safe and sound on the bridge'？ Now I'm out here with you； and I still can't do anything right in your eyes。 It's a no…win situation with you； mister。〃
Rick softened somewhat。 〃Look； it's just that I feel more。。。I don't know； vulnerable； with you around。 You're always getting yourself in a fix； just like on Sara Base…〃
〃Hunter！〃 she screamed。 〃You're an idiot！ Just who appointed you my personal guardian？〃
〃Someone's gotta protect you from yourself。〃
She looked around for something to throw at him； but Dixon would be too heavy and there was nothing else on the grid。
〃Who had to be towed in after pletely destroying the armored Battloid； Lieutenant？〃
Rick's face went red with rage and embarrassment。
〃You think fighting these Zentraedi is some kind of cakewalk？ Maybe you didn't see that guy tear my mecha apart with his bare hands； huh？〃
〃No； I didn't see it。 I was in the sack； remember？〃
〃Yeah； well。。。〃
〃Yeah； well；〃 she mimicked him； and turned away。
Ben Dixon was ing to； stretching and yawning as though he'd just taken a terrific nap。
He looked around and asked if he had missed anything。
Rick shot Lisa a cruel look and stepped over to his corporal。 〃Uh； nothing much； Ben。 The mander and I were just discussing an escape plan。〃
Lisa smirked and looked out the bay。
〃Great；〃 Ben said。 〃When do we get started？〃
Rick said something Lisa didn't catch； she was too mesmerized by what was occurring outside the ship： The stars were being tentative； strung out； as if trailing threads of light behind them。
My God。 She realized what she was seeing。 The Zentraedi were beginning a fold operation！
Back onboard the SDF…1 the period of anxious waiting had ended an hour ago with the restoration of widerange radar。 But a new period of apprehension had just begun。 The bridge had lost munication with the Cat's…Eye recon and the VTs of the Vermilion Team； and now there was evidence of fluctuations in the timespace continuum of that area。 Most of the massive enemy ships had disappeared from the scanner screen； but numerous small ships and battle mecha were still swirling around the fortress。 Gloval was certain that half the fleet had executed a spacefold。
In all his long years of military mand； Gloval had never faced a more unpredictable foe。 They had crippled his ship； threatened him with extinction； demanded surrender； and suddenly disappeared off the scopes。 Gloval was perplexed。
He instructed Sammie to try to raise mander Hayes again。
〃Negative response； sir。 I can't raise anyone at all in that Veritech group。〃
Have we lost them？ Gloval wondered。 Please； not Lisa！
〃Sir； we can't just give up on them；〃 said Sammie。
〃It could be radio trouble；〃 Claudia added。
〃I'm not about to give up on them；〃 Gloval said at last。 〃But we can't afford to sit here and wait for the enemy to return and make good their threats。〃 He hung his head。 〃We'll give them twelve hours。 Claudia； if we've had no contact with them by then； I want the ship out of this quadrant by oh…six…hundred hours。 Is that clear？〃
〃Yes； Captain。 And about mander Hayes。。。and Lieutenant Hunter and his men？〃
〃Enter their names on the list；〃 Gloval responded flatly。 〃Missing in action and presumed dead。〃
Roy Fokker seldom visited Macross City； and when he did it was usually at Claudia's insistence…dinner somewhere； a movie； or the Miss Macross pageant a while back。 It wasn't that he didn't like the place； just that he had little use for it。 Its presence onboard the SDF…1 had all but undermined the ship's original purpose。 The SDF…1 was to be Earth's guardian and defender； not surrogate or microcosm； and certainly not decoy。 As one of the men （along with Dr。 Lang and Colonel Edwards） who had first explored the ship shortly after its arrival on Earth； Fokker had a profound attachment to her。 But the spacefold accident and this resulting city had devitalized that attachment； and for the past year Fokker had e to feel more the hopeless prisoner than anything else。
His motivations for visiting the city today； however； had nothing to do with entertainment or a lover's obligation； he was here because duty demanded it of him。 Rick had been MIA for almost two weeks now； and there were people who had to be told。
Two weeks missing in action； Roy told himself。 Was it still too early to grieve； or was it too late？ Wouldn't he be able to feel the truth one way or another in his heart？ Their friendship went so far back。。。Pop Hunter's flying circus； the fateful day Rick had turned up on Macross Island； their first mission together
What was the use of tormenting himself？ When he did search his heart for feelings； he found his 〃Little Brother〃 alive…this was a certainty。 And yet； his mind would ask； what were the odds they would ever see each other again？ The SDF…1 was a million miles from that area in space where Rick and the others had last been heard from； way beyond the range of any VT。 And did it ease the pain any to think of him as a prisoner？ The Zentraedi weren't likely to hold him hostage； not when they had an entire planet at their disposal。 So maybe it was better to believe the worst； accept his death and get the grief behind him。 Then he could at least remove himself from this timeless agony and begin to court the future once again。
It might have been the need for partnership in grief that led Roy to seek out Minmei。 He； too； had been attracted to the blue…eyed Chinese girl from the start； and he liked to think that there was some special bond there； even though Minmei rarely acknowledged it by words or actions。 But that wasn't her style； anyway。 Especially now that she was on the brink of stardom。 In fact； the 〃Queen of Macross〃 was going to be headlining a concert at the Star Bowl on Monday night。
Soon she was ing down the sidewalk toward him； flanked by two of her woman friends and looking the starlet part in some sort of green military…chic shorts outfit； plete with epaulets and rank stripes。 Roy recognized it as the piece she'd worn for the Defense Force enlistment posters that had begun to show up all over the city。
Roy had been waiting for her outside the White Dragon。 As she approached； he straightened up to his full height； tugged down on his belted jacket； and waved to her。
She came at him with a big smile； increasing her pace and excusing herself from her friends。 Right off； she wanted to know if Rick was with him。
He returned the smile； strained though it was； and suggested they take a walk together。 She looked at him questioningly。
〃Why； Roy？ What's happened？〃
〃e on； walk with me a minute。〃
She pulled back when he tried to take her arm。
〃I don't want to take a walk； Roy！ What's happened？ Where's Rick？ Has something happened to Rick？〃
Roy faced her； placing both hands on her shoulders； towering over her。 He met her eyes and held them