---

    Since the beginning of time, infinite battles have been fought. Some
were petty, others were heroic. However, only a few could be compared to
the one held between a misguided godling and a courageous martial
artist, in a time when magic had been almost forgotten, and true
warriors were rare.

    The godling was ancient, for he was immortal, and thus had lived for
millennia upon millennia. Over the centuries, he had been given many
names. Some called him the Master of Fire, for his true form was that of
an eternal flame. To others, he was the Traveler of the Air, for his
strong wings could reach the highest clouds. He was also named the
Phoenix King, for he was the ruler of the bird-people, but his own
people simply called him Lord Saffron. He was powerful, and wise in the
ways of fighting, but he he had come to allow his pride and anger
control his actions. Because of this, he grew irritable, and hateful
towards humanity. Some believed him foolish, many thought he was evil.

    The martial artist, on the other hand, was still young, and had not
achieved so many titles yet. All he owned was his name, Ranma Saotome;
all he trully needed was his honor, nothing else. Truth to tell, he was
proud, and arrogant, too. This earned him many enemies, but he had a
good heart, which gained him even more friends.

    From the day he started crawling, he was taught the Art. And as the
years passed by, he became strong, agile, skilful in the martial arts:
the perfect warrior, an artist of war. The Art was his whole life, his
reason to exist. He was heir to the Anything-Goes School of Martial
Arts, and that was his place in the world.

    On a certain day, he met Akane, the daughter of one master of
Anything-Goes, and got engaged--through an arrangement of their parents.
And despite all their differences, and their constant bickering, and
their prides, and all the people who wanted to see them separated, and
all the people who wanted to see them together, and his reluctance to
admit it, he fell in love with her.

    After that, everything changed.

    For, although the Art was still a big part of who he was, and who he
wanted to be, it didn't seem as important as it had before when compared
to Akane: taking care of her became his reason to exist, for _she_ was
his whole life now. His place in the world was by her side, and he would
have died for her. Or killed.

    On many occasions, Akane was kidnapped or endangered, and every
single time Ranma fought harder than ever before, and rescued her. Thus,
everyone came to believe he would always win, for, after all, doesn't
the hero always save the damsel in distress?

    No, he doesn't.

    But when Saffron came and told Ranma his fiancee would die if he
lost, Ranma's companions couldn't help but think: 'There is nothing to
worry about. Ranma will win once again, and Akane will be safe.' And
they were both right and wrong.

    Seconds became minutes, and minutes hours, but however hard Ranma
tried, he couldn't overcome his opponent. Yet Ranma knew time was
crucial, and it was quickly running out. He had to go all out, even if
there was the danger of killing his enemy.

    To kill in cold blood… Skilled in the martial arts as he was,
never before had he been forced to kill. There had always been another
option, a way out. Not this time. Could he really do it? And so deeply
did he love Akane that there was only one answer: yes.

    Thus he called upon his innermost power, one he had forbidden
himself to ever use. One that promised hunger and thirst, and countless
nightmares. An energy the like of which had never before been witnessed
by human eyes ran through his veins, filling his heart, his lungs, his
whole being. In that moment, he became a god. He was able to destroy
cities at a whim; he could easily obliterate entire mountains, overthrow
governments. He could have done anything he wanted, no one could have
stopped him… and that scared him. But seeing Saffron moving to attack,
he waited no more, and with a blast of raw energy, as pure and white as
snow and bright as a newborn star, he sent the godling to his death for
the first time in centuries.

    Ranma hurried to his love's side and held her gently to him, but it
was too late. No matter how loudly he shouted her name, she would not
wake up. So he cried for hours, and when he had no more tears to pour,
he simply died. In mind and spirit, he died. And he was sure his body
would follow soon. Everything had been taken from him: he had no goal,
no hopes, no future. Surrendering to his grief, he lay down on the grass
to wait for the end.

    But Destiny, that mysterious master, had other plans for him, and
would not let his life go to waste. So the martial artist fell asleep,
and dreams were sent to him. He dreamed about the past and the future,
about things that had already been, and things that might be, and about
a war, and his place in it. When he finally awoke, the grief was still
in him, but he was also alive. He had found a reason to live.

---


DISCLAIMER: Ranma ½ belongs to the brilliant Takahashi Rumiko.
Robotech is owned by Harmony Gold USA, Inc. No copyright infringement is
intended.

This story is based on McKinney's books.

 ___________________________________

        SILENT BATTLES

        A Ranma ½ / Robotech crossover

        by Latin_D (latin_d@uol.com.ar)

 ___________________________________


Chapter 1: Crossroads

---

    Ranma walked slowly through the streets of Macross, enjoying the
comforting warmth of the shining sun. The sidewalk was beautifully
shadowed by the leaves of the tall carobs that had been planted all over
the city. In a small park, children giggled loudly while they ran.

    How peaceful it was here! That was what he loved about this place.
Since he was a little innocent kid, his life had been all rush and
excitement: training all the time, always fighting for his life, and, of
course, the occasional curse, potion or spice…

    Well, he was tired now. Tired of all the craziness, of all the
problems. He just wanted--needed--calm. Some quiet place for resting and
thinking. For deciding what to do with his life. Maybe after he got rid
of those flowers he could stay in Macross and open a dojo of his own.
Yes! And then he could find Ryoga--with enough time he was pretty sure
he could. And…

    He stopped himself with determination. This was neither the time nor
the place to daydream. He had to be patient. First he was going to do
what he had come to that island for. Then he would make plans for the
future.

    He closed his eyes, a contented smile on his face. Outstretching his
senses to their limits, he could feel every single thing happening
around him, no matter how trivial it seemed to be: the gentlest breeze,
the tiniest leaf shaking in the trees, the almost non-existent sound he
made while walking, the hardness of the lamp post against his
cheekbone…

    Ranma picked himself up from the sidewalk staring all the time at
the now demolished obstacle. He couldn't believe he had been so
engrossed in the beauty of the day as to drop his defenses. How could he
be such an idiot? Constant awareness was the only reason he had survived
the harsh years that followed his departure from Nerima. As always when
he thought of his former home, memories of better times flooded his
mind.

---

    The forest had seemed endless. The air was so hot and oppressive
that they had had trouble breathing. They had walked for hours and
hours, and all they were able to see in every direction had been trees.
Well, that was not entirely true. They saw trees, bushes, weeds,
climbers and more trees. And insects, lots of them. Clouds of tireless
mosquitoes surrounded and followed them during the whole trip, no matter
what they tried to do to repel the irritating bugs. It had been
unbearable. He had no idea what Hell was like, but he was pretty sure
those winged torturers lived there.

    Only that stupid father of his could call that a training ground.
They hadn't even been able to find a clearing to set up camp! Where were
they supposed to train? Oh, he had been _so_ angry with his idiotic
pop… If he had just been there, he would have let him know how pleased
he had been with his choice. But, of course, the old man stayed on the
shore, fresh and comfortable. 'Taking care of the boat,' he said. The
nerve of that guy. Like there was anyone on that island forgotten by the
gods…

    But Ranma had not been alone. Akane had come with him. Always by his
side, in every battle, in the saddest moments. Of course, he hadn't
appreciated it then, not at all. He had called her a nuisance, told her
to leave him alone. Yet, she had stayed and taken care of him. How could
he have been so blind?

    Finally, they found a nice, quiet spot with almost no trees. Genma
arrived just as they finished setting up their camp, his timing suspicious
and all too convernient. Three entire days they spent in that clearing,
working out and training all the time. Yet on the morning of the fourth
day, something changed their routine.

    The sun was beginning to show its bright face in the East, but Oyaji
was still asleep in his tent, exhausted though he had only sparred for a
few hours. He was definitely getting old. Resting next to the campfire,
Akane and he had been talking about nothing, chit-chatting, both
comfortable with each other's presence. It was incredible how well they
fared when there were no fiancees or enemies to keep them apart. Yes,
incredible.

    After some time, they stopped talking and lay down on the grass side
by side, gazing at the cotton-like clouds that populated the sky. They
even held hands for a while. Seeing her there, so perfect and beautiful
under the sunlight, so relaxed and full with peace, made Ranma realize
the moment had arrived. It was finally the right and perfect time to
confess his feelings for her. Well… At least, he had thought so. He
had had no way of knowing what was about to happen.

    He was about to start with the always-difficult task of talking to
Akane without putting his foot in his mouth, when she suddenly called
him, "Ranma, look! In the sky--it's a falling star!"

    And indeed, as soon as he looked up, he caught sight of a glowing
point flying swiftly though the sky. It was leaving behind a shining
path of fire that seemed to originate from the sun, as if a piece of the
star had decided to meet the Earth at last. Ranma stared, mesmerized,
for some minutes, his former intentions forgotten for the time being. He
used to look at the stars for hours when he was living in the road with
his father, but he had never seen anything like that.

    That's something he would have loved to do: travel through the
space, see the galaxy--like an astronaut. Ha! Could you imagine that?
Ranma Saotome: the astronaut. 'Ryoga would laugh for a whole hour if I
told that to him,' thought Ranma, shaking his head. Soon, the falling
star had got out of sight, hidden behind the horizon.

    "You should make a wish, Ranma. They say it always comes true,"
Akane said with that caring, warm voice he would always remember as hers
in later years.

    Not knowing what Fate had in store for him, he had thought it was a
good idea. Wrong decision.

    "Um… Okay."

    His first choice was one that would make the Devil proud: power. He
foolishly wanted to be the best martial artist in the world. However, he
suddenly remembered his curse. He also needed a cure, didn't he? What
was the use of being the best if you are only a half-man? 'Besides, I
_already_ am the best,' Ranma thought, a cocky grin in his lips.

    Finally, too late, he came to his senses. He wished for him and
Akane to be together. He had finally come to an agreement with his own
feelings. He was in lo--he had feelings for the tomboy, there was no
denying it. All other engagements be damned, he would face the
consequences. But he never had the opportunity to probe his words.

    He was staring into the distance, lost in thought, when the glowing
point reappeared over the ocean. In that moment, the island started
shaking.

---

    Ranma stopped rummaging through his brown leather backpack and,
taking out a white envelope, resumed walking.  Opening the envelope, he
grabbed the old-looking photograph it contained and held it aloft. It
showed a young man in his thirties, dressed in an immaculate sailor
suit. He was wearing extremely polished knee-high boots, and had so many
medals on his shirt it seemed impossible to find place to hang a new
one. He had dark hair, and the beginnings of a moustache were evident.
The man was smiling and waving to the camera, while in the background a
gray warship appeared about to leave, from the frantic activity evident
in the port. Looking closely, Ranma discovered a Russian flag painted in
the ship's hull, something he hadn't noticed before.

    'Mom said Uncle Henry'd be waiting for me. I hope he remembers me,'
Ranma thought while putting the photo in his pocket. After all, he
himself barely remembered the man. He hadn't seen Uncle Henry since he
was a little boy, before going off on the infamous ten-year-long
training trip. How was he going to recognize him? All he had was an old
photo, and it was twenty years old!

    'It doesn't matter,' he decided. Luck was on his side for the first
time in many long, never-ending years. An uncle working in the famous
SDF-1; it was almost too much to believe. He just hoped he had an
important position--he really needed to get inside that ship.

    He was slowly but steadily approaching the airshow. Many people were
walking in the same direction, all laughing and chatting. He supposed it
wasn't strange they were in a good mood, with a free show on such a
beautiful day.

    He could see the spaceship in more detail now. It was amazing! This
was the second time he had seen it, and the one thing that struck him
the most was its sheer size. Ranma couldn't help but marvel at how huge
it actually was. He was sure the entire city of Macross could fit
inside. And it wasn't just big, it also looked powerful. It seemed this
single ship could take on an entire army without even trying. He didn't
remember it being so imposing. Of course, it had been a broken and burnt
wreck the last time…

---

    Ranma had known nothing then about the Super Dimensional Fortress
One, or about the importance its arrival would have for the human race.
He and Akane had witnessed three orbits of the mysterious object, each
closer to the Earth and more catastrophic than the last, until it had
finally decided to abandon the air. The overheated spaceship's hull met
the ocean within their sight, vaporizing millions of gallons of water in
less than a second. A white cloud  emerged as if by magic to hide it.

    "Wha-what is it?" Akane asked, stumbling over her words. Her face
was deathly pale.

    "I don't know," Ranma shouted above the rumble, "but whatever it is,
it's _really_ big, and it's coming really fast.  Let's get out of here!"
He scooped her up in his arms and ran for the coast, a fully-awake Genma
at his heels.

    He flew through the forest at full speed, getting hurt many times by
low-hanging branches but not caring at all. Despite all his effort, they
hadn't covered more than a few miles when the SDF-1 finally crashed
against the island. Metal met earth and rock, and crumpled and changed,
screaming its pain. The collision was deafening. So much so, that Ranma
was stunned by it, and thus didn't react at first when a tree was sent
flying through the air in his direction.

    "Ranma!" Akane cried, terrified.

    That had been enough. Using every ounce of experience in the martial
arts he had, he jumped high in the air, barely avoiding the impending
trunk. Landing safely on the ground, he hurried with his father behind a
large gray boulder.

    "That was a close one."

    Akane was still in his arms. "You think so?" she asked, sarcasm in
her voice.

     Peering over the rock, they could see how their abandoned tent
collapsed under a trunk. Miles behind it, the spaceship was gliding over
the rocky ground, the friction and its unbelievable weight eroding its
initial speed.

    "It's slowing down." Ranma had always had an uncanny ability to
state the obvious.

    "Yes, b--" Interrupting her, Ranma tackled Akane to the ground, a
big boulder missing her head by mere inches.

    A rain of debris and chunks of wood ensued, and they again dove for
cover. After what seemed like eternity to the unfortunate campers, it
finally stopped and the ground became still again, signaling the end of
the ship's journey through Macross Island. An eerie peace followed,
almost unreal when compared to the recent havoc.

    Slowly, almost fearful of what they were about to see, Akane and
Ranma stood up and gazed at the alien spacecraft. Theirs had been the
first human eyes to fall upon the SDF-1, and though they hadn't
understood it then, a new era had begun.

    "Ranma, what _is_ that thing?" Akane asked, her eyes wide and fixed
in the blackened monstrosity.

    "I don't know, Akane. I don't know."

    Astonishingly, the ship itself, though burnt and obviously damaged,
seemed to be in one piece. It barely fit on the tiny island, and was
quickly cooling in the fresh morning air. The nearby forest, however,
had not been so lucky. It had been devastated during the unexpected
landing: a large crater surrounded the wreck where the land had
crumbled, and outside its area, most of the trees were uprooted or
leafless and dead. Their tent was still where they had set it, though
partly burnt and under a pile of fallen trees.

    Ranma was no engineer, but it amazed him that something had been
able to stand such a crash. It had to be some secret government project,
maybe a new weapon constructed by the Neasians. Or it could be some kind
of UFO, come from another pl--He really had to stop reading so much
manga, it brought strange ideas to his head.

    Whatever it was, something about it made his hair stand on end. He
couldn't be sure, being so far from the smoldering ship, but he thought
he could see movement in its hull. Perhaps he ought to take a look at
that thing. 'Yeah, that's exactly what I should do,' he decided.

    "Akane, wait here," Ranma said, and started walking towards the
wreck. "Started" was about right, because before he could make one step
in its direction, Akane's hand caught him by his shirt, halting him.

    "Where do you think you are going?!" she thundered, anger and
concern evident in her voice. "It could be dangerous!"

    "Hey! I'm gonna check that thing out. What if there's some survivor
or something? We can't just leave him there," he reasoned. In those
days, he had been trying not to snap at Akane and instead try to explain
things to her. Even though most of the time his temper had still got the
better of him, there had been occasions when it actually worked. His
body had definitely _not_ been missing the extra beatings.

    "Maybe you are right," she conceded grudgingly, "but I'll go with
you," she finished in a tone that left no room for discussion. Ranma
didn't want to argue with her, not that day, so he wisely kept his mouth
shut.

    "Okay, you can come. What about you, Pop?"

     "Uh…" Genma's brow glistened with sweat as he fearfully looked at
the wreck. "I don't feel that good, I think I may be coming down with
something. Why don't you both go? I'll go and prepare the boat so we can
leave quickly when you return. Yes, that's exactly what I'll do." He
started edging away from the couple.

    "Take care of your fiancee, boy." Turning around, he practically ran
toward the forest.

    They stared in the direction he had gone for a moment. Then, shaking
their heads, they headed to the ship.

    Several minutes later, Ranma and Akane stood by the wreckage,
dwarfed by its colossal size. The looming structure lay motionless
before them, but Ranma couldn't notice anything strange or unusual about
it. Well, except for the fact that it had come from nowhere and that it
was unbelievably large. Perhaps he had been letting his imagination run
away with him. Perhaps.

    "What do we do now?" Akane asked, neck arched back trying to gauge
the ruin's height.

    "What else? We get into this… whatever, and see if there's
anyone."

    'Actually, _I_ get inside it and you stay waiting safely outside,'
Ranma added mentally.

    "I know that, you jackass!" the youngest Tendo snapped. "What I
meant was _how_ we were going to get in."

    Good point. "Well, I suppose I could break a hole big enough for
us." Walking towards the ship's battered hull, he gave the metallic
surface a tentative blow. When he pulled his fist back, there wasn't
even the slightest mark on it.

    "What the…" Increasing the strength of his blows, he proceeded to
give the spaceship the pounding of its existence. However, even after
several tries, the metal was hardly dented and didn't seem about to give
in.

    "This is tough stuff," Ranma reccognized while gently rubbing his
sore hand. "Maybe with a ki-blast…" he trailed off, realizing for the
first time that Akane was nowhere to be seen. Panicking, he started
frantically searching for any sign of her, when he suddenly heard a
voice calling to him from the distance.

    "Ranma! Over here!" Akane was no more than a couple hundred feet
away, standing next to some sort of circular protuberance and waving for
him to come. "I think I found a hatch!"

    Behind her, the hatch snapped open.

---

    Up in the air, six planes flew in tight formation. Ranma, led by the
stares of the awed public, caught sight of them, and couldn't help but
be impressed at these beautiful fighters. Though he wasn't very
interested in war machines, Ranma had seen quite a lot of different
combat planes during his life--as had every other person who lived in
the Global Civil War times. None had looked like these: precise, swift,
sleek, deathly. A shiny canopy and lots of ammo completed the picture.

    He thought he remembered hearing about them somewhere. "Veritech
fighters" they were called, if his memory worked. One of the new United
Earth Government's most secret projects. Well, at least as secret as
every other thing even remotely related to the so-called Robotechnology
was those days. He wondered what all the fuss was about; they weren't
anything more than a new model of plane, right?

    For a moment, he wondered how it would feel like to pilot a plane
like those ones, but after a moment of consideration he dropped the
idea, berating himself for even thinking about it. 'Who needs a plane
when your own _body_ takes to the air like a duck to water?' Ranma
thought, following the fighters while they cut the air at speeds
believed impossible just a few decades ago. After all, could the pilots
feel the wind over their skin while they fly? Could they breathe this
gentle sea breeze inside their locked pressurized cockpits? No, they
couldn't. They were in a prison of metal and circuits, completely
dependant on machines to stay alive. He probably knew more freedom while
he roof-hopped than they did in their whole life.

    Around him, people gasped in amazement as the white Veritechs
executed a dive, only to level up at the last possible moment. Yet, no
matter what these Veritech fighters could do, to Ranma there was only
one star in this show: the SDF-1. In his eyes, nothing could even begin
to be compared with the titanic spaceship that had burst into his life
so long ago.

    Trying to get sight of the ship, he turned around--only to bump his
head against a man's back. Quickly apologizing, he looked around, but
all he could see were faces of strangers. Somehow, he was lost in a sea
of people. Unbelievable. One minute he was watching some planes, and the
next thing he knew, he was in the middle of a crowd of thousands. Funny
that he got lost heading towards a spaceship that was in full view.
Maybe this was how Ryoga felt.

    Not far from where he was standing, a platform had been erected. At
that moment, the public address system announced the start of the
demonstration. Some guy dressed in a military dress uniform appeared on
the stage, and the throng greeted him fervently. Tall and proud, with
finely chiseled features and a thick mop of blond hair, he fell into a
relaxed posture, hands locked behind his back. Certainly good looking.
Handsome even, if you liked the pilot jock type.

    'Heh, I'm much more handsome!' Ranma gloated to himself. 'Besides,
It's not like I need an uniform to attract girls… Yeah, I can use
either martial arts or Pop's arrangements for that.'

    Chuckling, he tried to decide what to do next. Maybe he could jump
over the crowd… No. That would put him in the spotlight, and that's
something he definitely didn't need right now.

    'Oh, well. I guess I'll have to do it the hard way,' he thought
resignedly. Slowly making his way through the people, he heard the roar
of the planes' engines as they executed a pass over the stage. No time
to see the show. He had people to see, business to attend.

    There only was one thing he didn't understand: what were they all
laughing about?

---

    As if in slow motion, Ranma had seen the hatch open, both halves
sliding apart almost soundlessly. Five segmented metallic tentacles shot
swiftly out from the dark hole. Not wasting time, one of them snaked
towards an unsuspecting Akane, who still hadn't noticed them. It had
happened all too quickly.

    "Akane! Get out of there!" he yelled, but it was already too late.

    One of those nightmarish tentacles caught Akane in an iron grip, and
started waving her through the air.

    "Ranma! Help me!" Akane screamed, struggling against it to no avail.

    Not stopping running for a moment, he shot a Moko Takabisha to the
tentacle that held Akane. It broke in half and went limp, immediately
releasing its prey. Using another of the tentacles as a springboard, he
caught Akane as she was falling down and, without even looking back, ran
for the woods.

    "It's okay, Akane. It's okay," he whispered in her ear while still
running, trying to calm her sobbing fiancee.

    When they reached the beach, Akane was still a bit shaken, but she
seemed to be calming down rather quickly. He guessed living in Nerima
had somehow hardened her, or something. He started to put their stuff in
the boat when Akane suddenly gave a yelp. He whirled around, half-
expecting to see more of those damned tentacles attacking them.

    "Oh, no! I forgot my backpack in the tent!" she hurriedly said. "I
have to go back to get it! My diary is in it!"

    "Wait!" Ranma practically screamed. "It's too dangerous! Wait!" But
she was already disappearing in the trees. He started to go after her,
but Genma raised a hand, stopping him.

    "Don't go, boy," he said, a serious expression in his face. "She can
take care of herself. Besides, you won't be able to follow her through
such dense vegetation."

    "But she--"

    "She is a martial artist, too. Now come here and help your poor
father to get these heavy things into the boat."

    "Get out of here, old fart!" He kicked him in the face and sent him
flying towards the sea.

    'But he's probably right. She'll get mad at me if I go after her.
Maybe I should wait for a while,' he thought. Casting a last worried
glance in the SDF-1's direction, he turned around and slowly walked to
the boat.

    Five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes passed, and Akane hadn't
come back yet.

    "Pop!" Ranma called. "I can't wait any more! I'm gonna go look for
her!"

    Magic words, those were, because as they left his mouth, a puffing
Akane stepped into the beach. Kneeling in the yellow sand, she panted
for breath. She was carrying her black leather backpack.

    "Where were you?! What took you so long?!" he snapped as he hurried
to her side and helped her to her feet.

    "Oh, Ranma. You won't believe this. I found the strangest--" She
never finished this sentence.

     "There's no time to talk. We've got to get going. I don't wanna
spend a minute more on this island."

    Akane nodded, and they quickly gathered the few things Genma had
managed to rescue from the campsite.

    As their boat left the island, a group of choppers appeared in the
horizon.

---

    'This must be the place,' the pig-tailed martial artist ventured to
himself as he gazed at the small wooden sentry box behind the tall wire
fence. About a dozen soldiers stood next to it, all of them with
menacing rifles at the ready. He couldn't see their features clearly, as
they were effectively hidden by the shadow projected by the SDF-1, which
lay no more than a few dozens miles ahead, blocking the sun. But as he
reached the control post, one of them approached him and, without
opening the gate, asked him what he was doing there.

    'So, this is a restricted area?' Ranma wondered. 'But Uncle Henry's
letter says I have to go through here… Okay, time to see if I know the
right people.'

    "Wait a sec'," he said, cutting the soldier in mid-speech. "I have
an invitation for today's ceremonies." He handed the invitation his
uncle had sent him with the letter and couldn't help but smirk when the
man's eyes widened in surprise.

    'Well, well, well. It seems he has an important position after all.
Much better,' Ranma thought as he waited for the sentries to get
confirmation.

    The day was just getting better and better.

    Not having anything better to do, he started looking around lazily.
To his left, to his right, up, and down his gaze traveled. He studied
the soldiers. They were all wearing green and brown fatigues and brown
boots. Looking carefully, Ranma distinguished the letters "RDF" neatly
embroidered in the fabric. They seemed very relaxed, calmly chatting
among themselves, some smiling or even laughing.

    'Well, it's a happy day for them, I suppose,' Ranma reasoned. He
knew--as virtually every other person over the world--that the SDF-1 was
going to be launched and thus would leave Macross today, and the rest of
the military personnel would surely follow. They probably had several
off-duty days ahead.

    He studied their weapons. Glossy black, nasty-looking, _really_ big
rifles. They were immaculate and looked brand new. Everything was shiny
and at its prime that day. Or so it looked like.

    Sad. They really don't understand. No mater how many times they
polish their rifles, they will still be ugly. They won't ever obtain
grace through simple shine. There's no honor in bullets, just as there's
no honor in war, Ranma stated in his mind.

    'What was that?!' he wondered after a short pause. 'I think Kuno is
rubbing off on me. Next thing I know, I'll be reciting bad poetry and
kissing my female side in the mirror.'

    Then, he studied the SDF-1. So full of secrets, so mysterious. Who
had sent it? With what purpose? Would anyone ever come back to reclaim
it? So many questions… and the answers were inside the ship itself, he
was certain.

    He studied himself. He might be a few years older, but, in his
humble and unbiased opinion, he looked better than ever. At twenty-six,
he was taller and slightly more muscular--but he still had that Saotome
charm his father used to talk about. Of course, he was wearing his old
short-sleeved red silken shirt and the usual black pants. He couldn't
remember the last time he had worn a different clothes. Sure, sometimes,
when the weather was cold, he changed this shirt for the long-sleeved
one, but that didn't count. Maybe he ought to change his style… Nah.
Probably no one would recognize him if he did so.

    Finally, he slowly looked upwards, and there, a tiny orb in the
firmament, was the moon. Quiet, desert, peaceful moon. Ancient, eternal
moon. So beautiful… And yet, as he stared at it, something nagged him.
There was something odd about it, something wrong… Argh! He just
couldn't put his finger on it.

    It must be my imagination, he calmed himself and forcefully averted
his gaze. He never looked back at the moon during that day.

    'What's taking them so long?' he asked himself. 'I don't have much
time!' Ten minutes had passed and the soldier was still on the phone.

    He had heard a news bulletin saying that the SDF-1 was leaving in
its maiden flight at three o'clock in the afternoon. That left… only
two and a half hours to get inside and do his business.

    'Be patient, calm down,' he ordered himself. Patience was one of the
things he had never learned. He was fairly good at meditation, but that
was a complete diferent thing.

    At that moment, the soldier finally hung up, a perplexed look in his
face.

    'It's about time!' Ranma couldn't help but think as the sentry
opened the fence's gate. He stepped through it, ignoring the other
soldiers, and started walking towards the spaceship at a fast pace. A
few more miles. Just a few more miles and he could start.

    Suddenly, as it had so many years ago, the island of Macross started
to shake. Startled, Ranma noticed movement on the starship's bow. There,
between the twin booms that formed the front of the ship, a show of
light and sound started. Red-orange energy circled around and between
the booms, connecting them in a bridge of flame. Whirling, spinning,
dancing, it almost seemed alive in Ranma's eyes. A high-pitched sound
came out from the booms as the energy began concentrating in their tips.
Finally, the SDF-1's main gun shot forth a tower of starflame, raw
energy erupting from its bow and howling off into the distance. A
powerful shockwave swept the trembling spaceship's surroundings,
throwing Ranma off his feet and into the ground.

    Soon, the rumble stopped. He slowly put his head in his hands. 'Why
do these things always happen to me?' he silently asked, but no one
answered.

    As he stood up, he could hear alarms going off in the city.

---

To be continued…