[RFC] Being You is Deculture

[classicdrogn]

The SI fucks up a relationship and doesn't trivially resolve the issue within a few scenes? IMPOSSIBRU!

I like it. It shows that even if she's been pushing herself to think and act in more mature ways, Minmei does still have her own preconceptions and does still have some of that hardheaded teenage mindset when she runs into a situation where they say that she's right and any other opinion is wrong. Likewise, it puts some of Garrik's own flaws into focus and makes them plot-relevant, so the characters have to do some work and grow in order to resolve the conflict, which is always a good thing.

Having Grandma show up to straighten those young'uns out as previously discussed also links up with what you mentioned earlier about observing the cultural traditions, if I've understood what I've read about them at least; an older relative of one or both sides acting as matchmaker and facilitator fits there, right? Maybe I'm flat out wrong, or just getting too much of my information about how "traditions" go from wuxia and anime, but it's frequently depicted as making an arrangement between families as a whole rather than the two specific people involved, so if there's an argument consulting with older and at least nominally wiser heads is natural, the bright mirror of the ever popular "we've arranged this marriage for the good of the clans, you'll get used to him/her" plot. Even better if the elder in question actually talks things over with and takes the feelings of the youndsters involved into account, to further subvert the trope. Even at - was it thirtymumble? - Garrik has still hardly seen all there is to see compared to Old Enough To Put You Over My Knee, Whippersnapper.

[Black Aeronaut]

Actually, I'm a bit fuzzy on what Garrick's actually age should be here - that's one of the little continuity things I'm gonna have to fix. But likely he's going to be lying about his age, because after spending several years in Equestria, he's gonna be more like 43 than 37, and yet still looking like he's 25 instead!

As for Grandmother Lynn discussing things with other people...

I'm pretty sure that in accordance with Japanese law, until someone is the age of majority, the parents can decline any and all marriage offers. Conversely, I'm pretty sure that marriage at a very young age can happen, so long as the minor in question wants it, and it's with the parents approval.

American law is more or less the same, just with tighter age restrictions depending on which state you got your residence in.

Now, -OFFICAILLY-, Grandmother Lynn can't strong-arm anyone. But that's only on the official side of things. On the private side of things... Well, let's just say that Japanese law still to this day has an odd quirk where private family matters are left implicitly alone. And Grandmother Lynn is swearing up and down that she will make her son's life a living hell if he does not approve Minmei's engagement to Garrick.

On Garrick's behalf, we will have Captain Gloval since he is the closest thing Garrick has to a father figure. Grandmother Lynn will be meeting with him in an attempt to make some kind of arrangement. Given that Gloval likes Garrick and Minmei very much and wants to see them happy, the old Russian will gladly conspire with the Lynn Family Matriarch - if nothing else then to make sure that the legal road is clear on Garrick's end.

(Though there would be a bit of a fun moment where Grandmother Lynn demands to meet the elders of this Masaki Family that Garrick had been 'adopted' by and Auntie and Uncle are all like, "Uhm yeeaahhhh, about that...")

[Black Aeronaut]

Addendum:  Honestly, writing this interaction between Garrick and Minmei is surprisingly easily.  I can get why some authors make heavy use of things like 'Status Quo is God' and 'Holding the Idiot Ball' - it makes it easy to create conflict that helps drive the plot along.

But like I said before.  It's too cheap.  Too easy.  And it degrades both the character and the audience.  "Wait a minute.  I know this character is too smart for this idiocy.  Why aren't they doing X or Y?  It's perfectly reasonable, and I know it's not like they couldn't think of it!"

But here?  Minmei has, as Garrick describes it, a blind spot in which Kaifun occupies.  One that she absolutely refuses to look in to because with all the turmoil in her life, she wants something safe, secure, and known to hang on to.  It's like taking refuge from a storm in the harbor of an island that has the plague.  If you remain blind to the dangers inherent in such a situation, then you're going to get sick, too.  But you supposedly know this harbor because you've tied up there so many times before.  Everything is going to be fine, isn't it?  ISN'T IT?

Meanwhile, Garrick's flaws here are VERY MUCH MY OWN.  I tend to be very protective of people that I call friends or loved ones, and I am very quick to go on the offensive... or, at the very least keep an extremely close eye for any wrongdoing.  I've been through so much that I won't tolerate any one that I call My Own having to deal with the same.

Knowing what kind of person Kaifun is right off the bat, Garrick is going to bristle even at the sound of his voice.  And later on, seeing Grandmother Lynn lay into both Minmei and Kaifun - Kaifun for being an utter prick of a human being and Minmei for being a willfully ignorant fool - is going to be somewhat cathartic for Garrick.

Although, that's not to say that she won't have words for Garrick as well.  But she will be much kinder to him.  She understands all too well: his intentions are very much good, and his fears are very well founded.  But that manner in which he approaches the situation is quite ham-handed and needs work.  She would advise that, given Minmei being so young and unwary, he simply not say a word on the matter.  Doing so only alienates her and drives her closer into her cousin's clutches - a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.  (And really, something that I only now thought of as I sat down to write this post.  My own flaws at work, see?)  Whereas if he says nothing, she remains close to Garrick, and that will provide her the distance she needs to see the bigger picture.

All that said, this just makes it so easy to write out the interactions.  Authors should strive for character driven plot more often.  They'd run into far fewer blocks that way because they aren't wracking their brains trying to figure out how Character X is going to interact with Character Y because they aren't suddenly acting out of character.

A new chapter should be up soon.  I'm just looking through everything to see if there's any glaring screw-ups.

[Black Aeronaut]

Got a bigun' here.  Bit over 18,000 words.

Really, this is two chapters, and I'm going to be divvying it up as such into two posts here.

For our first bit here, we have an early meeting between the Meltrandi and the crew of the SDF-1...

---

The very next day I received a surprise: I was to report to the bridge as soon as possible.  There, the bridge crew along with Captain Gloval was waiting for me.

“Girls,” I heard Misa saying to the Bridge Bunnies as I walked through the door, “what you see and here today will be classified on a need-to-know basis.  What Lieutenant Junior-Grade Grimm will be saying will seem very strange, but you should not speak of it to anyone else.  The most important thing to remember is that Mr. Grimm is a loyal member of the UN Spacey.  He swore the oath, and he’s upholding it.  Do we understand each other?”

I went to the Captain and stood at sharp attention.

“Lieutenant Junior-Grade Grimm, reporting as ordered, sir.”

“At ease, Mr. Grimm.  You are just in time.  Before, you said we should try to parlay with Miz Azonia, yes?  Well then, the time to parlay has come.  And I feel it is best that you speak with the woman.”

“Are... Are you sure about that, sir?  Last time I don’t think I had that much of an effect on my audience.”

“Nonsense,” said the Captain.  “We spoke with your three other friends earlier yesterday.  They were quite keen on this mission, not only in the service of their people, but to see for themselves what you were talking about.  You have made an impact, Mr. Grimm.  And it is time to see if you can work your magic once again.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good.  Now stand over there.”  I took two steps over so I stood in the middle of the bridge, just forward and to the left of Captain Gloval’s spot.  I knew that this way, the attention would be focused on me, but it would be clear that the man just behind me was my superior.

“Good man,” said Gloval.  “Claudia?  If you would please?”

“Yes sir.  Signaling the command ship.  Receiving a handshake - channel now open.  You may start when ready, Mr. Grimm.”

I nodded and took a breath to steady myself.

“Hail, Commander Azonia of the Doronu Squadron.  Lieutenant Junior-Grade Grimm wishes to parlay on the behalf of the SDF-1 Macross and its crew.”

I heard a faint tick as the holotank at the front of the bridge came to life, showing Azonia up close.

I hadn’t seen her this close before, but now... I was surprised by how young she actually looked.  She couldn’t have much older than Misa.

“So, this is the Micronian that I have heard so many rumors of?  And he deigns to speak with me?  How flattering.”  She chuckled as I felt my face heat up.  “Well, at least you’re fun to tease.  In all honesty, however, I am rather interested in the Micronian that has made a fool out of Budolza.  I will parlay with you, Micronian, but only if you tell me how you relieved my superior of his hand.”

I looked to Captain Gloval briefly and he nodded, motioning with his had to continue.

“As you wish, Commander,” I said.  I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to feel for the power that lurked within my soul.  It has been a fickle thing, coming out only when my emotions are at a peak.

Katherine?  Can you help me?

Yes, Gar-kun.  It’s very hard if you don’t know how to look for it.  It thrives on your heart.  Think of Minmei.  Think of Minagi, Achika, Yuki, and Yume.  Think of Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, Sasami, Washu, Mihoshi, and Ryoh-ohki.  Think of your mother, Queen Funaho and your Birth Mother.  Think of Queen Misaki when she hugs you.  Think of your father, Emperor Azusa, when he smiles at you with pride.  Think of Seto as she grins when you amuse her.

And think of me, because I have always been here for you, and I always will be.  You are my first and only love, Gar-kun, and I will keep you forever.

Think of everyone you love and want to protect.  This is the impetus of our power.  All of our love and all of our righteous fury, distilled until it takes form.

Only a short moment passed, but it was enough.  All of my love, hemmed by my rage against a universe that wanted to take it all away from me.  The very essence of our eternal war against entropy.

Except that I had the cheat that turned it all inside out.

“Well?  I am waiting, Micronian.”

I opened my eyes and everyone gasped as the brilliant white energy coalesced in my right hand.

A Lighthawk Wing.

“I apologize for the delay, Commander.  This is something I’m still learning to do.”

Azonia stared wide-eyed at me and at my Lighthawk Wing.

“What is the nature of this?” she asked, in awe, but still aware that she needed to learn everything she can.

“This is a part of my soul, Commander.  I know that may sound ridiculous to a pragmatist such as yourself, but it is real.  It can be quantified and measured.  A construct of pure energy that I can form into whatever I need, be it an unbreakable shield or a mighty weapon.”

“So, that is how you did it.  And can others manifest this ability?”

I shook my head.  “I am special among all Micronians, Commander.  I am an interdimensional traveler from an alternate version of this universe.  I would be shocked if there were anyone here that could do this.”

Azonia was still marveling at the Lighthawk Wing, but then she shifted into business mode quite readily.

“Very well then, Micronian.  You have satisfied my curiosity.  For that, I shall gladly parlay with the Micronian Hero known as Lieutenant Junior-Grade Grim.

“What is it that you want?”

“Thank you kindly, Commander.  We wish to proceed to our homeworld and make landfall so we may reprovision, make repairs, and exchange personnel.”

“Oh?  And why should we allow that?   Our orders are to keep you from leaving, and I intend to follow those orders to the best of my ability.”

“Respectfully, Commander, we don’t really intend to go anywhere.  That planet is our home.  And we only reverse-engineered this ship and refitted it so that we can protect it.

“Besides, our fold drive was destroyed when we made the mistake of performing a space fold at the very surface of our planet.”

Azonia looked at us in shock.  “You Micronians are fortunate to even be alive!  How could you do something so foolish!?”

I shrugged.  “In our defense, Commander, it wasn’t like as if the Supervision Army left an instruction manual for us to read.  Besides, for our purposes, it worked.  The intent was to draw Commander Breetai’s fleet from Earth.  We simply wound up going a little farther than we intended.”

Azonia raised an eyebrow.  “Oh?  And how much farther was that?”

“We intended to arrive at the far side of our moon.  Instead, we wound up a fair distance outside the orbit of the eighth planet in our solar system.”

Azonia laughed.  “Then I dare say, Micronian, you certainly succeeded in drawing Breetai away from your world.  However, I only have your word that your fold drive is inoperative.  How am I to know this for certain?”

I then looked to Captain Gloval.  “Sir, perhaps we can extend an invitation to a small boarding party?  I seriously doubt that there’s anything about the construction of this ship that they don’t know about.”

“That’s quite a bold move, pilot.  Why are you so certain that it poses little intelligence risk?”

“They’ve been at war with the people that made this class of ship for thousands of years.  I’m sure that at some point in time they’ve managed to take at least one intact.  And besides, it might present more opportunities to promote our culture.”

“That sounds reasonable.  Let us discuss this idea further, shall we?”

I nodded and then turned back to Azonia.

“Madame Commander, we are willing to accept a boarding party to allow you to ascertain the status of our fold drive.”

“Interesting.  And I assume that since you returned Breetai’s men so readily that anyone I send to your ship will come to no harm?”

“They will have our full hospitality, Commander.  We’ll even provide them a good meal for taking the time to come out here.”

Azonia gave me a mildly surprised look.  “What do you hope to gain out of this, Micronian.”

“Madame Commander, I only hope to gain friends.”

She gave me a consternated look at that.  “Us?  Friends with you?  Why should we?”

I gave Azonia a small, but genuine smile.  “Maybe you should visit us and find out.”

“I could not possibly leave,” she said flat-out.  “However, I can send someone that I trust to give me a straight answer.”

I looked to the captain and he nodded again.

“We’ll allow a party of four.  We can understand if they were armed, but only to a reasonable extent.  We have no desire for trouble, and I feel that applies to you as well.”

Azonia chuckled.  “Apparently you don’t know us too well, Micronian Hero.  Trouble is exactly what they call upon me to handle.  But don’t worry.  I’ll make sure that my Meltrandi behave themselves.  Be ready to receive my boarding party in three hours.  Azonia out.”

##

In two hours, a Quel-Quallie scout ship accompanied by a pair of Quedlun-Rau arrived in one of the SDF-1’s larger landing bays.  I was with Dr. Lang, Captain Gloval, and Misa Hayase to greet them.

The hatch on the Quel-Quallie opened and a Meltran in an armored vacuum suit stepped out, looked down at us, then set a large container down in front of us.  The container opened like a clamshell and then out stepped three miclonized Meltrandi females wearing long, purple smocks cinched around their waists, tied with simple belts.

Two of them were not terribly remarkable - attractive, but in a somewhat homely way.

But the one that stood out was none other than Milia Fallyna herself, with her regal face and long forest-green hair that fell gracefully to her waist.  And when she spoke, it was with an imperious, though very lovely sounding contralto voice that fit her like a glove.

“Aviatrix Leader Milia Fallyna requesting permission to come aboard.”

“Granted, Aviatrix Leader,” said Captain Gloval amiably.  “I am Captain Bruno J. Gloval of the SDF-1 Macross.  With me here is Dr. Emil Lang, our Chief Engineer.  With us also is Lieutenant Misa Hayase and Lieutenant Junior-Grade Garrick Grimm.”

Milia’s eyes lit up at that.  “Ah.  The Micronian hero that we have heard so much about,” she said as she stepped over to examine me closely while I returned the favor.  “Hmm.  The rumors exaggerate.  You hardly seem like some devil of a Micronian on the surface, but your eyes tell a different story.  Tell me, Hero.  How would you go about facing me in a battle.”

I inclined my head and said, “Honestly, I’d cheat.”

Milia’s eyebrow went up at that.  “And how so?”

“I’d goad you into pursuing me into a confined area, and then set off shaped charges to take you out.”

She blinked at that.  “Indeed.  And what makes you so certain, Micronian?”

“Well, unless you’re a fantastic actress, Miss Fallyna, I can tell by your countenance and bearing that you are a very prideful person.  You would pursue me with such monomaniacal focus that you would fail to take into consideration that I may have laid a trap for you.

“I know it may seem cowardly to you, but you need to remember: when you’re fighting for your own survival, anything goes.  There’s no room for pride when your life is on the line.  Remember that taking pride in one’s accomplishments is a fine thing, but excessive pride leads to arrogance.  As we Micronians say: ‘Pride goeth before the fall.’”

Milia glared at me.  “So noted, Lieutenant Junior-Grade.”  She then turned to everyone else and said, “We are wasting time here.  Let us get this over with so I can go back to my former size.”

Misa raised her hand suddenly and said, “I’m sorry, but I must insist that we find you three some proper attire first.”

“Excuse me?” said Milia imperiously.

Misa looked around, sizing up the situation, then stepped closer to Milia and beckoned her over.  Milia was confused, but did so anyways, leaning over for Misa to whisper in her ear.

Suddenly, Milia flushed brilliantly.

“My attire is sufficient!” she snapped.  But then, she thought better of it, then said, “On the other hand, it probably would cause a misunderstanding.  It may be best if we were attired as you are so no one reacts poorly to our presence.”

Captain Gloval nodded.  “Indeed.  Worry not, Aviatrix Leader.  We shall make haste.”

##

Haste indeed.  Fifteen minutes in the women’s end of the uniform shop had them properly fitted to their liking with the help of the autotailor.

“I must admit,” said Milia as she moved around in the uniform, testing to see if it at all limited her range of movement - hers being the short skirt version of an officer’s working whites.  “This uniform is well designed despite its appearance.”

And then she checked how secure her bust was using her hands to see how far she could move them, causing me to bite my lip and the other men to turn away surreptitiously.

“Particularly your support garments.  I have never experienced a fit this accurate while maintaining such strong support.

With a worried look, Misa leaned over and whispered in Milia’s ear once again, and once again she flushed brilliantly.

“Of course,” she said, and then set about to move things along.  “Captain, I believe we are to look at your engine spaces?”

“Indeed,” said the Captain.  “Doctor Lang will guide us along as we tour the engine spaces, and then afterwards we shall retire to a short lunch before we send you on your way.”

“Hmph.  Under other circumstances I would balk, but so long as you’re feeding us, then it will be fine.”

##

As we went through the spaces, Dr. Lang was the consummate professional, identifying all the components of the engine systems and how they had been repaired after the crash landing, and then the conspicuous absence of the fold drive.  Of course, the technicians had questions about what we had built in its place and I had to assure Dr. Lang and Captain Gloval that they had absolutely no capability to replicate our efforts.

I caught Milia yawning at one point, and she came over to me and quietly demanded:

“How are you not bored with this?”

I shrugged.  “Would you believe that before I became a fighter pilot that I was a maintenance technician with aspirations of becoming an engineer?”

“That’s preposterous!” said Milia in shock.  “How can a mere technician hope to become one of the elite?”

“That’s kinda your guys’ fault.  If the Zentradi had not hounded us so, then we wouldn’t have to resort to recruiting civilians.”

“Civilians... You mean those people from before?”

“Yes.  Non-combatants.  Our situation was dire enough, though, that we had to get the manpower from somewhere.  And a lot of these people were pretty upset about their home getting shot to pieces.”

“And they decided just like that to suddenly become warriors?”

“Yep.  Though we had to train them at first.”

Milia shook her head in amazement.  “And to think that you have given old man Breetai so much trouble.”

I raised an eyebrow.  “‘Old man’?”

Milia grinned.  “Do not misunderstand me, Micronian.  Breetai is among the select few Zentran that I would trust to not screw up an operation.  It is why he had been trusted in tracking this very ship I have suddenly found myself on... and yet you were his downfall.”

“I don’t think he’s out of the running quite yet, Miss Fallyna.”

“And what is that?  The way you address me?”

“A polite recognition of you as a young female.”

“Hmph.  And if I was older?”

“Then I would use Miz instead of Miss.”

“Well, I will admit that I am young.  But do not let my age fool you, Micronian.  I am the ace of aces among all Meltrandi.”

“And I’ll readily acknowledge that.  No offense, Miss Fallyna, but I would sooner touch an exposed power coupling than willingly get into a straight-up fight with you.”

“Admitting to cowardice?”

“No.  I’m admitting that I’d know that I’d be in a fight that I cannot win and retreat until I can strengthen my position so I can win.  A great general among my people once said, ‘The general who advances without seeking fame and retreats without fear of disgrace, whose only thought is the protection of his kingdom and the service of his sovereign is the jewel of his kingdom.’  Retreat may mean you’ve lost the battle, but it does not by any means translate to the conclusion of a war.”

“An interesting philosophy.  Tell me, Micronian, do your people possess more about this philosophy on war?”

“More than you might imagine.  We have entire libraries on the topic.”

Milia gave me a shocked look, then seemed to school herself back into her dispassionate imperialism.

“If this is the case, then you people are certainly more than you appear and it would be no small wonder you’ve given Breetai so much trouble.”  She then looked me in the eyes and said, “I will warn you now, Micronian.  Should I be fielded in battle against you, I will seek you out so I may see for myself what kind of warrior you are.”

“I’ll do my best then to be a pleasant surprise for you then, Miss Fallyna.”

“Hmph.”

Boy, Max was gonna have his hands full with her.

##

At last, the tour was over, and the two technicians addressed Milia.

“Aviatrix Leader: It is our findings that this ship has absolutely no capability to perform a Space Fold whatsoever.  The necessary components are indeed missing, and we saw no power trunks that could possibly feed into a hidden system.  Additionally, we have been able to ascertain the Micronian’s reasons for reconfiguring this ship prior to any combat.”

“Oh?” said Milia.  “Well, don’t keep me waiting.  Out with it, Technician.”

“Yes Ma’am.  The reason is that the main weapon of this type of vessel is known to draw its power from the reactor by way of the fold drive.  With the drive missing from this ship, the Micronians have devised a clever use of the modular construction of this Gunship to bridge the gap between the Main Gun System and the Main Reactor.”

“Very well done, Technician.  I will report these findings to Commander Azonia and make sure that you are commended for your work.”  Milia then turned to the rest of us and said, “Now, I believe you said that there would be meals waiting for us?”

“We did indeed,” said the Captain with a twinkle in his eye.  “But not here, of course.  We have something special set aside.”

##

We drove through town once again, but with a much different destination than the landing bays: The Nyan-Nyan.

As we all entered, I heard an all too familiar voice cry out:

“GARRR-KUUUNNN!!!”

“Stand clear, I got this!” I warned the Meltrandi, who had all tensed.

They watched in surprise as Minmei came running at me and then jumped, only for me to intercept her flying leap and spin her around until her momentum had been canceled out.

And then came the shocked gasps as she reached up and kissed me.

“Wha...  What manner of behavior is this!?” cried out Milia.

Minmei turned to grin impishly at Milia.  “It’s called kissing, and you should try it sometime.  I’d lend you my Gar-kun - he’s a very good kisser - but there’s already a line of girls waiting for him~!”

There were a few snorts, guffaws, and giggles from the people who were officially in the know about that particular matter.

“But why would I do something so... disgusting!” replied Milia in revulsion.

“It’s only disgusting if you do it with a guy who you think is disgusting.  Maybe you’d like someone like Max over there?” she said coyly, pointing out Maximilian Jenius, who blushed and gave a sheepish wave.

“I... WHAT!?” cried out Milia, positively agog.

“Do you think he looks gross?~” wheedled Minmei.

“I... I don’t know what to think!”

Minmei then sighed dramatically.  “Oh well, I guess you just haven’t awakened your Woman’s Heart yet.”

“My WHAT!?  I have no idea what that is supposed to be!  Let alone whether or not I have one!”

“Silly!” accused Minmei.  “Of course you do!  You can’t be any older than me, and you definitely look like a woman~.  I bet you’ve felt it already and you just don’t realize it yet!  You heart suddenly starts pounding and your chest feels hot and your head starts to feel so light~.  Oh, it’s such a heavenly feeling!  It makes me feel like I could fly~.”

“Heavenly?” said Milia weakly.

“Hmmm~,” replied Minmei wordlessly.  “It happens to me whenever I’m in Garrick’s arms.  I wish we could do more than just kissing...”  And here, Minmei screwed her eyes shut and bit her lip as a shudder ran through her body, “nnggghhhh~!”

Milia and the others looked terrified, but they were also so flushed that I swear you could see steam rising from their heads.

I don’t think I looked any different myself - I was utterly appalled by this sudden display of eroticism!

“Okay, that’s enough vamping from you!” I said as I steered Minmei straight over to an open set of tables that had been pushed together for us.  “Not only are you freaking them out, but that is WAY more information than others need to know.”

“I don’t think so, Gar-kun~,” said Minmei coyly.  Her face suddenly became deadly serious and I was reminded of how she looked at me after the first time she kissed me, only this was less ‘If you didn’t enjoy that then so help me...’ and more ‘I am giving THE LAW here - none may violate it without incurring my never-ending wrath’.

How the hell is it that the women in my life become such frightening creatures - both beautiful and terrible at the same time?  I couldn’t help but feel like My Ladies were all going to topple entire empires with nothing but beautific smiles on their faces, and they would do so without me ever directing them at all.  (It doesn’t help matters any that this sort of thing turns me on like a locomotive.)

Minmei went on, “Even if you have me at a very troublesome crossroads, I am not about to let anyone think that I’ve lost any interest in you.  I want them all to know how you make me feel - mind, body, and soul... and so they’ll understand just how much this is tearing me up inside when I finally make that choice.”

And that right there was The Performer aspect of her persona - this was going to hurt her either way, but she already made up her mind to channel her heartbreak through her music and show the entire world the hole in her heart.

It took a very special person to do that - to stand in the view of millions and millions and, with all the love and hurt in their soul, cry out, ‘Here is my heart!  See how it bleeds from my loss!  See how it burns with my love!  Know all that makes me who I am and why!’

The only one among my other fiancees that I think could pull it off was Yuki, and only because of the sheer degree of ‘zero fucks given’ in her personality.

Yuki and Minmei were gonna get along like a house on fire.

##

It was the the same thing all over again.  We all watched gleefully as Milia and her two charges had their minds blown by the fine offerings of the Nyan-Nyan.

“And you Micronians eat like this all the time!?” cried out Milia.

“Eh, yes and no,” said Roy.  “Judging by what we found in the cargo holds, field rations are field rations, no matter where you go.  But as long as we’re home, we try to enjoy it when we can.”

“Well, I hope you’re ready for the big finish~,” said Minmei with an evil gleam in her eyes.  “I’d like you ladies to know I made this one myself, because I know just how much a girl loves her sweets~.”

The dishes were brought and my eyebrows shot to the top of my head.

“Tiramisu?” I said, looking at Minmei in surprise.  “When did you learn to make tiramisu?”

Minmei made a show of buffing her nails blithely.  “Oh, you know.  Chinese restaurant in trendy Yokohama.  It was only natural, especially since mother and father were leaning on me so heavily to take over the place so they can retire.”

“What is this... Tiramisu?” asked Milia.

Claudia cracked a grin and said, “Practically an orgasm for your tongue just waiting to happen.”

Misa gasped, scandalized by her friend.  “CLAUDIA!”

“...Do I even dare ask?” said Milia apprehensively.

“It’s nothing bad,” said Minmei reassuringly.  “In fact, you might say it’s one of the best things in the universe!  Just try it - I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

Milia looked a bit doubtful, but given her very recent experience with the previous fare, she must have figured that she didn’t have much to lose at this point.

She took a small bit from the corner of the confection with her fork and then brought it to her mouth.

She suddenly froze and her wide eyes glassed over.

It was the same look that Misa had on her face when she tried the coffee I got from Joe’s Donuts back in Canterlot - like as if all of creation was suddenly laid out before her for just an instant.

Almost painfully slowly, Milia swallowed and then visibly shuddered.

She slowly stood, as though she was afraid her legs wouldn’t support her, quietly asked where the privy was, and then disappeared into the back, wearing a stunned look the entire way.

Not one person at the table DIDN’T have a confused look on their face until Minmei suddenly spoke up:

“Okay, I know Mom’s recipe is good, but I’ve never seen anyone actually get off on it before!”

You could almost hear the clicking sound as the relays in everyone’s head closed all at once.  Slowly, all our eyes turned to Claudia, who suddenly had a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

“I WAS ONLY KIDDING!  I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE!”

##

Strangely, it was decided that Claudia was the best candidate to go into the ladies room and both explain what the hell had just happened to the poor Meltran, and also coax her back out.  Really, once I thought of it, I couldn’t think of anyone better.  Claudia was not only very well versed in...  well, ladies matters, but was also a gentle, mothering soul despite her occasional lewd jokes that she’ll crack with a wink and a smile.

When she did manage the feat, though, Claudia preceded Milia and leveled a look at all of us.  It was a thunderous glower that promised great pain and suffering for anyone that even looked at Milia in a funny way.

The situation was still awkward as we packed what remained of the food into to-go containers so that Milia and her charges could spread a little taste of what we have.

But once we made it back to the landing bay, Milia had regained most of her composure.

“I would like to extend Commander Azonia’s gratitude for your cooperation, Captain Gloval.  With this information, I am sure that she will permit your transit to your home world.  With an escort, of course.”

“Of course,” agreed the Captain.

“What of these clothes, though?” she asked, fingering the uniform blouse tentatively.

“Yours to keep, Miss Fallyna.  A souvenir, if you will.”

Milia nodded and then saluted smartly and said, “Request permission to disembark.”

“Granted, Miss Fallyna.  As our mariners of old would say, Fair winds and following seas.”

Milia chewed on that for a moment before inclining her head.

“Same to you as well, Captain.  Alright, technicians.  Into the travel pod.  The sooner we get back, the sooner we can be macloned again.”

Once the travel pod was closed and the Meltran pilot buttoned up inside the Quel-Quallie, Max finally spoke.

“I hope I get to see her again sometime.  It’d be nice to talk to her.”

I patted Max on the back, silently hoping that he’d get that chance.

##

“Report, Aviatrix Leader.”

“Yes Ma’am.  The technicians have concluded absolutely that their vessel has no ability to enact a transit by dimensional fold.  Additionally, they’ve been able to ascertain the reason they transform the ship prior to combat.”

“....  Interesting.  I can only imagine the chaos this would cause within the ship whenever they perform this transformation.  And what of the rumors that they have people who have no place on the battle field?”

“They are apparently true, ma’am.  They have an entire complex within that ship that is dedicated for their use.”

“But for what purpose?” said Azonia thoughtfully.

“Apparently they serve as providers of leisure time for their soldiers.  I was granted the opportunity to partake of their food.”  Mllia then flushed.  “It was... very different from our own.  In a good way.”

Azonia’s eyes narrowed.  “Aviatrix Leader Fallyna, you are hiding something.  That is highly atypical behavior for you.”

Milia actually looked somewhat apprehensive - the change from the overconfident and arrogant Quedlun Rau pilot would have shocked Azonia if not for her military bearing.

“Commander,” she then said in a low tone.  “I would prefer that I speak of this confidentially.”

Azonia, this once, permitted herself to raise an eyebrow.

“In my ready room, Aviatrix Leader.”

Milia saluted sharply, and then turned on her heel to the Commander’s office, but waiting for Azonia herself to enter first before following.

Once the door snapped shut behind them, though...

“Explain yourself, Aviatrix Leader!” said Azonia sharply.  She would expect such behavior from a newly decanted meltran, and not the well drilled prodigy before her!

Slowly, Milia explained what had happened; the sensations she experienced, and then Claudia’s own explanation to her about how that part is very special to females, and that they can derive great physical pleasure from there.

“I... I see,” said Azonia, stunned by this news.  “I’d heard rumors of such things.  Quiet whispers in the bunks when I was younger.  But to hear of it like this?  And that Micronian food did this to you?”

Milia nodded.  “The one who claimed to prepare it says that it is a special food not often served.”

Azonia rolled her eyes at that.  “I can see why!  Crazy Micronians.  What is your impression of them, though?”

Being put to a serious question was a welcome change of subject for Milia, and she went on without reservation.

“They are very much like the Rau squadron I was in before I was promoted to leading my own under your command.”

“How so, Aviatrix Leader?”

“There is an astonishingly high degree of comradery among them.  Though I had witnessed some heated exchanges between members of the opposite gender, for the most part they get along well with each other.  Almost to a disturbing point.  Especially the Micronian Hero.”

“Elaborate,” said Azonia.

“He and the young female that made the food... apparently they’re partners of some sort.”

“Partners?” repeated Azonia in confusion.

Milia nodded.  “Yes ma’am.  It was quite strange, but they seemed to share some kind of bond that was...  Well, from how they behaved it was almost like they could hear each other’s thoughts.  Though this may simply be that they know each other well enough that they are able to perfectly predict the other’s thoughts and actions.”

“How very strange.  I can almost see why Budolza might think them dangerous.  So far, though, I’m getting the impression that while they are indeed dangerous, it is not to we Zentradi.  Summarize, Aviatrix Leader: What are your thoughts on them as a whole?”

“They are indeed dangerous,” stated Milia with absolute certainty.  “But as you said, not in the way Budolza thinks... request permission to speak freely, Commander?”

Azonia frowned.  “Granted, Aviatrix Leader.  What is on your mind, Milia?”

“There is something about this that is incredible wrong, ma’am.  Breetai had been instructed to capture the gunship intact, yes... but these Micronians have been able to inflict wildly disproportionate losses to his fleet.  And this while having rebuilt that Gunship from the keel on up to suite their needs and tastes.  And this entire time, they profess be on the defensive.  And their actions bear this out thus far.  They never push their advantages any further than they absolutely must, and as of late they have even been attempting to extend a hand of friendship towards us.

“I will make no issue of it, ma’am.  I live for the fight.  I love it more than anything else.  And I dearly wish to test myself against their best.  But at the same time, I find myself pondering what it would be like if we did accept these Micronians as friends.  If it would be such a bad thing.  How would we be hurt by this?  Especially when these Micronians show every sign of being able to restore even the most heinously damaged capitol ships to full functionality.  And even more so, build completely new weapon systems that leave us reeling from their potency.”

“You speak of the anti-ship missiles they used in the opening salvos against Breetai?”

“Yes ma’am,” said Milia with a nod.  “I know how precious our dwindling supplies of such missiles are.  What if we suddenly had a source of those missiles once again?  That alone, I feel, warrants further pursuit of an alliance with the Micronians.  And, I worry, that Budolza is an irrational fool.  I have a strong suspicion, Ma’am, that we have yet to see the full potential of the Micronians, and that they already have tricks up their sleeves that are beyond our imagining.  And that trick, I worry, might be our very undoing if we push them to the brink.”

Azonia nodded.  “Your concerns are very much my own, Aviatrix Leader.  I have been pouring over the combat data that we received from Breetai before coming here.  They have something we lack - something that I suspect that we have lacked for a long, long time.  And I think, as you have said, that this will be our very undoing - but only if the Micronians are pushed into it.  We have far more to gain from befriending them.”

“Have we gone mad?” said Milia, the worry clearly evident in her voice.  “Are we actually considering the idea of defecting to their side!?”

“Not yet, Aviatrix Leader,” said Azonia.  “That would be tantamount to suicide and foolish.  At least, not unless the Micronians have shown us something that will give us the edge.  Their ability to fully repair ships and create new machines of war are promising, but I will not yet throw my lot in with them.  Not without something that would be the key to undoing Budolza.”

“What of the strange abilities of the Micronian Hero?” asked Milia thoughtfully.

“...That is compelling, but it’s not quite enough.  For me to seriously consider such a dire act, they would need to show us a weapon that could devastate entire fleets.”

Milia nodded.  “I understand, Ma’am.”

“Good.  Do you have anything else for me?”

“No ma’am, only a question for myself.”

“I suppose you’ve earned that.  Go ahead, Aviatrix Leader.”

“The Micronian Hero professes he is not the best among them, that the blue haired one is truthfully a far better warrior than he.  Can we confirm this?”

Azonia grinned.  “Seeking out a proper challenge, Aviatrix Leader?  I can abide that.  I will have my archivist review the data Breetai gave us.  You will have your answer later tonight.  But all the same, I want you to exercise caution in dealing with them.  They have already proven themselves to be wily foes.  And I have no wish to lose someone as valuable as you are.”

“I understand, Ma’am.  Recent events have been... humbling.  You have my thanks, Commander.”

Azonia nodded.  “Dismissed, Aviatrix Leader.”

As Milia left the ready room and proceeded to her quarters, she thought of the tiny package of Micronian food that was waiting for her.

She looked forward to enjoying it, this time in privacy where she could enjoy herself without being embarrassed by how her body would react to that enjoyment.

She also gave consideration to what Azonia had said before about furtive whispers in the bunks during the night-cycles.  She had heard such whispers herself before.  She had thought such things unbecoming of a warrior... but now?  Now she reconsidered those whispers in an entirely new light.

She wondered, with a small thrill of anticipation and fear racing up her spine, just how much of what she had heard actually works.

##

Azonia granted us passage.

I could only imagine how Kamjin was taking this.

I could only imagine how the bridge on his flagship was filled with utterly sulfurous Zentran oaths.

And I can only imagine the look on Azonia’s face when Milia told her everything.  That is, IF she told her everything.

But regardless, everyone was glued to the nearest observation points, watching as Earth grew closer and closer until the Pacific Ocean was all we could see.

“All hands, be advised.  We will be touching down in ten seconds.  Please watch your footing.”  Minmei and I looked into each others eyes and we squeezed the other hand.  “Touchdown in five... four... three... two... one... TOUCHDOWN!”

There was only the slightest jump in the decking under our feet, and everyone cheered.

Within minutes, there were opening airlocks everywhere and soon the ocean breeze was flowing through the interior of the ship, stirring trees and loose bits of paper everywhere.

People everywhere cheered, laughed, and cried.

For some, the occasion was a bittersweet one.  There had been a lot of loved ones lost over the last several months.

Many others, though, were simply happy to be back home after so long.

And then, of course, there was the burning question everyone had on their minds - how long would it be until they could walk on Terra Firma once more?

I honestly wished I could answer that question.

But all questions got cut short as an entire squadron of Valkyries had shown up.  But not to make sure we were fine.

They were here to make sure that no one left the ship.

---

It starts...  *Evil Grin(tm)*

Working on getting the next chapter up right now.

[Black Aeronaut]

Aaaaannnnd here we are...

---

Later that evening, a meeting of the so-called shadow-cabal was called.  Only this time was special because there were a few civilians that we decided to have read in on the matter.

The Mayor and his wife.

And Minmei’s Aunt and Uncle.

The latter two was something that Minmei had demanded - after just a few days she was already tired of tiptoeing around her Aunt and Uncle with the fact that I was more than I seemed.  The risks were weighed carefully, and it was decided that they posed little risk to the matter.  Besides, the Nyan-Nyan would make for a nice impromptu meeting place that was considered inconspicuous as everyone loved to visit the little restaurant anyhow.

In light of how large the meetings were starting to get, I added a separate lounge to my C-Space.  The living room was nice, but it just didn’t have the seating arrangements or needed amenities (like a presentation screen and white board).

The center of the room was a large sunken space, lined with plush leather couches like the ones in my living area, and dominated in the center by an oak table.

Minmei’s Aunt and Uncle, along with the Mayor and his wife, all sat in stunned silence as they mulled it all over.

It was Uncle Lynn that broke the silence.

“This is the choice you presented to Minmei, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?” asked the Mayor.

“Minmei needs to make an important decision - to go with Garrick and be his wife, or to stay here with us.  It’s a mutually exclusive choice.”

“Oh my dear,” said the Mayor’s Wife.  “Minmei, I am so sorry!  We had no idea - it must be causing you all kinds of heartache!”

“It’s... alright, ma’am,” said Minmei a bit sheepishly.  “It’s a lot but...  It helps that Garrick is being so good about this.”

Minmei’s Uncle nodded.  “I have to say, I gotta hand it to him.  It takes a real man to give someone a chance to get away like that.”

“I think it best we move on, though, yes?” said Captain Gloval.  “Miss Lynn, I believe, would welcome the change in subject.  Now, Mr. Mayor, I do believe you now understand the desire for confidentiality?”

“I understand fully, Captain.  But I’m still not sure why that means you had to drag us into this.”

Captain Gloval then looked to me and said, “If you would do the honors, Mr. Grimm?”

“Yes sir,” I replied, then described to the Mayor, in painstaking detail, exactly what had happened in the anime.

“TH...  THOSE BASTARDS WROTE US OFF!?  JUST LIKE THAT!?” screamed the man, his face absolutely florid with rage.  His wife was aghast, as were Minmei’s Aunt and Uncle.

“I can see why they did it,” said Uncle Lynn.  “But still... That’s just not RIGHT.”

“We agree with ya whole heartedly, Mr. Lynn, Mr. Mayor,” said Captain Duke.  “But ya gotta admit, it did turn out to be fer our own good in the end.”

The Mayor sighed as that brought him back down to earth.

“Yeah, I get it.  Just explaining this to the rest of the city isn’t going to be easy.  So what is the plan now?”

“It largely depends on how High Command is going to react,” replied Captain Gloval.  “Garrick says that in the original timeline we had no real proof.  But this time?  We have two sets of video, and even recorded dialogue.  And it is blatantly clear that these people are not the sort to be reasoned with.  And with the amount of force they’re going to bring to bear on us?  I highly doubt that even the Grand Canon would be effective.  If all the planned Grand Canons were operational, then I think we might have a bit of a chance.  But just one will not suffice.”

“Well, what if you gave them a coupe de grace right off the bat?” asked Mr. Mayor.  “Decapitate their command structure?”  Everyone blinked at that, and then looked to me.

“That...  that might actually work,” I said as I began to vocalize my thoughts.  “The Grand Canon is not just huge, it has incredible armor piercing ability.  It could punch through Budolza’s mobile fortress like it was made of tin foil.  If we could get an idea of where Budolza is most likely to be on that monster, we could cause the whole fleet to go into panic.”

“Sound enough reasoning,” said Colonel Maistroff.  “But to be safe, I recommend that we take every effort to destroy that thing.  There is bound to be a second in command on that thing.  The Grand Canon might just have enough firepower to do it.”

“Very good,” said Captain Gloval.  “Hopefully High Command will pay heed to our recommendation.  Although just to be safe, Mr. Grimm had an idea about sending the video and audio to a trustworthy party who could get it to the General Assembly in Geneva.  Colonel, have you had any luck in making the arrangements?”

“I have indeed.  My father, the British Ambassador to Japan, is quite keen on seeing this footage.  Mr. Grimm?  Tomorrow you’re to take Miss Lynn in her personal aircraft to Yokohama.  To the populace here, we will explain that she has special permission to see her family due to her celebrity status.

“On the Japanese side, Father has made flightplan arrangements to make it look like you’re coming in out of Okinawa.  Mr. Grimm?  We are rigging a kill switch to the plane’s transponder.  You’re not to turn it on until you have just left the local air traffic control space for Okinawa.  This way to the regional controllers it looks like a normal hand-off.

“All the appropriate paperwork has been filed, including the flight plan, Mr. Grimm’s piloting credentials and visas, as well as the registration of Miss Lynn’s turbofan plane.  We have even given Miss Lynn a false ID should she need it - you’re supposed to be dead, after all.  With this, you should have no problems landing and getting to the restaurant Miss Lynn’s family operates.

“My father and his delegation will be there at 2pm sharp.  Do not arrive late.”

##

The SDF-1’s sudden and hasty departure from Earth had done a real number on the Pacific Rim.  A fifty kilometer diameter sphere may not sound like a lot, but it’s actually a helluva lot more volume than you’d think.

To put it simply, a lot of my favorite places on the eastern coast of Japan and the west coast of the USA were total write offs.

As was a good portion of the Philippines.

But Yokohama had been spared the worst of it by sheer dint of it’s location.  Situated in a lee just at the very southern end of Tokyo Bay, it did get splashed, but it was nothing that they had not prepared for.

While reconstruction of the harbor was ongoing, the city itself was virtually untouched.

Minmei’s old neighborhood was, to put it simply, wonderful.  Back in China, her people had to struggle to eke out even basic subsistence.  But here in Japan, when they had mostly arrived at a time when there was dire need of unskilled labor?  So much so that they could care less that the workers were Chinese, Korean, Russian, or American?  They flourished.  They banded together as speakers of a common tongue in a foreign land are wont to, cleaned up one of the poorest neighborhoods here in Yokohama, and made it into a virtual embassy of Old China.

Here, there were no Communists to beat down their door simply because someone had something that was not Chinese in origin in their home.  Here, there was no Emperor to worry about offending through some unintended and offhand sleight.  The only opposition to be truly had was the steady grind against destitution and hunger.

Minmei happily buzzed on my arm, going on about how nothing had really changed since she left Yokohama.

And really, I was happy for her.  I knew very well what it was like to come back to a place you considered home after many years, only to find that so much has changed and that you had to reacquaint yourself with streets you thought you knew before.

And at the same time I felt terrible because of the mutually exclusive choice I had put before her: me and the strange wonders that awaited us, or to stay here and keep to the things that had helped make her the person she is.

Her home.

Her family.

She looked at me and then right away, I knew she could see it in my eyes.  I knew she could see how I was actually sympathizing with her, even though I knew it would break both our hearts if she chose to stay.

And I could see how it struck her.  How it hurt her to know that I was letting her have this choice - that I needed her to have that choice.  My character - and yes, I will admit it gladly, even my ego - simply would not permit otherwise.

And I could see how that knowledge made her love for me grow... but it also turned the knife in her heart.

I knew that at some point, something had to give, but I worried over how that may go.

And then suddenly her arms were around me, pulling me down into a heartfelt kiss, not caring that we were out in public - a shocking thing for a girl raised in Japan to do in her home town.  But I would not deny her this, because I knew she needed the reassurance as much as I did.

Minmei is a strong girl, but she is still a girl with a girl’s heart full of a girl’s insecurities.  Try as she might to fight it, she still needed a bit of reassurance now and then.

We are all only human, after all.  Minmei was so much closer than her peers to fully understanding that kernel of truth and wisdom.

“I love you, Garrick,” she whispered in my ear once she reluctantly broke the kiss.  “Try not to look sad in front of my parents.  I want them to see that we really love each other.”

I smiled a little and murmured in her ear, “I don’t think there’s going to be any question of that.”

##

The family restaurant had a typical name, but it worked: Tenryū no hyō - Heavenly Dragon’s Table.  For there was no nobler creature in Asian myth than the Dragon that ruled over all of the Heavens, and this restaurant catered primarily to the upper class denizens of Yokohama.

This was not the type of place you simply brought a date to, or your family for some off-the-cuff celebration.  This was a place for formal occasions where important meetings occurred - such as businessmen having a lunch or dinner meetings to discuss terms in a sociable setting, or for wealthy families to arrange the meetings between their younger members with the expectation that they would pair off.

It was both out of my element and also within it.

Outside in the sense that I am a mere soldier.

Within it as I was an officer and decorated war hero.

And that was before we even got into the whole Prince-of-an-Empire thing.

A waiter came out to greet us the moment we came in the door.

“Oh Chin!” said Minmei happily.  “It’s so good to see you!”

“Huh!?” replied the man as his brain had a read error.

I then leaned over and whispered in Minmei’s ear, “They think you’re dead, remember!”

“Oh!  Right!” said Minmei, surprised that she forgot that.  “Chin!  It’s me!  Minmei!”

“OJOU-SAMA!!!” cried out the man, then bolted for the kitchen.

Minmei shrugged at me and I sighed.  “So much for this being a quiet affair.”

Just then, a woman in a nice cheongsam dress and short-cropped wavy brown hair was pushed into the room by the waiter from before.

“Chin, just what has-”  Whatever she was about to say died in her throat as she laid eyes on Minmei.

“Hi mom,” said Minmei a bit sheepishly.  “I’m home.”

“Minmei?” said the woman weakly as she went to Minmei and, with shaking hands, traced the features of her face like as though she was worried her eyes might be deceiving her.  Suddenly, she wrapped the girl up in her arms and began weeping.  “OH MINMEI!  I can’t...  you’re alive!  My beautiful daughter is alive!”

“What is all this-” came a stern, gravely voice, and a man entered.  He was, for certain, Minmei’s father.  I knew because the family resemblance with Uncle was a powerful one.

“MINMEI!” he cried out in shock.  “How could you make us worry like that!  They said you died in the Anti-Unification attack!”

“Father!” cried out Minmei as her mother made room for her father, who gently cup her face in his trembling hands.  “I’m so sorry, Father.  I would have sent a message but I couldn’t.”

Suddenly, his eyes turned to me.

“And who is this gaijin?”

Hoo boy.

“Father!  Don’t be like that!  This is Garrick Grimm, and he’s my boyfriend.

“WHAT!?” sounded off everyone at once.

“Minmei!” snapped her father.  “I did not raise you to go gallivanting off with foreigners like this!”

I glared at the man, and then spoke in my utterly flawless Japanese, “Mister, you’re not exactly making a very good impression on me.”

The only way the reaction could have been better was if someone working a DJ’s turn table had suddenly dragged the stylus across the record.

I decided to go and break the ice.

“Greetings, Father, Mother.  I am Grimm, Garrick.  I am an officer and Valkyrie Fighter Pilot in the Spacey.  I’m here to conduct business on behalf of the Captain of the SDF-1 Macross.  Bringing your daughter here was something I wanted to do because I care about her that much.”

See, here’s the thing about the Asian mindset.  Back in the good old days when reading, writing, and arithmetic was reserved for only a select few, being employed by the government typically meant you were one of those select few.

And being an officer counted as such in a very big way.

People that work for the government ranked very high on the social status ladder.  The only way you could go any higher was to be a nobleman.

They may not have liked that her boyfriend was an American, but me being an officer in the Spacey at least made that idea somewhat palatable.

Both her parents bowed to me politely.

“Thank you for bringing our daughter home to us,” said her father.  “Now, what is this business you need to attend to?”

“I’m carrying information that needs to get to the ambassador of the United Kingdom.  He should be arriving here for a late lunch at about 2pm.  There are also important matters that I need to discuss with you before hand.”

“What sorts of things,” said Minmei’s father as though he had some idea of what that might be and already didn’t like it.

He was probably going to like what I had to say even less than what he thought.

“The reasons why Minmei couldn’t send a message home, and why she needs to go back with me.”

As the man’s face purpled in rage, I couldn’t help but feel that sometimes I hated being right all the time.

##

We sat down at one of the tables as the waiter, Chin, brought out tea.

“It’s very good, thank you,” I said after I sampled my cup.  “To get straight to the point, Minmei couldn’t send a message home because the ship had accidentally traveled out to Pluto’s orbit.”

“Is this true?” said her Father, directing the question at Minmei.

She nodded her head.  “I brought some photos, too.”  With that, she produced a series of glossy photo-prints of the debris field that had been South Ataria Island.

Once Minmei explained the images, her mother sucked in a horrified gasp and her father went pale as a sheet.

She then told them about how Hikaru had saved her life, and then about how I had helped them get rescued.

“It seems I owe you an apology, Grimm-san,” said her father grudgingly as he swallowed his pride.  “Without you being there, our daughter would not be here now.

“But what is this business about you being reported dead?”

I shrugged helplessly.  “I think that the idea of us suddenly disappearing like that would have been seen as an embarrassment, especially since it caused so much collateral damage.  So they made up the lie about the Anti-UN people attacking like that.”

Her father nodded, seeing the reasoning behind it.

“And the reason for not sending a message home?” he asked.

I sighed.  “That’s where things get very strange, Mr. Lynn.  Forgive me, but I’m going to need to ask that you be patient with me until I’m done explaining.”

So I went on and explained the situation with the Zentradi, which Minmei helped with by adding her own testimony, corroborating my own story.

Her parents found it difficult to believe, but it slowly sank in as they realized that our story was far too well detailed to be some sort of falsehood.

And then, to bring home just how bad the situation was, I played the audio recording I’d made of mine and Commander Breetai’s last conversation.

“Oh Ancestors, they really are going to destroy us,” said Father quietly.

I nodded.  “I am not only bringing Minmei back with me because the UN will not like it, but also because she’ll be safest there.  Besides, she’s got her career ahead of her.”

“Career?” said her father quizzically.  “What career?”

Without a word, but a smile that lit up the room, she pulled out a jewel case CD - her very first single.

“I made it,” she said with quiet and tightly restrained glee.  “I actually made it, just like I always dreamed of!  I’m a pop idol now!  And I’m also gonna be an actress, too!”

“Minmei!” cried out her mother in alarm.  “But what about the family business?  How can you be so selfish!?”

I snorted.  “‘Kettle!’ cried out the Pot.  ‘Thou art black!’”

They both turned to me with shock written across their faces.

“Excuse me, young man?” said Father slowly.

“You speak of her being selfish?  Yes, you raised her.  And she owes a great deal of thanks for that.  But this?  She did it entirely on her own.  She worked in your brother’s restaurant and put all the money she made from that into the lessons she needed.”  I then rolled my eyes.  “Not that she needed much - she’s a natural at what she does.”

“Oh Gar-kun!” said Minmei as she blushed.

I grinned, then went on, “But she did it nonetheless.  All on her own, by her own merits and the sweat of her brow.  And now you want to turn around and invalidate all that just because you deem it so?  Just because it doesn’t follow your perfectly mapped out plan for your lives?  Because it breaks with tradition?  I thought that this was the 21st Century we’re living in, not the 18th century.”

“You got a lot of nerve saying such bold things to my face, boy.”

“I’m an American.  We’ve been pissing on tradition ever since we told the King of England where to shove it and how far.”

“GARRICK!” cried out Minmei, both scandalized and terrifically amused.  “Jeeze, now I know how Misa feels when Claudia does stuff like that!”

I gave Minmei a lopsided grin.  “Would you have me any other way?”

“Not even in ten-thousand years!”

Minmei’s father gaped at us.  “This is no joke!?  You really...”

“Love each other?” I finished for Minmei’s Father, leveling a deadly serious look in his direction.

“Don’t get me wrong, father,” said Minmei, her voice downcast suddenly.  “There are things of a private matter that I must work out with Garrick.”  She then looked her father in the eyes, and went on, “But if we do make it through this impasse, then I am absolutely going to be his wife.

“Garrick has not said so, but he is actually a very powerful person.”  I gave a surprised look at Minmei, but she went on, saying, “I only wish that I could tell you how powerful he is.  You would probably rather hide in shame than try to look down upon him.”  The look Minmei was giving her father - her very own father! - was amazing.  I have never in my life seen anyone look at their father in the eyes like this.  It was not hatred, but it was very close.  It was a righteous and utterly incandescent fury, one that promised a great and woeful retribution, clad in the mask of her utterly beautiful face.  A beauty that I suddenly knew was far more terrifying once it found it’s true self and desires.

She then looked to me again with something in her eyes.  Something that was more than just love and admiration.  Something that felt like more than mere acceptance.

She opened her mouth and I felt my heart stop - only so that I could clearly and unmistakably hear what she was about to proclaim.

“What is going on?” came a voice from up stairs.  They faint hint of derision that voice carried nearly made my lip curl.  “You said it was important.”

He came down the stairs in a posture that was practically insouciant.  Navy blue slacks, a mauve and black-trimmed short-sleeved jacket over a blue long-sleeved polo shirt.  He looked very much like Minmei, except his face was longer and his features a bit sharper.  His hair was just like hers, and therefor just as long as mine.  But where I wore mine in a tightly braided queue (sometimes with the typical nasty surprises - which I had for today), his was allowed to flow freely over his ears and shoulders.

Lynn Kaifun.

Minmei’s cousin.

You know that feeling you get when you lay eyes on a person and then suddenly you cannot help but hate everything about them?  I knew that Kaifun was not a great example of humanity, but the moment he appeared - the moment I laid eyes on him - I suddenly wanted to tear him apart!

To put this into perspective, I never even had this feeling about Tirek, and he wanted to all-but-destroy the world.  Or better yet, I never even got this feeling that one time I stared down Kamjin...  And he’s a murderous bastard of a man.

But Kaifun?  For some reason, his very appearance rubbed at me the wrong way and I had this desire to remove him from existence.

Gar-kun!  Calm down! came Katherine’s suddenly panicked voice in my head.  You’re gonna call up your Lighthawk Wing if you don’t stop!!!

Surprised at my own reaction, I felt the tension dissipate - though not my intense dislike for Kaifun.

Katherine, what was that just then?

Passive Aura Detection.  His...  Gar-kun, he is HIDEOUS now that I am looking at him.  I really can’t blame you for feeling the way you did just then.

Well.  Looks like Twilight’s lessons on mental discipline were starting to pay off.

And not a moment too soon.  Watch out for Minmei - she has no idea!

“MINMEI!” cried out Kaifun the moment he saw her.

“Kaifun!  It’s you!” cried out Minmei in joy as she dashed over to give her cousin a hug.

“Am I dreaming?” said Kaifun as he hugged her back and laughed.

Okay.  I can grant him this.  I would be happy about seeing a cousin who I thought would be dead, so I can’t begrudge him that.  But I still regarded him warily.  After all, Katherine sensed it, too.

“Kaifun, I never expected to see you here!”

“Well, after I joined the Peace Movement I couldn’t stand to be near the Macross anymore, so I left home.”

I wanted to call bullshit on that so hard - it was such a whopper of a lie.

Thing is that I made a request for information on Minmei’s family, just to be safe.  Shockingly, my request went as far up as the actual Office of Spacey Intelligence itself, and entire dossiers on Minmei’s family came back.

The one on Kaifun was especially thick because of his involvement with the so-called Peace Movement.  The reality was that this group was actually a group of Anti-UN sympathizers that were starting to show signs of possibly becoming radicalized, hence the OSI’s attention.

But for the moment, I maintained my tacit silence.

“I was going to go back to visit Mom and Dad, but I stopped getting mail from them.  And then I found out that the island had been destroyed!”

“It really was something!” said Minmei, somewhat sheepishly.

“Well, I’m just really glad you’re alright, Minmei.”

“Oh, your Mom and Dad made it out too!”

“Really!  Where are they?”

“They’re onboard the Macross.”

“The Macross?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“No, I...”  Kaifun turned and finally noticed my presence.  “Oh!  I’m sorry!”

“Garrick, let me introduce you.  This is my cousin, Lynn Kaifun - he’s like a brother to me.  Kaifun, this is Lieutenant Junior-Grade Garrick Grimm.  He’s a Valkyrie fighter pilot in the Spacey and my boyfriend.”

“Your BOYFRIEND!?” Kaifun cried out in surprise.  He then looked to me, noticed the look I was giving him - a sort of yeah so what look - and then schooled himself back into calm.

“Yes, that’s me.  You can call me Garrick.  Or Mr. Grimm if you would rather be formal.”

“Charmed,” said Kaifun, barely keeping himself from sneering.  “You know, soldiers are supposed to help civilians.”

“That’s a misconception,” I said flatly.  “Soldiers are supposed to fight on behalf of their country.  Humanitarian aid is something we only do as a side job.  Helping civilians is more of a job for the local National Guardsmen.  It’s very important that you keep that distinction in mind, especially if you attempt to antagonize a soldier who is in the line of duty.  No matter who you are, if you make yourself into any kind of threat, they can kill you where you stand.  The mission comes first and foremost.  Anyone that interferes can be considered an enemy.”

Kaifun stared at me, his expression caught somewhere between shock and utter contempt.

“So, you’re that kind of soldier then?”

“I’m no wind-up toy if that’s what you’re thinking.  There are such things as illegal orders, and we’re perfectly within our rights to not follow such orders.”

“So you’d kill children if you had to?”

“KAIFUN!” said Minmei, aghast.  Even her parents seemed to have been taken aback by the boldness of the question.

I held up a hand to forestall anything else.

“It’s okay.  This is actually a thought exercise we’re taught pretty early on in basic training, and for a good reason, too.  Children are usually supposed to be considered non-combatants.  However, there are certain qualifying criteria at which point they can be considered an enemy.  The most classical example of this is that of a child picking up a fallen soldier’s gun.  At that point they’ve become a combatant, though not a moment beforehand.

“Threats like that are unpredictable and not to be tolerated - there are already enough threats as is.  It’s horrible and unfortunate, but no less true.  The child made a grievous mistake in picking up the gun of a combatant that had just been killed before their eyes.

“But hey, I guess it’s also okay to blow up an unarmed transport ship ferrying a couple thousand unarmed men from Mars to Earth.  You know, soft targets.  It doesn’t count as murder if they are military, after all.  Am I right?”

Kaifun was almost choking in outrage.

“You bastard!” he snarled.  He then turned to Minmei.  “I do not know what you see in this man, but if you prefer him over me, then I want nothing more to do with you!”

And with that, Kaifun stormed out.

“GARRICK!” snapped Minmei.  “HOW COULD YOU!?”

And then to my surprise, Minmei slapped me!  Actually slapped me as hard as she could!  And then without another word, she stormed out after Kaifun.

I then turned to her parents who were both giving me stern looks.

“I apologize for that,” I said with a bow, and then went on to explain myself.  “I’m a well read man.  As such, I’m very quick to spot false propaganda.  While the UN had their own propaganda machine, the Anti-UN was all falsehoods all the time.  Because they were in the minority, they decided to make soft targets their choice of prey.  And I am not about to let someone who supported that faction, however indirectly, forget that fact.”

“Hmph,” grunted Minmei’s father.  “I can understand where you’re coming from with this.  I never really supported that worldview of Kaifun’s, and I’m actually glad that you were able to throw it back in his face like that.  Though at the cost of estranging our daughter?  Well, at the very least you have the decency to look ashamed.  That is something, I suppose.

“Now, as to this mission of yours...  You really think it will convince the UN that this is a real threat?”

I shrugged.  “It convinced you, didn’t it?”

“I’m only one man, boy.  The General Assembly numbers in the hundreds.  But your evidence is compelling.  And after hearing about it, I can fully agree that Minmei would be safer on that ship.  Though there is only one other thing I wold ask of you, though I know you will probably balk at it.”

“What may that be, Mr. Lynn?”

“If Kaifun’s parents really are on that ship, then I want you to bring him back to them.”

I thought about what to say for a moment, then went on, “Sir, I cannot in good conscience take your nephew back with us.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, there is the hard and cold truth that the airplane we came on is meant for two people, not three.”

“That’s preposterous.  The weight limitation for aircraft that made such a long flight is-”

“Is far less than you think it is.  It may be a turbofan, but it’s a light sports aircraft.  It’s maximum ferrying range is only 400 miles, and that’s only by virtue of its efficiency.

“Secondly, there is the issue of him supporting the anti-Unification faction.”

“I know Kaifun’s perspective might be unwelcome, but those were anti-war protests.”

“Protests that, regardless of whether they were for or against war, favored the Anti-Unification faction.  It doesn’t matter how thin you slice it, it’s still bologna.

“Third, he wants your daughter for himself.”

“How did you learn of this?”

“The Office of Spacey Intelligence is nothing if not thorough in their background checks,” I replied, lying easily to the man’s face.

“...Regardless, that’s allowed here.”

“Yes.  It is,” I conceded easily.  “But is it what you want for her?”

“What about you, though.  You two certainly seem to get along well, aside from just earlier.”

“Minmei had her eye on me first.  She wanted me because not only does she know that I’m a capable man, but also because I would love her, treat her with kindness and respect, and most importantly allow her to be her own person and even support her in her endeavors.

“Kaifun is not that kind of person.  He is a Randian Objectivist in the very worst way.  He wants the world to order itself before him in the image of his whims.  And that vision includes Minmei being his obedient little wife, always doing as she’s told, when she’s told to do it.

“He will not say it because it violates his precious world view, but he wants her as his very own little trophy, acting on his whims and to present to the world the image -he- wants presented.

“And how is this different from you?” growled Minmei’s father.  “You seem to have my daughter wrapped around your finger.”

I glowered at the man, barely reigning in my outrage as I clenched my fists.

“Were you any other man...  You apparently haven’t noticed that its mutual.  She might cater to me, but only because I have earned it through my merits and my love of her.  I do not restrict her.  I empower her as best as I can.  I want her to have wings so she can soar.  Haven’t you noticed?  Right now she’s more magnificent than she’s ever been before.  She’s confident in herself and certain that whatever challenges come her way, if they are too much for her alone then she can count on me to help her shoulder the burden.

“Kaifun will do no such thing.  He will scoff and deride her for being weak.  He will trample and break her heart until she finally submits to his whim.  Is that what you want for your daughter?  Or do you want her to be happy?

“Who are you to say such things to me?” Snarled Minmei’s father as a vein pulsed on his forehead.

“I would have thought that would be obvious.  I’m the man she wants to marry - that is who I am.  And you have very little reason to stand against us.  I am well educated, strong, talented, a government employee, and my only design for Minmei is to see to her happiness.  Are you honestly going to tell me that is not what you want for her?

“Because if so, then that’s too bad.  We will be married whether you give your blessing or not.  This isn’t the old days where you can demand that she marry someone else.  This is the 21st century.  The time has come for you to stop living in the past and think about what will make her happy instead of what will make you look good.”

“You can’t be a fighter pilot forever,” he retorted.  “You know that eventually you’re gonna make my daughter into a widow.  And there can’t be anything else that a career solider like yourself can do for work.”

I grinned evilly.  “You really think that a man that holds two doctoral degrees can’t find work doing something else?”

“You’re a Double-Doctorate?” came Kaifun’s voice as he came back down the stairs.  “And yet you’re a trained attack dog of the UN?  What a pitiful waste.”

“They were short on pilots and needed anyone they could get,” I said, rounding on him, even as Minmei was following him back down behind him.  “So the logic follows: do my part and help avert death on a grand scale, or sit inside the battle fortress and wait for the inevitable.

“Besides, that’s pretty rich coming from someone who got expelled from college because he felt that it was more important to protest against the UN than show up for his classes, let alone study.”

Minmei gasped and Kaifun almost snarled at me.

“How did you know that?”

“I know a lot of things, Lynn Kaifun,” I replied, trying not to sound too dismissive of him here.  “I may not be Office of Spacey Intelligence, but I am an officer who has been tasked with an important mission.  And a legitimate request for information on persons I would be interacting with to that Office will yield a significant amount of information.

“Now, how about you let the adults here talk like a good boy or else your Uncle finding out why you had to leave Macross City will only be the second-worst thing to happen to you today.”

And indeed, the elder Mr. Lynn was giving Kaifun some absolutely furious looks.  He didn’t need to question me on the matter any further.  Kaifun had cleanly implicated himself when he demanded my source of information.  That, and despite their differences in taste, Mr. Lynn knew his brother quite well.

At that point, my C-pod began chirping.  It was ten minutes til two.

I turned to Mr. Lynn and ask, “I apologize, but if you could please direct me to the private room where I should be meeting with the Ambassador and his party?”

The Elder Lynn set aside his outrage and settled into a gruff front of a man who has Things To Do.

“Right away, Mr. Grimm.  This way, please.”  But before we went, Mr. Lynn turned to his nephew.  “Kaifun.  You and Minmei will go upstairs and we will speak about what will and will not be happening in the near future.  Also, Mr. Grimm is not to be disturbed while he conducts his business.  Am I clear?”

“Yes Uncle,” said Kaifun stiffly.

“Good.  Now go.”

As Kaifun and Minmei went upstairs, he then turned to his wife.  “While I deal with those two, please see to whatever Mr. Grimm and the Ambassador’s Party needs.”

“Of course, husband,” she replied, and went to make sure everything in the kitchen was ready.

##

I was left in a somewhat small room with a round table and six place settings.  Also present was a computer with a large display connected to it so I could show the Ambassador and his men the footage.  There was already a pot of the good Oolong tea I had enjoyed earlier, as well as a pot of Earl Grey.

Presently, the shoji at the far end of the room slid open and the Ambassodor, Colonel Maistroff’s father, stepped in followed by a woman and two other men.

I stood and went to meet them.

“The Honorable Lord Maistroff, I assume?” I asked the one that bore a strong resemblance to the colonel as I held out my hand.

“Yes,” replied the ambassador as he took my and and gave it a firm shake.  “You must be the infamous Lieutenant Grimm we’ve been hearing about.”

“Thank you, sir, but I’m only an O-2.”

“Of course,” replied the man politely.  “Introductions: this young lady here is my personal secretary, Miss Perdita Simmons.”

“Charmed,” replied the woman, a tall and regal blonde with blue eyes as she gave me a lady’s hand shake.

“Also here is our chief analyst from MI6, Mister Brosnan.”

The man, rail-thin, tall, and balding, regarded me coolly as we shook hands.

“A pleasure,” he said flatly.  “I hope that you can shed some light on matters that have been eluding us.”

I nodded, and moved on the the fourth person.

“And this is our Liaison to the CIA in America, Jack Ryan.”  I  couldn’t completely hide my surprise.

“Good to meet you,” said Ryan as we shook hands.

“Likewise,” I replied.  “I had no idea that I’d be meeting with someone from the CIA.”

“It was felt that given the nature of the information you were in possession of that it would be best if there was a second party on hand to bear witness.  Also, you can imagine why we would be interested in the fact that a US Citizen who was originally reported to be dead is actually alive and well.”

Katherine, I thought desperately to my friend.

It’s okay, Gar-kun.  I went and inserted all the right files in all the right places the moment we were in communications range of the satellite network.  Unless you give them reason to dig deeper into your history, no one will be the wiser.

Thanks, Sprout.  I owe you big time.

Try and spend a little more quality time with me and we’ll call it even! she replied impishly.

“Well, I imagine we’ll be getting into that here soon.  Let’s be seated, please.  I took the liberty of ordering appetizers and they’ll be coming soon, but I doubt that we’ll have much stomach for it once we get into this.”

##

We got settled in just as the appetizers arrived, and the preliminary questions began to fly.  First of all, they wanted to know about the chain of events, as I knew of them, that lead up to our sudden disappearance, and then what came afterwards.

“Well,” said Jack once I got to describing how much we took with us when we folded out.  “That would certainly explain the tsunami.”

Lord Maistroff nodded.  “There’s going to be hell to pay for that fiasco.  I don’t think Commodore Gloval could even be held responsible due to the circumstances.”

Ryan nodded.  “It is doubtful.  The system was as of yet untested.  We had a lot of data that proved it would function, but we still needed a live test to fully determine how it works.  And then there was the attack and then the order to launch.  It’s a real mess.”

Lord Maistroff nodded.  “Carry on, then, Mr. Grimm.”

“Yes sir,” I replied and went on, describing not only the journey, but the capabilities of the Zentradi forces and the sheer numbers they threw at us, which they found to be rather disquieting.

And finally, we got to our capture.  It was already decided to leave out the parts about my being a slider, and would explain us getting away from Buldoza in that we still had hidden our survival weapons on our persons.  It was believable as the Zentradi did not think to search us - from their perspective, why would we have weapons at that size?

They watched the footage with growing fascination, and then shock as Buldoza showed the destruction of the planet he used as an example of what would happen to Earth.

Then came the all-important question.

“Will they really do it?” asked Lord Maistroff.

In reply, I played a carefully edited version of mine and Breetai’s last conversation.

“God help us,” said Mr. Brosnan quietly.  “They really are going to do it.  And you theorize it’s because they think we’re this ‘protoculture’ they fear?”

I nodded.  “It’s the only real explanation, sir.”

“We don’t have any time then,” said Lord Maistroff.  “Ryan, you have your copy, yes?  Good.  Miss Simmons, I’m going to call a meeting of the General Assembly under the emergency clause.  Have transportation ready for me at the absolute soonest possible.  This is dire enough that I’m not even going to bother packing.”

“Then shall I have an overnight bag made for you?”

“If you can, that would be wonderful, but do not waste one second of time.  The clock has already been running for some time now, and those bastards in Spacey High Command are going to have a lot to answer for.”

Lord Maistroff then turned to me and shook my hand.  “Mr. Grimm, you have been a paragon of a man to bring this to us.  If we make it out somehow, you can expect to be receiving honors.”

Before I could say anything, though, Lord Maistroff had left with his party in tow.

I then tapped my C-Pod.  “Knife-One now on channel.  Gunsight, Knife-One.  It’s done, Sammy.  They’re as panicked as a proper Englishman can be.  And better yet they brought the CIA to the party.”

“Knife-One, Gunsight.  Understood.  The Colonel wishes to speak with you.  Wait one...”

“Knife-One, SDF-1 Actual - The Commodore is on his way back and wanted me to let you know: it’s just as you feared.  The brass is doubling-down on this outlandish idea of a carrot and stick routine.  He’ll be glad to know that Lord Maistroff was the much more sensible party.  Now you be quick, young man, and get back over here.”

“SDF-1 Actual, Knife-One.  Understood.  I’ll get underway as soon as circumstance allow it.  Knife-One going off-channel.”

##

When I came out from the meeting room and back into the common dining area of the restaurant, Minmei and her family was waiting for me.

“Garrick Grimm,” said her father with a flinty look at me.  “We’ve all come to a decision.  With it being too dangerous to keep our girl here in the meantime, we will allow you to return to the Macross with her.  Though we will be trying to find a way to get there ourselves.  And once we do, we will oppose your marriage to our daughter with the strongest language possible.

“The very least you can do for us, though, is to take these letters to my brother.”  Mr. Lynn then held up large manila envelope that, judging by its thickness, had more than just a few pages of correspondence.  “I know that you Americans hold the sanctity of the post in very high regard, so I trust that you will ensure that these get to him, intact and unopened.”

I nodded.  “Loathe as I am to accept the task - I can pretty much guess what’s in there.  But I also know that there’s important words for your loved ones, so I have no choice in the matter.”

I took the envelope and carefully placed it inside my messenger bag.

“Either way,” I went on as I settled myself, “whatever happens, I have decided to leave it in Minmei’s hands.  Though I would appreciate it if you didn’t make this any harder on her.”  I then turned to Minmei and said, “I’ll wait for you outside while you say your goodbyes, but don’t be too long - we really have to get going.”

“Right,” said Minmei a bit stiffly, but she softened up a bit as she then said, “Thank you, Garrick.”

I simply smiled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before exiting the restaurant.

As I had thought, Minmei needed a few minutes to do this.  But promised, she didn’t keep me waiting too long.  When she came out, she was dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief.

“I’m sorry about this,” I said as we started walking.

“It’s alright.  I should have expected it.  Especially Kaifun not liking you.  But did you have to be that way with him?”

I sighed.  “I’m sorry, Minmei.  Just... attitudes like that just rub me so wrong.  That smug sense of moral superiority.... ugh.”

“Well, what’s so wrong about being against war?”

“Nothing, really.  It’s the motivations behind that sentiment that are wrong.”

“What?”

“Think about it, Minmei.  The Anti-UN League struck first and they always aimed at soft targets.  What was the UN supposed to do in the face of that?  I mean, I know that there’s been some uncool things the UN has done.”  I couldn’t say anything about the Bird Human Incident.  That was still hushed up to the high heavens.  “But that’s going to change soon, I hope.”

“What do you mean?” asked Minmei.

“The British Ambassador implied that the UN General Assembly had no idea of what happened.  Heads at Spacey High Command are about to start rolling.”

“Good.  Maybe things will change for the better, then.  Maybe I can come back here to Yokohama...”  Minmei fell silent at what she had just implied - that she would come and live here.

Without me.

I know she didn't really mean it like that, but I wasn't a fool, either.  I knew this was one of the possibilities, and she knew that I knew as well.  Even so, I could never punish her for having such a thought.  It's a very human thing to do, and I'm not about to go around trying to get people to be what they're not.

I looked to her and smiled wanly, giving her hand a squeeze.

We walked on in silence for a moment before Minmei broke the silence between us again.

“How can you be so calm about this?” she asked suddenly.  “Here I am, really, honestly thinking about leaving you, and it almost feels like you’re giving up on me here!”

I sighed.  “Minmei...  I don’t know what you want me to do here.  I’ve already shown you everything I can.  You know whats on the horizon.  You know what the possibilities are.  The only thing I can do now is wait for you to make your choice.”

“So... you won’t fight for me?”

“Fight for you?” I said.  “Against who?  Your family?  I’m pretty sure you were just about to tell your father where to shove it just earlier.”  I then sighed.  “You really were about to say ‘Yes’ back there, weren’t you?  And then Kaifun showed up.”

“What about Kaifun?” said Minmei hotly.

I took a deep breath because I knew this was something of a land mine for her.  “Minmei... I don’t trust him.  He’s read way too much Ayn Rand.”

“How can you tell?”

“His entire attitude screams it.  This idea that the entire world is supposed to order itself before you just because you think it’s... that it’s righteous, when really it isn’t.”

“I don’t get it, Garrick.  What’s so bad about wanting the world to be a better place?”

“What Kaifun wants is a logical fallacy.  Look, you confirmed that he’s read a lot of Ayn Rand, so you probably know about Atlas Shrugged.  The scene where the protagonist is being tortured, and he makes some bold speech about... I don’t know -WHAT- and somehow his torturers are suddenly in awe of what an incredible man he is?  That’s not how it works.  Real life?  They would have let him go on for a few seconds, and then laughed as they clubbed him halfway to death.”

“But it’s-”

“It doesn’t matter what the message is.  It’s fiction.  Real life doesn’t work that way.  I told you about everything that happened back when I was taken prisoner, right?  You think that my words had any effect on Budolza?  He almost killed the Lieutenant and I had to cut his hand off to save her.  That is real life.

“What Kaifun wants would be like trying to argue with a typhoon.  It’s not gonna care.  It’s going to come, and if you’re still there when it does, it’s going to wash you away with the storm surge.  And if Kaifun doesn’t watch it, that’s pretty much what’s going to happen to him.”

“How can you say that!  There’s no way Kaifun would do something so dumb!”

“Minmei, I’m sorry, but Kaifun is nowhere nearly as bright as he thinks he is.”

“And you are!?” she snapped angrily.

I stopped and turned to look Minmei in the eyes.  She was genuinely peeved at me.  In fact, she never said a word about when she slapped me earlier.

“I would like to that that me being as old as I am would at least mean I have more life experience than Kaifun does.  I’ll admit, I went through a similar phase when I was young, but when I was confronted with reality, I didn’t try to scream down the storm.  I learned and became wiser for my experience.”

“You don’t seem all that smart now, though,” she said with a glare.

Shit.  She was doubling down on this.  Before, I’ve always been able to get people to see reason, and in the times I couldn’t I could usually just stand back and let them learn from their mistakes.

But with Minmei?  Now?  Regarding this?  She was about to make a very poor choice, one that I knew she would regret for the rest of her life.  And I didn’t wish that kind of fate on her.  The only problem was how do I defuse this situation?  I had to take some kind of action because ignoring it was as  good as handing Minmei over to Kaifun, gift wrapped.

“I’m not about to sit here and try to prove how wrong you are about that.  You know already how wrong it is.  It was one of the things you liked the most about me.  And by the way?  You said that I wasn’t fighting for you?  Congratulations: you just gave me an opponent.”

“Is that so then?” said Minmei with an enraged glare.  “The only reason your not going back alone is because there’s no way I can get back there without you!”

“Alright then,” I said evenly.  “We’d better stop making a scene of ourselves and get going.  I promised your parents and Kaifun that I would deliver these letters, and that is exactly what I’ll do.”

“You had better if you know what’s good for you.”

##

The flight back was a quiet one.  But that was fine.  I needed the time to figure out how I was supposed to handle this.  I knew that Minmei loved her cousin, but I never imagined that she’d defend him so vehemently, even though he was so horribly in the wrong.
She really is angry, isn’t she? asked Katherine quietly.

Yeah, Sprout.  Don’t ask me how I missed this.

It never was such a big issue in the anime.  I mean, yes, she stuck to her guns about Kaifun.  But even then, she was also showing signs of getting tired of him.

Yes... but that took a while, though.  Katherine, I fucked up.  I should have seen this coming.

But what could you have done?

I’m not sure, Sprout.  But I would have thought of something.

By the way, we just got another batch of letters.  Do you want to read them now?

Thanks, Sprout, but I need to stay at least somewhat focused here.  I’d never forgive myself if anything happened now.

Alright, Gar-kun.

##

We touched down with no incident on the Prometheus’s flight deck.  Once we were cleard, Minmei jumped out of her seat without waiting for me to give her a hand, and then stormed off.

Hikaru came over with a concerned look on his face.

“What the hell happened?” he asked.

I shook my head.  “She’s got a cousin of whom she’s incredibly defensive over.  One that thinks that military forces should be a thing of the past.”

Hikaru’s face scrunched up in confusion and disgust.  “Are you serious?”

“She is.  Like a heart attack.”

Hikaru puffed.  “You better do some damage control fast, Robber.  There’s been a line of guys just waiting for you to screw up.”

I snorted.  “Good luck to them.  The mood she’s in now?  I don’t know if they’ll ever even find the body.”

“That bad!?” he cried out.

“Oh yes.  I think the only reason she didn’t try to flay me alive was because she needed me to fly the plane.  We better get going, Fuzzy.  I’m sure that Captain Gloval will want to debrief me as soon as possible.”

##

The Captain listened to me intently and patiently as I went over everything that happened, but he was especially curious about what happened with Kaifun and Minmei.

Finally, once the tale was told, and the Captain sat still and quiet for several minutes.

“Very troubling,” he said quietly as he reached down, opened the special drawer, and pulled out his special vodka and a pair of glasses.  “I once had the pleasure of knowing a beautiful girl.  She was a dancer.  But then, one day, we had a disagreement.  She wanted me to leave the Navy.  But the Navy had been all I ever knew.  What else could I do?  Eventually, she left me, and here I am today.”

The old Russian officer poured the two drinks, then offered me one.

“This situation of yours though... very different.  She seems upset that you think little of her cousin, yes?  Hmph.  If what you say about him is true, then I would find it difficult to tolerate him as well.  BUt you must somehow find a way to make ammends.  Otherwise... she may well slip away.”

Captain Gloval raised his glass to mine, and then we both downed the vodka.

It still boggled my mind - where did he find vodka that was this smooth?

“I’m at a loss, sir,” I said at length.  “It’s...  there is something just plain VILE about him.”

“Have you told her of the events in the fictional account of our tales?”

“Not yet.  I haven’t really had a chance to.”

“You had better, then.  Even if it is fictional, it’s been eerily close thus far.  And I suspect that time may be an issue here.  On that note, you should probably get going, Mr. Grimm.  You do have those letters to bring to the Nyan-Nyan.”

“Of course, sir.”

##

When I got to the Nyan-Nyan, Aunt Lynn greeted me in the restaurant.

“Oh Garrick, I am so sorry about Minmei,” she said sympathetically.  “I wish that there was something I could do.”

I thought about that for a second.  “Auntie Lynn... What was Kaifun like before he left here... I mean, Macross City back on Earth.”

She gestured for me to sit down at one of the tables.

“He was... different.  He’d always been such a good boy.  So kind and caring.  He’d always watch out for Minmei.  They were almost inseparable.  And then the war broke out and then he started reading those awful books.”

“And Minmei never took any issue with it?”

“She simply saw it as Kaifun being himself.  You have to keep in mind, Kaifun is two years older than her, so she always saw him in a respectable light.”

“In other words, she was too close to see the bigger picture.”

“Very much so.  In fact, we were worried that she might follow his lead, but fortunately that never happened.”

“Is she home right now?” I asked.

“Yes, she’s up in her room, but I wouldn’t bother her - she is very upset still.”

I shook my head.  “I need to at least check in with her.  Psychology.  Gotta show her that I’m not giving up.  Oh, and I need to give these to you,” I said as I dug out the envelope from Minmei’s family in Yokohama.

“What’s this?”

“Correspondence from everyone back in Yokohama.  There should even be some from Kaifun there.”

Auntie Lynn’s face lit up in joy.  “Oh THANK YOU!” she cried out as she eagerly accepted the envelope and then started digging through it.

“I wouldn’t thank me yet,” I said with a sigh.

“What?” asked Auntie ans she paused to look up at me.

“There is very likely an officially stamped letter in there from Minmei’s parents forbidding her marriage to me.”

Aunt Lynn sighed as she pulled out the letter in question.  “I was afraid of this.  My husband has always felt that his brother was far too stiff.  My sister and I... I never told you, we’re actually sisters by blood!  Probably why Kaifun and Minmei look like they could be brother and sister.  Anyhow, we would always try to smooth things over between the two of them, but my brother-in-law could never let things go.  He always derided my husband for his ideas about a more informal sort of restaurant.  So, we left Yokohama, Minmei came with us, and...”

“And you opened the Nyan-Nyan,” I finished for her.

Aunt Lynn smiled and nodded.  “Yes.  Even though we’re such a modest sized establishment, we’ve been very successful.  And part of that success has given Minmei the work she needed to fund her alternative education.”

I nodded.  “Music, singing, writing, and dance.”

“All she really wanted was to be her own person.  I could never see her being happy tied down the way her father wanted.  The only reason why Minmei was able to come with us in the first place was because Honorable Mother interceded on Minmei’s behalf.”

“Oh?  I hadn’t heard about this.”

“Yes, my mother-in-law... She’s quite the person.  She’s seen so many things, you know.  And while she is rather traditional, it’s more for maintaining our culture.  She always wished for Minmei’s happiness, just as we did.  Even so, it was a surprise for us when she came down on her eldest son like a maddened mother hen.

“Hah!  I bet that was a sight!”

Aunt Lynn chuckled.  “Oh, goodness, our Ancestors were probably rolling on their sides.  I consider myself fortunate that Honorable Mother truly took my sister and I as daughters, because she can be quite the frightening woman when she wants to be.”

I chuckled.  “I think I’m starting to get an idea of where Minmei gets it from, now.”

Aunt Lynn chuckled as well.  “I do wish you luck, Garrick.  Honorable Mother’s temper was legendary throughout Yokohama’s China Town.  And only Honorable Father could ever seem to get her to calm down.”

“He must have been quite the sweet talker.”

“Well, their marriage was an arranged one, but Honorable Mother was fortunate in that her husband had truly fallen in love with her.  It took a bit of time, but he did win her heart over.  And it seems that now you must do the same with Minmei.  Strange how the tables turn, is it not?  That at first she chased you, and now it is you that must chase her.”

“Auntie, my life has been the definition of the word ‘strange’ for some time now.”

Aunt Lynn scoffed and shook her head.  “You revealed such unbelievable things just a few days ago, and yet here we are talking as though it never happened.  But that’s what gives me heart, Garrick.  That even afterwards, you’re still the same man that came into our lives when this adventure began.  You said you weren’t any different, and you were right.  The only difference now is that we can talk about it.  And that is a good thing.

“Now then, you go and check in with Minmei.  I’ll make sure my husband sees these letters... though I’m sure he’s going to be unhappy with his brother once again.”

“Thanks Auntie.”

“You’re welcome, Garrick.”

##

I went upstairs to Minmei’s room and memories of that night almost two weeks ago invaded my conscious.  Us in her bed, her body pressed close to mine as we both resisted the urge to give in to our baser desires.  I remember having to put a hand against her hips to help still them because she had wrapped her legs with mine and I could fell the moist heat building  against my thigh.  She had more than understood, she quietly thanked me for it.

I know it’s just semantics at this point.  Why bother anymore if no one is going to bother saying anything.  But even so, that was wrong - the stuff that hubris is made of.  All it would take was for one person to whisper in the wrong person’s ear, and then suddenly I’d be locked up in the brig awaiting a courts martial.

Besides, character is what you are in the dark.  And Minmei and I both seem to have some pretty strong character, because it was very dark indeed in her room that night.

Pushing the memories back out of my head, I gently knocked on her door.  For a moment, there was only silence.

“Come in, Garrick,” came Minmei’s voice, sounding somewhat tired.

I opened the door to find her sprawled across her bed, one arm, palm up, laying over her eyes.

“You’re not here to apologize, are you?” she said, not moving an inch otherwise.

“I’m sorry I’ve made you upset, Minmei,” I said as I sat on the bed next to her.  “I’m not sorry for my feelings about your cousin.”

“Not good enough.”

“What if I showed you something that could change your mind?”

“What could that possibly be?” she said, finally taking her arm off her eyes so she could glower at me.  It didn’t escape my notice that they were red and puffy.

“Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the animation.”

##

Minmei reluctantly followed me into my C-Space and I pulled up the series on my computer, going straight to the episodes of Kaifun when he was at his most condescending.  And then I followed it up with the interview where he openly declared that he was going to marry Minmei.

“Wait, what!?” cried out Minmei.  “There’s no way!  It’s got to be wrong!  I mean, they made me look like such an airhead!”

I sighed.  “It could be wrong... but I don’t think it is, Minmei.”

Minmei opened her mouth, but I raised a hand to forestall her.

“I’m not going to try to argue.  Let’s... just wait and see what happens.”

“But Kaifun isn’t even here!” snapped Minmei.  “You made sure of that!”

I shook my head.  “That was with Hikaru flying the plane.  I’ve got about eighty pounds over him.  If we took Kaifun plus the luggage...  we would have been overweight, and that’s to say nothing of there only being two seats.”

“Why is the weight so important?”

“Here, let me show you something.”  I quickly went to the internet and found a video of a Cesna, one grossly overweight with backpackers and all their equipment, take off, but it never quite cleared the tree line.  What was more, the video was from within the cabin itself and Minmei gasped at what she saw.

“Were they alright!?”

“I think someone had a broken wrist, but otherwise...  Minmei, those people were incredibly lucky.  What would have happened to us if your plane had stalled out in the middle of the Pacific?  Help would have been hundreds of miles away and we would have dropped like a rock.”

Minmei sighed and I knew that I had finally gotten her to see reason on this one point.

“Alright.  I get it now.  It was too dangerous.  But that doesn’t make me any less happy about this!  Kaifun is still over there!”

I sighed and reached over, gently squeezing her hand - the first time I’d touched her since Yokohama.

As though the floodgates had suddenly burst, Minmei then threw herself against me.

“Dammit, Garrick!” she cried out, her voice wavering.  “Why do you have to do this to me!  I’m so angry at you, but I still love you so much, and it’s making me hurt!”

I gently hugged her close, slowly rubbing her back until she began to relax.

“How can you be so calm about this, Garrick?” she said at last.

“It’s because I’ve had my own heart broken so many times that there’s not much left to break.  Just pieces everywhere.  And I was hoping that maybe you would stay with me and help me put it back together again.”

“Your... your fiancees?”

“Yes, that... but more so.”

Once again, I delved into my past.  But not simply my time where I became part of Tenchi’s family.

I went all the way back to my very beginnings - where a woman had given birth to her first child, and then swore on everything holy that he smiled at her.  Not even thirty seconds after she gave her last great heave.

I told her everything.  The years we spent, my mother and I, seemingly in our own little bubble - her and I against the world, with her singing Just the Two of Us.  Then came my stepfather and all the abuse because he simply could not understand what I was and how I was wired wrong.  How it got so bad that I would flinch at the slightest sudden movements.

Minmei then gasped as she suddenly remembered one time she got me a drink while I was eating.  She came in behind me and then suddenly thrust the glass into my peripheral vision, intending to hand the cup to me.  Instead, I startled so badly that I almost upset the glass.  And she never understood why I had that reaction until now.

And the abuse got worse.  More and more, belittling me for everything I did.  The nights I would cry, wishing that oblivion would somehow swallow me up because as much as I desperately wanted to die, I knew it would destroy my mother.

And then my faltering steps into the world, damaged far beyond what I seemed on the surface.  Weighed down by depression and anxiety.  Emotionally scared and only become more so as I tried to find love, only for it to rear back and bite me.

Finally, there as the accident.

Mother was gone.  Father was distraught.  My brothers and sister were lost, drifting apart.  And me alone.  No friends.  No love.  Barely any hope for a future.

And then I nearly drove my truck into Tenchi’s house.

The rest, Minmei knew already.

“So... yeah.  I’m broken inside, Minmei.  I was broken as a child, broken as an adult...  I was completely shattered when I was taken away from my new family, and then I had to break my own heart again when I said goodbye to everyone I’d come to love on Equestria.  Mother of Trees, I miss them all so much.  I just try not to think about it.  Compartmentalize.  Keep moving.  Keep hoping that maybe, just maybe, when I get to the next world, it’s going to be home.  That I’m going to see the smiles of my beloved ladies.”
Minmei was quiet for a moment while she pondered that.

“You’ve been like this this whole time... And then I came along and acted like such a little floozy...  God, Garrick, I am so sorry.  At the very least...  If I’d known I would have been a lot more gentle with you.”

“It’s in the past now.  Besides, I guess I kinda needed a kick in the pants.”

Minmei smiled weakly, but honestly at the humor.  But then her face fell again.

“Garrick.  This still doesn’t change anything about Kaifun.  Yes, I acknowledge he was being an ass.  I won’t hide from that fact.  But he’s still like a brother to me.  And if you two meet again, then I will not tolerate you to being at each other’s throats.”

I sighed at that and then looked Minmei in the eyes.  “If he ever does anything to mistreat you, I will fucking break him.”

Minmei’s eyes widened in shock.  “GARRICK!  Why on Earth would you think such a thing!”

“Because he’s in your blind spot, Minmei.  You think to yourself, ‘It’s just Kaifun being Kaifun - there’s nothing really wrong.’  But if you keep ignoring warning signs, then you’re going to get hurt.  And I don’t like seeing you cry.”

Minmei’s anger returned.  “He is not like that, Garrick!”

I looked Minmei in the eyes and finally said, “You know that I don’t ever tell you anything that I think may even be remotely wrong, right?”

“Well you’re wrong about this.”

I sighed.  I wasn’t going to get any further on this matter.  But just to remind her, I pulled her into a hug.  She turned her face away from me, a petulant glower on her face the whole time.  But even so, I left a soft kiss on her cheek and I felt her resolve falter.

“I’m going to go ahead and get something to eat, and then head on back to the barracks.  Goodnight, Minmei.”

She said nothing as I closed the door.

---

Annnnnd still not resolved yet.  Heh-heh-heh....

[classicdrogn]

Really nice, BA. There were a few gotchas here and there, but I was too busy reading the story to take notes about them - I know there were a couple in the first few paragraphs, and some missing italics talking with Katherine on the flight back. Um, also a "conscious" that should be "consciousness" or just "mind" or "thoughts." I also know I'm forgetting at least two more... I'll read it again later, and see if I can spot them then. It's always a pain trying to proof your own work; your brain knows what you meant and tends to see it even when it's not exactly what's on the page.

[Black Aeronaut]

Ho hum. I'm gonna look through it. It probably doesn't help I was tired when I posted this. But all the same, I had to get it out.

[Bob Schroeck]

No worries, BA. I know the feeling and I've done the same thing myself.

[Bob Schroeck]

Eventually, with all the irons I have in the fire, I should probably eventually get my own forum to act as a sort of online nerve-center.  Only problem is getting people to actually go there.  >:T

But in sometime between now and then, I should probably ask Bob if he wouldn't mind giving me another subforum once things start to get hard to keep track of.

I knew I've been forgetting something.  Do you want a generic "Black Aeronaut" forum, or one just for Deculture?

[Black Aeronaut]

Eventually, with all the irons I have in the fire, I should probably eventually get my own forum to act as a sort of online nerve-center.  Only problem is getting people to actually go there.  >:T

But in sometime between now and then, I should probably ask Bob if he wouldn't mind giving me another subforum once things start to get hard to keep track of.

I knew I've been forgetting something.  Do you want a generic "Black Aeronaut" forum, or one just for Deculture?

Just a generic one.  This way I can cram everything that's not There's Nothing Better inside and arrange it as needed.  After all, I need to see about getting my second draft of Being You is Suffering up, seeing as the old thread got horribly mangled by the crapatalk perversion.

(It won't be drastically different, but there will be differences indeed, such as conversations that go in a slightly different direction because they didn't follow through properly or wildly shifted subjects.)

[classicdrogn]

Roight, 'ere we go then!

Ho hum. I'm gonna look through it. It probably doesn't help I was tired when I posted this. But all the same, I had to get it out.

No worries, the only ones who haven't been there haven't posted any stories online.

I shook my head. “I am special among all Micronians, Commander. I am an interdimensional traveler from an alternate version of this universe. I would be shocked if there were anyone here that could do this.”

I dunno, spiritia users are pretty bullshit... Probably still not quite the same thing, though.

How would Azonia know about flirty teasing and think it's fun when sexual relationships are unknown to the Zentran and Meltran?

“Interesting. And I assume that since you returned Breetai’s men so readily that anyone I send to your ship will come to no harm?”

I suggest "May I assume" here

Let us get this over with so I can go back to my former size.”

Might Milia say "proper size" here? As an ace power armor pilot, she probably sees being micloned as a useless state only fit for reducing supply requirements between deployments.

“Of course,” she said, and then set about to move things along. “Captain, I believe we are to look at your engine spaces?”

“Indeed,” said the Captain. “Doctor Lang will guide us along as we tour the engine spaces,

suggest "room" for one of these

“Civilians... You mean those people from before?”

"What's a 'civilian?' Is it some kind of specialist technician?" I guess they might have met a one or two running th euniform shop, or on the way to it? You didn't mention it, though. If that's what you intended to have happen, maybe insert a line about Milia or one of her bookends asking about the meaning of all those uniform variations while they're passing through the public spaces? I vote for the latter, while Milia just shoots arch looks back at people gawking at their (presumably skimpy?) robes

Milia gave me a shocked look, then seemed to school herself back into her dispassionate imperialism.

suggest "hautiness" or something along those lines - imperialism has a different meaning, generally

“They are indeed dangerous,” stated Milia with absolute certainty. “But as you said, not in the way Budolza thinks... request permission to speak freely, Commander?”

suggest "May I speak freely"



For the rest, I'll just pick out the errors

Spoiler

Bridge Bunnies as I walked through the door, “what you see and here today

Azonia gave me a mildly surprised look.  “What do you hope to gain out of this, Micronian.” question mark


In two hours, a Quel-Quallie scout ship accompanied by a pair of Quedlun-Rau
Queadluun is the official romanization IIRC

container opened like a clamshell and then out stepped three miclonized Meltrandi
micloned/macloned, micronized is a Robotechism

How would you go about facing me in a battle.”
?

“Particularly your support garments.  I have never experienced a fit this accurate while maintaining such strong support.
missing "


I couldn’t help but feel like My Ladies were all going to topple entire empires with nothing but beautific smiles on their faces,
beatific

“There is something about this that is incredible wrong, ma’am. 
incredibly

---

Same again for Pt2

“It largely depends on how High Command is going to react,” replied Captain Gloval. “Garrick says that in the original timeline we had no real proof. But this time? We have two sets of video, and even recorded dialogue. And it is blatantly clear that

"Timeline" feels kind of meta despite being valid here. Swapping in "course of events" would remove that, and the partial repetition with "this time"

“I have indeed. My father, the British Ambassador to Japan, is quite keen on seeing this footage. Mr. Grimm? Tomorrow you’re to take Miss Lynn in her personal aircraft to Yokohama. To the populace here, we will explain that she has special permission to see her family due to her celebrity status.

Why even tell anyone? Just have her go somewhere out of the way, put on a pilot's suit and helmet, and walk to the hangars.

“You got a lot of nerve saying such bold things to my face, boy.”

“I’m an American. We’ve been pissing on tradition ever since we told the King of England where to shove it and how far.”

For someone trying to make a good impression on prospective inlaws, Garrick is being pretty damn rude. Even by American standards.

“Don’t get me wrong, father,” said Minmei, her voice downcast suddenly. “There are things of a private matter that I must work out with Garrick.”

suggest "private nature"

“And this is our Liaison to the CIA in America, Jack Ryan.” I couldn’t completely hide my surprise.

Shouldn't he be President by then?

Ryan nodded. “It is doubtful. The system was as of yet untested. We had a lot of data that proved it would function,

I'd say "data that showed it should" here - it's not proven until you do in fact try it, unless you're a theoretical mathematician. Engineers? When you can do it several times in a row without more than expected maintenance, that's "tested" but you don't get to "proven" until it's been in service for at least a year, and preferably ten

“So... you won’t fight for me?”

“Fight for you?” I said. “Against who? Your family? I’m pretty sure you were just about to tell your father where to shove it just earlier.”

"You're a person, not a prize to be won" trope averted, but tropes are not always bad. It plays into the dramatic tension here though, and Minmei clearly thinks that she does deserve to be treated like a prize worth fighting over so it probably wouldn't have the intended effect even if it was used.

Spoiler

they’re going to bring to bear on us? I highly doubt that even the Grand Canon
Cannon (every time)

“Well, what if you gave them a coupe de grace right off the bat?” asked Mr.
coup

“Sound enough reasoning,” said Colonel Maistroff. “But to be safe, I recommend that we take every effort to destroy that thing. There is bound to be a second in
make every effort

“Father! Don’t be like that! This is Garrick Grimm, and he’s my boyfriend.
missing "

Is that what you want for your daughter? Or do you want her to be happy?
missing "

“Who are you to say such things to me?” Snarled Minmei’s father as a vein pulsed on his forehead.
me?" snarled

Try and spend a little more quality time with me and we’ll call it even! she replied impishly.
italics should end with Katherine's dialogue

In reply, I played a carefully edited version of mine and Breetai’s last conversation.
my

I nodded. “Loathe as I am to accept the task - I can pretty much guess what’s in
Loth or loath, no e in this context

The flight back
all Katherine's lines need their italics

We touched down with no incident on the Prometheus’s flight deck. Once we were cleard,
cleared

I shook my head. “She’s got a cousin of whom she’s incredibly defensive over. One
"of whom" or "over," not both

BUt you must somehow find a way to make ammends.
But
amends

and then suddenly I’d be locked up in the brig awaiting a courts martial.
court-martial


“Here, let me show you something.” I quickly went to the internet and found a video of a Cesna,
Cessna

Keep hoping that maybe, just maybe, when I get to the next world, it’s going to be home. That I’m going to see the smiles of my beloved ladies.”
Minmei was quiet for a moment while she pondered that.
missing a second carriage return

[Bob Schroeck]

I knew I've been forgetting something.  Do you want a generic "Black Aeronaut" forum, or one just for Deculture?

Just a generic one.  This way I can cram everything that's not There's Nothing Better inside and arrange it as needed.  After all, I need to see about getting my second draft of Being You is Suffering up, seeing as the old thread got horribly mangled by the crapatalk perversion.

Okay, when I get home from work tonight, I'll set it up, move everything I can find into it, and make you the moderator.

Edit: Oh, and if you have anything special you want to call it, say so.

[ECSNorway]

Edit: Oh, and if you have anything special you want to call it, say so.

"The Hangar"?

[Bob Schroeck]

Sounds good to me.

[robkelk]

Or maybe "Black Aeronaut's Hangar"

“They are indeed dangerous,” stated Milia with absolute certainty.  “But as you said, not in the way Budolza thinks... request permission to speak freely, Commander?”

suggest "May I speak freely"

That's the way a civilian would ask. "Permission to speak freely" is a specific military formula - the lower-ranked person is requesting (for a question) or receiving (for a statement) permission to break military protocol and ignore the rank of the higher-ranked person.

[classicdrogn]

I'm aware of that, but how likely are the Meltran to have the same specific formula for things as any given earthly military? For that matter, with how regimented and strictly combat-focused their lives are even now let alone as designed, building in ways to behave outside of that seems unlikely to have been part of their training program at all, and rather part of the informal procedures that have grown organically since the Protoculture fell and stopped enforcing their rules. Neither Azonia nor Milia seem to be overly by-the-book types in this interpretation anyway.

[robkelk]

I seriously doubt that they're speaking English, though. The formula would have been translated along with the words.

As for more or less by-the-book, this is a culture that doesn't have the concept "civilian"...

[Black Aeronaut]

Thanks for the help, CD, I really appreciate that.

In regards to a couple of points...

I shook my head.  “I am special among all Micronians, Commander.  I am an interdimensional traveler from an alternate version of this universe.  I would be shocked if there were anyone here that could do this.”

I dunno, spiritia users are pretty bullshit... Probably still not quite the same thing, though.

Hah.  Pretty much.  But then, as far as I've seen, Spiritia has been used so far to alter mental states.  The 'flashiest' thing I've seen it do so far was at the end of Macross Zero where Shin's fighter goes after Sara.

How would Azonia know about flirty teasing and think it's fun when sexual relationships are unknown to the Zentran and Meltran?

Huh?  In reference to?

“Civilians... You mean those people from before?”

"What's a 'civilian?' Is it some kind of specialist technician?" I guess they might have met a one or two running th euniform shop, or on the way to it? You didn't mention it, though. If that's what you intended to have happen, maybe insert a line about Milia or one of her bookends asking about the meaning of all those uniform variations while they're passing through the public spaces? I vote for the latter, while Milia just shoots arch looks back at people gawking at their (presumably skimpy?) robes

I can do that.  Just didn't have the muse nudging me just so at the time.  The second draft will have this fleshed out a bit better.

“I have indeed.  My father, the British Ambassador to Japan, is quite keen on seeing this footage.  Mr. Grimm?  Tomorrow you’re to take Miss Lynn in her personal aircraft to Yokohama.  To the populace here, we will explain that she has special permission to see her family due to her celebrity status.

Why even tell anyone? Just have her go somewhere out of the way, put on a pilot's suit and helmet, and walk to the hangars.

Ah, I messed up.

Thing is, when Garrick and Minmei take off, it's in the midst of a massive carnival they're throwing on the deck of the Daedalus.  And the idea here would be that Minmei would be expected to put on a performance or two.  So, in light of that, they make a big deal out of her getting special permission to go visit family in Yokohama.  There'll still be a few people miffed, either because of the whole 'What right does she have!?' thing, or the fact they wanted to see her perform, or even both.  But those feelings will be largely quelled by the abundance of food, drink, and good times to be had.

So that will be something I'll need to do for the second draft as well.

“You got a lot of nerve saying such bold things to my face, boy.”

“I’m an American.  We’ve been pissing on tradition ever since we told the King of England where to shove it and how far.”

For someone trying to make a good impression on prospective inlaws, Garrick is being pretty damn rude. Even by American standards.

Minmei's Father, here, has adopted Japan's tendency towards xenophobia.  Once the word 'Gaijin' got dropped in the context it was used, all bets were off.  Granted, there are a lot of people in Japan that don't really mean much by using the word, but again, context matters.

And once I've been insulted in such a brazen and open manner, I am not the most polite person.  At all.

Garrick feels that the only person he really has to prove himself to here is Minmei.  And he's not wrong in this regard - once she's old enough there's not a damn thing they can do about it.  And he's not about to let her parents turn this into a Romeo and Juliet scenario.  Besides, Minmei herself doesn't like the treatment he's getting from her parents.  She had a feeling they'd be standoffish, but to start calling him a Gaijin like that right off the bat...

“And this is our Liaison to the CIA in America, Jack Ryan.”  I  couldn’t completely hide my surprise.

Shouldn't he be President by then?

Urgh.  Not as up to date on Tom Clancy novels.  I had the idea of doing this since I was already borrowing Edmund Duke from Starcraft.  I'll see what I can do about this.

Ryan nodded.  “It is doubtful.  The system was as of yet untested.  We had a lot of data that proved it would function,

I'd say "data that showed it should" here - it's not proven until you do in fact try it, unless you're a theoretical mathematician. Engineers? When you can do it several times in a row without more than expected maintenance, that's "tested" but you don't get to "proven" until it's been in service for at least a year, and preferably ten

Got it.  Thanks.  

“So... you won’t fight for me?”

“Fight for you?” I said.  “Against who?  Your family?  I’m pretty sure you were just about to tell your father where to shove it just earlier.”

"You're a person, not a prize to be won" trope averted, but tropes are not always bad. It plays into the dramatic tension here though, and Minmei clearly thinks that she does deserve to be treated like a prize worth fighting over so it probably wouldn't have the intended effect even if it was used.

Well, we DO shift back on this.  Garrick tells her later on,

"And by the way?  You said that I wasn’t fighting for you?  Congratulations: you just gave me an opponent."

In regards to the translation thing...  Yeah, I'm with Rob on this one.  Translation convention should apply in such a manner as well.  *Adds that to the fix list.*

[Black Aeronaut]

Edit: Oh, and if you have anything special you want to call it, say so.

"The Hangar"?

Sounds good to me.

Ooooo!  Even better yet.  Hangar 13.

Why?

Because there is no Hangar 13. 

[classicdrogn]

Thanks for the help, CD, I really appreciate that.

I'd say it's all pat of the service, but I've sort of fallen off the wagon of trying to read and make some kind of comment on any fic posted here in the past few years. I'm not sure if my attention span is getting shorter of if the world just has more shiny objects lying around.

How would Azonia know about flirty teasing and think it's fun when sexual relationships are unknown to the Zentran and Meltran?

Huh?  In reference to?

Garrick says... um... something... and Azonia replies as if it had been a come on, then says "At least you're fun to tease" when he blushes. That's not really a thing for Zentran or Meltran before human culture has had a chance to work on them some, I think.

edit: And don't worry about the Jack Ryan thing, cameo crossovers don't need to worry about strict continuity. I was just yanking your chain.

[Norgarth]

Urgh. Not as up to date on Tom Clancy novels. I had the idea of doing this since I was already borrowing Edmund Duke from Starcraft. I'll see what I can do about this.

on that topic, I assume that naming the British intelligence agent 'Mr Brosnan' is a reference to Pierce Brosnan, former 007?

[classicdrogn]

WRT the Ryan presidency, he became VP and in the endgame interim Prez in Debt of Honor, published 1995, though I don't know if it was set in the same year. The next book was Executive Orders and followed on immediately afterward IC but was published in 1997, so if you were going to hew to something close to the official Clancy timeline he'd probably have been the man in charge during the Unification War, and the events of those books connected with the Anti-UN faction. Like I said, though, no big deal when he's a cameo character and Earth's governments are mainly there to get ganked by massed orbital bombardment. Rainbow Six also fits in well with the Anti-UN forces having favored terrorist style activity, and the book after that (forgot the title already) has John Clark (introduced in R6) as Ryan's most trusted eyes and ears on the level that goes out in the field, so you could use him instead if you want. Ryan is undoubtedly the one with more name recognition, though.

edit:
http://www.howtoread.me/jack-ryan-reading-order/
http://jackryan.wikia.com/wiki/Jack_Ryan,_Sr.
http://jackryan.wikia.com/wiki/John_Clark

The wiki pages are annoyingly devoid of dates, and I don't have access to any of hte novels to check on them directly.

[Bob Schroeck]

Ooooo!  Even better yet.  Hangar 13.

Why?

Because there is no Hangar 13. 

Your wish is my command.

[Black Aeronaut]

Thanks Bob!

CD: The idea is that it won't be this bad this time around, because most of the important people will be in shelters by the time things go down. So this time there won't be a 'New UN Government'. There'll be losses, yes, but for the most part the UN will come out intact and far wiser for the encounter.

[Black Aeronaut]

Whoops! Forgot to reply back to some of these! Sorry!

How would Azonia know about flirty teasing and think it's fun when sexual relationships are unknown to the Zentran and Meltran?

Huh?  In reference to?

Garrick says... um... something... and Azonia replies as if it had been a come on, then says "At least you're fun to tease" when he blushes. That's not really a thing for Zentran or Meltran before human culture has had a chance to work on them some, I think.

*Goes back to check...* OH! THAT!

Well, they do that already. Otherwise, Kamjin would never have needled Milia into going after Max.

Urgh.  Not as up to date on Tom Clancy novels.  I had the idea of doing this since I was already borrowing Edmund Duke from Starcraft.  I'll see what I can do about this.

on that topic, I assume that naming the British intelligence agent 'Mr Brosnan' is a reference to Pierce Brosnan, former 007?

Pretty much. I was stuck for a name, and I figured that'd be a great shout out without actually running afoul of the copyright trolls.