|
|
|
 |
The Long Wait: While the bridge crew of the SDF-1 plans its next course of action, Rick Hunter tries a maneuver of his own. Initially trapped in the vacuum of space outside the battlefortress when the SDF-1 executed the fold, Rick and Minmei enter an unexplored area of the ship. With the radio broken, they have no way to call for help. Although Roy Fokker quickly determines that his friend is missing, he is ordered to assist in retrieving the surviving 70,000 civilians of Macross Island. The two young people are left to their own resources. While Fokker and his pilots salvage what they can, Rick and Minmei explore their surroundings and try to find their way to the center of the ship. However, the size of the battlefortress is more than they can handle, and eventually they are reduced to simply finding the means to stay alive. They pass the time in conversation, becoming good friends. Rick Hunter finds his companion charming as well as beautiful. His sense of responsibility for Lynn Minmei evolves into genuine affection. They spend many days trapped in the confines of the ship, but just as they lose hope of ever seeing friends and family again, a freak accident caused by a construction crew assembling Macross City within the SDF-1 results in rescue of the two young people. Transformation: Despite the incredible disruption in their lives, the citizens of Macross City make the best of their situation. Reunited with her aunt and uncle at their restaurant, Lynn Minmei persuades them to reopen. The first Chinese restaurant in space – and Minmei – prove to be very popular with the inhabitants of the SDF-1. Meanwhile, still in orbit around Earth, Breetai and Exedore discuss the origins of the Micronians found in their most ancient records. The legends are vague but express a strict warning advising Zentraedi to keep away from all planets inhabited by Micronians. Breetai is puzzled. How could such tiny creatures pose threat to the magnificent Zentraedi warriors? Intrigued, the commander orders a space fold of the flagship and armada in an attempt to follow the SDF-1. Rick Hunter is unhappy with his new life on board battlefortress. His conversations with Roy Fokker and Lynn Minmei are strained and dissatisfying. Roy encourages him to join the Robotech forces and pull his talent to good use, but Rick is unwilling to go into battle again. He does not want to become a soldier, a professional killer. Minmei cannot understand his point of view. Their argument is interrupted when Captain Gloval and crew discover the means to transform the SDF-1 into a robotic configuration – just in time to do battle with the approaching Zentraedi armada. Blitzkrieg: In its new configuration, the SDF-1 is able to repel the attacking Zentraedi forces, although at great cost to Macross City. The modular transformation destroys much of the city, due to the radical effects on the fortress’s basic structure. In the months that follow, the citizens pull together and repair the damage. Once again, they try to lead normal lives. Rick Hunter decides to join the Robotech Defense Force after all and becomes a Veritech fighter pilot. As Rick gets the unsettling information that his new commanding officer is Lisa Hayes, someone he still refers to as “that old sourpuss”, Captain Gloval receives his own bad news. In trying to trace the missing fold system generator, his crew has discovered that its disappearance may have distorted the actual fabric of the space/time continuum. Gloval can only guess at how this will affect their attempt to return to Earth. The Zentraedi track the SDF-1 to its hiding place in the rings of Saturn. Captain Gloval attempts a blitzkrieg maneuver to take them past the alien armada. As the SDF-1 battles its way through, Rick Hunter takes part in his official combat duty. On the bridge, Lisa Hayes comes up with an offensive strategy of her own – the Daedalus maneuver – which allows the SDF-1 to defeat the main Zentraedi destroyer. |
