The SDF-1 has landed on Mars to gather supplies and to ascertain the damage done during the Zentraedi attack. Apparently the base has been moderately hit and no one is left. The base is left as a ghost town, like the old west of Earth’s United States. To avoid morale getting too low Admiral Gloval created has adopted a plan to allow citizens of Macross City the chance to get outside the ship and see the Mars Base. While uncommon and certainly opposing opinions regarding the action, Gloval is certain that this will gain great interest in the Earth-born citizens of Macross.
He is correct. A contest is held to gather 50 people and the three most popular celebrities on Macross. Among these are the Mayor, Lynn Minmei, and Angel- our heroine. The day begins with training on defense procedures, should an attack take place, each person is given strict orders to follow for the tour, scheduled to last 1 hour.
Meanwhile, as the SDF-1 is gathering supplies and remunerations the civilian transport is being guided into the commons area of Mars Base. Along the ridge, some 35 kilometers away, Zentraedi forces are awaiting their signal to attack. Kyhron is furious at the order to withdraw. Instead he chooses to ignore the advice from Exedore, insisting that he and his troops can gain the fortress here with his trap.
The tour is short, only one hour, and Angel hardly saw the more interesting areas she had hoped to. The rooms were tiny, smaller than Angel’s, and the cafeteria immense, but lacked the appeal that would make one want to eat there, especially when they were shown what the soldiers ate. The goo was so peculiar and almost seemed to move on it’s own, Angel was glad that she was not in the army as well, and that the civilian rations were not so nasty. She would be certain to complain less about her rations from here on out, as was everyone that saw this.
The tour was almost over, the mecha had begun to return to SDF-1 when there was a loud explosion! The tour guide quickly called over the radio, his face mortified when he got the reply, "Attack. I repeat, we are under attack! Return to SDF-1 at once, we are preparing to lift off!"
"But you’re nearly 15 minutes away from us!" The man said.
"Hurry back Echo 2" was the only reply.
"Roger base. Be advised we have nearly 70 civilians with me." The guide said again. His composure this time much more calm and sure of his actions. Angel couldn’t help but to be impressed by the young man’s sudden change in emotion. Was that a trained army skill, or was that his own resolve? She was certainly interested.
"Corporal Anastasio," the comm. Unit burst, "This is Lieutenant Sterling, Veritech Flight Vermillion, what is your position?"
"Sir, we are pinned down in the main hall of the base. Civil side." He said heading for the doors. The corporal turned the people, "This way quickly! We need to get back to the truck."
"Roger, Vermillion en route for cover. Your area looks mostly clear by radar. Make a run for SDF-1, we will try to give you cover fire." Sterling said.
"Affirmative sir."
Everyone was quickly piled into the truck, gathering whatever seat they could and strapping in quickly. The truck was covered and the passenger area sealed, but only lightly armored, and the vehicle had no weapons. It, perhaps, would have seemed safer if the top was not glass, but that was not the intention of vehicle Angel decided. She wondered how a soldier could handle this sort of nervous anxiety in a battle, and she was in a group fleeing it, they had to charge it. Her head swirled with the thought of being at the front lines. How horrible it had to be.
The truck sped away from the base. Angel, being in the back, could see out the back window, and could see how bad the battle really was. She watched in horror as a crashing enemy battlepod turned and ran itself into a Veritech battloid. Even in their loses they looked to kill. Tears flooded her eyes, it was horrible. How much longer would this battle, this war, have to go on. Hadn’t they suffered enough? Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden crash. The truck rocked and slammed onto it’s side. The top glass burst and shattered, sending shards into the passenger compartment. The passengers, thankfully, were all in their pressure suits, and none were punctured. Still the vehicle had been hit, and turned so SDF-1 could be seen, only a few hundred meters away.
The people began to get to their feet, confused, scared... Angel jumped up and yelled to them, "SDF-1 is right there. Come on!" People stood stunned, looking at her. "Well come on! We have no time to sit around. Move it! Move it! Move it!" She yelled waving people out the door. She didn’t understand where this strength for the sudden outburst of leadership came from, but she didn’t give time to think about it. There were more important things to worry about.
She looked and saw a soldier’s rifle next to his dead body, the cab area had been crushed, the poor corporal stood no chance. She fought off tears, and turned to run outside. Leaping out of the truck she was suddenly thrown to the dirt, as an explosion turned the truck into a crater. She got to her feet clumsily, shell shock setting in right away. It was an awful feeling. She saw a great shadow overcome her and the others, and she turned around...
There in front of her was a Zentraedi warrior, not in a battlepod, but on foot. His armored suit punctured and his blood spewing out... He somehow had the strength in his massive body to chase them after he had been shot down. Angel wasted no time and began shooting wildly at the giant. The bullets bounced off his body all over, in no apparent aiming pattern. Finally she ran out of ammunition. The soldier lowered his rifle, looked... And stopped cold in his tracks!
"YOU!" He yelled. The voice was felt by the people nearby, as it’s high bass reverberated through their bodies. "It’s you!" He said again, sounding almost surprised.
Angel stood in shock, seeing this giant looking at her so intently. It was evident that he did not want to shoot her, and thought he recognized her. His radio came alive, "Don’t stand there you idiot shoot her!" but she couldn’t understand their language [Author’s Note: I wrote that in English for the reader only- so you know what is going on- like in the series.]
He stood there, took aim again and prepared to shoot. Angel saw the glare of his rifle’s metal reflecting on the sunlight. She was scared stiff. The man never shot. He instead turned and walked away, saying as he left, "Hurry. Go home." Moments later, Angel had turned to run, she heard blast, and saw the soldier falling, the shot coming from one of his own soldiers, now chasing them.
The new enemy mecha almost had them until a blue Veritech Battloid, assisted by two others, landed between them. One of them turned the head and said to the civilians, now fleeing safely into SDF-1, "Sorry to keep you all waiting. Are you ok?"
Hours later...
"Amazing." The officer said. "I have talked to all the people that were with you. They all agree, your actions saved their lives in the moments before our Veritechs arrived. You are to be commended young lady."
"Thank you sir." Was all that Angel could muster.
"So, I have been granted permission to give you this." He pulled a small box out of his desk, "In honor of your service to the SDF-1, the defense of the population of Macross City, the Robotech Defense Forces bestow upon you the honorable ‘Macross Star.’ As a symbol of your courage and self-sacrifice in the line of duty, er, in the assistance and defense of others."
"A medal of honor!?" Angel asked startled. "For me?!"
"Yes, young lady, you have earned it." The man stood, Angel followed en suite. He took the medal and pinned it to her collar, stood back and crisply saluted. "We are all in your gratitude ma’am. Thank you."
Angel returned the salute as best she could and was escorted out of the base. She returned home, and went straight to bed. It had been a tiring day.
[End of Effect 03]
