Written By Lisa Grey
Developed by Lisa Grey and James R. Axelrad
Edited by James R. Axelrad and Johnny G
Authors Note: This chapter picks up the Robotech timeline. I just thought I would take this opportunity to thank everyone that has review the story thus far. I very much appreciate it. Some of you have asked questions. If you had an email address in your profile you might want to check that account because I might had responded. I don't respond to reviews in my story text because I feel it's distracting from the story. So just a reminder, if you would like a question or clarification answered, either leave an Email address, or Email me directly at the address in my profile.
Anyway, they story will become less playful and a little darker from here on out as the horrors of war are brought home to Ranma and her associates. It will be an emotional roller coaster for everyone. Some of the plot devices I used in here won't be too original. My only excuse here is that there's only so many things you can do with the established events and timeline. I hope if the idea I used isn't original, you find my treatment of it was.
Chapter 10
February 2009...
High above the surface of the Earth, behind the Moon, a lightshow appeared. The lightshow subsided to reveal a fleet of massive almost organic-looking ships hanging in the cold vacuum of space.
Slowly, three of the smaller vessels began moving away from the main group headed toward the blue and white planet below them.
(oOO/Oo)
"Good morning, girls," Lisa said as she walked on to the bridge of the SDF-1 with a sensual roll of her hips. She had a glow about her and she wore a dreamy satisfied smile.
"Good morning, Lisa," Claudia looked at her strangely. There was something about her that was different, but Claudia couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Have you seen the captain this morning?"
"Oh I imagine he had a pretty late night last night," Lisa grinned. "He said the flag officers were throwing a going away party for him."
"Gee, that sounds exciting," Claudia said jokingly. "Probably stayed up all night getting drunk and telling each other war stories."
"Oh and you're one to talk, Claudia," Lisa smirked. "Where were YOU last night? You didn't come back in until 4 am."
"Heh, it just so happens that Commander Fokker and I had a date last night," Claudia said haughtily.
"Claudia! You spent the night partying with Commander Fokker when you both had duty today?" Lisa said, scandalized.
"So what? You know we won't let it affect our performance," Claudia said defensively before smirking and going on the offensive. "Anyway, how was YOUR dinner with Lieutenant Saotome?"
"It was fantastic," Lisa grinned dreamily for a moment before returning to the matter at hand. "But unlike less responsible officers, Lieutenant Saotome and I were in bed before 11."
"Oh?" Claudia grinned at the opening Lisa had left. Well, if she was going to leave the door open, she has to expect someone to walk right in. "And what time did you go to sleep?" Seeing the brief smile that flashed across Lisa's face and the blush that lit her cheeks, suddenly it all clicked onto place for Claudia, the dreamy smile, the sensual walk, the satisfied glow, it all made sense now. Claudia giggled.
"W-we were a-asleep before 11," Lisa stammered, her cheeks darkening even more.
"And how was Lieutenant Saotome, did she enjoy her meal?" Claudia teased.
"She was wonderful," Lisa grinned mysteriously. "She was very...satisfied." The three junior officers on the bridge looked at each other with wide disbelieving eyes.
They were interrupted from further commentary by a warning tone from Lisa's console.
"Macross control, unidentified inbound aircraft approaching on heading 1-zero-seven, you are entering restricted airspace, please identify," Lisa said in professional tones.
"Macross Control, this is Rick Hunter," a young man's voice said from Lisa's earpiece. "Invitation number 2-zero-3."
Lisa looked at her list of invitation recipients and found the number. The information matched what the pilot had given.
"Macross Control, Rick Hunter, invitation confirmed," Lisa said. "Please come to heading 1-8-zero and an altitude of 5000 ft to enter the pattern. Be advised we have a flight demonstration that will be starting shortly. Be sure you stay in the pattern to avoid conflicts with the demonstration team."
(oOO/Oo)
'Flight demonstration team, huh?' Rick Hunter thought to himself. 'Yeah right, like those military yoyo's know anything about show flying.'
A thought began to percolate in his brain causing him to grin broadly.
'I'll show those people some real flying,' Rick thought. 'Make those military killers look like the chumps they are.'
He watched as 6 pink and white fighters in delta formation passed before a crowd at an extremely low speed and a very high angle of attack. The formation was followed by two more of the pink and white aircraft, obviously the soloists. Rick watched as they began their routine and waited for his moment.
(oOO/Oo)
Roy stood on a stage in front of the gathered crowd as they waited for the show to begin.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are proud to bring you something you've all being waiting for, a demonstration of the advancements achieved through the technology obtained from the SDF-1," Roy said. Roy grinned as he had a moment of inspiration. "For your enjoyment our very own all female Robotech Demonstrator Team, Wild Rose Squadron, will be performing amazing feats of aerobatic agility and precision flying."
Roy looked off to the side and saw the newly christened 'Wild Rose' squadron's first formation coming in. Six airplanes in delta formation, flying straight and level, but at an extremely low speed and with their noses held at a 50 degree angle skyward.
"In Wild Rose One is the lovely CO of the Squadron, Lieutenant Ranma 'Dragon Lady' Saotome," Roy announced to the crowd. He proceeded to introduce each of the other Wild Rose members and each gave a little wiggle of their wings as their name was called. He then introduced the two soloists as they made their pass.
Roy narrated as Wild Rose began their routine with a few more mundane displays of extremely tight formation flying. Wild Rose four and six broke away from the formation group who, now in diamond formation, was distracting the crowd as the four other aircraft set up the first truly incredible maneuvers they had planned. As the formation group did a precise loop and proceeded out of the show area, the crowd noticed the two slow moving soloists approaching from in front of and behind them respectively.
As the two slow aircraft got closer two other aircraft moving at high speed screamed in approaching in an evident four-way collision. The two high-speed planes rolled up on their sides, the tops and bottoms of their respective wings facing the crowd. Just before they shot through the narrowing gap of the approaching slower planes, a small red and white aircraft, clearly not part of the show, flashed between them with bare meters to spare.
To their credit, the Wild Rose pilots, though completely surprised, executed their maneuver as planned. The two high-speed aircraft passed belly to belly with mere feet between them and the two slower aircraft stood on their tails, suspended on their thrust spinning tops as their momentum carried them past each other. The audience screamed, knowing they were about to see an unmitigated disaster, but the two planes stopped their spin and nosed over, proceeding out of the area on their original course except for now they were inverted. The audience now realized that the seemingly impossible maneuver was entirely intentional and they erupted in wild cheers.
Roy on the other hand was steaming. There was only one person he knew that had the balls and stupidity in sufficient quantities to pull a stunt like had just happened.
"Rick Hunter! Is that you?" Roy demanded, not caring if the audience heard him over the PA. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doing? Are you trying to get someone killed?"
"Oh hi, Roy," a voice came over the PA in response. "Long time no see, Old Buddy. I here they made you a Commander now. Geez, the military must be getting desperate. What the..."
At that moment Rick noticed that one of the sleek, dark pink and white fighters had overtaken him and had taken up a position inverted directly above his canopy. The other plane was close enough that Rick could see the pilot's dark pink and white flight suit and the gloved hands on the controls.
"Lieutenant Ranma Saotome to unidentified civilian aircraft. Who in the hell do you think you are, you incompetent moron?" Ranma laid into him. "You will put that aircraft on the ground right now. You and I will have words for you endangering my pilots."
"Incompetant?" Rick squawked. "I'll have you know that I've won the civilian flying competition 8 years running!"
"I don't care how many times you've won some ridiculous amateur flying competition," Ranma growled. "That just makes you worse than incompetent, it makes you a reckless idiot. Now put that plane on the ground before I do it for you, boy!"
"Ha, as if you could keep up with me," Rick smirked cockily. "I could out fly any stupid girl any day of the week."
"Rick, you idiot, you've just let yourself in for a world of hurt," Roy said shaking his head with his face in his hand. "You've just insulted the Dragon Lady."
Rick blew the covers off of his rocket boosters and waved to Ranma through the canopy before lighting the rockets and going pure vertical, climbing straight up at an incredible rate.
"Ha, told you, you couldn't keep up," Rick gloated.
"Better look again, jerk," Ranma said.
Rick looked out the top of his canopy and saw the girl's canopy in the same position it was, just meters away from his own. He sweat dropped and tried to break away. She followed like they were bolted together and they ended up corkscrewing around each other. No matter what Rick tried, he couldn't shake the other pilot more than a half a meter of drift from her position above his plane. He tried every trick in his book but nothing dislodged her.
'Damn she's good,' Rick thought. 'What she's doing should be impossible. It's like she's reading my moves.'
"Are you through being humiliated yet, ya little punk?" Ranma asked. "Are you going to put it on the ground or do I have to get rough?" As she said that, her plane drifted dangerously close to Rick's, her canopy and nose filling his view.
"Okay, okay, you win, lady, geez," Rick said, sweating bullets as his precious Mockingbird was scant centimeters away from trading paint with the other airplane.
Meanwhile Roy capitalized on the situation as the two pilots dueled it out.
"What you are witnessing, Ladies and Gentlemen, is an incredible display of flying skill by the Dragon Lady as the other pilot tries to shake her lose. However, as skilled as Lt. Saotome is, only Robotechnology allows her to outmaneuver the smaller, very agile aircraft. You are now witnessing what that technology can do in the hands of a talented pilot," Roy narrated. "Looks like he's had enough, Ladies and Gentlemen. Let's hear it for the beautiful and skilled Lt. Saotome for her fantastic display of aerobatic flying."
Roy saw Brett Kingsley near the stage and motioned to him.
"Here, come up here," Roy said pressing the mic into his hands. "You know their routine better than I do. You finish the announcing. I gotta take care of this."
As soon as Rick's plane hit the ground Roy was running for the ramp.
"Rick Hunter, you brain-dead idiot, you've done it now!" Roy yelled at him when Rick climbed out of his plane. "Just what did you think you were doing?"
"Aw, Roy, I just thought I'd show these people what a real pilot could do," Rick said smugly, conveniently forgetting he just got dominated from the air.
"Yeah you sure caused Dragon Lady to show them that alright," Roy snorted. "You'll be lucky if she has you thrown in the brig. God help you if she decides to kick your ass."
"Yeah, like I'm so scared of some little girl," Rick dismissed.
"You don't seem to understand, Little Brother," Roy shook his head. "That little girl is the best hand to hand fighter on Macross, if not in the entire RDF. You remember Tiny Pritchart? She could mop the floor with him without breaking a sweat." Rick gulped. Tiny Pritchart was nearly as tall as Roy and twice as wide. He had once seen Tiny punch a man through a brick wall.
"Geez, Roy, why would she want to attack me? I was just having some fun," Rick mentioned. "Besides, when I see her, I'll just turn on the ol' Hunter charm and no problem. If she's cute, maybe I'll agree to go out with her, even though she is a killer for hire." Roy slapped his hand on his face and groaned.
"Rick, the famous Hunter charm won't work on her," Roy said. "It would only piss her off more. You endangered her people with your little stunt up there. You've been around airshows. You know that pilots flying in close formation have to concentrate on each other and the precisely choreographed maneuvers they have practiced. They don't have time to watch for incursions into their airspace. They depend on ATC to keep other aircraft out. That's why the airspace is restricted during the show. I'm not happy with you myself since I'm the CAG here and they are my pilots too."
"Aww, Roy, I knew what I was doing," Rick said. "I'm the best after all."
"You may have known what you were doing, but THEY didn't know what you were doing," Roy argued. "If those women weren't rock solid pilots, if they had had one little bobble because you surprised them, they could have been spread across the airfield in flaming debris. People could have been hurt." Rick finally looked chagrined.
"Okay, you're right," he admitted. "I guess I didn't think about that. I'm sorry, okay?"
"You had better be, Little Brother," Roy smirked. "You had best be prepared to grovel when Dragon Lady catches up to you and hope she decides to go easy on you."
"You sound scared of her, Roy," Rick teased.
"Damn right I am," Roy said seriously, absently rubbing his ribs. "I've been on her bad side before. That's one girl that knows how to cause some serious pain. Come on Little Brother, I'll show you the future of flight so you can at least die impressed."
(oOO/Oo)
As soon as Ranma shut Rose One down and popped the canopy, she didn't even bother with the ladder, instead, flipping to the ground and landing lightly. Angrily, she began to stalk off in search of that arrogant little punk that had endangered her pilots. Before she could make it too far, the rest of the team was around her.
"Where are you going, Mom?" Ursula asked.
"I'm gonna find that little jackass and beat the hell out of him," Ranma snarled.
"Mom, just calm down," Natalia pleaded. "He's not worth it. Baby Bear and I are okay. We were surprised but that's all. No harm, no foul, Right?"
"Yeah, Mom, you don't need to end up in the brig for trashing a civilian," Ursula said. "Just let it go for now. When you are calmed down a little then you can give him a piece of your mind. Hell, we'll even go with you. But he seems to know Commander Fokker and the CAG might not appreciate you putting one of his old friends in the hospital."
"I guess you're right," Ranma said, deflating a bit. "But if the little punk runs his mouth, I make sure he's pissing blood for a week."
"Ata girl," Ursula said, smiling.
At that moment the SDF-1 began to move in a way that wasn't part of the events planned for the day. The bow portion of the massive ship began to separate into two sections as arcs of energy began to jump between the now fork-like projections of the bow.
"What the bloody hell?" Vicki asked in wonder as the energy began to intensify.
The small hairs on the girls' forearms began to raise as the energy peaked. Suddenly a blinding beam of hellfire stabbed out, carving a deep furrow through the mountains surrounding the plain where the SDF-1 and Macross City rested. The buildings in the path of the beam simply ceased to exist, vaporized like rice paper in a firestorm. The beam continued on until it shot up into the sky. When it was over, the SDF-1 had returned to its normal configuration.
"Oh my god," Marissa said in horror as they looked at the damage caused by the beam. The others nodded mutely.
The general quarters began to sound and people began running everywhere. It wasn't very long before ordinance people showed up and began to arm Wild Rose Squadron's planes. While they were working feverishly, the fuelers arrived to get them fueled up and maintenance gave them a quick once-over.
The Roses themselves had climbed back into the cockpits and began to listen to the Tac-net. It seemed that the aliens had come looking for the ship at long last. They were being invaded and every available fighter was being scrambled.
"Well, girls," Ranma addressed them. "This is it, the big one we all hoped would never come. I hope you remember your combat training after all the playing we've been doing lately."
"We're ready, Mom," Ursula said.
"I hope you're right, Baby Bear, I hope you're right," Ranma whispered.
"You're all set, Ma'am," a tech called up to Ranma as he stowed the telescoping ladder. "Good hunting, Godspeed."
"Thanks, you guys stay safe and keep your heads down," Ranma said as her canopy closed and she began to taxi.
The enemy had made it passed the orbital defenses and was now plowing atmosphere. Lisa gave them a vector as Wild Rose began to climb out.
"Ranma, please be careful," Lisa said to her over the squadron channel. "Please come back to me."
"Sure, Lisa, I'm not going anywhere," Ranma gave her a reassuring smile then turned her attention back to the Tac-net.
The lead squadrons had now sighted the enemy and chatter on the Tac-net picked up greatly. Ranma saw on her sensor display that there were nearly fifty ships coming on from orbit. She watched in horror as they began to deploy smaller fighters. The defenders were going to be greatly out numbered. Soon the battle was joined and Ranma's squadron charged into the thick of it.
Roy came over the Tac-net, ordering everyone to break formation and for the wingmen to stay together.
"Alright, Roses, you heard the CAG, break formation and good hunting," Ranma repeated as she and Banshee made a break turn, scattering.
She picked her target and launched a missile. The target exploded in a white hot conflagration. She didn't celebrate, however. There were still too many targets remaining. She and Banshee began a deadly dance through the battlefield, targets falling before her like wheat before the scythe. Ranma wasn't sure how many of the enemy she had destroyed. She had lost count at ten and suspected that she had taken out at least ten more. That's when she heard something that made her blood run cold.
"Oh dear God," she heard Ursula say over the squadron channel. It was followed by a burst of static.
"Baby Bear, NOOOO!" her wingman, Vicki yelled out.
"Baby Bear, what happened?" Ranma demanded, knowing with sick certainty that there would be no reply.
"She's...she's gone, Mom," Vicki reported, the anguish clear in her voice. "The bastards...she didn't have a chance to eject."
A red haze settle over Ranma's vision as Ranma gripped her grief firmly and channeled it, changing it into something more useful.
"Don't worry, Rose, we'll make them pay dearly for our loss," Ranma vowed.
Ranma became the angel of death, blasting through the enemy leaving a trail of fiery explosions and death in her wake. Soon her missiles were depleted and her gun pod spun on empty, but still she fought on using her only her laser cannons. Then the enemy began to fall back and they were ordered to break off.
"Rose Lead to Rose Squadron form up and return to the SDF-1 to rearm," Ranma ordered. She saw only four aircraft join her. "Who'd we lose?"
"I lost Siren," Marissa reported flatly. "I wasn't able to see if she was able to eject or not. Same with Huntress." Ursula wasn't mentioned as everyone knew what had happened.
"Roger," Ranma said. "Good work Roses. You stayed alive and we pushed the enemy back for now. I know it hurts, losing our own, but this is still a battle. Stay focused; make them pay for taking our comrades from us. There'll be time for grieving afterward. Understood?"
Ranma knew she had to say those things or the morale of her team would be very grim. She hoped that they could grab hold of their pain and control it, use it to motivate themselves to higher levels. She was gratified to hear a chorus of determined affirmations.
"Rose Lead, report, please," Lisa said over the Tac-net. The anxiety in her voice was palpable.
"Rose Lead reporting in," Ranma said. "We lost three and our ammo is depleted. We're returning now to rearm."
"Roger, Rose Lead," the relief in Lisa's response was just as clear as the worry had been. "We have reports of incoming enemy ground units. When you're rearmed, join with Skull and fill their holes. They are deploying to defend the streets in Macross City."
"Roger, Control," Ranma said.
(oOO/Oo)
Ranma waited anxiously as the ordinance crews replenished her ammo and missiles. While she waited, she located Skull Squadron's position and relayed it to her team. The enemy hadn't gotten this far yet, but there were reports of heavy fighting from the destroid units sent to defend the beach.
As the ordinance team finished their work reports began to come in that the street fighting had begun. When the ground crew was clear, the five remaining Wild Rose planes leapt into the air and streaked toward the battle. As they neared their assigned area, preparing to join with Skull, a call came over the Tac-net.
"This is Sergeant Akane Tendo, in sector C," the female voice called out. The urgency in her voice was clear but suppressed. "My destroid team is down and I'm about to be over run. Request assistance."
"Negative, Sergeant," came another voice. "The fighting is heavy all over the city. We have no reserves to send you. Fall back and join with the unit in sector D."
"Negative," the marine destroid sergeant responded. "I've been cut off."
"Understood," the marine controller said. "Hold out as long as you can and we'll send help as soon as it's available. Godspeed, Sergeant."
"Okay, Wild Rose," Ranma said. "You go join with Skull. I'm going to see if I can help pull that marine out of there."
"Roger, Mom," Marissa said. "Good luck and watch your six."
"Always," Ranma said as she broke off and dropped into the streets, going to guardian mode.
Meanwhile Akane had been surrounded. She had four battlepods coming in from in front of her and three coming in from behind. Her Tomahawk was damaged but not severely. However, she knew she was going to die in the next thirty seconds. She resolved to take as many of them with her as possible.
She open fire on the four battle pods in front of her. Two of them erupted in flamed under her heavy barrage. Any joy she might have felt by this was short lived as two more replaced them, coming in from the rooftops. She continued to fire, idly wondering why she hadn't begun to take fire from the ones behind her. Another of the ones in front of her fell and she shifted to the next target. Suddenly a stream of fire came from behind her and took out the two pods next to the one she was currently pouring fire into. As it exploded, the street became eerily quiet. She turned to engage the battle pods behind her only to find them in heaps of flaming debris. A dark pink and white battloid strode through the flames and stood before her like some gallant knight.
"You requested assistance?" a female voice came over Akane's comm.
"Yeah, thanks, I thought I had bought it there for sure," Akane said. She grinned as she recognized her savior. "I guess you really are the 5-42 mechanized's guardian angel, huh, Dragon Lady?" The other girl gave a small chuckle.
"Come on, let's get you over to sector D," the Dragon Lady said. "I got you're back until then."
"Roger," Akane smiled as they moved out.
They were engaged several times as they moved to join the other units. Akane was amazed at the grace and efficiency of the Dragon Lady as she took out battlepods left and right. It almost looked like she was performing martial arts kata in her battloid. She was certain of it when she saw the pink and white mecha shatter the knee joint of a battlepod with a spin kick before caving in its carapace with a punch.
'Damn she's good,' Akane thought as they reached the destroid unit in sector D.
"Okay, Sergeant, you're all set," the Dragon Lady said. "I have to rejoin my unit. Good luck."
"You too and thanks for the save, Dragon Lady" Akane said as the battloid shifted to guardian mode and leaped into the air.
"Anytime," she heard as her savior disappeared over the rooftops.
(oOO/Oo)
As Ranma flew over the rooftops toward her unit, she saw the SDF1 begin to rise into the air. It was an impressive sight, but one she couldn't take the time to appreciate as she arrived at Skull and her unit's position.
"Skull Lead this is Rose Lead, where do you need me?" Ranma asked as she shifted to battloid mode and began scanning for targets.
"Rose Lead, join on Lt Commander Kramer's position and shore him up. His flight has taken some losses," Roy responded.
"Roger that Skull Lead," Ranma replied, moving to the indicated position. She had only just arrived when Lisa came over the Tac-net.
"All squadrons, break off and return to the SDF-1," she said. "I repeat, all Veritech squadrons break off and return to the SDF-1. We are going for orbit."
"Alright people, you heard the lady," Roy said. "Let's get'em in the air."
Five Rose aircraft and nine Skull aircraft rose up out of the city streets and streaked toward the SDF-1 which was currently at about 30,000 feet and rising. They were about to enter a landing approach when Roy came back over the comm.
"Rose and Skull flights, get back on board the ship," he said. "I have to go back. I left something down there I need to get."
Without waiting for a reply, Skull One broke formation and burned back toward the city. Ranma idly wondered what he had left behind that was that important, but shrugged, not having the time to contemplate it much as she quickly became absorbed with the complex landing procedure required to land her VF-1S in the docking bay of a moving vessel.
As soon as she climbed out of Rose One, she realized how exhausted she was now that the adrenaline was fading from her system. She shuffled to the locker room and began to peel off her sweat soaked flight suit, vaguely noting the other women were doing the same. Sitting for a moment in her sports bra and panties, she marshaled her energy to finish the process and enter the shower.
She felt a little better after the cool shower and she put on her fresh underwear and flight suit. She knew they weren't out of the woods yet and could be scrambled at any minute. Heading to the Ready Room, Ranma grabbed a sports drink and an energy bar to replace the electrolytes and protein she had burned in the battle. She also kept a firm grip on her emotions, knowing it wasn't quite time yet to deal with the darkness lurking there.
Once in the Ready Room she found out why Roy had returned as she monitored an exchange between him and Lisa. Apparently that little shit from the airshow had found his way into a Veritech during the fighting. He had, of course, been shot down and Roy had to retrieve him. Amazingly, somehow, Minmei was with him. This was all fine until the smartass insulted Lisa. The insult of the woman she cared deeply about and the lurking pain of loosing three of her pilots brought all her anger from the airshow back to the fore and magnified it. Ranma was seething and before she realized it, she was headed to the docking bay Roy had been assigned to land in.
(oOO/Oo)
Roy had just finished helping Minmei down from the cockpit section of the Veritech when Rick saw a hand appear on the front of his flight suit. He felt himself hoisted into the air and slammed painfully against the bulkhead. Looking down he met two blue-grey eyes, dark with fury and promise of pain. They were set in a pretty face under a head of fiery crimson hair. He idly noted that the petite, extremely attractive girl below him was holding him up off his feet with one arm, apparently, with no discernable effort and had cocked her fist back in preparation to strike him.
"I owe you some pain, you smart ass little punk," the girl growled. "First you endanger my pilots with your stupid stunt and then you insult my best friend. Does that smart mouth of yours have any last words before I fuck up that pretty boy face?"
"Ranma, please don't hurt him," Minmei said in alarm. "Please? He saved my life. Please don't hurt him."
Ranma's look softened a little as her eyes flicked over to the pleading girl. They hardened again when her eyes returned to Rick. She brought her fist forward, punching the bulkhead beside Rick's head, causing Minmei to squeal in fright. The clanging report was like a rifle shot and left Rick's ears ringing as the redhead dropped him. He looked up to the spot where she had punched and saw a dent in the armored metal bulkhead. He sweated as he met her eyes again.
"Minmei just saved your ass, you little prick," Ranma snarled. "But if you endanger anyone or insult my friends again, you'll be eating through a straw for a long time. Am I making myself clear, Asshole?"
Rick looked up at the dent again and then back down to the redhead. Fearfully, he nodded. The redhead spun on her heel and stalked out of the hanger bay.
"Scary," Rick breathed, glancing at the dent again. Minmei nodded emphatically.
"You owe Minmei one big time for that one, Little Brother," Roy chuckled. "That was the Dragon Lady, by the way. I'd stay well out of her way for a while if I was you and if you'd like to keep those teeth of yours, you might want to get some control of your mouth. That's a two inch thick armored bulkhead she just punched a dent into."