THE BLACK VERITECH
Capítulo 5: The gift of the spoiled princess
Rick made a name for himself as the first human to enter an enemy ship and return to tell the tale.
“That's my friend!” Knight shouted happily at the party he and Fokker had prepared for him at Minmei's relatives' restaurant.
Knight explained to everyone who wanted to hear from him (and those who didn't) about Rick's pilot skills, whether it was as a veritech pilot or his previous exploits before the SDF-1 depart.
Rick, who was already used to fame, tried to cope as best he could, but was a little upset to see how Minmei looked at other pilots more than him.
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SDF-1 was approaching Earth, but constant skirmishes were already taking their toll on the resources that the space fortress could afford.
“We're not going to Earth?” Asked Knight.
“It seems that way," Rick said, "Roy told me that the enemy had cut us off and that he thought it would be a good idea to go to Mars to re-supply us with various materials.”
“It sounds logical, that is, the fortress can make anything, but the use of recycling has its limits.”
“At least, Knight, we've been able to step on dry land since the war began.”
“You are right, in the void of space there is no place to lean, no star of reference is scary.”
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The ship gobbled up without a problem near the Sara base on Mars, and several wicks and veritechs went out to verify that there was no danger.
“Did you know that the base is named after Major Hayes' mother?”
“Really? I didn't know that”
“Yes, it seems that the commander's mother died in an EBSIS terrorist attack, Lisa was nearby when it happened, she almost didn't count.”
“Wow, I didn't know that, but how do you know that, Knight?”
“Commander Kurt told me," Knight explained, but when he saw Rick's face of doubt, he added.
“You know, the beard guy who always likes to smoke unfiltered cigarettes and who is always ready to show off his exploits, especially his involvement in the destruction of the greens and eggshells when Macross Island was brought close to Pluto.”
“Yes, I realize, I didn't think that happened to the commander, poor thing, so Admiral Hayes was the one who named the base after his dead wife?”
“Yeah Rick, now I see why the commander is sometimes so strict, I guess she ran away from her pain by focusing on her career, don't you think?” Knight told him, and Rick started to think seriously about Lisa Hayes from that moment on.
The mecha and veritech pilots were watching the place when the attack alarm went off.
“Good get ready, we must buy time for everyone to enter the fortress” Roy instructed them.
“What kind of units will attack us, Roy?” wanted to know, Rick.
“I'm told they're all eggshells and they're already within a stone's throw of each other, so get ready.”
Roy was not exaggerating, the enemy units were already outside the base and the mechas and veritechs were doing everything possible to allow all the refueling units to enter the ship.
“Roy, what's going on? Why isn't the ship taking off?” asked Rick.
“I don't know.... Claudia, let me know, baby, why don't you leave now.”
“Roy, apparently they have put up some kind of magnetic mines all over the place, the captain has sent Lisa to activate a bomb that will destroy them all, in the meantime you must give us some time.”
“I understand, but tell me if the mines are underground and the bomb destroys us all?”
“Let's hope the ship can withstand the impact”
“I understand, let's cross our fingers then.... You heard the man, guys, let's give Lisa as much time as we can and protect the ship.”
“Understood," they all replied.
The battle grew fiercer and fiercer, but somehow they had managed to stop the enemy.
“Wow, the guy really outdid himself," said Roy, proud to see how Rick had become a great pilot.
“Oh, for heaven's sake, Rick!” exclaimed Knight as he watched Rick descend into the enemy and then in batloid mode gave an impossible account of the enemies.
“Don't worry, Knight, Rick can take care of himself," Roy reassured him.
“I see..." Knight muttered, open-mouthed to see his friend's great skill, "incredible, I wonder if he really is human.”
“You can declare your love to him later, when we return to the ship," Roy mocked, when he received a transmission from Claudia.
“Then I must go and rescue the commander?” Rick once asked Roy about the situation.
“Exactly, the commander has already activated the subterranean bombs, but she is still not leaving the base," said Roy, "you must follow the commander's clock signal and rescue her.”
Rick headed to the back of the base, while the other pilots covered the ship.
“Is it okay for Rick to go alone?”
“Stop worrying, Knight. Rick will rescue Lisa and they'll come back safe and sound.”
After a couple of minutes all the veritechs were called to return to the ship quickly, the enemy thought the veritechs were fleeing and ran to take over the space fortress, however, a strong explosion shook the place destroying several enemy units, the SDF-1 was finally able to escape.
Knight stayed in the hangars to wait for Rick, and he showed up with Lisa. Knight wanted to get closer but saw that between Rick and Lisa there was a kind of understanding and preferred to leave the place.
“Those two would make a good couple.”
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Knight was talking with Rick in the barracks here about various issues after surviving the battle and subsequent destruction of the Martian base.
“Therefore, until the repairs are ready, we will continue orbiting Mars, but once they are finished, we will take advantage of the planet's gravitational pull to head for Earth," Knight told him.
“Do you think the enemy will cut us off from the road to get to Earth? “
“Most likely, I still don't understand their intentions, they could have already destroyed us if they wanted Rick.”
“It is true, it would seem that they have a particular interest in the fortress.”
“You're right, Rick, if they got serious on Mars they would have won... And speaking of Mars, what were you and Lisa talking about in the hangar?”
“We weren't really talking much, Knight.”
Knight sighed a sigh of disappointment.
“You know Rick, I think you and Lisa would make a good couple," he reasoned aloud and at that moment Rick choked on his drink.
Rick wanted to replicate, but the ship's intercom made it known to the pilots that their presence was required in one of the ship's military rooms.
“You know what they'll want with us, Knight?”
“No idea Rick, they also called other pilots and of higher rank than us, maybe they will assign us a mission.”
“But they sent for us on the intercom, that's not the procedure.”
“Maybe it's an emergency and they want us to intervene soon, Rick.”
Friends were still talking and finally arrived at the designated place.
“Well, here we go, brother," said Knight and the two pilots took some air to calm their nerves and entered the place.
The official hall was severe in appearance, and the head table included none other than Captain Global, along with the commanding colonels of the Daedalus and Prometheus, as well as other commanders including Roy. Rick and Knight got nervous and showed up trying not to let their voices tremble. An officer sent them to train with the other pilots, beside them the two friends looked as if they were children.
Turns out they'd been called in to decorate them! And nothing less than the Titanium Medal for Valor.
"This is like a dream come true," Knight thought happily.
After the decoration, Roy sent for them to a private room.
“Congratulations guys, here are a couple more medals for your collection," he said as he threw the medals at them.
“But Roy, these medals are... was trying to say Rick.”
“Exactly, congratulations to both of you, you've just been promoted to first lieutenant.”
“First Lieutenant, Roy? We were just pilots a moment ago.”
“Not just Knight fighter pilots, you are the elite elite of the elite, veritech pilots, and you have demonstrated mission skills and leadership under pressure, so you have each been assigned two subordinates to supervise them.”
Knight could not believe it, he was now a squadron leader with two pilots in charge by the names of Shiru and Hyoga. Rick was assigned to Max and Ben as his subordinates.
After the new pilots introduced themselves, Rick and Knight apologized because they had things to do (go to Minmei's party), but the four newcomers decided to accompany their new commanders.
“Are you sure about this, Rick?”
“Sure, I don't see why they can't come with us," said Rick, and all six of them headed to the party in a lively way. Roy seemed a little worried.
“More like a group of schoolchildren, I hope I'm not mistaken.”
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At Minmei's restaurant, things didn't work out the way Rick would have wanted them to, and the girl got very sweet on Max, Shiru and Hyoga in the first place.
“You're very handsome, Max, and those glasses look good on you.”
“Thank you, Miss Minmei, at first I thought I would not be accepted to fly a veritech because of these.”
“What nonsense, I think they look fabulous on you.”
Max blushed and looked down, Minmei's Chinese suit didn't leave much to the imagination.
“And you Shiru, where are you from?”
“My parents are from Japan, but I was born and raised in China, I went to visit Macross Island to see the ship and here I am," said Shiru, making him look more mature than he was, Minmei was delighted.
“What about you Hyoga, what is your story?”
“My mother raised me in Europe, but then we went to Siberia.”
“Siberia, that place must be very cold," said Minmei rubbing her arms.
“It's bearable," replied the blond, who apparently wasn't very fond of socializing with the girls, but that didn't stop Minmei from hitting him more than enough, Rick was starting to get upset.
“I think Minmei has something strange about her," said Ben, "she left out the better-looking guys.”
“I don't see how great she is," Knight whispered to Ben so Rick wouldn't hear him.
“What are you talking about? she's such a babe.”
“Well, yes, in fact she is my type, but I don't know.... Something repels me about the girl, maybe because she is capricious and just wants to do whatever she wants.”
“But why don't she look at you, sir.”
“Ben, call me Knight, Minmei doesn't notice me because I don't give her a ball, besides, if It's about the most beautiful girl in the place, I'd choose her aunt... Don't tell me you didn't see her.”
“So, Knight, do you like older women?” Max asked him since he heard about the conversation.
“It depends on the girl, I like them older or younger, it all depends on the situation, boys," Knight whispered to them and suddenly something hit him in the chest.
"Oh, shit! I'm talking the same as Roy... Or my father," Knight thought alarmed and remained silent. Ben wanted to ask him something else, but the mayor asked Minmei to sing something to liven up the party.
“I don't want to sing, why doesn't he sing?” Minmei said angrily when she saw that Rick had forgotten to take the girl's present.
The mayor was a humble man, after all, his position was more honorary, since all authority was vested in the captain Global (Macross Island was under military jurisdiction), and the mayor of Macross did not earn much, so no one ran for office. The mayor tried to explain to Minmei that it was not Rick's fault that he had forgotten her gift, when the ship's alarms sounded at that moment.
“Guys, come on!” Knight urged his subordinates and they left the restaurant quickly.
“Knight look, a taxi!” Rick told him, and they both entered the vehicle followed by their subordinates. Several pilots had the same idea.
“Hey, I can't take you all!” The taxi driver shouted at them.
“You'll have to make it, it's an emergency," said one pilot with a mocking smile. Rick looked like he was about to get crushed.
“NO, YOU WON'T HAVE TO!” Knight shouted and turned around and kicked the other drivers out of the car with both legs together.
“Hey, what do you think you're doing!” said one of the ejected pilots.
“Look closely at who the hell you're talking to," said Knight in the most poisonous way he could, while pointing to his first lieutenant badge, and the same way he did with his Titanium medal for bravery.
“Excuse me, sir...” The pilot excused himself, while his companions stood up and stood in front of their superior officer.
“Do you know who that commander is?" Knight rebuked him, pointing to Ricky, "it's First Lieutenant Rick Hunter! Newly promoted and decorated with the Titanium Medal of Valor, and the same goes for me, now get out of my sight and get another cab!”
“Yes, sir!” The pilots said in unison and ran in search of another mobility.
“Knight! What did you do that for? It was no way to treat them," Rick told him.
“And what else could Rick do? We were almost crushed by those brutes, and you deserve to be as comfortable as possible," he replied, and Rick was speechless.
“Anyway, we don't have time for this," said Knight and got back in the cab.
"Hurry to the hangars!” Knight ordered, as Shiru and Hyoga exchanged nervous looks, their commander was undoubtedly a Rikotaku (Rick + otaku).
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Knight was in glory when he asked permission to take off with his squadron.
“Shiru, Hyoga, you are my wings, so be with me and pay attention.”
The battle was no different from any other Knight had fought before, which was a relief as he did not know what his subordinates' capabilities were, however, both Hyoga and Shiru were excellent pilots.
“This maneuver is called the "dragon's fist”," said Shiru, as he ascended under a green and then descended upon it with accurate fire.
“And this," said Hyoga, "is the "flight of the swan”.” And the blond pilot would shoot down a green one and then pass through the middle of the explosion.
“Shiru, why descend if you could have eliminated the green one in the first ascent... Hyoga, flying through the middle of the explosion can look beautiful in a star wars movie but in real life that is suicidal.”
“Yes sir," said the two pilots smiling, Knight had a bad feeling, he knew those two exhibitionists would continue their suicidal maneuvers.
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Back at the ship, Knight watched as Rick was nervous.
“What's going on, Rick?”
“Knight, it's too late and I still don't have a present for Minmei.”
“You can give it to her tomorrow, Rick.”
“It's just that you didn't see how she got, I have to give her something before the end of the day.”
“Oh, Rick... Well, let's go into town together and find her something.”
“Thank you for helping me, Knight.”
The two friends rushed to the city to try to find a gift, to buy time they went in different directions and agreed to meet in a specific place.
"Damn it, we should have asked our subordinates to help us with this," thought Knight, who was exhausted from all the roaming.
“Rick... I'm sorry... I didn't... find anything... everything is closed," said Knight, short of breath, after an hour of useless searching.
“And now... What am I going to do...?” said Rick, who was also exhausted.
Both Rick and Knight went to Minmei's house.
“I'll wait for you at this corner, Rick," said his friend and Rick went straight to the girl's balcony.
Rick was nervously spinning under the balcony when Minmei saw Rick and opening her window asked for her present.
Rick was talking something when he threw his Titanium medal for bravery at the girl, Knight couldn't believe it.
Rick said goodbye to Minmei and went to meet his friend.
“Rick, why did you do that!”
“I couldn't think of anything else to do, and Minmei loved it.”
“But it was your medal, Rick!”
“I don't care about it, Knight, I'm glad she got her present before midnight.”
“I don't know, Rick.... Anyway, next time buy something in advance.”
CONTINUARÁ...
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