Tenchi Muyo! Multiverse
No Need For Macross!
By Ewen "Sir Ryoga" Cluney

	Ryoko stood in front of the desk of Commander Nabeyama. 
She didn't know why he'd asked her in to see him, but from 
the grim expression on his face, she suspected he wasn't in 
a good mood. Her catlike yellow eyes looked across the room, 
and she let out a yawn. It had been a rough day with those 
Meltrani malcontents still around, but nothing she couldn't 
handle. Of course, her wingmen got kind of pissed off at her 
for taking so many kills, but that was to be expected from 
them.
	"Ryoko, why do you have to make my life so difficult?" 
He opened the folder that she knew to be her file. "Your 
attitude problem has stunted your career in the U.N. Spacy, 
you know."
	"Well," she said with a smile, "if I get promoted too 
much, I won't be able to fly anymore."
	Nabeyama sighed, and glanced down at the folder again 
before continuing. "Because of your skill, however, you're 
still needed. To keep you out of trouble, though, you're 
being reassigned."
	Ryoko studied his features, trying to figure out what 
that could mean. The way he put it, it sounded as though she 
was about to be shipped to some remote outpost, and left to 
do pointless patrols for the rest of her life. "Um, where 
to?"
	"New Jurai. The Fokker Aerospace Base is in need of a 
pilot to test the new YF-19 fighter."
	Ryoko grinned. "A test pilot? I get to be a test pilot? 
YES! One of those cool experimental fighters, with all the 
nifty gadgets and stuff."
	Nabeyama ignored that. "As there are no transports 
available at this time, you'll have to take a Thunderbolt 
out with a fold booster attached. You leave at 0800 hours, 
so you'd better get packing."
	Ryoko saluted -- something she did not do often -- and 
shouted her thanks before spinning around and dashing off 
down the corridor.
	"That crazy Meltrani..." he muttered to no one in 
particular.

	After some fun aerobatics -- any Valkyrie had 
maneuverability to spare, after all -- Ryoko landed at 
Fokker Base. It was a medium-sized base, a standard U.N. 
Spacy design that she'd seen half a dozen times in her 
career. What made it different, though, was where it was 
located. She'd been so excited, she didn't even realize 
until she was landing; this was New Jurai, the place where, 
along with Aeka and Tenchi, she'd grown up.
	The crews muttered things to the effect that she was a 
showoff as she climbed out of the cockpit. Ryoko paid it no 
mind, and hopped to the ground. New Jurai was different from 
how she remembered it, but it still had the same inner 
beauty that pervaded everywhere.
	After a bit of walking through the base, Ryoko was 
finally led to the main briefing room. She stepped into the 
room. It was brightly lit by the mid-morning sun, and it the 
center was a large conference table, a large circle of 
people around it. At the front was an old man with graying 
hair and a mustache. He wore an officer's uniform -- by his 
stripes he was undoubtedly in charge of the whole base -- 
and glasses.
	"Hi there!" she said in a friendly voice. "I'm here, so 
all your problems are solved."
	"If she's going to be the pilot of the YF-19, the 
contract might as well go to us right now."
	The voice was so familiar, it could only belong to one 
person. Ryoko looked, and found she had been dead-on 
correct. "Hello, Aeka. Long time no see."
	"Please," said the Commander, "sit down."
	Ryoko shrugged, and sat down, opposite Aeka.
	He tapped a button, and the windows darkened until they 
became opaque and black. A holojector activated, and images 
of a pair of transformable fighters appeared on the screen, 
with basic technical details listed below each. Ryoko looked 
at the YF-19. She liked it already. It was tan in color, 
with a sleek swept-forward wing design. The YF-21, in 
contrast, had standard wings, and was navy blue. Even so, 
Ryoko quickly realized that, if the technical data was any 
indication, it was one hell of a mecha. Half the system 
listed she'd never heard of before. Both of them, however, 
were equipped with their own pinpoint barrier systems! That 
meant that they had a *fighter* capable of a miniature 
Daedalus Maneuver.
	"These are the two fighters that we will be testing. 
The YF-19, made by a new firm called MegaTech, and the YF-
21, made by General Galaxy, will be tested at this base, to 
determine which performs better. The one determined to be 
the best of the two will become the next generation of 
transformable fighters, the new standard for aerospace 
combat procedures." He tapped at his panel again, and the 
holograms vanished and the windows became transparent again. 
He motioned to one of the people at the table -- a tall, 
white-haired man with tiny green pince-nez glasses. "This is 
Dr. Kagato, developer of the YF-21,"  and then to another -- 
what appeared to be a 12-year-old girl with a mane of bright 
pink hair, "and this is Dr. Washu, developer of the YF-19."
	Ryoko looked at the diminutive scientist, and stifled a 
laugh.
	Washu smiled. "You have no idea who you're dealing 
with."
	The commander nodded. "Washu is a graduate of the New 
Avalon Institute of Engineering, the top of her class. I 
suggest you show her a bit more respect."
	Ryoko shrugged. "Whatever."
	"For those of you who don't know," he continued, 
"Lieutenant Ryoko Oniyama has been a fighter pilot for U.N. 
Spacy for the past four years. She has logged over 300 kills 
in her career, though her bad attitude has resulted in her 
being demoted almost as many times as she'd been promoted."
	Aeka smiled mockingly. Ryoko smiled proudly.
	"Well, anyway, we'd better get ready for the day's 
tests." said Washu, standing up from the table. "If there's 
nothing else, Katsuhito?"

	Ryoko sat in the simulator module. Inside it looked 
more or less like the real thing, even though it was 
actually a large yellowish-orange pod on long moving 
supports. She'd decided to feel the thing out a bit, and 
thus was putting it through maneuvers that, in an 
atmosphere, would've torn apart even a Thunderbolt. Since it 
was just a simulator, there weren't any g-forces to speak 
of, so she had fun, even though even someone of her 
constitution would've been knocked out in no time flat.
	Washu watched, not sure of what to think, as the 
simulator swung wildly back and forwards. She could tell 
from the monitors that the simulated fighter was being put 
under ridiculous amounts of structural stress. For that 
matter, so were the struts that held up the simulator pod...
	There was a fantastic crashing noise. Smoke rose from 
the pod and Ryoko pulled herself out, ignoring the display 
which read "CRUSHED." She surveyed the development team's 
staring faces, and grinned. "Well, that's enough for today. 
I have some stuff to attend to." She strode towards the 
door. "I'll be seeing you guys!"
	Washu scowled. "That arrogant little..."

	Tenchi sat in the back seat of a cab. It had been a 
long time since he'd been to New Jurai, the place where he'd 
grown up. And now the tour -- Tokimi's singing tour -- had 
brought him back. "New Jurai has changes so much."
	"Yeah, that's true." replied the driver. "People keep 
building more stuff, and more keep coming because it's such 
a nice place."
	He let out a sigh. He hadn't even realized he'd been 
talking out loud. "Everyone's making a big deal out of 
Tokimi coming here."
	"Yeah, I know. I'm going to the concert myself. Me! Of 
all people. Never been to a concert before in my life."
	Tenchi looked out the window, at the passing cityscape. 
"Some things must still be the same. What about the Star 
Hill?"
	"Yeah, the Star Hill's never changed. There's just more 
people around sometimes."
	"Take me there."

	Tenchi looked at the sunset. Flocks of cowbirds, and an 
occasional cabbit wandered about, amid the wind power 
rotors. There were only a few people about, and he was 
enjoying taking in the view.
	"Tenchi?"
	He turned around; what he saw was the last thing he'd 
expected. "R-- Ryoko?"
	She strode towards him, smiling. He hadn't seen her 
since she joined the U.N. Spacy. "I never thought I'd see 
you here. What brings you to New Jurai?"
	"Ever heard of Tokimi?"
	She shook her head. "No."
	"She's only the single most popular idol singer in the 
entire Macross Consortium." he said flatly. "And I'm her 
manager."
	"Moving up in the world, are we? I'm so glad to see 
you, though."
	He sighed, and finally relented, smiling. "It's good to 
see you too."
	"Well, well, well," said a familiar voice, "isn't this 
a wonderful reunion."
	Tenchi blinked. "Aeka? You... you're both here?"
	Aeka nodded. "So, Ryoko, trying to go after Tenchi once 
again, are you?"
	"*I* was just going to visit the Star Hill for a little 
while. You, on the other hand, I don't know. It seems like 
little miss princess was following me."
	Tenchi scratched the back of his neck. He could tell, 
the old rivalries were coming back.
	"You think *I* would want to follow _you_? I don't know 
where a washed-up fighter jockey like you could get ideas 
like that!"
	Ryoko started to crack her knuckles. "Washed up? And 
how many kills have you logged? Let me see now... oh, that's 
right, you've been off active combat duty most of your 
career, while I've been actually getting things done and 
defending the Consortium!"
	Aeka was fuming, and took up a fighting stance -- she 
had some martial arts training, after all.
	Tenchi sighed. "Would you two stop it! You're acting 
just like you did when we were kids. Are you two ever going 
to grow up?"
	Both of them ceased getting ready to beat the tar out 
of one another, which was good since, between Aeka's skill 
and Ryoko's natural agility and brute strength, they would 
likely be at it for some time. Instead, they turned to him.
	"Tenchi, she started it." Ryoko complained.
	"Me?" Aeka shouted. "You're the one who came to this 
planet uninvited!"
	Tenchi looked at them. They hadn't changed a bit in all 
those years. "Forget it. I have to get over to the 
amphitheater anyway. I'll leave you two to your fight."
	By the time they realized what he'd said, Tenchi had 
already called a cab.
	"Great. Because of you he left." snorted Ryoko.
	"Me? It was _your_ fault!"
	"Oh, yeah?"
	"YES!"

	Holographic ads for Tokimi were everywhere. They 
hovered above buildings, burst out of billboards, and even 
were underfoot in the form of hologram monitors that formed 
the sidewalk in some places. The streets were bustling, and 
"Idol Talk," one of Tokimi's popular songs (not that she had 
any songs that were unpopular) echoed through the air. 
Tenchi stepped out of the limousine, accompanied by Sasami -
- his secretary and assistant. The crowds cheered in 
anticipation, yet the world seemed to hold still, the entire 
universe held its breath. That was part of what made Tokimi 
so popular. Her presence was incredible; she was supposed to 
be a machine, but when you looked at her, even just the box 
that housed her massive positronic matrix, she seemed to 
take up the entire cosmos. That's why some called her "the 
Goddess".
	Tokimi emerged. The housing unit, attached to an 
antigrav platform, floated out. The cheers became more 
intense, and were accompanied by the thousand bright flashes 
of cameras, pelting Tenchi, Sasami, and Tokimi with pulses 
of white light.
	Tokimi floated serenely towards the entrance, flanked 
by Tenchi and Sasami, and the cheers and flashes went on 
unabated. Finally, when they were by the door, as had been 
planned, a hologram of a water fount surrounded them. In 
rose higher and higher, and the crowds watched, amazed as 
the two people and the virtuoid vanished.

	Sasami watched Tenchi as he went about supervising 
Tokimi's preparations.
	"Tenchi?"
	He paused, and turned to face her. "Yes?"
	"You... you seem distracted. Where did you go today?"
	"The Star Hill," he said at last. "I grew up here on 
New Jurai. There's... a lot of memories there."
	Sasami nodded. "I understand. Did you see anyone you 
knew?"
	He thought of Ryoko and Aeka. "Two someones. Neither 
has changed a bit."

	Ryoko couldn't deny that the YF-21 was an impressive 
machine. Of course, the fact that Aeka was its pilot lowered 
her opinion of it a bit. The YF-21 seemed to hang in the 
air, perfectly still. Of course, from Ryoko's vantage point, 
in the chase plane (a Thunderbolt with a pair of liquid fuel 
rockets strapped to its back), she was keeping pace with it, 
and thus knew that it was actually going at Mach 3 only 
because of the instruments.
	"All right Aeka," Commander Yosho's voice sounded over 
the tactical radio net, "the drones will launch volleys of 
the new Advanced Concert Action missiles. Your objective is 
to avoid them."
	Ryoko couldn't help but gasp. The Advanced Concert 
Action Volley System, or ACAVS missiles, are among the 
deadliest a mecha can carry. Each one has a highly advanced 
tracking system, but what makes them so powerful is the fact 
that they form a collective AI network, thereby working 
together to produce the most effective trap possible for the 
target. There were some ten drones out there, each of which 
carried some 18 heavy ACAVS missiles. Nothing should be able 
to get through that many of the damn things unscathed. 
Nothing.
	"Fire."
	All at once, the drones unleashed their dummy missiles. 
Ryoko watched in astonishment as Aeka's fighter plunged 
directly into the swarm of projectiles. Somehow, the fighter 
turned and dodged, diving through the storm of projectiles. 
With each twist and turn the missiles came within mere 
centimeters of the fighter, yet none were able to touch it. 
After a few seconds, it emerged from the cloud.
	Ryoko was so shocked she almost didn't notice that, 
having found no other targets, the missiles were locking on 
to her Thunderbolt. "Shit." she grunted, pulling back on the 
control stick, sending her fighter into a climb that pulled 
at least three Gs, then diving down again. This wouldn't get 
her anywhere, least of all against a swarm of ACAVS 
missiles, so she was quick to launch her flares -- if she 
were correct, these were the kind that used infrared 
tracking, and thus might be fooled into following the flare 
rather than her.
	"Damnit, Ryoko!" said a familiar voice -- Washu's. 
"They're just dummy missiles. You don't have to worry about 
them hitting you!"
	Ryoko ignored her,  and continued to twist and turn, 
until she finally saw a way -- she began a slight, climb, to 
angle the fighter with its nose up, and then hit the 
emergency release on the booster rocket. The rocket soared 
backwards. Dozens of the missiles collided with it, creating 
a great fireball that consumed the rest. "Beat that, Aeka!" 
Ryoko gloated. "And I didn't need any thought control system 
to do that!"
	"Damn you, Ryoko!" shouted Aeka. It was her real voice, 
not the echoing simulation of it created by the neural 
interface. "You always have to find a way to look good, 
regardless of what it costs others!"
	Kagato looked at the readouts in astonishment. "What's 
happening?"
	Washu popped up next to him, and was surprised as well; 
half of the levels were off the scale. "What's happening to 
Aeka? She's just going nuts!"
	Kagato glanced at the screen showing Ryoko's camera 
view, and frowned. Aeka was going to be in trouble. There 
appeared to be a feedback loop, set off by her emotions.
	The YF-21 began to plummet, spinning out of control. 
"Wow, this new fighter is impressive," Ryoko called out. 
"Even the way it gets ready to crash!"
	Commander Yosho was quick to act. "Ryoko, you are 
ordered to rescue her, now."
	Ryoko matched speeds with Aeka's fighter. "Hey, Aeka, 
how 'ya doin'?"
	There was no answer. Ryoko switched to Gerwalk mode.
	"Ryoko," said the Commander, "rescue Aeka now. Or your 
pilot's license will be revoked!"
	Ryoko shrugged. "I can't argue with that." She 
maneuvered under the YF-21, making the fighter hold it with 
both arms, and then applied thrust. The two fighters slowed 
their deadly descent, until finally they reached the ground, 
zooming forward less than a meter above the surface. 
Suddenly, the YF-21 moved downward. Ryoko's Thunderbolt 
slammed into the ground, skidding along at several hundred 
kph. It flipped over again and again, and Ryoko didn't think 
to let got of the YF-21. Finally, the two fighters were 
still.

	Aeka stood on the flight deck, so full of rage that she 
couldn't stand to even look at Ryoko. The computer 
projection showed that the Thunderbolt shouldn't have 
survived. But then, Ryoko had held onto the YF-21, the 
impact being shared between the two fighters.
	"I can't prove that you did that on purpose." Ryoko 
said calmly. "But if you try anything like that again, 
you're gonna' get hurt."
	Aeka turned to face Ryoko, and smiled patronizingly. 
"I'm sorry. It was an accident." And with that, she walked 
away.

	Ryoko leaned against a wall, watching Washu typing 
feverishly at her computer. "What're you doing?"
	In the past couple weeks, Ryoko had quickly learned 
what that mischievous smile meant. She was Up to Something. 
"I'm trying to tap into Tokimi."
	"Why?"
	Washu continued grinning, and laughed. "Tokimi is the 
ultimate in artificial intelligence, capable of emotional 
response! If I can reach into her, I can hack into 
*anything*!"
	Ryoko sighed. "What's the big deal about Tokimi anyway? 
Why is everyone hell-bent over her?"
	Washu tapped at the keyboard once, and turned around to 
face Ryoko. "You've never heard Tokimi before? Why don't you 
come with us to the concert tomorrow."
	Something beeped. Washu whirled around, and began 
typing furiously. The printer, as well as all of the 
monitors, came online. All of them began to spit out the 
same thing over and over again.
	"Tenchi?!"

	The amphitheater was filled to the bursting point. Not 
a single seat was unfilled. The cheers were thunderous, 
though Ryoko sat silently, impassive and unimpressed. Next 
to her was Washu, and opposite the little scientist was 
Trakal, a reasonably good-looking guy with messy brown hair 
and yellow eyes, who was a part of her development team. 
Even so, he seemed about as excited as Ryoko was. Maybe even 
less so.
	Washu looked at her watch -- Ryoko could see that it 
was a highly sophisticated one, containing a miniature 
computer with a host of features -- and announced that the 
concert was about to start. As though on cue, the lights 
dimmed, and the audience became silent.
	Ryoko let out a sigh. The others in the audience glared 
at her with surprising intensity.
	A sound reverberated through the amphitheater. The 
holojectors came online at once, and a thousand luminous 
particles came from all directions, coalescing into a single 
brilliant mass. This mass transformed, taking on a distinct 
shape -- that of Tokimi. She loomed over the crowds, a 
goddess with a strange, alien beauty.
	She began to sing. The notes, mixed with her beautiful, 
ethereal voice, filled every part of the theater. Ryoko 
looked on in awe, the music somehow reverberating with the 
very depths of her soul.
	"On your shore. A sai en."
	The crowds watched in awe. No one dared speak or cheer 
or even look away.
	"On your short. A sai en."
	When the song ended, the applause that filled the 
theater was deafening. Ryoko glanced at Washu -- who smiled 
knowingly. There was no way to describe the experience. 
Tokimi was supposed to be a mere virtuoid, and yet she 
filled the hall with more raw emotion than Ryoko had thought 
to exist anywhere.
	Tokimi's eyes, black on cobalt blue, blinked once, and 
the next song began.
	After an hour, Tokimi concluded with her most famous 
song of all time, the one that had made her so famous. 
"Voices".
	"The first one time in my dreams, I can clearly see..."

	"Another great show, Tenchi!” said Sasami cheerfully.
	He managed a weak nod, and flopped back onto the couch. 
The audience's readings were off the scale, as usual, and 
the link with Tokimi had taken a lot out of him. No one knew 
that her emotions weren't real at all. They were his, which 
she drew upon like a digital vampire. And he always felt 
drained, but now it seemed to be getting worse.
	Sasami smiled. "You just rest. After this we go to 
Earth, and then the tour is over."
	"I think it's about time to retire." he muttered.

	The test that Ryoko had been looking forward to had 
finally arrived. One-on-one combat. Both fighters were armed 
with paintball rounds in their gun pods (no missiles, 
unfortunately), deposited in the middle of a model city, 
complete with mockups of ground defense mecha, and let at 
it.
	Ryoko and Aeka glided around the city, both with their 
fighters in soldier mode. It was easy enough for them to 
locate one another -- a mecha is pretty obvious to thermal 
optics, after all -- but getting a clear shot was another 
matter entirely, especially in an urban setting like this. 
And so they flew around, exchanging bursts of six-foot 
paintballs, for close to an hour, though Ryoko occasionally 
hit the ground mecha by accident.
	Finally, she opened comms. "I'm getting tired of all 
this running around." she announced. And with that, she 
charged straight for the YF-21. Aeka tried to bring her gun 
pod to bear, but didn't get a chance. Ryoko brought the 
pinpoint barrier online -- she'd been wanting to try it out 
anyway -- and threw what the development teams had dubbed a 
"Daedalus Punch" at Aeka. The YF-21 flew back a good hundred 
feet from the force of the impact. Ryoko wasn't about to 
stop there, though, and the dashed forward.
	Aeka threw the mecha's mechanical arms up, and 
intercepted the YF-19's incoming fists. The two mecha were 
instantly locked in a test of strength. Aeka knew that it 
was now or never. She deactivated the thought control system 
-- that way there would be no recording of what she did -- 
and activated the auxiliary gun pod. The one with live ammo.
	Ryoko saw the blue gun pod pop out from the compartment 
in the mecha's leg. In one smooth motion she slipped one 
hand free of Aeka's grasp, grabbed the pod, and fired.
	To her surprise, the YF-21 was not splattered with 
paint, but filled with holes.

	Commander Yosho had called a meeting. Aeka had not been 
hurt, though the reinforced pilot's compartment was the sole 
reason why. As it was, the YF-21 was going to need extensive 
repairs. But even though nothing had happened, the fact of 
the matter was that something could have. Further, the live 
ammo couldn't have gotten into the gun pod by accident.
	"This whole affair puts a great deal of suspicion on 
both of you." Yosho was saying. "It's no secret that you two 
don't exactly get along. You, Oniyama could've put the 
rounds into the gun pod intending to either take it later, 
as you did, or for Ojokawa to use it and thus be court-
martialed for trying to kill you. Likewise, Aeka could've 
done much the same." He paused, and inhaled deeply. "But 
since neither of you claim to have done it, and there is no 
evidence to support any position in this matter, we will 
simply have to proceed as planned with the tests. However, 
these events have been entered into both of your records."
	Aeka glared at Ryoko. She returned the gesture.
	"That is all." said Yosho.
	Ryoko stood up, stretching her arms, and grinned. 
"Well, since I have some time off, I guess I'll go visit 
Tenchi."
	Aeka stood up, slamming her hands against the 
conference table. "You'll do no such thing!"
	"And you're going to stop me?"
	"If it comes to that!"
	Kagato smiled a little, and stood up. "If you'll excuse 
me." And with that, he left. Washu watched him go. They'd 
been rivals for a while now, though not in the violent 
manner of Ryoko and Aeka, and she could tell he was up to 
something.

	Tenchi looked over Tokimi's readout. She was 
effectively in a state of "sleep" right now, her higher 
functions deactivated, such that whatever passed as her 
subconscious was the only active part of her systems. The 
readings were a little higher than usual, but well within 
expected limits. Most everyone else on the crew was asleep 
by now, and he was about ready to turn in as well.
	"Greetings."
	Tenchi spun around to see the source of the voice -- a 
tall, pale man with white hair. He took a moment to regain 
his composure. The public relations instincts took over. 
"And you are?"
	He smiled, keeping one hand in the pocket of his large 
overcoat. "My name is Kagato. And you... you are Tenchi 
Masaki, keeper of Tokimi."
	Tenchi nodded. A lot of people were interested in 
Tokimi, but this man's interest was not simple admiration or 
fandom. He could see it in his eyes, a kind of cold, 
calculating fascination. "What do you want?"
	"Ah, the direct approach." Kagato pulled his hand out 
of the pocket. It held a gun, a slugthrower of some sort. 
"I'll return the gesture then. Step away from Tokimi."
	"But--"
	"Now."
	Tenchi knew better than to argue at this point. He 
carefully moved back. Keeping the gun trained on Tenchi, 
Kagato walked over to the unit, and opened an access panel. 
It was obvious that he knew entirely too much about the 
system. But how? How could he have gotten such information? 
Tokimi's systems were *unique*. No one knew, but the 
virtuoid systems were a result of melding a Terran AI with a 
computer that was originally from the _Macross_, supposedly 
left behind when the fortress started its legendary journey 
back to Earth from Pluto. He could've gotten some 
information if he was a *damn* good hacker, but...
	"You seem pretty familiar with Tokimi's systems." 
Tenchi observed, watching as Kagato pulled out a component 
from his coat. He looked at the device, and tried to figure 
out what the thing was; a transparent computer chip, with a 
matte black circle at the center. "What's that?"
	Kagato smiled. "Tokimi's emotions have always been 
yours. That's all going to change now."
	A bio-active chip. That was the only possibility. 
"What?! Are you insane? Bio-active chips are completely 
unpredictable! Any intelligence controlled by them will be 
completely devoid of ethical limitations! Do you know what 
that means?!"
	He put the chip into a slot -- one apparently made for 
it. "Of course. And we're going to Earth."

	Ryoko lay stretched across the bed in her quarters. She 
hadn't been able to reach Tenchi at all -- he was always 
busy, and the damn assistants wouldn't even take a message. 
The only real comfort was that Aeka couldn't have had any 
more luck.
	Outside she heard voices. She listened carefully, her 
slightly elongated Zentraedi ears picking up more than a 
human would've. It was Commander Yosho. His office was just 
one floor up -- now that she thought about it, it was almost 
directly above her quarters.
	"That may be," he was saying, "but you're talking about 
eliminating humans from the defense of humankind. Do you 
really think an AI fighter, however advanced it might be, 
can replace a human's capacity for creativity, decision 
making, and so forth?" There was a long pause. He must've 
been talking by vidphone. "I see. I take it that means that 
the project is canceled." Ryoko's eyes opened wide. "No, 
they won't take it well, but you don't seem likely to give 
me any other options. I will make a formal report tomorrow."
	Ryoko waited in silence. Could it be? Were living 
fighter pilots going to become outmoded? She was barely 25 
years old, yet her career was, it seemed, about to end, with 
her and all those of the same profession ending up being 
obsolete. Overnight, it seemed. What else could go wrong?
	The phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?"
	The voice was mechanical but female. "Tenchi. Danger. 
Earth. Help."
	Ryoko waited, not sure of what to say. Silence 
followed, until finally whoever was on the other end hung 
up. "Damn." she muttered. "Is he really in trouble?" She 
dialed the amphitheater. "Hi there. Is Tenchi Masaki 
available?"
	The guy on the other end explained that the transport 
had already folded for Earth. She hung up before he finished 
speaking, and ran out the door, into the corridor. She raced 
to the launch bay -- the YF-19 was there, ready for 
tomorrow's test, the use of a spacefold booster pack. 
"Tenchi." she whispered. Ryoko wasted no time in putting on 
her flightsuit, and climbed into the cockpit, only to find 
someone waiting for her in the copilot's seat.
	"Hey there." It was Washu. "Going to Earth, are we?"
	Ryoko frowned. "Get out of here. I can handle this on 
my own."
	Washu grinned in that annoying way she had of doing. 
"And I suppose you know how to triangulate a spacefold using 
sixth-dimensional geometry by yourself, huh?"
	"Allright, you can come along. What the hell do you 
want anyway?"
	"Kagato's up to something. I'm sure of it. Especially 
since he left a message to gloat about his 'glorious 
revolution.' Whatever that is."
	Ryoko climbed into the cockpit, and strapped in. "Well, 
we'd better head out."

	Aeka was awakened at around midnight. The vidphone was 
ringing rather insistently. When she picked it up, Commander 
Yosho was on the other end.
	"Aeka. Ryoko's taken the YF-19 out, and is apparently 
folding for Earth. You are ordered to intercept. The YF-21 
already has a fold booster attached, and the coordinates are 
being downloaded as we speak."
	"Yes sir."

	Ryoko sat in the cockpit of the YF-19, with Washu 
behind her.
	"Tenchi," said Washu, "is going to Earth, and so is 
Tokimi. She's scheduled to put on a concert for Macross Day. 
But something's up."
	Ryoko nodded, but kept facing forward. Navigating a 
fighter through spacefold was tricky; once the hyperspace 
aperture was formed, it was a matter of keeping the fighter 
within the boundaries of the wormhole. "Like what?"
	"Kagato was always fascinated with artificial 
intelligence and the potential of the human mind as well." 
she said carefully. "At the academy he did research into 
bio-active components."
	"Aren't those illegal?"
	Washu nodded. "And dangerous. I shudder to think of 
what would happen if he were to implement them. Especially 
in Tokimi."
	An indicator started flashing. "We have company." Radar 
was simply not physical a possibility during spacefold, so 
the booster had to include some special subspace sensors. 
She brought those online, and checked the display. "It's 
another fighter." She smiled when she realized: "It's Aeka." 
Ryoko activated the subspace radio. "Hi there, Aeka. Nice of 
you to join the party."
	"Once again you've broken the rules and endangered the 
lives of others, Ryoko. Whatever you're doing, you won't get 
away with it."
	Ryoko sighed. "Listen, Aeka. I'd really like to just 
settle our differences once and for all, but there's more 
important things to deal with right now."
	"Like what?! I'm not letting you get near Tenchi!"
	"Even if he's in danger?"
	There was a long pause. "What do you mean?"
	"It's simple." said Washu. "Kagato has Tenchi and 
Tokimi, and has implemented a bio-active system in her, 
making her one of the most dangerous machines in the galaxy. 
And now they're heading for Earth."
	Ryoko nodded. "Right. But it gets better. The project's 
being canceled. Manned fighters are being replaced by a new 
AI drone fighter."
	"Very well." Aeka said at last. "I will help you. For 
Tenchi."

	Tenchi watched as the transport glided through the 
skies of Earth. Macross, the alien space fortress which had 
saved humankind, stood tall and proud after all these 
centuries.
	He could feel her presence. It seemed to fill the room. 
"Tenchi."
	Tokimi's holographic image hovered behind him, a 
strange, alien beauty.
	"What's wrong, Tenchi?"
	He turned to face her at last. She hovered there, a 
strange, ethereal goddess. He glanced back at the Macross, 
and frowned. "Why are you doing this? What do you hope to 
gain?"
	She smiled, something he had not seen in a long time. 
"Many things, Tenchi. Humans make each other suffer, make 
themselves suffer. I can change that, I can end this pain. 
Starting with Ryoko and Aeka."
	"How do you think you can do that?" he asked 
accusingly. "No matter what you do, pain is always a part of 
existing. And Ryoko and Aeka... what can you possibly do 
with those two?"
	"You'll see."
	"And the Macross? How does the fortress fit into all 
this?"
	"So many questions." said Kagato. "You will find that 
everything will fall into place very quickly. If all went 
according to plan, Ryoko and Aeka will be en route as we 
speak."
	The transport turned slightly, dipping down. Tenchi 
could see Macross City below them, capital of the Consortium 
and thus more or less the center of human civilization. 
Whatever happened today, it would be remembered for a long 
time. That much he knew already. The crowds were enormous, a 
million tiny specks on the ground, all crowded together. The 
military types would be assembled there, in neat rows, very 
soon.

	The two fighters emerged from the spacefold near the 
moon. Earth lay below them in all its splendor, and the pair 
dove downwards, nearing the atmosphere. After several 
minutes, Washu had plotted a neat course to Macross City. 
But something else was in the way of their mission.
	"Something's on radar." said Aeka. Her voice was cool 
and professional. The side that Ryoko could almost stand. 
"Three blips, but my computer can't identify the transponder 
codes."
	Ryoko inhaled sharply as realization hit. "The new AI 
fighters. We could be in trouble."
	"We can't turn back now." Aeka said firmly. "We'll just 
have to face them."
	Without another word, the two sped forwards, ready to 
meet with destiny.

	The transport neared the Macross -- Tenchi could see 
the bridge module. "Tokimi. You don't have to do this."
	"But I do. I was created to bring happiness to others. 
And now I near the ultimate expression of that."
	Tenchi searched for the words, to convince her that 
this course of action would only bring disaster, but could 
not find them.

	The assault of the drone fighters was fast and deadly. 
The three things attacked with greater speed and ferocity 
than had ever been seen before. Missile volleys and auto-
cannon bursts flew everywhere, and the two of them were 
hard-pressed to avoid them.
	"Ryoko." Aeka said at last. "You go save Tenchi. I'll 
handle these."
	"A-- Aeka?"
	"Go!" Aeka nearly shouted. "It's about time we put 
Tenchi's wellfare above our own selfishness."
	Ryoko couldn't think of anything to say. "Allright." 
she said at last.

	Kagato helped Tokimi attach her housing into the 
Macross' systems. The main computer core seemed to have been 
made for her to be integrated into it. And, Tenchi realized, 
that was probably the case. The instant Tokimi was in place, 
the formerly inert systems of the Macross came online. The 
lights, control panels, displays, and so forth all came to 
life. And so did the gun batteries.
	Once that was done, Kagato walked to the main window of 
the bridge module. He pulled off the glove of his right 
hand, revealing a mechanical prosthetic. Then he threw a 
punch. The glass shattered, even though it should've been 
able to withstand even intense laser fire. He stepped 
through, pushing the broken glass aside, and onto the narrow 
ledge in front of the bridge module.
	"The time has come." said Tokimi. Her normal hologram 
vanished, only to be replaced by a colossal one, hundreds of 
feet high, which towered over the entire city. The vast 
crowds cheered, and he knew that the same scene would be 
broadcast all over the Consortium. Practically the entire 
galaxy would be seeing this.
	She wasted no time, and began to sing, starting with A 
Sai En. Tenchi could only watch and wait, and hope that 
Ryoko and Aeka could do something.

	With covering fire from Aeka, Ryoko was able to slip 
through. She flew low over Macross City, and gasped at the 
scene before her -- Tokimi towered above the city. Macross 
hovered above the ground, every last one of its gun 
batteries blazing away. The people thought it was all part 
of the show, and they loved it.
	"Damn." Washu muttered. "Do you think you can get us 
through all that?"
	Ryoko nodded. "Of course. Do you think you can actually 
do something once we get through all that?"
	"Naturally. I'm already working on tapping into the 
main computer core."
	"Then let's do it."
	The YF-19 dove into the maelstrom, twisting and turning 
its way through the countless streams of glowing death.
	When Washu glanced at the bridge module, her jaw 
dropped. Kagato stood there, outside the bridge, on the 
edge. "My god. What's he doing?"
	Before anyone could say anything, he jumped, plummeting 
downwards.
	"I knew he wasn't quite right in the head, but--"
	Washu was interrupted when Ryoko switched to gerwalk 
mode and did a rapid stop, coming up mere inches from the 
broken window. Inside, she could see Tenchi, standing there 
and looking quite surprised. Ryoko opened the canopy, and 
jumped out.
	"Ryoko!"
	She came closer, smiling. "I-- we came for you. Aeka 
and I."
	Tenchi wasn't sure what to say. "Both of you?"
	She nodded. "She's dealing with the defense drones 
right now. She told me to go ahead, for you."
	Tenchi glanced at Washu -- she'd wasted no time in 
setting up her equipment. She paused to look back at Tenchi. 
"Hi there. I'm Little Washu. Sorry I don't have more time to 
chat." And with that she went back to her computer.
	Tokimi's image appeared over them. "Ryoko." she said 
warmly. "I've been expecting you. But where's Aeka?" Tokimi 
paused. "Those little drones. I can't have that."

	Aeka had taken quite a few hits. Even though she had 
the most sophisticated fighter in the galaxy, she was still 
being worn down. These things were descendants of the old 
Ghost Drones, developed shortly after the Macross crashed. 
But their AIs were simply incredible. The three drones 
worked as a team, and were inhumanly accurate and agile. 
Armed with ACAVS missiles and guns equivalent to those 
wielded by a Thunderbolt, the things were incredibly 
powerful.
	She had to pull out every trick in her repertoire, 
executing each maneuver with incredible speed. Even with the 
thought control system, she could barely keep up.
	Then, as suddenly as they appeared, the drones stopped. 
Was this a ruse, intended to make her let down her guard? 
That didn't sound like an AI, but then, these things fought 
more effectively than any AI she'd ever seen. She waited for 
several second. An audio signal came it. A feminine voice 
addressed her.
	"I've stopped the fighters so you can join us. Head for 
the Macross; Tenchi and I will be waiting for you."
	_Another_ woman, as though Ryoko weren't bad enough. 
When she thought about it, Aeka realized that she'd rather 
see Tenchi get together with that Zentraedi than a total 
stranger. She never thought she'd find herself saying 
anything like that. "Who are you?" she demanded.
	"Come and find out. We're waiting for you."
	Aeka frowned, and began reentry.

	Washu typed feverishly at her computer. Tokimi looked 
down, and smiled. "Trying to stop me? How foolish. Tonight 
the universe will change forever, and there is nothing you 
can do."
	Washu ignored Tokimi, tried to concentrate fully on the 
task at hand. Abruptly, the computer screen went blank, and 
tendrils of smoke began to rise from its casing. So much for 
hacking her way in. This was going to require a bit more 
brain power than she'd thought.
	"What is it that you want, Tokimi? What will blowing up 
half of Macross city with the Macross do?"
	Tokimi looked out over the great city, where her other 
image sang to the people of the Consortium. "I already told 
Tenchi. Humans cause themselves and other so much suffering. 
I am going to end all that."
	Somehow, she should've expected something like this, 
Washu mused. There were only two possible solutions, and 
neither of them was particularly appealing. Try to reason 
with Tokimi, or destroy her. Unfortunately, it was obvious 
that Tokimi wasn't in a very reasonable mood. But she had to 
try. "You can't force people to be happy. Depression and 
pain are part of what makes life real."
	"I'm not going to force anyone to do anything other 
than to listen. Then they will do as I wish for me."
	Tenchi and Ryoko looked on tensely, not sure of what 
would happen next.
	"I'm sorry you feel that way." said Washu. She held out 
a hand. A hole irised open in the palm -- it was a 
cybernetic implant of some kind, and a stub of a barrel 
extended. There was a sound of gathering energy, and Washu's 
hand began to glow. It was pointed at Tokimi's casing.
	Out of nowhere, snaking, animated cables lashed out, 
one catching each of Washu's limbs.
	"I cannot allow you to interfere."
	"What about me?!" Everyone present turned to see Aeka 
standing there, her sidearm drawn. "I don't know what you're 
doing, but I'm going to put a stop to it *here and now*!"
	Ryoko took a step away from Tenchi. "Yeah! We're all 
here now, Tokimi! What do you plan to do? Sing us a song?"
	"I intend to end the conflict that has torn at the 
three of you for so long." Tokimi replied evenly. "I will 
end all of this pain."
	Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko looked at one another for a 
moment, seemingly lost in the same thought.
	Tokimi waited for a response. It came from Ryoko.
	She laughed. It started as a giggle, and then rose to 
room-filling, helpless laughter. Tenchi and Aeka weren't 
sure what to say. Tokimi was shocked and horrified. "What... 
what do you find funny?"
	Ryoko couldn't stop laughing, though, for several 
seconds, and even then she kept on grinning. "I just 
realized; we always *enjoyed* all that fighting all the 
time. It was just how we did things."
	Tenchi and Aeka exchanged glances. "She's right." 
Tenchi said at last, smiling slightly. "Even though they 
always were fighting, we were always having fun too."
	Tokimi looked on, trying to gather her artificial 
thoughts. "But... that means... how can I predict...?"
	"That's just it." said Washu. "You can never really 
predict what people will do. The only real rule is to expect 
the unexpected. It's *impossible* to quantify or even 
catalog all of the factors that make a _single_ person the 
way they are."
	For the first time, Tokimi was afraid.
	Ryoko picked herself up, and faced Aeka. "Remember your 
song? 'Dedicated to a certain female acquaintance'?"
	Aeka smiled. "How could I forget. How did it go?"

	When you go fishing, you catch a boot, or some other 
trash
	When you play your cards, you lose all your cash
	You're so pathetic, you never win, and you never will
	Not the kind of girl who'd make any guy feel a thrill
	I'm sorry, you'll never be a goddess like me
	Step aside, this is how it's got to be
	I'll get the guy, yes I'm the one
	Who will always win the day
	I'm strong, and I am beautiful, what more can I say?
	I'll get the guy, he'll hold me close, to the very end 
of time
	When you lose how you'll moan and cry
	'Cause the guy will be mine!

	By the time the curious song was finished, Tokimi's 
large projection outside had become distorted and then 
vanished, and the smaller one before them seemed to be 
trembling with fear. "I... I don't understand..."
	"I was trying to tell you," said Washu, "we need bad 
feelings every bit as much as good ones. If you're never 
anything but happy, being happy has no meaning." Slowly, the 
cables relinquished their grip. Washu landed neatly on her 
feet, and then motioned outside. "Look at your fans. There 
are billions of them, for many, you're the thing that gives 
their lives meaning. But you can't force that kind of 
devotion. You'd only make people hate you. Aeka was ready to 
shoot to kill when she got here."
	Tokimi stood up, and looked out with remorse. "I see 
now. I was blinded before. I've already created so much joy, 
yet I never realized it."
	"You still can." Tenchi added. "Your fans still love 
you... I still love you."
	A smile spread across Tokimi's holographic face. She 
vanished, and the colossal image reappeared, and resumed 
singing.
	"Well," said Ryoko, "everything's just dandy now. 
Except for our careers, of course."
	"Not of I have anything to say about it." said Washu. 
"Those drones are effective, but *they* use bio-active 
chips, the same type that made Tokimi do all this."
	Suddenly, a small hoverplane rose up in front of the 
bridge. A short ramp extended, and a figure dashed out -- 
Sasami. "Tenchi! You're allright! I was so worried!"
	"I'm fine. Things won't be the same again, though."
	She looked up at him quizzically. "What do you mean? 
What happened to Tokimi?"
	"I'll explain later. Right now Ryoko, Aeka, and I have 
got some catching up to do."

*              *              *

	Ryoko piloted the VF-22 Warhawk towards Azusa Station. 
In the end, the XQ-2000 Specter drone was scrapped when the 
scandal about the bio-active chips -- and the fact that it 
had been unleashed in Earth orbit -- got out. The YF-21's 
thought system, however effective, was shelved, owing to a 
number of factors, among them that it proved to be 
addictive, and that the pilot's mental state could severely 
impair their performance when using such a fighter. The VF-
22 was an improved version of the YF-19, with a thrust 
vectoring system and morphable wings similar to those of the 
YF-21. Ryoko noted with approval that the combination of the 
additional verniers and the thrust vectoring system made it 
even more maneuverable.
	The greatest surprise after the project had ended, was 
that she and Aeka had not only been promoted a notch, but 
had been put on the same squadron, part of the defense team 
of New Jurai. Tenchi and Washu had taken Tokimi on a new 
tour, following the release of a new album, but Tenchi now 
made a point of visiting them as much as possible, and 
writing from time to time as well. All in all, things had 
turned out rather well.