Hehe...You are now entering part 1 of Inherited Legend...the Ancestry Arc.

I sure love Arcs, don't I?? Its an Utena / Sailormoon thing.

                At 69 it was safe to say that Lisa was not as spry as she once was. In fact it was rather safe to say that mostly all that Lisa wanted to do was spend time with her family…her husband Rick and their son Roy. But Admiral Lisa Hayes-Hunter had no such luck. The SDF-4 was near completion, in fact by November the ship and all of its crew would take off for the first tour of duty. She was definitely looking forward to the command of the vessel, though it brought back so many memories.

                Earlier that day Lisa had toured the bridge complex as it was, the only missing elements were the chairs, and it had brought tears to her eyes. Captain Gloval…the Terrible Trio, Claudia…and it had also brought a smile to her face, remembering how she had first heard of a young civilian trapped in a veritech at a station much like the one that awaited some young Lieutenant Commander. After a few more moments on memory lane she had left to spend the rest of the day with her son, Roy.

* * * * *

                Though he was no longer as young and spry as the stunt pilot that had called the admiral an ‘old sourpuss’ nearly fifty years ago, Rick Hunter was anything but out of shape. His wiry thin strength had diminished little over his fifty years of knowing Lisa and his piloting skills had only matured with age. This he had been forced to prove time and time again to Roy, who was as cocky and doubtless as his namesake.

                “One of these days, pop, you’re gonna realize that I’m a better pilot than you are!” Was 26-year-old Roy’s casual taunt. They jibed with each other, father and son, almost as much as the original Roy and Rick had, but Roy II had an instinct as to when enough was enough. Rick’s knees were his main problem, and his wrists, but that rarely mattered with the mentally enhanced sport planes they flew together.

                “We had better get back, your mother will be home shortly from her bridge inspection.” Rick called to his son over the tac-net.

                “Sounds like you’re still afraid of her, Pops.” Roy drawled to his father in the stereotypical dog fighter voice he had picked up from Rick over the years.

                “Wouldn’t you be?” Rick shot back, and they both laughed. As much as his flying had proved over his forty seven year stint with Robotechnology, he still envied both Max Sterling and his son their ability to completely let go into the Alpha waves that had once bonded man and machine. He had skill, but they had the mental connection with the machine that took them up to the level of legend. Roy’s psi-abilities made there no need for an Instu-Mentality chip to be implanted, he could drive either his Sekiton-fueled veritech or the sporty racer he was in right now.

                The two planes, both with the skull and crossbones on the tail, swerved into the landing strip, stopping feet before Lisa herself. She was not a happy camper.

* * * * *

                Lisa had long ago lost her fear in the flying antics of both her husband and her son, but when they were late she lost her temper. Both jumped out of the planes and took the few steps necessary to join her before the planes, and Roy took his mother and spun her in the air as Rick shook his head at his son.

                Lisa gazed coldly at her husband as she was set down, but accepted his embrace and his kiss before she blew her top. “Do you two know HOW LATE YOU ARE?”

                Roy scuffed his flight boots against the runway and Rick slouched his shoulders. “Sorry love, we got caught up in it, the wind is playful today.”

                “You two were supposed to pick me up an hour ago!” Roy was starting to get scared. “I leave in three months, and the time we get to spend together the two of you waste flying!”

                That was the last bit for Rick. “Flying has never been a waste Lisa.” He said tonelessly.

                Lisa looked at Rick, knowing she’d crossed the line. She loved flying for him, and through him because she rarely got to do it and he was rarely around to take her up. He knew that, and they both knew she wished he could fly her around, but she rarely went so far as to call it a waste.

                Roy, taller than them both, was slumping to try and hide. Lisa took Rick’s hand in hers and squeezed. “I know Rick, but I really wanted to spend the day with the two of you…We’ve both been gone so much lately and…”

                Rick grinned, knew she was just missing the three of them, and raised her hands to kiss them. “Then let’s all go flying!”

                Roy smiled, he thought he had handled that quite well…managing for once to stay out of the usual skirmish of the family reunion, and watched as his father whisked his mother into the second seat of his plane.

                Lisa didn’t know how, but before she knew it she was in the plane, sliding Rick’s helmet on…So many memories!…and the little plane was leaping from the ground, Roy’s right behind.

                The Hunters spent the rest of the morning airborne, and at lunch touched down at the old site of New Macross, where Roy brought his parents a picnic. The three of them relaxed under the sun, the green grass and wildflowers making the entire scene very picturesque. The day was wasted with the three of them taking a nice swim in Lake Gloval in the suits Rick had thought ahead to bring.

* * * * * * *

                Commander McCalister reported to the duty station, awaiting her assignment. The Commander was coming off of an honor tour with the Interworld Council Defense Squadron. It had been child's play for the Commander, who had come off of two consecutive tours with protecting the non-protoculture power stations on the edge of Optera, the original sight of the Flowers of Life transplant. Before that the commander had trained under veterans of the last Robotech War, and spent time flying the original Robotech Veritechs that were running low on fuel since the disappearance of protoculture.

                “Howdy do Commander.” Said the Private in charge of assignments that day. “Long time no see… how was ICDS?”

                The Commander nodded and said, “As boring as can be expected.”

                “Cheer up commander,” the private began as he ruffled through some papers. “Can I see your transfer card, flight log summary, and recommendation form?”

                The Commander smirked, a smile against tan skin, and handed the private the papers…they went through this often and it never changed. “What ya got for me this time Patrick? Rain forest patrol?” The commander slumped against the window pane of the small office. “I was born twenty years too late. The last dogfight has been fought…I am a worthy pilot with no proof.”

                Private Patrick Dante smiled at the Commander. “Maybe the last dogfights been fought commander, but I got the next best thing.”

                McCalister looked at Patrick coolly from the window pane. “Really?” Interest dripped from the words.

                “Let me read it to you…” Patrick lifted the paper and read it aloud, “ ‘Commander McCalister, ninety hours real space flight in the Optera sector, 300 hours simulator from First and Second Robotech War battles, decorated with the Platinum Cross for bravery against unknown dangers in deep space in a sub Alpha veritech model, is assigned to the SDF-4, under the direct command of Admiral Lisa Hayes-Hunter and assigned to personal bridge protection squadron Neon.’ Congratulations Commander, this is the big time.”

                Commander McCalister smiled at Private Dante and returned his salute.

                “It continues, ‘The Commander is hereby authorized two months of leave in the former Reflex Point area, where the SDF-4 is being finished.’ Travel instructions…yadda, yadda, yadda… ‘The Commander will report to Admiral Rick Hunter for a debriefing on October 31, 2056…and training with the other pilots to accompany the SDF-4 for four weeks following. The SDF-4 is scheduled to depart on November 31, 2056…The Commander’s tour of duty will be extended until the return of the SDF-4…Further information will be given upon arrival to the SDF-4 and assignment by the duty officer present. The Commander will report to Duty Officer James Lynn-Smith for quartering and will check in each day before exiting the SDF-4 crew complex.’ And then a whole bunch of instructions on your plane…Here you go.”

                Commander McCalister shook Private Dante’s hand before leaving. “This may be the last time we meet like this Private…It was a pleasure to know you this long.”

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