SERENDIPITY

The door to the White Dragon slammed open, and the bandannaed, backpack-carrying individual framed in the doorway bellowed, "WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW?"

Minmei looked up in surprise at the intruder. He was dressed in a yellow sweater and green pants, and carried a red bamboo umbrella. "Why, you're in the White Dragon Restaurant, home of the best Chinese cuisine in Macross City."

"Macross City? You mean this isn't Nerima?"

Minmei blinked.

"Where can I find Saotome Ranma?"

"Yo, you lookin' for me?"

The stranger turned towards Ranma, who was just standing up near the Skull Squadron table, and raised the umbrella.

"Ranma! Prepare to die!"

"Huh?"

Ranma jumped backwards as the stranger brought his umbrella down on the table, demolishing it completely. Fokker, Kramer and Hunter, who were sitting with Ranma, stared at the remains of their favourite table. As one, they turned their gaze to Ranma's attacker.

"Um...Sorry?"

* * * * *

Fokker dropped the badly beaten stranger into a chair, then passed a fifty-credit note to Minmei. "Sorry about the other tables."

Ranma sat down opposite his erstwhile opponent. "Now. You wanna explain why it is that you attacked me?"

The stranger glared at him. "Curse you, Ranma. Because of your cowardice, I HAVE SEEN HELL!" He leaped forward, hands extended towards Ranma's throat.

Fokker interrupted the stranger's lunge, by simply pulling him back down into the chair. "You better have at least a halfway decent story, punk. Nobody accuses a Skull of cowardice. At least, not twice. Who the hell is this guy, kid?"

Ranma studied the stranger. "I'm not really sure. He seems familiar..."

"Just answer me this, Ranma. Why did you run out on our man to man fight?"

Ranma snapped his fingers. "Hibiki Ryouga! How're ya doin', man?"

"So you do know him."

"Yeah, Ryouga and I were in junior high school together for about a year before my father and I went off on another training trip. I used to help him find his way to school."

"Ah...Find his way...?"

"Yeah. Poor guy's got no sense of direction at all."

Roy nodded. "And what about this man to man fight?"

"Well, I waited three days at the appointed place..."

Ryouga snorted. "Oh, sure. But by the time I got there on the fourth day, you'd already turned tail and run!"

"Ryouga, why did it take you four days to get to the vacant lot behind your house?"

"WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO--"

Fokker pushed Ryouga back into his chair. "I'd advise you to calm down, sir. Now then. It seems to me that you defaulted on your little fight. As Saotome's commanding officer, I am hereby ordering him to accept victory in that fight. And I am ordering YOU to accept your loss."

"But you aren't my commanding officer. You can't order me to do anything."

"You wanna go another round?"

Ryouga looked at the four jet jockeys standing around him. Kramer cracked his knuckles in his palm and grinned at Ryouga.

It was not a nice grin.

"All right, fine. I accept my loss in that fight. But that's not all you have to pay for, Ranma. After you left, I followed you all the way to China!"

"Oh, no. Don't tell me you went to Jushenkyo."

"You mean he's got a curse like yours?" Fokker grinned. "Too bad, huh?"

"Maybe, but maybe not. I mean, Pop's cursed too, but he don't change into no girl. He changes into a panda."

Roy guffawed. "So what about you, little boy? What do you change into?"

Kramer grabbed a glass of water. "One way to find out, eh, Roy?"

Ryouga looked at the glass, then burst out of Roy's grip.

"Get him!"

Ryouga jumped over the counter and ran into the kitchen. The pilots followed him.

"Where the hell did he go?"

The kitchen was empty. Nobody noticed the yellow sweater and green pants in one corner.

Roy shrugged. "Well, his backpack and umbrella are still here. He'll be back."

* * * * *

"You're joking! Please, tell me you're kidding about this!"

Ranma, Akane and Shoko were seated in the Angel Squadron's off-duty lounge. Akane had just dropped the Miss Macross application on the coffee table in front of Ranma.

"Nope. Sorry, 'Ranko'. You wanted someone in our squadron to enter the contest. Looks like you got the tap."

"Forget it! I'm not doing it! I'm a guy, dammit!"

Akane poked one of Ranma's breasts. "You don't look much like a guy at the moment."

Ranma grabbed his thermos and upended it over his head.

"Hmm, your thermos seems to be empty." Shoko smirked. "I wonder how that could have happened?"

Ranma cursed and cast aside the thermos. "Just forget it. There ain't no way you're gonna make me do this. Why don't you sign up, Shoko? I know why Akane isn't."

"Oh? And why is that, Ranma?"

"Because there's no way you'd win-"

-THUMP-

Akane grinned as she set down the large mallet. "All right, I'll make you a deal. We both sign up. Whoever wins gets squadron lead for a week."

"Hmm...Not like it'd be a transfer of command, just lead in all exercises...You got a deal!"

"Hey, for that kind of deal, I'll sign up as well." Shoko grinned. "It'd be nice to give you orders for a switch."

"Then it's settled." Akane dropped two more applications on the table. "Let's get these filled out. By the way, Ranma, my father wants you to come over for dinner tonight. I already explained to him about the curse."

"Joy."

"Well, don't sound so enthusiastic."

"Look, Akane, your dad really doesn't like me."

"Nonsense. He likes you just fine. Nabiki likes you too."

"Huh? When did I meet your sisters?"

"In the shelter. Remember? Kasumi was the one bandaging your head, and Nabiki was the one selling you the painkillers..."

"Oh. Right. Memory's a bit fuzzy about that time; musta been the mallet upside the head."

"You want another? Keep begging for it!"

* * * * *

"Hold!"

Ranma stopped and looked over to the speaker. It was a tall man dressed in a blue gi jacket and black hakama. Slung over his back was a bokken.

"Something I can do for you?"

"You will address me as Captain."

"Sorry, sir. How may I help you, Captain?" Ranma avoided glancing down at his own rank insignia.

"I just noticed you leaving the Angel Squadron ready room."

Ranma glanced at the door he had just exited. "Yes, sir. There a problem with that?"

"Surely you know that the Angel Squadron is composed entirely of females?"

"Well, yes, that had crossed my mind..."

"Then why were you in there?"

"Why not?"

The man purpled. "Your insolence is completely unbecoming an officer. What is your name, knave?"

Ranma grinned. He was CERTAIN that he knew who this guy was. "Saotome Ranma. And you're Kuno Tatewaki, right?"

"You will address me as Captain!"

"Why?" This time Ranma did glace down to his own insignia.

Kuno did not notice. "It is my rank, and you must show respect to those of higher station than yourself!"

"And what does that have to do with you?"

Kuno finally took the time to take in Ranma's insignia. The rank bars. The two rows of chicken guts. And the Skull Squadron patch.

"I...apologize. Please deliver this to the CO of the Angel Squadron."

Kuno handed the letter to Ranma and beat a hasty retreat.

* * * * *

"Hi, Minmei!"

"Hi yourself, Saotome! The usual?"

"Nope, just a couple of egg rolls today."

"Coming up." Minmei bounced into the kitchen. Ranma dropped into a chair at the Skull Squadron's table.

"So. Did Ryouga ever turn up again?"

Roy shook his head. "No. His pack and stuff is still behind the counter. Minmei even found a change of his clothes in the kitchen."

"He's probably in Kyoto by now."

Roy looked at Ranma oddly. "Uh, that would be a good trick, considering that Kyoto is on Earth."

"That won't slow him down. After all, I last saw him in Juuban."

"...Right. So how's your squadron coming along?"

Minmei set the egg rolls in front of Ranma, then went to serve another customer.

"Seems you were right about female pilots. My crew is shaping up to be the best on the ship."

Roy snorted. "Not as long as the Skull is still around."

"Okay, the best except for Skull. But considering that they outflew Green on our last exercise, I'd say Kramer's napping."

"You don't wanna say that to his face. But yeah, I've seen your girls fly. They're shit hot."

The bell rang as the door to the restaurant opened, and Kuno, this time in a flight suit, swaggered in and sat down.

Roy glared at him. "This table is property of the Skull Squadron, little man. I suggest you move."

"Not once in my travels to this establishment have I ever noticed the Skull Squadron's name on this table. But never fear, Fokker. I am here for but a moment. Saotome, did you deliver my message?"

"Yeah, Kuno."

"Excellent. I was worried that one of your obvious low intellect might fail in that task."

Ranma ground his teeth.

"Kuno." Fokker motioned with his hand. "Move along. That seat is reserved for one Tendo Akane."

Kuno looked puzzled. "But Tendo Akane is a member of the illustrious Angel Squadron, not of your insignificant group."

Fokker scowled. "Move it or lose it, Kuno. Akane sits there because she's engaged to Ranma-"

"WHAT?!"

Kuno jumped up with an expression of shock on his face.

"The beauteous Tendo Akane, engaged to the likes of...him?! I shall never allow it! Saotome, you cur, you must be punished!"

With one motion, Kuno drew his bokken and swung at Ranma. Ranma leaped straight up, and Kuno's bokken slammed into the table.

"This is no place to fight, Kuno. Follow me."

"That I shall!"

Roy scowled down at wreckage of the table. "Fuck! That's twice in one week!"

Ranma stepped outside the restaurant, followed by Roy and Kuno, and assumed a fighting stance. Kuno stood opposite him, bokken raised. Roy leaned up against the wall.

"Before we begin, Saotome, allow me to state my name and abilities, so that you will fully realize who it is that has defeated you. I am Captain Kuno Tatewaki, newly appointed commander of the Blue Squadron, rising star of the United Nations Space Defense Force. My peers call me the Blue Thunder.

"And who are you?"

Ranma grinned. "I am a Saotome Ryuu of the Mutsabetsu Kakotu, Captain in the Robotech Defense Force. My name is Saotome Ranma."

"Begin!"

Ranma feinted forward in a lunge punch, then swept his hand in a knife edge, snapping Kuno's bokken cleanly. Kuno gaped at his demolished weapon.

"Blew it."

One good quick kick to the head laid the Captain out colder than a mackerel.

"Nice shot, Ranma." Roy was applauding from the sidelines. "The MPs will be here to pick him up any second now."

"Why call the MPs? It was a man to man fight."

"Yeah, but he attacked an officer. Meaning you. Chances are he'll get off light, but it might teach him to keep a handle on his temper."

"Hm." Ranma pulled a piece of paper from a pocket on his flight suit, glanced at it, then crumpled it. "I guess I don't need to worry about this, then."

"What's that?"

"A letter of challenge. Addressed to, 'The Fierce but Lovely Commander of the Angel Squadron', end quote."

Roy grinned. "Yeah, just ignore it. Come on, your egg rolls are getting cold."

"One second more..." Ranma flipped Kuno over, and quickly searched his pockets. He straightened, and tossed Roy a twenty. "This should cover the damage to the table."