CAT TONGUE

Ranma decided to get something to eat. Not that this was a hard decision for her - Akane had once accused her of eating like a Hoover, whatever that meant. No, the problem now was choice of restaurant. Previously, this would not have been a problem. Ranma's favourite food was Cantonese-style, and there was only the White Dragon. But now some other enterprising people had opened a restaurant.

"Hmmm...Should I just go to the White Dragon? Or try this new place?" Ranma glanced from one restaurant to the other, then made her decision.

"Right! The new place! Just wish they'd change the name..."

With that, she opened the door and walked in. The smell of freshly-cooked Cantonese food swept over her - sweet and sour sauce, pork, chicken, chow mein...She closed her eyes and just savoured the aroma.

"Nihao! Welcome to Cat Cafe!"

That voice...sounded disturbingly familiar. She opened her eyes again and looked at the waitress.

Purple hair.

Pony tails.

Patterned cheongsam.

Shampoo.

"Aw, man..."

"Aiyah! Ranma come to visit Xian Pu!. Xian Pu so happy! Come, Airen, sit here! Xian Pu get you too-too delicious noodle soup!" The purple-haired Amazon bounced off towards the kitchen.

"Great. And with my luck, the old ghoul's here too."

-WHACK-

"Ow!"

"And just who do you think you're calling a ghoul?"

"Aw, man! I just KNEW I shoulda gone to the White Dragon."

Kuh Lon grinned. "I believe that they have a lack of customers at this time. Something to do with the fact that Lin Minmei no longer works there. While I have a Miss Macross finalist as a waitress..."

"So you don't mind that you mostly get customers who want to ogle her?"

"It is only right to acknowledge the beauty of an Amazon warrior. Besides, to stay, they have to buy food. So tell me...why are you here in female guise?"

"Huh?" Ranma glanced up at her, then narrowed her eyes. "You did this to me, didn't you? When you poked me in the chest."

"True enough, son-in-law. When I touched your chest, I struck a shiatsu point. Your whole body is now as sensitive as a cat's tongue, and we all know how sensitive that is. With this affecting you, you cannot tolerate temperatures hot enough to shift back to your male body."

"Why'd you do it, old ghoul?"

"That should be obvious. Marry Xian Pu, and I will undo what I did. Refuse, and you will remain female for the rest of your life."

"I keep telling you, I ain't gonna marry Shampoo!"

"And I keep telling you that you have no choice. You're dealing with three thousand years of Amazon history. You can't win. So be a man, do the sensible thing, and marry the girl."

"No way."

"So be it. I shall be here, in case you change your mind." The old woman hopped back towards the kitchen.

"Man, I wish she'd get the picture." Ranma scowled down at the table.

Xian Pu bounced over and set a bowl of ramen in front of Ranma. "Here is ramen, airen. And Xian Pi give airen tip as well."

"Tip? I thought I was supposed to give the tip."

"That tip later. This tip now. Locket around Hiibachan's neck contain Phoenix Pill."

"Phoenix?" Ranma glanced up from her noodles. "As in the bird that rises from its own ashes?"

"Champion of heat resistance!"

"So if I take that pill, then I can stand the water needed to change back..." Ranma leaped from her chair and dove towards the old woman.

"Gimme that pill, old ghoul!"

-WHACK-

"Ow!"

Ranma hit the floor face first. Scowling, she peeled herself off the linoleum and gazed balefully at the Amazon Elder.

Kuh Lon, for her part, was grinning. "You have to be much faster than that, son-in-law, if you want to get the pill."

* * * * *

Ranma's Valkyrie was not the only one being refit. She stood in a service bay above the hangar floor and watched Angel Nine being torn down.

Due to Angel's new status as the squadron of choice for emergency situations, the brass had decided that they needed top-notch fighters. The J-variant of the Valkyrie had enhanced electronics, including a powerful long range camera with image enhancement and infra-red thermal imaging. It also had a faster battle computer, with more memory, as well as a special series of hard points designed for modular upgrade packages. Rick Hunter had flown the prototype of the Jaybird Valkyrie, on the night of the beauty pageant.

Angel One, on the other hand, was undergoing a far more extensive refit. Besides upgrades to the S-variant standard, which included a top-notch fire direction computer, four head lasers and a new 100mm smoothbore gun pod, his ship had also had its primary powerplants removed. In place of the two FF-2001 fusion turbines and the Reflex energy bank, two large ugly devices had been installed, one to each leg. The empty bay that used to hold the Reflex system was filled with four extra clips for the GU-12. Hard points for modular upgrades were installed on the back, arms and legs. The engineers that had designed the S-variant referred to it as a Super Valkyrie. Ranma decided that she'd form her own opinion once she'd flown it.

What she found most disturbing about the upgrades to her ship was the fact that at no time did she spot anything resembling a thruster port on the new powerplants.

~How the heck is it gonna fly?~

"How are you feeling, Captain?"

Ranma turned, to see Amy Clark's head sticking in through the door to the break room. "Not bad, Sergeant." She waved a hand towards the shop. "Just watchin' them rape my jet."

Amy's face darkened. "I would rather you rephrased that, Captain."

"Sorry." Ranma scratched her head.

Amy stepped up to the rail and looked down into the pit. "Which one is that?"

"Yamagami's. Number nine. They're halfway done."

"We have to fly a patrol in two days. The technicians will not be finished refitting our Valkyries before then."

"We've got seven operational Jaybirds now. Plus, Angel One will be back together by then. Our flight's gonna take the patrol, and we should have enough Jaybirds by then to have the Guardians on the cats."

Amy nodded. "I want to get some simulator time in before then. The new electronics are going to require practise."

"I'll clear you." Ranma paused. Amy was probably the quietest pilot in her squadron. She never raised her voice, never seemed to lose her temper, and her language was usually crisp and polite. But in battle, she was sudden death in all directions.

~Ya gotta watch the quiet ones.~

* * * * *

"So, Son-in-Law, have you yet come to your senses?"

"Yep."

Cologne blinked. "You mean that you intend to wed my great-granddaughter?"

"Not in the least." Ranma snapped to a ready position. "Saotome School of Anything Goes Desperation Strike!"

"Oh, the Phoenix Pill again?" Cologne raised her staff.

"Yep! I'm gonna get that thing if--Hey! You gotta grease fire goin' in there!"

Cologne turned towards the kitchen in alarm...and Ranma snagged the locket.

"Blew it!" She tore open the locket and downed the pill. And frowned.

"Hey! That tasted just like a lemon drop."

"It was a lemon drop."

Ranma scowled at her. "So there's no such thing as a Phoenix Pill?"

"Oh, there is. And all you have to do to get it is--"

"Save it, ghoul. I've heard it."

* * * * *

Carrier ops had not changed too much; certain changes had to be made to catapult procedure due to the zero-gee and airless environment. Technically, fighters in zero-gee didn't need a cat shot at all, but the crews had been trained for catapult, and it didn't make any sense at all to muck with a working system just because whatever replaced it might be better.

"Angel Flight One, Macross. Taxi for cat launch."

"Angel One, aye." Ranma eased forward the throttle on the Super Valkyrie and held her breath. Much to her surprise, the Valkyrie did not instantly fly apart at the seams, but instead began to roll smoothly down the taxiway.

~Well, whaddaya know? I guess thrusters are optional after all.~

She glanced at the rear view mirror, and saw that Angel Two had fallen into place behind him. The Jaybird's advanced sensor systems were currently shut down; the new radar was powerful enough to cook a TV dinner at a range of over a thousand meters. Ranma was quite happy that they were not switched on, forty meters from her back.

A crewman in a purple spacesuit - all crewmembers were colour-coded by job - ran forward and attached the cat chock to the Super Valkyrie's nose gear, then tossed a salute to the Captain. Ranma returned the salute, and lowered her visor.

"Angel Flight One, Macross. Cat in thirty."

"Aye." Ranma ran her eyes over the instrument cluster, noted the Reflex levels in the heat-piles, set her wheel brakes, then checked the rear view mirror again, this time to ensure the jet blast deflectors were in place. She smiled slightly; it was a reflexive check. This bird wouldn't have any jet blast.

The purple-suited cat chief gave a windup signal, and Ranma advanced both throttles. The Reflex levels spiked, and the jet hunched forward. The cat chief dropped to one knee, hand thrust forward. Ranma disengaged the wheel brakes, and was slammed back into her seat as the jet was hurled into the void.

Ranma instantly found herself in an alpha state; totally at one with the Mecha. The speed at which it happened alarmed her; normally, it took a bit of effort to reach alpha. But this new bird seemed to hunger for it; it pulled the pilot into itself. Once she got past the initial shock, she had to admit that she liked it. She "looked" back with the rear sensors, and saw Angel Two dropping into formation, with Angel Three and Four back on the Promotheus being prepped for launch.

"How ya doin', Amy?"

"Not bad. I am not going to be at my best for some time to come. I need more practise."

"Well, we'll get lots of chance for that."

"Angel One, squawk one seven four one."

Ranma tapped the transponder, setting it to return 1741. The rest of the flight would be issued similar numbers. She checked Angel Two's transponder, and confirmed its return number as 1742. Next, she checked her nav points.

"Right. We've got a nice long-range patrol. As soon as Five and Six are up, we'll head out."

* * * * *

"Skull Flight Three, Macross. We are registering a defold operation. Your bearing zero three five mark thirty-five for forty thousand."

Captain Lee Jackson checked his radar. "Macross, Skull Lead. I have nothing on radar, but that would be outside our detection radius." He bit his lip. "We'll check it out. Request you put Skull Flight Two up."

"We'll take that under consideration, Skull Lead."

Jackson pushed the throttle forward. "Skull, we got a recon to do."

* * * * *

"Angel Lead, Macross. Defold in progress; we're launching Angel Flight Three."

"Great." Ranma scowled. "Base, Angel Lead. Affirm that."

Amy Clark's visored face popped up on the left side of Ranma's display. "What--"

"Base thinks we got an incoming strike." Ranma tapped the Tac Net, and scowled. "Skull's doin' recon, an' if they don't like what they find, odds are we're gonna be sent in. I want you to take wing lead."

"Yes, ma'am."

Space ahead of them glimmered with fire. The Tac Net cleared, and Jackson's face appeared. "Base, Skull Lead. We have hostiles of an unidentified type present. Request immediate backup!"

"Skull Lead, hang tight. Reinforcements are en route. Angel Lead, Macross. Skull is engaged by Zentraedi forces. Your vector for intercept three three seven mark minus niner for sixty five. Buster."

"Base, affirm. Skull, Angel, we are inbound." Ranma slammed the throttle all the way forward, and the fighter started gaining speed. She cursed; as per Lang's predictions, the bird was handling sluggish under the throttle. "Three through Six, buster."

"Three."

"Four."

"Five."

"Six."

The four Jaybirds leaped forward, passing Ranma and Amy like they were standing still. Ranma cursed again.

"Contact!"

"Multiple warhead detonation!"

"Jesus, it just flew through the--"

"Fifteen, break off. You can't--"

Explosions. Three Skulls dropped right off the scope.

"Breakaway. Skull, incoming friendly missiles."

"Can't hold him--"

"Angel One, Guardian Lead. We are inbound, ETA five point one."

"Impact in ten, nine, eight..."

"Microwave jamming, Kilo band."

"Switch to FLIR."

Ranma cursed, swore, kicked the console, cursed some more, and finally settled down to merely fuming. Nothing she could do could squeeze any more speed out of the Valkyrie. She checked the Nav Comp; twelve minutes to contact at this speed...

"I'm hit!"

"Got one. Angel, use lasers. These things are too fast for missiles."

"Eject, eject--"

Ranma squeezed her eyes shut. The Valkyries were being massacred, and there was nothing she could do.

~Be there.~

Of course, that's what she needed. To get there *now*, before anyone else died--

~Death is an ending. It is a sadness.~

She opened her eyes.

The Valkyrie was gone. She was standing in a field of flowers.

~When your kind came, there was much death. And to think that the one I trusted, that I loved, would be the one to betray me.~

Ranma turned, to see a woman standing next to her. The woman was very tall, and rather beautiful, though in an artificial way.

~But you are not like him. And more; you are two in one, and mutable.~

"Who are you?"

~One who leads.~ The woman looked down at her. ~Much like you, though you were chosen to lead by others, and I exist only to lead.~

Ranma looked around. "Where am I? What is this place?"

~This place no longer exists, save in my memories. And now yours as well. Though these memories would be but a burden to you, and I will remove them from you before you leave.~

Ranma looked back to the women. "I was in a battle--"

~You struggle to preserve life. Perhaps I can help you in this. And though you are mutable, you choose not to be.~

Ranma shrugged. "Not my choice."

~Though it is. You allow it to be.~ The woman turned, and placed a hand on Ranma's head. ~Go now. Be there. Quickly--behind you!~

She whirled about, bringing up the massive gun pod, and haloed the Zentraedi mecha. Rather than a stream of shells, the GU-12 coughed up a single massive tungsten-core penetrator, that smashed through the target. Ranma blinked; the enemy Mecha were more humanoid in form, resembling a giant Powered Armour suit with a jet pack. She whirled on her heel, firing off three more rounds, blowing three more enemy Mecha to scrap.

Ranma shook her head. "What the--"

"Angel One, glad to see you."

"Skull, Macross. We are picking up a second Reflex wave--"

Ranma turned the jet end for end, dropping true and launching a spread of missiles towards a cloud of battle pods. She whirled and snap-kicked another suit of Powered Armour, then turned and drilled another battle pod.

"Jesus, lookit her go!"

On the outskirts of the battle, Assault Leader Miriya Parino watched, stupefied, as the Super Valkyrie made hash of the elite of the Quadrano Battalion.

*This Micronian is a devil!* She scowled. *Leave his termination to me.*

She cut in the suit's thrusters, and dived into the battle.

Ranma saw her coming, and realized with a start that the pilot was female. ~Makes sense, I guess...where else are little Giants supposed to come from?~ She brought the rifle up, and pulled the trigger.

Much to her surprise, the rifle exploded.

"What the hell?"

No time to shift; the enemy was already on top of her, firing streams of energy from cannons mounted in the Armour's wrist. Ranma dodged the incoming fire, and salvoed all four Scorpion missiles, only to see them shot down before impact.

~That thing can really move!~

She faked left, then threw the Soldier into a spin kick that connected with the enemy Mecha, knocking it flying. She righted the Valkyrie, and armed her head laser, only to realize that the enemy had launched a swarm of missiles, and there was no way she could shoot them all down in time--

* * * * *

"Breakaway, breakaway! Skull, Angel Flight Three. Incoming friendly missiles. Impact in three, two--"

"Detonation!"

"That definitely hurt them. The enemy is falling back."

Lieutenant Tendo scanned the wreckage of the battlefield. Skull Flight One had managed to make it into the fight, and had gotten mauled for their troubles, and Angel had lost two pilots. Disabled mecha floated in place, most of them spinning in place. Akane noted one battle pod that was still operational, its legs kicking helplessly. She grinned; Intelligence had wanted a live captive for some time now.

Then she spotted Angel One.

Ranma's fighter was mostly intact, though thoroughly disabled, and its cockpit was still sealed. Akane nosed her fighter up, and peered through Angel One's canopy. The form inside was still, but Akane could see her still breathing. She reconfigured to Gerwalk, and gently caught the other fighter, stopping its spin.

"Guardian Lead to Base. I've found Captain Saotome; her fighter's out of it."

"Base. You are required to recover the whole fighter."

Akane blinked. Standard operating procedure was to detach the nose section. Moving the entire ship would take up almost all of her reaction mass. "Angel Two, Angel Six. Gimme a hand."

The other two fighters slipped up, each one taking hold of the disabled ship, and they gently bore it home.