ts she hadwaved into battle； and Dr。 Hassan； chief surgeon aboard the SDF…1；recalled acts of unsurpassed bravery。
And when Lisa Hayes spoke 。 。 。 Well； when Lisa spoke about what itmeant to have served under Henry Glovalthe father she would havepreferredand about Claudia Grant； her closest friend and sister…in…arms； not even the MBS broadcasters could keep their deep voices fromfaltering。
〃Skull；〃 Rick barked into his helmet pickup； as sobs filteredthrough the tactical net。 〃Present arms！〃
The crowds turned to the half…buried ships。 The technoknights ofSkull； Ghost； Vermilion and Indigo raised their autocannons in salute；Veritech teams screamed over the lake； disgorging payloads of hothouseflowers； and the massive guns of a dozen MAC II Destroids offeredthunderous praise to the dead。 A reclamation crew positioned on therail…gunned shoulders of the SDF…1 unfurled a huge banner bearing theRDF insignia： an encircled； curved…sided diamond suggestive of afighting kite。
Sunlight gleamed off the battered alloy surfaces of the SDF…1。
There had been talk of a closing address by Exedore； but thegeneral staff had had a last…minute change of mind and the Zentraediambassador's shuttle flight from the factory satellite had beencanceled。 Khyron's raidthough in no way undertaken in the name of allthe Zentraedihad brought about a resurgence of hatred for the racewith whom humans were now forced to share the Earth。 Bron； Rico； andKondathe first of the aliens to defect during the Warhad beenordered to remain in Monument City and satisfy their grief by watchinglive coverage of the funeral。
Their absence was nearly as conspicuous as that of Lynn Minmei。Following the ceremony； Lisa came directly from Fokker Field； outsideMonument City； to Rick's temporary quarterseven though her quarterswere only a few blocks away in Monument's newest suburb； transported allbut intact from Macross by a fleet of flatbed trucks。
〃I don't want to be alone；〃 she said when she arrived。 〃I can't bealone。 Not tonight。〃
Rick held her and stroked her long hair。 They went over the day'sevents and she cried in his arms； then Rick led her to his bed andtucked her in。 Gradually； her sobbing diminished and she fell asleep；and Rick returned to the living room； planting himself by a fixed…panewindow that overlooked Monument's distant highrise skyline。 He feltstrangely separated from the world； insulated by the window glass as hehad been by the faceplate of the thinking cap and the permaplex of theVT cockpit。
The walls of the small house were hung with photos of Skull One andof assorted mecha； and dangling from the ceiling were plastic models ofvintage prop planes of the sort his father and Leo Epstein had so loved；some of them purchased at Bron； Rico； and Konda's kiosk in the Macrossmall。 In Lisa's quarters were her stuffed toy ostrich and an ovalvanity mirror decaled with stars that had somehow survived Khyron。Mass…produced modular rectangles of plastic and lightweight alloy； thetwo houses were mirrorimages of one another but identical to dozens ofothers in the transplanted neighborhood。
In the kitchenette was the round table at which Lisa had posedthe introductory remarks to Lang's speech。 By the time she hadfinished； the notepaper was so tearstained that Rick had had to have thefew paragraphs transcribed。 He marveled at how fluently she could cry；at how deeply she could grieve； especially when there didn't seem to bea tear left in him。 With all that had happened in the past five years；it had gotten so that death was only unexpected when its cause wasdisease。
Fortunately for the Human race； Earth was proving itself immune topessimism。 In spite of what the War had wrought； the planet was healingitself。 Angry sunsets and blood…red moons were things of the past； andsongbirds had returned to a patch of forest in the hills surroundingMonumentLisa's favorite spot for picnics。 Conditions in the so…calledSouthlands were reported to be even better。
Monument City had been founded by a group of Zentraedi loyal toBreetai； the warrior giant without whose help the War would have beenlostwithout whom； in fact； the Earth itself would have been lost； ridforever of 〃Micronians；〃 as the aliens referred to any race that failedto measure up to their forty…foot stature。 The city lay to thenorthwest of Macross； across a now…tortuous landscape of eroded hillsand precipitous outcroppings； and was in many ways an imitation ofMacross； right down to the milk…carton skyscrapers； Quickform buildings；pedestrian malls； and crater lake。 Save that the rusting ship centeredin Monument's lake was a Zentraedi dreadnought that had driven itself；like a spike； partway into the groundone of tens of thousands ofdisabled and depleted warships that had oriented on Earth in the finalmoments of the War and plunged toward it。 Much of the planet's ravagedsurface was an eerie Robotech boot hill studded with crumpled ships； toonumerous to either bury or dismantle。 Only time and the elements mightremove them； though not in the lifespan of anyone then living。
With the unequivocal destruction of Macrossit would never againrise from its ashesfacsimile Monument had been forced to acceptMacross's 100；000 refugees； much as Earth had been forced to accept thedefeated and marooned Zentraedi。 Thus； in the three months sinceKhyron's assault； Monument had swollen to over ten times its originalsize。 There was no SDF…1 to supply the fabricators that had enabledMacross Three to flower overnight； but Macross's city plannersout offoresight or perhaps paranoiahad seen fit to construct Macross as averitable transportable city。 Indeed； the construction designs andmaterials developed for Macross had already been exported around theworld； to wherever people were struggling to rebuild： to Portland；Denver； Detroit； Albuquerque； and Mexico in North American Sector； tothe Eastern European monwealth； Japan； India； Australia； and centralAfrica； and to relatively robust South Americathe Southlandswhosecities housed the highest concentrations of Micronized Zentraedithoseof human scale； whether by choice or design。
Monument had a mixed population of full…size and Micronized aliens；and despite the sudden growth and ethnic flipflop； it remainedessentially a Zentraedi city； governed by a council made up of aliensand representatives of the small but vocal group of advocates who hadspearheaded the movement for autonomy from Macross。
Watching the lights wink on in Monument's towers； Rick wondered howmuch longer the city's most recent immigrants would be willing to liveunder Zentraedi rule。 The War； after all； had been fueled by fears ofalien domination。
When he went to check on Lisa； he found her sound asleep； coverspulled tight around her head like a hood。 Gazing at her from thebedroom door； she seemed the same； plainly…pretty； twenty…nine…year…oldmilitary brat he'd once called an old sourpuss。 Same heavy locks ofbrown…blond hair； same pale plexion and slender figure。 Not that hewas all that different from the long…haired Veritech jock Lisa wasalways accusing of indulging in amateur heroics。 But Rick knew thatdeep down they both had changed。 Or had been changed by events。 Whoknew anymore？
Mostly； he was still trying to get used to the idea of the two ofthem as partners。 They had only declared their love three months back；amid the searing flames of a city under siegejust when it had lookedas if Rick and Minmei would be setting up house after five years offlirting with the arrangement。 No matter that he had won Minmei bydefault； she had proposed to him； and no one could revoke that moment。
Minmei had moved into his Macross module； following her disastrousbreakup with cousin； manager； and then love interest； Lynn…Kyle。 Shewas going to give up her career as a singeras The Voiceand Rick； inturn； was expected to resign from the RDF。 Minmei's formula for happilyever after： just the two of them； playing house； reminiscing about oldtimes； going gray together。 But all during that week they had spenttogether； in and out of each other's arms； Rick couldn't get Lisa out ofhis mind。 He'd been between the two women for so long that the veryidea of choosing one over the other 。 。 。 Well； maybe he neededconfusion in his life； he'd tol