I can't really comment on the Robotech bits, but I sure as heck can
comment on the Ranma bits.
The morning of November 12, 2012 started unusually quiet over the
Nerima district in Tokyo, Japan. The birds were even singing this morning.
Shampoo had gotten up and enjoyed a quiet bath this morning before
she started preparing the Nekohanten for the business day. She sent
Mousse to the market after only having to push him away once. Cologne
would be up in a little while to start cooking while Shampoo went on
deliveries.
Ukyo Kounji was preparing for school. She had cleaned the kitchen
in the restaurant downstairs the night before and was looking forward to
seeing Ran-chan at school this morning. She put on her bandoleer and her
combat spatula and headed out the door.
Ukyou: It's a bandolier, sugar.
[spatula, and]
Tatewaki Kuno was already at Furinkan High School for his morning
warm-ups He was preparing to thrash the foul sorcerer Ranma Saotome. He
was beginning to grow weary of his battles with Saotome but in his mind
he was honor bound to try and defeat him.
[warm-ups. He]
[Saotome, but in]
[suggest: 'Saotome, but he was honor bound...' since we're already in his
mind.]
Kodachi Kuno had arrived at St. Hebreke's and promptly drugged the
entire student body to sleep. She really enjoyed her experiments and
looked forward to graduating and going to collage for a degree in
chemistry so she could free the mind of her Ranma-sama from Akane and
that red haired girl.
Kodachi: That harlot does not deserve my Ranma-sama! I shall save you, my
beloved! OOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!(anyone not unconscious cringes in pain
as Kodachi bounces around the chemistry lab, laughing manaiacally.)
Ryoga was just trying to find some hot water so he could change
back to human and get some real breakfast instead of being breakfast.
Kasumi was quietly humming a tune whilst she prepared breakfast.
The miso soup was coming out excellent. The rice was almost done and the
table was set.
Nabiki was doing a check of her books before getting dressed. Ranma
was almost out of debt, she doubted that would last. She would need to
sell some pictures of the betrothed couple today to meet the budget for
the week. She wouldn't have to blackmail anybody today unless the Kunos
didn't want photos.
[debt. She]
[blackmail anybody today, unless]
[I can't recall any time when Kodachi bought pictures from Nabiki. It's
my understanding that Kodachi doesn't like Nabiki.]
Akane was getting dressed after her morning bath. Her jog this
morning had gone uninterrupted by any other fiancees or any kidnappings.
Akane: ...like last week when I was abducted by the prince of
Sweetenoplik to be his honey-bun. That whole country was on one
big sugar high. Ugh.
Ranma hadn't tailed her either as he usually did.
Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo were snoring away in their respective
rooms after getting Happosai drunk the previous night. Happosai was
passed out and tied up in the basement.
Ranma: ...which never works. Do we even HAVE a basement?
Akane: (checks)We do now.
Ranma: When did we get one?
Akane: No idea.
Ranma: Freaky.
Ranma awoke that morning with a feeling of unease. He wasn't sure
but something didn't feel right. He knew that his father wasn't going to
be up this morning and that didn't bother him. The local Amazons had
tried something only yesterday and would wait a few day before trying
another plot. Ryouga wasn't around and he didn't have to worry about
Kuno until he got to school. He was just confused.
Ranma's unease was justified. Death was coming to call on a world
wide scale.
* * * *
Out in Lunar orbit the combined fleet of the SDF-1 and Breetai's
Fleet was waiting. They totaled about two million ships of the line. Two
years had passed since the start of the Robotech War and a truce had been
called between the lone warship and the Zentraedi fleet under Breetai.
The reason was the Grand Fleet of the Zentraedi was approaching.
Numbering over five million warships and under the command of Supreme
Commander Dolza. The Grand Fleet was coming to destroy the SDF-1 and
annihilate Earth.
[orbit, the]
['combined fleet' and 'Breetai's Fleet' is cumbersome when used in the same
sentence.]
[Grand Fleet of the Zentraedi that was approaching, numbering]
Lt. Cmdr. Rick Hunter was in the cockpit of his Valkryie veritech.
Skull One was armed to the teeth and armored as well. Max and Miriya
Sterling were on his right and left. The rest of Skull Squadron was
arrayed around them. As CAG of the SDF-1 (CAG= Commander Air Group) he
was nominally in command of all the Super Dimensional Fortresses fighter
forces. He hoped that they would be successful in defending the ship
today.
Captain Henry Gloval announced over the command channel,
"Good luck and good hunting Mr. Hunter."
"Thank You sir. We all are going to need it." replied Rick with
a salute.
The Grand Fleet came out of spacefold and just kept on coming. They
blotted out the stars and the moon from view. There were enough ships to
blot out the sun from the sky on Earth. After the entire fleet arrived
it opened fire on the planet below, the Zentraedi Rain of Death had come.
* * * *
Ranma for once was scared. The authorities had come to school and
evacuated everybody into an old bomb sheleter. His group of evacuees
included Ukyo, Kuno, Akane, Nabiki, Daisuke, Hiroshi, Sakura and
Yuki. Ranma was surprised to find his mother and the Amazons already
there.
"Mom, Cologne, do you know what's going on?" inquired Ranma.
"No son-in-law I don't," replied Cologne.
["No, son-in-law, I don't,"]
Ranma walked over to the soldier at the door of the shelter and
began to ask him what's going on. The soldier replied, "I don't know. I
was ordered to bring all civilians to the shelter and prepare to be here
for 24 hours."
A few minutes later the door opened and another group of evacuees
entered. Included in this group were Konatsu and Kasumi.
Akane ran over and hugged Kasumi and asked, "Kasumi do you know
["Kasumi, do]
what's happening?"
"No I don't. It got really dark all of a sudden and the soldier
["No, I don't.][sudden, and the]
made us come here," Kasumi relied.
Nodoka asked, "Where are Soun and my husband?"
Konatsu said, "They refused to come. They said they were going to
protect the house and dojo from looters and guard Happosai."
Akane quietly said, "I hope they're okay," and everybody there just
nodded in agreement.
Back at the Tendo house Genma and Soun were keeping guard. This
means they were playing shoji and drinking. They never knew what hit them.
The primarily wood and paper structure of the Tendo house was vaporized
by a stray shot.
Ranma: Of course, Happousai is in our new basement, so he's okay.
Unfortunately.
Ryoga was scared to death. He was alive only because he was buried
in the rubble of Furinkan High. He had wandered into the school and had
just changed back into his human form in the shower room under the
gymnasium when all hell broke loose.
Ryouga: SHI SHI HOKODAN!
The evacuees were frightend. The shelter was bedlam. People were
[shelter was in bedlam.]
screaming and children were wailing. Nodoka, Cologne, and Kasumi were
each helping to try and calm young children. Ranma was holding Akane
and Ukyo tightly. Shampoo, surprisingly, had latched on to Mousse as soon
as the shaking had started. Nabiki was huddled down with a group of
fellow Furinkan students. She was distracting them by taking bets on when
this would be over.
Ranma: Oh REAL good way to distract 'em Nabiki.
Nabiki: Hey, girl's gotta make a buck.
The laser bombardmaent had stopped within a couple of hours. Then
they felt a huge impact occur nearby. They finally exited the shelter
eighteen hours later. What greeted them there shocked even the battle
hardened Amazons.
Tokyo was, for all intents and purposes, gone.
Ranma: Looks like that money won't be good for much for a while.
Nabiki: ...
Thomas Hood
thood@cs.mun.ca