Macross Lost || Book 2/5 of the SDVF Series

Chapter 1: Welcome, Macross Overture!

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It was a beautiful afternoon, no clouds in sight and a bright blue sky dominated the horizons. In the skies, an object pierced the skies smoothly like a dart, unwavering in its path to its destination. A plane was high in the skies, a cloud of vapor trailed behind it. It wasn't any ordinary plane, it was a Vf-31C Siegfried, sporting no major modifications. It had a lion decal on its back, while sporting a silver paint job, with green as a secondary color. The pilot inside was wearing a uniform that was very unique to all. They had the green and white uniform of a Paladin of Voltron, for this plane belonged to the talented genius Katie Holt, Director of the Voltron Coalition's newest Defenders of the Universe. She held the throttle stick gently, but firmly to her side while surveying her surroundings. The lustrous grass fields and forests below seemed to blossom as she flew over them. She smiled to herself, then closed her eyes in relaxation for a moment. 'It really feels amazing to be home after all that fighting, and it's so calm and peaceful up here... I almost forgot what that feels like...', she thought to herself as she reopened her eyes to keep her focus on flying. The interface in front of her suddenly lit up with a transmission from someone from the Galaxy Garrison aviation section.

"Contact to target in 10,000 meters!" the voice shouted. Her mind readied itself as she took in a deep breath. She already forgot about what she really was here for. She gripped her controls, keeping her hands steady as she braced herself.

"5,000 meters!" She quickly looked around her to see if she could spot anything coming, but all she found was either the blue empty skies or the pastures of grass below. A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek. She almost wanted to wipe it off, but then remembered she was in her Paladin's uniform. She scoffed at herself about her idiocy at that moment.

"4,000 meters! Do not engage until you cross!" The voice shouted in her ear. She physically recoiled to her side, cringing at the volume of the voice. It almost sounded like that person was screaming in her ear. She shook her head to remain focused. She decided to turn down the volume of the speakers.

"3,000 meters!" 'That's much better...' Pidge thought to herself as she adjusted herself in her seat.

"2,000 meters!" She could see the target approaching, growing larger in size as it approached her. She looked her eyes on it, getting ready to open fire the first chance she had.

"1,000!" The voice shouted. There was a deafening silence that filled the air before the announcer shouted again, "START!" At which moment, her target flew above her in a similar fighter. She looked up to see a black fighter, and it's pilot staring down at her, though she could only see their lower face. They seemed to smirk at her as they flew past her. She scoffed and looked over her right shoulder to try to track that pilot's movements, but to her surprise, she never saw the fighter making a pass on her right flank. Her eyes widened in fear as she quickly, yet painfully, looked over her left shoulder. To her horror, the enemy fighter had alright turned around in GERWALK mode and aimed it's twin cannons at her.

Seemingly out of reflex, she pulled up on the throttle and pushed hard on the pedals below her. Her fighter barely managed to roll out of the way of an incoming barrage of bullets. Taking this time to recover. She quickly threw her fighter into GERWALK mode and swung around to counter, but the enemy was one step ahead of her as they went back to fighter mode and took off when she fired, missing her barrage entirely.

"Oh NO you don't!" She scowled as she locked the fighter in her sights and pressed a button on the throttle stick. Instantaneously, dozens of missiles launched from her fighter, viciously making their approach to their intended target. However, the pilot managed to either avoid the oncoming onslaught or shot them down, exploding in bright colors. Katie used this window that the missiles had bought her to close the distance, tailing the fighter and getting it in her gun sights. The enemy fighter attempted to shake her off with fancy flying, but she managed to keep herself stable and on target, albeit with some difficulty.

"Almost... gotcha!" She shouted as she got her crosshairs lined up with the enemy fighter's body and tail. "I WIN THIS TI-!" She screamed with joy as she pulled the trigger. Bullets escaped her gun and flew out of the muzzle and into the air. Her face lit up as they approached the fighter in front of her... only for the enemy fighter to transform into GERWALK mode and at the last second pull up and flip over the bullets. Her face dropped to horror and shock as she looked up to see two barrels looking down on her, the pilot's face on the other side radiating with a smirk of victory.

"Checkmate..." she heard the pilot's voice as bullets rain down on her. She closed her eyes, only to be greeted with the sound of something liquid splashing itself above and behind her. She looked up to see blue paint covering the top of the canopy, but her vision in front of her remained clear. She slumped over in defeat as she calmed down.

"Simulation over. Winner: Admiral Maximellion Holt!" Another voice chimed in to the comms. A laugh of excitement soon caught her ears, she looked over her right shoulder to see that the fighter had looped over her and had come up to her side, close enough to see it's full details, while still far away to not cause alarm.