Part 92: Mission 39 - Journey's End - Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLLuthY9RTg19 missions later, I can finally show the DK for this attack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs-PO_0Wixc
Also this one, 27 missions later.
The girls are still singing, with the songs changing every turn.
Oh, you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FS6NiEUFZE
Goh takes a decent-ish hit from this, but everyone else dodges.
But in two turns, the remaining Vajra are all gone and we can finally focus on Grace.
: Power over destiny itself is something no human should have!
: Which is why I’ve abandoned my human form… or, better put, why I had to abandon it.: You mean your conversion to a fully mechanical body? But you’re still human, like any of us!: Not anymore, now that I’ve attained the power of the Vajra!: Wrong! Whether they’ve power or not, humans are always still human! And that applies to you!
: You need only look at it objectively and you’ll see what the love you feel truly is: electrical impulses bouncing about your synapses. It’s as simple as that.: What I’m doing is creating a network around that… so there’s nothing to be afraid of, you see.
: … But there are always some things that humans have to protect.: I’ll set humanity free – they won’t need to concern themselves with such trifles.: You can’t. They’ll always be there – within people – even if we cannot see them. : And those who understand that have a duty to fight for all that is worth fighting for!
: Hey, granny! Don’t you see how much your control is hurting those little bugs?!: Even without my control, they’d still be bound to the Vajra Queen. One way or another they’d fight you, so this makes no difference, don’t you think?
: Wrong! Ranka’s managed to befriend the Vajra!: Purely an illusion born of the Fold Waves in her voice. The Vajra hold no such feelings…!: I’ve seen plenty of animals and you know what I felt in them? A heart filled with kindness!: And I feel the exact same thing coming from the Vajra!--
: I confess I was somewhat worried when I was first informed of the Cthulhu. I thought I’d need to revise my plans…: But, thanks to your group defeating all of their monsters and weapons, things have actually turned out quite simple. Much appreciated.: Now the Cthulhu should only have non-combatants left in their ranks…
: Are you thinking of forcing your cybernetic implants on them too?!: Of course. My plan is to accomplish that which not even the Protoculture could in all of its 500000 years of history: to unify the galaxy. 
: Grace O’Connor… I cannot turn the other cheek to your insanity!
: I hope you didn’t expect me to forget how you were the one forcing Brera to do all that stuff!: But once our minds are part of my network, human bodies will simply be terminals meant for physical actions, concurrently belonging to every person.: And you seriously don’t see how bad that is?! There’d be no individual freedom is this world you’re preaching!
: Were you the one behind the attack at Mihoshi?!: No, that was not part of my plan…: I’d wager some Vajra eggs had been laid and incubated in secret. Once they established a link with Ranka’s psyche, they ran amuck.
: What… are you suggesting Ranka wanted all that destruction to happen…?: Hmm… I wouldn’t go so far as to say she consciously wanted it, but the fact is that the girl’s surging emotions did affect the Vajra. : The Vajra are feared as very unpredictable creatures… and I’ll use their threat to fuel the unification of the galaxy!
: What you were supposed to have done was help protect mankind from that very threat!: But, instead, you were blinded by their massive power and wanted it make it your own! Something like that could never benefit humanity!--
: Even you are completely powerless before the Vajra. Surrender…!
: The paparazzi are gonna go wild over this: manager to the stars signs up as manager to a horde of crazy bugs…
: Not exactly, Juzo. We just gotta take her out, and things with the Vajra might just take a turn for the better.: Here we go, Combattler! We’ll keep galactic peace safe from that lady!
: Mechanical gods, born again from ancient times… and Kouji Kabuto, pilot of the Devil that destroyed them all.: Were you willing, I would’ve easily allowed you to join Brera as my enforcer. Truly a shame. 
: “Were you willing”? Them’s some fine words when you were just yelling about how you were either going to force people to obey and kill those who didn’t!: You’re just another wannabe dictator and Kouji Kabuto’s always ready to run those into the dirt!--
: What a surprise to find that you’re such a rotten person, O’Connor.: Had I known you were like this, I’d never have taken my eyes off you at that Idol Contest – or even back at that movie shoot. : But you couldn’t, which shows how limited humans are while they remain bound to their physical bodies!: And so it falls on me to guide humanity to greater heights! I’ll make this a magnificent world!: Hmph… I don’t think so. It’s your yearnings as a scientist that fuel your plans… and there’s something dark at the core of it all!: I’d never believe anything you say before you find a way to fix that!
: Why do you stand against me…?! With this power at my disposal, all of humanity could come to share and unite their minds! We could be freed from strife, hunger and from our physical limitations!
: Because I couldn’t really play my haggling mind-games if things got like that.
: Because there’s no greater feeling that searching and finding the one you love.
: Because it wouldn’t feel right to have other folks help me set things straight with my old man. I wanna talk to him mano a mano after how long that’s gone on for.
: Because while I don’t like always having to watch my back, I really don’t like the idea of everyone getting courtside seats to all of my private thoughts. 
: … And there you have it. Team D is 100% against your plan – the bad outweighs the good thrice over. : Why… Why can’t you see how magnificent it’d all be!: Listen, if you like the sound of that, more power to you. But where we draw the line is when you decide to start imposing your dream on everyone else!: We’ve all got stuff we want to do and you’re not stopping us. And we’ll start by bringing peace back to this world!
: This world you’re trying to create sounds as boring as watching paint dry. There’d be no thrills and excitement there!: Once you’re connected to my network, you’d be together with your beloved regardless of the distance between you. Surely that world also meets your desired standards.: Sorry, but I like understanding folks with my fists, not with some crazy brain-mixing tech thing. It feels way more satisfying that way, see!
: Vajra Queen, dead ahead…: I can see what a tender-hearted boy you are… but I assure you the world that awaits will not be one that saddens you. : A blade will strike down those who oppose the conversion of mankind, yes, but it will not be wielded by pilots like you. It’ll be the Vajra who do so. : It is not just us, pilots, who bear scars in our hearts. Every human has them, and those can never be erased…: Oh, don’t worry. Whatever pain you might feel can be easily erased once you’re part of my network. Any unpleasant emotions can just be exchanged.: I refuse to accept any world that shows such disregard to human emotions. Grace O’Connor… I’ll kill you…!
“Target IDed: Vajra Queen.”
: How did you feel when you lost your parents? Were you sad? In pain? : But those emotions don’t need to hold any sway over you. Just allow me to free you from your human flesh!
: Hey, keep your nose outta folks’ private life! Mr. Ishigami did that, sure, but he never went too far and it was always to help us! You? You’re just being a creep!
: I’ve often heard that people grow by facing and overcoming their sorrows. Doing away with that and making everyone happy all the time would just be detrimental to humanity!: This impudent puppet…! Your emotions are all fabrications! You’re no different from the bugs!: Alright, listen here, you…! You and your rotten standards got absolutely no right to deny Alice’s life! 
: Why do you insist on doing something like this?!: Scientific curiosity has pushed humanity into making tremendous evolutionary jumps in this word as well…: You were born from that same curiosity, Kira Yamato, the Super Coordinator. Surely you can see that.: “To go the farthest, to climb the highest”… it’s for that reason that you hijacked the Vajra’s network?!: …That’s right. What I want is to realize my theory and to lead humanity to its pinnacle! : Then what do you have to say about the turmoil I feel inside your heart?! 
: So you’ve been tricking us since forever, eh?!: Only because you are so easily tricked. How many times has that happened to you? And I’m sure it’ll happen again and again.: Zip it! I can be tricked a hundred billion times, that’s not making me stop believing in people!: Doubting everyone you meet is no way to live your life!
: You’re still alive, Michel Blanc…
: Lucky me, huh? FYI, I don’t want you calling me “Michel” anymore, thanks.: You said your entire body was cybernetic, right? Did you do some hacking to look into my sister and my friends’ lives?: I did, and it yielded so much useful intel.: You’re sick…!
: Do you honestly think your lone Valkyrie can stand up to the Queen? Imbecile.
: Maybe, maybe not, but when it comes to defending the two most important ladies in my life, I’ll always give 100%!: You sound like a teenager. Someone with your age ought to be smarter than that.: Sorry, but I’m no grown-up. I’m just a brute trying to do what’s right!
: Step forward, worms… The Macross embodies your hope and I’ll tear it to bits with the Queen’s power!
: We’re going in, crew! Our target’s Grace O’Connor!
: Aye, aye!
Jeffrey: “We are here to turn your ambitions to dust, Grace O’Connor!”
: Ranche’s bloodline never stops being a bother, does it?!
: I won’t let you use Ranka for your schemes again! And I’ll never go back to being your puppet!: Sadly, I don’t need you or the girl any more. I’ve the Vajra and their power to serve as my sword and shield!
: This is the end of the road for you, Grace O’Connor!: Foolish boy… how easily you lose control to fleeting emotions. Of course you’d reject what I’m doing. : But your youthful zeal will eventually be sullied by the muck of reality, smothered by the common men!: Even if that happened, we’d never give up hope…! Rather, hope is what we give to ourselves and to others, and you’re not taking it away!
Alto: “I’m not about to be sacrificed for your plans!”
: The Vajra Queen’s stopped moving!: Why don’t you understand…?! I represent the pinnacle of human evolution!: “Evolution”?! All you’re doing is preying on the Vajra!
: Indeed, inching closer and closer to one’s pinnacle is a facet of an ideal evolution.: But you have no right forcing that evolution onto others!
: Plus, while your superdimensional network may sound good on paper, it’s easy to see that it’d result in a world where you stand at the top of said network.: Every system needs an administrator… the Vajra themselves could never be controlled without the Queen’s own network!: Do you understand what I’m saying? If the Queen dies here, the Vajra will be leaderless and will go berserk.: What, so you first jack the Queen and now you’re threatening us to let you stay there?!: … No, it’ll be fine. Grace has fused herself with the Queen’s head!: Aim there, Alto! The Vajra’s heart isn’t in their head, but in their venter!
: That’s where they sing from!: I see…! Then if we just destroy the head, we can finish this without killing the Queen…!
: Now the tides turn in our favor… It all comes down to you, Alto Saotome!: Show us all how well you dance!: I’ll cover you, Alto!: … Alright!: Go, Alto!: Seal the deal and make it a good one!
: The future of the galaxy!
: And our hopes!
: Everything is in your hands!: HERE I GO!!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqEb9VGE72E
Alto: “Brera!”
Brera: “I’m on it. Come on, Alto!”
Alto: “Haaaaah!” > “ATTACK!” > “Now, Brera!”
Brera: “Grace O’Connor… I’ve realized something while I was connected to you.” > “That, wherever they are, humans are always alone!” > “But!”
Alto: “It’s because we are alone!” > “That we can… LOVE ANOTHER!!”
: …
: …
: The Vajra… are pulling back…
: And, now, our long battle with them is finally over…: (Thank you, everyone… It’s only because of you that we can now live like this…)
: (Goodbye… Grace…)
: It’s beautiful…: So this is the Vajra’s homeworld…: That’s a really pretty planet the little bugs call home.: And the Frontier people might have to make this their home as well.: Really, Luca?: Courtesy of Mishima’s crazy plan. The Fleet’s energy reserves are pretty much spent, so it’s too risky to try and go elsewhere. : Of course, that’s assuming the Vajra will let us stay.
: I’m sure it’ll be fine. Ai-kun and me managed to understand how each other felt.
: Pyui!
: How the Vajra feel, huh…: Right. It’s not quite like ours, but the Vajra do have feelings of their own. : But they couldn’t understand why humans live separated from one another, why we’re always acting differently. But I could communicate through Fold Waves, so they tried to “save” me from these unfamiliar humans. 
: That’s the reason why they kept fighting us…? A misunderstanding?: How very ironic. While we were focused on the combat itself, they were just trying to save a perceived friend.
: They say dogs never forget those that are kind to them, and that it shows that they’ve far purer souls than humans. Guess that also applies to the Vajra. : But that changed when they felt Sheryl singing. She wasn’t me, and so they realized that humans are different from each other…: They realized that we’re beings that need to actively convey our feelings in order to understand one another. : In a way, this was a repeat of our encounter with the Zentradi. Two different civilizations finding one another, clashing due to the wide gap between us…: But we can bridge that gap, no? Just like our ancestors did.
: That all depends on what we do.: Brera Stern… so Ranka’s real brother had lost his memories and was enslaved by Grace…: I guess that means I’m being relieved from my post.: How can you say that, brother?!: Ozma Lee, you are Ranka’s real brother.: Brera…: I’ve only known Ranka when she was a small child, and over these past few months. I’ve none of the past you’ve shared with her… and I don’t know how to make pineapple cake. 
: And I’m sure she’d really miss you if you left her life like that…: Right, you can’t go, brother…!: Her brother over the years, her real brother, her soul brother… whichever one of these you are, it doesn’t change the family ties between you.: Unless you’re suddenly bothered by this, I see no reason for you to say “no”. : You’re right… Ranka…: Oh, brother…!*Later on…*
: Hey, Ranka.: Ah, Nagisa… I’m so sorry for worrying you like that.: It wasn’t just her, you know. There were a ton of people who were worried.: Huh? Um… are you Nagisa’s sister?: Ahahah… I knew you’d say that…: I’m also Nagisa – Nagisa Kanou. : Oh, so you were the one who was kidnapped when I was down on Earth!: I’m glad to see you’re okay! But… if I may ask, how are you related to Nagisa?: It’s a bit of a long story, so we’ll have to save that for later. Blah… having that mental network would actually be pretty handy right about now. Then we wouldn’t need to explain anything. 
: Now, now, don’t try to take the easy way out. Besides, it’ll be pretty fun to tell her all your stories, right?: Speaking of, there’s something I don’t get. The Vajra are creatures that don’t need to communicate with words, right? Then just what was that song of yours to them, Ranka?: It was a love song.: A love song?: My mother taught it to me when I was a kid and I never forgot it. : See, every tens of thousands… or every tens of millions of years, even, the Vajra meet with a flock from another galaxy. That song is their mating call to them.: “Aimo, Aimo”… it means “my darling, my darling”.
: A love song played once every tens of millions of years… How romantic.: Sheryl, look!: … Ah, here comes that idiot.*Thruster noise.*
: (The sky… this is what Ranka and Sheryl made possible for us. A real sky, awash with freedom…!)*Below…*
: There he goes… I don’t think I’ve ever seen him fly that way…: Maybe you two should go after him? You are both his wings, after all.: …!!: I-I’m sure that idiot didn’t mean it that way!: Sure, sure, we can go with that. Becaa~aause if that was a real confession… hoo, boy.: Well, keep at it, you two! Patience is a virtue – especially for you girls!: I’m telling you, you got it all wrong!
: Um, Sheryl…: Hm?: I’m not about to lose to you. Not in singing, not in love!: …!! Hahah, I’ll take you up on that challenge!*Up above…*
: … Is that Ranka and Sheryl?: Thanks… both of you!*Jeeeet!*
: Sheryl…: This is where it all begins…!: Aimo… Aimo… ♪
Some time later, back at the Quarter, Kentarou reports that while things are far from perfect with the Fleet, the new provisional government is keeping it all running. Birler confirms that they’ll be immigrating into the Vajra homeworld – their investigation has shown that the place is completely suited to support human life.
Now it’s just a matter of letting things settle down with the Fleet and the immigration can begin in earnest. Of course, they’ll first need to carefully negotiate with the Vajra, but Birler is confident. Things are finally starting to look up.
But never mind that for now: Lam’s receiving an emergency Fold transmission from the Dannar Base.
It’s Kiriko, but her message is coming in too broken up: “……Earth is……They……. All bases……destroyed…….requesting… immediate help……….”
The message cuts out right then, but we got that part about bases being destroyed. How? Central’s gone, all other major enemy factions as also dealt with; we didn’t spend that much time away from Earth, either. Plus, Earth was still being covered by the SDF, the Katou Organization and all the other groups.
Speculation won’t get us anywhere, though, so Murrue asks Misato that we need to get back there immediately. Misato’s loathe to pull Jeffrey away from here after they’ve finally found a new home, but the captain was going to give us a ride back anyway. The Quarter’s already been charging up energy for a Fold back to Earth, and it should be ready soon.
As Jeffrey commands his crew to psyche themselves up and prepare for their return voyage, Yuu sees the writing on the wall: “Bases all across Earth destroyed… can it be…?”