You just never asked

[abugslife]

[Hetepheres eventually returns from Macross to her office in Alhambra by TSEN. And it might not be easy to see at a first glance, but she looks tired. Regardless, time for rest will come later, because now she has an announcement to make. One of her scarab-like helpers gives her a cup of something to drink.]

I never expected the giants to reach Earth. But at this point, it is a safe bet that what are they after is your ship, the Macross. The ship that is currently around the orbit of Uranus.

Some of you might have heard about it, and it is true; my people encountered these giants before. As well as Decepticons, and Wulgaru, and Aerogaters. We barely know much more about them than you do; our contact consisted mostly of exchanging projectiles, not words. Regardless, if you have any questions, I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.

[She can be easily reached through the network or in person.]

Comments

[gold_four]

The way you put it...

[Ataru's appeared from behind, a little disconcerted.]

They didn't have a lasting interest after encounters with your people, yet the Wulgaru have been hammering the solar system a while, the Decepticons seem interested to stay, and these... 'giants', probably won't leave due to the Macross.

[abugslife]

I presume Earth looks more attractive to them than Geb, for various reasons. Similarily why the AEP wants to conquer it instead of staying at home.

[gold_four]

Hmm... that Optimus guy did apparently say stuff about valuing the freedom of sentient beings, so I guess that means a bunch of people don't care for that stuff...

It'd be nice if people knew about the better first contacts we've had.

[abugslife]

The Autobots don't conceal their presence anymore. It is only a matter of time before the public learns about them.

I suspect Earthlings will be happy to see them.

[gold_four]

Maybe... but others are gonna be pretty paranoid going forward. Did you know? There's conspiracy theories out there claiming the GDF is actually in league with aliens like the Wulgaru, and we'd been 'letting' ourselves lose up to this point.

[ugyuuya]

[The console beeps indicating a video call. When you answer you see 2nd Lt. Bridges nursing a black eye and other fresh marks from a fight.]

I have one question to lead off with that I'm sure is on a lot of people's minds, why are we only finding out about this new threat now?

I'm sure you have your reasons and I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. From the mission logs I've read and your own reports you've been a great assistance but if we don't have information on what could be out there then we can be destroyed by an unknown threat before your people even arrive.

[abugslife]

That is because I did not expect them to make it to Earth. You were already fighting alien threats on a daily basis, warning you about ones that do not concern you would just put too much on your plate.

It might have been a mistake.

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya nods which evokes a wince from the pilot as he reaches to rub his neck. Whatever happened must have been a hell of a brawl]

Well I was really just asking out of curiosity and not to try to condemn you. As I've said you've already helped more than some of our own people and that counts for a lot from the people who really matter and humanity has made the same mistake themselves with the BETA. Even before they fell we knew they were out there and had lost people to them, didn't make us any more eager to bury the hatchet here and prepare because "they're just on Mars, they're not a real threat" [a hint of scorn becomes evident in his voice during the last quote.]

I just thought I'd ask because it was something that was going to come up anyways that I wanted to know. At least now it's coming from someone appreciative instead of a politician looking to place blame.

[abugslife]

Hmph. Foolish. I see that no matter where you go, you will find politicians ready to put their own interest and agenda above the good of their people.

There is only one other species I know which could ever find out about Earth and invade it. Unfortunately, I am talking about my own.

[genericbiggerbrother]

[One of the Jaeger pilots that showed up at Ataria island rings you up.]

"So...how many other hostile alien empires has your homeworld encountered, ma'am?"

[abugslife]

Just the ones I mentioned. Unless you also count my own.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"Gotcha." Yancy says with a nod. "What about non-sentient alien species? Dimensional invaders like the Noise or the Kaiju?"

[abugslife]

Not a single one of those is present on Geb. We already have enough creatures you would consider monsters among our naturally occuring fauna.

[kill_all_vagans]

... But not the UE?

[abugslife]

No. This is an enemy we have never encountered. They have to be from some other part of the galaxy entirely.

[kill_all_vagans]

... But close enough that the Wulgaru are able to get along with them, judging by what happened at Nora.

[abugslife]

Indeed. This is the first time I saw the Wulgaru cooperate with another species. Perhaps there is some kind of connection between the two...

[gundamx_gonnagiveittoya]

[[And Garrod, having not seen her before...]]

Woah!

[abugslife]

Yes? Can I help you?

[gundamx_gonnagiveittoya]

S-S-Sorry! I wasn't expecting to see someone... not human around here.

[abugslife]

I can only presume you haven't talked to Optimus Prime and his Autobots yet. Or the AI girl. Or the sharp-eared fallen empress of darkness.

[srwjunker]

Russel would come to talk to the alien commander in person on this matter.

"So you had a bit of a history with these giants? Is there anything that you can tell us and Macross? Did it belong to another enemy of theirs? If that's the case the booby trap with it's main gun would make a lot of sense..."

[abugslife]

I do not know anything about the Macross, I'm afraid. I wasn't even aware it is connected to them in some way until they started to pursue it.

If this ship is a gift from another, highly advanced species that is an enemy of the giants, then I wish to meet them soon.

[srwjunker]

"Understandable, it's a big universe out there. You can't have run into everyone before hand. I mean this is so far as I can tell we're the back woods more or less here. As for them I hope so but never assume the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Sometimes they might be fighting worse. Like who sets up a force like the Giants? How do they end up with a culture like that? I mean from what they tell they have no regard for their own's people's lives given the swarm tactics they been using."

[abugslife]

Do not sell Earth short as a planet. If you are the backwoods, why are all the races in the galaxy interested in you? And, in comparison to Gebian technology, your advancements in some fields are rather primitive, but in other disciplines you blow us out of the water. I am sure that this is true when compared to other races' scientific advances, as well.

Everything about the giants is a mystery, but I think they are not too friendly towards the other species that attack us, either. And while their mecha are weak and rely on attacking en masse, their warships are fearsome.