- To outmaneuver their enemy, the SDF-1 crew use the ship's untested hyperspace fold system, only for it to go near-disastrously awry.
- While in flight, Roy Fokker radios the SDF-1, telling Lisa Hayes that he has to go back to Macross Island. Lisa asks him why he's returning, and Roy says that he's going back to pick up Rick Hunter in Veritech Fighter VT-102. Lisa says that pilot is an impostor - she can't find his name anywhere in the registry. Roy tells her that Rick is a civilian, so he won't be listed.
On the ground, Rick wakes up in the fighter and looks back to see Minmei sleeping. Looking out the window, he sees the giant alien lying dead next to him and decides to leave, thinking Minmei will panic if she sees it. When he tries to escape, however, he realizes that the alien has grabbed one of the plane's legs, so he is unable to take off. Minmei wakes up and asks Rick what he's looking at that's got him so scared. Rick warns Minmei not to look outside, but before he can explain, he hears footsteps. The footsteps turn out to belong to Roy Fokker's plane, now in battloid form. Roy takes a closer look, then chuckles, saying the alien appears to have formed a permanent attachment to them. Approaching the fighter, Roy detaches the module with Rick and Minmei in it from the fighter and attaches it to his plane. He takes off just as an alien pod attacks, making quick work of several other pods in their way.
On the SDF-1, Lisa reports that all the fighters except for Roy and VT-102 have returned. Claudia says there's no sign of any enemy aircraft, which Lisa finds odd. Gloval agrees, saying the enemy is playing with them since they have the advantage but don't attack. Meanwhile, Rick tells Roy that Minmei doesn't want to go back to the ship -- she wants to return to Macross Island. Minmei says she's worried about her family, but Roy says they'll be fine -- the shelters are impregnable. Minmei says she still wants to return, as it's her home. Roy promises to take her back as soon as the war's over. Rick says *he'll* take her back.
Roy cuts off the conversation to radio the SDF-1. Lisa asks Roy if he found his friend. Roy says he did, adding that Rick was annoying a young lady, so he had to rescue her as well. Seeing Rick and Minmei on the screen, Lisa comments that she wondered why he didn't know how to fly his plane. Rick asks Roy who that "old sourpuss" is, and laughing, Roy tells him it's their control operator, Lisa Hayes. Lisa lectures Roy on how turning a fighter over to an amateur civilian pilot could result in his court-martial. She tells Rick he's in big trouble too. Roy asks Lisa for landing instructions, but when he also calls her an "old sourpuss," the rest of the bridge giggles in amusement.
Out in space, Exedore notices that only about half of the forces they sent out returned. Breetai asks where the fortress is, and his men report that it's heading out into space, apparently to rendezvous with the other ships. Exedore asks Breetai what his plan is. Breetai says they could shoot them down now, but he doesn't want the ship damaged. Exedore notes that once they're far out enough, they could execute a hyperspace fold, which would take them out of reach of their guns. Breetai agrees, saying maybe he should apply a little restraining force to slow them down.
On the SDF-1, Roy takes Rick and Minmei to a location where he stored Rick's flying racer. Rick is overjoyed to see the racer, while Minmei recognizes it from that morning's airshow. They then hear an announcement ordering all hands to their docking stations. Roy says he has to leave, but tells Rick and Minmei to stay put, saying that if they start exploring they'll get lost.
As the other Earth ships prepare to dock with the SDF-1, Breetai orders his forces to fire their lasers between the ships. He doesn't care how many of the smaller ones are destroyed, but doesn't want the large one damaged. Gloval asks where the SDF-1's position is. Vanessa reports that they're closing their initial orbit 100 miles above Macross Island. Gloval tells Claudia to steer for a landing on Macross Island and to activate the hyperspace fold system for a jump at 2,000 feet. Claudia and Lisa both voice their objections, saying the system isn't even tested, but Gloval says they can't surrender without having tried everything first. He tells the crew to prepare for the fold, targeting the area behind the moon.
Meanwhile, Rick finishes repairing his racer, saying he's going to take Minmei back to the island like he promised. They hear an announcement of a fold commencing in three minutes. Minmei asks about the fold. Rick says it has nothing to do with them. He tells Minmei to climb into his plane, gives her his helmet, and opens the airlock. He flies out, but before he can get to the island, Captain Gloval executes the hyperspace fold jump.
On his ship, Breetai says he can't believe they executed a fold. He orders his men to locate the ship immediately. In space, the SDF-1 comes out of its fold, having taken Macross Island and Rick's plane with it. Ice immediately begins to cover the island and plane. On the SDF-1, Gloval has his crew route emergency power to the bridge. Vanessa reports an extremely large object below the ship, but says it's too small to be the moon. When Vanessa punches it up on the screen, the crew realizes that it's Macross Island and they're heading directly for it. Gloval orders Claudia to fire the retro-rockets, but Claudia can't get them to respond. Lisa warns all hands to brace for impact. As the ship crash-lands on the island, the citizens in the shelters find themselves weightless.
Clearing the fog off his canopy, Rick realizes that he and Minmei somehow got transported into space. He becomes alarmed when he realizes the fanjet isn't responding. The plane drifts until it hits a couple pieces of debris. Minmei hears hissing and asks Rick what it is. He downplays it, but knows it's their oxygen leaking out, though he doesn't dare tell her. Using a piece of cloth, he tries to plug up the leak. Much to his relief, Rick is able to fire up the boosters, and maneuvers his plane toward the SDF-1, which is engaged in battle with the enemy.
When Rick gets close to the ship, however, he says he forgot they close the landing bays during combat. As he looks for another way in, an out-of-control alien pod crashes into the space fortress, opening a gaping hole. Rick manages to enter just before the hole gets sealed off. Now inverted, the plane continues until it gets tangled in some cables and chains hanging from the ceiling. Rick and Minmei get out safely and laugh in relief.
Meanwhile, on the bridge, Kim reports that the civilian refugees from Macross Island are being brought into the shelters. She adds that the medics report they're in good shape. Gloval asks Claudia if they've been able to contact headquarters. Claudia says no. Gloval asks Vanessa for a readout on their position. She says they're in the planet Pluto's orbit. The bridge crew begins to panic, but Gloval says all they need to do is re-fold to get back where they started.
Gloval's bridge phone rings. When he answers, he sounds shocked and says he'll be right there. He tells the crew that the Chief Engineer just told him that the fold system vanished into thin air. He exits the bridge, lights up his pipe, and muses to himself that it's going to be a long trip.
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