Macross Frontier Ep. 20: Diamond Crevasse

On the roof, Sheryl comments that Ranka was on a beautiful stage. Alto asks her if she’s reconsidered her choice to stop singing, and she begins to fall. He catches her in his arms and tells her that if she doesn’t sing, her songs can’t reach people. As a former actor, Alto says he can tell the difference between a real and a fake. Just then, Ranka runs out of the stairwell and sees them. Nearby, Klan asks Michael where his heart is. Ranka’s eyes begin to tear up, and she trips as she runs away. At the same time, the sniper takes aim at Howard’s head, but a Vajra appears and kills him. A moment later, a girl screams when the Vajra tosses the sniper’s bloody torso off the roof. Swarms of second stage Vajra begin attacking the school, and Howard’s limo speeds away. At the government building, armed soldiers run into Leon’s office and point their guns at Cathy and Ozma. Leon tells Cathy that they’ll have to cancel their wedding now. He gets a phone call which he assumes is a completion report, but he’s shocked to hear Howard’s voice instead. Ozma and Cathy then attack the soldiers and escape from the office. On the rooftop, Alto uses his pistol to hold back the Vajra. He asks Ranka to sing and protect the city, but she cries and says can’t sing. She yells that she’s not an instrument to fight the Vajra, and Sheryl slaps her and hugs her. She reminds Ranka that she’s a professional and has to do what she can since her voice has power. Alto asks again, and Ranka finally agrees. Ranka returns to the rooftop and starts singing “Aimo,” thinking to herself that her heart hurts. However, her singing has the opposite effect and makes the Vajra more violent. Another swarm of Vajra flies into Island 1 and begins circling around the school. Ranka stops singing and wonders what’s going on. Ozma and Cathy hide behind an overturned car as a Cheyenne II is destroyed by the Vajra. Ozma comments that it’s just like the attack 11 years ago on the 117th Research Fleet. Leon asks Grace over the phone if she’s responsible for what’s going on, but she says she isn’t. She then asks if he wants help in eliminating Howard, but he tells her he’ll do it on his own. On the Macross Quarter 25, Lam informs Jeffrey that the Vajra are inside Island 1. Just then, a Vajra fleet de-folds near them in space. Alto and the others join up with Michael, Klan and Luca. Alto wonders why there’s so many Vajra, and Luca suggests that they probably have a nest inside the Island. As they shoot at the Vajra, Alto says they have to get to the SMS base and resupply. Nanase tries to cheer Ranka up by telling her that her songs give people hope, and Luca suggests they use the fold wave amp to increase her output. Weapons fire from an out of control Cheyenne II hits the ground near them, separating Sheryl and Nanase from the others. Sheryl tells him to hurry on, and he promises to come back for her. In space, the Macross Quarter 25 opens fire as the Vajra destroy two NUNS warships.

Brera looks for Ranka, but Grace tells him to fight the Vajra outside instead. She says the Vajra won’t harm the little queen, and when he objects she threatens to use force mode on him. Brera mentally connects to his Lucifer‘s systems and has it remotely launch. Elsewhere, Howard and his bodyguards travel through an emergency tunnel connecting Island 1 to Battle Frontier. Leon and his men are waiting at the end, and Howard tells him he’s transferred all governmental authority to Battle Frontier. Leon asks Howard to leave everything to him, and suddenly his men open fire, gunning down Howard and his bodyguards. Alto and the others reach the damaged SMS base, and Michael momentarily freaks out when he finds a dead female employee. Luca opens the gate and discovers that the base has a few EX-Gears and Valkyrie weapons. Ozma and Cathy run through the secret tunnel, which she explains is for the president and VIPs. At the end of the tunnel, Cathy collapses when she sees Howard’s bullet-riddled body. Michael and Alto use EX-Gears to hold back the attacking Vajra while Klan takes off her clothes. She asks Michael again where his heart is, and he says it’s missing in action. Klan calls him a coward and punches him in the stomach. She then kisses him and tells him she loves him before running to the miclone chamber. Alto and Michael fall back so they can protect Klan while she’s in the miclone chamber. In a shelter, Sheryl tends to Nanase’s wounds and overhears the despair people are feeling over Ranka’s singing not stopping the Vajra. Canaria’s son Eddie wonders if they’re going to be ok, but his father tells him that Canaria is fighting to protect them. He tells Eddie he’d give his own life to protect him, and Sheryl is reminded of what Alto said on the roof earlier. She then puts on her earring and decides that if Ranka is the singer of hope, she’ll sing during the despair. More people begin to panic, but Sheryl starts singing “Diamond Crevasse” and immediately captures their attention, including Elmo. In space, Canaria fights the Vajra and thinks about Eddie. In the tunnel, Ozma holds Cathy as she cries next to Howard’s body. At the SMS base, Klan begins to return to Zentradi size in the miclone chamber. Michael asks Alto if he’d give his life for someone he really cares about. Just then, several Vajra break into the room and begin attacking Klan’s miclone chamber. Michael takes off in his EX-Gear and attacks them with his machine gun. Klan wakes up and is happy to see Michael protecting her. Another Vajra breaks into the room impales Michael through the chest with its tail. It then tries to attack Klan, but Michael slams into it and fires multiple rounds into its body. The dead Vajra then explodes and creates a hull breach. Mortally wounded, Michael drifts in front of Klan and apologizes for not being able to tell her that he loved her. Michael is then sucked into space, and Alto tries to rescue him, but protective gel closes the hull breach.