Macross Frontier #23 "True Beginning," #24 "Last Frontier" and #25 "Your Sound"

And finally all the pieces come together, in true Macross style.

Okay, so Grace, Ranka and Brera were all from Expedition 117, who first encountered the Vajra. The Vajra are an insect race who share a single hive mind and communicate through Fold Waves. So this has been Grace's plan, to take over the Vajra hive mind and unite the entire galaxy in one mind, with her in control. How very Gendo Ikari of her. I also can't help thinking that the Vajra are very much like the Invid, which amuses me to no end.

So we get a great big final battle! It's like "Force of Arms" and Do You Remember Love? and Shadow Chronicles all rolled into one, with that usual cool Macross Frontier twist where all of the sudden the humans are the ones taking on Dolza's role and attacking the Vajra's homeworld, and we get a giant Rei Ayanami version of Ranka singing "Do You Remember Love" as the human fleet starts getting blown up. Daaaammmnn.

And then Alto, Sheryl and Ranka decide that their three-way love is the most powerful of all and they kick Grace's ass with an old-school Daedalus Attack. Works for me!

That
Was
Freakin'
AWESOME!!!!!

DISCLAIMER: This is of course a gross over-simplification of EVERYTHING, especially considering that Ranka & Sheryl's closing conversation seems like they're entering a friendly rivalry for Alto's love. However the deviant in me also sees that conversation as Sheryl accepting Ranka's challenge of "not losing at love" as Ranka and Sheryl making a dedication to each other and accepting the challenge of a new beginning in a new romantic trio, especially since Sheryl gives Ranka sign language for "I love you"!