Robotech Freedom Fighters
							by Naia Zifu

		       Chapter Three: Happy Holiday

	Our "few days" in Paranka passed quickly into a month.  I knew we
had to leave soon.  We had a mission to get back to.  But it had been so
long since any of us had had fun that I didn't want to let it end.
	"I could really get used to this life," I heard Henry say.  "All my
life's been just war after war, y'know?  I envy the kids born here, never
having known anything but peace."
	Raymond was quick to agree.  "Yeah, I know.  I like it here, too.
And there are _real_ T'sentrati here!  I always thought there were none of
those left on Earth.  Who'd have guessed they were all down here all that
time?"
	Henry added, "And I always heard about how barbaric they were?
Well, you know, since I've been here I've made more T'sentrati friends than
I ever had human friends."
	"Yeah, concurred Raymond.  "Hey!  I'm going to a concert tonight
with Brin and Torri.  If you want, I'll see if there are tickets left and
you can invite Xan.  I hear she's really interested in you."
	"You think so?  Well, I can ask.  Who's playing?"
	"I don't know if you've heard them...  They're called 'Hot Soy.'
They're T'sentrati.  You heard the song, 'Tan Yar?' "
	"Are you kidding?" Henry cried.  "I love that song!  Gee, I hope you
can get tickets...  You really think Xan likes me?  She's pretty hot
herself, you know..."
	Tracey had been spending a lot of time with a young T'sentrati male
and it was said the relationship had gotten serious.  I'd seen them together
in the park, holding hands and kissing the way young lovers do.
	Two weeks after our arrival in Paranka, Yasuharu and Kimiyo had
their first child, a healthy daughter they named Taka.  What's more, they'd
met a young interracial couple who had also just delivered their first child
and they'd become fast friends.
	Even Larry seemed to be enjoying his stay, which was more than a
little surprising, given his opinions.  I'd even seen him associating with
T'sentrati youth on several occasions.  Had he finally been able to put his
prejudices behind him?
	"I've never seen everyone so happy," I told my wife.
	"Can you blame them?  This is the kind of peace we've been fighting
to bring about up there."  Nyankomago paused, then gave a disconsolate sigh.
She admitted quietly, "I could be very happy here, Agyei."
	"I know.  So could I.  That's the problem."
	"We have to leave," she said firmly.  "Maybe we can come back later,
after the Invid are all gone, but for now..."
	"I'll tell everyone the news," I offered.
	Nyankomago put her arms around me and rested her head on my chest.
	"Tomorrow, Agyei.  I want one last night in this apartment with
you."

	The next morning I found Tracey in an ice cream parlour with her
T'sentrati boyfriend.  She smiled when she saw me and waved me over.
	"This is the man I've been telling you about," she told her
boyfriend.  "He's the one who's going to liberate the surface world and
bring lasting peace everywhere."
	"I'm Agyei Afrifa," I said, offering him my hand.  "Well, I don't
know about bringing lasting peace everywhere, but yes, we _are_ trying to
free the world from Invid control."
	"Kaeisuan Triibola," he replied, shaking my hand vigorously.  "Nice
to meet you, sir.  Please, sit down.  Care for anything?  Ice cream?  Root
beer float?"
	"No thank you," I answered.  "I just came to talk to Tracey."
	Tracey excused herself and I took her to an empty booth in the back
for privacy.
	She gushed, "Well, what do you think of him?  He's very nice, don't
you think?  And _so_ good-looking...  His hair and skin are _naturally_
blue, you know.  And he's got such a sweet voice..."
	"Tracey," I said once, twice, three times before I finally got her
attention.  "Tracey, we're leaving."
	"Today?" she asked urgently.
	I nodded.  "We decided it was best.  We still have a world to
liberate, remember?"
	"I understand.  I'll go tell Kaeisuan, then pack up.  Did you tell
the others yet?"
	"No, not yet.  I was just about to.  Tracey, are you going to be
okay?"
	"I guess so.  I'll miss him, though.  Kaeisuan was the first guy I
ever really cared about... who ever cared about me...  And I told him I'd go
out with him tonight and celebrate."
	"Celebrate?"
	She explained, "Today is an important holiday for the T'sentrati.
It's Khyron's birthday-- I mean, _cloneday._  There's going to be a big
party tonight.  Everybody in town will be there.  Kaeisuan was going to
introduce me to his parents."
	I had never heard of any such holiday.  But I told Tracey we could
stay one more day for the celebration, then we'd have to go first thing next
morning.  She thanked me, but I knew she was still disappointed.  Like most
of us, she had grown to love Paranka and had made friends there.  Tracey
didn't want to leave at all.

	"Yes, it's a real holiday," replied Nyankomago.  "You've never heard
of it?  They started a couple of years after Khyron's death in honour of his
memory.  Every year on November 2nd they have a big party for him.  And let
me tell you, nobody throws a party like Magdomilla Rau.  We've _got_ to
stay for this, Agyei!"
	"How do they know he was cloned on November 2nd?"
	"Well, the calendars don't convert very well, but as near as they
can determine, it's close," she explained.  "They needed a day to celebrate
and this is the day they chose."
	"Why Khyron?" I asked.
	"Khyron may have been a villain to us micronians, but to the
T'sentrati he was a great hero.  This is unquestionably the most important
day of the year for them."

	The party was all Nyankomago had said it would be, and more.  It
was similar in scope to New Orleans' Mardi Gras, but somehow orderly, in
keeping with the T'sentrati way.
	"Mr. Afrifa!" Kaeisuan's voice called from the crowd.  Tracey was
with him, as were two T'sentrati in officers' uniforms.  "I told my parents
how you were going to save the world and they insisted on meeting you.
Agyei Afrifa, I want you to meet my father Quelt'san Triibola and my mother
Naia Zifu.  Dad, Mom, meet Agyei Afrifa, the man Tracey and I told you
about."
	I shook hands with his parents and introduced them to my wife, who
struck up a conversation with them in T'sentrati.  Quelt'san tried to ask me
a question in their language, but I couldn't understand a word he was
saying.
	He frowned and asked in broken English, "You don't talk T'sentrati?"
	"No, but I've been meaning to learn for years..." I lied.
	Nyankomago stifled a laugh but said nothing.
	"I asked if you have been to Kravshera Day parties before."
	"No, this is my first time," I replied, thinking it best not to
mention I'd never even _heard_ of it before.
	Kaeisuan proudly announced, "My parents invented the Kravshera Day
celebration, you know."
	"Really?" asked Nyankomago, sounding more impressed than
incredulous.
	"Yes," answered Quelt'san.  "I had the pleasure to serve under
Khyron for several years.  Like many Botorus, I was angry at his death, and
wanted to avenge him.  But soon I met Naia.  She taught me there were ways
to honour Khyron's memory without becoming one myself."
	Naia teased, "You make it sound like such a grand, selfless act...
Of course you know I only keep you around as my personal _sex slave._"
	Quelt'san replied with a laugh, "Then I would say I'm more than
earning my keep, wouldn't you?"
	"_Too much information!_" cried Kaeisuan, making a face.  His
parents laughed diabolically.
	"I'm really enjoying the party, Kaeisuan.  Thank you for inviting
me," Tracey said, trying to change the subject.
	"Who _else_ would I invite?" he replied, slipping his arm around
her waist.
	Naia frowned at that and seemed about to comment, but Quelt'san
muttered something to her in T'sentrati that seemed to assuage her.
	Kaeisuan went on, "You know, we never had _anything_ like this back
in Monument.  I was probably the only fully-T'sentrati kid in town.  I
couldn't even get the day off from school.  Here they make a big production
out of it.  Even the _humans_ come..."
	"Yes, Magdomilla has really outdone herself this time," my wife
observed.  "This is the best Kravshera Day celebration I've ever attended."
	"Oh?  How do you know Magdomilla?" Naia wondered.
	"I worked with T'sentrati rebels a lot during the Uprisings.  I
helped feed and supply Malcontents and relay messages between the different
factions."
	Naia smiled and embraced a startled Nyankomago.
	"Sister!" she exclaimed, a term of affection used between female
T'sentrati, particularly those of the same clone queue.  "_At last,_ a
micronian I can actually relate to!"



©1996/1998 Naia Zifu, all rights reserved.  Originally published in the
Backstabber Preservation Society publication "Sten Yar" Volume 1, Issue 3,
Oct/Nov 1996.  Slightly altered for electronic use.  Robotech and all the
borrowed elements thereof are trademarks of Harmony Gold, used without
permission.  I'm not trying to infringe on anyone's copyrights or
trademarks, or profit from anyone else's ideas.