Death of a Star

In the dressing room of the Monument City Amphitheatre, Lynn Minmei was finishing putting on her makeup and lipstick. Lynn Kyle opened the door angrily and stormed into the dressing room.

"You're late! Where the Hell have you been?"

"Sorry." Minmei said absentmindedly, not telling Kyle that she stopped at a bar just inside Monument City. She drank so much, that Minmei's chauffeur, Jimmy was afraid that she would be too drunk to sing. He made the bartender give Minmei black coffee to try to sober her up. It had taken over 5 cups of coffee to at least sober her up a bit. Along the way to the amphitheatre, he had to stop the limo several times so Minmei can throw up along the side of the road. She's going to have one terrible hangover in the morning.

"Just finish getting dressed and get out on stage!" Kyle growled.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of Monument City. Congratulations on your autonomy from the central government. Tonight, in celebration of that event, we have a special treat in store. Minmei has graciously agreed to come and sing for you. Let's all hang our hopes for a bright future on her songs. And so, let's have a warm welcome for a great talent…Lynn Minmei!

The small audience filled with humans, micronized Zentraedi and Zentraedi giants, began clapping as the orchestra struck up the opening chords of "Stage Fright". The curtain opened and Minmei was standing in the center of stage with her head bowed and the microphone dangling down loosely in her hand. The orchestra kept on playing waiting for Minmei to start singing. Kyle, standing off stage to the side was getting concerned. "That was your cue Minmei." When she didn't started singing, he was getting mad. "Quit fooling around! Are you all right?"

She meekly looked over to Kyle, nodded her head and said weakly said "Yes." The orchestra stopped playing and the audience began mumbling among themselves, thinking that maybe this was part of a new act from Minmei. Then they started clapping and chanting "Minmei! Minmei! Minmei!"

"What's the problem? The audience loves you Minmei! Show them that you love them! Sing!" Kyle hissed.

Then Minmei sighed, looked out at the audience and with tears in her eyes yelled, "I'm sorry! I can't perform!"

The cheering from the crowd stopped as they sat in shock at what Minmei had just said..

"I won't sing! I can't perform when my heart is breaking!" Minmei then dropped the microphone and ran off stage.

The curtain suddenly dropped and the crowd who came to see Minmei sing, sat in stunned silence.

Four years later

Admirals Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes-Hunter were at home enjoying the end of the duty day. The building of the SDF-3 was on schedule, but it will still take several more years more for the construction to be completed. On top of that, the ship has to go through tests and trials. The puppy they found at the park, they decided to adopt and is now a full grown dog. They named the dog Chance because it was by chance that Rick, Lisa and the dog met. It's very protective of Rick and Lisa and wouldn't let anyone get near them. Although Chance let little Dana Sterling play with him and chase him around the yard of the Hunter's home whenever Max and Miriya come to visit and they bring little Dana along. As they were on the couch watching television, Rick laid his hand on Lisa's swollen pregnant belly.

"How are the twins doing today, sweetie?"

"They're doing well. Claudia and Roy have been kicking up quite a storm lately but they quieted down some today."

Rick laid his head on Lisa's pregnant stomach, putting his ear to her stomach as if wanting to hear what the babies are doing and gently rubbing Lisa's stomach and kissing it.

"Oh honey. I can't wait for the babies to be born. I just wish Claudia and Roy are alive to see this."

"I know Rick. I miss them everyday. But I know that a part of them will live on in our children."

On the television, the news program went off and was replaced by an entertainment news program.

"This is 'Inside Entertainment', your daily 30 minute news program. We take you on the inside covering New Hollywood and the entertainment world. Here are your hosts, Nancy Hart and Pat Bush."

"Hello and welcome to 'Inside Entertainment". I'm Nancy Hart."

"I'm Pat Bush, thanks for watching."

"This late breaking entertainment news story has just come across the wire and into I.E's newsroom. Lynn Minmei, the young singing and movie star, originally from Macross City has passed away earlier today. The voice that helped win a war and brought down an alien race with her singing was found dead today in a luxury hotel suite in New Atlanta. She was recently released from rehab for alcohol addiction and prescription drug abuse. While New Atlanta Police and the New Fulton County Coroner's Office refused to release details of Miss Minmei's death, rumors have surfaced that the cause of death is suicide from an overdose of prescription drugs for insomnia, depression and anxiety.

It was reported that while police did not find a suicide note, they did find open bottles of prescription drugs and empty bottles of various alcoholic beverages when they entered Miss Minmei's hotel suite when she didn't answer her phone for a wake up call. She was in New Atlanta for a concert. Although no details of a funeral or memorial service has been released, it has been reported that Lynn Kyle, Lynn Minmei's cousin and former manager had said that the funeral service and burial will be private and will be attended only by family members. The media and fans will be barred from the funeral service and burial. It's not known whether or not Miss Lynn Minmei has left a will.

We'll give you more details about this late breaking entertainment news story as we get it. Also, we'll tell you more about the life of Miss Lynn Minmei later in the show. But for now, here's Nancy with more details about Jan Morris' upcoming marriage to husband number six, English football star David Beck."

Stunned upon hearing the news about Minmei's death, Rick got up from the couch and walked out onto the deck of their home overlooking a lake in a rural area outside of Monument City, the new headquarters for the RDF. He went over to the railing, put both his hands on the railing and bowed his head. Not wanting to believe what he had just heard. Lisa because of her pregnant stomach, had difficulty getting up from the couch to follow Rick. She walked over to where Rick was standing, wrapped her arm around Rick's shoulder and comforted him. Chance concerned about his master, walked up and stood next to Rick's leg.

"Rick honey. It's not your fault. Something must have happened a long time ago to cause Minmei to lose control of her life this way."

"I know sweetheart. It's just that…I wonder what happened in Minmei's past to cause this to happen. I never told you this, but I might as well tell you, since it's a moot point now. Remember that autumn day of our picnic when we found Chance wandering around in the park?"

Lisa nodded her head.

"Minmei called me just before I was to meet you. She called saying that she wanted to meet me, although she didn't told me why. I had an idea of why she called and why she wanted to see me, but I didn't ask her. Anyway, I said no but I didn't tell her I was spending the day and the weekend with you. Instead, I told her to call the squadron's orderly room the next week so I can meet up with her then. She never called back. I wonder why?"