Chapter By Chapter> Robotech: Before The Invid Storm chapter 15

Chapter By Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

In the last chapter of Robotech, Dana was coerced into getting the access code to the Homeward Bound‘s fold system but Colonel Wolff seemed to be in on the plan. Now she has a chance to get the surviving refugees home. And with only a few chapters left expect that to happen rather soon.

Yep, we’re getting near the end of the book. At this stage my opinion is kind of mixed. While it makes sense that things are happening the way they are it’s not all that exciting for me personally. Add in what they did to Louie by having him manipulate Dana, the odd romantic choices, and characters I just want to shove into foldspace without mecha and it’s one of those stories that is good but not for me. Still, I don’t hate it and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all ends in a few weeks. First, let’s see what happens this week.

The first segment has Dana bringing Nova and Fredrichs to the gravesite of the refugees. Many, many refugees, over a hundred dead. She request that, as part of the arrangement and they owe her, to allow them to bring the remaining refugees to the Zentraedi-manned (or womanned) factory satellite where they can care for the clones’ nutrient needs. Note, I said nutrient, not nutrition. This supposedly involves protoculture-related chemicals vital to the clones’ survival, but given that we know Dana’s goal is to get these remaining Tirolians back to Tirol she clearly has another plan in mind.

Speaking of plans in mind, Vincinz is making his movie to ensure when the Homeward Bound leaves he and the rest of the Leonard supporters remaining are on it. I wouldn’t care but we do learn they’re a bunch of xenophobes so I don’t know what they’re expecting to do when they meet up with the REF on Tirol. There’s also mention of a “lanky, long-haired TASC lieutenant named Lancer”. Presumably this is our own Yellow Dancer, and that will matter in the first of this week’s Robotech-themed Scanning My Collection comic reviews, which I mentioned in a hastily added update to last night’s “programming note” post. Otherwise we just learned that Vincinz is an even bigger jerk than we already knew. I could have done without this only because I frankly could have gone without this subplot to begin with.

Finally, we have Nova going over the recording of Wolff’s meeting with Dana, because trust apparently blew up with the remains of the SDF-1. It’s mostly tying up loose ends, like that Nova learns of the Shimada’s connection to the Starchildren and about it being cut short. Dana gets her wish, with Marie to join in because we need to get as many of the Second war heroes out of here as possible. I guess the thought is that fans love these characters so they must be saved, which is really what Robotech II: The Sentinels was for the heroes who survived the first Robotech war. Nova is sure something is up and seeing the robot sparks a realization in her. With the mentions of Louie I’m going to hazard a guess that the “robot” is really smuggling Louie on board somehow. Meanwhile she tries to alert Aldershot, but he’s busy after learning that Vincinz is headed for the Homeward Bound. I guess the final battle for this ship begins between the cowards, the well-meaning, and the only faction who is actually trying to help someone besides themselves. (That’s Dana’s team on that last one.)

As I mentioned in the intro I’m slowly disconnecting from this. On the critical side it’s still well told, believable for the situation, and achieving the goal of getting your favorites out of the way of the Invid barrage before the next war begins. It’s just lacking in a lot of action, though I suspect the fight over the only foldworthy ship may finally be coming. What form will that take? Join us next time for chapter 16, the next chapter in the adventure-sort of-ish of Robotech.

And join us a few more times this week for the bridge between Robotech comic series set after the third war.