Edward cursed slightly as he pushes his variable fighter closer to escape velocity, keeping one eye on rear view monitor that's showing a small, cyan blue figure trying keep up with him.
It started out so simple. A recon probe has discovered a viable, habitable planet that was relatively close (using fold drives). Excited over a potential colonization site, the UN-Spacy attached to the Macross Fleet 37 sent a small scouting group to assess the planet.
To the disappointment of those eager to settle the fleet down on the planet, it was already inhabited, with large populations scattered all over the planet. They cannot, in good conscience, make landfall there.
However, the opportunity to learn about the new aliens was too much to resist, and the scientists decided to study them. Orbital observations showed significant agricultural and heavy industrial activities, though it appears that they haven't achieved space-flight yet.
Edward's flight group was tasked with studying the aliens a little closer, with emphasis on not disturbing them. His fighter had especially been outfitted for low visual observability, and the weapons (aside from the head-mounted lasers and the pair of machine guns mounted near the intakes) had been removed. They had covertly entered the atmosphere and separated, though remained in radio contact, to cover more ground. He landed in an untamed forest. From there, he got out and made observations of a nearby village using a set of high-powered binoculars.
The re-entry and flight to the ground was weird enough. Some of the massive clouds formations resembled buildings, he swore he saw something that flew around those clouds. He and his group gave those clouds a wide berth.
Not to mention he had the feeling of being watched, by something big, even before entering the atmosphere.
The observations was quiet enough, though he was surprised to see exactly what the 'aliens' looked like.
Ponies. Four legged, cute-looking, brightly colored ponies.
At first, he thought he was looking at livestock, but seeing them go about their daily routines dispelled that notion. He determined that there are three main 'types'. A normal-looking one, one resembling pegasus from the Greek legends, and one looking like honest-to-God unicorns.
He was perched in a tree at the edge of the forest, making some notations when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A cyan-blue pegasus, with a rainbow-coloured(?) mane and tail was looking straight at him in surprise, despite it being some distance away, and him covered in a camo-net.
He stilled himself, hoping it was a coincidence, when the pegasus snapped out of its' shock and flew towards him. He cursed, abandoned his post and made for his variable fighter parked in GERWALK mode deep in the forest.
Whatever this thing is, it's fast. Despite the trees, the head-start, and that he's using a jet propelled flight-pack attached to his Ex-Gear, the pegasus is actually gaining on him. Upon reaching his fighter, he quickly got in and lifted off. To his surprise, the pegasus followed him up.
Now, he's trying to shake off the pursuing pegasus. It has to break off pursuit at some point. The air is getting too thin up here!
Finally, he looked at the rear view monitor, and saw the cyan-blue form falling back. Despite it being a cause for relief, he narrowed his eyes. Something's wrong.
He quickly shifted to Battroid mode, and used the head sensors to zoomed in on the figure. What he saw made his heart sank.
The pegasus was falling uncontrollably, it's body limp. It may have passed out trying to stubbornly catch up to him despite the thinning air.
Making a split-second decision, he shifted his fighter to GERWALK mode, and dove after the free-falling form.
'Come on. Come on...", he thought as he struggled to match velocities, keep himself steady and use his fighter's right arm to gently grasp the falling, tumbling, unconscious pegasus. 'The ground is coming up pretty fast...'
Finally, the large metal fist closed loosely around the body, and he quickly pulled up and slowed his descent, careful not to jostle his previous cargo too much. The feet of his variable fighter had barely skimmed the top of the forest.
He had landed in an empty field near the forest, and set the limp form down on the ground (its' still alive) when he spotted five 'ponies' running towards him. 'Uh oh...'