Lieutenant Commander Fokker returns to bring Hunter and Minmei to the safety of the SDF-1. Captain Gloval tries to determine the Zentraedi strategy while Breetai puzzles over how to capture the SDF-1 with the least amount of damage. Exedore warns his commander that, once free of the planet’s gravity, the ship can execute a hyperspace fold that will carry them beyond the reach of Zentraedi weapons. Breetai reluctantly increases the laser bombardment.

On board the SDF-1, Fokker shows Rick that they have managed to salvage the young man’s flying circus aircraft. Rick is happy to give up the Veritech in exchange for his old familiar racer – a vehicle that doesn’t change shape or fire laser. His first taste of battle was more that enough; Rick has no desire to become a fighter pilot. Fokker returns to duty, leaving Rick and Minmei with the little plane. Minmei wants to return to her aunt and uncle in the evacuation shelter on Macross Island. Rick still wants to impress the girl and, although he has promised Fokker he won’t wander off, he decides to fly back to the island so that girl can rejoin her family.

In the interim, Captain Gloval has decided to make an emergency jump into hyperspace at an altitude of 2,000 feet above Macross Island. To the Zentraedi’s amazement, the SDF-1 executes a space fold maneuver that places them beyond reach of battle. In minutes, the besieged SDF-1 and her crew find themselves in the icy expanse of deep space, but they also discover that their proximity to Earth during the fold has caused Macross Island to be transported with them. Disaster piles on disaster as they find themselves orbiting the planet Pluto instead of the moon. Then, when they prepare to re-fold to get back to earth, they discover that the fold system has vanished into thin air.

Gloval observes that it’s going to be a long trip back home.