2009. Ten years of furious conflict and frenzied construction have turned an alien wreck into a human triumph: the colossal space battleship Macross. On the day of the ship's launch, the world waits with bated breath to witness mankind's next giant leap. Hovering above the planet, though, the Zentradi, a merciless warrior race, seek to advance its agenda of destruction and conquest...

Locked in mortal combat with the attacking Zentradi fleets, the Macross has finally fought its way across the solar system to Mars, where an abandoned base may offer temporary safe haven. But this planet is named after the god of war and the hoped-for sanctuary proves to be a deadly trap. With the lives of 56,000 human survivors hanging in the balance, Misa Hayase must put her own life on the line in a desperate gamble that will most likely cost her everything.

A dangerous escape leads to an unpleasant homecoming as the crew of the Macross find themselves pawns in a much bigger game. Not only are Earth's forces badly divided, but now the Zentradi have defied the rules of science to place spies on board the Macross itself!