Dana Sterling

Dana Sterling is a female character that features in Robotech.

Biography

In the first Robotech Saga, Dana appears as a baby with seagreen coloured hair similar to that of her parents, Max Sterling and Miriya Parina Sterling. Miriya, a former Zentraedi warrior who had known nothing but war for almost her entire life, never believed that she could feel such love towards anyone or anything before she met Max and gave birth to Dana. Miriya views it as a miracle that she and Max could create "such innocent loveliness" or that she could ever create a life inside her own body. Miriya feels as much love for Dana as any human mother could and views her daughter as "a treasure more precious than any the universe could offer". Max, now age 22, becomes a proud and happy father, despite Dana's playfulness with his hair and her midnight feedings. The Sterlings look forward to raising Dana in a peaceful world, although events would soon transpire that would force the Sterlings into battle again to protect their planet and Dana.

Dana is first seen in episode 28, "Reconstruction Blues", just a few months after she is born. Lisa Hayes, while contemplating the love triangle between Lynn Minmay, Rick Hunter and herself, looks across the street and takes a sharp breath as she spots Max and Miriya walking together, pushing a baby carriage. The Sterlings stop for a moment and Max proudly smiles as he reaches into the carriage and lifts little Dana into his arms while Miriya watches with joy. Max then makes a funny face and Dana smilies in response. Lisa thinks to herself "they look so happy, I can just imagine how it must be" and momentarily, in Lisa's mind, Max wears Rick's face and Miriya wears Lisa's. Lisa envies Max and Miriya for their happy marriage and for having such a beautiful daughter. Claudia Grant, whose lover Roy Fokker was killed in the war, also envies them, as she never got the chance to have a child of her own with Roy. Dana is considered a symbol of new life on Earth that slowly emerges following the massive devastation of the First Robotech War.[3]

Dana plays an important role in episode 30, Viva Miriya, when Max and Miriya are asked by Admiral Gloval to bring Dana along on a mission into deep space to capture the last remaining Zentraedi Satellite factory in June 2013. As Dana is only eight months old, a specially designed "cradle pod", with a heavily-padded interior, is installed on the bottom of Miriya's veritech fighter in order to safely transport Dana into space. For the mission, Dana is also given her own tiny white and pink Dr. Denton's spacesuit with a white helmet and tinted face shield. Although Dana travels the long distance from Earth to Breetai's ship alone in the cradle pod, she proves that she has already inherited her parents' strength and resilience. As Max lifts her out of the pod following their arrival on Breetai's ship, Dana, looking like "a tiny wiggling astronaut" in her spacesuit, smiles and coos as she playfully wiggles in his arms. Max smiles and hugs her to himself before saying to Miriya "Safe and sound!" while assisting Dana with a wave. Later, as Dana calmly sleeps in Miriya's arms, Miriya smiles and says to her husband: "Oh Max, look. She's so peaceful."[4]

Initially, the Sterlings are unclear as to why Admiral Gloval wanted them to bring Dana along on such a dangerous mission. However, the strategy soon becomes clear and, despite the danger to themselves and their child, Max and Miriya agree to go ahead with the plan. After arriving in space near the factory, Max and Miriya take off in their veritech fighters and blast their way into the enemy command ship. Zentraedi soldiers surround the fighter and Commander Reno, the leader of the remaining hostile Zentraedi forces, orders them to surrender. However, Miriya, after identifying herself as a former Zentraedi warrior, calmly reaches down into her cockpit and proudly lifts little Dana, cradled in her arms and wearing the same Dr. Dentons spacesuit, into view. The enemy Zentraedi, who have had no exposure to human culture and have never seen a baby before, recoil in shock and fear. One of the Zentraedi soldiers, with a look of terror on his face, shouts "By the foul moons, that thing is deformed!" Dana coos as she brings her tiny gloved hands to her helmet's face shield in an effort to rub her eyes, promoting another Zentraedi to shout "It moves!" Miriya, smiling, explains that "In the micronian [human] language, this is what is called an infant; actually created inside my own body. But by both of us", indicating towards Max. Mirya declares that Dana is a symbol of protoculture and love and lifts Dana above her head in full view of all the Zentraedi in the area. The Zentraedi, especially Commander Reno, become terrified of Dana as they conclude that she is a mutation who is contagious. Filled with fear, the Zentraedi soldiers drop their weapons and abandon their posts, throwing the command ship into chaos and causing disorder throughout the enemy fleet. The Sterlings' diversion gives the United Earth Forces (UEF) and the Zentraedi that have allied with them under Breetai time to cripple the enemy fleet and seize the factory. In the subsequent battle, Miriya pilots her veritech while holding Dana in her lap. Dana, unaware of any of the danger, waves her arms joyously at the fiery explosions going off around her, while Miriya clutches her tightly to herself.

Dana is seen briefly again towards the end of episode 35 when she is approximately 14 months old. As Max and Miriya stand on their balcony watching the SDF-1 lit up with Christmas lights, Max lifts Dana, who is initially startled, onto his shoulder. Max subsequently grumbles after Dana starts pulling on his hair while giggling.

Notes

• Dana Sterling is adapted from the character Jeanne Fránçaix, of the anime Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross. She is voiced by Michie Tomizawa.

Appearances

• Robotech: The Masters Saga:

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