A New Start - Printable Version

A New Start

Marshall Station, 21th October 825 AS

Following the recent events, Captain Blackwings made his decision to leave the Battlegroup Harmony to pursue his ideal. However, he can’t leave without his crew. He gathered these 50 companions in a secured Marshall room in order to convince them to follow him. Other personalities like the Professor Rosenberg and his scientists’ team were present too.

Yann: Welcome. I will be short because time is against us. As you know, recent events have taken a rather unexpected turn. Last week we lost the ship on which we served the Navy and Harmony for several years already. It was on this ship that you developed a strong friendship between all of you, an agreement that has proven itself many times in multiple battles. The loss of SNS-Bering shouldn’t taint what you have built, quite the contrary. The death of 17 of our friends during this tragic attack has marked all of you. And because it was done by the Nomads, the feeling of revenge animates you. I know how determined you are. I am too. Nevertheless, the war with the Unioners has all impacted you. You have been forced to kill some of your friends of the Union and against your will. We have lived many things together, and I have seen that more the time passes and more your attention turns to the question of the Nomads.

I also thought about it. I came to the conclusion that we have reached a milestone. Things are changing and yet we are not changing. Adaptation is the key to the survival. But the question of our ideal also arises. Remember what it was like when we decided to leave the Navy. You wanted to see this army rid of the purple parasites that controlled it. And now? What is your ideal? I asked this question many times to many of you. To my great surprise, I had very correlated answers. It was as if you were only one person, with one thought. Obviously that’s wrong.

So you have two separate goals. The first one is to fully fight the Nomads. And on the other hand, freedom. Hm, it looks like these nights spent on the Freeport have influenced you. In the right direction.

Crew: But Captain, none of this ideal can be achieved in Harmony. We are not free, and Harmony's ideal is to fight the Navy and change Liberty.

Yann: Actually, I don’t consider Liberty anymore as my home. It's also one of the reasons why I wanted to leave the Navy. But you are right. To fulfill this dream ... We have to leave Harmony.

The whole room: What?

Yann: It's the only way.

Crew: But what will Admiral Linford say?

Part of the room: But how are we going to do it? Harmony will think we've betrayed them and so we're going to have those terrible mercenaries on our heels.

Yann closed his eyes and meditated a moment.

Yann: Yes, we will be considered as traitors. But whatever. They'll need guts to catch us.

Crew: But we do not have ships anymore!

Yann: Hm. Currently no. But soon yes. We will capture a battleship of the Navy.

He explained to them the meeting he had made at Freeport 14 and how he had obtained this information a few days earlier.

Yann: For that, I have some ideas. We will find allies who will allow us to capture it. But you must be ready to give up Harmony.

Crew: ......

Yann: Those who want to follow me will follow me. The others, if you want to stay, here feel free to do so.

A moment of silence took place in the hall. Then after a few seconds...

Second: I'll always follow you Captain. I am with you.

Gunner: Who am I going to shoot if I stay here? I want to kill tentacles myself!

Deck crew: I'm with you!

All the crew answered present, except the scientist team. Yann went to them.

Yann: Professor...

Rosenberg: We know each other for a while. We worked together during the Nightfall project. I too want to know more. And we do not do much now. So I will try my luck with you.

Yann: Thank you Professor. Everyone! We are leaving in two days! Prepare yourselves. Be as discreet as possible. No one must know our plans. We will take the shuttle in block 17. I will fly in my usual ship. Good luck.

Marshall Station, 23th October 825 AS

The decisive day finally arrived. The crew had fulfilled its role of saying nothing to anyone. Discreetly, they took their few belongings, passions and memories and embarked on a Rhino.

Yann: Finally. It's time to go.

The captain was still in his personal cabin. He purposely took almost nothing to avoid the suspicions of a leak, even though he knew that Harmony would find out quickly. He had also the idea to scramble the tracks by sending once gone, a communication about the destruction of his ship. He hoped to gain some time. He left his cabin and joined block 17. There he found his crew, anxious.

Yann: My friends. I see you are ready. I hope you didn’t take a lot of things. We must avoid suspicion. And then this Rhino is not made for the transport of people. The trip will be quite unpleasant but we go to Curacao. We will be able to find a more adequate shuttle.

Second: I will take control of the freighter during the trip. We will go through the jump holes to be as unobtrusive as possible. Once we get the shuttle, we will hide on the Freeport 14 in the Alberta system. Understood?

Crew: Yes Captain!

Yann: Remember. Do not feel obliged to leave. Always act according to your wishes. It's the condition to come with me. Get in the ship!

The crew returned to the ship and tried to find some places on board.

Second: I'm going there too Captain. Good luck.

Yann: We’ll meet on Curacao. Don’t forget to change clothes. You have to be as discreet as possible.

Blackwings left block 17 to go to block 7 where his fighter was stationed. He climbed into it and undocked from Marshall for the last time. The Rhino was already outside. He had informed the base that he was going on a recon mission in the Hudson system. Of course it was a lie. The two ships left Bering without a hitch, crossed Texas to reach California, and finally arrived in Cortez and docked on Curacao while taking care to avoid the Yukon.

Yann: Well. Everything went as planned.

Second: Yes and no one knows that we are Separatists around here.

Yann: We are no longer Separatists. I think the word "recidivist traitors" fits us perfectly.

Second: Well done! Hahaha! I will rush to find a shuttle.

Yann: Hold on, take that money. With that you can buy a shuttle without issue. For my part I will broadcast a misleading message to Harmony. Then we will go hide ourselves.