As I sat there waiting for another order from the battleship hanging in space above my head, I thought about my homeland, thought about the various factions that wrestled for it's control. The various underworld elements, the politics, the distinction between the various enforcement agencies. I was glad all I had to do was fly my Guardian when told, that none of these things affected me, it was patrol, engage, patrol, engage. My life was simple. Fun, but simple. Until I got a promotion.
Possibly the most devastating thing to happen to me, that promotion. It would eventually open my eyes to a truth so horrible, for me, that I could no longer ignore what was becoming of beloved Liberty. It would be the final thing that forced me to go rogue. And betray my nation.
I am , I was and I ever shall be Nathan Williamson. Born to career navy parents, lived in a navy house, on a navy base. I was never going to be anything else but a navy pilot, my dad saw to that. I was exposed to the militray machine from such an early age, that upon my 16th birthday there was nothing else I wanted to do but sign up for the navy's pilot training scheme. I graduated, not with distinction, but I made it. I was a pilot.
Seven years have passed since graduation. The things I have seen in those times. I have evicted protestors, who just wanted their jobs back, I have fired upon people just trying to make a goddamn living, and worst of all I have visited Alaska and seen the horrific truth concealed within.
I was promoted to Flight Lieutenant of a Guardian wing. Given new patrol orders. My brief would be to patrol the Alaska system, and watch out for hostile patrols. I did my duty as I was told. I had never thought to question orders, it was not in my mindset to do so. A superior tells you to do something, you do it. No questions, no need to think, just do.
The hostiles were a threat to be certain. It's not these I am concerned about. It was what happened after. We destroyed a hosile patrol, there was some wreckage, if it could be called wreckage. I orderd my wing to destroy it, I was countermanded. "Tractor it in and report to base" So I did, we handed over the wreckage to a naval scientist who scurried off. I began to have my doubts. Why did we need Nomad matter, what were we trying to do with it?
A few months later I was talking to one of my wingmen in the mess hall, and I was approached by the same scientist who had departed so swiftly with what was left of the Nomads. He wished to talk to me about a matter of some urgency he said. Then he mentioned the word Nomads, and I was all ears. I wanted to know more.
"We've been developing some new technologies based on the various debris, you and other pilots have bought back, and we have made some startling discoveries."
I bade him to continue, so he did.
"But there is something I must tell you, for it concerns you and your wingmen. The latest batch you bought back had some kind of control device within it. A link to the Hivemind."
I had no idea what he was talking about, I still don't today. What little I know stems from this one, five minute, encounter.
"They intend to put some of the technology developed from it into your spacecraft, despite assurances that it is not test safe. We are not finished with it yet. I want you to do something for me. It will end your career, but it must be done, Liberty is in danger and these maniacs will only make it worse."
I considered, I'd been having doubts for the last few months, increasingly erratic orders from above, increasingly distant colleagues, like I was being ostracised in some way, set up to take a fall. Now it seemed that it was all coming to a head, either I would be consumed, or I would run for safer terrotories. I knew what I had to do. I nodded my consent.
"Good, the device has been loaded into your ship. Whatever you do, do not activate it, head for the test area then run. Your IFF will prevent you breing destroyed by the Navy platforms and you'll be out of range of the ships guns in the test area. Get this to Ouray base, you know where that is?"
I nodded, of course I knew where Ouray was, the amount of times I'd engaged Xenos there. Only to be chased off by much bigger fish than me.
"Give it to a Zoner scientist who is staying there for a few days, he'll be the only scientist there."
I did as I was asked, got into my ship and headed for the test point, when I got there I hit cruise and ran.
"Fl. Lt. Williamson, cut your engines or we will open fire." That's it? I'd been with the Navy seven years and all I got was one warning. One lousy warning. No court marshal threats, just that they'd open fire on me. If I'd wanted proof that the Navy wasn't what I thought it was, they'd given me all I needed. Didn't matter that it was an empty threat, I was too far away anyway. The fact remained that I'd turned against the Liberty Navy. I'd gone rogue.
I hit the Alaska gate at a run, hoped like hell there'd be no-one on the other side, if there was I was hosed. It turned out to be my lucky day, I was able to clear the minefield and head into clear space. It was my first instinct to trade lane to the jumpgate and head to Ouray from there, but I had an attack of paranoia, rather sensible in my current position, and so decided to fly across free space, it would take longer, but it would be much safer.
I headed for the Colorado jumphole, desperate to avoid any Government patrols, that would be disastrous as I was sure that they would have been notified as to my current state. I had a small brainwave approaching the Detroit munitions, although that could have been induced by sleep deprivation, sitting alone in that cockpit for ten hours surely couldn't have done me much good. I ripped the IFF transponder out of my cockpit and jettisoned it into space, hopefully this would allow me to dock with Ouray and not get blown to pieces by it's defenses.
I slid into Colorado without any trouble only to find a Xeno patrol waiting for me, seems that they had been notified of my coming and been waiting there for some time. They weren't plased to see me, but then I'd cut my teeth hunting these guys down in a Defender when I'd graduated. I wasn't surprised. I formed up behind them and they led me back to Ouray, it seemed strange flying in formation with Starfliers not Defenders or Gaurdians. It hit me for the first time, I'd done it, I'd thrown away all I'd ever wanted, all I'd ever dreamed about, for this. To run and hide in a shambolic rock in the middle of nowhere, my father would not be pleased.
We docked and I was met by an older gentleman, he gave me a look that can only be described as hostile. I guessed I wasn't Mr. popular round these parts.
"You got the item?" he asked me, he seemed to be less interested in that than in me, I suppose he thought I might decide to shoot him and run back to my former paymasters.
"It's still hardwired into the Guardian, get your tech boys to take it out. Not my area of expertise." I turned to sit down on apacking crtae to gather my thoughts and consider my options.
I was suprised, five minutes later, when a woman came up to me. Damn she was fine, body to die for and legs all the way up to heaven. The determined set of her face ruined the moment a little, but I still remember that as the first friendly moment as a "Threat to Liberty Security"
"Welcome to Ouray, don't suppose anyone's bothered saying that to you yet."
"No, but I can't blame them really, here I am sat in a Navy flight uniform, that's not gonna make me many friends here. Say can you get something that''l blend just a little more, a clown suit would do."
She smiled and the days tribulations just melted away, damn this woman should do the Xenos marketing, they'd have half of Liberty joining up just to catch a look.
"I think we can find a flight suit that won't get you knifed in the dark." She turned away and I spent a good 10 seconds just watching her walk. She turned around, that determined face shot me look that ended any dreams I might have had of anything more than fetching me a less conspicuous set of clothes. I moved a little quicker to catch up.
Suitably ensconced within my flight suit, I looked the part of a rogue, hadn't shaved in nearly a day and the Xeno suit leaves something to be desired in the looks department.
"My name's Gina, and you have two choices Mr. Williamson, you can either head out into space and find your own way, or you can join us. I f you choose to head into space, we'll giveyou a Starflyer and a few credits, join up and we'll give you a Hawk, a berth and the biggest extended family you'll ever have."
I couldn't believe it, she was offering me a job? I had to sort this out in my head, I was a Navy officer, or ratehr I used to be. The Xenos were the most ruthless terrorsits Liberty had ever seen, destroying traders and police with impunity, we couldn't stop them, we couldn't get the big guns in range of any of their bases to destroy them. So we mainly dealt sweep and clear missions to cut down on the problem, but we could never eliminate it. Now I was being asked if I wanted to join. On the one hand I had nowhere to go, no idea of what I should be doing, my whole life had been spent with a rigid military pervasiveness, it felt strange to be able to choose my destiny.
" Beofre I make my choice, there's a few things I want to know, the Xenos have a cause, you're not just lame ass pirates like the Rogues, or the Hackers. You guys and girls have a beef, why how are you intent on dealing with it."
If I wanted the short answer that was a question I should never have asked. She went on for a few hours, with occasionals breaks to get food and water, and by the end of it, whilst I wasn't convinced, I was understanding why they were fighting. And a Hawk sounded better than a Flea.
"I'm in, where do I sign?"
I spent two months in that cockpit, learnt every noise, every reaction she could make, how she responded in any given situation. I learnt how to control her, how to make her fight with me and not against me. It was rough work, I joined a squadron out of Barrow, it was deemed best avoid contact with the SA as much as possible, I guess it was more about the Southern Xenos being more than a little different to their northern brethren, their fight was directed toward Rheinland, they dealt with Navy very rarely, only when they were protecting the trade lanes, which they rarely, if ever, did. Our most prolific contacts were the Unioners, a disgruntled band of no hopers and ne-er do wells, althugh the Xenos saw more in them than that, if only they weren't foreign.
It was hard adjusting to Xeno life, attacking those I'd once sworn to protect, but I prided myself on never killing a civilian target, the Navy had cast me aside like a discarded toy, as far as I was concerned, they and their lapdogs could all burn in the fires of my rebirth, But I would never kill a civilian target. I was not a murderer. This bought me into conflict more than once with the Xeno brass, but each and every time I told them that I would not kill a civilian, that I was fighting for a better Liberty not just trying to survive.
Eventually I was moved to Ouray base once more, it seemed the Barrow boys had got quite tired of me but instead of putting a pulse shot into my brain they'd decided to give me a chance back up north. I returned to Ouray with just a dufflebag stowed in my cockpit and a hold full of food and water, I'd decided it wasn't worth flying up here empty and I might as well bring back something useful. I docked with the same docking port as I'd docked with less than three months before, it was a little surreal, different ship, different loyalties, but it still didn't feel quite right.
I stepped out of my cockpit and onto the steel plated floor. Dropped the dufflebag and grabbed the fuel hose
from the wall, as I was attaching it to the correct nozzle a voice addressed me, feminine but not, sounded like she'd been a victim of hard times, but then this was Ouray, who hadn't?
"We have techs to do that," She said, something in the way she said made me feel she didn't quite trust them, that was fine with me, neither did I frankly. I'd had more formal training than they had, in fact basic ship maintenance was a requirement to even graduate from the academy, I'd also taken a six month course on ship design and these civilian vessels were a breeze to keep ship-shape.
"Yeah but why waste their time when I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself. Need to unload the supplies too, you wanna give me a hand?" I wasn't surprised when she did, everyone chipped in in the Xenos, this was more a loose family than a group of terrorists, no matter what the Navy said I couldn't see these people as anything other than people fighting for what they thought was right. They weren't butchers and murderers, well not the northern ones, they were just regular people forced into irregular behaviour by a corrupt and unjust administration.
"To be honest I didn't come here to meet you, to chew the fat and play stevedore. I came here to offer you an opportunity." She stacked another crate onto the trolley and then turned back to me. "There's a wing of Xenos that operate out of here, The Serpentis, heard of them?" Who hadn't, at least as far as Xenos went, second only to the Sons of Liberty in glory and renown. My replie was a little more noncomittal.
"Sure."
"There's a fellow upstairs that wants a little word with you."
If you're looking for lavish descriptions of Ouray's interior, I'm afraid you infor a shock, these are my meoirs not a guide on how to decorate your giant space rock.
That said, Ouray doesn't really merit such descriptions there isn't much you can do with the interior of a giant space rock.
I walked to the elevator and was unsurprised to find that there was no music, the Xenos didn't go much for fun, unless they were out to have fun, but that happened rarely. Normally everything was business like and things didn't change when I got into the office of one Leo Matthews, head of the Serpentis.
"Nathan, welcome, take a seat." He gestured to the metal chair opposite him. I sat down and waited for him to begin.
"A little history lesson for you.
"The Serpentis is a quick-witted, hit and run squadron formed by myself, Leo "Cobra" Matthews. I formed the Serpentis as we found out that Xeno fighter wings could not hold up to the stronger Navy forces in a pitched battle... So, I, and several others, tried something different. Instead of fighting a pitched battle like the Navy expected us to, we went in, blew up several ships and got the hell out of there...From that point on, well, we became famous for our raids. The Navy have never been able to kill all of a raiding party off.
"And now...I'm going to ask you a very pointed question.
"Are you in, or are you not?"
I was stunned, I'd thought that I was unwelcome, my background and all. Yet, here he was offering me a position in his wing. I couldn't have asked for a higher honour. Ity didn't take me long to figure out a response.
"I'm in."
"Good, you've been assigned the callsign Coachwhip, you're to report to the flight bays and get yourself prepped for a long journey, you'll need either an Eagle or a Crow, I'll leave the choice to you. Neither of them are sold close to home, you'll need to trek halfway across Sirius to find them. I'm assigning another of our member's to escort you and see you don't come to an untimely end. You're dismissed."
I stood up and turned to leave, as I turned away a thought struck me.
"Why me?" I asked, it was an interesting questiona dn one I'd like the answer to. I was going to be disappointed.
"Why not?" was his response, he returned to his paperwork and left me to puzzle out what he meant, I couldn't figure it out and decided it could wait for another time, another place. In the meantime I had to fly out and pick up something I could fly in. That meant checking Ouray's database to see which of my two choices would be best for me.
After checking the database I settled on the Crow, an ugly ship that looked like some gind of scrap vessel, but I'd seen one in Ouray's hangar bays and it seemed an efficient vessel, something cpable of fighting back against the rising tide of corruption and filfth.
I went down to the hangar bays to find a fellow all suited up, he walked over to me and extended a hand.
"Name's Brendan, folks call me Bushmaster, or just Bushy. I'm going to be watching your back on this one, it's a rough flight especially in a Hawk." He shook my hand quite vigorously, "Get your ship prepped, we leave in half an hour."
I ran over to where my ship was birthed, seemed almost like the end of an era, a new chapter beginning. Now wasn't the time to get lost in emotion. I prepped my ship, checked her H-fuel levels and powerplant efficiency, she'd taken a few beatings and that had reduce dthe efficiency somewhat but I reckoned she'd get me to wherever it was I had to go. As I was still within Ouray I checked back with the database. Gave me a location for the Crow, one of the planets in Omicron Kappa was to be my destination. I logged a vague flight plan, it would get me to Magellan, but not much further for that I'd have to rely on Bushmaster who'd done the flight before.
"Hawk Theta 2, requesting permission to undock." I transmitted through the comms
"Roger that Theta 2, permission granted. Have a good one out there."
I smiled as the the platform my ship was on rotated into line with the docking port, the bay doors opened and I was launching into space, I left the confines of Ouray and out into the Silverton Field. I started to head for the New York jumphole.
Bushmaster spoke to me over the comms, "We got two choices head through Rheinland and risk the RM and Unioners ripping us to pieces, or Bretonia, who don't know us all that well and thusly don't hate us as much."
I weighed the choices, I was in a Hawk at the end of the day, and discretion was the better part of valour after all. I opted for Bretonia. This was going to be a long flight.
Dodging the occasional Liberty Police patrol was easy enough, they didn't go much for flying away from the tradelanes. But this was only good until we got to the California Jumpgate, the safe route would have been to head through Texas, but we had codes for the gate, so it made sense to use em. Turned out that nothing unfortunate was coming our way and we made it through without a fuss. Paying very careful attention to our scanners we headed for the Cortez jumphole and out of Liberty space.
"You good back there, little guy?"
"I'm fine, everythings a-okay." I checked my display to make sure, but nothing was registering as hokey, so I figured everything was holding up.
"Okay we're gonna be headed for Leeds, I know it sounds counter intuitive, but this way we ain't headed through New London, and that could be the difference between getting you a Crow and getting you a coffin."
"Roger that, Bushmaster, lead the way."
Bretonia was quiet until we hit Cambridge, we ran into a BPA patrol and it seemed like the copper would rip me apart, just before the six Widows on Bushmaster's Eagle tore the copper's Hussar into tiny shreds of metal and an escape pod. We'll leave him here, I'm sure his colleagues will find him soon enough.
"We got freindlys, or at least non-hostiles in this area? I'm beat up pretty bad, lost a wing out there."
"Well we can stop at Freeport 1 or we can haul ass out to where we got to go. Kappa's not too far away now and I reckon we can dodge Corsairs good enough." Bushmaster led the way to Omega 5 and apart from the radiation damage in 41 everything went well. Then there was the perilous crossing of Gamma. We stayed smart and flew under the horizon, ensuring our comm signals were short bursts if anything. We caught a burst of communications form some local Corsairs, they knew we were here, they just didn't know where.
It seemed that we'd made it, my Hawk was damaged probably beyond repair, and it was unlikely the Zoners would offer too much n part-exchange value, but at least I'd have something worth fighting in.
The return trip was less impressive than the trip out to Kappa, but the crow I flew in was something else compared to my old guardian. Faster but about six times the size. Okay I exaggerate just a little but she's not exactly small.
I dropped her in the docking port and let the tech's have at her, she'd be souped up before I got back in her, increased engine output, modifications to allow the Xeno shooters to actually fire. There wasn't much between the home made crow and the home made particle blasters that made them compatible, it'd be a week before he got to fly the Crow. He christened her Coachwhip's Coils. His new callsign would be appended to every ship he ever flew.
He was Coachwhip now. A fully paid up mamber of the Serpentis wing and the newest flight member.
He would do the Knights a proud service and return Liberty to what it should be.