02-24-2013, 10:36 PM
Chapter I - The World as we knew it
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Coronado SystemPlanet Pecos
New Hope City
The city of New Hope, the new colonial capital, and a new chance for the colonial nation... at least that's what was written on the propaganda posters on the city walls. In reality, the city wasn't actually a city in the first place. A few small buildings resembling ancient structures of Earth, not taller than 20 meters since the air at 30 meters is toxic, some dirty streets patrolled from time to time by armed guards dressed accordingly to the frozen weather. This is the image of the New Hope of the colonials. The real city was underground. The complex was planed to go deep, 50 levels to be precise; each floor measuring 20 meters high and 10 square kilometers wide.
Of this ambitious project only the first two levels were complete. The colonial population was living and working in crowded spaces. The frozen world above was too hostile for them. Work on level Three started four months ago but encountered difficulties right at the start. A gas pocket exploded when the excavation started. Three workers were killed and two were injured. One of the injured returned to work...
- Hey, Snow, glad you're back in once piece! Now get to work and make some money. You still have a debt to pay... ha ha ha!
- Relax, Parker, you'll get your money... someday. It's only 1000 credits after all.
- Only...
- Yeah, yeah, cut the chatter and get back to work, Parker! Bennet, come here! Snow, you'll be working with Jack Bennet at the main corridor. Gear up! The locker room is over there.
- Danno Snow! Oh man, seems like you cheated death. Glad you're alright. Ready to get back in this?
The two workers hopped in two Colonial Excavation ExoSuit (CEES) and headed to the excavation area.
There are 1896 colonials working at the excavation at this moment. The area is too small to get all the workers there. Normally there were over 6000 workers on a level and they were working on three levels in close succession. In two days they were going to start excavations for the forth level and two months after that the fifth level was planned to start. Of course, things were never working as planned. It was demonstrated.
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Omicron 74 systemLivadia Shipyard
Capital docks
Everybody in the shipbuilding domain heard rumors or even seen the Leviathan class dreadnought called Persephone. Most of the people didn't think that they will see a second ship like that but they were wrong. Human minds managed to replicate. It's not a perfect copy, that's true but it can be called the child of that wonder and human built "Juggernaut". They called it "Nephilim" and it's been in production for quite a while but it still is a beautiful sight in the docks of Livadia.
This one is called Starlight and it's about to receive its commanding officer, Stella Arch. No ceremony, no fireworks, no champagne, only a nice little speech from the woman that will ensure that this ship stays alive long enough in a war thorn Sirius.
- Libertonians, Rheinlanders, Kusarians, Gauls, Bretonians, Colonials, Outcasts, Corsairs, Hunters, Mercs and everyone else that was chosen to be part of my crew, people, humans, my brothers... welcome! We are about to begin an adventure, for some of us, this is the start of a new life, for others, this is a new chance, for many of us, this is the chance to learn, study and understand many questions that were asked long ago. From now on we are trully free! All aboard, people! We're leaving in thirty minutes.
As any real zoner, Stella was not going to answer to anyone but she was going to help anyone she would see fit. You will ask yourself who would invest an astronomical sum of money and resources in a ship that could go rogue at any time? And the answer to that question is: a regional director of IMG that made billions from mining operations - her father; an agent of the Order society that blackmailed the right people - her mother; a zoner that got rich over night after a couple of contraband runs - herself; a mercenary pilot that transferred all his earning to Stella's account just seconds before he died (rumors say he was hired to kill her but he felt in love). Sum up all these millions and you'll see that this ship could have been multiplied 2 more times to spend all the credits. Now let's get back to the story.
After three days, the Starlight was still in Omicron 74, completing all the formalities and tests. Stella Arch was in her apartment while the biodome shields were being tested.
- This is so damn boring... Let's see; I've been to the biodomes, the living quarters, the markets, the cargo bay and the depots, the school, the medical center, the... hey! I haven't checked the hangar.
In five minutes, she was in the hangar bay. An old concept was adopted by Stella to ensure fast travel around the ship: turbolifts. Using her portable TDCC (Transmission Device Closed Circuit), she announced her arrival in the hangar:
- Pilots, this is Stella Arch, please carry on with your duties. I'll be supervising your activities as long as the damn boring tests are continuing.
After that, a young, good looking girl, Erisian by the clothes she was wearing, approached:
- Praise Eris, ma'am!
- Praise Eris, child!
- I've been waiting for a chance to meet you to thank you for this opportunity.
- You're welcome. What's your name?
- I'm called Tel'Chi, madam.
- Cut the formalities. Call me Stella. What's your job here?
- I'm a fighter pilot. You see the yellow one? That's mine!
- A yellow Marauder? Yes, of course, I remember you. I've seen some videos with your combat tactics. You're good. I'd love to meet see you in the simulator. It would be a good training for me rusty fighter skills.
- Seems we have some time, don't we?
- I guess so. Those tests are taking forever. Lead the way, pilot!
- Yes, madam!
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Munich SystemSector C5
Rheinland lost some serious ground in the war against Liberty. With this in mind, the unlawful groups are even more dangerous for the common civilian. A problem to your propulsion system can be fatal if your ship is drifting towards hostile space. Of course, being assisted by a wing of law enforcers should be enough to scare off the birds of prey... usually. Something like this happened in Munich. The crew of a transport ship called for immediate extraction when they failed to put down a fire that started in their reactor core. The ship started drifting and headed towards the Schwarzwald Cloud. Soon, a wing of Rheinland Federal Police ships appeared. It was formed of two Phantoms, a Falcon and a Ragnar freighter. The first three ships secured a twenty cliks perimeter while the Ragnar evacuated the crew of the transport. All things went good till not less than ten red contacts appeared on their scanners. The commander of the RFP wing was Jan Hass, flying the Falcon. His first reaction was... none. He was stunned.
- Was ist... das?
- Commander, what should we do?
- Retreat! Cover the Ragnar. To Augsburg, schnell!
The Ragnar was not fast enough and soon, a cruise disruptor hit its engines. Hass ordered the fighters to engage the hostiles hoping that the freighter will have time to repair. This was pointless when a torpedo hit the small freighter and sent its crew and the transport survivors to Valhalla. Hass managed to take down an enemy fighter but suddenly he remained the only one alive, with his ship badly damaged. The hostiles retreated and gave him time to recover and use the nanobots he had. He received the request for a video transmission.
- Commander, your bravery saved your life today.
- Who are you? What's your identification? I've never seen so many hostile ships so deep in Rheinland space.
- I am Gratia Saalbach and my affiliation is not of your concern at this time. Hmm... I was right to use the video transmission. Even with a helmet, you are good looking. Take care of your sweet face and maybe we'll meet again... oh and, don't follow me.
- Wh... so that's it? You're gonna let me live because I'm good looking? You killed all my men, you sadistic bitch!
- Don't make me come back there and finish the job, commander!
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Newcastle SystemBelfast Production Facility
Detention cell 14C
A bretonian armed forces officer being captured by the mollys is not a rare sight these days. This is exactly what happened to commander Amanda Scott of the Bretonian Armed Forces. Her gunboat was attacked and her crew captured or killed in the battle. She has been taken to Belfast for interrogation, probably.
- Their commander is a woman... you know what will happen to her, right?
- Ay! I love interrogatin' women! It includes sex and that's... nice 'specially since I haven't left this station in th'ee months, mate. The hookers in here are too common for me already!
- You know that the brits have royal asses in their command structures. Maybe she's a princess or somethin'. I'll think that I'm hitting a princess...
- Wait... what if she tells us everythin' we wanna know?
- Hah, it doesn't matter! We still rape her and then we use her information to kill some more brits. I don't think she knows much anyway. She's just a gunboat commander.
- Unless she really is a princess! Ah ha ha ha...
The problem with these two fine gentlemen was that they weren't alone when they were planning this. Jane McNamara, a simple woman, a sound technician that was working on Belfast heard their discussion and decided to do something about it. She went to the cell block and told the guards that she's checking the loudspeakers. When they weren't paying any attention, she killed them both and freed the prisoner...
- They were goin' to rape you. I heard them... I can't permit this. I can get you out o'ere. Follow me!
- Thank you!
- The hangar has some ships all the time. Can you fly?
- Yes.
- Good, we must steal one of the ships and fly away. You're not a princess, are you?
- What? No...
- O'aight! There, that ship. Follow me!
- You're just gonna walk in plain view?
- Aha, and so are you. Your uniform is dirty and they will not see it as an armed forces one. Besides, many of our pilots wear uniforms. Let's go!
The two women managed to get out of Belfast, without raising any suspicions. Because Jane was known as a Molly in the BAF database, they decided to fly to Coronado and split on the Barrier Gate Station but crossing Bretonia in a pirate ship wasn't easy after all. They encountered a bounty hunter and Amanda had to fight him, even if she didn't want to. Blowing her cover would have ended with Jane as a prisoner of the Kingdom.
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Alaska SystemRevolt on a LSF Prison Liner. The commanding officer is suspected of being infected and shot dead by his second in command, a young and promising agent by the name Helen Den. Now in command, the young libertonian decides to follow her instincts and turns the ship towards nomad space, hoping to find Order operatives. The liner is filled with order prisoners and returning them should be seen as an act of good faith... or at least that's what she was thinking before meeting a recon cruiser that opened fire. Now, with the ship in flames, Helen surrenders without asking for anything in exchange.
In the interrogation room, a woman is already waiting for her. She's the commander of the Recon cruiser, Rachel Ownes.
- So, Helen Den, you're not infected, your commanding officer wasn't infected either. Why did you kill him?
- He was infected and he infected others as well.
- Is that so? Our scans indicated no alien infection.
- Who said anything about alien infection? He had AIDS and he knew about it but he infected others, one of them being my older sister and she died. When I enrolled I knew nothing about this but fate helped me and I got in his crew, went up the ranks because I'm capable, more capable than him. And I discovered a medical record of his, made by a private clinic. His superiors also knew about this but they did nothing because he probably had them at hand with something. Blackmailing is the new trend in Liberty. So I came to you and I didn't receive a very warm welcome!
- I will look into this. If your story confirms, you'll be welcome properly; if not, you get a one way ticket to my airlock.
- Take your time; I'm not going anywhere.
After an hour, a guard lets Helen out of her cell and takes her to the command deck. Commander Owens approaches and shakes her hand.
- I never thank you for helping our agents escape. You are free to go.
- Thank you. Is there any empty position on your ship?
- I like your direct way of negotiation and the fact that you're stubborn. I lost a fighter pilot a few days ago. he was killed by nomad fighters. I still have a ship with no pilot. It's yours if you want it.
- Alright.
- Good, go to the hangar and meet the crew there. They're your new family from now on.
- Perfect. Thank you!
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Pennsylvania SystemBethlehem Station
Sunshine Bar
A kusarian woman sits at a table and drinks a glass of Bear Beer, a local brand of beer. She's alone and a man notices her. He decides to make his move.
- I can't believe that a fine looking woman such as yourself is alone in a place like this. Please, allow me to buy your next round.
- Thanks.
- So, what's your story?
- If I tell you, I'll have to kill you.
- Whoa... but really, what's your story?
- Well, it all started when I ran from Kusari with the Kusari State Police on my back. I got to Liberty, changed identity and went to Bretonia. from there, I went to the Corsairs and offered my services as a spy. I returned to Bretonia and blackmailed some lord there telling him I'll give intel to the Corsairs if he doesn't pay me. Then I went to the Corsairs and told them the same. Both factions paid me but figured it was fraud so now I'm wanted in bretonia and in Corsair territories. I'm also a wanted fugitive in Kusari and Liberty for murder. So next stop was Rheinland. There, I made a deal with the Unioners and gave them intel on a LSF mission in Munich. I took some money from them and then killed one of them that tried to rob me. So the Unioners are not so friendly anymore.
- Wow, that's quite a story... how about we go to my room and I'll tell you mine.
- Perfect. let's go. Pay the beers.
The stranger takes the woman to his apartment and starts kissing and making out with her. She seems willingly. They end up in bed...
- You know, this is all nice but as I said in the bar, knowing my story equals death.
- Ha ha, I like your humor.
- Then you'll die with a smile on your face.
She swiftly grabs a knife from her clothes near the bed and stabs the poor guy. She then enters the shower and cleans herself up. When she exits, another kusarian woman is waiting on the bed, near the body of the man.
- I see you've been busy, Shimata. This is the end of the road for you, you crazy bitch. Kusari is about to get you.
- So, Wu, you think you can stop me?
- I stopped your Chrysanthemums, haven't I? Why should you be any different?
- You'll see why.
The two women start fighting and give a very nice martial arts show. The apartment is devastated in their fight and being of equal skill, none is victorious. Security personnel is alarmed and the two fighters have to break combat and disappear.
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Languedoc SystemAround Limoux Base
Osanne Paol is the leader of a Gallic Royal Navy strike wing. Their task is to inflict as much damage as possible to the Limoux Base and surrounding hostile installation. The wing is composed of several bombers and many very heavy fighters. The battle has started and for the moment, the Maquis have been taken by surprise and are sustaining many casualties. Seeing that the situation is getting worse every minute, the base commander orders his top fighters to launch! Ariane is leading the defenders. The balance is established on the battlefield. The battle lasts for several hours when the GRN forces decide to retreat with minimal casualties but major equipment damage.
- Impressive skills you got there, Ariane. You won't escape next time!
- You got me in disadvantage here, cherrie! Who are you?
- Osanne Paol, leader of the wing that kicked your Maquis ass.
- I lost ten fighters in three hours. Not bad for a bunch of low skilled Maquis, don't you think?
- I lost five... see the difference?
- Oh la la... we're getting better and better. Five of your very well trained professional fighters being killed by a bunch of dirty terrorists. That will look bad on your daily report. Have no fear I'll make others look worse when I'll attack some convoys.
Ariane docks on the station and starts planning a counter attack against a royalist convoy that was supposed to go to the sirian front line the next week. Meanwhile, Osanne went back to debriefing and asked to lead the next convoy because she had intel that it will be attacked...