OK guys I'm gonna try and write out the introduction of my story. Though I'll probably fail miserably.
Chapter One: Crimson
The silence is shattered by the rumbling of a massive vessel making it's way through the darkness. It's engines illuminating it's nature as a transport. Smaller ships zoom past it marking their perimeter. A giant structure comes into view, a jump gate. Two massive towers connected at the highest and lowest points. Voices are heard, shooting from one craft to another and finally to the gates control section on it's far left. "This is the 42nd Chryslers flying off of Fort Lexington requesting jump clearance" one of fighter the pilots said. "This is the A.N.T. 'Red Hawk' requesting jump clearance also" Said the co-pilot of the transport. "We've been expecting you, request granted" said one of the gate's bridge officers. The gap in between the towers fill with a pool of green light. One by one the ships speed towards the light and disappear into it. The vessels make their way through the tunnel of lights and reenter the familiar black of space just outside of an identical jump gate. The captain of the Red Hawk opened a channel to the surrounding fighter escort. "OK fellas here's the story, we're gonna have to make a 4 jump to get to the next relay point. I've been told that imperial scouts have been detected in this areas for the last few days, so keep your eyes open" "Copy Red Hawk control. Hear that everyone, not too far now" said the wing leader. "You think we'll bump into one of Lenox's relatives out here?" said one of the pilots sarcastically.
"At least his relatives don't make Kamikaze landings during exercises." Chuckled the wing leader.
"You know I had a problem with my landing gear." replied the pilot.
"Of course, that's how you crashed while inside the docking after you were clamped down right? With that kind of flying I don't know what's worse, watching you land or trying to land on an enemy carrier myself." The wing leader noted sarcastically.
"Oh by the way, congratulations on the promotion Lenox...err...I mean Airman first class Lenox." Cheered another pilot flying behind his fighter.
"Thanks it was nothing." Said Lenox humbly.
"Yeah it was nothing. Guess they hoped you'd run back across the border if we put you in a ship and got close enough to Asar." cackled the pilot.
"Hey cut it out!." Snapped Lenox.
"Just joking, it's just a little weird having on deck with us now. I mean don't you feel a sense of duty towards them? Why leave?" Questioned the sarcastic flier.
"I didn't leave, I was born here. Just because I'm from there doesn't mean I have any love for them or that place. I'm just is much an Allessian As you are." Declared Lenox.
"Say it loud!" Yelled the bridge officer of the Red Hawk.
"Ok people settle down. jump to these coordinates on my mark." Spoke the wing lead as he flew ahead to to the lead.
Lenox sighed as he drifted back into his seat scanning his equipment and values while the others continued their chatter. His HUD lit up awaiting his approval to jump, displaying the new coordinates.
Sparks of dull blue light echo from hulls of the six medium fighters and their much larger huskier counterpart. The steady vibration of the jump drives blurring their frames and decals as the dull light crept through the ports and crevices of each engine of each ship, suddenly fading away, then reigniting wildly firing the 7 craft eons ahead. Far ahead, the black is shattered by their return from sub-space.
"Ok fellas 3 more jumps to go."
"CPU malfunction! Second core just froze up, sir" Reported Lenox.
"Try soft restart." Advised the wing commander.
"Already did." Lenox responded
"Call customer support." Joked another pilot.
"Shut up bear." Demanded the leader.
"I guess that's how it goes...you'll have to land and manually restart it. Moor on the Red Haw.k I'm putting in the request for you now."
"Understood, sir." Complied Lenox.
Lenox squeezed the throttle and jerked it to his left, causing the ship to roll and pull behind the fighter wing. Swooping under the transports belly, its white and silver reflecting sleekly, as it leaned closer to the stern of the Red Hawk where two angled twin doors rested above its main engines. Finally pitching parallel and strafing to match the landing deck perfectly. Breathing deeply, Lenox raises the engine output, closing in on the small runway. The muffled scraping is heard as he slides his ship past the landing bay followed by a blunt thud and mechanical wiring.
"Now that's a landing." The commander praised.
Lenox patently watches his scenery changes as the motorized platform shifts the vessel away from the airlock. The nearby airtight doors slam and hiss as the new chamber fills with air. The canopy's switch let out a soft chime, as it color changed from red to green. Lenox taps the switch with the back of his hand unlocking it and departing the shield from overhead. Unfastening his seat belt, he hops out of the cockpit sliding down off the left wing and on the hangar floor.
Moving near the ship's snubbed nose, twisting the lock and popping open the side panel, revealing a network of circuitry and wires enclosed by a dull layer of thick tightly wrapped plastic. Snapping the locks off, he tapped the the restart switch shutting the whole system down.pressing his back against the small ship, he slid to the floor tilting his head slightly and sighing entranced in thought for a moment. He noticed a hand on his shoulder which lead his eyes to the face of a middle aged man with sandy brown hair and and dark blue eyes. It was Second Lieutenant Harlow Casper, his step brother and current commanding officer.
"Back already kid? Don't tell me you got nauseous and came back? Did you make a mess in the seat again." Harlow asked sarcastically.
"Urg...no I just had some technical difficulties is all Harlow." Lenox responded calmly.
"Beg your pardon?" His brother asked.
"I just had some minor troubles." Lenox said again.
"Just had some minor troubles what?" Harlow asked again.
"I said: I just had some minor problems, sir!" Lenox Firmly repeating himself.
"That's more like it. You should have just said that in the first place." the lieutenant said with a satisfied smirk.
Lenox sighed, rolling his eyes at his eccentric brother's nitpicking.
"So what happened to it?" Harlow questioned.
"Some kind of hardware misread of somethin'. It couldn't even align it manually without it messing up. Boss told me to land and restart." Lenox answered.
"Again!?" Harlow chirped.
"Yup, again." Lenox hummed.
"That's the second time in two days. And not just this one, the other two as well. Why would they swap out the old OS for civilian programming. I understood the part about them being modified for military use, and being faster and all, but they can't stay up without crashing or eating up the memory. If we got into a fight and we need to scam we're gonna real retarded. explaining to some poor bastard's wife, we lost him on account of a blue screen." Harlow grumbled.
"Ma'am I'm sorry to inform you that your husband did not survive the siege of Asar on account of costumer service putting us on hold." Snickered Lenox.
"I swear we might just be better getting a pair a frigging keys and carving our own cross-hairs on the dam cockpit!" The lieutenant barked, rolling his eyes at the opened side panel.
"W-W-one status." Lenox giggled.
Harlow let out a sigh, crossing his arms and tilting his head towards the light fixtures, and in a relaxed and more serious tone he asked: "Lenox? Be honest, why did you sign up?"
"Eh? Where did that come from?" Lenox quietly asked himself raising his eyebrow. "Why did I sign up for what?"
"C'mon, pay attention. Why did you come here? With me? You don't seem like the military type, and you've never been one to follow your big bro into whatever he does, so why come here? Why not college, or recreation?" He asked Lenox, stroking the stubble of hair under his chin.
"Well that's a tough one. I mean I had a good life at home, so it's not like I did this just to get a meal, and I'm not really into war and conflict. I would have to say it felt like the thing I needed to do. We're in a war here a big one, not just one you see in newsmail or on TV on some foreign planet 6 million lightyears away. It's a brutal one that's getting worse by the second. I've good legs to stand on and two fists to fight with. So why not?" He responded, looking into one of the light sources, with a serious expression his red irises adjusting to it. "Why not fight for that 'life' I'm so grateful for? Or the loving family I'm so happy to be with? Especially considering who's in it? Captain Domino Casper of the 5th patriot fleet and 1st lieutenant Harlow Casper of the 42 Chrysler. I'm surprised you guys never got on my back about it." He chuckled.
"Hey don't let dad hear you call him by his first name, y'know he hates that." Harlow nodded.
"Yeah I know." Lenox acknowledged.
"By the way, Libby was wondering when you'd come to visit her again. She really misses you." Harlow said, starring down at Lenox.
"Oh really? That's cute, what about mom. He asked with his head turned to Harlow.
"Heh, you know she wouldn't admit it." Harlow scoffed.
"So she's still sore about me leaving is she?" Lenox asked stoking his thumb along his index finger.
"Of course she is, apart from Libby and Alice she has no one to talk to." He explained as took his Phone ad began rummaging through family photos he had stored.
"You make it sound like she and Alice don't have anything to talk about."
"They don't!" Harlow snapped.
"Every time I ask mom where my wife is she sighs or makes this annoying grunt before saying, "around here somewhere". And Alice always finds the time to moan about how she can't breath without mom trying to boss her around or tell her how to take care of Liberty." He complained dragging his hand down his cheek.
"Seriously, I think if things get any more sour in this war, we should put mom in front of Asar and Alice behind it, and have them thrash anyone standing in the way of mutilating each other." He said Slumping down on the hangar floor next to Lenox.
"Ha, ha, look at the big tough soldier, he can take on the best enemy squadron the empire has to offer but he can't but he can't sit through an argument between his mother and her daughter-in-law." Lenox joked as he learned over to the ship panel to check the progress of the ship computer's reboot.
"Thirty-two percent complete." He muttered as he stroked his shiny black hair back, relaxing himself again.
"Back to you now, aren't you a bit worried you're never gonna see home again? We could run into trouble any second out here or in the coming months. you're still damn young and probably haven't even gotten to do things most sixteen-year-olds do."
"Like what?" Lenox asked leaning forward.
"Lenox you haven't had a girlfriend have you?" Harlow responded adjusting his stained gray jumpsuit.
Lenox slumped back with a disappointed look. "Not really. There was one but her parents didn't 'approve'."
"Because you were an Asari, correct?" Said Harlow resting his arms behind his head.
Lenox rubbed his hand over his arm.
"This has been the case for most people in general hasn't it?" Harlow probed.
Lenox remained silent.
"Len, I know in my mind that you wanna do the right thing and protect the world you love as well as the people in it, even if the people in it don't love you. But I still th--"
"Where's this going?" Lenox's frustration pulling him back to his feet.
"I still think." Harlow repeated as he rose from from the floor.
"That you might be a little angry at some people or the way they think at least. I'm not pretending like I've never met a new recruit with a chip on his shoulder, trying to use war to blow off some steam, but I'm also sayin' there's a lotta people in this business who are lookin' for just that. Don't get fooled into a suicide mission because of a few kids who picked on you way back." He said in a mellow voice as he wiped the dust from the back of his pants, nudging Lenox on the back.
"I want to have a family." Lenox muttered softly
"Erm?" Harlow drew closer to listen.
"I just want to be normal. Have fun, hang out, date. But I can't do that. I can't do that because people. People who look like me want to kill and die for something no one probably even remembers." He slowly walked to a nearby set of rectangular portholes, revealing his reflection against the black space.
"I walk around and people stare at me." Lenox leans further towards the window detailing his blood red eyes, brown skin, sleek black hair. "They hate to look at me, and they hate it more when I look at them." His subtle frown and squinted eyelids signing his frustration from recalling painful memories.
"I want to help end this war, not just to protect the people I love but also because I know when the war stops, their doubt will stop. They be able to look at me as an enemy anymore. maybe after I've fought against the empire long enough I'll be able to treated as a hero instead of 'the one that doesn't belong'." He said closing his eyes for a moment.
"Len, I know it you probably already know this, but I, mom and dad, Liberty, and even Alice all love you. Simply because we knew in our hearts you were a good man." Harlow said in a whisper leaning against one of the portholes with his arms crossed tilting slightly. You shouldn't need to murder your own race to prove to anyone who you are, just remember that."
"Y'know there's any old saying: "With love, you need only worry of being shattered by foes without." Harlow said scratching his head with Lenox starring on with a perplexed look.
"Eh, it goes something like that..." He chuckled.
"Only forty-seven percent left now." Lenox answered drifting from Harlow's point.
BEER...BEEP...BEEP.
"Huh? What's that?" Lenox asked.
"It's warning to clear the docking zone," Harlow replied, pushing Lenox behind the safety marker. "C'mon lets go!"
Lenox and the Lieutenant watched as hissed, squealed and separated presenting a sleek silver spacecraft. As it push through the doors the two immediately recognized the vessel. It was one of the Chryslers' fighters. The tight hangar's mechanisms clamping down on it's curved wings and underside of it's down pointed nose. With a blunt popping noise the raised and slid behind the cockpit, resting on top of it's fuselage. A figure emerged, waving to Harlow and Lenox. And in a very dull, base filled voice he asked, "Do you guys know what a 'master boot record error' is?"
Harlow, throwing his arms upward and resting them on his hips, chuckled along with Lenox in annoyance and amusement.
The pilot let out a sigh and shook his head. "You too, Airaman Davis?" Harlow questioned.
"Yes sir. Just started shakin' up and beepin' like crazy the minute we got outta jump." The airman responded brushing a stain from his face and wiping on the arm of his blue jumpsuit.
"We made another jump already? that was quick." Lenox said looking towards the portholes with a puzzled express. "So how many more jumps now? Two?
"None actually." Davis said brushing his sandy hair to the side. "They had a big mess up ahead. What with the next scanning station being a piece-a-**** and all. Too many dark spots and holes in the net to tell what's out there. They want us to hole up at Baxter munitions 'till they finish scoutin' it out fer' us." Guess what ever we been pullin' around is better coming late than not coming at all."
"But isn't that why they got 'us'." Lenox added.
"Yeah, they do," briefed Harlow. "For fending off scouts and intercepting bombers and such. The issue now is, the grid's got big enough holes to slip whole countries in, we could be looking at a whole different level of bad guys. It's one thing to have to shoot a few dozen light fighters or chase down ordinance and blow it up two feet from your face. But you gotta remember these things don't come flying out of the general's garage. They've got carriers and bases they've set up. If we show up at the wrong time and get jumped by twelve dozen cruisers and fifty bombers, we're screwed no matter how good we are." He finished poking at his inner ear.
"I see, sir." Complied Lenox stroking his chin. "So when are we gonna get to Baxter?"
"Bout an two hours." Davis clicked. "Just gonna burn to the docks and see what's what." Letting of out a sigh and heading back to his ship. "I'm gonna restart this thing, gimme a ring if you need me."
Lenox turned to his superior. "Lieutenant Casper, sir." He said in a calm voice. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are we protecting?" Pausing for an answer. Harlow grunted and quickly looks to his sides. "Well to be perfectly honest I'm not too sure." He shrugged. "All I've 'officially' been told is that were carrying some high powered forty-fours to some base in neutral territory allied.
"Bipedal attack units, you mean?" Lenox tried.
"Correct." The commander nodded. "Although it's a pretty average assignment and low risk. the thing that bothers me is why neutral space?" Harlow started towards a tucked away elevator with Lenox following. "This ship and it's escorts belong to Alessiah, why are we going all the way out in the open to drop a couple of robos almost in the middle of nowhere?" A beep was heard followed by the twin doors sliding open and slamming shut with Harlow pushing a button for the lower levels. "I could understand if they Sent us to Arxkane to drop off needed resources or something like that." He added resting his back on the handrail. "But I don't know maybe they're planning on doing some top secret trial for these things or something." Another beep was heard and the doors crept open. The two made their way down the tight dimly lit corridor which opened into a much larger area much like the one they left but setup differently. Instead of clear runways, grappling arms and cables, there was scaffolding raised high above the ground where thick heavy rubber cables snaked past their base before raising upwards and meeting with others like it secured by a steel hoop protruding from the ceiling. The couple walked further out into the open, their eyes following a secured pipeline leading to one of the forty-four they had spoken of earlier.
"Wow," Lenox said softly, turning to his discovery. His eyes widened as he gazed at metallic form. It's humanoid form kneeling before him, almost awaiting him. His eyes danced inside his eyelids asked continued to admire it's dominant black spilling over a medium gray running along it's forearms and underbelly. Dark gold trimmings coursing their way over the thickened plating across it's fists, shins, forearms, under and over the the slant of it's prominent core. Extending from it's both it's shoulders were two dark silver shafts, each caging a sharp ended, dull yellow tube, bearing a texture much like glass. One could only compare this magnificent sight to that of a mythical creature. A Golem possibly, whose magnificence was only surpassed by the very head itself. Black and gray with gold streaks running on each side and ending on two thick spokes facing forward on either side. At the center of a circular recess revealed what appeared to be a single eye or lens. Lenox could almost see himself in the blood red tinted reflection it castes.
Turning to speak to Harlow he spotted the second. Much like it's partner, it possessed superior craftsmanship and admirable features, though instead clashing with black and silver rather than black and yellow. Better suiting the lean and more streamlined profile which was complemented more so by the rear equipment. Instead of large dominating fixtures to balance, it had compact, symmetrical engines which from the top curved before slimming to stop just short of the torso. It's limbs possessed a much more fluid and organic structure, instinctive in contrast to the others systematic shape. It had a extravagant and masculine face partially hidden by thick symmetrical silver plating curving from the crown down alongside the face, which, unlike it's companion, didn't sink into a single eye. Instead possessing two, glaring dull jade eyes. It looked like a statue of a mythological hero or warrior from long before the Exodus to Eon.
"It looks like this silver one was designed with speed and close quarters combat and mind." Concluded Harlow.
"Really?" Pondered Lenox "How could you tell.
"Well, for starters," grunted the lieutenant tilting his body to one side to get a better perspective. "Lots of the main body don't appear to be using just standard metals. Namely around the joints and pelvic region." He added pointing out an area with a rubber like texture. "Take a look at the fists and forearms, they're not just meant for grappling or holding arm weapons. Yep, reinforced for melee battle. Turning around he began to scan the others' frame as well. "This one looks like a heavy one with medium range and lots of firepower. And with a variety of weapons missiles and other cool crap. But still could probably outrun your average thirty-eight."
"Whoa, that's pretty good actually." Lenox exclaimed. "But these are just prototypes right?"
"Yep, there are a few more out there too, but they have different functions." Harlow answered dragging his foot across the floor. "It may have been a joint effort or something. Probably why they have us bringing it to neut' space now that it got the last few parts from the United Colonies. I think one of these are actually going over to Arxkane once we get over there."
"Arxkane?" Lenox squinted.
"That's right." Harlow winked. "When the empire hit Brigantia and after all hell broke loose at the provinces of Izanami, I guess the allies though it would be a smart move to start sharin' toys with one another."
"So we're gonna be seeing more Arxanians?" Lenox sighed.
"Seems that way, what? You sound worried." Harlow nodded.
"Just the girls sound like tanks." Lenox Chuckled.
"The same way Asarians drink blood and worship the color red?" Harlow blinked.
"And that concludes the tour. Lets get back upstairs ad see how those ships are holding out." Harlow murmured heading back down the corridor.
"I'll grab the fire extinguisher" Lenox sent back sarcastically.
He takes one last look at the two forty-fours and then glances out a nearby porthole, losing himself for a moment. He sighs softly and down the corridor.
Far, far away, blotted out by the gleam of countless, nameless stars, swimming through the darkness, another group of spacecraft makes their way past the nothingness. Each one draped in dull jade, their rivets and groves lined with silver, and their crevices tinted lavender. All have a unique number attributed to them paved along their octagonal fuselage just above the phrase SilberDrachen. A single one leads followed by two others spread out forty-some feet from each other and finally another pair gaped even further. But there is another. One with no partner, instead tailgating the flocks leader, leaning closer.
"This is Leutnant Alfred Weber. SilberDrachens report in." A middle aged man commands in a sharp and blunt accent.
"Gefreiter Gantz reporting no problems." Another responded in a more youthful tone.
"Obergefreiter Bauer reporting: All systems show green." One of the wingmen slurred.
"Oberfeldwebel Hans and Gefreiter Engel reporting no errors." A stern middle aged man spoke.
"Unteroffizier Wulfram. Status report." Weber question, noticing a voice missing from the group.
"..."
The channel fell silent fell silent for a moment. The environment perplexing a young woman. Her wide green eyes barely blinking as the gazed into families of stars eons ahead. A glint of light finally caught her attention. It was the volume key which had been muted previously. She reached down and held the key in place for a moment.
"Unteroffizier Wulfram, you status?" An annoyed accent asked.
In a a soft, cut-glassed tone the young woman responded. "Unteroffizier Katarine Von Wulfram speaking." All is...fine."
"You don't have to say your whole name every time the commander asks you something." Chuckled Gantz.
"Right. No reason to be so formal my dear." Weber agreed. "Your last name and rank with suffice."
"Understood Commander Weber." Complied Katarine, adjusting her long jade hair.
"Ok, lets go over our to-do list one more time." Sighed Weber. "We're heading over to an allied supply station to meet up with a transport and it's support."
"Chryslers, sir?" Questioned hans.
"Correct." Answered Weber. "Our route will take us though a few dark spots which we've been specifically asked too scan out and report back."
"For hunting packs and scouts?" Engel asked, his ship tilting slightly.
"And Imperial cruisers." Weber added.
"Ahh, that's probably why the Saxony was asked to come this far out." Bauer concluded.
"No, not actually." Gantz said. tapping his finger along side the canopy "I think we are just here for that convoy."
"I wonder what they're bringing to us." Muttered Katarine.
"I guess we will find that out when we ask them. But for now, align and jump to these coordinates in 8 seconds." Weber ordered.
The ships twisted and tilted in a new direction carefully maintaining their distance. The greenish-white glow spewed from the engines began to fluctuate in unison. The hulls, canopies, and wings blurred as the structures hummed, the fell silent. And in a moment the six charged into the darkness far ahead.
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