I guess it is about time I stepped into the spotlight and declared myself. You must understand that I do not do so willingly, I am by nature a cautious man.
Born in regions I am trying my best to forget, to a prospecting freelancer father
who was just passing through. and a na?ve, young sanitary docking clamp cleaner, who had the grace to be called my mother. I loved her, and she I in our way.
Growing up was as uninspiring as growing up on an outpost would be anywhere, my world was small, it existed of all I saw around me and not much more. Even the passing pilots with their tales from far flung places and stories of un-imaginable ships fighting battles and wars for reasons unknown to them; were much like the stories I accessed from my nano library. Stories is all they were, no real meaning, no real sense
of vitality or spirit to them. I could have stayed on that outpost, I could have worked my way up the social pecking order to reach the heady height of bossing my fellow workers about, I could have had a normal, boring existence just like so many of the other people I interacted with daily during that first 20 years of my humble existence.
But I made a Discovery, well to be honest the Discovery made me, and it came in the form of a man, a man flying a heavy fighter. One of the first of its kind I had ever seen. The Man , who was dressed all in black, looked like he had seen everything a man could see in several life times, and things that no man should have to see either. The aura surrounding him spoke to me in a way I had never thought possible, here was experience, here was excitement, here was life and the living it on the edge. Here was a man who got respect simple by being there.
He must have noticed me as he walked deeper into the docking area, standing there with my chin on the floor, gaping like a stupid little dock worker on an outpost beyond outposts. I laugh at myself now remembering the first meeting of this man who is now my close friend and mentor. I look back and offer thanks for that moment in my life, when I first met the Order.
Wake up you idiot, we got incoming Nomads, gunship and escort, quad 4.6-d.3. Rodger, I replied biting down hard on my bottom lip to make sure I was truly awake whilst cursing myself for being a sentimental old fool reminiscing of days gone bye when I should have been paying attention to my scanners. Moving to intercept, good hunting.
The watchers on the edge we are known as around Omni sectors, the guys fighting the good fight, holding at bay the ever insistent invasion of the Nomads, the alien scourge that is ever a threat to human life. Of course we also have to deal with the incompetent Liberty navy and the pathetic, in-squabbling tribe of misfits known as the LSF, (Latest Shoe Fashion as we jokingly call them). Listen to there com chatter and your know why.
Port side incoming missile BEEP BEEP BEEP my sensors 2 seconds behind my wingman in spotting the threat. Throw her sideways into the missile whilst straffing upwards and the drone passes harmlessly beneath my hull and explodes as my wingman blows it away. Hey smooth move there Hawk he statics at me.
Now what, BH incoming quad 3.3-A.6, great.
Lets mop up these Nomads then deal with the Bounty girls I transmit back at him.
Silence reigns over the com as we set about doing what we do.
Placing an arm over my shoulder as we walk across the docking bay floor, Sephan suggest we go have a well earned cold sidewinder. Roger I reply
The story of how I ended up joining this elite group of warriors is a long one indeed and one sidewinder isnt going to cut it, and to be honest it aint any of your business. I am now Watching at the Edge, I am now ORDER and my name is Swooping Hawk.
oorp i have 2 sigs which is the better in your opinions. first or second?
Let Nomad nor No man betray our trust....... We are watching.
//Great story and great art. I really like the effect you used to create the transparent shapes out of a forced square image. Thats something I've never thought of. I like them both!