Natalie Claesen, was born in 05.05.797 AS on Planet Stuttgart. She grew up in an almost exemplary Rheinland family. Her father, Simon Claesen, being a well-respected manager at Republican Shipping, her mother, Lena Claesen, primarily engaged in housework and family care at home and at last her little sister, Marie Claesen, who experiences all those problems typical of adolescence on her way of becoming just like her big sister.
Although Natalie enjoyed the generous education at the very best schools in Stuttgart’s capital city, she always got told by her parents, that one time she'll have her own children, cooking, cleaning and caring for them, while her future husband is going to pursue a successful career and bringing the credits home. But somehow, Natalie had a different image of the modern women. Strength, autonomy and power. It's not clear, if it was just a result of an intense phase of puberty or if she really meant it like that.
In 819 AS, she secretly applied for an apprenticeship at the Rheinland Miltary on Battleship Karlsruhe, whereas she told her family, that she's going to have a practical course at Orbital Spa and Cruise on Planet Baden Baden. Everything went well until one day in late 819, when her mother was checking the mailing, she came across a letter of congratulations from the Rheinwehr, that their daughter got promoted to the rank of a Gefreite, and how proud her family shall be about those glorious news. Unfortunately they weren't happy at all. Quite the contrary. Driven by frustration and anger, they cut off the contact with Natalie and ignored her frequent messages.
Together with her promotion, she got assigned by her supervisor, Feldwebel Sarah Braun to join her on a routine patrol at Rheinland borders in Omega-7.
Date: 20 September 819 Location: Battleship Karlsruhe Topic: Life at the Military
Dear diary,
today has been an exhausting day. Not just for me, but also for Sarah, my supervisor. Nun, to be honest, she's even more than that. A close friend, like the big sister I've never had. This morning in Karlsruhe's mess hall, she told me about some 'classified information'. Aber ja, there's nothing bad about two women babbling about secrets, nein? Anyhow, she entrusted me with a newsworthy story about another Rheinwehr patrol group which disappeared in Dresden this night. Five brave women and men, two of them were even younger than I - how horrible. It may sound harsh, but I'm glad that I didn't knew any of them personally. Ja, I know how that feels. Such situation weren't that unique: Just two weeks ago we've lost a four people large recon squad in the thick nebulae of Omega-7.
Frau Braun explained me, that she considered registering her ship for that mission, but instead decided to have some training lessons with me, thanks to my verbal manipulation and childish begging. "Natalie, you saved my life. You must be an angel." She said after she heard of the tragic news. It took me a few weeks to digest the losses, as I knew two of them from my training period. If there's a lesson, which I remember best, is that "Life isn't always a bowl of cherries." as Sarah often says. It was my own choice, and I'll have to get used to such conflicts.
Aber hey, life in the Miltary has many beautiful shades as well. On the one hand, there are all those cute muscular men. And how they always salute smartly, and... nein. Actually I'm not quite interested in a relationship, especially not on a battleship, where it's strictly forbidden to have sexual contact with 'the other gender'. When I first heard of that rule, I wondered if that includes lesbian love attachments... Oh, what am I writing. Anyways, today I had quite some fun at another training simulation with my fellows. We've been practicing our dodging in the Wraith. "If you're not with the sun - RUN!" Sarah told me once. It's important to control the situation if it comes to a fight. The number of hostile contacts, compared with your group numbers decides about everybody’s destiny.
Even in an organised force, such as the Rheinwehr, it can happen, that you might encounter a stronger enemy which overwhelms your side. People always say, "never leave anyone behind", but in reality, you won't put your life into danger, if there's no more hope. The whole universe's pride is not worth it, to die on the field. That's human. "We're no machines." Naja, this evening Sarah revealed, that I'm going to receive my promotion to Gefreite within next month. If that's true, they might appoint me to serious missions into enemy territory. How exciting!
Transmission from the Promotion Office
SENDER: Colonel Sven Nehaus EMPFAENGER: Gefreite Natalie Claesen BETREFF: Promotion
Friday the 26. October 819.
Sehr geehrte Frau Claesen,
I am pleased to announce your promotion of Flieger to Gefreite. Congratulations. You have proven your worth to the Oberkommando of Battleship Karlsruhe and are now a full member of the glorious Rheinwehr.
Your supervisor has supported this promotion and therefore puts high expectations into your person. I'm sure that you'll fulfill those and make your Vaterland and your parents proud. On a side note, your family has been informed about your promotion and excellent work for the Miltary.
I'm looking forward to see your name crossing our desk for a possible next promotion. It's a honor to have you with us, Gefreite Natalie Claesen.
I also got told to attach your first mission briefing:
The group will be lead by Feldwebel Sarah Braun. Her word is your order. This missions aim is to gain informations about the recent disappearance of numerous Rheinland Miltary pilots inside the Walker Cloud. You will split into three groups, and try to cover as much space as possible by systematically scanning the environment. Especially at the places of where we had last contact with the lost ships. On hostile contact, you're to hide into the nebulas. Do not engage any unknown contact at any costs. This is a recon mission, no assault squadron. We don't expect many Red Hessian patrols there at that time, so keep your eyes open for anything else. Human or not. Emergency calls are to be sent on the encrypted channel R-58.7. Good luck out there.
That's all I've got for you so far.
Für den Gottkanzler, für Rheinland!
I am dismayed at the total failure of mission "Hoffnungsschimmer", which I had to cancel after a length of 9 hours. It happened again.
The first five hours went quite good. We split the group into three squads, each existing of two Wraiths and one Bergelmir, lead by a Feldwebel. We had continuous voice contact for five hours while scanning the sectors, until suddenly the connection to squad #2 broke off. Instantly, I calculated the their current location, via checking their last sent transponder signal. When my group arrived six minutes later at the destination, we saw five unknown contacts disappearing into the Walker Cloud, while we came closer to an obvious battleground. First we found the wreck of the groups Feldwebel, together with his dead body. It seemed like he had no time to activate his escape pod. A few clicks away, we found a Gefreiters Bergelmir, which broke into exactly two pieces, though no trace of his rescue capsule or body. And no sight of the third squad member. When I checked the group lists, I noticed, that the missing ship was flown by Gefreite Natalie Claesen.
We spent almost three hours with the search for the two missing pilots, but we found nothing. Nor did we receive any emergency call. How was that even possible? Why haven't they called for reinforcements? What happened there? All questions I'm not able to answer. Hopefully, Gefreite Claesen managed to tractor the pilot of the bomber and got away unharmed.
Tomorrow I'm going to group up with a rescue team, and find them. I promise. They must be alive, I can feel it. No bodies, no dead persons. And their rescue capsule, or Claesen's Wraith could support them with oxygen for at least 72 hours. There's hope I think.
And to get back to the unknown vessels. Later we found out, that those targets were using old unregistered Rheinland Military transponders of pilots who either died in action or were missed. Our research results even identified one pilot's vessel who was thought to be dead for just two weeks. It was one of the few who vanished in Omega-7. Why were they running? And who was responsible for that ambush?
I swear, I'm going to find that out, and make them pay for it!
Additional Info:
Patrol lenght: 9 hours
Participants: 3 Feldwebel, 6 Gefreite
Scanned area: A1 to D5
Hostile sightings: 5 unknown vessels
Killed hostiles: 0
Losses: 1 + 2 Ships MIA
Braun over.
Viele Grüße,
Sarah Braun
Transmission from Kruger Minerals to the Rheinland Military
Seid gegrüßt Oberkommando of the Rheinland Military,
this might sound odd now, but we're being serious by telling you that we've found one of your lost Wraith pilots in Omega-7 during mining works. She's currently not conscious, but she looks like being uninjured, as well as her Wraith, which was low on Oxygen when we found it, cleanly placed upon a large silver asteroid, but without any scratch. It looked like someone wanted us to find her at that place, right next to the doorstep of Elbich, where you can pick her up as soon as possible. Nun, I'd call it luck, that she was that close to our mining operation. As if it was the gods plan for her to be found. So, that'd be all I think. I'm glad that we were able to help.
Hochachtungsvoll,
Manfred Eckold
Letter to Natalie's Parents
Friday, the 2. November 819.
Liebe Eltern,
I know that you're still reading my letters, but have you ever thought about how hard it must be for a daugther to be ignored by her own family? You can't imagine how complicated the last time here was. Ja ja, you'd just repeat what you've always said about my decision; "This is too dangerous. What child would like to watch her mother getting killed in open space?" But it was my destiny, I wouldn't be happy with any other work. I'm not like Mama or Großmutter, I'm different. When will you accept that already? You're behaving like I'm still a baby, being incapable of finding my own way. But I did! And I don't regret it, verstanden? I'm doing fine without you... no I don't to be honest. I fell ill. There was this recon mission, and I can't really remember what happened there.
People told me afterwards, that I got lost, that there were unknown aggressors, and that I got found being unconscious days later! I don't know - can't explain, my brain feels like there's some pieces missing, as if something got exchanged. The army doctor found nothing. In his opinion, I'm just having a mild concussion. But I could swear that it's much more than that. Sometimes it feels like being under the influence of drugs, and the other hour, I'd like to cut off my head. And this night I also had stomach problems and I've puked all over my cabin. I hope that this'll have an end soon. But for now I recieved paid holidays for two weeks. Finally some time for myself. Bitte sent me a reply. I'd even consider to give you a visit, now that I've got more freetime. But if you prefer to hurt my feelings even more, go on with your "ignore your daughter"-game. By the way, give Marie my regards. I miss you so much.
In Liebe,
Eure Natalie
Natalie's Dairy
Date: 7. November 819 Location: Battleship Karlsruhe Topic: Voices in my head
Dear diary,
my sickness has worsen. I'm still having that insane headache. Yesterday I've quit taking my pharmaceuticals, since I had the feeling that they aggravate my physical condition. There has also been some changes with my rhythm of sleep and I experience metabolic disturbances. The last days I needed over twelve hours sleep and when I finally managed to wake up, my body circulation seemed as bad as of an ninety years-old Opa. Furthermore I'm currently eating the doubled ration as usual. That's a really weird infection. Sometimes I got the feeling that the doctors are keeping my true state of health secret. Or is it paranoia? However, I'm not being honest with them as well. Lately strange things happened with me.
Yesterday, from one moment to the other, I had an outburst of fury and trashed my bathroom. Triggered by terrifying voices in my head. And this morning at the breakfast, when Michael, who's actually a nice guy, asked to have a seat at my table, I screamed at him: "Can't you see that I'm busy?" and knocked his food tray out of his hands to the ground. Afterwards I felt so sorry for him. I can't explain what's happening with me. Most of my time, I'm spending either with eating or daydreaming in the common room. And every time when someone disturbs my trance state I react highly aggressive, almost violent. People don't recognize me anymore. That's not me.
Although she's quite busy, Sarah visited me daily. Every time I see her, I notice that sorrowful view in her brown eyes. She told me, that there are rumours circulating, that I am becoming schizophrenic. "What do you say? Am I sane?" I asked her once. Whereupon she slowly shook her head, which felt like a stab in my heart. It made me cry for the first time since I left my parents' house. I feel broken. Like an angel who has lost its wings.
Today in the afternoon there was a chaotic situation aboard the Karlsruhe. It got told, that a stranger has hacked the security system and got unnoticed access to the Battleship's armory deck. Recounts showed, that a pack of C4 bombs were missing. A disaster. The high command has even considered to evacuate the Karlsruhe at once. But instead they decided to comb through all the decks, which can't be done in less than a week. I wonder who the thief is.
Rheinland Neuste Nachrichten
Multiple explosions on Battleship Karlsruhe
10. November 819
The Rheinland Military has confirmed the information, that this morning at 7:55 am, seven C4 type bombs exploded aboard the Battleship Karlsruhe, which caused the death of 85 people. Among the victims were high-ranked officers, pilots and soldiers. A spokesperson of the Rheinwehr denies the rumors, that said bombs were stolen from the Battleship's armory just three days ago. The aggressor and the cause for that dreadful assassination. Experts are the opinion, that it was a planed assault by the Red Hessian Army, who infiltrated the Karlsruhe with 'moles'. Fact is, that this was one of the most startling incident that Rheinland has suffered the last months. Kanzler Reinhardt has expressed his condolences to the victims families. The authorities are currently conducting investigations.