Old memories come and go, numerous images passing by. Some can be grasped, other remain unbound. In the end you have to fight to preserve their legacy. And then there are these that haunt you, these that return every time you banish them into the abyss of your mind. Like shadows, they seep across any corner. Shackled by fear, they are harmless. Fear? A pitiful emotion. When there is nothing to lose, there is nothing to fear. It has no power. And thus, with ancient shadows unbound, history repeats itself. A mere spark, a sensation associated with the captive, and the rebellion breaks loose.
Rust. Smoke. My cruiser has seen better days. "It looks like I must leave you behind, old friend. We have fought many battles, but the time has come. I must leave you behind." Shadows seep through, a black nebula creating another wall at the edges of the room. Kapitän Michael Schmidt lifted himself from the captain's seat, only to find that it has been replaced by a cold and hard steel chair. He was in a .. cantina? A disgusting one, too. Three other men were at the table he was sitting at, quite familiar faces. As if it had been yesterday.. funny, isn't it? In the most dire situation, all the conflicting ideologies cease to play a role. In the end they were forced to fight together to survive as a whole. Unioners, Hessians, Bundschuh and the Military, one from each. Enemies became friends, and the adversary was defeated, though at a terrible price.
Heartbeat increasing, explosion. Guard shot, another, another, puddles of blood, screaming captives, falling steel beam, no, no, NO!
Unio-- no, friend, lying motionless, floor dyed crimson, shattered bones and crushed skull beneath. More guards, fire all over, a muzzle flash, another. As shards of images make their way towards the inner eye, they blend into a viscous stream, with details fading. Only Bundschuh and me left. The hangar, at last!
Michael's heart is racing by now, he can feel it trying to escape the inevitable, heavily pounding against his chest and hurting.
At last, they were on their way home, far from the slaver ship he was on for months. The others were there even longer.
Rather sudden, a gun appeared in his hand. With a mind of its own, it raised itself. Michael fought a raging battle, remaining reluctant but to no avail. Another muzzle flash, then the cockpit rested in virtually perfect silence. The only sounds came from the frequent fountains of blood erupting rom the depth of his friend's throat. But in time, the noise receded, and all that was left was the silence and darkness. The Bundschuh's head slowly turned to him. A blank stare from the deep, lifeless eyes. The mouth twitched, and from the dead volcano escaped one last word: "Kapitän..."
Drenched in sweat, he awoke from his deep slumber. The pounding of his heart slowly normalised, but the terror's wounds still cut deep. "Kapitän, are you alright? You look rather pale." With worried look, his chief engineer stood infront of him, a datapad in his hand. He must've been the one that called Michael when he was .. absent. With a quick movement, he gestured the chief engineer to calm down. "No worries, I am fine. I am afraid that sleep was barely involved in the last few nights." In reality, it was rather the opposite. Though the sleep barely provided rest.
The officer hesitated, but then caught Michael staring at the datapad. He hastily straightened himself and handed the pad to Kapitän Schmidt, who now spends the last remaining energy on studying the status of the Altenau's systems.
Quote:
System report 03.02.822 - Rheinland Cruiser "Altenau" [img float=left]http://i.imgur.com/wdwI8qA.png?1[/img]Type:Cruiser Model Number:289-ARKM-CR27 Role:Long Range Support Fleet Association:Rheinland Military Primary Fleet Manufacturer:Daumann Heavy Construction (Military Contract) Status:In service. Hull Status:91%
Summary
The 289-ARKM-CR27 Rheinland Cruiser comes with heavy armour and heavy firepower while still being somewhat agile. It is produced in large amounts and one of the strongest enemies to fight in the hands of a skillful crew. The cruiser is best used for long range support, bombardments, but may also fight the enemy upfront with the four heavy turrets and all of its turrets facing forward. This ship truly is the backbone of the Rheinwehr and provides a valuable advantage over its enemies whenever it is in use.
HullArmour Durability:390.000 Standard Units Hold Capacity:900 SU Equipment Hardpoints:Countermeasure, Cruise Disruptor, Docking Bay, 2x Special Equipment Weapon Loadout:
"This is going to be a great day." After Michael read the report, he sighed. Closing his eyes, he thought of the past battles, both lost and won. After a while, he noticed that Chief Engineer Angstmann still remained in his place, probably expecting an answer or simply not knowing what to do. Michael nods towards the door, relieving the Chief Engineer as he finally leaves. "No, you are not ready for the scrapyard yet. This is simply not what you deserve. Reluctantly, Kapitän Schmidt packs his things and moves towards the shuttles that traveled between The Ring and New Berlin. Later, when he arrived at his office, he would glance at the documents. One in particularly caught his eye. Dusty, but more relevant than ever. In small letters, the title seemingly spreads its wings and seeps into the mind of Schmidt. "Division RH03-07, Karlsruhe. Omega Defense Flotilla."
Blizzards encompass all that is built upon the surface of Planet New Berlin. Modern heating devices manage to keep important areas clear from the snow. Among those is the landing pad. With thunderous engines, a Behemoth emerges from the heavy cloud blanket laying over New Berlin. Melting snow and water is blown to the side as the stabiliser thrusters slowly approach the surface of the landing pad. Shortly after, the Behemoth landed safely on New Berlin. Guards emerge from the entrance of the Military Headquarters below, adjusting their position accordingly to form a pathway to the building. The door of the Behemoth opens, and a decorated person steps out into the blizzard. His uniform waving heavily in the wind, he looks around. The soldiers are saluting in unison, creating a path for the person to step through. The arrival is observed by another heavily decorated person from afar. Snowflakes thrust against the window as Kapitän Michael Schmidt returns to his desk. So his guest has arrived at last. The air within the room is warm, and the dark wooden decorations, tables and leather seats provide for a comfortable atmosphere. Stacked upon his desk are piles of papers, all of them bearing an almost similar title. ODF Roster, ODF Pilot Reports, The result of days of research, using his connections, to ensure the best treatment for his jewel.
Only mere moments later, his door opened, and his guest stepped in. It was his guest. Schmidt saluted out of tradition, then adjusted himself again. "Admiral Landers. At least that is what you have been for a long time. You have done Rheinland a great service. Please, take a seat." Both of them shook each other's hands, and they sat down. "How is that division of yours holding up? The Omega Defense Flotilla seems to gain quite a lot of recognition in the Military. It may be unfortunate that we currently have to focus our best ships on the northern front with Liberty, but it seems that they are cashing one achievement after another. Please, do tell me how you got the idea in the first place, and what you currently like about the division. Perhaps there is also a specific thing you seek to improve, something we can do? Such zeal can not go unrewarded.
