02-06-2010, 10:49 AM
Chapter 1: Angel’s Tomb
Meet Reia Azuchi, 22 years old. A veteran Raven of 2 years, he’d lived through both the Silent Line incident and the unmanned suicide weapons’ attack. And in the impending war between Vertex and the Alliance, he cast his lot with the latter – the corporations were known for being self-serving, yes, but Jack-O, Vertex’s leader, seemed to want war for the sake of it. It was on one fateful mission, that he would get the biggest shock of his life. Nothing would ever be the same.
“We’d like you to investigate the ruins on Onogoro Island.
As I’m sure you know, Onogoro was the capital of the Orb Union at least 50 years ago, before the Cold Kiss colony drop destroyed most of the surface world. It is also rumored to be the final resting place of the legendary warship Archangel.
The credibility of this rumor isn’t that certain, but if it were true, the Archangel and whatever spoils she may hold qualify as valuable pieces of lost technology. And if it were to fall into Vertex’s hands, the world would be plunged into ruin.
Your mission is to investigate the ruins and report back. It is unknown what enemies you may encounter, so outfit your AC as you deem fit. Good luck, and godspeed.”
The briefing still rang in his head as he navigated through what seemed to be an abandoned factory. The whole place really did look like it got bombed; scattered all over were what appeared to be AC parts – heads, cores, and even the occasional shield. He’d been lucky enough not to encounter any hostiles thus far, especially since scavengers and terrorists were known for using places like these as outposts. Phantoms and specters from ages past, maybe – but even that was doubtful, not least because Reia wasn’t known for being a superstitious young man.
Even still, he did realize that he was bound to encounter some MTs, if nothing else. Considering what was rumored to lie here, it was safe to assume that the Archangel, if indeed it rested here, would be heavily guarded. It was for that reason that he came in Fenriswulfr, or Fenris for short, his first and best AC – a middleweight blend of firepower and durability that could give even OP-I-enhanced units a good fight. After all, if he turned out to be right and there was something guarding the place, he’d want to be able to tell the tale.
Finally, he came across a gigantic set of double doors. On the right was a panel, which held a switch in addition to an inscription that glowed faintly blue. Upon closer examination, it read:
“Behind this door lies a sleeping angel, one with the power to protect or to destroy. While we would rather she never be awakened again, it is our sincerest wish that whoever opens this door upholds everything she had fought for.”
Poetic words, but a bit too melodramatic, thought the Raven as he operated the switch. The doors opened…
…And as the facility’s lights came on as the doors opened, Reia gasped, awestruck. He’d read about the Bloody Valentine Wars as a student, but here was proof that they had actually taken place: the Archangel was here, looking every bit as magnificent as her namesake. Neither the passage of time nor the tragedy that shattered the world appeared to make a difference on the ship; today could have been her maiden flight. He couldn’t stop himself circling the warship of legend in his awe.
Just then, though, his AC’s AI made an announcement.
“Warning: AC Raging Torrent IV detected.”
“The unit is equipped with a high thermal stress-inducing EO weapon. Mobile attack maneuvers are recommended.”
He turned around; what he saw didn’t disappoint him. It was Caspian, alright, one of the most overrated Ravens working for Alliance. His fellow pilots do in fact hold him in high regard, but the simple truth was that he wasn’t half as skilled as one would expect. A good chunk of his battlefield successes were thanks to the ECM MTs he brought to mess with the opponent’s radar. Which means, thought Reia -
Oh, crap.
No less than ten of them appeared behind Caspian, energy weapons all aimed at Reia and Fenris. None of them warranted a serious threat on their own; not only could Fenris take hits, it could return them many times over, too. But with these many enemies, those hits would add up real fast. And from the looks of things, he couldn’t just run away, either; his AC wasn’t fast enough, and he couldn’t expect Caspian and his flunkies to politely step aside. With a grim smile on his face, Reia activated the LX laser cannon on Fenris’s back.
“Seriously?” Reia exclaimed as he opened communications with the other Raven. “All of them just for me? Dude,” he wondered aloud, “Has anyone told you you fight like a girl?”
But Caspian just laughed. “HQ told me not to underestimate you. And besides,” he sneered back, “There’s no ‘fair’ in war. As long as I defeat you, the mission’s a success.” With that, he fired off opening shots both from his laser rifle and his Exceed Orbit system.
Reia opted to focus on the MTs first; since they were making it very difficult to lock on, taking them out would help even the odds. Deftly he dashed and boost-hopped to each of them, dispatching them with either his machine gun or energy blade while doing his best to evade their attacks. Before long, only the AC remained… but at this point, Reia and Fenris were pretty banged up, too. And, just then, explosions sounded from behind him as Caspian managed to get in quite a few cheap shots.
“You son of a bitch…” muttered Reia as he prepared to fire the LX. But nothing happened. Why…?
The readout on the bottom-right corner of his cockpit’s screen answered his question; the energy gauge was completely drained! Even worse, his AP had dropped to below 2000. Any more would be the end for him. Just then, though, his AC picked up a transmission from an unknown source. Reia had no idea who it was, but the complete lack of static told him it came from nearby. She – judging from the voice, she was female – gave him a command with a clear sense of urgency:
“Get to the Archangel, hurry!”
“What –“ he argued, but the woman on the other end cut him off. “Quickly, there’s no time!”
The Archangel was directly behind Reia’s current position. He desperately began to bunnyhop backwards into the ship’s right ‘leg’, which had opened up for him to enter. To his immense relief, he succeeded – just as Caspian fired a damaging shot directly at Fenris’s core.
“Danger, AP at 10%.”
As he entered what appeared to be a hangar of ACs, Reia noticed three of them, a gold unit standing between two dull-grey hued ones. The one on the left came equipped with at least two rifles underneath a pair of vestigial wings, while the other appeared to have no weapons. And again the female voice came.
“Get into the one on the right,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
A few moments later, the young Raven entered the unit in question. The cockpit was very similar to that of his AC, save for a small, red button right in front of him marked ‘Phase Shift’. Also, on the monitor, instead of the status of his remaining energy and ammunition, was a meter that showed just how much battery power was left. Wait. So these things run on battery power!?
“That thing out there,” the woman began as Reia walked the AC to the catapult, “It’s not a very fast unit, is it? I’m giving you the Launcher Striker, then,” she explained as what she was referring to – a large, handheld cannon and shoulder-mounted machine cannons – were attached to the left arm and right shoulder of the unit, respectively. “The firepower should be enough for this. Oh, and,” she added, “When you go out, press the Phase Shift button, alright?”
“Alright,” he said as the catapult opened again. “One last thing, though,” Reia remembered to ask, “What should I call you? I’m Reia, by the way.”
“It’s Murrue,” replied the woman. “X105 Strike, you’re cleared to launch!”
Reia stepped on the pedal in front of him, activating the boosters and activating the Phase Shift as he leapt out of the ship. As he pushed the button, the suit’s colors changed from metallic gray to white, blue and red. And, right across him, Caspian felt a sense of fear and apprehension creep up his spine.
What the hell IS that thing?!
tbc
Meet Reia Azuchi, 22 years old. A veteran Raven of 2 years, he’d lived through both the Silent Line incident and the unmanned suicide weapons’ attack. And in the impending war between Vertex and the Alliance, he cast his lot with the latter – the corporations were known for being self-serving, yes, but Jack-O, Vertex’s leader, seemed to want war for the sake of it. It was on one fateful mission, that he would get the biggest shock of his life. Nothing would ever be the same.
“We’d like you to investigate the ruins on Onogoro Island.
As I’m sure you know, Onogoro was the capital of the Orb Union at least 50 years ago, before the Cold Kiss colony drop destroyed most of the surface world. It is also rumored to be the final resting place of the legendary warship Archangel.
The credibility of this rumor isn’t that certain, but if it were true, the Archangel and whatever spoils she may hold qualify as valuable pieces of lost technology. And if it were to fall into Vertex’s hands, the world would be plunged into ruin.
Your mission is to investigate the ruins and report back. It is unknown what enemies you may encounter, so outfit your AC as you deem fit. Good luck, and godspeed.”
The briefing still rang in his head as he navigated through what seemed to be an abandoned factory. The whole place really did look like it got bombed; scattered all over were what appeared to be AC parts – heads, cores, and even the occasional shield. He’d been lucky enough not to encounter any hostiles thus far, especially since scavengers and terrorists were known for using places like these as outposts. Phantoms and specters from ages past, maybe – but even that was doubtful, not least because Reia wasn’t known for being a superstitious young man.
Even still, he did realize that he was bound to encounter some MTs, if nothing else. Considering what was rumored to lie here, it was safe to assume that the Archangel, if indeed it rested here, would be heavily guarded. It was for that reason that he came in Fenriswulfr, or Fenris for short, his first and best AC – a middleweight blend of firepower and durability that could give even OP-I-enhanced units a good fight. After all, if he turned out to be right and there was something guarding the place, he’d want to be able to tell the tale.
Finally, he came across a gigantic set of double doors. On the right was a panel, which held a switch in addition to an inscription that glowed faintly blue. Upon closer examination, it read:
“Behind this door lies a sleeping angel, one with the power to protect or to destroy. While we would rather she never be awakened again, it is our sincerest wish that whoever opens this door upholds everything she had fought for.”
Poetic words, but a bit too melodramatic, thought the Raven as he operated the switch. The doors opened…
…And as the facility’s lights came on as the doors opened, Reia gasped, awestruck. He’d read about the Bloody Valentine Wars as a student, but here was proof that they had actually taken place: the Archangel was here, looking every bit as magnificent as her namesake. Neither the passage of time nor the tragedy that shattered the world appeared to make a difference on the ship; today could have been her maiden flight. He couldn’t stop himself circling the warship of legend in his awe.
Just then, though, his AC’s AI made an announcement.
“Warning: AC Raging Torrent IV detected.”
“The unit is equipped with a high thermal stress-inducing EO weapon. Mobile attack maneuvers are recommended.”
He turned around; what he saw didn’t disappoint him. It was Caspian, alright, one of the most overrated Ravens working for Alliance. His fellow pilots do in fact hold him in high regard, but the simple truth was that he wasn’t half as skilled as one would expect. A good chunk of his battlefield successes were thanks to the ECM MTs he brought to mess with the opponent’s radar. Which means, thought Reia -
Oh, crap.
No less than ten of them appeared behind Caspian, energy weapons all aimed at Reia and Fenris. None of them warranted a serious threat on their own; not only could Fenris take hits, it could return them many times over, too. But with these many enemies, those hits would add up real fast. And from the looks of things, he couldn’t just run away, either; his AC wasn’t fast enough, and he couldn’t expect Caspian and his flunkies to politely step aside. With a grim smile on his face, Reia activated the LX laser cannon on Fenris’s back.
“Seriously?” Reia exclaimed as he opened communications with the other Raven. “All of them just for me? Dude,” he wondered aloud, “Has anyone told you you fight like a girl?”
But Caspian just laughed. “HQ told me not to underestimate you. And besides,” he sneered back, “There’s no ‘fair’ in war. As long as I defeat you, the mission’s a success.” With that, he fired off opening shots both from his laser rifle and his Exceed Orbit system.
Reia opted to focus on the MTs first; since they were making it very difficult to lock on, taking them out would help even the odds. Deftly he dashed and boost-hopped to each of them, dispatching them with either his machine gun or energy blade while doing his best to evade their attacks. Before long, only the AC remained… but at this point, Reia and Fenris were pretty banged up, too. And, just then, explosions sounded from behind him as Caspian managed to get in quite a few cheap shots.
“You son of a bitch…” muttered Reia as he prepared to fire the LX. But nothing happened. Why…?
The readout on the bottom-right corner of his cockpit’s screen answered his question; the energy gauge was completely drained! Even worse, his AP had dropped to below 2000. Any more would be the end for him. Just then, though, his AC picked up a transmission from an unknown source. Reia had no idea who it was, but the complete lack of static told him it came from nearby. She – judging from the voice, she was female – gave him a command with a clear sense of urgency:
“Get to the Archangel, hurry!”
“What –“ he argued, but the woman on the other end cut him off. “Quickly, there’s no time!”
The Archangel was directly behind Reia’s current position. He desperately began to bunnyhop backwards into the ship’s right ‘leg’, which had opened up for him to enter. To his immense relief, he succeeded – just as Caspian fired a damaging shot directly at Fenris’s core.
“Danger, AP at 10%.”
As he entered what appeared to be a hangar of ACs, Reia noticed three of them, a gold unit standing between two dull-grey hued ones. The one on the left came equipped with at least two rifles underneath a pair of vestigial wings, while the other appeared to have no weapons. And again the female voice came.
“Get into the one on the right,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
A few moments later, the young Raven entered the unit in question. The cockpit was very similar to that of his AC, save for a small, red button right in front of him marked ‘Phase Shift’. Also, on the monitor, instead of the status of his remaining energy and ammunition, was a meter that showed just how much battery power was left. Wait. So these things run on battery power!?
“That thing out there,” the woman began as Reia walked the AC to the catapult, “It’s not a very fast unit, is it? I’m giving you the Launcher Striker, then,” she explained as what she was referring to – a large, handheld cannon and shoulder-mounted machine cannons – were attached to the left arm and right shoulder of the unit, respectively. “The firepower should be enough for this. Oh, and,” she added, “When you go out, press the Phase Shift button, alright?”
“Alright,” he said as the catapult opened again. “One last thing, though,” Reia remembered to ask, “What should I call you? I’m Reia, by the way.”
“It’s Murrue,” replied the woman. “X105 Strike, you’re cleared to launch!”
Reia stepped on the pedal in front of him, activating the boosters and activating the Phase Shift as he leapt out of the ship. As he pushed the button, the suit’s colors changed from metallic gray to white, blue and red. And, right across him, Caspian felt a sense of fear and apprehension creep up his spine.
What the hell IS that thing?!
tbc
