The Rise of Red Lightning
Far above Wars World, thousands of miles above the ceaseless conflicts and numerous battles lies the black expanse of space, untouched by the humans below save for a small network of satellites. But these artificial constructs only turn their unblinking eyes back on the planet's surface, aiding commanders in their tactics and strategy. Beyond this border the space itself seemed to twist and distort, growing into a white portal that spanned several kilometers in width. Several long shapes pierced the white lens, jumping into being from seemingly nowhere. An armada of ships, all matter of shapes and sizes, emerged from the gateway. The ships comprising the fleet were all gunmetal-grey, with red lightning bolts adorning their flanks. The apparent flagship, "Valiant" painted on its hull, started forward towards the planet, the rest of the fleet following suit.
Marshal Michael Bellamy watched from the bridge of the RLS Valiant as the world before them grew to encompass the entire viewscreen. He stood and stepped over to the bridges Intelligence Station, readjusting his hat as he did so. A middle-aged man with black-hair salted by years of soldiering, creases around his mouth formed his face into a permanent frown. His uniform consisted of a black ballistic suit and a grey greatcoat trimmed with red fabric which rested over the armor. A carbon-steel revolver rested in a holster on his belt.
"Give me a report on the reconnaissance satellite." He ordered curtly.
"Sir." One of the analysts replied, pulling up the requested data on his terminal screen. "The probe was sent through the gate a month prior to our departure. It infiltrated the satellite network already in place above the planet, and has been monitoring the situation planetside, as well as piggybacking on the signals of the other satellites in orbit."
Bellamy nodded. "And what has it gathered?"
The intelligence officer pulled up a picture of the planet in front of them. "The planet is called Wars World, and is populated by humans like ourselves. It is around the same size as Earth, made up of three large continents, named Cosmoland, Macroland, and Omegaland respectively. The world is only home to five countries, each a superpower in its own right. They are Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet, Green Earth, and Black Hole."
The landmasses on the image were filled in with the corresponding colors of the nations that controlled them.
"These nations fight amongst themselves, and as a result their militaries boast impressive technology and superior officers." The soldier concluded.
Marshall Bellamy let the new information ferment in his head awhile, then spoke once more.
"What are our chances of a peaceful integration?" he asked.
The analyst shook his head. "If you want my opinion sir, not very likely. Our presence will only add another force in the ongoing conflicts, and we do not have the resources to fight a prolonged war. Honestly, I believe we should skip this dimension entirely. It would be almost impossible to…"
"Warrant," the Marshall's voice chilled the air around him. "what is Red Lightning's purpose?"
"We are the military arm of the Universal Conglomerate, the sword and shield of mankind, devoted to uniting and protecting all of humanity." The officer recited from memory.
"And we are the Thirteenth Legion, entrusted to doing the same to all humans throughout the Multiverse. We have been doing it for twenty years now, and we will succeed here."
The Marshall bent over the officer's shoulder, searching through the files assembled on the screen. He eyed several pages of documents before something caught his eye.
"It says all of the nation's have highly industrialized war economies and vast deposits of natural resources. What if we knock out one country and use its assets to mount a campaign to unify the others?"
The intelligence officer mulled the idea over in is head. "Could work," he said slowly. The spark of realization shone in his eyes, and he typed a set of commands into his station. An enlarged image of one of the continents, Omegaland, appeared on the screen.
"The nation here, Black Hole, is by far the largest. Its army is more technologically advanced than those of the other nations, but it is ruled by a tyrannical dictator. Sewing unrest among its people and toppling it would be within our capabilities, and we could hide our true presence behind a rebellion until the time is right."
Marshall Bellany smiled, a rare occurance, and squeezed the younger man's shoulder. "A grand idea, Warrant. Call the commanders to the Valiant…we have some planning to do.
---
Black Hole Operations Command
"General Hawke, sir. Adder's fleet is currently underway on its training exercise. Von Bolt and the Bolt Guard are holding ceremonies in the Capitol, and all other Cos are on standby with their forces."
An imposing man with silver hair and tan skin, dressed in a dark green double-breasted military coat, nodded from his seat in the intelligence bunker. Built in the dense forests surrounding the Black Hole capitol city, the BHOC oversaw all Black Hole military operations. Hawke nodded to the officer and drank slowly from a glass of amber liquid. The whiskey warmed his throat as it travelled to his stomach, giving his body a weird, toasty feeling.
All was going well. Adder's "training exercise" was merely a ruse. The commander would merely play around in the ocean for a few weeks before launching an all-out campaign on the nation of Orange Star, starting a fresh campaign against the Allied Nation. Ever since the other countries had sent Black Hole reeling from their last attempt at world domination, the nation's new leader, Von Bolt, promised fiery redemption. Hawke smiled…he trusted the megalomaniac as far as he could throw him, and planned to overthrow the old man as soon as his precious Bold Guard left the country.
"Sir, one of our satellites had picked up strange readings!" an analyst called. The general rose and strode to the man's station.
"What is it? Something with Adder's task force?" he asked calmly.
"No sir…the readings aren't from the planet's surface, but from space." The officer said nervously. "I've never seen this kind of response before…"
"That is because you are far too green, soldier." Hawke replied, shaking his head pretentiously. "There is nothing out there but comm satellites. There are no weapons out there."
"But…"
"Focus on this planet, soldier. That is an order." The general said, returning to his seat, and his whiskey.
---
Strategic Command-Allied Nations
The intelligence officer scrambled around the bunker, overlooking the actions of the subordinates under his command, head pounding from the four voices that pounded against his eardrums. The main screen was divided four ways, each partition filled with a giant face. A blonde woman in a business suit, a large beared man in full winter gear, a thin asian man dressed in the garb of a samurai, and a young silver-haired man in a pilot's uniform all looked anxiously at the stressed-out man.
"What's going on?"
"Are we under attack?"
"What the hell is happening?"
"Black Hole?"
The man finally had enough, kindly asking the supreme commanders of the Allied Nations to shut the hell up. Once the room had quieted down, the officer spoke.
"Moments ago our satellite network picked up strange readings…not from any place on Wars World, but from outer space. These readings lasted only a couple seconds, and we were unable to trace their orgin or cause. Our intel reports that Black Hole is not the cause, and questions regarding the reasons were briefly broadcast over their own intel network. Odds are it was just solar influence, or a meteor shower. There is nothing to worry about."
The four commanders talked amongst themselves for a bit then, one by one, cut their feeds.
"Please keep us informed of any further developments." The blonde said before disappearing.
The intelligence officer sighed and fell into his chair. The Allied Powers top COs were an imposing bunch. Nell, the blonde, was the Supreme Commander of Orange Star, and looked after both her nation and those under her command with the fierce protectiveness of a mother. Olaf, the portly old man from Blue Moon, was one of the strongest commanders on the battlefield. Kanbei, from Yellow Comet, taught his soldiers to fight with the speed and strength of samurai. Eagle, the top CO from Green Moon, was a hot-headed young pilot whose forces were unmatched in the skies. Sighing, deeply, the man reached for a flask inside his jacket and took a long drag before passing out into a fitful sleep.
This story is very similar to my other two for Fallout and Armored Core, but in the Advance Wars universe I love so much. I hope to write more on this real soon, but this is just a teaser for now. Enjoy and review!