Author's note: This will be a mix between Ace Combat and Galaxy Angel. The story will be a sort of spiritual sequel, because I may or may not follow GA II canon. This is because most of the games have yet to be translated. (It can be confusing to follow sometimes, too.)
Without further ado, let's start this story.
"And finally I believe in my whole race.. In the honesty, courage, Intelligence, durability.. And goodness... Of my brothers and sisters... I am proud to be a human being.. This I believe with all my heart." -Robert A. Heinlein
Another meteor shower flashes through the heavens of Skylon. The grass sways and the earth touches the blue night under the orchestra of windmills of our farm. I was in a another world, and nothing could take me away from it.
The work had been done a few hours early today, so I could watch the beautiful sunset give way to the concert in the sky. I was all alone. At peace. I picture space, the huge ocean in the sky.. My thoughts begin to wander.
Today, the space is a source of awe and wonder we barely understand. It's a source of mystery. No one remembers what it was before. Anyone can go to space if they wanted to. They're free to go wherever they want to. They can venture into the frontier without having to worry about pirates. Camp in the Infinite Corridor.
A long time ago, there was an empire called Transbaal. They ventured into the deep reaches of space into another world. This is where my story starts.
At that time, there was a war that engulfed the outer reaches of space. The Empire faced setback after setback. People asked, "Is this the end of the Empire?" One thing was for certain now, only the angels could save us. Angels we didn't have.
In Transbaal Calendar Year 421, a diplomatic envoy was sent to Planet Seldor. It was a time of peace after three major wars and an insurgency. I was fighter pilot in Vogue Troupe. It was supposed to be a routine mission. Escort them so they can settle a trade dispute, border problems..something like that. I didn't pay much attention to politics.
What happened there, changed everything.
We were gathered in the briefing room. The ac was broken that day, so it was really cold. My friends shivered a bit, but not me. This was my first mission. The commander briefed us, "Bishop squad is running low on fuel. As ordered you will be swapping duty. Don't stray too far." The hologram projection of the field is downloaded to our tablets. "You have your orders, mobilize."
"Yes, sir!" we shout together.
I ran as fast as I could to the hangar. This was the moment I've been waiting for. I went through the simulations so many times, but this was the real thing. My chest was beating with excitement. The door opened for us. A line of mechanics pumped fuel into our fighter jets. My team and I climbed into our fighters- bulky planes loaded with missiles and revolver turrets.
"The weapons on these fighters are overkill. Is the diplomat this important?" I tap the power button on and input commands into the console. The engines roars to life, and the dials on the hud show that. My friend Lisa blips on the screen, "Who knows, Mori? He might be the son of Eonia."
"Not funny, Lisa," I groan. She always teased me, since we were in Cadet School. "I'm only joking. Anyway, good luck. I've got your back!"
"Thanks. Don't forget you need to take care of yourself, too. We're all inexperienced." I flip the switch and kick in the afterburner engine.
"Don't get so informal you two. We're on important business in unknown territory," our squad commander Cole butts in.
My plane attaches itself to the lifting crane. It heaves me up onto the catwalk. The siren sounds.
Lisa's griping rings over the radio, "I could have napped all day, but no.."
"It could be worse." The hangar door slowly opens up revealing a runway that tracks along the stern of the battleship and extends off the bow, ending at the reaches of space.
"Preparing lift off. 3...2..1..."
I kick back into my ejection seat. It was a brief punch to the stomach that hurt for the first time. When I numbed, I realized my plane was floating in free space.
Stars everywhere, a vast darkness. "Don't stray too far, rookies. Is that clear" Bishop squadron calls.
"This is Cole. Copy that. Don't worry, that's why I'm here."
"
We fly at a steady pace, close together. The Diplomat ship was in front of us. A small ship quicker than us along the space.
"It's smooth sailing from here, Mori." Lisa does a barrel roll. "Yeah."
"It' really is something." I hesitate, "Hey, Lisa."
"Yeah?"
"Wouldn't it be nice.. If we flew here, off duty?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it would be."
The rest of the squadron is picking up speed. "They're awfully in a hurry..."
I pick up blips on the radar.
"We picked up something. You scrubs stay close, got that. You might detect a UFO on radar."
"Yeah, I see it. Captain, what do we do?"
He speaks through the communications on the bridge, "Stay calm, only Seldor ships are present in this area."
"No worries then, they won't open fire on us," Lisa is yawning. "Hey, Mori, did you get that attachment I sent you this morning?"
"Not now, the battlefield isn't the right place for a casual attitude. We have to be on the alert."
"But Mori, there's no point exhausting yourself when there's no danger. "
"Maybe next time. When we're on break."
"Alright," she's sighing at me.
What's in the attachment anyway? I open it on my screen. It's a collection of detailed holocrons.
My favorite ones: Flying and Takuto Meyers biographies. When I was a little girl I dreamed of flying alongside a hero like him, saving the empire, falling in lvoe..
It sounds lame now, but he was incredible, surviving for months in an enclosed in his ship, alone in space. Defeating an invading Val-Fask fleet with the
strongest weapon known to man, the chrono cannon. He was raised up like me, on a small farm looking at the sky in a small, small world.
It isn't what it's cracked up to be. Forced to do tasks that even the army on bicycles could do in just half the time.
The fighters spit fire from their exhausts. WHOOSH. "They're still paranoid?"
"Yeah," I feel my skin crawl a bit.
"There's no use being so uptight. They've been our allies for years. They won't attack us."
"You never know. Things change. People change.."
"That's absurd, people never change. You know what they say once a bad guy- always a-" she pauses. "Sorry... I forgot about...I'm just peeved."
"It's okay, Lisa. I understand." Blip Blip Blip.
"Listen.. we can only hope for the best. Moping about things that might not happen won't help. Isn't that what Takuto always says?"
"Yeah, you're right."
"And Tact's the ideal soldier. He can't be wrong. Quick, let's go before commander Cole yells at us."
Our battle ship cruises forward at maximum to catch up with us. "A squadron of planes are moving toward us... three."
"Are they Seldor, Captain?"
"I don't know, they're using some sort of system I'm not familiar with. Communication is coming out fuzzy. Do not engage."
The stars were splashing by the screen like rain. There were no star-fighters in sight. The diplomat's shuttle was straying away from us. "Attention, escort. Please return to mothership."
"Roger that." The shuttle shifted its wings outward and steered to the right, U-turns and flies into the mouth of the battleship. The radar beeps faster but the location of the fighters don't show. "We're attempting to communicate with the squadron, do not engage."
We shut our engines down. As they die, we're chattering on the radio anxiously.
"We're just going to sit here?" I look around me, there were nothing but the black reaches of space. No stars, whatsoever. You would think there would be more stars in the galaxy.
"You would think there would be more stars in the galaxy. It's so dark out here," Lisa complains. "Keep quiet, scrubs," The Squad leader orders.
"Hey, what did you just call me!"
He repeats, "Scrub."
ARRGGH.
"I said, maintain radio silence!"
"I want you to apologize-"
They're arguing now.
"I'm your superior officer, you will respect MY authority-"
"Authority my ass! You're only in charge because you cleaned the captain's desk..."
"Unknown squadron, you are not registering on the radar and are failing to communicate with UPW authority. Immediately identify yourself."
"...Unknown squadron, you are not registering on the radar and are failing to communicate with UPW authority. Immediately identify yourself."
I tune out. Their arguing would last for another hour. My eyes roll toward the window. There was a flash of light traveling above us. It must be a comet, I could see the tail burning. Odd though. It was awfully smaller than most comets.
It flashed a massive, blinding light. I couldn't see for a few seconds. BOOOOM. "What was that?" Everyone turns around. Even Lisa and the squad leader suddenly stop what they're doing and turn around.
The entire front hangar is on fire and smoke rises from the stern. I gasp in horror, covering my mouth. I didn't know at the time how girly that, I couldn't control myself either. It just happened. "Mori...wasn't the diplomat ship.. There?"
"Yeah..," I'm sweating. My heart dropped. "Bishop troupe, too.
"Pzzzzzzttttttttt." Over the static I hear people screaming in the background.
"Pzzzzzt- This is the captain! The ship is under attack. Squad, unlock your weapons and hold them off!"
"Wait, sir. Who's attacking us?"
BOOOM. Another explosion rocks the ship. "Argh, we don't know. But be careful. They're using some sort of long-range laser!"
"Roger! Squad, engage!"
We flip the safety switches off, now is the time to fight. Whoosh An enemy fighter flies over me. One of our fighters bursts into a ball of fire. "Dammit, get moving!"
I steer to the right and turn around. Two fighters spear forward and strafe me, pouring a few bullets into my hull.
Lisa covers me with a sweeping bolt of laser from the side. PMMPF. A muffled roar went off. The other squad members had left to take out the frame that killed our squad-mate.
"Vogue squad, we request you retreat. Sending for reinforcements from Seldor immediately. They have been notified of an intruder in their space."
My screen is flashing and beeping blood red. "Missile Alert" I cork-screw for our ship. "The hangar's still on fire, we're going to regroup at the- BZZT."
The mid-section of the whole ship is cut in half, the two pieces are dangling, catching fire. "Captain?"
"He's gone," the coordinates of our next destination pop on the screen. "We should hurry."
The escape pods are dangling as the ship capsizes. The buzz of the radio drowns out whatever is going on. The diplomats, mechanics, everyone is in danger.
"We're not just gonna leave them are we?"
"You have your orders."
At this point, everyone is arguing what to do next.
"Mori, we can't just leave them!"
"No. We can't."
"So let's go get them!"
"Right!" I kick my plane higher and cover Vogue. The rest of the squad pitches in as we circle our battleship.
"Dammit. Alright." The captain gives in. He intercepts a few striker fighters blasting the escape pods.
There was a loud BOOM. The space in front of us rippled like a wave. Floating in front of us, was the Seldor fleet. Their ships had the banner of a golden cross. What amazed me the most was how many there were and that they were all pure white battleships.
"What took you guys so long? We're being engaged by an unknown enemy! Can you lend us a hand?"
They didn't move or even answer. Their guns did not fire at the threat. All their fighters were gathered in the most stagnant formation I've ever seen.
"Eh, Seldor. Is your communication broken? Respond?"
A message flashes on my screen. "They sent a text."
"Oh, what does it say?"
I panic, "Sorry...EDEN.."
A ray swings from left to right vaporizing everyone in front of me. The explosions rocks my ship. Ech Ech Ech. The altimeter's numbers go crazy, my head is dizzy. Everything is spinning wildly.
I cling onto the throttle and swerve to the right. I see a blue planet with a small continent in view. The fighter burns up, sweat pours down my forehead. I have to time this right, I steer in the center of the continent and brace myself. My vision was blurring. The last thing I see are the clouds and sparkle of the ocean before passing out.
Is this the end? If I'm lucky... I'll crash into the ocean. But how long would I last stranded the ocean?
It's all over.. After everything.. I still couldn't see him... And the prairie we called home..
...Creakk...thump...
My eyes begin to flicker open. My long hair is dangling above. I must be dangling upside down. "Easy.. Easy.." I hear a drop of water, below me the ocean is red. Drip..Drip.. My head... I must be bleeding.
"Oh thank God," men clap and shout at each other to pick up the speed. My ship swings like a pendulum, lurching up. A boy a few years past his teen, probably a few years younger than me waves. "..Hey there." His hair is brown and I could tell he sounded a bit meek. Nervous. "H-Hi.."
"Good you're awake! How long have you been out?"
"I don't know.."
The crew raise me up on the platform and begin to burn their way through the metal with a blowtorch. The metal was badly warped and compacted. "Where am I?"
"Well, it's hard to explain, but.."
A few more fighters are raised from the ocean, the water separates and drips down their sleek form. Immediately I see the insignia of an angel. "Emblem frames...," I gasp.
"No wonder the Seldor don't want us here," he sighs, "They're after Lost Technology."
"Lost technology?" I stutter. I move forward but fall on my seat. "Urgh."
"Careful, careful," his phone rings. "Pardon me, oh hey, Tact."
"How are the emblem frames?"
"They're doing great! No worries.."
"Who are you?"
"I'm.. Kazuya."
It was the greatest hero of the empire, since Tact Meyers. The politics before this made no sense. But when it happened, when everyone I knew died. All the pieces came together.
In 421, the Seldor Alliance blockaded ABSOLUTE. They claimed they were protecting their airspace. They were fighting a civil war. Anything in their system was fair grounds for attack by mercenaries, rebels, pirates.
We respected their request. Until an incident with EDEN happened. The Emperor demanded we hand over documents from The Library. EDEN was the homeworld of the first humans. They possessed technology, even they were beginning to try to understand.
Relations worsened. For years, we stood together against the enemies of outer-space, and hostile elements within our homes. The alliance looked like it was about to collapse. Hat was when we sent a diplomat in hopes of negotiating for peace.
The shuttle was attacked. In the aftermath, when they pulled me from the wreckage of my burning fighter- I asked desperately, "Where's Lisa? Where's Lisa?!" They merely said, "You're the only survivor."
They called it, the Bishop incident. Seldor was preparing for war. Peace died with Lisa that day, and I was left to wonder, what will happen next?