Chapter 1: PACT on the Horizon
THIS STORY TAKES PLACE AS WE LIVE TODAY, IN A UNIVERSE REMINISCENT BUT VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM OUR OWN
Humanity has spread to the four corners of the galaxy. Subjugating all life we have become the dominant species throughout the stars.
Yet, we are far from secure.
War brews from the northern quadrant of the , the People's Alliance, has toppled the once mighty New Empire.
Led by a mysterious individual known only as the Veniczar Arcadius, PACT seeks to subjugate the galaxy under its new galactic order.
Distant from the brewing clouds of war, the neutral world of Cera seemed safe from the approaching PACT war machine. It is on the quiet world our journey begins...
Captain Damon Shields looked out the window of his orbital shuttle.
Below him, he could see the glittering orb that was his home, Cera.
Beyond it, a vast sea of stars stretched on for as far as the eye could see.
Damon leaned forward on his seat across from him was sitting a large young man, Damon's security and Ryder pilot, Nicholas Orion a muscular and athletic man with short brown hair his white skin lightly tanned from his short vacation. The three of them wear their black uniforms trimmed with gold color, the standard Ceran naval uniforms. To Damon's right was another Ryder pilot her blonde hair braided and pinned up in the back, blue eyes staring forward as her pale skin almost glowed in the dim light of the transport shuttle. Her name was Artoria, Artoria Pendragon a fellow student from back in Nick's and Damon's academy days.
The three gave each other extremely quick glances, their lips curled in the slightest smiles the big day was finally here, the day they'd get to go aboard their first permanent station on a vessel. While still leaning forward, Damon clasped his hands together and spoke. "Hey! Pilot!" The pilot was obscured by the seat, and Damon could only hear his burly voice humming to the tiny radio. The pilot activates the intercom "yeah, what's up?" "how much further until we arrive?" Damon responds glancing to his side to see Cera once more. "Just a moment now, can't wait to see your girl, can you sir?" Damon's mind rushed with memories of his old student body president and very close friend, Ava. Damon quickly came back to the real world "I haven't seen Ava since high school, I doubt she even remembers me..."
The pilot chuckled a moment "You mean the commander? Psshft, I was talkin' bout the Sunrider the newest ship of the fleet! Here lemme turn the ship around so you can get a better view." .
The three's eyes widened as they beheld the majesty of her. The massive ship sitting in the space dock undergoing system diagnostics, Damon's heart skipped a beat, then everyone else's did the same as the ship suddenly shook. Nick had leaped from his seat to press his face to the dura-glass, making the entire ship shudder the pilot spoke up "Woah! What the hell is goin on back there!?" Ignoring the inquiry Nick went on to admire the beautiful vessel "Hot damn! Look at the size of her!" Damon chuckled and nodded, then Nick added as everyone looked past him at the glorious ship
"Anyone else extremely erect right now?" Damon cleared his throat, fidgeting and re-adjusting himself, a grunt could be heard over the intercom, the pilot doing the same. Nick slowly turned around, grinning like the Cheshire cat, as Artoria slowly turned her head to meet his gaze, wearing an expression as if to say 'Don't do it'. Nick proceeded anyway "Are we in the splash zone Artori-AHH!" Nick let out a shriek, and the ship shook violently once more as his face was slammed against the thankfully durable glass "Retract. The. Statement" Nick flailed his arms "it's retracted" Artoria restated "RETRACT THE STATEMENT!" To which Nick would reply "it's retracted! Get off me!" Artoria released him, and in the blink of an eye was sitting back in her seat, Nick, whom was pouting sat down in his own seat.
Remembering Ceran command instructing Cpt. Damon Shields of the newest addition to the fleet, the Sunrider, a new prototype fresh out of R&D assault carrier which required, because it was so advanced, a new line of officers to fly her. The pilot spoke up once more "alright Cpt. We are on approach, preparing for docking.".
As the transport was docking with the Sunrider, Nick remembered what he brought along."Oh shit! I almost forgot, Damon look what I got!" Nick showed Damon a crystal clear bottle of Premium Vodka.
Artoria was about to go ballistic seeing Nick brought contraband with him, Damon signaled Artoria it was fine. "Thanks Nick, though I really shouldn't drink, I'd look unprofessional on the job..."
Nick dismissively waved his hand, shaking the bottle in front of him. "Hey listen this is a gift for having us pulled out of the R&D academy and up in the Sunrider, I'll send it to your Cabin once we get aboard."
Even though his entire mind was saying he wouldn't be drinking it, the thought of the gift was a nice thing for one of his best friends.
After exiting the shuttle the three walked through the airlock and entered the Sunrider's hangar. A female voice rung out through the hangar "Captain on deck!" A young woman with long brown hair and ruby eyes as well as a pale complexion snapped to attention saluting the officer. Damon froze up, staring into Ava's very soul, as a million thoughts rushed once more through his mind, thoughts of chewing her out, thoughts of hugging her, reprimanding, spanking her, kissing her...bending her over one of the crates and fu- wait what?. Damon shook his head violently for a moment to banish these unclean thoughts, then nodded to Ava "Thank you commander... It's been a while Ava" Damon then extended his hand out to her, and they shook hands for a long moment.
Nick, who was standing behind Damon, glanced at his friend Artoria, made a circle with his forefinger and thumb, then lifted his other hand, using his other forefinger to penetrate the ring, while making eye contact with Artoria, while glancing at Damon and Ava. Artoria Glared at him for being so immature, doubt filling her teal eyes. Just as that happened, Damon suddenly tugged Ava into his embrace, wrapping his strong arms around the smaller woman, a faint pink blush crossed her cheeks "Capta-" Damon cut her off by whispering "I missed you Ava..." Ava's blush deepened and she slowly, and hesitantly hugged him back. Artoria's eyes widened and slowly glanced at Nick, whom had his arms crossed over his chest, wiggling his brows at her to silently say "Told ya so".
Artoria crossed her arms and turned away with a huff, meanwhile while Damon and Ava were still in their tender embrace Damon spoke once more "last time we saw each other was graduation, I didn't even dream that I'd be your commanding officer." She states quietly in a blank, hard to read tone "Thank you but...Neither did I." She then pries herself out of the hug, and takes a few steps back, straightening out her uniform. Damon, who looked slightly crestfallen spoke softly "I guess things have changed since then..." To which a firm and emotionless Ava responded with "I agree."
Meanwhile behind them, Nick was peaking over a still pouting Artoria's shoulders, whispering "Don't be sore" giving her a slight pat on the bottom, making a bolt of electricity roll through her entire being. Artoria quickly turned and leaped onto a oblivious Nick who took this as a good sign, until she rolled him over taking his left arm which was the offending arm, pulling it behind his back and with a mighty pull, the hangar filled with a gut wrenching CRACK. Nick stared at the floor with a small smile, his brain not computing the amount of pain that just coursed through him, after a long moment, and after Artoria retreated Nick let out a shriek to challenge that of the banshee's.
Damon and Ava seemingly not hearing it or choosing to ignore it stare at one another for a long moment filled with awkward regret, wonder, and mutual pity. Not wanting this to spiral downwards any longer, not knowing if she had moved on, Damon says "Give me a report on the status of the Sunrider commander." Her emotions blank and sealed away, she responds with a near robotic tone "We've been working for the past two weeks testing the Sunrider's systems. She's prepped to go on your word, sir." Nick crawled up and swayed, deciding to tease Artoria further before his limb regenerated, flailing the broken, limp piece of flesh at her asking. "Does this look familiar?" Artoria's eyes filled with a fiery rage, but rather than giving him a physical punishment she simply gives him the ice age of cold shoulders. Nick's heartbreak is worn clearly on his face as she walks away to inspect the docking for the Ryders, looking for her Ryder, the Saber. Nick abandoned his commanders side to follow after a very disgruntled Artoria.
Damon nodded and said "Take me to the command deck commander." While moving to the command deck Damon asked "I assume you know more about this orange-alert business." Ava glanced out the corner of her eye as they walked side by side, as they did hundreds of times back at the academy "Yes sir, Rynar has surrendered to PACT just this morning." Damon frowned deeply "That doesn't bode well for the neutral systems. That's yet another neutral world taken by PACT." Ava opened up her personal Holo, showing Damon the star charts and PACT's recent movements. Damon furrowed his brow studying the chart a moment and mumbled "Total encirclement..." Ava nodded in agreement "High command has given the order, if any foreign vessels are to enter our gravity well, we are given a KOS order." Damon grumbles "Kill on sight eh?" This was not how he had planned to christen his first ship on her maiden voyage. Ava offered Damon a quick tour of the ship, to which Damon replied "I've studied the layout, I can practically see it on the insides of my eyelids, I'm good, straight to the command deck" Ava nodded "as you wish captain."
Meanwhile in the hangar, Artoria was staring up at her spectacle of a Ryder, a massive suit of steel, spaceworthy, with a blue and steely white theme. Whilst Nick on the other hand, was quite literally giving the leg of his Ryder a full body hug nuzzling his cheek into the cold, black steel of his Ryder, the Damocles, Nick spoke up quite happily "It's so beautiful" Artoria, who has finally calmed down, couldn't help but look over and give a small giggle at his childish demeanor with the Ryder, as if it were a toy. "You know you can't go around acting like that in front of the captain and commander... We could get in serious trouble..." Nick lost his child like attitude and dropped from the Ryder's leg, which he was all but dry humping. "Listen, we'll be fine, Damon's a good friend, he wouldn't..." Nick looks down in thought, Ava coming to mind, he sighs softly "alright, I'll tone it down."
Up in the command deck as Damon sat in his chair, Ava stood in front of him, gesturing towards the star chart explaining the situation, while giving Damon the perfect view of her hind-quarters. Damon ever so slightly tilts his head to the right as Ava goes on about PACT-something or another, remembering all the times he had seen it scantily clad, and the one time he saw it with less. Just. One. More. Look. Ava spun on her heels to look at the captain, who was suddenly sitting perfectly straight in his chair, " and that is the gravity of the situation, sir." Damon nodded "very good" and pressed the button which activated all of the speakers aboard the ship. "All hands, this is your captain speaking. Man your stations and prepare for our maiden voyage, making one round to the moon and back. We are to enter orange-Alert as soon as we clear port. Raise shield and scan for any possible threats. I know this is simply a test, but keep your guard up. I want everyone to take this seriously as if it were a real mission." Damon releases the intercom button and Ava addresses him "Main reactor is coming online Captain, power is increasing." Damon nods to her "Wake our lady up Ava, we are getting out of here."
The Helmsman gets the nod from Ava, signaling the activate the engines. A report comes in from engineering that the reactor is working within projected parameters. "Power is increasing to the engines" Ava states then continues "Blast off in three. Two. O-" The ship violently shakes and shudders, knocking Ava over onto Damon's lap. Damon tilts his head back and vocalizes his concern "What the actual FUCK was that?!" Yelled Damon who still had Ava sitting in his lap. Ava quickly jumps to her feet and opens her Holo "Checking status now! Engineering reports that the engine-core is still stable, no hull rupture, or internal damage on Decks one, or two." The two looked at one another, understanding that if it was not internal, it must have come from outside. Damon muttered "Ahhhhh shit." The Helmsman yells out "Contact! PACT warp signatures detected!" Damon shot his view towards the Helmsman "What?!" Just as Damon asked, he received a transmission from the hangar deck. "Damon?!" Asked a startled Nick "what in the blue fuck just happened?! Please tell me it was just Engineering forgetting to take the parking breaks off." Damon shakes his head "Afraid not Nick, we're locking down the Hangar, don't want the Ryders getting sucked out." Nick sighed in frustration "Aye captain, we'll work on getting them fueled and operational as fast as we can!" Nick turns and barks at Artoria before turning off the holo "We're fu-!" Ending the transmission there.
An Ensign yells out, panic in his voice " Sir! Enemy missile-boats, they jumped in right under our noses!" Damon slams his fist into the arm of his char and roars out "FUCK! Cancel the engine test, red alert- red alert!" Ava points forward and yells out "Aye captain! All hands battle stations this is not a drill!" Damon grits his teeth and snarls out "this is turning out to be one hell of a maiden flight! What's our weapon status commander?!" Ava responds "Limited the Vanguard cannon is still offline all we have is flak turrets, Saviors, and a few shots of hell darts!" Hearing his current arsenal was so limited angered him further "Shit..." Ava looked at Damon with concern "Captain, you aren't seriously thinking about taking the Sunrider into battle are you? We haven't even done the weapon tests." To which Damon replied with "we're about to. And I seriously doubt PACT is going to wait for us to finish our tests. Get this ship out of the dock on the double!" Ava then nodded once more to the Helmsman who repeated the order "All power to the engines!" an Ensign shouted "We have an inbound, two enemies ! Two enemy missile frigates on fast approach!" Damon growled as the engines took their sweet time to reignite. The frigate launched it's first Salvo of missiles, Damon looked to Ava and said "Ava!.. Now would be the optimal time for those engines!" The launched swarm of missiles crashed into the dry docks supports exactly as the engines shot the Sunrider out of said dock, saving it from the resulting catastrophic explosion.
The Sunrider zoomed in between the missile- boats firing off a barrage of flak striking the two missile-boat's armor damaging causing some Hull damage, however these ships returned fire by firing their own counter defenses of flaks striking the armor of the Sunrider causing little to no damage.
"Report!" Captain Damon Shields yelled out to his second in command Ava on his bridge.
"Sunrider has maintained minimal damage!" Ava reported back looking over the shoulders of the ensigns at their monitors relaying damage reports to the Commander.
"Where's our Energy Shields?!" Damon yelled as another barrage of Flak shook the ship, knowing Flak didn't have the strength to bust through shields from Missile-boats.
"They haven't been installed yet, we were supposed to test drive the Sunrider today, she wasn't supposed to see combat yet!" Ava yelled back bracing herself over the back of one of the ensign's chairs.
FUCK THIS!
Damon looked at the targeting screen observing the enemy PACT ships circling around the Sunrider.
"Saviors! Target the Missile-Boat's and Openfire! Unleash Kinetic Destruction on these Red Assholes!" Captain Damon Shields ordered the bridge.
Outside of the Sunrider the Savior Cannons swiveling opposite directions of each other aiming the mighty cannons at the PACT Missile-Boats. A roaring thunder from the Savior's cannons struck one PACT Missle-Boat's hull causing the hull to collapse in on itself, while the other Pact Gunship was hurdling to the wreckage of the dry dock that held the Sunrider.
Cheers began to erupt on the bridge of Sunrider, Damon smiled for the briefest moment as he slumped back in his chair.
"Ava regroup with the fleet, let's push these PACT Scum out of Cera's orbit!" Captain Damon Shields ordered Ava, she immediately snapped a salute preparing to deliver his order.
"SIR! PACT Signatures on approach!" The Ensign manning the radar yelled out.
"On Screen!" Damon ordered the Ensign, who immediately dialed in the commands on the control panel.
Coming out of Warp, was the largest PACT ship Damon and the others have laid their eyes on with the name LEGION on it's side. Cera's navy began concentrating it's combined naval strength on the single ship, hundreds of thousands of projectiles either bounced off or vaporized in it's energy shield. Thousands of PACT signatures jumped out of Warp behind the LEGION not moving another inch. The LEGION's Main cannon began to activate charging up the energy for the attack while the Naval Might of Cera attack's were virtually doing nothing. The Sunrider's bridge began hearing the transmissions coming from the entire fleet.
"This is Admiral—stss Concentrate fire on that Monstrosity I repa- Concentrate fire on the ship's Main Cannon!"
"Come on sink you over bloated Space Whale!"
"Damn it nothing is working, load the missiles and fire off another salvo!"
"Shit recharge!"
"Does anyone copy over?! The Judgment is out of commission enemy ryders have damaged our engines and we are drifting repeat!"
"Breaking off from main engagement of our dryport, and engaging the LEGION!"
"CERA's Planetary defenses are firing off Ion charges at the LEGION... NO effect, I repeat no effect!"
"What's this thing made of?!"
"All Fighter Squadron's on me! ENGAGE, ENGAGE!"
"To any Friendly Ryder Squadrons break through and attack!"
"Load the Fucking NUKE!"
"NEGATIVE DO NOT NUKE IT WE'RE TOO CLOSE TO THE LEGION!"
"Nothing is working against the LEGION! Lasers, Energy, Flak, Missile, even Kinetic attacks aren't scorching it!"
"SIR, THE LEGION's main weapon is charged!"
The LEGION fired it's main cannon directly into the fleet, explosions ignited across Cera's orbit, taking out hundreds of vessels. The transmissions ignited in panic and fear as all their efforts have failed against PACT's LEGION.
"MAY DAY! MAY DAY! CRITICAL DAMAGE THE Kasta is drifting! Main systems are down!"
"What the Fuck! It tore right in to our fleet!"
"WE TOOK A DIRECT HIT!"
"WE'RE GOING DOWN! AIM THRUSTERS TOWARD'S CERA'S NORTH OCEANIC-ZZTZ"
"The Admiral! His ship is gone!"
"Concentrate fire! Concentrate fire on the LEGION!"
"Break off from the engagement, I repeat break off and fight another day!"
"Fuck Systems are down! We're dead in space!"
"Somebody tow the Virtue! Our Weapons are still operational but our engines are down!"
"Bombing run had no effect! Blue Squadron is down!"
"ELECTRICAL FIRE ON THE MAIN DECK!"
"Oh God save us! This is Mirror's edge! Send Help our Hull is collapsing, pressure is building up we don't have much- GAH! ZTTTT"
"PULL BACK!"
"BREAK OFF!"
"Reverse engines!"
"THIS IS FUCKING BULL SHIT!"
"THE LEGION'S ON THE MOVE!"
"Who the Fuck is in command now?!"
"Damage Level Critical!"
"What do we do now?!"
"Somebody get CERA City on the fucking horn and get the officials evacuated!"
"All hands abandon Ship!"
"Curtains Obscured has received too much damage breaking off."
"Gold Squadron here, manpower has been cut in half. We're down four bombers and three interceptors! Making one last ditch effort to hit the command deck of the LEGION!"
"Destiny curfew here, we have fired all Missile payloads!"
LEGION smashed through the wreckage of Cera's once proud and mighty fleet, orbiting Cera itself. What was left of the fleet that wasn't dead or fleeing was unleashing everything they had at the LEGION, the Sunrider included.
The LEGION began charging it's main cannon up again, but this time it was pointed directly at Cera city, Cera's capital.
"Fire! Open Fire God Damn it!"
"WHY... WON'T... YOU …. SINK?!"
"Stand together, it's Energy Shields should be failing!"
"FUCK IT! I'm arming the NUKE!"
"I Second that Fucking motion! NUKE IT!"
Three Nuclear Missiles were fired from three Cera Dreadnaughts striking the LEGION enveloping in an explosion, but it survived with no surface damage to see.
"What the actual Fuck?!"
"What is this thing made out of?!"
"LEGION's Main gun firing!"
The bridge of the Sunrider fell silent, while Damon shot up from his chair seeing the Legion fire it's main cannon at his home planet's city and the capital. A Giant Explosion shook Cera City destroying the capital. Ava covered her mouth gasping in shock, Damon's eyes twitched with his sister immediately coming to mind. Nick ran from the hangar Artoria close behind him "Captain what the fuck is go-" Nick fell deathly silent as he saw the cataclysmic destruction wrought upon Cera. The young male Ryder pilot stared with wide eyes and Artoria froze, staring in horror as millions of lives were suddenly silenced, ended, erased.
"Oh my God..."
"Disengage!"
"YOU MOTHER FUCKER!"
"GOD DAMN YOU PACT! GOD FUCKING DAMN YOU TO HELL!"
"Cera City..."
"YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! DAMN YOU!"
"All Cera ships Disengage to the rendezvous point!"
"NEGATIVE DO NOT DISENGAGE BLOW IT OUT OF CERA'S ORBIT!"
"Our entire Government... was just decapitated..."
The PACT Fleet behind the LEGION began to open fire on the remains of the Cera's fleet.
"TO ALL ALLIED VESSELS PACT IS MOVING IN FOR THE KILL RETREAT!"
Damon watched in horror as those who were not lucky enough were torn apart by the onslaught of the PACT fleet, while still seeing Cera City burn from orbit.
"Captain your order?" Ava asked looking at the enemy battle formation closing in on the remaining Cera War vessels, while Damon kept his eyes on the burning Cera City.
"Captain the PACT fleet is closing in! What are your Orders?!" Ava called out to her Captain while Damon froze up seeing his entire life was just smashed to pieces.
"CAPTAIN!" Ava yelled out, causing Damon to snap back in to what was going on.
"Retreat! Get us the Hell out of here!" Captain Damon Shields ordered, Ava.
I'm sorry... Murray...
Jumping in all directions, the remaining Fleet of Cera either jumped to the next system or was blown apart in the attempt to take LEGION down. The Sunrider barely made it out of the engagement, it took heavy damages and most of it's weapon systems were down. Damon in a moment of grief got up from his chair and left the bridge retreating to his cabin. Ava was truthfully stunned of what just happened on and over Cera.
In his Cabin Damon collapsed in his desk chair, he pulled out a metal glass from his desk and opened up the bottle of Vodka pouring himself a glass. Damon quickly downed the drink downing the pain that built up from what he just experienced.
(Reviews would be appreciated to tell me what you think and how I did?)
-Starknight'Renegade-
-Thank You-