Last Exile

Somewhere in the Sky

Prologue

"What lies beyond the sky..."

"Leading the lost child back to the mother. EXILE"

"The wave that colors the earth in gold..."

"The breath of spring that bringeth life. The wheat-covered earth."

"The path of the angel's decent..."

"Thou art the path of the great winds. The Grand Stream."

"What lies beyond the memories..."

"The place where everything comes from and everything returns to. The blue planet."

Exile, the most powerful craft ever designed, now a transport that has left bound for Earth. The lack of this powerful force has vanquished the great force known as the Grand Stream, a terrible storm separating the two countries of Disith and Anatoray. Peace had finally been attained at great loss to both sides. The Guild now in shambles, the world looks to Empress Sophia Forrester to guide them into the future. But peace is a trivial thing, as and endless waltz of War, Peace, and Revolution take their toll.

The Disith government was overthrown in a moment of tension between the two nations. An armistice of nearly 15 years fell away as rouge Disith ships attacked the Anatoray navel fleet. Sparse fighting ensued as commanders loyal to the alliance soon fell to the new revolutionaries, Anatoray's naval fleet was not left out of this, and several ships were seized by similar revolutionaries.

No ship can safely be called an ally without the risk of the ship attacking another. A state of emergency ensued as the fleets lost confidence in whom they were serving, and who was really in control. But then Exile returned, and with it, the Grand Stream. The Guild, thought to be in shambles, had unified under a single banner and claimed Exile as their own. But Exile's defense system was active, and the original mysteria could not deactivate it.

The darkness of the eternal storm that was the Grand Stream raged on endlessly. With in its wrath of lightning, and winds lay hidden the ultimate power of the dual worlds that made up Prester. Exile, the original colonist ship that had brought the first settlers to Prester. Nearby in their large ships where what remained of the guild powers, watching and waiting.

Ten years earlier, the Maestro of the guild had just ordered a gathering of all the guild houses. They would meet in the center of the Grand Stream

The Guilds star like fighter craft swarmed over the largest ship in the group, on board that ship was the new Maestro of the Guild. Currently they are readying their fleet with a quick strike at Anatoray lands. They would destroy a few ships here, and a few ship there, while leaving a trail that pointed at the Disith. They had planned to destroy the alliance that had destroyed them years ago. With this they would be free to begin their take over of Prester, and all its inhabitants. Three of the large battle ships moved forward threw the raging storm, inside were dozens of the star ship fighter the guild used. They had word of an Anatory convoy heading over to Disith. They would destroy the convoy and leave pieces of broken Disith ship. Over in Disith, another group of Guild battle ships would be doing the same thing, only to the Disith. So both sides would blame the other, and surely the alliance would brake.

The clouds split before the three mighty ships, the swarms of star shaped fighter swarmed toward the four Anatoray ships. They in turn released their van ships to counter the Guild's fighters. Behind the three Guild ships came a fourth, a mighty looking ship of large size. It was not in fact a war ship; inside it were the remains of two Disith war ships.

It was preparing to dump their remains in the after math of the battle.

The Anatory ship, Pride of the Land was the first to fire in this short battle. Its barrage of gunfire flew straight and true impacting on the leading Guild ship. There was an explosion of smoke, about thirty seconds later the Guild ship emerged from the smoke, undamaged. A hail of canon fire lanced from all three Guild craft impaling the Pride of the Land sinking it.

The color flares went up, as the ship went down. Seconds later the large explosion rocked the sky as the ship exploded. On the remaining Anatoray ships, the crew saluted their fallen comrades. Before they could fire a return volley at the Guild. The Guild's ships fired their own volleys destroying the remaining three Anatoray ships, in a hail of fire.

Silently the Guild Carrier dropped its payload of Disith remains.

The remaining vanships tried to make a run for it, to tell some one what had happened.

While the Guild Star Ships chased them down, and shot them down. No one escaped the Guild's massacre. Some where on the other side of the Grand Stream more Guild ships were doing the same thing to the Disith.

"EMPRESS! YOU CANT LET THIS STAND!" Shouted the angry voice of the top advisor.

"Look at what has happened. They destroyed four of your ships they defied you. They broke the alliance by attacking us. AND now they are lying saying your attacked them in their own land. This must not go unpunished. The people won't stand for it. YOUR HIGHNESS!"

"Advisor, what do you suggest I do? Attack them blindly, and kill hundreds again. Hundreds died in the last war. Do you want me to start another, and kill them all again? You forget advisor, I know what it was like on the front lines." This calm voice belonged to the Empress Sophia Forrester, the former vice captain of the infamous Silvana.

"But you highness you must do something. The people won't stand for this outrage."

"No they wont, but I will not sacrifice hundreds just to please the masses. We will settle this in a dignified fashion."

"What do you presume to do you Highness?" The advisor was a bit upset at this, though he couldn't say anything about it.

"We will meet the leaders of the Disith, and discuss this like civilized people. Please contact the Disith."
"Yes you Highness." Said the advisor bowing and backing away.

In the end, the Disith lords refused to listen to the Empress and the alliance was shattered. Both sides were no longer on friendly terms, battles would be fought now. Yet it had not yet evolved into war. They still had some common sense left.

The Guild was pleased by the destruction of the alliance, but there was still more to do. They needed to escalate the conflict into true war the only question was how. Ten years later they would have their answer.

In the depths of the great storm, lay yet undiscovered the ultimate power in Prester. Exile, the might ship had returned to the worlds.
"Tell the Maestro Dagobel we have found it, Exile." This was a report from a Guild ship investigating a lost guild ship. Now the Guild had control of Exile, or so they would have all believe. In secret they informed the leaders of Anatoray, and Disith of this fact. The return of Exile would be kept hidden from the general public for the time being. War was coming; its black cloud was approaching fast. Now is the time for action, now is Somewhere in the Sky.