Ep 1: The day everything went wrong

It was early in the morning, and the fleet was already assembled closely to the Trans-dimensional gate, there were 6 destroyers and only 1 light cruiser had been rebuilt to be able to cross through the referred gate; but the fleet was composed mostly of the slow and weak cargo-aero-ships, that the scort troops like me hate to protect.

-Are you nervous, officer?- asked me the feminine voice of his commander, Captain Tokori Kyoko, she was her superior, but both have been through enough battles to trust each other and being able to ask question straight.

-No, madam, not at all … I am just anxious to see the new land we are about to conquer- I say, it was a mechanical answer, probably too mechanical

-You are extremely nervous, then- she said with a smile – but don't worry it is comprehensible it is almost time for the H-hour-

How many times I've heard her saying "it is almost time for the H-hour", many times indeed, perhaps too many times as we were experienced soldiers. But this time it was a unusual tone in her voice, probably she was nervous, not much as I myself, but nervous still.

It was justified, although we have fought many times from the land and seas, the dark side of the moon, and even on the red dust of Mars, this time it will be completely different. This time, we will be fighting in another dimension.

We have reached just Jupiter in our own solar system, and the closest star was still far from our reach; but our brilliant scientists, as they call themselves, have found the way to travel from dimension to dimension, it was easier to conquer a new Earth than exploring and colonizing an inhabited planet.

The idea was logical, except by the fact that the new Earth would have to be conquered and submit their people into obedience. More job for soldiers like us, well at least we will not unemployed.

I was thinking in all that when a screen appeared on the ceiling of the aero-ship, there appeared the fleet commander, the Admiral Kaoru Nagumo, a woman in her 40's, I have fought with her since 5 years ago, she is a strong determined woman, you can see it looking the scar which marks her face.

-Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, in a few minutes, the transdimensional gate will be opened and we will cross through to another dimension our mission is secure the closest stronghold until reinforcements arrive. I know some of you have doubts about all this trans-dimensional stuff, but remember the 3rd division has crushed everything in our solar system, don't be afraid, we can beat anything in the solar system of any dimension…

The message ended suddenly when the transdimensional gate start roaring like an awakening beast, the air becomes heavy,

-Look at it- Captain Tokori pointed with her finger, the trans-dimensional gate was opening.

The transdimensional-gate, never impressed me too much, it was no more than 2 columns of steel of 1 km of height and a metallic web, which threads were more thin than those of a spider web… but now, that the transdimensional gate was working it was really impressive. In the middle of the web appeared a shining light, the shinest white light I've ever seen, which start to grow following the web until occupy all the space between the 2 metallic pillars.

-To all units, go ahead through the trans-dimensional gate, fast- that was the order of the admiral, her voice sounds nervous, and my captain look like that too, the time had been changed, since the trans-dimensional gate will not be open until 2 hours later. However it was an order and we have to follow it.

-All machines, full throttle!- our aero-destroyer started to move, fast through the gate. The captain, then, speak to the crew in a different way the admiral had done: -you are brave and you will fight bravely, but remember the true victory is coming back alive, nobody is left behind-.

While she look forward, as trying to see what challenge was expecting for us, told me. –Saigo, prepare your unit and your squad, you are going with the exploration party-. I see her, it was as if she wanted to tell me some more than just a mere order. My unit was one of the best at the disposition of the ship, why would I take her to join a exploring party?, it didn't have any sense as we have been told this incursion would take the enemy (if any) by surprise.

-Don't stay there, go to the hangar!-

-Yes, madam!- I run to the hangar, something was wrong, the operation timetable has been changed without any announce, and now my captain was ordering me to take one of the finest units of the ship; I didn't need to be an experienced mecha-fighter to understand that a battle against an overwhelming force was inminent.

I finally came to the hangar,the exploration party has just ended their scramble procedure and a maintenance crew was already working in my mecha, it will be ready in a few minutes, during a seconds I tried to believe it was all in my mind, that all was part of the predictable mistakesthe operation, but then … the red alarm started to beam.

-opposing forces detected and approaching fast, this is not an exercise, all fighting units report at their battlepositions-

*So it's happening* I thought, I took a helmet and the rest of my equipment, and when I jump to my mecha when a blackout happened, all from the annoying alarm to the lights in the hangar turned out; while the manteinance crew tried to keep working with some lanterns the red lights illuminated the place, meaning the auxiliary power was working.

-Attention… the main power is down, the auxiliary power is working to the 30%, the launching platform and the mechas have the top priority …- then again, the message was interrupted, the energy failure seemed worse than the own captain said. Then we felt a tremor, I have felt those many times before, it was a hit, it seemed that the protonic shields were down too, and the aero-destroyer, being the first ship crossing the dimensional was exposed to the enemy.

-How is my mecha?- I asked to the leader of maintenance crew.

-the work is not over, its battery is not fully charged, and heavy weapons has not been connected …-

-Is my lightning razor ready?-

-Well yes… but…-

-Enough for me…- I jump in the cockpit – Here, stormtroop mecha unit, codename "Friedich", ready to enter into battle-

-Are you nuts, without enough power you might fall as soon as you scramble!- the manteinance leader yell at me but I didn't care, he seemed to understand I won't listen. –-

-Engines … clear!, scramble platform … clear!, may God and the empire be with you lieutenant Miyamoto!, unit ready to go…go!

I scramble that would be the first day I will fight with the normas and with the Arzenal's squads, and also the first time I'll be fighting with … her.