THE BLACK ROSE
AN ORIGINAL AND UN-OFFICIAL KILLZONE FAN-FICTION

CHAPTER I - REACTIONS

PLANET VEKTA, SOUTHERN REGION, RAYHOVEN CITY - MAY 24TH, 2360

There wasn't anything else being talked about in the video news.

A sudden change in the atmosphere and terrain of Planet Helghan, homeworld to the Helghast, primary enemy of the ISA, confused many scientific minds and shocked half of mankind, from Vekta to Earth. A thing like that wouldn't happen out of nothing, of nowhere! But suddenly it became from barren to sickening green. There had to be an explanation.

Confidential sources informed that, according to preliminary reports, raw Petrusite was unleashed on the planet, possibly in a counter-attack, because of continued presence of ISA troops stranded for six months since the initial invasion. According to what people knew, the ISA didn't use Petrusite as a weapon, only as a energy source. There was a high implication of Helghast hands in such thing, but ISA was heavily implicated, too. Someone needed to the pointed guilty for that.

'Bullshit.', thought the man watching the same news. 'If the ISA doesn't have Petrusite-based weaponry, how the hell could we've used it?'

There was indeed a high probability of Helghast involvement, thought this man. He had seen them temper with Petrusite before, attempting to refine it for weapons technology. However, those were failed attempts. There was even rumours of mixing Petrusite with live Plutonium, irradiating it at a nuclear level, to enhance firepower, but what he saw couldn't just be enough to do it in such a planetary scale.

But he didn't exclude ISA involvement, with some sort of new weapon, because they weren't all-good either: They too had their own skeletons in the closet. It sounded like those Earth history books, where the USA developed the atomic bomb in secret just to unleash it on the Japanese and conclude World War II with a demonstration of force. It seemed the ISA wanted to prove the almighty Helghast they were no mere joke either.

And if that was indeed ISA work, the question was: What for?

Not to mention alot happened on that same planet for the past six months. A huge rumor conflict, concerning the 'death' of Scolar Visari. The news would've been given if that happenned, but the ISA 'intelligence' reports still claimed Visari was alive and transmitting to his henchmen from an underground bunker in Pyhrrus. Perhaps it did happen and the ISA found it prudent to cover it up, make a suspense for a while.

What of the giant military mech the Helghast unleashed, called the MAWLR? ISA denied it, calling it a 'clever CGI graphic propaganda made by the Helghast'. UCN military experts denied it, proving 'machines of that magnetude would need to consume metal from an entire space fleet.'. But still, a platoon of soldiers and leaked Spy Satellite camera photos proved otherwise. They've seen a giant four-legged machine wandering over Pyhrrus. A giant four-legged machine laying waste to entire ISA ground divisions, using some new sort of 'energy weapon'. It ripped apart several ISA cruisers. Thousands of victims. And the bastards had the guts to deny it all.

For alot of people spread over and outside the Sol System, nothing made sense. It was an unbeatable Jigsaw, where the pieces just didn't link with one another. Giant mechs? Energy weapons? Raw Petrusite radically changing entire planets? No ordinary human could make a connection to this already insane war.

Unless...

"Him..."

But the man watching the news was no ordinary human. He had the same pale-skin color the Helghast have. He was bald, like the Helghast. But he was no Helghast. At least, not fully: His father was a human. But still he had a part of Helghast heritage in his anatomy. This man had already served with the Helghast before standing with the ISA. This man had seen promises but never such results. But now, now that Helghan has changed, that could only mean one thing...

"The bastard did it...", muttered the man. Now it could make sense. Everything could make sense. It was him! Either he did it under the Autarch's nose, with his approval or he did really 'retire' him and seized the throne! But only he could be responsible for all this...

"Stahl, that son of a bitch!", exclaimed the half human, half Helghast, getting on his feet and heading to his room. Inside a small closet, he moved away the wooden chest, filled with other unnecessary stuff, he just kept as something to block the real thing: A personal electronic vault. He pressed the number series on the keypad, unlocking the vault, opened it and picked up some series of paper files inside.

However, instead of words, these papers were just written with some weird, but futuristic dialect. A dialect he understood. Helghast language. A product of the Autarch's attempt of making Helghast separate from the Human species. Still, a half-successful attempt, for the Helghast managed to write and read their own language, but the only thing still connecting them to humans was that they still spoke Human English.

The man searched the papers for a specific file, one he recognized after laying aside three other files. He opened it and began to read what was written:

STAHL ARMS INC.
PROJECT HEPHAESTUS - CLASSIFIED WRITTEN BY: STAHL, JORHAN B.

INTRODUCTION:

Zeus, God of Gods in Olympus, in Earth's mythology, ruled with an iron fist, because of his power: Lightning. Amongst the Greek Gods, there was no other powerful divine weapon. But such weapon was forged by the hands of a blacksmith: Hephaestus, whom people would call the son of Zeus. The Roman peoples would call him Vulcan, god of beneficial fire and metalworks. It was only because of the so called 'lame' God of craftsmanship that the Gods were graced with many powers, derived from items forged by him. Agamemnon's staff of office, Achilles' armor, Heracles' bronze clappers, all possible thanks to Hephaestus.

Humanity, at the time, could indeed be considered inferior to the Gods due to their primitive weaponry at the time: Simple metal swords and shields, lances, bows and arrows. But Man came to evolve his means to wage war: Gunpowder, machine guns, Nuclear ordinance, Titanium, space technology. Man, in terms of war equipment, come close to craftsmanship of God Hephaestus at every turn, at every step. But the next step shall be taken, not by Humanity, but it's superior descendancy, it's greatly powerful lineage. By Helghast-kind.

With the passing of time, with the progression of war, better weapons and better armor come up. But armor made to hold bullets spilled by guns. For what shall be introduced here is not only a new weapon against the so hated peoples of Earth, who made our people face the most terrible hardships, but also an entire new energy source altogether, beneficial for both civilian and military use and one which will allow the development of more complex systems and war machines.

Petrusite is not an all-new energy source. Both the Empire and the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance utilize it as a power source for urban areas and space cruiser technology, but no appliances were made for military means. However, thanks to our fine scientists, Petrusite development also allowed for weapons development. Not only this, but hand-made irradiation of the material with Plutonium gave additional results, although additional research is required for solid appliance in weapons technology. First results, however, are promising.

Stahl Arms Incorporated has always been involved with the supplying of weapons for the Empire and the Helghast people. But innovation is the water that moves the wheels of evolution, and, through Petrusite, raw and irradiated types, Helghast-kind will take a leap foward. Through evidence showed in this report, so much in images and statistics as well as live reports of a fully-functional prototype, it will be proved the application of this material's use in weapons technology, capable of powering huge-scaled war machines, energy-based weapons and, in a possible future, compact space craft and energy-based defense systems. Through evidence showed in this report, it will be proved that Helghast-kind, not Humanity, thanks to Petrusite, will become Hephaestus himself, capable of not only forging the so-dreamed lightning of Zeus, but also using it, for the survival and supremacy of the Helghast people, and, ultimately, the accomplishment of the Helghast Dream.

Jorhan Brimve Stahl

Stahl Arms' CEO

The man proceeded reading the remainder of the file, showing several things like Helghast in advanced suits, probably anti-radioactive, so much soldiers as scientists, messing with vials of sickening-looking green materials. That surely had to be the irradiated Petrusite he so heard about, but couldn't believe it. The energy production statistics were somewhat double the scale of what raw, non-irradiated Petrusite could generate. Could be a fake, it could not. Who knew? The chemical and elemental components were somewhat alien according to the chemical period table. That was something that worried him. Petrusite, which could only be found on the enemy's turf, Helghan, was definitely not explored entirely, opening a whole new set of possibilities. Possibilities as beneficial as gravely damaging to the ISA.

It was then when the Half-Helghast saw the strange weapon on the racket. Could be a false stand-out model, but he didn't buy it: Helghast aren't prone to make stand-out models, they go straight for gun prototypes. Another picture showed a Helghast trooper firing what seemed to be the gun, producing a white-like beam on a human subject. The following photo showed the victim dying through lacerations, doubtless caused by the weapon. Contrary to what mankind would believe, they had control over lightning guns. And lightning guns could be the base for... energy-based weaponry!

'Stahl wasn't mad after all, he knew exactly what he was doing!', though the man. 'Who can tell if that bastard didn't use the whole Helghan as a guinea pig? Who knows what he'll use and on what next?'

The man immediately stopped reading and went on to put some proper clothing. He was going to leave. He had to. A lot of things, a coordinated scheme was brewing up his head. Number one, waking up his former boss and colleagues in ISA Intelligence and informing them about that Petrusite. Number two, work his way back to the ISA Council and High Command, from where he retired, preferably a position within the Interplanetary HAZMAT unit. Finally, should anyone return, inquire on what happened on the maximum gathering of details as possible.

Because, against all odds, the war changed. The standards became another at a whole new level. Things he never thought would happen were on move as he even changed his clothes. Some social outfit covered with a coat for the cold outside. He knew of it, but he wasn't sure he should inform. Should he and those weapons not be found, he'd be declared insane after all the noising. And should the weapons truly exist, the cowards in the ISA Council would start negotiations, just like England and Chamberlain did with the Nazis, afraid of their power. The only way to deal with that kind of people was through arms.

And now that the war was on and the weapons did truly exist, it was time for him to tell it all and face the consequences.

It was time for Gregor Hakha, former military servant of Helghan and former ISA intelligence agent, to act.


PLANET HELGHAN, EASTERN REGION, CONSTANTINE CITY, LENTE AV. - MAY 24TH, 2360

Even before the cataclysm that covered all of Helghan in such a horrendous atmosphere, Constantine City was a great metropolis and a profitable industrial center, so much for civilian as for military means. It had a booming economy which increased city growth and prosperity. Roads and railroads connected it to other cities and provinces on the planet, tall buildings and skyscrapers could be found at every turn on the city, the roads always filled with movement during daylight. However, compared to Pyhrrus, Helghan's planetary capital, it was like New York compared to Washington D.C on Earth. It was economically powerful. It was the largest city on Helghan. But it wasn't the heart of the Helghast Empire.

After the Petrusite was unleashed, however, it felt all different, and the city started to decay. Decay in progressive poverty, lack of energy, fearful military presence and grief. For Constantine City, after the cataclysm, was saved by some sort of shielding bubble, it's buildings still standing, it's population alive and breathing. But energy began to fail in several blocks, needing rerouting all the time. The refugees evacuated from Pyhrrus prior to the ISA invasion have consumed the majority of food resources which'd be suited only for the population of Constantine City alone. And there was no more sun in the city neither in any of Helghan, any lightning could be found inside the shield, transmitting a dim silvery one, like if it was clouded day dusk. Still, it was weak, requiring usage of lanterns and lens flares, which only used more energy from the city.

Worse still was the fact martial law was declared by the city mayor a few days. And, with martial law, usually came night curfew, which meant no one should be in the streets. Unless there was some good reason to, and good reason, for people with a strong sense of authority like the Helghast, meant a really good reason. Perhaps the bald, pale-skin colored and skinny Helghast woman walking down the lane should have found one, but she kept on her hasty steps, hoping she wouldn't find any soldiers. Or anyone who could be an undercover soldier.

The motive was because she didn't a reason, but to meet with people others wouldn't like her to. Raltha Olan, 27 years old, worker of the library and archives in Constantine City, was thought to be a mere woman who simply shouldn't be walking around outside on that hour, but that she wasn't. She was classified as a suspect by the local Helghast government, the remainder that still formed the Empire and it's imposing Triad symbol. She knew where she was going, and it was closer, she had gone too far to stop walking.

However, she wasn't alone on the street. A Helghast male kept on walking the opposite way she walked, wearing a sort of a trench coat for the cold. Her worries raised, he could be one of the undercover soldiers, doing patrol and using civilian coats to catch the smarter people who knew how to break curfew. People like her. The more he approached her, the more she felt nervous inside, but she kept a standard outside looking.

The man simply passed. Nothing happened. No boarding procedure, no arrest voice, nothing. But Raltha kept on walking, no looking behind, and she quickly came to turn right in a set of stairs, flashed out in green lightning, in a way the man wouldn't notice should he turn around to spy on her.

The only thing about it was... the man was nothing she thought he was. He was a simple man, nothing more. A butler.

Raltha wasted no time after quickly coming down the stairs, which lead to the abandoned subway system. Ever since the city's power grid started to fail because of that disaster, the subway was one of the first systems to be shut down by the mayor, in order to avoid a full blackout and generate widespread urban chaos.

A curious thing for the Helghast's subway system, for human eyes, was the manner the subway tracks were built. It all seemed like a modern-age Earth subway, except for two things. One was the Helghast language written on walls, signs and whatnot. The other were the tracks. Normally, subway and railroad trains were supposed to have a wide ground track, but it could only applied to the former concerning the Helghast. Helghast subway tracks were triangular shaped, three thin steel tracking with power conduits, one used as the road for the train's wheels, positioned like they were forming a sorts of triangle edges. In the end, it proved to be effective, as the thin supports used only for the lower 'edge' and, sometimes, for the other two, meant an economy in materials and funding.

Raltha walked to the right far end of the station, where then she approached a simple steel door of sorts, locked and with the famous sign 'Under repair, free entry prohibited.', written in Helghan alphabet. She knew the door, however, was a cover up and wasn't locked. She opened it, revealing the most dirty corridor ever, with some work damage and water leaking to disguise it and another three doors on the opposite end. She simply marched to the end, straight towards the middle door, only to knock it three times, with three knocks each time and a small pause. It was the code of entry.

By finishing her code-knocking, she heard noises of something heavy being moved and shortly after the door itself opened, revealing a somewhat fully dark, empty room. She simply entered there and waited for that light to come up, revealing miraculously the path further ahead.

"Hold still!"

But she instead heard a grave, male-like sound. She quickly came up nervous, how the hell they came to know about this place? She made sure to go quickly in order to lose the tail that man above could be! But she didn't say anything, any move could provoke the male soldier into provoking her.

"Hands on the head, touch the back.", said the voice.

She followed suit, still nervous.

"Now... Be gentle and say hi, please.", said the male voice, but no longer authoritary.

"What?", said Raltha, coming to suspect immediately: Helghast soldiers aren't gentle! They don't even say 'hi', even less a 'please'!

The soldier began to laugh immediately, cracking so hard. No one would understand what the hell was going on, but Raltha did: She had just been fooled. A brief click was heard and the laughing tone no longer contained the grave, male sound but... a female one, smoothed only by a transmission-like hiss and a metallic flange.

"Seriously, Raltha, you get nervous too damn easy...", said the female sound.

"Strana...", said Raltha, this time with a sarcastic voice, not liking the practical joke pulled on her. Not one bit. "I see our fellow thinkers finally concluded the Vocal Altering Device."

"Somewhat.", scoffed 'Strana', finding the subject a funny one. "They planned to show the updated version to the Joint tomorrow, but I pulled a favour or two to make the scene. Sure as hell it had it's uses.", finished the subject bursting in a brief laughter.

"Well, it convinced... but it wasn't funny!", said an angry Raltha. "I almost got followed in here, some... man in a trench coat, thought he could be some undercover trooper!"

"Well... We better watch who walks in coats, then.", said Strana, closing the door behind Raltha. "Worry not, the surveillance team wanted to inform that man simply walked by and stopped by some food store at Toula Pass.", she finished the line by activating the lights, not only to the path foward, but also of the current area. She then pressed another button, which made the giant metal box close to the door move towards it, through two visible depressed rails, to block it. It was a clever thing to do since, should any snoopers go around, they'd only find a supply room with cleaning items.

The figure turned away from the panel to reveal some other type of Helghast trooper carrying a battle rifle, which was Strana, but she wasn't. She had a type of outdated military outfit with some metal plates covering her body, her belt showing two pistols and a set of grenades. Her back revealed some sort of cape, sounding like a sort of cheesy comic book villain, the only thing over it being the backpack. The legs contained standard boots, fitting with the foot size, but the pants themselves were relaxed male type ones, in which she 'tightened' to fit her slender feminine frame.

But, most important than anything, was her helmet. Unlike the standard Helghast Base Trooper, which had a standard modern helmet, angry-looking googles with the famed, twisted red-yellow glow and the respirator mask with a visible tube outside, Strana's helmet was entirely original: A helmet which seemed to be improvised from an Earthly snowboarding helmet. Googles with vision centered on raised, perfectly circular cartoonish googles on each eye lens, which transmitted too that red-yellow glow. The mouth piece however, was simply pure armor, similar to a lower part in a Feudal Age knight's helmet. Despite claims that it didn't have a respirator, a paramount piece of every Helghast helmet issue, there was a slight detail: The mouth piece had it's side edges slightly exaggerated in size, so much that behind layed the real sockets to the respirator piece, three in each side, connecting to tubes which would form a relaxed but straight line to the air tanks on the backpack. In that way, this helmet had a significant advantage of having it's wearer more protected on the face while providing standard air. That was because Helghast trooper masks had the inconvenience of having their only air tube severed by a bullet of a competent marksman and no solution was found nor interested in being found ever since.

That was the appearance, not only of Strana, but of every female trooper. But they weren't official soldiers of the Helghast nation. They were Amazons. Only the renegade female elite of the elite were allowed to wear something like that. Well trained, so much in ranged as in close combat and martial arts, to preserve the interests of the renegade female activist movement. A movement Raltha was part of. And, for this, she was far worse than any other type of criminal amongst the Helghast.

Eventually, along with the original colonization of Helghan, also came the terrible and antiquated chauvinist, male supremacist traditions from the ancient times of Earth humanity. It even came to be worse in the end of the First Extrasolar War, when the number of Helghast females were twice lesser than that of males. Ever since then, all governments, from the renegade clusters of the Pre-Empire time to the peak of the Helghast civilzation, have come to prioritize female survival and the continuation of their role as 'breeders', eventually relegating the Helghast women to simple-minded tasks of breeding, tailoring, domestic duties and children school-ship, and keeping them away from military or heavy-duty occupations, such as construction, metallurgy or transportation. Eventually, opportunistic male Helghast also took this opportunity to keep females away from politics as well.

Of course, there were those ladies, who thought of a different and somewhat better future, who didn't accept that tradition. Females like Raltha Olan. Therefore, a small group formed the movement and it's command core, the Joint, for the mission of re-integrating the female gender into the positions they were 'cast out' from. At the beginning, it truly was a peaceful movement, but the violent reactions of the Helghast males in political and military circles awakened them to the reality that they'd need to literally fight for their future. And that was how trained warriors were integrated into the movement. Warriors like Strana.

"Come, they are already reunited.", said Strana, gesturing Raltha to follow.

Both went down the stairs, passing a heavily armored door, in which two other Amazons stood guard, opening it. The path revealed a catwalk headed straight to the following door, with a stair leading below, to a staging and arming area for other Amazons. Raltha and Strana passed through the catwalk to the other door, while Raltha witnessed the dedication of those females preparing themselves, a true meaning of revolution. The next door had side catwalks leading to two side doors and the foward path headed down to the sparse assembly area, where there weren't just Amazons loading guns, but also heavy cargo being transported and military-grade vehicles, including some which the traditional Helghast military had never seen. A female, mature and calm voice echoed through out the wide room, from speakers on the roof.

"...strength, courage, most of it were what made up the bases of this revolution, but also were what formed the once great Helghast Empire. You, sisters, daughters, mothers, also bear the terrible weight of these values, more than even men themselves would do. And still, even in these darkest times, you still do. For you know that the time for change is imminent. In human childish and fantasy books, it is told that, despite all adversities, despite all the odds, it all ends well, the hero applauded, the nation prevailing and the enemy crumbling. An illusion. But one which gives those who understand it the will to fight. And perhaps the greatest gift both humanity and Helghast-kind have recieved. And something we all should embrace. Only by believing in the impossible, standing together besides all seeds of treachery thrown at us and remembering what we fight for, can we prevail in this revolution. Not only this, but another victory, the survival of the Helghast Dream. The survival and supremacy of our people."

Raltha and her 'bodyguard' went down the stairs continued their march to the far lower left corner of the assembly area. Where a simple door also awaited. Past the door was a sorts of surveillance and communications room, improvised from the wide corridor, having one last door. That door led to the prime Joint chamber. Strana stood by the door while Raltha alone walked through it. Strana knew better that the only Amazons allowed inside were those assigned to it.

The prime Joint chamber, in the past, was only an empty wide central intersection room, with three doors allowing access to the additional areas of that underground base and a viewing window, similar to science fiction movies, that allowed a glance into the wide area that was a training point for Amazons. But, eventually, with the passing of time, and patience was a virtue for the female activist movement, the empty room became a respectable discussion chamber, filled, at the current time, with a straight classic table and fine-made chairs, background issues like red banners with white and black stripes on the corners, and a statue representation of planet Helghan, with the 'seas' being fluorescent light glass and the ground an obsidian black. On the way opposite to the planet statue was another statue, this time with a somewhat large piece of the Helghast Triad, which made an ironic sense that the activists weren't planning to throw down the nation at all, but the revolution was serving the Empire, instead.

On the chamber room there were only four Amazons covering the overall area of the room, as well as other five civilian-looking women. Only one of them was bald, like Raltha, but she had a more matured appearance. The others had a variation of ages and hair styles, two of them having long brown hair and one a white-colored one, but she wasn't any older. But the final one, with a styled black hair and what appeared to be a standard dress wasn't among the other Jointees, she was simply looking at the huge net-like window, and something was know she wasn't going to simply turn.

"You are late, Raltha.", said one of the browned hair woman. "We were about to start without you."

"Have had a hard time trying to evade the soldiers. Curfew only got worse with that food riot earlier.", explained Raltha.

"We heard of it.", said the same browned hair woman. "And things will only be worse with that coward bastard still on charge."

"And if things will be worse...", started the white haired woman. "The people will cry out, we may have a reason and support to launch the assault."

"The timing may not be enough, Sulja.", said the bald mature woman. "The energy problems are also beginning to worse, and may affect whatever may be protecting us from the cataclysm outside."

"Please, Livia, you have always been favorable to an assault since the invasion began.", said Sulja.

"A perfect chance to take the city, were not for your excess of patience!", complained Livia.

"Easy, both of you!", exclaimed Raltha, seeking to end the discussion before it heated. She then turned to the two browned hair woman. "Karen, Thirsha, how long before that shield can drop, given the rising of the problem?"

"We are still to find the machine responsible for that shield, but the energy weakening is serious. The shield can drop in weeks, perhaps even less.", explained Karen.

"Define even less, please.", asked Raltha.

The second Helghast browned hair woman, Thirsha, hesitated. "Days. It is all I can say.", she said.

"All the more reason to start a fight now.", claimed Livia. "If not now, for how long? What if the shield drops?"

"We will be fighting military units, armed not only with rifles, but heavy vehicles and ordinance, Livia.", said Sulja. "And I mean tanks, jet-bikes, grenade launchers, missiles, electric guns, machine guns, sniper rifles and flamethrowers. This is not something you can simply charge on, screaming woes of glory and beating anyone in your way, we need time to plan, to evaluate the changes since that riot."

"How long can you estimate for everything to be ready?", asked Raltha.

Sulja considered on that question. "Three days, more or less.", she answered.

"The assault can be too premature, Sulja, you know it.", replied Raltha. She then looked to Livia. "As you do know too, Livia."

"But can also be our best chance."

All eyes immediately gazed on the maker of that answer, which was the black haired female still gazing on the window. "Patience is one of the virtues we learned to develop, but too much patience can be costly for us. I am afraid the time to move on has come. It is time we launch the campaign.", she said.

A brief moment of silence went on the room. After that, it was broken.

"It is better we do the voting, then.", said Thirsha. "Karen, what do you say?"

"It is premature to make that decision, but I am not against it.", answered Karen.

"I say the time has long passed to make that calling.", commented Livia. "I agree."

"As do I, but by a matter of majority. What of you, Raltha?", asked Sulja.

Raltha considered on that question and needed to say something.

"Ladies, perhaps I may not have so much power in the Joint as you do, and especially our dearest friend. But I know I have been waiting for the right time, the time when an option like this should be considered. Yes, we are in a crisis. Outside this shield bubble there are violent storms and virulent air and who knows what else. As inside we have a chance of saving what remained of the great legacy our great father and Autarch left behind. Yes, we will need to kill those we once loved, those we met, to take the reigns. But the only thing ask of you is: Are you prepared? Because, once this step is given, there shall be no return. We either die altogether or we go to the end. Not to say I'm against the order to strike, I do agree too, but... consider a chance to protest now before you decide to do it a bit too late.", she claimed.

The remainder of the Joint saw some reason on Raltha. War was indeed something too serious, for it was not only a matter of preparation, numbers or how well equipped a faction could be to win. It also said something about the courage to do what needed to be done, to go to all the needed lengths to finish it. And war, too, had no place for second position or a second round. One falls and other stands. Simple as that. But no one spoke in that moment of silence. In the end, Sulja broke the silence.

"Let our friend decide.", she said. She referred to the black haired woman.

Only one decision was made. Made by that woman watching on the window. The woman who considered on that decision for far too long, way before that meeting too. The years she spent learning, the years she prepared herself for all challenges, from during to the end of the revolution, would at last be put to evaluation.

She simply turned around to face the Joint members on the table and spoke.

"Begin the campaign."


PLANET HELGHAN, EASTERN REGION, CONSTANTINE CITY, TOULA PASS - MAY 24TH, 2360

SEVAT FOOD & SUPPLIES

The end of the day was somewhat agitated for Makro Golan, the butler which also took a risk in breaking martial law going to that store in that hour. It was about to close and the military began to round up the civilians to return to their homes. Were not for the fact the food supplies were running out for the next day, he wouldn't need to come at that hour, he could leave it for tomorrow, when curfew was off and the military allowed the people of Constantine City to do their duties.

The problem was, he was a butler and the elite was known for not being so keen when things weren't done in the right time. He could say the same of his employer. Fortunately, his employer wasn't any cruel, but he couldn't afford any risk. Not to mention he was ordered to buy the minimum possible in every visit to the store, under some claims the employer would not want backfire from general population from affording too much food, something which was becoming more scarce at every day.

'She must be clearly out of her mind!', thought Makro. 'She is already thinner than myself and she wants to do a generous act. The people can afford food, why don't they do it?'

Trying to leave such thoughts behind, he placed what he was ordered to pick up on the register box: A pack of rice, a pack of sugar, some salt, Helghan Spider pieces, refrigerated Hel-Beast meat and some fruit. All in small quantities.

"Fifty Helghanii and some Changes, sir.", said the male storekeeper, all in a serious and deadpan manner. "And you better move, the soldiers will suspect if I don't close the store soon."

Makro simply looked on his pocket to pick the money, comprised of some bronze coins and white bills, the mentioned Changes and Helghanii, and began to count it. As obvoius with every government system, even dictatorships, monetary systems were all similar to those used in Great Britain and the United States.

"Here.", said Makro, delivering the money to the storekeeper. He then proceeded to pack himself the food supplies.

No 'thank you' or 'have a nice day' were said, Makro simply walked out the door with the bought goods and the storekeeper didn't even bother to look behind. Simple as that. But it was better that way.

Makro, like some bald lady he met earlier ago during his trip to the store, took no time in hastening himself the way back to where he came from, hoping there wasn't any military patrols roaming that area. Fortunately, there wasn't any of it, but it was no time to relax. Even close to his place of work and his house he kept on marching.

The Sixth Pantheonic state, a closed area for the wealthiest members of Helghan, didn't use to have security before martial law. On the gate there was only two armed security guards utilizing light weaponry, like the famed StA-18 Tropov pistol, utilized by the majority of the Helghast military. Now it was all about some gun emplacements and a light Armored Personnel Carrier with a machine gun as a turret. Fortunately, they called several people stationed there to attend to the food riot happening earlier that afternoon, so there was only the two guards familiar with the wealthy residential block. They immediately saw Makro and opened the gate.

"You are one lucky bastard, Makro! The force is still to clean the mess of the riot.", claimed one of the guards.

"You tell me. Not to mention a patrol passed on earlier, we were betting how much time it'd take for you to be caught!", said the second guard, letting a brief chuckle on the matter.

Makro simply didn't say anything, he needed to keep going to inside the closed states.

"Well, good night for you too, Makro.", said the same second guard, shortly after Makro went through, closing the automatic gates sealing the block from the rest of the city.

The houses of the elite families in the Sixth Pantheonic were always wide and titanic like, imposing their sheer size, so much of the residence buildings as of their lush artificial gardens over a wide space which would be more fit for several residences and additional commercial buildings instead of the lower sprawls and slums where the lower layers of Helghast society are forced to live in. The houses were naturally futuristic like, but also retained some classic human designs, mostly Greek-Roman styled. The Helghast gardens, unlike human ones, didn't have any flowers, only grass and pathways filled the seemingly empty ground. There were, of course, some fountains and statues decorating the emptiness of the garden, but that was it.

Makro took a long walk towards the multiple residences each gate carrying the Helghast Triad and a side sign on the wall with a name: 'Cobar', 'Lente', 'Metrac', 'Radec'... There was a time when he finally reached such a house and pressed the button on the gate's calling panel.

"Makro.", he said and waited a little. The gates then opened, and he walked inside the gardens, heading straight for the house.

A house which had a side sign saying 'Visari' on it.


THE NEXT DAY
PLANET VEKTA, HIGH ORBIT

The overall view of Vekta, from space, seemed alot like Earth. But it wasn't. It was far greener and healthy than the cradle of Man, it's resources being used only now, by a race which seemed to colonize it just in time.

For Rico, Sev, Jammer, Hooper and their partners strapped in the stolen Helghast space gunships, it was like coming back home. Hell, Vekta was their home at all!

"Attention un-identified space craft, this is Vektan Space Command, please identify yourselves.", came a voice on the radio of all space craft.

It was going to be as simple as that. Sev simply picked the radio and tuned in to all frequencies before the SpaceCom could hear:

"Control, this is Vektan Expedition Raider 1, coming straight from Helghan on some new toys. Permission to land, preferentially not under fire.", said Sev.

"What the... Sevchenko? Tommy, you ass, you give no calls and then you show up in some small tin can?", said the voice behind the Space Command radio.

Sev sounded surprised. He knew that voice and that manner of saying.

"I don't believe it, you made it, Irons?", Sev asked. "You finally working in orbit?"

"Just finished the exams about last month.", said Irons. "What of you, Sevvy Boy, the hell happened you stayed in the dark for six months?"

"Hey, Sev, maybe you can chat later, when we land? Can't wait to walk again, heck, might not even remember after getting sit all this time.", interrupted Rico.

"Yeah, yeah, alright, mister 'Who Ever You Are', might arrange some clear land in Rayhoven for you to land.", returned Irons.

"It's Velasquez, thank you very much.", Rico said.

"Irons, nice to meet you, sweety. Okay, you'll land on Rayhoven Air Base, some Intruders will lend space for you.", replied Irons. "Just one warning before you land, boys, you got orders to stand down, some top-brass want to talk to you as soon as you touch. SpaceCom out."

That last line didn't go good, especially for Rico.

"Top brass?", asked Rico.

"Might be anything, Rico. Anyways, you stick to the plan. Just bring us down.", replied Sev. Rico followed, heading his ship and leading his colleagues to orbit.

Entering a planet wasn't always easy, just for the space cruisers. A lighter vehicle would need to enter slowly making some infinite circles to compensate for the atmosphere burning and turbulence, until the course could finally be adjusted for the landing destination. Everyone in their gunships, including Rico and Sev, tucked in for that part.

However, surprisingly, not much of those events happened to the gunships, leaving the people inside. Should've been some new kind of plating the Helghast were tempering with. But, for all events, they managed to slowly enter Vektan atmosphere. And when they were finally over the skies of the planet, all of them remembered how beautiful were those skies before leaving for that hell the ISA called a planet. Volumous, but humble clouds filled the beauty of the blue sky. Not only this, it was conforting to feel that sun once more.

The descent continued until there could be a view of the ground below. The surface itself was a rather temperate green, surrounded by fields and occasional jungles, rivers and man-made roads cutting it apart. Afar, was some sort of large concrete slab, with some visible buildings, doubtless military styled, with more concrete areas nearby. That was Rayhoven Air Base.


On a closer view, closer to land, were people running for about all sides, while a crowd of eyes caught sight of those new, stranger ships landing on their ground. They came from deep space but seemed to behave like ISA Intruder Infantry Dropships. Their design was clearly Helghast, but why those people weren't allowed to fire on them, only God could tell.

Then, the craft landed and began to shut it's engines off.

After that the hatches opened, showing the people inside. Soldiers. Wearing ISA color.

There was silence at that hour. Then some mumbling.

"I don't believe..."

"That's our guys..."

"THE HELGHAN INVADERS! THEY'RE ALIVE!"

A sudden burst of cheers echoed through out the whole Rayhoven. People from all corners of the base have swarmed in to greet the returning war heroes and glance at the new piece of machinery landed on the base. One of the people asked repeatedly to open way for them. His brass on his uniform denoted him as a Major.

"All right, people, what the fuck is going on-", inquired Major Knight before beholding the space gunships. Immediately, his jaw dropped, and came slowly closer to Rico and Sev. "Name and Rank."

"Sevchenko, Sergeant.", replied Sev.

"Velasquez, Master Sergeant", Rico followed.

The Major had little to say on that sight of a ship. He then turned on to his own men.

"You've had enough looking at them? Get'em inside, now!", he shouted. The soldiers immediately dispersed and went on to figuring out a way of securing them straight to the Hangars. Knight then turned to the soldiers off the gunships. "Nice stuff you brought in. Think I can arrange some room for you, fellas. Only thing I can't allow is you leaving my base without permission, some orders from top brass. What's it gonna be?"

Rico and Sev simply exchanged looks.

"Are meal and shower on the package too?", asked Rico.

The Major didn't say much. He smirked too.


Obviously, some hours passed on before they did a lot of things, all in a strict order. Medical examination. Inquire on those ships and how they got them. Shower time. Change of clothes. Some decent meal. Some sleep.

And then something, on the next morning, when Velasquez and Rico were on the yards of the Air base, beholding the ISA Intruder ships. And it came in form of an officer in well-dressed military uniform and some ISA soldiers behind him.

"Mister Velasquez, Mister Sevchenko? I'm sorry, but orders came in you are to be placed under arrest."


NOTES:
- The original notes denoting clear statement for this story, like the AU warning and such, can be found in the prologue (Or chapter 1, whichever you like).
- It took long for me to realize one of the characters, according to KZ3 history, didn't survive. But then it was too late, the damage is already done. Hopefully, there won't be much more.


Chapter 2 is almost ready, but will only be launched when Chapter 3 is near completion. Read, enjoy and comment.