Note: 'Italic' is for thought speech in characters.
Now that you're hooked readers and fellow authors, here are some messages. In keeping with RWBY's fondness for old-school literature, there's going to be a good amount of OCs coming and they're going to be spoofs of old school sci-fi stories.
For those who don't know the miscellaneous game in question RWBY is crossing over with is called Terra Nova Strike Force Centauri is an underrated mech-simulator game from the 1990s; Brought to you by Looking Glass; the brilliant minds who brought us innovative games ahead of their time, like Ultima, Thief, and of course System Shock. And thanks to Nightdive studios, it's available on Steam.
Strike Force Centauri takes after Military Sci-fi novels such as Starship Troopers (the book, not the movie) and The Forever War by Joe Hadelman, both featuring power armored warfare.
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri takes place in a future where earth and all the planets in the solar system are controlled by a communist oligarchy called the Terran Hegemony, and the Alpha Centauri system is colonized by clans descended from various ethnicities, especially some who've been treated like crap throughout history, namely Scots, Slavs, Basques, Asians/Pacific Islanders, Dutch, Native Americans, etc.
Sadly there is no wiki for the game. From now on I'll do some exposition on the lore of Terra Nova Strike Force Centauri at the beginning of each chapter. After all, it badly needs wiki magic love. So for now, I'll provide the short version of backstory of this underrated masterpiece that is Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri.
Now in this chapter I'm going to introduce a new character who is analogous to two novel series from the golden age of the sci-fi genre.
Opening Theme Gundam Wing Ost Just Communication
Insert Gundam Wing opening narration theme (post opening theme).
With high expectations, humanity reached for the stars to colonize and seek new life in space. However a communist oligarchy called the Terran Hegemony gained great military and political power and seized control of the earth and the space colonies one after another in the name of justice, peace and purity. However they met significant resistance from the colonies of Jupiter and were unable to amass the adequate force to conquer them. To preserve their right to individual freedom and culture, the colonists of Jupiter, made up of long estranged ethnicities of earth made a tense pact with the Hegemony and left the earth's system to make a new home in the Alpha Centauri system. With their freedom seemingly secured, the people of Centauri formed clans from each ethnic group and changed the calendar from AD to CY. Still, the vast black, glittering ocean that is space is not without threats of its own.
The wide spread settlements of Alpha Centauri were vulnerable to attacks from vicious, space pirates, who pillaged settlements and murdered with impunity. In defense against pirate raids, the clans of Centauri developed a new weapon of war; the humanoid exoskeletal armored suit known as the PBA (powered battle armor). With these deadly weapons that turned soldiers into highly mobile, battle tanks, the Centauri clans were able to enforce their brand of justice in their system with brutal efficiency. Each clan has it's own PBA commando unit, but only the elite among the elite serve in Strike Force Centauri.
As the finest PBA operators in the Alpha Centauri system, SFC has been the symbol of the Centauri clan's unity against all threats to their way of life. In CY 124 when it was recently formed, their valor and integrity was immediately put to the test. Pirates were found collaborating with a Terran Hegemony agent's conspiracy to conquer their system with an army of cloned super soldiers. But against all odds SFC ultimately triumphed and decimated the clone army, and the Terran Hegemony was forced to declare their agent rogue to save face. Thus the freedom of the Centauri clans was saved again.
The year is CY 133; almost a decade of relative peace has passed in the Centauri system. However, a lone warrior's mission to eliminate a pirate threat has gone awry, and soon he will find himself in a bizarre world where life imitates art in more ways than one.
The Fallen Star of Orion Part 1: First Contact
Riding along the air current, a hang glider-like, craft soared over the blood red forest of Forever Fall. Suspended by a harness was its single occupant a young woman, clad in a sandy brown vest, a shoulderless, crop top and denim, short shorts with a dark orange sash wrapped around her waist. The morning sun graced her copper red skin and pale brown hair with a high mirror shine, and the wind whipped her high, pony tail.
She admired the canopy of Forever Fall and and began to sing a beautiful melody.
Tales of Phantasia Narakiri Dungeon X Opening theme - Garasu no Hana by Oku Hanako
She paused at the end of a pregnant note and thumbed a button on her steering yoke, causing a burst of ignition from her glider's jet booster. With the added boost, her glider ascended higher to the sky.
She resumed her singing and twirled her glider in a pirouette.
As if admiring her singing, a flock of geese descended upon her and flew in formation with her glider. The young woman smiled, pleased with their company. She sang the rest of her song and finally reached the climatic note.
Praise the gods for breath masks, otherwise the wind would swallow my voice.
'I love soaring through the sky, the feel of wind blowing in my face, filling the breeze with my voice all the way, how it gives m the fuzzies, and an escape from the dull sheltered life, having to be surrounded by bodyguards 24/7. If only my father wasn't so protective of me, I would've been able to do this more often.'
Suddenly the flock began to dissipate. What's going on, what are they scared of? Huh?
Up ahead she noticed a trail of smoke and dust on the horizon, and a trail of destruction littered with naked dirt and pulverized trees and another flock of birds.
'Oh no, crows, they're coming-'"Aaahh!"
Beaks and feathers bombarded the young woman as she shielded herself with arms and aura.
"Aaaarrrgh," I must, " ugh", lower my altitude!'
The kinetic pressure of the crows on her aura reverberated throughout her being as she dived her glider pack down below.
'What 's got those crows scared? And why here? Why now? One thing is for sure, crows are a bad omen, with them, death usually isn't far behind, whatever it is that scared them.'
Stepping on the gas, her glider went full throttle, ripping through the air towards the smoke.
As she got closer she saw a rusty hunk of metal peeking over the trees. 'A crashed ship? Must've been a Nevermore attack.'
She lowered her glider's altitude as she zoomed in closer and the ship was now in full view. Indeed it was a crashed ship, except that it's design was rather crude and inconsistent with most models of airships. Instead of the usual streamlined hulls, this ship looked more like a mammoth box of steel.
I' should land down for a closer look, but once I'm done, I'd better get back home, dad is going to go crazy if he finds I've been sneaking out of the house past curfew.'
Carefully, the young woman guided her glider just a few feet above the trees around the crash site, and with a flick of a lever the wings of the glider began folding and contracting until all that remained resembled a plain backpack with a rocket booster on the bottom end.
As she dropped into the trees with cat-like grace, she managed to land on a strong branch. Then she leaped from tree to tree like a monkey strung out on caffeine, and then she took off her backpack, hung it on a branch, then slid down from the tree trunk to the bottom floor.
The girl ran in the direction of the crash site and as a precaution, dove for cover in a patch of tall grass.
The young woman looked and listened for any possible danger. At the same time she gripped her right hand on one of the rusty orange, twin kindjal swords sheathed on her waist. 'If any Grimm dare mess with me, I'll introduce them to 'Cryspice'. Though I hope my training actually works.
At first glance the kindjals appeared to be one sword, but they were in fact two swords forged to fit in the same sheath evenly (just like Prince Zuko's twin, dao swords).
Once she was feeling safe she walked out of the bushes into the open, "Wow, this ship looks bigger up close."
The young woman curiously walked along the broadside of the crashed ship, taking in its design, every crack, every corner on its hull, every part of it's crude architecture. However, once she reached the front of the ship, she saw that it was half-dunked in a bank dirt at an obtuse angle with the cockpit very visible at the top.
The dark-skinned girl reached her right hand out and touched the ship's hull with her index finger, "OW, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow oooowww, hot!" She shook her hand and blew on her burned finger, then doused it with water from her canteen. "Phew, no way a morning sunbath can make metal this hot."
'Besides this ship, it's definitely not a conventional craft. I don't believe Atlus could've designed a vessel like this. In fact judging by the impact of the crash, those large thrusters, those black burn marks, not to mention the hull being hot as a kitchen stove, it appears this air ship was meant to to go . . . beyond the atmosphere!'
Suddenly the dark-skinned teenager heard the hissing of pressurized air and the sliding of steel. Alarmed, she quickly ran back to the tall grass and dove underneath, laying on her back.
She waited and listened to the sound of steel sliding shut and hissing and then locking tight. Then she heard footsteps, coming closer, closer, and closer . . . 'Please don't find me, please don't find me . . .' and then . . . a dark figure passed over her.
'That was too close, I was literally one step away from feeling like a welcome mat, and worse.'
Once she felt it was safe she poked her head up.
Walking through the grass was a humanoid figure wearing full black body, armor with a latex-like body suit underneath. The figure's frame appeared to be masculine in appearance with a kevlar-like texture. What made it fascinating was that the armor plates had pits like electrical sockets as if to plug into something (Just imagine a set of completely black, Voltron Legendary Defender, Paladin armor with a Kamen Rider Ryuki/Dragon Knight makeover).
'Wow, who is that guy? That armor he's wearing, is more streamlined than your average Atlus body armor, and insulated like a special forces ninja. On second thought, he looks just like one of those Armored Crusaders I used to watch on my scroll shows.'
Ditching the protection of the grass's shadow, the girl carefully tailed the strange soldier, keeping a reasonable distance at thirty paces, hugging tree after tree. So many questions flowed through her mind regarding the strange visitor.
Whoever he is, he's not a soldier from Atlas, in fact his armor looks kind of, 'alien now that I think about it.'
The soldier then came to a stop, she wisely hid behind the nearest tree. The strange soldier had stopped at a stream flowing down from the nearby hills. She watched as the soldier's hands reached for his helmet. His thumbs pressed some kind of buttons, a hiss of released air followed and the helmet came off to reveal a tuft of reddish brown hair.
He then he turned his face!
The young woman recoiled behind her tree blushing, 'He almost saw me! I, I saw his face, half of it at least. By the gods he's handsome; his hair it's like a freshly lit, bonfire, his skin is almost as tanned as mine, but those ears, those ears, their cute. They remind me of the forest fairies nanny Melange used to read to me in stories. Wait, what am I thinking, I'm just investigating, not stalking.
Clearing her head of adolescent fantasies, she carefully poked her head out from behind the tree.
The strange soldier was still there. She watched him as he took a canteen and dipped it into the rushing stream them raised it to his mouth, "gulp, gulp, gulp, and exhaled a satisfied sigh. He filled his canteen to the brim, then closed it shut. Putting his helmet back on with another hiss, he turned and walked back, right in the direction of her tree. The girl hid back behind the tree, too afraid to peek and confirm which direction he would pass.
What to do, what to do! The footsteps got closer."Concentrate," she muttered as she tapped into her semblance, Fear is the mind killer, face your fear, let it pass through you.
She concentrated and meditated, the soldier's steps got closer, closer, closer, and then his head peered from the left of tree, but he found nothing, not a sign of her, and moved on.
'Phew, that was close, my semblance is good for something like telling me he would go left. If only I could control it in my dreams, or better yet, I had a different semblance entirely. Seeing a piece of the future makes life feel pointless, regardless of the choices you make.'
She followed him carefully till he disappeared behind a tree with a thick trunk. She slowly crept up to the tree, peeked over at the other side and gasped, 'He's gone?'
Walking past the tree, the girl looked in all directions, left and right, but the soldier was nowhere to be seen.
'It's too quiet, the woods are too steady, where is he? '
"Thump," a cold metal tube pressed against the back of her head, and her question was answered.
"Freeze!" the electronically filtered voice sent paralyzing chills through every nerve in her system.
"Hands up," slowly and nervously she obeyed, "Now ditch those kitchen knives on your waist, toss them over there. If any of your fingers brush the handle you won't have any left to pick your nose."
Reluctantly, the girl unbuckled the straps on her sheathe that held Cryspice to her waist, and with little, hesitation tossed them to her right side near some bushes.
"Now turn around and face me, slowly. "
Slowly one step at a time, she turned and when she saw the helmed 'face' of her captor. Her jaw fell open, the paintings on the faceplate were lined with two rows of sharp teeth, just like . . . 'Just like in my dream!'
Vivid images from last night's dream came back to her instantly; the raging inferno screaming towards her, the maw of a Chondrichthyian monster breaching the wall of fire opened wide. It would've swallowed her whole had she not woken up at the last minute. 'Is he the beast from my vision?'
The stranger raised his hand gun at eye level threateningly, giving her a good look at his black handgun. 'That gun looks very aerodynamic, and spiffy. It's like something out of a sci-fi video game. I see a logo called 'Iotonics , but I don't recognize it, much less heard of it. Whatever company built that gun had the inverse of form with function in mind. There are no levers, buttons or any implications of a transformation function to another weapon, such as a knife or dagger, just a handgun-handgun. I know my aura will protect me, but . . . Atlus has manufactured more than a few hand guns that can deplete auras in less than a dozen shots. No way am I finding out the hard way. Better try appealing to this guy's better nature, assuming he has it. I hope I stumbled onto something I wasn't meant to see.'
"Please don't shoot, I mean you no harm!"
"That's a theory I'm going to test, " He added. "For starters, why were you carrying a pair of swords, a little overkill for bush trimming."
"They're just for defense, w-woods are full of dangerous animals you know, heh, heh, heh."
"State your name."
"D-Dejah, Dejah Holtzman."
"Military or civilian?"
"Civilian."
"Name of this planet?"
"What," Dejah was caught off guard. 'Did he just say planet?' The word 'Planet' was used to refer to celestial bodies orbiting the sun, but it rarely applied to Remnant. 'How can he not know of the one world where all humans live, it doesn't make sense?'
"I said name of this planet?" He asked again.
"R-Remnant, this world is Remnant," answered Dejah.
"Whose in charge of this planet?" The soldier asked.
"Uh, umm, uh, M-monarchs, three ruling monarchs."
"Is that, right?"
"Yes, there are four kingdoms, Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, and Vale: the kingdom you are now in."
"Where in this Vale kingdom am I? "
"The forest of Forever Fall."
"Why is it called that?"
"Because it is always Autumn in this forest. "
He tilted his head quizzicaly, but kept his handgun trained on her, and waved his fingers in a "come here" gesture, "Got a map?"
"Yes, I can show it to you," Dejah pulled out her scroll, she brought up her GPS map and showed it to the stranger who looked at the device with fascination.
Dejah began to hand her scroll to him, "Here you can look all you . . . "
"No, I'm the tourist, you're the tour guide, it's fitting that you tell me everything I see on that map, comprende?"
"Yes, uh c-comprende," Wherever he came that word must be the equivalent of okay, wondered Dejah.
Dejah fiddled with the holographic GPS. "The dot here indicates where we are right now," she explained.
What are three small dots? "The soldier asked.
"Those represent settlements."
"What does that line on the east represent?" the stranger asked.
"A railroad."
"Where does it go."
"To Beacon Academy."
"A school?"
"Yes, where hunters and huntresses are trained." 'Smooth going there Dejah, why did you let that slip, it's not like he cares or anything?'
The strange soldier's head tilted quizzicaly, "A school that drills big game hunters?" He asked skeptically.
"Yes," she answered.
"To hunt what?" He asked.
"Uhh," Dejah pointed behind him. "That!"
The strange soldier whipped around. "What the hell!"
"Guraaaawrrr"!
Standing before them, reared up on two legs was a large beast that resembled a black grizzly bear, with bony spikes protruding from its back like porcupine quills. But the most bizarre aspect was the kabuki-like mask on its face and demonic, glowing eyes that screamed for blood.
Dejah trembled with alarm, 'An Ursa Major, my fear attracted it!'
The soldier side stepped in front of Dejah to shield her, "Stay calm, back away, real slow." But Dejah knew better than to treat a Grimm like a regular animal.
The ursa raised one of its large paws to swipe at them.
BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! A demonic howl screamed out of the strange soldier'a gun barrel as three bullets connected to the corresponding shoulder. The Ursa shrugged it off and swung its right paw down on them.
"Down!" the soldier grabbed her then together they tucked and rolled out of the way, the Ursa's paw left a deep print on the ground instead.
The soldier got to his feet and picked up Dejah, "Go, run, I'll hold it!
'I know just where to run.' Without hesitation, Dejah ran towards her discarded weapons. She grabbed her twin Kindjals; Cryspice then looked back, "Oh no!"
The Ursa was standing above her. Just when it raised its right paw, BEEEYOOW! It lost balance and feel back to all fours. Dejah saw black ichor pouring out from its left rear, leg. Then she saw the soldier standing a few feet away, his gun aimed right at the leg.
The Ursa turned to the soldier and lunged straight at him.
"Run!" Dejah yelled, "Get out of the way!"
The soldier just stood there aiming his gun, waiting, not taking so much as a pot shot.
Just when the Ursa tried to pounce on him, the soldier ducked underneath its lunge and was missed by the skin of his helmet. CRUNCH. Tree skin flew through the air on impact. The dazed Ursa Major reeled back from its head collision a a big tree and shook its head to get the bark off.
"RUUUUHAAARRRGH, " it growled angrily at the soldier-big mistake!
BEEEYOOW! " RUUHARGH!" The Ursa's head snapped sideways and then clutched the right side of its face.
"Bullseye!" Dejah yelled excitedly.
But when the Ursa pulled its paw away, 'No wait, he just nicked the left eye, enough to put it out, not reach the brain to kill it. All he did was half-blind it.'
Indeed with a new scar gashed across its 'mask,' the beast was pissed. It wasn't letting either of them leave here alive, starting with the soldier.
It charged the soldier, swinging its paws wildly. The soldier ducked and weaved between its aimless strikes with well practiced timing. When the Ursa raised its left paw for a seventh strike, the strange soldier aimed his handgun.
BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! The perforated paw recoiled and the Ursa stumbled backwards. The angry bear swung another flurry at the soldier, but missed again. The soldier shot more bullets at its head but this time it shielded itself with a paw. BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! BEEEYOOW! Click! Click! Click!
"Damn, empty!" he cursed.
The soldier quickly slipped in a fresh clip, but before he could look for another opening, a paw swipe connected, sending the soldier flying and slamming him on the ground, his gun flying free of his hand.
The Ursa then stalked in for the kill, pinning the soldier down with one paw.
Dejah drew her kindjals. 'Alright Cryspice, time to prove that civilian doesn't translate to pushover.'
The Ursa Major pushed its maw downward, only soldier's defensive arms holding its it at bay, buckling under the weight inch by inch.
Then it felt a stab in its side from none other than its original prey; Dejah.
"Get off of him you furry-Uuungh!" Dejah rolled along the ground. "Oww, that wasn't very gentlemanly of you, swatting a girl away like a fly."
As she glared eye to eye at the Ursa, the soldier raised his right arm, "hiss," a cloud of gas flew out of a grill in the gauntlet right into the distracted, Ursa's face.
"GURAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!" The Ursa recoiled, off the soldier. GURRAAWWRRR,GURRAAAWR, GURAWR GURAWRR, GURAWWR! " It pawed and shook its head wildly, fizz bubbled and burned in its sinuses and mouth. Whatever was in that gas its effects were like pepper spray.
"My turn," muttered Dejah.
She charged in, 'All right, time to put my Tahtib training to good use.' She spun on her the heels of her slippers, twirled Cryspice and sliced at the Ursa's right, rear toes.
"GRAAAARRRGGH!" It sure wasn't going to enjoy using that foot anymore.
She then dashed for the left foot, "Ugh," but the Ursa objected with a mighty kick.
"Ow, unh!" Dejah came rolling to a stop. "Unnnngh," she grunted angrily, "I'm nobody's soccer-uuuummph!"
Dejah felt the Ursa's paw pinning her against a tree. "No," she gasped upon seeing the Ursa's gaping maw looming above, drooling for the sweet honey within her flesh. I''m sorry daddy, I should've listened to you.'
BEEEYOOW! "ARRRAAAGGHH!" The Ursa released Dejah touching the place where its nose used to be.
Her right arm was grabbed and she was pulled behind the tree. She turned to see that it was the soldier, "All right kid, I've got questions for you more than you got for me, but before I get them, we smoke this bear. I can't do it on my own, so we take him together, but I don't want your blood on my hands either."
Dejah's jaw dropped, "What, why, I thought that . . . ?"
"I may have overreacted holding a gun in your face, but I'm still a soldier, It's my job to babysit anyone who gets in harm's way, even if this ain't my planet."
Unbeknownst to the soldier, Dejah's inner fan girl was screaming with delight. 'Wow, I don't believe it, he sounds just like my favorite Armored Hero; 'Star Enforcer Kantarax! 'This is just like the episode when he crashed on Remnant and first met his future love. By the gods, I feel like I'm living in my favorite show, if only I could relish the moment!'
"Now here's the plan, keep hurting our furry friend's feelings, while I get in a killing shot, this time keep your distance don't get kicked around, comprende?"
"Yes sir!" Dejah replied with an dramatic salute. The strange soldier could've sworn he saw her excitement shining out of her eyes, Anime style. "Talk about fan girlish zeal," he said.
Dejah sheathed Cryspice joining the twin kindjals as one. "One laser gun coming right up," she pressed a lever on the sword hilt, "SPROING, KACHUKT, KACHUKT, KACHUKT," and voila, her kindjals and sheath were now a laser carbine.
"Wow, how did you do that?" asked the soldier.
"One of the perks of being a huntress," Dejah boasted "you get the best toys-in one package."
"RAAARRWHR!" They stared at full attention at the growling Ursa, the effects of the chemical spray seemingly worn off.
"He looks real pissed off now," said the soldier.
"Not to worry, nothing a little chill pill won't remedy," Dejah cocked her Cryspice for emphasis. Besides, in case you haven't noticed Mr. I'm tougher than I look,"said Dejah.
"All right, said the soldier, let's set this smoking bear a new, forest fire."
Together they charged the gargantuan beast's blind spots. Dejah circled the left and pulled the trigger. "PYING, PYING, PYING, PYING," laser blasts scorched the Ursa's hindquarters.
BEYOOW! BEYOOW! The soldier fired a staccato of bullets at the head right of the Ursa's literally, blind spot.
The furious, Ursa Major swung its paws aimlessly, trying to hit its tormentors.
The unlikely duo kept dodging the Ursa's swipes, flanking it and firing, chipping away at the Ursa's callous exterior.
'Damn how much abuse can this big, ugly bear take? Wait, I know if at first you don't succeed, try again and do better.'
Dejah jumped onto the tortured Ursa's back. The Ursa tried to shake her off, but she clung tightly to its dorsal spikes.
'Hang on Dejah, think of this as a rodeo, kai yai, yippee yai yay.' Except I'm not the audience!
She held fast and prepared to draw her left kindjal, making a a decent gash in the Ursa's flesh.
Yes, just a little more and-!
Her revelry was cut short when she felt a furry paw clamp down on her and tossed her like a dodge ball.
She managed to flip in midair, then rebound off a tree and stabbed Cryspice into the ground to arrest her momentum, grinding to a halt.
Looking up, she saw the soldier throw a serrated knife. SHUCK, right into the Ursa's right shoulder.
But the Ursa wouldn't take it lying down. It stood up on its rear legs, and gave a tremendous swing at the soldier.
Again the soldier dodged, and with its toes crippled the Ursa fell back to all fours.
Before the Ursa could take another swing at the soldier, Dejah jumped onto its back again. This time, the Ursa reared up and tried grab her. Dejah hung onto the quills for dear life hacking away at the Ursa's paws, 'You're not gonna play ball with me again. Hurry up Mr. eeeer . . . Star Enforcer, I can't keep this up.'
She heard more gunshots and the Ursa's paws left her alone. Taking the opportunity Dejah climbed all the way up to the shoulders. From behind the Ursa's head she saw the soldier shooting not to kill but to suppress.
"My knife, grab my knife!" Dejah looked lower and saw the knife he had thrown earlier still stuck in the beast's shoulder. Grabbing the handle, she wiggled and yanked it out.
" Hey, " she heard the soldier tell as he slipped in a fresh clip. "The jaw, stab behind the jaw!" the soldier hollered and pointed underneath the left side of his chin.
"Of course, the pressure point! All right, here goes something," Dejah took the soldier's knife and with a tremendous heave, stuck it in behind the Ursa's mandibular angle, "GRAAAAWWWRRRR-ACKK! GAWKK-GAWWCK Ackk-kack-gawkk!" the Ursa clawed at its throat.
'What, why is he choking? What did he swallow?'
"Get down, he's gonna blow!" the soldier yelled.
Dejah leaped off the choking Ursa with cat-like grace next to the soldier. The soldier grabbed her hand and they ran for a nearby rock.
"Down!" He tackled her to the ground behind the rock and clapped his hands over her ears.
BOOOOM!
'An explosion? Did he just 'feed' the Ursa what I think he did? '
As they began to catch their breath, the soldier looked her in the eyes, "You alright, can you hear me?"
"Yes," she answered, "but, uhh . . .(babump)" I don't believe it, he's on my chest, he's on my chest, he's on my chest, he's on my chest, he's lying on my cheeeeeesst! '
"Hey?" he asked, " Can you hear me? "
"Oh, yes, loud and clear!" 'Cool it Dejah, this isn't the time to think naughty!' "By the way did you just 'feed' the Ursa what I think you did?"
"What can I say the flavor was explosive. I also got to admit that sword play and stunts you did back were pretty cool, for a civilian," the soldier said.
"Thank you sir, now could you please get off of me?"
"Oh, sorry." He stood back up and pulled her back to her feet, "Now take a look at our handiwork."
Looking up they saw a headless Ursa stumbling, its body on emergency autopilot. One last step, and the body realized what its absent head could not. SHAARM! The headless Ursa now lay on the ground, for good and dissolved into oblivion.
"Wow," gasped the strange soldier.
Dejah on the other hand was too busy blushing, 'I can't believe it, I feel like I've been fighting with an Armored Crusader, a real Armored Crusader.'
"All right," said the soldier. "I have my questions, and I'm entitled you fill in the blanks. For starters, what the hell was that thing? What kind of animal has a thing for kabuki masks and just disappears upon death? Biologists will be ripping their hair out over a phenomenon like that."
"That wasn't an animal," said Dejah, "that was a Grimm."
"No kidding, that thing looked like death in a furry Halloween costume, unless it has to do with fairy tales?" the soldier scoffed.
"Not exactly, not exactly either of those things," she answered.
"Then what exactly are Grimm?" he asked
"Creatures of darkness, a natural enemy of humanity, they have antagonized us since time immemorial."
"Sounds like something out of a fantasy role-playing game."
"I wish it were just that," Dejah said.
"You said you were trained to hunt these things? " the soldier asked.
"Well uhh . . . technically I'm not a huntress yet, I have yet to graduate combat school first before getting certified huntress training."
"Lucky you, you got a little hands on training," said the soldier.
"I have you to thank for that," Dejah giggled. "I bet he's blushing underneath his helmet, needless to say, so am I."
Then the soldier placed his right hand to his helmet as if listening to someone on a radio.
"What's wrong, is someone talking to you?" Dejah asked.
"Yea, and she says we've got company, the kind you and I can't trust with our health. Time to jet."
"Huh wha-ooohh!" Before Dejah could ask a question, the soldier pulled and hefted her over his shoulder and ran.
'Where's he taking me, he can't possibly hope to outrun them, whoever's after us.'
The soldier stopped, Dejah heard the sound of bushes rustling and being tossed aside, then she found herself seated on a . . . "What's this? It looks like a bike, but no wheels. What's with those 'flapper, uh. . . wing-a-ma-things with disk fans? Wait can this 'bike' really . . .?
The soldier jumped onto the bike-like vehicle, started up the engine and the bike lifted off from the ground. Instinctively Dejah wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Hang on," yelled the soldier, and he stepped on the gas.
"Whooooooaaaaaaah! " Dejah screamed.
The hover-bike zoomed through the forest, ripping through falling bushes and falling leaves.
Dejah could feel the whiplash of air as they passed trees.
Then the soldier parked the hover bike in a large thicket and cut the engine. "Your blades, cut some branches."
"Yes sir," Dejah drew Cryspice and hacked away at several large branches. The soldier placed the branches over his hover bike until it was next to indistinguishable.
Dejah then heard a familiar low whistling, 'Bullheads? They know about the crash?'
"Get down, in the bushes, now." urged the soldier.
Dejah didn't hesitate and dove into a bush. The soldier joined her in the same bush much to her awkward feelings.
The sound grew closer and closer, then Dejah saw them, I knew it, Bullheads, about a dozen of them, and they're heading straight for the crashed ship. Wait, something's different' about them. They all look black.' Dejah pulled out a monocular scope and zoomed in one of the Bullheads, 'That emblem on the fuselage, it looks like a windmill you'd see on a plains farmhouse. (Gasp) No way, it's 'them!'
Dejah and the soldier lay underneath the bushes, watching the Bullheads pass over the canopy. After an eternity of baited breath, the noise faded with the last Bullhead.
"Well, that was . . . suspenseful, " Dejah sighed with relief.
"Kinda enjoyed it while it lasted, said the soldier. "Now then, where's the nearest settlement?"
Dejah brought up her scroll, "Forty-three, miles east by the nearest river."
"Good, cause it's time I drop you off at a safe place."
Dejah and the strange soldier had just pulled up at the edge of the settlement.
"This is it, Maple Creek," said Dejah.
"Doesn't look well equipped for defense against those Grimm things, but it's as safe as your gonna get. Hop off kid, it's your stop."
Dejah got of the hover bike and glimpsed the village of Maple Creek, it resembled a town right out of an Old Western movie. 'Doesn't look too bad, the accommodations should be fine for a one night stay.'
She turned back to the strange soldier whom over an hour prior she had projected her fantasies onto. "So, is it true, you're from another world? " she asked.
"Why would I ask for the name of this planet?" he asked back.
"Oh, I guess that was a stupid question. Anyway, I thank you for the ride and helping me kill that Grimm. We made a pretty good team back there, but where are you going?" Dejah asked.
"Anywhere you don't get the celebrity treatment, and off this planet." he answered .
"But why? Why leave?" asked Dejah. "It's like not your a bad guy or anything?"
"Maybe, but the powers that run this nation will have a real problem with a foreign tourist who acts outside their jurisdictions-politics and all that. In other words I'm an outlaw who doesn't know the rules in town nor entitled to any civil or humane rights. Besides my ship is packed full of high-tech heat and junk that some slimy suits would love to cash in on. And who knows how they work?" For emphasis, the soldier pointed towards yours truly. "Besides I got my own fights in my own world."
"Can't you just fly away with your ship?"
"I tried that already, all I did was bust the engine turbines. They're shot beyond commission now."
"Oh, I see." 'So that's what caused the smoke that scared those crows into my face earlier.'
As the strange soldier revved up his hover bike's engine-"Wait!" yelled Dejah. "Before you go, please just tell me your name?"
The strange soldier turned to face her, "My first name is 'I'm outta here.' As he spoke, he loaded a vitamin-like capsule into a small compartment in his right gauntlet, right behind the grill where had sprayed the Ursa. "And my last name is, 'This dream is history."
The soldier then pointed his right arm at Dejah and a hiss came out.
" A-hugh, a-hugh, a-hugh!" Dejah coughed and sputtered. 'What's going on? Gas? I feel so tired. This isn't . . . how my vision . . . ends, does it?'
Those were Dejah's last thoughts before she blacked out.
(Insert voice of the Red Guy from Cow and Chicken)And that was the first chapter of Terra Remnant Strike Force RECN.
That OC Dejah sure is a cutie, especially when she's gone 'beddy bye, courtesy of our space hero. Frankly, she reminds me of two animated cuties from before the turn of the millennium who preach Green Aesop\environmental philosophy in more subtle and classy ways than that flying, grass-headed, blue boy with a questionable sense of superhero fashion. Anyone recognize what literary classics this new OC is analogous to? Need a clue? Just consult with Edgar Rice Burroughs and Frank Herbert.
In case you were wondering what our sweet little Dejah was referring to as 'Armored Crusaders?' Guess what, Remnant loves Tokusatsu shows just as much as we did when 'Americanized ' Tokusatsus were the bomb in the 1990s. I'm talking Power Rangers, Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad/Gridman and Metal Heroes, aka in the USA; VR Troopers and Beetleborgs (the latter two are available on Netflix).
BTW, aren't any of you readers curious as to where and when our hero who was misplaced in space will meet up with Remnant's most fearsome, fairy tale, fighting team (TMNT reference notwithstanding)? Maybe we'll find out in the next chapter, or - EVEN MORE CHAPTERS!
Sayonara folks, be sure to check out the source material for the main OC by looking up Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri on the glorious internet, or even better - GET A FRIGGIN STEAM ACCOUNT AND BUY THE GAME! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!