Knights of Rebellion
Chapter 1
I had thought about this not long after I read the manga and saw the anime. But like all my other stories, I just wasn't sure about writing it. But I've gotten some more heart to do it after Memorial Day, and thinking back on my homeland and what some like my grandpa on both sides of my family fought for. Oh, and the initial grow up period is roughly the same time as Ernie. My kid is about the same age as him. So. On with the show.
(MC POV)
I had always like the mech anime and other cartoon shows like them when I was younger. Even as I got older, I still liked them. A lot of people didn't get where I was coming from with it since I was from the rural parts of Nebraska. We don't exactly get anything like that out our way, and most are focused on just making it through to the next year. I figured that was going to be my lot in life too. Just helping with farm stuff and working as a crop duster after I served my term as a pilot with the Air Force. But I could still learn a bit about the machines I wished I could pilot in my spare time.
But fate has a funny way of working. I felt sick one day, enough to go to the hospital. Unfortunately, what was discovered was cancer in my pancreas. I fought as well as I could for a year. But it still is a hard to understand and even harder to treat. I was sad to leave my family behind at 37 years old. But at least I got to say goodbye.
The strangest thing for me though was when I woke up. I didn't think I would but in fact I could look around again and I felt none of the pain I had for the year after I was diagnosed. I tried to sit up, but it felt strange. Like my body wasn't what I had become used to. I start to say something but the words that come out don't sound right either. "Hold on Han. There's my big boy." I look up and see a woman with bright red hair above me.
That is when a few other memories flow in. I'm not my old self. Or rather this is a different world from the Earth I knew. This woman is Sofia Ritternato. My mother in this world and wife to Martin Ritternato, a knight runner as I had come to learn. This world is full of magic and crazy beasts. And the knight runners, with their Silhouette Knights, would fight against the invading hordes. But that wasn't the only focus for our people.
The place I was born into was actually a colony of the nation of Guerrabesti. A nation south of the kingdom of Fremavia. My family had been some of the first to move to the region 3 generations ago. Even if Guerrabesti asked, I don't think I'd feel the same loyalty. This colony. On the continent of Pakanga. This is my home. As I've grown up though, I've noticed that the new forces that come in don't agree with that. The also look down on those of us who have grown up here and those who work together and have families with the local people who lived near the coasts.
My father had kept quiet about it, but he had heard that the forces from the old homeland were going to attempt to force us all in line. But he won't have it. He had been training me as well as he could in combat and magic. As well as other young locals who want to protect their home. When he saw my talent for magic and that even as a child, I could make parts of the Silhouette knight move with little issue, he decided to help me learn more. I'm not quite tall enough, but I am a bit large already for a boy of about 10 years old. I'm almost 5 ft tall and solidly built. Even here, I help with knightsmiths and on my family's farm.
Thanks to that and my knowledge of jet engines and the potential for air superiority in combat, I start talking with some of the local smiths. "You want to make a device that can compress explosion magic into a point? Are you crazy?" An older knightsmith named Damien says to me as I describe it. "If we can focus an explosion to a point like so." I demonstrate by creating a magic circle and adjusting the output and direction of the burst. The resulting blast breaks through three walls alone.
"With that power compressed and in a Silhouette knight size, we could achieve incredible things. Let alone alternating twisting and layering the red crystal tissue throughout the bodies." While most regions have blue crystal tissue, the type that has been found here is of a red form. It operates much the same, but there is an interesting quirk to it. The crystal stores extra mana over time. Not enough to power the knight alone, but enough that we've come up with a few more interesting weapons for our knights. Though we aren't sharing them.
And it can allow for last resort bursts of strength. Not unlike the adrenaline burst humans have. One thing we've managed to make for me especially, was a special set of gauntlets that not only deflect swords but let me cast magic as well. I can use a sword but I'm more comfortable using my hands. And after learning from some native martial artists and some of the others who have come from different regions, I'm fairly proficient. Even defeating multiple older knight runners and my fellow protectors.
Just before I turned 11, I got involved with an incident protecting a homestead region of our people. I faced off with a Great Cyclops (giant mammoth beast demon beast. Back in the day they assumed mammoth skulls were the skulls of cyclops) after I borrowed a Silhouette knight from my father's group and fought it myself. I had to disassemble parts of it and hotwire a way to trigger the mana bursts through specific punches. I managed to throw the beast onto it's back before punching the eye with a burst one-inch (relative to the size) punch. And then forcing a fire and lightning spell through the fist and head of the demon beast.
My father thought it wise to hide the core of the beast away, as the origin land forces would love to get their hands on the core of a monster that size. We had been lucky that the native people knew where an Alv village was. Father knew they were the ones who made Ether reactors due to great great grandpa having once been a high-ranking official for Guerrabesti. They had secluded themselves away deep into the mountains, and only the original people of the Pakanga knew about where they were.
It is around the time that the Guerrabesti forces decide to start clamping down. When I was 14, they shelled a civilian fort to make a point after we had made our point of gaining our independence. For an entire night, they shelled it with magic. Intending to intimidate and destroy our point of rebellion. Our flag. But it kept standing. Thanks to the sacrifice and courage of the men and women living in that fort. The flag stood to show, none of us would back down.
(No POV)
It was not long after destruction of Fort Ekara the defenders got serious in their efforts to fight against the Guerrabesti forces. But there were other issues in their way. "We can't let their sacrifice be in vain. Father you have to see that." "I do son. But most of the other knights have either obligations or loyalty to the origin lands. As do I. They have for now agreed to leave at least my knight brigade and the one to the east out of this conflict." Martin said to Han at dinner a week after the destruction. He went on to say that while he can't fight, there was no reason that Han and the rest couldn't. It still frustrated the boy, but he did realize that his father had a point.
The two knight brigades that were already there were to protect the major port towns. And neither side of the conflict wanted to threaten said points. But that also meant that they couldn't shelter troops or forces from either side. A few groups allied with either side had been watching each other like hawks to make sure no one broke said treaty.
But Han saw a different way. He had been working with the rebels for a time as is, leading to the development of the jet propulsion units. Even making it possible for beginners to get a feel for flying. And he understood what his father meant. "If we want to even come close to winning this fight, we can't rely on the old cities. We have to get deeper into the continent." He brought this up to the leaders of the rebellion and Andrea Malta was the first to agree.
She was a woman of fair build at 18 years old. With shining blonde hair and piercing black eyes. She, much like Han, was a descendent of some of the first families. And her mother lead the knight brigade in the eastern side of the nation they were trying to form. "He's right. We've lived here for years, and between the locals and our own knowledge, we can find spots to hide out. We have to do this if we want our rebellion to survive and our hope to stay alive." Because even with the innovations and changes Han had helped introduce, they were still vastly outnumbered. As it stood, without the support of the main two brigades they only had about 100 new knights. And the runners for said knights were still green and had to adjust for the power difference.
This short speech and the acknowledgement that they are limited on time, is enough for the hem hawing older leaders to agree. But only on the fact that most of the knight runners leaving were the younger groups. "If we all leave at once, they will catch on. And sad as it is, some of us need to stay back to protect some of the smaller villages. This will be up to your group young Ritternato and Malta." And older knight says, before transferring most of the command to the two in question. There are a few who grumble about the matter, but they know the potential and knowledge the two possess.
Han's unit that had started to be built in the city, and most of the components were complete. He'd helped design, not just the jets to propel it, but made a special set of weapons just for his own preferred combat style. While most knights used swords, spears, shields, and rods, he had built a special set of arms just for his unit. "I prefer using my fists, and like this I can fire a variety of shots from my knight's hands. A compressed central focusing crystal, and some smaller ones on the knuckles that will allow for more rapid-fire shots. And with some of the other metals we've found, the arms and gauntlets will deflect most blades." Damien was amazed at the ideas that Han had come up with. And was also intrigued enough with his son Edgar, to build the unconventional type of weapon. They even found a way to copy it into a design for later use.
With their gear gathered they headed out for the wilder areas of Pakanga. "We can't threaten or use the Alv lands as a stronghold. The Guerrabesti forces will just make them a better offer." Another knight says, as they head out. But about 10 days into the trip out there, they intercept a message from the Alvs. A Roc was attacking their hidden away village. "Guess we won't have time to test everything with the Halius. We have to launch them now!" Andrea announces. Han also loads up in his red and white machine, Rageburst, and preps his jets.
With a breath to calm himself, he powers up the twin reactors saying, "Rageburst. Launching first!" At that he takes off into the sky. While most can't see it, Han has a massive smile. As he is loving not only being able to fly again, but that he is flying in a robot into a battle. 'Just like Amuro. Well hopefully with less drama.' He thinks to himself, while the Halius units also take off. While Rageburst has the more standard knight design, the Halius units (there are 20 of them) have broad wings instead of standard arms. Said wings have blades and allow for slashing that way, or the legs have been reinforced and modified to allow for strong landings and kicks.
At the shoulders, are copies of the main weapons on Rageburst. To the point they allow for rapid fire shots of magic. The Halius also have the ability to carry other weapons along the body, but that isn't for all of them. As the Halius fly up to match Rageburst's altitude, a few are a bit shaky when getting into formation. "Easy guys. Don't worry too much about formation for now. We need to hurry. We can't let the Alvs village fall." The head of the flyers, Ezio Baraga, calls out as he matches up with Han. He asks the younger teen what the plan should be. He responds with, "we need to get it's attention away from the village. I think you and I can handle that. The rest should focus on intercepting any beasts that may have followed the Roc." With a quick affirmative and a relaying of the message, the Rebellion's group pick up speed for the Alvs' home.
When they arrive, the Roc has already attacked a protective force that was from the native and other peoples. And most of them have been wiped out. But Han rockets in and unleashes a heavy kick to the side of the Roc's head. This snaps it to the side and all but buries it into the canyon wall. "You won't take another step towards those people!" he calls out while taking a stance. As he is doing that, the Halius divebomb down and fire off multiple magic shots into the smaller monsters that followed the Roc. With Ezio coming in and slicing the side of the beast as well.
After said monster has pulled its head out, it focuses on the two who had wounded it. It tries to stomp on them, but they both get out of the way and take to the air. When the Roc follows, Han turns back and fires shots from his palms before unleashing a chest beam blast. This does some decent damage, but he only does it for a moment. "I thought you said that drains mana like crazy?!" "It does, but I wanted his attention on us!" Han and Ezio argue quickly before getting back into the fight.
When the Roc starts flinging feathers, the two swing and fly around as much as they can. And then Han rockets in again and lands a heavy highspeed punch to the monster's face. He then continues to punch and attack multiple other points on its body. While Ezio peppers it from a distance with shots. "I think it's almost done! Just one last hit. And I'm charged up for it!" Han calls out before getting in close with a grab, before unleashing his chest beam again. The blast opens a massive hole in the beast, and it begins to fall. But it doesn't hit the ground as Han and Ezio grab it on the way down.
With the battle in the sky done, the rest of the Halius unit mop up the rest of the demon beasts that had arrived. Once Han and Ezio landed, they were given an audience with the elder. When they met with him, they explained that they only sought to maintain a good relationship with the Alvs. "And to maybe keep the reactors you could make away from our enemies." Ezio says a bit sheepishly. The elder sighs but does agree as they owed the Rebellion a debt.
The Alvs later forge two special reactors just for Han. While Han doesn't seek to learn the secrets of reactor making, he is still curious. When told about what makes up the devices and how they are made he asks if he can use the two massive beasts. "You earned the Cyclops and Roc kills more than the rest of us. Use them to finish your unit." Andrea says with a smile and a nod. It takes over a month to complete both, but he now has the power source for his own imagined unit. "I'm not gonna go nuts on the design right away. I think it is always a good idea to be modular and flexible with something like this." Han says to himself while imagining a variety of attachments or additions he can make in time. Soon it will be ready. His Fenyx.
Hope you guys like the ideas I had for some of this. I had been sitting on it for quite a while. And I know using a IRL pilot might seem weird, but I wanted someone who was of a slightly different sort to Ernie. So I went with what I thought might be his opposite. Please review.