Eagle

I don't own Advance Wars

Chapter One- The Beginnings

Greetings, friends. My name is Eagle.

I do not expect any of you to be able to fully grasp my life, for I myself have a very hard time grasping it.

I don't have a tale to tell of cowboys and Indians, nor of bandits and stagecoaches. My tale is quite simple.

First of all, you must understand that there is more than one side in a war. What others from Orange Star might tell you, I may not. Your game was slightly biased in favor of Orange Star, showing them only losing one mission (Max's Folly, was it not?). They fail to show the chaos that the rest of continent that the great fool Olaf plunged us into, nor does it show my victories.

However, I do understand that you are not interested in that, but rather my tale, which portrays that. If you were not, you wouldn't be here, would you? So, here I go.

My early memories date back to when I was probably six. I was enrolled in the Orange Star Academy of Field Tactics. Like you have history, math, science, and others, we had classes such as air combat, sea combat, direct combat, and so on. Tactics is the major class there, by the way. Orange Star had that academy for only the best, but after I graduated, they made it 18 years of age or more only.

This is the same academy that would, by the way, crank out such great leaders as Nell, Olaf, Andy, Max, Sami, and Sonja. Yellow Comet had its own Academy of Field Tactics, which spawned Drake, Grit, and Kanbei himself. I can remember fighting Kanbei for the first time- all those anti-air units.

Still, I remember those days. To be exact, I remember failing Sea Tactics every years I was there. Never pulled myself above a 77. However, I was commended on having average land abilities. The academy also admired my air abilities, which, if you know anything about me, is still my focal point.

Anyway, my next detailed memory was when I was ten. We had to develop our own CO powers at that age. My friend, Andre, wanted to make his power to where he would be unstoppable, but that was impossible. He eventually settled on cloaking his troops for a turn. (How Olaf created Blizzard, I don't know. "Let the winds of war bring snow!" Bah.) I was strained to have a version of the kind of "Max Force" power, where my air units would become stronger. Maybe "Attack Up" or something. Max eventually got his hands on the remains of my research on such and turned it into his own power. Kind of disturbing to know that you were beaten by your own power.

By the way, Drake was encouraged to do the same as I. But, I was from Green Earth. The Green Earth motto is "Strength through Differences". So, I set out to do something that I thought no other general had ever dared to attempt- create a power where you could attack twice.

Searching on other generals, I discovered that there was a power where a CO could create two armies from his one, with the two symmetrical armies in lieu of one. But the secret to this was lost. Another had my power, and he'd forged out Orange Star, then ended up getting shot in the head while in Yellow Comet. So, as empty-handed as I was, I began.

I spent endless hours in the library, researching. Finally, in a virtual battle against Grit's uncle, I began to lose. Finally, I used up all of my units, only to have gained no ground. I shouted out a taunt- "The Eagle soars above you!" Instantly, my troops were revitalized. The attack won the game.

I spent the next three months in a "Power Chamber", where I learned to control my power to its full extent. Eventually, if the meter was ready, I just had to raise my right hand, and the power was activated. So, I got cool taunts, everything from "This one's the last thing you'll ever see, boy!" to "I don't really want to hurt you, but what choice do I have?"

Now, if you've learned anything from Queen Sonja of Intel land, it's that my second strike is weaker than the first. That in itself is a story worth telling.

Orange Star was forced to wage a war for two years against rebels in what would become Blue Moon in about thirty years. So, I stayed at the dorms, and went home once or twice a month, planning to return to the academy. My family had sent me a Fighter without the missiles for personal use, so I used that to commute.

However, I was called out with a kid who was a lot like Drake, only years older. At this point, Drake wasn't even one cell. Anyway, they had us attack. The battle was brutal and long, and it ended with my new bomber killing the enemy CO. The spectacle was so horrific that it scarred my mind forever. That's why I stand back, gaining intel, or doing negotiations, unless they attack my homeland.

I remember walking the battlefield after the match to bask in glory, but the victory was hollow. I walked into what had been my ally's headquarters. I saw my friend with a sword through his chest. He let out a loud moan and dropped his head. Dead.

I was filled with anger by this, and the power of my CO abilities increased. My air force was unequaled even by the great generals of the day. However, the great fatigue of my life began to catch up to me. I was out of the chamber for a month to rest and meditate. You see, once a power is created, the chamber is the only place where work can be done. The limit of time in it was three to six months, and I'd just wrapped up my fourth. I wanted to push it to the last millisecond, but I was stuck on the second attack. That, however, is when I met her.

Her name was Julia, and she was beautiful. I mean beautiful. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was my age, that is, twelve, and beautiful. Of course, to love beauty is to be shallow, but still. I imagine you don't want to hear of my love life, so I'll make it short- she thought I was a nerd. Ouch.

Anyway, I returned to the training room, devastated. I worked and worked, but my heart was missing from it all. I accomplished little. However, my power was still strong enough. Two years later, at age 14, it was the most important part of a career- the draft.

We had it in an interesting manner. The representatives from each nation (Each nation sent three) would have us play a simulated war against them. It was interesting, I'll give it that. I won them all- Orange Star, Yellow Comet, Green Earth, Black Hole (Which was a Sturm-free nation at the time), and Red Fire. Red Fire, by the way, was annihilated by Sturm right before the war.

The next day, the draft results were placed. Green Earth had been given one spot, Yellow Comet 2, Orange Star 5, Red Fire 2, and Black Hole 2. Andre and I got there to see who drafted us, if anyone.