Interlude One: Past Transgressions
Fire rained from the sky. In ancient mythology, this would have been the sign of the wrath of the gods. This, however, was merely a slaughter. Stars were descending from the night sky, streaks of fire leaping from them causing havoc wherever they struck.
Children ran through the streets, their parents trying to cover them from the debris that once had been their homes. Pilots were trying to reach their Vanships in a futile attempt to fight off the relentless enemy. Those few that made it into the sky were shot down quickly.
A barrage of fire struck an elegant house that probably housed one of the nobler people of the town, the blasts crumbling the walls and collapsing the roof. Four people managed to survive the destruction of what had been their home. Two adults and a little boy and girl of about 5 ran from the remains of their home and towards the airfield.
"What is this?" The man shouted into the air. "Why is the Guild attacking us?" A bright explosion lit the sky. Another Vanship down. "We need to warn the Emperor of this!" As the four people tried to cram into a Vanship made for two, the dark cloudy skies opened, and it began to rain...rose petals.
"Father...why are roses falling?" the boy asked. Gritting his teeth and rushing through the pre-flight checklist, the man was silent. "We need to hurry." Star-shaped ships were starting to set down all over the place, searching for survivors of any kind of the aerial barrage.
The engine started to whine, and the Vanship lifted off the ground. The man started pulling on the steering yoke to pull it up into the air when a Guild fighter came down, bringing one of its claw-like appendages down on the Vanship's bow, nailing it to the ground. It turned, its eye-like lens focusing on the four people in the vessel. A compartment slid open.
"Jump!"
The woman leaped out of the navigator's seat, clutching the girl in her lap as she crouched behind the Vanship. The man did the same on the other side, only he brought out a small handgun and started shooting the Guild ship. Surprisingly, the small caliber round penetrated the armor and the ship crumbled without its pilot's control.
Climbing back into the Vanship, the man noticed one of the gauges had dropped. "Claudia pressure is down! This thing will never fly again! Get to another ship, hurry!" Then the sky lit up, and the tip of something could be seen descending from above.
It was the silhouette of a Guild battleship. It began spewing out more of the star-shaped fighters. Some of them began concentrating on the airfield. Without warning, they opened fire.
The Vanship closest to them crumbled under the steady fire of the Guild fighters. Then another Vanship exploded, and another. Then, they were alone in the middle of the airfield, surrounded by Guild fighters. A red star-ship set down before their damages Vanship, and a young Guild woman climbed out, the flowing robes closing around her body in a protective cocoon.
"Run, little men, run as fast as you can," she said. And laughed.
She was still laughing as she gave the order to fire and kill every remaining person in the town.
A Vanship engine roared, over the fire of the Guild's weapons. A lone Vanship sped across the airfield, slamming into the red star-ship, and continuing onwards for a moment before it was taken out by a blast from above.
A boy, age 5, crawled out from under the debris of the downed Vanship. He turned around and saw his little sister trying to climb out. Trying to help her, he started pulling off pieces of metal out of her way. That was when he saw their parents. Both had not survived the crash, and over all the chaos and destruction, he could still hear the woman's mad laughter. Her face would be forever burned into his memory. He started to cry, and he didn't hear the main cannons on the Guild battleship coming to bear down on what remained of the Mayasa Village.
"Today, you, the finest of our nation, have assembled here in order to be initiated in the honors of the Imperial Officer Academy of Anatoure. You will be the spearhead of our nation. You will be its pride and protection. When the time comes, you will be the ones who will carry our nation's pride and honor out into the field and uphold it. You are the next generation of Anatoure's military, and I welcome you!"
The assembled crowd cheered. Among them were a young man and woman, by all appeareance siblings. The man turned to face his companion and grinned. "This is it, sis. We made it!"
The Vanship pulled out of the loop, its belly barely scraping along the side of their Vanship, missing them by mere inches. The man at the controls swore and pulled over, turning his planned barrel roll into an inverted Immelman turn. "Calm down, Tom. Move to 2 o'clock, 12 degrees elevation. Focus on the target." His navi told him.
"Got it. Distance to target?"
"1000 feet. Cartridge loaded."
He aligned the crosshairs mounted on the windshield of the Vanship with the target and hit the firing stud, sending streaks of gunfire towards it. Pulling the Vanship out of the dive, he glanced over his shoulder. "Confirmed hit!" His navi told him. "Tom, bring her down."
He nodded and lowered the Vanship down. Just across from them another pilot set down his own vessel. Tom recognized the silvery-white color of it. "Hey, isn't that the guy who nearly rammed us?" A lean pilot, whom Tom estimated to be about 18, with jet-black hair climbed out of the Vanship, followed by a beautiful young woman of about the same age. The pilot walked over.
"Good reflexes. That was an impressive variation on the Immelman turn," he noted. Tom arched an eyebrow. "You almost flew into us on purpose? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The other man laughed. "I could ask you the same question. Flying an armed Vanship into a combat zone is not exactly a walk in the park."
Tom allowed himself a small smile. "Maybe you're right. I'm Tom Riatavin, this is my sister Caroline." The woman nodded and extended her hand, which the other pilot took. "I'm his navi."
"My name is Alex Rou. My navigator here," Tom could see a spark in the other man's eyes as he spoke, "is Eurys." Tom glanced at her. "Nice to meet you."
"Are you at the Academy as well?" Caroline asked.
"Yes," Rou nodded. "Although we're also working for the Vanship Consortium back in Norkia." Tom grinned. "A carrier, eh? No wonder you fly the way you do."
"You are not a Vanship pilot yourself, then?" Eurys inquired. "No," Caroline answered. "It's more like a hobby. We are here for the full military training." Tom interrupted her, "Only because you think flying Vanships is suicide."
"That's because it is!"
"Oh, and standing on the bridge of a battleship that is being shot at with even more high-caliber guns is not?" Tom looked up at Alex, who'd fired off the reply. He was grinning.
"Move VALIUS to sector D-3. Have it intercept enemy reinforcements coming from the east." "Understood. VALIUS moving to engage targets coming from the east." "Hostiles sighted on a course, north-east of current position of VALIUS." Voices echoed through the war room.
The center planning table was cluttered with models of airships and tactical data. Tom regarded the situation for a moment. "Move the ALLASTOR to sector H-4. Prepare to exchange long-range artillery fire. Target distance 65000 feet. Elevation 12 degrees from x-y, 19 degrees starboard." On the planning table, an aide moved the model corresponding to the ALLASTOR to the designated square. "We are outnumbered."
"But not outgunned," Caroline added. She reached forward and moved two ships in to cover the east flank of her own fleet. "We just have to figure out how to get past their ships."
Tom took a half-step back and considered the move his sister had made. It put him in a very difficult situation. "ALLASTOR, open fire. Bring in DIARMID and BASTION to reinforce her position." Someone bumped into Tom and stumbled. Reaching out, he caught the person before she could hit the floor. "Are you all right?"
She nodded. "Yes, thank you very much." Tom turned to look at her. She wore the black uniform of one of the aides, the silver dot on her uniform's shoulders indicating she had the rank of a bridge aide. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was carrying a tray with notes. Tom helped her back up. "Are you looking for someone?"
"Yes, I'm looking for the commander of the ALLASTOR, I have a message for him."
"That's me." She handed him a slip of paper. Unfolding it, Tom quickly scanned it, took out a pen, and scribbled a quick reply. "Please take this to the commander of the CORIOLANA."
She nodded and went back into the masses of people crowded into the small room. Tom turned back to the tactical board and looked over the new tactical situation. Two ships had been lost, but it seemed as if his message had gotten through. The CORIALANA was moving outwards, a host of smaller vessels following the massive battleship, and angled in from behind and above the hostile fleet. "ALLASTOR, DIARMID, open fire. CORIALANA, open fire. BASTION, hold back and look for stragglers." He shot his sister a quick grin. "You're out, sis."
The fire from two sides quickly decimating her fleet, Caroline sighed in defeat. "Okay, but I want a rematch." Her brother chuckled. "Sure. So, what's the score right now?"
Caroline looked at the scoreboard. "Three to five, your favor."
"Good thing this is only a simulation. I don't know how many battleships we've trashed till now, but it sure is a lot."
She grinned evilly. Tom gulped. This was usually meant his sister was up to something. Something that usually ended in nothing good for him. "What?"
"So, who was that lass you were flirting with?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? What lass..." He thought back. "Oh! She ran into me, I just caught her."
"Then what were you talking about with her?" Caroline was smirking as she walked around the table.
"She had a message for me."
"That's all?" She seemed a little bit disappointed.
"That's all."
Tom stood on one of the numerous balconies of the Imperial Officer Academy. He enjoyed the view from up here; one could almost see to the edge of the world, it seemed. It was almost like soaring above the clouds. He missed flying. But nowadays piloting a Vanship was becoming increasingly dangerous and less reputable, so he remained at the Academy for his sister's sake.
"It is almost as if you're touching the sky, ne?" A female voice asked from behind him. Tom turned around to face the unexpected visitor. "Or as if you're flying," she concluded, moving out onto the platform.
"Have we met before?" Tom studied her features for a moment. They seemed familiar. She had long brown hair, now tied up in ponytails pinned up around her temples. Her blue eyes matched the color of the sky, and her demeanor and sharp, angular cheekbones betrayed a certain elegance that could only come with noble heritage. Suddenly, a flash of recognition hit him. "I remember, we met in the simulation the other day, right?"
The woman smiled as she nodded. "Yes." She stood beside him on the balcony, gazing out into the sky for a moment. "I'm sorry, I never caught your name," Tom finally said. She turned and looked at him, seemingly studying him. "Sophia," she replied. "Sophia Forrester."
"Tom Riatavin," Tom offered and shook her hand. "So, Sophia-san, what brings you here?" He asked as they both returned to watching the stars. "You're the first person to come here since I started at the Academy." "I like watching the stars. It reminds me of the dreams I had as a child." She smiled at the reminiscence. "What brings you here?"
"The same thing, I suppose. I used to want to fly," Tom gave her a humourless chuckle. "I used to want to fly up to the stars and touch them."
She arched an eyebrow. "Not anymore?"
"Oh, yes, I still do. But...have you ever had something good happen to you, only to have your world come crashing down on you?" Tom sighed. "No." She glanced at him. "Did it happen to you?"
Tom remained silent as she cast an inquisitive look at him. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have asked." Sophia turned and started to walk away from the balcony, when his hand came up and gently caught her by her upper arm. "It's all right. It was a long time ago. I had hoped to forget it, but things like this...you cannot forget."
Sophia studied him for a moment. "Then maybe it is not meant to be forgotten. You tend to remember the bad memeories...but do you also recall the good ones? Things like this cannot be forgotten easily, sometimes even not at all. All we can do is turn them into the best we can."
A slight smile began to spread across Tom's face. He gave her a curious look. "You know, you entirely missed your dream job. You should have become a psychologist."
The grin on her face matched his. "Ah, well, but the important thing is, do you feel better?" His gaze returned to the sky. Taking a deep breath, he gave them one last, longing, look and turned around. "Maybe. I'll see you at the simulation in two days."
"Why in two days? There is one tomorrow."
Tom smiled. "I'll be working on my Vanship tomorrow."
Tom pushed out from under the Vanhsip and wiped his greasy hands on a rag as he regarded the modifications he had made on the vessel. "I wonder how well she'll fly..." He muttered to himself.
"Why don't we go and find out?" Tom whirled around and grinned. "You're welcome to try her out, Alex. I don't think my sister would like to fly with me, so you go ahead." Tom indicated towards the Vanship. Alex nodded and strolled around the ship to inspect it while Eurys climbed up into the navigator's seat and ran a systems check. When he was satisfied, Alex leapt up into the pilot's seat and tested the controls. "Looks good. You're right, maybe we should try her out."
Chuckling, Tom put the tools back into order and headed over to open the doors of the hangar. "Be my guest." Bright sunlight flooded into the hangar through the large double doors."You're not going to fly? It'd be fun!" Eurys leaned over the edge of the frame. "No, not today. I don't have a navi."
"Your choice," she shrugged and concentrated back on the readings. The Vanship powered up, the Claudia beginning to circulate in the tubes at the back of the vessel. The high-pitched whine soon turned into a steady, low humming as the Vanship accelerated out the hangar and lifted off the ground propelled by its Claudia Unit.
Tom stared after the Vanship as it took off into the sky, soon becoming a mere spot against the afternoon sun. "Yeah, it would have been fun."
The small model made a slight scraping noise as it slid across the worn wooden table. "Bam. You're down." Caroline glanced across the table at her brother. "What's up with you today? I haven't seen you this distracted in a long time. You've lost what, five times in a row now?" Her glance turned concerned. "What's wrong? C'mon, tell me bro."
Tom sighed and stood up. "I'm sorry, I'm a little tired today."
"Something's on your mind, huh? I know that look. You're not tired, you're thinking of something. What is it?" She grinned. "Is it...a girl?"
Tom gave her a weak smile. "Close. It's a 'she', all right. But she flies."
"Our Vanship?"
"Yes. I was thinking of de-dusting it." Tom leaned backwards. "You know, we used to enjoy flying. We used to love it up there," he said, pointing a thumb upwards in the direction of the ceiling. "Maybe...I was thinking, maybe we could fly again sometime, if you want to."
She sighed. "I know what you mean. I miss it, too. But...you don't need me to fly. Just look for a navi, I'm sure there are plenty out there." Tom nodded. "Yeah, but it wouldn't be the same as flying with my sister." That got a little smile from her. "So, who got you back to the flying track? Alex and Eurys?"
Tom nodded. "Yeah. Remember that first time we met them?"
"You mean when they nearly flew into us?" Caroline grinned. "How could I forget. When you saw them land, you nearly looked ready to throttle Alex." Tom chuckled. "If I recall it correctly, you weren't too pleased, either."
She giggled as she recalled the incident. "Yeah, they made quite an impression, huh? How are they, anyway?" Tom smiled slightly. "They're well. Alex actually decided to join the Academy, and Eurys is, too."
Caroline leaned forward and propped her head in her hands. "So, what made you think of flying again?" Tom closed his eyes and smiled. "A little chat about the past. Besides," he indicated the battlefield set up on the table. "You lost." He moved a model. "Caught in the crossfire." With that he stood up and left the table. "Good night."
