Author Note: This is my first AW fic, so please review! This is my first serious piece of writing, so...err...I'm don't know where I'm going with this statement...so...go listen to Metallica, or else!
Side Note: I don't know if Orange Star has a desert, but Yellow Comet's too small to have one, Drake's Tsunamis would have made sure there wasn't one in Green Earth, and Blue Moon's too cold, so...
Edit: I forgot the disclaimer! So here goes...
Disclaimer: Advance Wars, Advance Wars 2, and their content are copyright Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. Red Mesa and it's CO's are mine. MINE!
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Advance Wars: Red Mesa – Chapter 1: A Single Mistake.
By CO Shade.
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Location: Intel Room, Yellow Comet HQ, Yellow Comet.
Time: 2100 Hours YC Time.
Sonja, Yellow Comet's youngest CO, and chief of Intel, stared intently at the computer screen in front of her, as it detailed what her recon team stationed in Orange Star's Lynx Desert had found. One statistic especially intrigued her. She pushed her glasses back up her nose, saving them from falling off her nose, her eyes narrowing as she read off the ambient electromagnetic levels recorded. Her father, the accident-prone Emperor (and CO) Kanbei, noticed this (as he was playing Snake on the computer next to her). "What's wrong Sonja dear? What did your recon team find?" Sonja sighed. "This will take some explaining." She pressed a few buttons, and a continuous line graph appeared on the screen. She traced the line with a slender finger. "These are the ambient electromagnetic levels recorded over the whole month. They're at normal levels for approximately eight days, then..." The line she traced rose sharply and suddenly, peaked for a while, and fell again. "They do that."
As usual, Kanbei was mystified. "Ambient? Electromagnetic?" Sonja sighed, exasperated, and closed her eyes. She opened them again and turned to her father. "Ambient means background Father, like ambient noise means background noise. Electromagnetic energy is oscillating – vibrating, to be simple – electric and magnetic fields, the effects of which are the electromagnetic spectrum, which is everything from radio waves up to gamma rays." Kanbei was silent for a moment, and Sonja could just about hear the cogs in his brain whirring. "I see. Please go on, dear." Sonja turned back to the screen. "EM levels rose by a factor of 15 times the norm for roughly eleven days, peaked, and fell again. No Yellow Comet – or Orange Star, for that matter - technology can match whatever is generating those EM fields. Nothing can. And it's definitely not natural."
Kanbei, again, was none the wiser. By way of an explanation, he said, "Maybe it's a large thunderstorm, Sonja..." She shook her head, gazing at the graph. "Father, it's the desert. It's the dry season all year out there. Whatever happened there was man-made. I don't like it..." Kanbei clapped a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Whatever it is, it isn't our concern," He said. "Orange Star will be able to deal with it." And with that, he walked out of the Intel Room. Sonja rolled her eyes. Typical Kanbei. Too bad for him, she was going to tell Orange Star anyway. Getting up from her chair, she left the room, a small smile on her face. "It's so cliché, but this could be the start of something big," she muttered.
***
Location: Command and Communications Room, Orange Star HQ, Orange Star.
Time: 0900 Hours OS Time.
Nell sat deep in thought in front of her computer screen, contemplating her move. She was playing on a Real Time Strategy Game that accurately modelled real-life armies, their units, and COs. Naturally, she was playing as herself, but her online opponent, a person she knew only as 'Shade', was using a custom-made CO. They knew each other's capabilities well, apart from the fact that Nell had never seen Shade's Super CO Power...a message appeared at the bottom of the screen. Brushing an errant lock of blonde hair out of her eye, she looked at it. Judging from the red-tinted shades, and the smirk on the sender's avatar's face, it was Shade. (Come on Nell, you're surprisingly slow for a top-grade CO...) It said. She typed a message back. (And what about you huh? I've seen Olaf move faster than you do, AND he was in a rainstorm!) And awaited the inevitable Shade-brand comeback. Unexpectedly, a window popped up on her screen. (Urgent transmission from Yellow Comet,) it said. (Open?)
Nell frowned. Sonja should still be busy with her recon in the Lynx Desert, Kanbei would be looking over her shoulder, and Sensei would be asleep. Why would they contact her? She shrugged and sent another message to Shade: (BRB, CO business. You wouldn't know what that's like in real life of course, being a civilian.) She smirked at the insult. A reply from Shade popped up, but she had already opened the Yellow Comet transmission, to be greeted by an anxious-looking Sonja. "Hi Nell." She said. "Hello Sonja. You look pretty tired. What time is it there?" Nell asked. "About 9:30 YC time," Sonja replied. "I can't talk long, but this is urgent," She continued. "These are the latest results from the Lynx recon." Another window opened on Nell's screen. Her expression took a worried turn when she saw the EM levels. Sonja nodded and smiled grimly. "Exactly," She said. "What do you want me to do about it? It's your desert." Nell thought for a while, and finally came up with an answer. "Keep getting intel. We might be lucky and record it again. See what you can find." Sonja nodded. "OK, I'll talk to you later. See ya." The window closed as she ended the transmission. Sighing, Nell turned her attention back to the game, only to be greeted by the message that Shade had sent. (I do know what it's like to be a real CO, Nell. Just because my country, my fellow CO's and I are invisible to you ignorant people doesn't mean we don't exist.) Then came another message. (Shade has left the game. You win by default!) Nell just sat there, eyes wide and body numb from shock. What was that all about?
***
Location: Undisclosed
Time: 0910 Hours OS Time.
Shade leaned back from his computer, teeth slightly bared in what was a massive expression of emotion for him. How dare she? Saying he was a civilian...then again, she didn't know about him or Red Mesa. He had kept it that way. Nell didn't really deserve that outburst, and now - he slapped a hand to his forehead - he'd practically told her Red Mesa existed! She might see Sonja's reports and put two and two together..."How could I have been so stupid?" He groaned. His voice in his head had the answer: "Simple. You told her." Shade shook his head. The swish of a door told him that someone had just entered the room. He swivelled round in his chair to see Swift, his second-in-command, standing in front of him. "You wanted to see me, Shade?" She asked, smiling. He smiled back. It was common knowledge among the army that Swift had a thing for him, and many were wondering why Shade hadn't asked her out yet, seeing as, on average, everybody's head turned when she walked past. "Yeah, it's about Sonja's recon team," He said. "Have they picked up anything?" Swift sighed, and nodded grimly. "They picked up the shrouding surge we had."
"Damn," Said Shade through gritted teeth. He thought silently for a while, Swift looking at him expectantly. "Send out a team to do counter-recon on them." He said at last. Swift looked confused. "Why, may I ask?" She inquired. Shade smiled mysteriously. "You'll see," He answered. Swift nodded, turned, and began to walk out, pausing at the doorway to look back at Shade. "You know, you're cute when you act all mysterious!" Before Shade could think of a good reply, she left. He sat there for a while, before getting up off his chair, and saying "Eh, I dunno," to no-one in particular. He then left the room and headed down the corridor, back to his personal quarters. "A single mistake can change the fortunes of an entire country...I just hope I'm not gambling with Red Mesa's secrecy..."
***
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End of Chapter 1
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Red Mesa CO Profiles follow
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CO's Name – Shade
Real Name – Matthew Awner
Age – 20
Sex - Male
Army - Red Mesa
Skill - +1 To all unit's vision and range, and land units are 'shrouded' (see Comments). +10% to cost of all units.
CO Power - EM Jamming: Causes instant FoW for one day. Anything or anyone (including Sonja) cannot see through this FoW. Shade is not affected.
Super Power - EMP Strike: Completely disables all enemy units for one day. Boosts Shade's units by 10% for Attack and Defence.
Charge Time - xxxxXXXXX
Info - A scheming but sociable CO who uses EM technology in combat. Has a relationship with Swift, and is the leader of Red Mesa.
Hit - Secrecy, Sonja (out of respect), Swift
Miss - Black Hole
Quote – CO Power – "I see you, but you don't see me!"
Super Power - "Oh, did you want to move your units today? Such a pity."
Appearance - Youthful, has short spiky brown hair and brown eyes. Always wears red tinted sunglasses, and often wears black and/or red.
Comments - 'Shrouded': Basically the land equivalent of a sub diving. However, indirect units have a vague idea of where the unit can be (there is a 3x3 cross where the unit could be when the indirect unit chooses to attack. If the unit picks the right square, they hit the enemy unit) When an enemy stumbles upon a shrouded unit, it can still fire on it.
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CO's Name – Cougar
Real Name – Miavia Hawking
Age – 22
Sex - Male
Army - Red Mesa
Skill - +10% to attack for all units, but –10% to defence. +2 to Movement, but –2 to range for indirect units.
CO Power – Focus: +15% to attack, -15% to defence, +3 to movement range, -3 to indirect range.
Super Power – Surgical Strike: One enemy units is selected by Cougar. That unit is instantly destroyed.
Charge Time - xxxXXXXXX
Info – A focused, intense CO who makes precise, direct attacks to vital enemy units.
Hit – Max (for being like him)
Miss – Grit and Black Hole
Quote – CO Power – "Focus, Cougar...focus..."
Super Power - "BANG! There goes your vital unit!"
Appearance – Rugged, he has long, wild brown hair and browny-grey eyes. Always wears a greyish-brown trenchcoat, much to Shade's annoyance (he wants him to wear something red to symbolise his allegiance)
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CO's Name – Diesel
Real Name – Carla Richards
Age – 22
Sex – Female
Army - Red Mesa
Skill - +10% Attack/Defence and +1 movement range for fuel-powered (vehicle and aerial) units. –5% Attack/Defence and –1 movement range for other units (excluding infantry and mechs).
CO Power – Nitro Burst: +20% Attack Defence and +3 movement for fuel-powered units.
Super Power – High Octane: +30% Attack/Defence and +4 movement for fuel-powered units. –10% Attack/Defence and –2 movement for other units.
Charge Time - xxxXXXXX
Info – A headstrong, always-ready mechanic. Likes fuel-powered units.
Hit – Andy, Mecahnics
Miss – Black Hole and Sea units (and Drake)
Quote – CO Power – "Time to redline!"
Super Power – "I'm gonna fire on all cylinders now!"
Appearance – Cute, she has shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes. She's short, and Shade uses that as a joke a lot (as well as the dumb blonde jokes)
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CO's Name – Swift
Real Name – Sarah Hewes
Age – 20
Sex – Female
Army - Red Mesa
Skill – +10% to Attack/Defence and +1 to movement for all air units. –10% to Attack/Defence to all other units.
CO Power – Swift Attack: An enemy unit is selected. A squadron of elite spy fighters appears and attacks the target, doing it 60% damage, even if it destroys the target.
Super Power – Angry Sky: All air units' Attack/Defence stats are boosted by 20%. Movement for all air units gets a +2.
Charge Time - xxxxXXXX
Info – A beautiful princess of the sky. Prefers Red Mesa spy bombers and fighters for most attacks.
Hit – Birds, Shade
Miss – Black Hole, Eagle (She sees him as a rival)
Quote – CO Power – "By air is the best way to wage war!"
Super Power – "When the sky gets angry, you're in trouble..."
Appearance – Very pretty, she has long, silky black hair and ice blue eyes, and is of medium height.
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Author Note: Yay! First Chapter! Partay! Read and Review people, this story will get better-
Shade: If you can be bothered to write the next chapter. *Smirks*
Shut up. R&R please!
Shade: Shouldn't be begging now, should you? *Another smirk*
SHUT UP! See ya in Chapter 2!