Author's Note: As always, Empire never abides by the canons of the respective Gundam, Halo, and Star Wars universes involved. In addition, this is the first in a line of shorts that I will be making in the intervals between my big projects.

Enjoy,

Noobbula

Genesis

An Empire Multiverse Short Story

As well as an end, there is a beginning to every tale.

There was a time before Major Eva Beckman bled out on the hot tarmac of Torrington Base, before she fought alongside the 08th Stormtrooper Line Company, before she met the energetic young Fox-Class named Eval or when she was in the care of ace mobile suit pilot Eve MacBeth and her White Dingos. Before she served with and ultimately killed Lieutenant Jay Ryes on their mission to secure a future for mankind. Before she sat in that transport vehicle. Before she came home from school on that fateful day. There was a time before the creation of the Empire Multiverse itself.

The fire was ignited with a relationship-ending text.

Noobbula, her name solely being the username that the rest of the world perceived her as, put down the phone and trembled on her bed. Life had gone very much sideways for the hobbyist and aspiring writer. Her parents fought constantly. She was an outcast at her high school. They told her she would never make it. They harassed her. Their taunting and sneering voices had gone to her heart. She had to hide for days on end inside her home just to avoid getting jumped. And now the love of her life was gone. It was all falling apart. She'd had enough. The pristine Zaku model on her shelf watched her cry softly, the monoeye betraying no emotion. Noobbula groped for the switchblade on her bedside table.

Enough.

The solid steel of the knife scraped against wood as she brought it up.

Enough.

The world would be better without her.

Enough.

Tears fell down her face and onto the open blade at her neck.

Enough.

Metal pressed against her jugular.

Enough.

Noobbula closed her eyes and breathed in.

Enough.

The switchblade rattled in her hand, ready to cut. She'd leave all of it behind-

"Coward."

She paused at her own words. Coward?

"Killing yourself isn't going to fix shit. Close that blade."

Noobbula's own voice shook her to the core. The switchblade snapped shut in her hand. But what was there to live for?

"There's more, there's got to be more."

What was she on about? But then again, the voice had a point. There was more out there.

"Pick up the pieces."

Noobbula stood up and walked to the door of her bedroom, gripping the knob. She wished there was a world where it worked like that. It just wasn't possible. There was no more. The knife sat on her bed, gleaming. She turned around. It wasn't cowardice, it was putting herself out of her misery. Noobbula was going to commit to it.

"No."

It was her voice again, but she didn't blurt it out. She meant it.

"No!"

She spun around and hit the wall with her fist. No. She couldn't do it. A spark had started something in her mind. If there was no more for herself, she could create her own world. One where she could truly say what the voice said. Yes, she'd make her own future. Noobbula pushed open the door and entered her writing room, booting up the old monitor on her desk and pushing crumpled scripts aside from her keyboard.

"Oh my God.."

An entire universe shimmered in her eyes. It was right in front of her, full of dancing mobile suits and soaring TIEs. UNSC Marines whooped out battle cries. And in the middle of it all was herself, totally self-assured and badass as hell.

Major Eva Beckman flipped the coin over and over in her hands..

This simple string of text held Noobbula's salvation. She could see it. She could see it all.