Chapter 1
The year 1944 and it was the same old same old. The same wall that I had smashed my face into for the hundredth time this week testing this piece of shy prototype. Now again you may be wondering, what happened in between Hong Kong and now. Well not much. My magic was discovered and I learnt to fly, I was also promoted to captain after the battle of Hong Kong and my time in South-East Asia where my magic was discovered by none other than Brigadier J. K. Lawson when he jumped into my trench during yet another Neuroi artillery barrage, after that I was sent to Brandon to learn to fly a striker. My personal one was a P-40N-1-CU Warhawk which I had modified myself after tinkering with it, it could now out preform the P-51 variants at any altitude and could go up to 800 km per hour quite fast if I say so myself but now what I'm testing is not my own striker but an experimental one that could theoretically reach 1000 km per hour yet I could only get it to 610 km per hour no matter how much magic I put into it. I once put all my magic into it that I actually broke it. It didn't go faster than 615 km per hour, pitiful.
*Smash*
Ah the sound of me face hitting the tree again for the tenth time today. "Fuck this!" I shout over to Hartmann, the witch in charge of this testing. "You want our witches to die out there or do you want them to actually be able to fly without worrying about why the ground approaching them so fast or why their engines just died!"
*Boom*
Now I go flying because the damn strikers blew up again. "You need to calm down, it is still in its infancy don't rush it." She states calmly while walking up to my burnt body, you could smell the stench of burning hair. Well I could feel it as well but still. "You think I'm going to fly this death trap again! No way in hell! I'm more willing to fly into a Neuroi nest without any magic or ammunition on a plane!" I shout in her face while putting out the fire that had claimed half my hair on my left side. It was clearly lopsided but hey nothing a hair cut couldn't fix.
"I'm going to say this once flying officer Hartmann that striker is a death trap waiting to be sprung. It's like a bear trap. No matter what I do that striker has too many quirks to fix or even look into and you want to do a live fire test. Let's stick to me slamming my face into anything at tree top level or lower." I say as I finally remove the strikers.
I finally get a good look at the damage to my uniform. My tunic is slightly singed while my shorts are still intact. Yes I wear to regular Britannian shorts. They were part of my uniform since Hong Kong. I hear more sizzling and I quickly put up my shield covering both me and Hartmann. The striker unit I just took off has now blown itself into ity bity pieces and had left a dark mark on the grass. "I told you it was a death trap!" I shout at her again. "Well we still have other stuff to test. Les go." She responds still unfazed about the fact that a 18 year old farm boy from the prairies had just about smacked her.
"This women is going to be the death of me." I mutter as I walk back into the hanger. I was well built lots of muscle that made me look a few inches shorter than I am at 5'7 but hey I'm not complaining, more power in a normal puch. It has helped me out a lot. Upon entering I notice a new striker there. It had no prop so I assumed that it was a version of one of the Karlesland jets.
"This is the Me 163 Komet striker version." Ursula Hartmann announces proudly. I deadpan "You mean the manned flying bomb right?" I ask. "Just because the actual aircraft has a tendency to explode at a moments notice doesn't mean this does." She sounded pissed, I look over to her, yup definitely pissed. "Fine I'll fly the damn thing." I say.
Upon launch I notice a problem. The damn thing was hard to control. It had terrible handling but it was fast, I was enjoying this rodeo until as expected it exploded and burst into flames. Yup now the striker I am in, is on fire and not working. Lucky me I had only gone to about 60 feet into the air.
"I TOLD YOU URSULA!" I shout as I fall. I open up my shield as I'm about to hit the ground, so instead I slam into my shield. "Ow,that stings." I comment as I remove the remains of the striker. I lie flat on my shield before I shut it off. "Ouch." I comment upon finally hitting the ground. I lay there as Ursula walks up. "Alittle help here." I ask as I hold up my hand. "No you blew up the only prototype!" She shouts at me while smacking away my hand. "Well maybe if you actually did your research instead of your test pilot then maybe, just maybe I wouldn't be laying here, on the ground in pain after another one of your failed experiments." I respond while sitting up. "Well there is someone who's here to offer you a position in a new unite." She states as she enters her thinking pose, a hand on her hip and one cupping her chin while she looks down on me.
"Oh no, no no no no. I know what that pose means, it means you want me to experiment more, and I am not meeting anyone while I'm dressed like this." I say as I gesture towards my dishevelled uniform and singed hair. "Well she won't be arriving until tonight so you have the afternoon off." She responds. As soon as she said this I was gone to the barber. After visiting him for a hair cut I went to the supply office for a new uniform exclouding the the beret and wedge.
The time I got back to my room was around 2000 hours and changed into the the new uniform and placed my beret on my head. Once that was done I grabbed a bottle of Canadian whiskey and poured myself a glass. Downing it, I poured another before sitting down in my arm chair. I nursed this glass for the next hour before I heard a knock at the door. "Come in." I say as I stand up and finish my glass.
In walks a Major from the Imperial Fuso Navy. I snap to attention with a sharp salute. "No need for that here solider. This is your quaters." She says. "Oui madam." I respond out of habbit. "I've read your file, you have a very interesting history." She speaks while reading my file. "Woke up in a hospital at the age of 14 with no memory and immediately joined the military. Fought on Hong Kong before coming back to Farawayland and then you left for South east Asia where your powers were discovered. After that you were sent here for training then you were chosen as a test pilot because of your ability to fix problems in flight while maintaining your speed. Your powers are also extremely powerful. Your abilities are reinforcement and aura sense. Both extremely effective powers." "I know you're here for more than to tell me about my history. What do yo want from me." I state.
"I'm offering to you the choice to join the 501st joint fighter wing." She said. "Do you really think that I want to leave the safety of Brandon to go off to some far away place and fight where do I sign up." I say with my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Great now we just have to make a stop over in Fuso before we get to Britannia." She said extremely cheerfully. Aperently sarcasm doesn't exist in Fuso. "Well I'll agree as long as I can experement on my striker and I don't have to fly anymore of Ursula's damn exploding experiments." I say because I saw an out from all of Ursula's experiments.
It took a couple days but I was soon leaving from Vancouver harbour aboard the Akagi. After sailing for a couple days and doing some test flights we landed somewhere in Fuso. Major Sakamoto, as I had learnt her name, had gone ashore with shore leave. I figured she was scouting someone. It was the third day in fuso and I had finally left the ship.
As I stepped off I pulled out my pack of cigarettes, upon placing one within my mouth, drawing out my box of matches and lighting up my cigarette, I saw that the major was standing at the gate. Shifting my Lee Enfield further up my shoulder, I walk up beside her.
"Waiting for someone?" I ask. "Yes, I am." She responded. Just then a schoolgirl jogged up. "So you're here, I told you that you'd change your mind, I'm glad that you decided to put your powers to work." "No, I..." "Don't worry it'll all be taken care of. I see to it that your enlistment and school classes are my top priority." The major continued after cutting the girl off. I just stepped off to the side to finish my smoke. "Hold on, you see I didn't come over here so that you could sign me up." The little girl spoke back. The major just laughs, she fucking laughs. I just followed them as they walked back to the Akagi.
"A letter from doctor Miyafuji?" The major finally broke me out of my train of thought. "That's right. I wanted to know how well you knew my dad." The little girl said. "Well I do owe him my life. Your fathers research is the reason I'm in the position I'm in now." The major responded after that I zoned out and thought about the letter I revived form said man. It read 'I'm aware of your situation even if you are not. Don't fear anything, you have a power inside that can destroy the Neuroi. Use it wisely. -Doctor Miyafuji.' What broke me out of my thoughts again was the girl saying the she would "Never help you out with your war!" "You want to head into a war zone only to find your father?" I ask without turning to look at her. "Yes, I will." She responded with conviction. "Welcome aboard, I'm also trying to find something." I state. "What are you trying to find?" She asks. "My past." I say before walking away.
The next day we were off I stayed below decks sharpening my bayonet and cleaning my kit, a habit from boot camp. After I knew we left fuso I went above deck for a smoke. Lighting one up I leaned against the railing gazing out towards the open ocean. "Hello. I came to talk to you and see if I could help." I heard the little girl say. "If you want to help, then you should see your father before going home, only if you chose to not join. If you chose to join, then stay in Britannia on base." I respond. "Have you ever seen combat?" She asks. "Plenty, more than I should have, I've had the blood and guts of my comrades all over my body, I've had to bury my friends more times than I could count on both hands." I respond after taking a long drag. "Luckily my magic was discovered and I could escape the life of an average infantryman. Then Ursula found me after training in a striker and then I ended up as a test pilot for her." "Wow. You've seen so many places." She commented. "Not really. I've only seen jungles, prairies and the enemy. Well Fuso now aswell But not much I've only seen that small town." I respond before turning around so my back was against the railing. "Why do you smoke?" She asks. "Simple, it's calming and also more readily available than Canadian whiskey." I answer.
We continue to chat and I learn that her name is Yoshika Miyafuji and she learnt about all that I could remember. Soon I realize that the sun is going down and so I head back to my room to sleep before the next morning I could work on my striker.
Upon entering my room I notice that my desk light was turned on. I quickly draw my webley Mk VI and point it infront of me. Glancing around I notice that everything else is in place. "Who's there?" I ask out into my room. No answer, I step in only to see out of the corner of my eye a black object. My reflexes kick in as I face the object and back up. After getting a better view of it I see that it's my striker unit placed against the door frame. "What the..." I say outloud.
Approaching my unit I notice that the engine was opened up for me. I look in and see everything was in place. I just close the door and get to bed, upon laying down I see a man appear from the darkness that was from behind the closed door. "Remember my letter." Was all he said before disappearing into nothingness. I fell asleep shortly afterwards.
The next day I saw Yoshika taking a heavy load of laundry so I stepped in and eased her load, by taking 75% of it. "I could see that you were struggling, so I'll share some advice with you. It doesn't matter how many trips you have to make, as long as it gets there on time and in one piece without any problems." I say as we walk down the halls. After that I helped her with cooking and mopping the deck. "Um check, one two, Miyafuji are you on deck wait for me there I have something I want to show you." The major said over the radio. "Show me?" Yoshika questioned. "I've got no clue." I respond with a shrug. Only to see the elevator being used. As the major came up in her striker. I gave off a short whistle before saying. "Is that a A6M3a model 22?" "Why yes it is." She answers. She quickly goes through all the protocols to launch. I watched as she launched and flew around the carrier group a few times. Yoshika simply was amazed.
When the major landed she ran up to her and exclaimed "Major Sakamoto" "what do you think?" The major Asked. "That was so amazing, you were flying around so fast all over the sky it was like you were a bird." Yoshika said full of excitement. Then the major laughed. "A bird huh, but birds aren't nearly as fast as we are, we're part of the 501st, we're the strike witches." "I've heard about them." I comment while Yoshika was in her own little world. "And our magic broom is right here, you're looking at the striker invention of none other than doctor Miyafuji." The major continued. "My dad invented these." Yoshika said surprised. "The invention of the striker unit made it possible for us to finally fight back against the Neuroi. Without your fathers invention the world would be completely destroyed by now. The entire human race owes doctor Miyafuji a huge debt of gatitude." The major continued. "Wanna try it on? Your father was the one who invented it after all. It's not going to bite you." "Unless it was Ursula who invented this version." I comment as Yoshika reaches out and touches it. "I think I'll pass" Yoshika says. "I see." Comments the major. "I understand the work my dad was doing, but, I won't help this war." Yoshika responds. The major just nods.
"Hmm I still can't see it." Yoshika said. "Britannia is still half a day away atlest. Patience Miyafuji." Responds The major as Yoshika spins around to face the major. "But I e already been on this ship for over a month!" Yoshika exclaims. "You and me both." I say back before I zone out. Until the Major yells "STATIONS!" With that I scramble for meh striker. Reaching the hanger I kick off my shoes and slip into my striker while grabbing my two Vickors K machine guns loaded with 1000 rounds solids bull rounds and no tracers.
"Alright Captain Morrison ready for launch." I spoke to the control tower followed closely by Major Sakamoto. We both launch and climb rapidly. The fighters broke upon the Majors orders. I fly around the Neuroi firing off rounds trying to find the core the old fashioned way. "Did you damn alien." I say as the major slices off a wing before being shot at.
I work my way along the top and start chipping away at the armour. I watch as two A5M4's get shot down. I continue to try to find the core. I glance at the carrier to see Yoshika trying to fly a striker. She makes it airborn thank god. She quickly puts up a shield to block a laser attack. She and the major quickly start talking and soon the major was flying down towards me.
*click, click, click*
the sound everyone hates. The out of ammo sound. I quickly fly in and bash the stock of the Vickors into the Neuroi making holes in the armour, I the switch them out for my Lee Enfield. I fly back firing a couple rounds and hoping that they make it through.
I watch as the major draws it's fire while Yoshika dives on it and exposes the core on her second try only for another shot from someone else to take it out. I float up towards the Major as she holds Yoshika bridal style. I look over my shoulder to see some of the 501st flying towards us.
"As of today the 501st has two new members. Yoshika Miyafuji and Stefan Morrison." The Major announces. "I'm Yoshika Miyafuji And I'm happy to be here." Yoshika says. "I'm Stefan Morrison, pleasure to meet you all." I say snapping to attention and giving a quick salute.