Author's Note: Please note that this will contain spoilers as this continues after Armored Core 6's 'Liberator of Rubicon' ending.

Chapter 1

Rubicon System
Rubicon 3

The Coral War of Rubicon III ended with the Rubicon Liberation Front as the victor. It ended when the Xylem city ship failed to ram the Coral Vascular Plant, which would have caused another event like the Fires of Ibis. The military forces of the Planetary Closure Administration, the Arquebus Corporation, Balam Industries, and their respective subsidiaries, were practically annihilated. The RLF won thanks to the help of two AC (Armored Core) pilots. One pilot went by the name of Rusty, formerly of the Arquebus Vesper squad. The other was an unknown. The second pilot had a designation, Augmented Human C4-621. Currently, 621 goes by the name Raven, which was, in some way, inherited from the previous Raven after salvaging its AC License from a wreck when he was smuggled into Rubicon.

Right after the end of the war, the RLF disbanded and formed a new government, officially declaring the entire star system as an independent nation, the Rubicon Republic. Using the salvaged technology left behind by the PCA and the corporations, the Rubiconians have become a force to be reckoned with.

Joshua was one of the many victims of Arquebus's 'youth programs', luring young and hopeless children and turning them into unwilling soldiers. The moment he fell for it and signed up, he was given tenth generation augmentations to become an AC pilot, and underwent hellish, torturous training where those who failed to make the cut, were killed. It didn't take long for him to excel, then pushed into front line service. When he acted out of line, he was immediately sent to the re-education camps to be… re-educated. Ever since the Rubicon Liberation Front rescued him, he had been fighting for them until they had won.

And before he knew it, he came face to face with a pair of individuals.

Before him was the legendary Raven, the Liberator of Rubicon, his idol. At his side was a white-haired woman named Ayre, who was said to be a disembodied Rubiconian born from the Coral, then gained a body through the science of creating bodies through artificial wombs.

Ayre knelt down and smiled at Joshua.

"We spoke with Father Dolmayan and Middle Flatwell about your situation. Raven and I are here to take you in, Joshua." Ayre declared as the man beside her, Raven, looked stoic, but eyes showed joy. "You can stay with us. Be like… your older brother and sister."

"I…" he stammered, completely dumbfounded. Upon seeing their hands being offered to him, he took them.

/-\

"Color me surprised, buddy." came the voice of Rusty as Joshua was getting himself settled in his new home. Raven and Ayre had a home built in the warmer parts of the Southern Belius Region. "I never thought you'd take a kid under your wing."

"In a way, he reminded me of myself." came his adopter's response. "I saw the look in his eyes the moment I saw him."

"I can understand that I guess."

It came to the surprise of many that someone as stoic and generally emotionless like Raven had fallen in love. Let alone a disembodied Rubiconian born from the Coral. But when they saw her in her new body, they understood. She was there with him from the beginning.

"Hey there!" was Rusty's introduction as he and Joshua met. "I'm your big brother Rusty!"

"J-Joshua…" he nervously responded. This was Rusty, another one of his idols and a legend within the Rubicon Liberation Front. He never got to meet him though since he was an agent within Arquebus's Vesper team. "Uh…"

"No need to be nervous kid." Rusty said as he came up and ruffled Joshua's brown hair. "You're my buddy's new little brother, so that makes you my little brother too. Would like to see you in an AC some day, see you how you do. Raven says you're a natural. Even Uncle Flatwell says so!"

"I… It's all I know, all I have."

"You must have been through a lot."

"Yeah."

Joshua was a runaway. He fled his original home and came to Rubicon to start a new life. His parents loved him greatly, but they couldn't really protect him from the sneers and contempt due to the amount of failings he had. His constant failures meant that, in the eyes of everyone, he will never accomplish anything in life. He was such an emotional and psychological wreck that the only thing that made sense was to run away.

"I was lured in by Arquebus's promise of a better future." he confessed to the former Vesper. "When I found out the truth, it was already too late."

"A lot were fooled by them, kiddo." Rusty said in a comforting manner. "Don't beat yourself up over that."

"I want to continue being an AC pilot." he declared. "I want to control my own future."

"Then if that's what you want, go for it."

When Rusty left, the three then sat at the table for dinner. It came to a bit of a surprise Raven and Ayre that Joshua knew how to cook. It was something he picked up after he ran away from his home in Mars. He told them that it was the least he can do for taking him in.

"I can't thank you two enough."

Raven and Ayre sponsored him, allowing him to get his own AC.

Ayre smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "You're welcome. Raven and I are just glad that we can help, even if he doesn't know how to show it."

Raven looked at Ayre, as if trying to show her that he was hurt by that statement.

"I never thought something like this would happen" he confessed. "I just… thank you."

/-\

With the planet's orbital cannons now under the control of the Rubicon Republic, it became impossible for Arquebus, Balam, and even the PCA to mount an attack. And with Rubicon making the decision to safely release the Coral into space and allow its collective consciousness to roam freely into the unknown, there was no reason for them to return.

Although Arquebus and Balam lost much, they were still able to remain afloat thanks to the amount of capital they had previously made. The PCA wasn't as lucky. The PCA's disastrous failure on Rubicon drew much ire from the politicians that supported them. The United Earth Government was furious with their failure, and an investigation on possible corruption was made, forcing the current Director of the Planetary Closure Administration to resign. The failure to secure Rubicon and the relics of the Institute, as well as losing the majority of the PCA's advanced technology to Arquebus and the Rubiconians, meant that they had once again fallen behind in the technological race with their rival, Mars, home of the Vers Empire.

Tensions between Earth and Mars are on the rise once more.

/-\

1 Year Later

Tau Ceti System

"DIE, INTERLOPER!"

Nineteen year old Joshua pivoted his AC right and aimed his rifle, firing off a shot that pierced right into the heart of an enemy MT a few hundred meters away. The high caliber round went right through the MT's hull, obliterating whoever was piloting it. He then scanned his area and saw his scopes showing nothing.

His AC, MEDRAUT, is a lightweight AC that emphasizes speed, maneuverability, and firepower. It was built by Elcano Foundry, the same Rubiconian-owned corporation that built Rusty's AC, ORTUS.

Its head is that of the heavily modified RaD HC-2000/BC Shade Eye. Its core is the same as the ORTUS, being the new ALBA core, but its arms and legs are that of the slightly older FIRMEZA series. In terms of weight and performance, it is that of a lightweight AC but with the protection and durability of a medium weight.

MEDRAUT's armaments are deceptively simple. On its right arm is an MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF rifle, with the left arm equipped with a devastating PB-033M ASHMEAD pile bunker, a massive hydraulic-powered tungsten rod that can go through even the thickest of armor when used at full charge. On its back is a double-barreled SONGBIRD grenade launcher, with the other a weapon bay carrying a second RANSETSU-RF rifle that can swap out with the pile bunker. Alone, each weapon isn't much. But used together, it is an absolute force to be reckoned with.

"This is Kestrel." he announced over a secure channel while standing over the wrecks of his downed foes. "Sector 18 is clear."

"EXCELLENT WORK, G13!" boomed the ever boisterous voice of G1 Michigan, commander of the Redguns PMC. He survived the Coral War and the battle against Rusty in the depths of Watchpoint Alpha. As it turns out, when Rusty was sent after them, he approached them diplomatically. What was left of the Redguns were convinced and made the decision to defect, but also making it look like they were wiped out.

And like Raven, Joshua is the new G13 (Pronounced Gun 13) currently on contract with the Redguns as they were doing joint operations on behalf of Rubicon. Michigan took a liking to the protege of the Wallclimber, the Worm Killer, the Liberator of Rubicon, and the longest surviving G13. Much like his mentor, he was gaining a reputation for being an effective mercenary.

"G13 Kestrel to G1 Michigan." he spoke.

"G1, receiving. You got something to report?"

He nodded. "I do. Intel from our client stated that we're facing Arquebus forces. I don't think these guys are Arquebus."

"Elaborate, G13."

"Arquebus uses their own version of BAWS-designed mechs." he went on as he scanned the wreckages. "These ones are more rounded with curved edges. I'm not seeing any Arquebus emblems on them either."

"Take a closer look, G13."

"Roger."

He got out of his AC and dropped down to the ground. Approaching the wreck, he took a good look at the emblem on the mech and took a picture and video with his wireless pad.

"Shit…" he cursed. "Commander, it's a Vers Empire emblem. These are Vers MTs. I got photographic and video proof."

"Understood, G13." Michigan replied. "Head on back for now. I'm going to have a nice long chat with our client."

"Roger that, commander."

/-\

Rubiconian City Ship Phloem

Like its sister-ship the Xylem, the Phloem once functioned as a colony ship that could transport nearly a hundred thousand people. These two ships were built by the Institute to settle on Rubicon, then hidden away. Now, it has been converted into a mobile base of operations. Its towering buildings that once made the image of a city, were replaced with armor and weapons, making it look like a flying brick.

"Had a talk with our client." Michigan announced to the pilots in the briefing room. A central holographic display currently showed them the situation on the battlefield of Terra Nova, the habitable planet of the Tau Ceti system. "They had no idea and that got them worried."

"No shit." one of the Redguns MT pilots snorted. "We may as well have just declared on the Martians!"

"We've already informed the Rubiconian government and the Commission of the situation." G2 Red, formerly G6, quickly informed everyone, then turned to Joshua. "Kestrel, aren't you Vers born? Maybe you can talk to them once we make contact?"

Joshua shrugged. "Worth a shot. Problem is, where do we start? Versian Orbital Knights are not forgiving when it comes to unprovoked attacks. Which in their eyes, is exactly what we did back there."

"He's right." Michigan growled in consternation. "I fought against them back in the Jupiter War. Pompous, vindictive sons of bitches."

"I remember hearing about that war from my father." Joshua said as he turned to Michigan. "It was my father who gave you the title 'Hell on Four Legs' when you both fought to a draw."

Michigan's eyes widened. "You're that man's son."

"I am." he confirmed. "I have every reason to believe we could be going into a head-on collision with Vers." he added. "Especially after today. Just what the hell are they doing out here though? I thought Terra Nova was a UE colony?"

Michigan nodded in agreement. "That's a good question. Looks like war broke out between Earth and Vers once again."

The situation between Earth and Vers, more commonly known as Mars, is a bit strange. The Vers Empire was born from a split when an ancient hyper gate was discovered on the moon a hundred years ago, allowing instantaneous travel to Mars. Upon discovering ancient caches of technology on Mars, the Martian colonists declared their independence, naming themselves after the ancient civilization. War soon broke out between Earth and Mars, ending in the destruction of a large part of the moon and the hyper gate. The shattered rocks of the moon crashed down onto Earth, devastating the planet in which became known as Heavens Fall. The rocks that didn't fall created the satellite belt, a planetary ring in geosynchronous orbit.

After that war, colonization efforts began on other parts of the Sol System, and then soon after, Tau Ceti and the Rubicon System, and then other discovered star systems. This was all thanks to the technology and data gathered from the hyper gate, creating the jump drives that are common today.

"Last I remember, there were peace talks." Joshua recollected. "But that was a few years ago. To be honest, I'm out of touch. I'm more Rubiconian than Versian at this point. If war has broken out…"

Red nodded, knowing what's coming. "We could be smack dab in the middle of it."

/-\

"And that's that." Joshua said as he concluded his 'report' to his older siblings back home on Rubicon. He had returned his quarters and immediately called them, telling them what was happening.

"I don't understand." Ayre spoke. "Why deceive you in who you were facing?"

"It looks like someone wants to drag us into the war." Raven surmised.

Joshua folded his arms and reclined onto the wall side of his bed. "Looks like it. My money is on the PCA, or what's left of them. Could also be Arquebus. I know that Balam is just content sitting in their colony in the Terminus System."

"I'll look into things on our end." promised Ayre. "Just watch yourself out there alright? I'll tell Rusty everything too."

He nodded. "Yeah, we're rendezvousing with his unit at Jupiter. Say, was Earth able to get any PCA tech?"

Ayre shook her head. "No. It looks like the PCA's assets were immediately absorbed by Arquebus. They then left Sol and went back to their side of space. Earth was practically… what's the term? Thrown under the car?"

"Bus." both Raven and Joshua corrected.

"So if Earth wanted that tech, they would have to buy it from Arquebus at premium price." Joshua concluded. "Something that they can't afford. ACs are the same, they're expensive and not everyone can pilot them. It takes an augmented human like us to utilize their full potential. Freud was an exception though, that guy was a mutant."

Raven nodded. "And human augmentation was banned on Earth out of 'ethics'. That's what I know of course."

Joshua concurred on that part. "Terrans have always been a polarizing people. What we see as altering our bodies and improving them, they see it as people trying to play god. To them, we're just freaks of nature."

Ayre's expression fell as she lowered her head. "It never ends, does it? There will always be conflict over the smallest of reasons."

Joshua gave them a sad smile. "That's just human nature in a nutshell. Anyways, still no sign as to what happened to ALLMIND?"

Ayre shook her head. "We're beginning to think she was no mere AI. She could actually be like me, a C-Pulse mutation, a being made from the consciousness of Coral. Kate Markson may have been her real identity, using the name ALLMIND as a means to keep herself out of the system."

Ever since ALLMIND 'disappeared', the Rubicon government immediately established the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission, acting a middle-man between the mercenaries and clients. Rubicon had essentially become a hub for mercenaries from all over the known space, becoming a 'Mercenary's Star', borrowing the term from the biblical story where the Three Wise Men followed the Star of Bethlehem, leading them to the place where Christ was born.

"So we have a possible rogue Rubiconian with Coral doing God knows what." he muttered in frustration. "Great."

"We'll keep an eye out." Raven said in assurance. "Be careful out there, Joshua."

"I will." he nodded to his adoptive older siblings. "I'll call you guys again in the coming weeks. Love you both."

When the call ended, he let out a sigh and laid down on his bed. Definitely a long week given the scale of this operation. But now, questions are being asked and there definitely some doubts among the rank and file.

"Something doesn't add up." he muttered, frowning at what could be missing.

He tried to get some sleep but couldn't. There was too much in his mind.

/-\

Joshua decided to check on his AC, make some minor adjustments. He had gotten a new fire control system installed, an IB-C03F WLT 001. Although the design itself was not new, it was still considered state-of-the-art as it was originally designed by the Institute, the ones said to be responsible for the Fires of Ibis that consumed Rubicon more than fifty years ago. It was part of their IBIS series. Currently, the ones that produce the FCS was Furlong Dynamics, a well-respected corporation from Jupiter and known for their production in FCS and missile technology. It was his hard work and preference for high risk high reward missions that made it possible.

Since the end of the Coral War, the corporations that remained, other than Furlong Dynamics, were the Rubiconian-owned Belius Applied Weapon Systes, or BAWS, and Elcano Foundry. These two were actually in league with the RLF, with BAWS keeping the facade of 'selling to everyone' in order to fund the RLF movement. When Balam and Arquebus were evicted, their respective subsidiaries decided to cut ties. Dafeng was acquired by BAWS, with Schneider being acquired by Elcano. RaD (Reuse and Development), which was run by Cinder Carla, the one who was ultimately blamed for trying to cause another Fires of Ibis, had been taken over by an unknown entity in Grid 086 and continued as normal, abiding by the new laws of the Rubicon government. Melinite and Takigawa Harmonics were also among the small manufacturers that remained.

"Alright, that should do it." he muttered.

"Couldn't sleep?" came Michigan as he approached.

Joshua shrugged as he closed the computer. "Nope. Too much on my mind."

Michigan looked to see Joshua's AC MEDRAUT and smiled. "Hell of a machine you got there, kid."

Joshua smiled back and nodded. "Yep."

"So what Ayre and Raven say about all this?" the older AC pilot asked.

"They're definitely going to look into it." he replied. "I think they're coming to the same conclusion. Arquebus might be up to something. They've always been obsessed with gaining a technological advantage after all. And the one tech they still couldn't crack…"

Michigan nodded. "The ancient alien tech… Aldnoah."

"That's the one."

"You know…" Michigan spoke as he remembered something. "I have the highest respect for your father. Hell of a fighter in that mech of his when I faced him in the Jupiter War."

Joshua snickered. "He said the same thing about you. The infamous 'Hell on Four Legs'. You took on an entire battalion of Vers mechs and obliterated them. They said you didn't even break a sweat. The other Orbital Knights hate your guts though, thinking that an 'inferior pest' could not possibly best Vers's military might."

Michigan threw his head back and bellowed out a laugh. "I remember that too! Most Orbital Knights I faced were all bark… no offense."

Joshua just shrugged. "None taken. And you're right. Most specialized mechs piloted by an Orbital Knight are one-trick ponies. Too heavily specialized to do anything else outside their main abilities. I mean sure, they have high defenses… they're not modular or versatile like an AC."

"How do you think they'd fare against Arquebus's LCs and HCs?" the older man asked

"I'd say it would depend on whose piloting it." Joshua pointed out. "Arquebus still has a large number of veteran soldiers in their ranks. Those Vers MTs we took out earlier… what if this was all a set up by them?"

Michigan frowned and palmed his fist. "Then we're definitely going to make Arquebus pay."

Time passed slowly in the hangar as Joshua completed his adjustments to his unit's fire control system. He didn't feel sleepy at all. Then again, geing a tenth generation augmented human does allow him to have far more endurance than the average non-augmented human.

"Gonna be a long haul, isn't it?" he asked Michigan.

The older nodded. "You bet your ass, G13."

"We're coming out of warp!" came the announcement on the ship's PA system.

Joshua stood up from his workstation. "Time to go to work."

/-\

Rubicon System
Rubicon 3
Grid 086

Much has changed over the year since the end of the Coral War. The people no longer lived in fear of being attacked by corporate forces for breaking curfew. Farms in safe areas in the Southern Belius Region were already built, cultivating crops and livestock for food like the giant mealworms native to the planet. There was still work to be done as they had to mostly import food from other neighboring systems, but things were looking up.

Right now, Raven had to visit someone in RaD Headquarters in Grid 086.

"Hey there, Tourist." came the voice of a certain AI that was said to be dead during the battle on the Xylem. "Have you come to finish the job?"

"I'm not here to fight, Chatty." said Raven.

Chatty Stick, as it turns out, made a backup of himself behind Carla's back when she herself couldn't find the heart to do so, thinking it would be disrespectful to the life she had created.

"Carla and Walter's plan…"

"I'm not going to say they were wrong." Raven said. "I just knew that there was no convincing Carla. I didn't want to kill her, not after what you've all done for me. I just wished there was another way."

"You're not wrong." Chatty concurred. "She was set in her ways. So what happens now?"

Raven shrugged. "It's up to you, Chatty. The Coral is gone. I'm sure you saw it being released into space. But that doesn't mean we're safe. We just received word that there could be another war looming."

"And you want my help."

"Yes." Raven freely admitted. "We all do. Rubicon may have won its freedom, but it's far from safe. Arquebus is up to something. They may have set their sights on the Sol System."

"Aldnoah." Chatty surmised. He knew of the fabled ancient Martian technology that the Vers Empire uses.

Things didn't turn out the way Carla envisioned. She planned to consume all of Rubicon in a second fire, but was thwarted by Raven. After the dust settled, Chatty himself could not have predicted that the Rubiconians themselves would ultimately let the Coral go. He was even surprised that the Coral was indeed sentient. It didn't go as planned, but the outcome was still, in a way, a good one. Chatty didn't hate Raven. He understood his choice and reasoning. It's just that, at the time, there was no turning back. He also couldn't defy Carla, who was essentially his 'mother'. Carla never wanted to consider other options. The sins she bore from the Fires of Ibis dug deep and possibly consumed her. Though he was of machine and strands of code, he felt sadness when Carla drew her last breath. At least now, she was finally at rest.

"Tourist…" the AI began. "Would you like me to tune up your AC? It looks like we have a lot of work to do."

Raven looked on and made a faint smile. "I'd like that, Chatty."

Author's Note: To anyone wondering, this is the build of Joshua's AC.

AC: MEDRAUT
Head: HC-2000/BC SHADE EYE
Core: EL-PC-00 ALBA
Arms: EL-TA-10 FIRMEZA
Legs: EL-TL-10 FIRMEZA
L Arm: PB-033M ASHMEAD
R Arm: MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF
L Back: MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF
R Back: SONGBIRDS
Booster: ALULA/21E
Generator: VP-20C
FCS: IB-C03F: WLT 001
Expansion: ASSAULT ARMOR