Chapter 01: An End to Peace

A soft sea breeze swept over the coastline of Orange Star in a pulse of fresh air, playful and carefree beneath the gaze of the morning sun. Only a handful of white clouds were visible in the perfect blue sky, basking in the sun's warmth as they drifted steadily towards the horizon. This particular stretch of the coast was isolated and picturesque, located far from any major cities or industrial centres. In spring and summer it was a popular tourist destination, but the weather was growing steadily cooler, and the stream of visitors had ebbed along with the summer warmth. On this particular mid-autumn morning, those in the region were not there to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather.

The breeze made its way inland until it reached the rolling hills set far back from the beach, ruffling the vibrant blue hair of a tall, muscular man looking towards to the sea. He was dressed in a plain white singlet that was stretched taut over his bulky frame, and below a reinforced belt he wore dark blue pants tucked into his heavy boots. His skin was tanned, and while he was serious and unsmiling as a matter of course, today he bore a much deeper frown than usual.

The man pulled a small com device out of his pocket and put it to his ear, his hard eyes never leaving the coast.

"HQ, this is Task Force Bravo. Do you copy?"

"I read you, Commander Max," the musical voice of Nell, Commander-in-Chief of the Orange Star Armed Forces, replied. "What's your status?"

It was a simple question, and yet the answer was anything but simple. There was a grim set to Max's square jaw as he looked out from the hilltop, mulling his reply. It was a lovely view. Verdant green plains tumbled down along a gentle slope to meet the white, sandy beach, beyond which the sparkling southern ocean stretched without end. Max had never been much for appreciating the beauty of nature, but even he had to admit that it was an especially pleasant scene. Or at least it would have been, under ordinary circumstances.

Today, however, the coast was swarming with soldiers and vehicles, all of them bearing the same uniform grey colour scheme. Even from a distance the extent of the force was plain to see. This was no scouting party or desperate band of raiders, but a small army, and a well equipped one at that. Behind the fortified positions that stretched along the coast, Max could discern the lurking shapes of tanks, artillery, and anti-air batteries. There was even a lone fighter jet circling high above. They were prepared for a fight, and that wasn't even the worst of it. That dubious honour belonged to a dark building looming in the distance, sitting atop a small peninsula at the heart of the enemy defences. It was a massive structure with a rounded top, and the mere sight of it had done more to rattle Max than anything else he'd seen for the better part of a year.

"Max? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." He paused, still staring at the tall building. "Listen, you said that some Black Hole troops had been spotted round here, right?"

For a moment there was only silence.

"Yes, that's right," Nell said. "We've received several reports that there were Black Hole forces in the area."

Max could hear the faintest hint of uncertainty enter her voice as she spoke. He and Nell had been close colleagues and close friends for a long time, and she was quite aware that he wasn't the sort of person who needed to confirm what they both already knew. Not without a good reason. Nell was one of the most perceptive people Max had ever met, and he had no doubt she could already sense that something was wrong.

"And did they say anything 'bout what kind of force was down here?" Max pressed.

"Nothing specific. Just that Black Hole soldiers had been sighted along the coast. Why, what's the matter? You know the mission."

That much was certainly true. It had been eight months since the end of the war in Omega Land, and Max had been assigned to his current operation for almost as long. He had only been allowed a few short weeks of leave before going back on active duty. After all that had happened during the last campaign, Max would have liked much more time to recuperate, but simple necessity had dictated otherwise.

The final battle of the Omega War had seen Black Hole's last base of operations destroyed and its leader Von Bolt taken prisoner, but that had not been the end of the fighting. Not entirely. Their victory had finished the Black Hole Army as an effective fighting force, but it had left numerous enemy troops at large, and with their leadership dead, captured, or missing, they had fled in all directions. The majority had been confined to Omega Land and the surrounding regions, but some groups had even managed to reach other continents. For months now there had been small, leaderless bands sporadically appearing all over the world. None of them were large or powerful enough to pose any real strategic threat, and with no support or supply network, most had seen their ability to fight degrade quickly. Even so, enough had turned to raiding, looting, and otherwise causing havoc to pose a serious security problem.

The response was informally known as 'Operation Clean-Up'. After international efforts to deal with the Black Hole remnants had faltered, Orange Star had taken matters into its own hands. They had made a point of stamping out any trace of their old foe in the months since the Omega War ended, and with good reason: no one trusted the peace to last while there were still Black Hole forces active, no matter how depleted they might have been. That the three commanders who had served under Von Bolt – the so-called Bolt Guard – were still unaccounted for only added to the urgency of the task. It was an ongoing operation even now, keeping much of Orange Star's military from their usual duties, and to Max, it was beginning to feel like there was no end in sight.

"Do we have a problem, Max?" Nell asked in a quieter voice.

Max gave a small grunt. "You could say that. They've got an awful lot of troops here, and they look pretty fresh. I don't think this is just another bunch of beat up leftovers from Omega Land. We're, uh, outnumbered almost two to one."

"Do you think you'll be able to handle them?"

"They're pretty well entrenched. I wouldn't want to risk it. Oh, and Nell…" Max's gaze once again settled on the building with the rounded top. "They've got a Black Cannon."

"Oh. Well, in that case…" She trailed off, evidently at a loss for words. "Hold your position and wait for further instructions. I'll see what I can find out about this and get back to you. Nell out."

Max shoved the com back in his pocket and breathed in, closing his eyes as the tang of salt on the air filled his nostrils. He hadn't really expected Nell to have any answers, but it was nonetheless unpleasant to hear how taken aback she was by the news. Max exhaled in an audible puff. He could hardly blame Nell for being surprised. After all, this was the first sign in eight months that Black Hole had anything left to its name except the scattered remains of a broken army.

Turning away from the coast, he saw a young woman in a baggy red jacket and pants walking towards him. The wind tried to toy with her fiery blonde hair, but in vain; it was tightly secured under a cap that was the same faded red colour as the rest of her clothes. Usually, Rachel would have sported a cheerful smile on her face, but today her comely features were marked by a frown almost as deep as Max's own.

"So what did my Sis have to say about all this?" She called out.

Max shook his head. "She doesn't know anything. I think she was just as surprised by that thing as we were."

"Nell really doesn't have any idea what's going on here?"

"She's lookin' into it," Max said, "but for now, we're on our own."

Rachel did not immediately respond. She reached the top of the hill and moved to stand beside him, pursing her lips as she looked out at the enemy's fortified position. Max watched as a shiver ran through Rachel, and she crossed her arms.

"It doesn't make sense, Max," Rachel said, her voice growing softer. "All the information we have tells us Black Hole shouldn't have this kind of firepower concentrated in one place, let alone the resources to build a Black Cannon."

"Yeah, that was what we thought last time," Max muttered. "Black Hole's like a bad penny. They just keep comin' back, no matter how many battles we win. Besides, we still haven't found the Bolt Guard. For all we know they're behind this."

"I don't know." Rachel's frown shifted. "They were finished after Omega Land. Our latest intel shows no Black Crystal or Obelisk activity anywhere in the world, and I can't think of any other way Black Hole could have rebuilt their army so fast. I can accept one miraculous recovery. But two? How can they keep doing this? Where are they getting their equipment and supplies from? It just doesn't make sense."

Rachel fell quiet, her attention switching to the single fighter plane patrolling above. She lifted a pair of binoculars from where they were clipped at her belt and began to follow the jet on its path. At its current distance the fighter was little more than a speck in the sky, and it was difficult to make out any details otherwise. After a time Rachel lowered the binoculars and passed them to Max.

"Get a look at that fighter up there and tell me what you think," she said.

Max examined the plane for only a brief moment. "It's a Black Hole fighter. So what?"

"Take a look at the engine and missiles. What do you notice?"

"Uh…" A confused light flickered in Max's eyes. "They're sort of a bluish grey?"

Rachel smiled a little. "Right. Thing is, all the fighters we came across in Omega Land had dark red engines and missiles. Weird, huh?"

Max looked through the binoculars again, longer this time. Once he was finished, he handed them back to her, and she saw a strange look in his eyes. It was difficult to identify, but Rachel could only think it was deep apprehension.

That was a bad sign.

It took a lot to shake Max. During the Omega War he had been the most fearless commander the Allied Nations had. Nothing fazed him, and he'd never hesitated to charge towards whatever Black Hole threw at them. Even though he had sometimes been headstrong to the point of foolishness, Rachel felt no shame in admitting that without his strength and experience the war would have gone very differently. If he was worried… she didn't want to think about what it might mean.

"What?" She asked, trying to make light of how troubled she felt. "It's just a colour change, which probably means that the Bolt Guard aren't-"

"Rachel." Max cut her off with just that one word, his eyes still locked on the fighter. "How much do you know about the Second Great War?"

"I read some of the reports," she said, faltering as she realised she had no idea what he was getting at. "Not much."

Max nodded and began to flex his fingers. "Well, during the Second War, Black Hole used fighters with that colour scheme. Blue instead of red."

"You think these troops weren't involved in the Omega War at all?"

"Yup."

"But-" Rachel stopped herself and took a deep breath. "Okay, so that means these guys are either left over from before then, or…"

"Or they're part of a new Black Hole Army, under the command of someone who fought in the Second War."

The words were bitter in Max's mouth as he spoke. It wasn't an idea that either of them wished to consider, but they had little choice. The possibility was too dangerous to ignore.

"Is that even possible?" Rachel asked. "There's been no other sign of anything like that."

"You got a better explanation for this?" Max nodded at the small army entrenched along the coast.

"No." Rachel stared at Max in disbelief, visibly struggling to come to terms with what he was suggesting. "But that – that's not-"

"Not fair?"

"Exactly!"

They both fell quiet, staring at each other. Rachel's cheeks were flushed and her bright eyes were fully earnest; she meant what she was saying. It was such an innocent and childish reaction that Max couldn't help but chuckle. After a moment Rachel rolled her eyes and began to laugh at herself as well, putting a hand to her brow in sheer embarrassment.

"I sound ridiculous, don't I?" She said with an abashed smile.

"Nah," Max said. "I get it. None of this crap with Black Hole has been fair."

Rachel looked to the horizon. "I just hate the thought that this isn't over. After everything we've been though, everything we've sacrificed…"

They both fell quiet, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves and the whistling of the breeze. The peaceful rhythm of the world was marred by the constant growl of vehicles in motion, their droning ubiquitous in the distance. Max watched as the wind picked up, forcing Rachel to shove the locks of her messy hair back under her cap. Even with that distraction her gaze never moved from the spectacle below. She only turned partway towards him at the sound of a faint crack somewhere nearby.

"Did you hear something?" She asked, a puzzled look on her face.

Max blanched. Over Rachel's shoulder, he could see the barrel of the Black Cannon pointing straight at them. Instinct kicked in; Max leapt forward and tackled Rachel, the two of them spilling downwards in an awkward roll. They were halfway down the hill when the cannon shell impacted. A split second later, the summit erupted in a geyser of dirt and flame, and the sun and clear sky were blotted out by darkness.

Max and Rachel were showered in flecks of soil as they came to a rough stop at the base of the hill. Max staggered to his feet, putting one hand on his spinning head to try and steady himself. There was a screeching whine in his ears after the explosion, his senses overloaded by the magnitude of the blast. It was a struggle just to think straight, let alone stand, but he forced himself to keep moving. Black Hole had spotted them, and they were under attack. They needed to get out of there. It was then Max realised that at some point during their downhill tumble, he had lost hold of Rachel. It took him a moment to spot her nearby. She was lying prone on her back, her face contorted in pain.

"You okay?" He shouted out.

A coughing fit was his only answer. Max jogged over to her and pulled Rachel to her feet.

"Come on, Rachel. We gotta get outta here."

"I think I hurt my ankle," she gasped, lurching sideways.

Max's frown deepened. Rachel was barely moving, and through his ringing ears he could hear the droning noises coming ever closer.

"You don't sound too good," he said.

Rachel winced sharply as she tested putting her weight on her right leg. "I'm just a little winded, I'll make it."

"Just relax. I'll get us out of this."

Max crouched and took hold of Rachel, lifting her in his arms. Once he was sure she was secure and supported, he raced towards a waiting armoured car as fast as he could.

The two of them had journeyed closer to the beach in the recon car in order to minimise the chance of being spotted; the rest of their task force was holding position further inland. As Max was in command, it was composed mostly of tanks and medium tanks, but it was still outmatched by the sizeable Black Hole battalion. Already he was thinking what the best plan of action would be. They could rely on their advantage in heavy equipment and attack, but Max knew that going in unprepared was a bad idea. The enemy positions were too well fortified. With the Black Cannon to provide cover, a foolhardy offensive would probably fail, and they'd be routed. No, Max decided, they had to play this smart. It was wiser to retreat and come up with a plan to neutralise the cannon while they waited for reinforcements to arrive.

"Get us back to the main army at the double, soldier," Max barked as he leapt into the recon's passenger seat. "We've got company, and I don't mean the kind you have round for dinner."

The driver gave a nod. "Right away, Commander Max."

Another shot from the Black Cannon obliterated what was left of the hill. Max looked over his shoulder, peering out the car's back window. All he could see was a veil of thick, dirty smoke where the rise had been. Then the smoke parted to reveal two Black Hole tanks, rushing forward at full speed.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" He grunted.

"I'm afraid not, sir."

The recon hit a rock and went airborne. There was a brief feeling of weightlessness before the armoured car crashed back down again, sending a vicious shudder through its occupants. Army vehicles weren't exactly designed with comfort as a top priority.

Rachel moaned as the recon hit the ground and kept speeding along. Looking down at her, Max noted that her lips were twisted together in agony, and her face had taken on a pale cast. He was beginning to wonder if she hadn't been hurt worse than he thought, but at least she wasn't in pieces.

An explosion filled the view outside Max's window with flame and darkness. Over the roar of the blast, he could just make out the sound of machine gun fire. It wouldn't be long before the enemy tanks found their mark. He grimaced and activated the recon's communications system.

"All units, this is Commander Max. We've got Black Hole troops inbound from the south. I want everyone ready to move in five minutes, tops. We're gonna have to make a fighting retreat. "

There was only static in reply.

"Is this thing working?" Max asked of no one in particular.

Another tank round hit just in front of them. The driver swerved to avoid the blast, but it was already too late. Glass cracked and metal buckled as the force of the detonation rocked the armoured car. The world outside became a hellish mirage of black and red. There was no way to see where they were going. A sheet of flame appeared on the bonnet, and Max could have sworn he heard the tyres burning.

Then they were through and into clear skies once again, the dying recon trailing fire and smoke.

"Get out!" Max yelled as the recon's engine began to splutter and catch.

Staying in the broken recon was a death sentence. Once it came to a halt, they would be an unmissable target. Max was under no illusions that their chances of survival were any better on foot, but they were out of options. He threw the door open, made sure he had a tight hold of Rachel, and leapt.

Max crashed into the dirt and hit it hard. That was his second rough fall in almost as many minutes, and his body was already beginning to scream in protest. He swore under his breath as bullets raced just overhead. The tanks were closing in, and they were almost out of time.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Rachel said, her soft voice barely reaching Max's ear.

Her voice was little more than a whisper. Max could barely hear it at all beneath the chaos of the one sided battle.

"Hey, Black Hole couldn't beat me in three wars," he retorted. "I'm not going down so easy."

Max risked a quick glance up and saw the two tanks closing in on them, while in the distance, more enemy troops were moving out over the hills. The tanks were sweeping around, one on each side, machine guns ready to strafe. Their guns were pointed right at the ruined recon. Maybe if Max covered Rachel she'd stand a chance of surviving, or maybe the bullets would rip right through him and render the whole thing pointless.

"I'm sorry," he said to Rachel, unable to look her in the eye. "I shoulda done better..."

A moment later the tanks started to fire. There was a brief burst of machine gun fire, followed by the deeper blast of cannons. Max shuddered at the thought of getting hit by a tank cannon even as he heard the rounds detonate with a colossal explosion, even louder than he would have expected. He screwed his eyes tightly shut and waited for the fireball to reach them.

As suddenly as it began, the explosion subsided, and Max found himself completely unscathed. He looked up in confusion. For a few seconds he could only blink, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The Black Hole tanks were smouldering derelicts, and holding position near the recon were two medium tanks in the proud livery of Orange Star. Max had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

He clambered to his feet and turned to face the tanks. Without thinking he brushed some of the dirt from his pants, noticing a small tear in the fabric and a cut on his thigh. Max shook his head in amazement. It was hard to believe that one small cut could be the extent of his injuries.

"Commander Max!" One of the gunners called out. "Everyone's ready to move out, just like you ordered."

Max let out a giddy laugh, lifted Rachel in his arms again, and sprinted over to the closest tank. "Come on. Let's get back to the rest of the army. We've got a whole bunch of Black Hole troops incoming."

With help from the crew, Max made sure Rachel was safe inside the tank before he climbed into the turret. Growing relief mingled with the adrenaline pumping through Max's veins, the combination a heady cocktail. He was surprised to be safe and alive, but that just made the feeling all the sweeter.

His com device beeped once, breaking the moment. He plunged his hand into his pocket and yanked it out, still struggling to overcome the shock and calm his racing heartbeat.

"Max? Is everything alright?" Nell's voice asked. "There have been explosions reported in the area."

"Black Hole's gettin' aggressive, and Rachel's been hurt. I'm not sure how bad, but we should get her somewhere safe."

"What? How-" Nell cut herself off, and Max heard her take a deep breath. "Alright, let's see... there's a small resort town about fifteen kilometres northwest of your position. Pull back and maintain a perimeter around the town, and I'll have a copter rendezvous with you there to pick up Rachel."

"Sounds good."

Max could practically picture the concern in Nell's bright blue eyes during the silence that followed. Nell and Rachel had always been close, even for sisters. In some ways, Nell was more like a parent to her younger sibling. It couldn't have been easy for her to stay professional and detached, he thought.

"How badly is Rachel hurt?" Nell asked, her voice quiet but controlled.

"She took a bad fall," Max said. "She's in and out of consciousness. I think she mighta broken a leg or an ankle."

"I see." Nell went silent again. "Max... I have to be honest, this sounds bad. I'll try and send some reinforcements your way, but you might have to make do with what you've got. Things just keep getting worse with Blue Moon, and most of our troops are needed along the border."

Max considered that. "I don't think they'll go too far from the coast. Didn't look like they had a whole lot of long range support. I get the feeling they more were trying to defend their outpost."

"In that case, let's focus on keeping the threat contained," Nell said. "If they try to advance further into the country, stop them. Otherwise, keep your distance and monitor the situation."

"You got it." Max smirked, even though he knew Nell couldn't see it. "Black Hole's not getting away with anything on my watch."

The two medium tanks had caught up to the rest of their task force. Max was pleased to note that every vehicle had turned around and was moving inland at a steady pace, the withdrawal carried out without delay. There was no idle chatter, only the incessant drone of engines and clanking of treads.

"I can't believe the Bolt Guard managed to build a Black Cannon," Nell continued after a short time. "It doesn't seem possible. Not without Lash."

"We, uh, thought about that," Max said. "It looks like the troops belong to someone from the Second Great War, not the Bolt Guard."

"So it's not the Bolt Guard, but Black Hole is back."

"I dunno. Something like that." Max snorted. "Or maybe Kindle and her two stooges got lucky and found a bunch of old equipment."

Nell gave a wry little laugh. "Wouldn't that be a coincidence." She paused. "I want to brief the other COs on this and try to figure out a course of action. Let's do it this afternoon. Can you have a command post set up by then?"

Max glanced back towards the beach. The grey tanks and soldiers were retreating over the hills, apparently unwilling to leave the Black Cannon's protection.

"Doesn't look like they're giving chase," he said. "I think we'll be fine out here for a little while."

"Alright then. I'll talk to you soon. And Max? Try not to do anything too rash."

He smiled and shook his head in amusement. "Understood. Max out."

Max placed the radio back in his pocket, his attention shifting to the surrounding landscape. All around them were grassy plains, dotted with small trees and bushes. Just ahead he could see a thin strip of tarmac, a lonely road that would lead them straight to the sleepy coastal town.

Looking over his shoulder again, he saw that the Black Hole troops had vanished behind the hills. He could no longer see the wreckage from the brief battle, and the smoke had already dissipated, leaving the blue sky pure and pristine. If not for the dark dome of the cannon peeking above the hills, it could have been mistaken for a perfectly ordinary morning.