The Stars Beyond What We Know

[136166]

THE STARS BEYOND WHAT WE KNOW
<Foreward by 136166>
Hello everyone!
I should have probably completed 'The Huari Alliance' before this.
But I had run out of ideas.
Inspiration of this has come from The Stars Beyond.

Chapter 1/I Prologue: Child
NEW PROCYON, PROCYON SYSTEM.
"Mum?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Do you hear something?"
"Like what?"
"Someone, telling me to explore. I hear it every day."
"LIke the time you found the smelting room?"
"Yeah!"
"...I don't hear anything. What does that voice sound like?"
"I don't actually hear it. It's more of a need, an instinct."
"...I don't know what it is, then."
"Do you know what might help me?"
"Maybe..."

THE SISTERS OF DOMINA, PROCYON.
The Abbess looked upon my young boy, focusing upon him.
"Has he been called by Domina?"
The Abbess finally looked up. "No, but he is going through something... I see him, travelling, discovering, adventuring all over Human Space... And living to tell the tale."
I don't know what to say. The Abbess raves on about Domina and whatever else as we inch towards the door.
I look upon my child, and I am perpetually rendered speechless.

OORT STATION, PROCYON.
I can't resist the urge to travel. All I can imagine is the stars, glittering like rare crystals. I ponder about what might be orbiting them. My Mum says it is not always a good idea to go. She tells me to pick my fights well. I am her first child, after my sister. My Dad is a retired miner. He says he fought terrible things orbiting those stars, hidden away in each asteroid belt. He fought them to ensure it was safe for all legal miners to get their fair share. Then my Mum tells him to be quiet and get to work hauling the ore out of his ship to the furnace. Mum then tells me of Procyon B. The second sun, and a White Dwarf. I must be careful not to go too close, or the gravity will rip me to pieces.

Procyon is a quiet place. Most people do not consider it as a fancy place. Fair enough, because the most common thing around here is titanium, and lots of people think it looks rusty. Sometimes the Procyon Freestate is called the kingdom of titanium for that reason. Lots of stationmasters say that the Commonwealth is a disappoint, because they do absolutely nothing to protect us. However, I say we have protected ourselves well against countless enemies, such as the Sord Raiders, Himal Seperatists, Freeworld Anarchists, and even more. The Warhammer-class Warbarge slowly orbits New Procyon and the surrounding stations, annhialating all enemy gunships idiotic enough to get within the range of the nasty MK.I Howitzer. The outlying stations are protected by many shieldships and titanium barricades, capable of withstanding any assault in this area. I doubt anyone around the Borderlands will try anything... wild.

The Borderlands, even though I have not seen past Procyon, fascinate me. They say The Borderlands are Commonwealth territory, though no-one belives that utter hogwash. Procyon is at the end of the stargate lines, and it connects to The New Beyond line of stargates at Adran's star. From there, you have to go through Thuria. I have heard many tales about it from my Dad, and that it has a major surplus of ores. If you keep on going, it leads to Rigel Aurelius.

It is my 18th birthday soon. My Mum and Dad are going to get me a spaceship as a present. They are also going to let me explore the New Beyond and Borderlands. I can hardly wait.
Signed, Aphelion Anaxas.

[Aury]

Haha, thats awesome!

Didn't expect to see any TSB fanfic this early on given it doesnt even have any of the faction storylines setup, and its currently still attached to Stars of the Pilgrim, rather than a proper openworld sandbox adventure featuring selectable player classes with open ended stories/objectives like explorer or mercenary (since one doesn't exist ... yet) - and I love that this fic actually references the non-pilgrim nature of the protagonist!

[136166]

Thanks, Aury!
The actuall chapter 1 may take a while...

[136166]

Chapter 1/I: Procyon Beginnings.

PLUTO PORT, JUST OUTSIDE OUTER PROCYON ASTEROID BELT.
Once more, destruction vents out into the void, the great dome of the pirate stronghold is pierced by a flurry of KM100s.
The armada of Corsairs and Vikings are swarmed by KM500s. Even a Drake missileship is exploding under a wave of missiles.
The people of the C&C Center are bewildered. "Get me a read on the enemy, privateer!" Bellows the OC. "Affirmative! We have a Wolfen, a Ronin/C, a Shield-class gunship. Should be easy!" The privateer reports. The OC knows something is amiss. The repeated salvos of KM110s, and KM100s come in fours. The Shield-class gunship does not have any form of missile system. "PRIVATEER!!! THEN WHAT IS FIRING THE OTHER TWO MISSILES!!!???" The OC barks. The Stronghold is in worse conditions now. The Great Dome has gas venting, and the CIWS is down. The armada of micro-patchers are overloaded, only meant to repair meteor damage. The ones that do mend holes instantly have an unplanned dismantling. The OC's worse nightmare is true. "New combatant has entered the radar, sir. Looks like-" The Privateer is cut off as he is shoved out by the OC. "A VIKING-II!!!??? WHAT THE WHAT!?!?!? HOW THE KACK IS THAT POSSIBLE!?!? THE MARAUDERS HAVE BETRAYED US!!!" *BOOM*

Pluto Port is now a wreck. My highly-modified Viking-II made good long-range support. All the other pilots are piling praise on me. "Group Leader Simurgh here." The leading Ronin radioes. "Great work everyone! Loved the nosedive you pulled into the Vikings, Tally-3!" I can see the Wolfen pilot blushing through the windscreen. "But I think the MVP is the Viking-II over there, piloted by the one and only... APHELION ANAXAS!!!" Simurgh announces in his best game-show presenter voice. The Shield-Class gunship pipes in. "Thats right, bosh! I owe 'im one for cover when I needed to patch them front armor seg!" Shield-Class gunships are pretty much two Quad Titanium Barricades clobbered together. Their direct front and back are rather weak. I jump on the comms now. "Thanks, every. Now, you guys head back to Korolov. I am going to loot that Drake wreck just over there-" Everyone jumps on the comms. "Tally-3 here! You may get the Drake, but I bags those Viking wrecks!" The Shield-Class gunship jumps in. "Nay way, hosea! I bags them fort!" After a lot of Exclamation Marks, Simurgh pipes in. "YOU LOT STOP NOW! Just loot already!"

IN TRANSIT TO NEW PROCYON
Simurgh has radioed Korolov that we are heading to New Procyon to offload our loot. The Shield-class gunship pilot seems a bit nervous. I reassure him: "For the Nth time, We are not going to attacked by Anarchists, nor hampered by Himals, slashed by Sords, or clobbered by Centauri Warlords." "Alright," He responds. "But what if they use a Nebula to jump us?" "I have never seen a Nebula in this system. What are you talking about?" He quickly shuts his comms, embarrassed. Tally-3 joins in some conversation. "So, nice ship. How did you get it? did your Mum and Dad buy it?" I respond. "Sort of. I have a mental condition that causes 'Wanderlust'. In other words, if I don't explore or travel, my wellbeing apparently decays. For my 18th birthday, this ship was a present. My Mum is a tinker, and she dual-external-linked these launchers. The local Tinker is called Tinker Link because of her capability to link pretty much every weapon ever." Tally-3 is amused. "Oh, really?" I decide to stay silent. Because what more is there to say?

NEW PROCYON
Before us spin the six gantries and three hubs of New Procyon, above the gas giant Joul. Around it orbits two moons, Layth and Duna. The Warhammer-class barge silently orbits around the stations and the planets, keeping everyone safe. Everyone splits up to sell their booty, but I head to Oort Station, in other words, home. I dock into the station, and I notice that my Dad, Jones, is waiting here. Something is up. The only time they did that was for my first couple of flights, when they were unsure about my capabilities. Dad/Jones beckons towards me. "Come on, Aphelion. Mum wants to tell you something." I can only follow him. We travel up and down endless corridors, to our apartment, 531A. Dad opens the door, to reveal my Mum. She appears to be upset about something. "Mum, what's wrong?" She opens her eyes. "No, nothing is wrong. However, you have grown up, and you will need new places to explore. I give you my permission to explore beyond Procyon. Just don't forget us. You know I love you, right?" She silently walks off, leaving a bewildered young girl in her place. My younger sister, Anemai. She silently hugs me, as though they have all been perputally silenced when Mum decided to give me permission. Dad then comes up to me. "Come on, Son. I have a gift for you." We climb up, using some recently erected ladders and some not-so-recently set up elevators. Eventually, we reach the airlock that leads to the hangar where my Viking-II is parked. We put on our Vacumm Suits, and immediately as we step out of the airlock, into the hangar, I could tell my Viking-II was different. From the spare weapon slot at the front stuck out a large cluster of pipes, all of them sticking together, and culminating in a nozzle. I immediately recognise it: A magma cutter. "Dad? are you trying to turn me into a miner?" He only smiles that 'daredevil' smile. "Then be a good miner. People will expect things like that of you because of me. Don't come back until you have enough Plasteel Ore to make a good share of Quad Plasteel Barricades. I am fed up with looking at this brown every day." I silently stride into the cargohold, wave goodbye, and close up the cargohold, knowing this might be the last time I see my family.

KOROLOV SHIPPING, INNERMOST ASTEROIDS, PROCYON.
"Well done, Aphelion! The Charon Pirates in this system are disorganised, with the loss of their Command Center!" Jones, the Korolov statiomaster applauds. "Wait a hot sec! All 'e did was shnipe them! I vanquished that huge swarm of Corsairs and Vikes!" the Shield pilot bellows. We all stand silent, and burst into laughter. "ALERT! PIRATE ATTACK IMMINENT! ALERT! PIRATE ATTACK IMMINENT!" The automated warning signals all hell to break loose. EI and Antares undock towards the Stargate, whilst Jones orders us into battle. The LRS shows at least 24-odd red dots. "Okay, 8 Vikings, 2 Corsair-IIs, 4 Viking-IIs, 2 Drakes, and 8 more regular Corsairs! Easy!" Rejoices Simurgh. Tally-3 retorts "Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" Then everyone screams/breaks off/away. The Shield pilot defends the station and vapourises the small-fry Corsairs and a couple Vikings with Dual Turbolasers, then body-blocks a KM100 with the titanium barricades on his sides. However, they keep on coming from beyond the scanner range. I signal Simurgh that I am moving for an attack on the Drake/Viking-II/Corsair-II formation. The radios are flooding with all sorts of messages. "Tally-3! Fox 2!" "There! that Viking!" "Come on, brothers! hit them!" I approach them, but the Viking-IIs and Corsairs, but they notice. "Whoa!" I exclaim as approximately 10 KM100s stream towards me. I retaliate with KM110s, but they are vaporised by beams of green light coming from the Drakes. I think I know what they might be. "Caution! the Drakes have ICX missile defense turrets!" It appears the Drakes have unfortunately heard. "This is Draco 1! Calling evacuation of the OA! They have found out our secrets! Repeat: Evacuate OA!" The slow-moving Drakes turn, getting superficial blows from us. "Tally-3 here! This must be the whole remains of the Procyon Chapter of the Charon Pirates!" I radio my own. "I am moving for an attack run with KM110s. The issue is with the ICXs. Furthermore, I am going in nice'n close! Cover me!" I hurl towards the Drakes at terrifying speed. Thankfully their engines block their launchers. However, they have Bolide Blasters instead of normal laser cannons. "This is Draco 1! Speak for your self, Draco 2, but that genocidal Viking-II is gunning for us! SOS! SOS!" Every other Charon spaceship hurls themself, guns blazing, towards me. Ten or so lasers dent my Cyclotron S55 before Simurgh and the others counter-attack and cover me. I fire my KM110s straight into their engines, leaving them crippled but having momentum. Draco 1 is hurling as many obscenities as there are Bolide shots. Eventually, the ships crash into the inner icy asteroid belt, and, having their hulls holed by a mix of missiles, shards, and icy meteors, they explode. "The fire of their reactors are their epitaph. Draco 1's fate: killed by asteroids and missiles from Aphelion." Chants Simurgh. "Nice sentiment, Simurgh." Tally-3 notes. "Anyways, lets check on Korolov, then loot the Drakes."

Korolov is in shambles. The landing decks are punctured by shards and lasers, but the army of intelligent automated patch spiders repair in coordination with the atmosphere pumps. The command section is miraculously unscathed and operational. Jones appears there in his vacuum suit, looking a bit worse for wear, but is more than alive and kicking. We then prepared to check the Drakes. I suit up in an amored vacuum suit, wielding a miniaturized gatling coilgun. Not handheld, but under-arm like old rifles long gone. Simurgh stands in the airlock, and begins opening it when we arrive. We then knock on the door politely. "We are armed Korolov Pilots! If you are alive, please step away from this door and put down any weapons!" Simurgh yelled. We then quickly wrenched the door open a fraction, threw a stun grenade inside, slammed the door shut. After a muffled 'boom' noise, we opened the door...
and found out that there were no survivors. Simurgh lowered his laser rifle. "Well, spread out and search for anything." Tally-3 made a beeline for the engines, Simurgh and the Shield pilot investigated the main cargo hold, and I went to the bridge. Multiple bodies were floating around in the zero-gravity, and the window was smashed. Ignoring the bodies and trying not to vomit, I rifled through the many cabinets and drawers. I noted the Q-CPU machine in the corner. I was about to leave, when I noticed a green glint. The Q-CPU had a mnemonic cube in it. I took it out, thinking it might be useful. We met back at the hold. The Shield pilot had found some Helium Assemblies and salvaged an intact Tritium Injection Drive, whilst the others had found missiles and ore. We checked the other Drake, but nothing else.

The trip back was short but silent. We then docked and I headed to the command section. Jones was staring out at the main control panel. "Hey, Jones, any idea what this might be?" I toss him the cube. He catches it like a star AFL player. He inspects it silently. After a few minutes, he gives his verdict. "It's a Mnemonic Cube." I silently roll my eyes. "It appears to contain documents. The reason why it is in a Cube, not a ROM, is because it is heavily encrypted." That gets my attention. "If it is encrypted, it must be valuable! Do we have a Q-CPU?!" Jones sadly shakes his head. "No, and besides, we still need to repair the Station." I don't know what to do with it. "Weell... Maybe when CHOC comes to call, give them this to decrypt. Call me when they decrypt it." Jones waves goodbye."Wherever you go, Journeyman Aphelion, stay alive!"

I undock from the station, heading towards the orbit of Joul. For some reason, there are multiple asteroids in odd formations orbiting there, as well as Duna and Joul. Back at New Procyon, people speculate that their origin was that they were originally planets/planetoids that got shattered by Joul. There hiding in the cluster of meteroids, is the stargate to the rest of the galaxy. I thrust forward, but hesitate. What will happen to the rest of my family? I think about it, and they are pretty safe. The Warhammer-class Warbarge, and my sister will be taking flying tests. I thrust toward it, compelled to see what is beyond what I know. I drift into the center of the turning rings, and press the G button. I feel my hairs prick up, and see my surroundings dissolve into blue tachyons.

TO BE CONTINUED... IN ERIDANI!

[136166]

Chapter 2/II Prologue: Travel
STARTON VEAN, VEAN SYSTEM
I should have made this entry sooner. Anyways, I have been traveling. I got introduced to fellow asteroid miners at Ross 614, two systems away from Procyon, and did some escort missions for Korolov. In the set those escort missions, one of them nearly came to a mincy end. An Antares-V, the one my friends called the super crate ship, was carrying 40,000 tons of cargo. Less that the max. Little I knew that they sent a whole Frigate and escort squad. One Frigate, two Corsair-IIs, and four Viking-IIs versus a buff Viking-II, and an Antares-V. The Frigate was continuously sniping us. I sniped it back, with a couple of KM500s mixed in. Thankfully, we passed a friendly station, and a couple of Ronins backed us up. The Antares reached the stargate safely. I then went further, and found this-here Starton. I decided to do a milita mission, and met Captain Piera. She's nice. I had to engage a squad of Himals, though. Currently, I am just at this quiet cafe, one of the lesser-known establishments. I will probably just chill for a bit. But not for long. Here is a run-down of my current equipment.
x2 NAMI Launcher
x1 Dual Turbolaser (Standard)
x1 Dual-linked Fast-Fire Laser Cannons (Alternative)
x1 Magma Cutter (From Dad)
x4 Plasteel Armor
x1 Cyclotron S1200
x1 Laser Collimator
x1 Nova-50 Reactor

Signed, Aphelion Anaxas.

???, ???, BORDERLANDS
The shipyard is in progress. I stride the titanium halls. I wear my vacuum suit, acknowledging the condition. Outside the hastily cyan-painted walls, flights of Centauri Raiders glide on the wing of a Heavy Raider. I climb up and up several ladders, admiring the view. Several large box-like wrecks are towed by multiple crate ships and Heavy Raiders. A kiloton of small battlepods cloud my view as the crazy pilots within them swing by. In any case, I head to the homespun control center. Several Centaurian strategists are pouring over the table, whilst the people in the booths work desperately with their computers, updating the screen at the other end of the room. "Status." One of the people in the control booth come out and salute. "Sir, you will never guess what has happened. Arco Vaughn was found in the wreck of his Heavy Raider. Injured, in a coma, but alive. He is currently resting in his habitat. The Deputy speaking in his name has requested a Light Battlecarrier to be created and smuggled." I sigh. When I ran away, it was because people were telling me what to do. It is as though nothing has changed. The Givers are still giving, whilst the Warlords keep on telling me to build stuff. The shipyard, as I may have mentioned, is in progress. "Tell them it will be three weeks until we are operational. On other news, how is Operation Logger Grates going?" One of the strategists looks up from the holographic table. "The Transport has been deployed. The Hull is 100% integrity, the EMP Cannon is go, and the Target is undefended." I grin silently. Everything is in place, and the New Beyond will remember my name.

To Be Continued...

[136166]

Chapter 2/II: The Revenge of the Centauri, Part 1
NEAR DANTE II, ERIDANI
Once more, energy levels spike. Thousands of energy lines collide in the centre of the orbiting rings, giving birth to a purple orb. The orb grows and grows until it implodes, revealing a majestic Viking-II. The drive ignites, and the Viking-II flies towards the St. Johns worlds.

Inside the cockpit, a small incandescent bulb flashes. Under the bulb is a label with the words: SOS Signal detector. A young man with black hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin walks in and notices the bulb. "Computer, lock in SOS signal. Track it down." The computer complies. "Destination set to Habitat 34, at Hageron." The plucky youth quickly dons a flak jacket and a vacsuit. He then sits down at the controls and gets settled into position. The pedals automatically tie straps around his shoes, wrapping them in. He then takes the joystick and flicks a switch. The switch is labelled 'Combat mode'. The food tray withdraws, and the youth clicks his belts in.

(Now from perspective of Aphelion Anaxas)
As soon as I gain visual sight of Habitat 34, orbiting around Hageron, I see that something is wrong. Habitats do not vent stuff into space. Then the LRS bleeps and squarks. "Enemy ships detected." "Another day at the office," I mutter to myself. "Whats the worst that can happen?" Turns out, the enemy ships attacking are Centauri. Several battlepods orbit the station, ineffectually pounding away. Easy. I fire green turbolaser streaks at them. They then notice me after I disintergrate one of their battlepods. The others menacingly turn towards me. I let them charge at me. What's the worse they can do? In hindsight, I should not have let them. About a dozen missiles hurtle towards me, and smash holes in my Cyclotron S1200. "Ack!" Turns out they have missile racks. However, that desperate gambit fails as their armor is torn by a mix of turbolasers and high-velocity shards. Another day done in the office, I think, but two large kinetic slugs hurtle towards me. My Viking-II rocks from side to side. I focus and evade more shots, and the nemesis comes into sight: A Centauri Monitor. The light of the sun glances elegantly over the windshield and two in-built dual-linked Ballista cannons, and the comms crackle with the static of an old radio. "Prepare to die!" Radioes the Monitor. "No, you say your prayers!" The comms fill with a brave warcry as the Monitor hurtles toward me. Sort off. The Monitors are slow, bogged down by their main source of firepower: Two dual-linked Ballistas. Not the link my Mum makes, but more like someone literally just threw them together. I fire a barrage of KM110s. The Centauri Chaingun used as a point-defense system fires idly at the missiles, but the missiles explode beyond the CCPD. The shards, on the other hand, are either too small for the CCPD to take not of, or are too fast. The pilot of the Monitor screams and hull-breach alarms wail in the background, but the signal cuts as a spectacular cremation takes place. The shockwave of the explosion is propelled by the expanding gas of the explosion, and my teeth are shaken. The explosion also cut my shields and bit my armor, and the habitat was grazed. I then dock with Habitat 34.

The Habitat is silent, though a couple of vacuum alarms blare. I am wearing my Vacuum suit, and even through the visor, the visible damage is extensive. The docking bay is trashed, with several small dents in the floor, walls, and ceiling. One round from the battlepods has ricocheted of a pipeline, and another has trashed some kind of control panel. I attempt to wrestle open the door, but it is stuck like superglue. All airlock doors are built like that, so I hunt for a circuit panel. I then plug in a hacking tool, and after at least 20 attempts, I repair the airlock's controls and revert it to normal conditions. After going through the airlock processes, I enter the outer ring. I am unsure of how hermetically sealed this place is, so I wear my Vacuum suit still. Market stalls are positioned on the side walls, facing bushes and trees. I can't tell if they are fake or not, but it looks like there has been a riot here. Overturned stalls are common. One has a stove in it, and it looks as though they were cooking Paella. Further in, I find a large, imposing, airlock gate. A small button extrudes from the wall on one side, and I press it. This is probably a bunker, used if an attack happens. Not long after I press it, a red light comes on and a CCTV camera unfolds elegantly from the wall. The great doors open, and I step inside. As soon as I do, the doors close. A hiss as the airlock is pressurised, and the inner doors open. The lights shine upon at least a hundred people in a hollow, cave-like interior. They all huddle together desperately, as though they are slaves waiting for their demise. I try to amble with the crowd, but a man stops me. He is dressed in a polo shirt, and at least in his thirties. He also has slippers, as though he was in bed when they evacuated to the bunker. "The Boss wants to see you!" He declares. I shrug, and follow. After wading around, nearly losing him in the veritable ocean of people, we come to a platform. Another man, this time wearing a uniform and a campaign hat with a logo on it. He turns to me and greets me. "Thank you! We thought we were toast!" I reply. "Thanks, but how come..." I gesture to the people around us. His face clouds over. "We were having a sunday market, when out of the blue, several centauri ships arrived and began attacking. The Heavy Raiders and Standard Raiders were blown up by our defenders, but then the Battlepods came. They had some kind of rocket launcher, and then they brought in a Monitor. Also, the Starton needs to know our situation, but our Communications Array is down. Can you please hand them this ROM? Give it to Captain Enrico Gaul of the Milita." "Simply, will do." I turn to exit.

Once more, my Viking-II thrusters pulse into space. I head back to the Stargate, and join the traffic stream there. I also take the opportunity to whip up a snack of fried rice. Time speeds up when you are eating fried rice, and I reach the bustling St. Johns Worlds, and in orbit, Starton Eridani. I swear that some of the freighters are giving me looks. I radio Starton Eridani. "Viking-II here! May I dock?" Several tense seconds pass. Then the Starton radioes me back. "Viking-II, Starton here. What are your intentions?" "To hand over a ROM about the current status of Habitat 34. I'll explain when I dock."

After docking into the meticulosly clean hangar, I exit the craft to find a guy in Military Camoflage and a Milita badge pointing a rather nasty-looking revolver at me. Literally everyone elso in the hangar, even the lowly mechanics, glare at our confrontation, as though we were interupting a peacefull saturday afternoon out on their front porch, instead of another boring work day. I silently stick my hands up, and they silently turn away. The man with the gun finally speaks. "Explain." I then proceed to tell him the events of the day, starting from when I gated in. He finally puts down the gun. "Okay. However, Captain Gaul is away at the moment. He's investigating something odd with Raisu Station. Feel free to explore Starton Eridani in the meantime." He then walks off, producing a phone, no doubt about to call Captain Gaul about the apparent pirate who blundered into the dockyards, claiming that a station was crippled and needed repairs. I simply got back into my Viking-II, checked the computer for anything, ate the remains of the fried rice, locked the door, and dozed off.

Later, I woke up feeling more refreshed. Or as refreshed and safe after a gun had been pointed at me. I then get dressed in a more formal outfit, retrieve my Neuros Music Player, and unlock the door. This time, no one glares at me, and the hangar is still polished. I set the Neuros to play 'No communicaton, No love' by Charles Schillings, and hit play.

I exit the hangar, and the noise stuns me. Even though this is just the terminal, the place is full to the brim with people. A nearby billboard flashes headlines from the CNN, aka The Commonwealth News Network.

You know there are...
I enter the monorail, and even though it is a weekend, all the seats are taken, and so I grab hold of a pole.

Periods in one's life when...
I get off at the Tourist Kiosk and check out some fun facts. How can they mess up scans of an Ares Fleet with a bunch of Salvager Nomads?

Just the thought of being alone is really...
I check out the central plaza. A sky of endless plasteel, with a big old tree in the middle. Just like at the hubs of New Procyon...

Devastating.
I buy some drinks at a bar, some New Coke. They don't seem to be worried about me being a minor. Probably because I have been through quite a bit more than some of them.

However, being alone does not necessarily mean being lonely...
Some miners from a nearby mining colony try to impress me with their knowledge of Helium Regolith ores, but I blow their minds by telling them about that time I found Xenotite and Plasteel in the Borderlands.

Better alone building a new life than...
A Centaurian Mercenary enters the bar, and seeing as I am throwing a small party, joins in.

Better than living with someone in which there is no trust...
He gossips with me a bit. "Rumor around here is that Arco Vaughn's back, kid. I'm outta this-here place. He'll probably try to kill me for turning mercenary. As for you, watch your back, sonny."

No communication, no love, just...
After splashing about 30 credits, I walk off and check out the scenic walks. A bit later, at the fringe of the station, I peek at the stars. Using a telescope, I see a bright blue-ish star. I wobder if it might be Procyon, my home... I wonder how my family are doing...

Devastating-
I decide that I have seen enough sights, and that Captain Gaul is free. After two minutes of crowded public transit, I get off at the Milita HQ. Ominous plasteel doors loom, and I notice that no one has gotten of the monorail apart from me. I knock on the door, and I glimpse movement in the corner of my eye. I turn, and the CCTV camera glares. We partake in a brief staring match, but after three seconds, the doors slide open, and I proceed forwards. Inside lies a panopticon of computers. The area is dimly lit by fluorescent lights, and I notice, as I walk towards the centre platform, only half of them are being used. On the centre table is a holographic representation of the system, showing everything from the location of the former warlord camps and EI200s running around, frantically delivering essential supplies to outlying container habitats, to real-time engagements against drug-dealers to outlaw miner convoys. I note that Raisu station, Habitat 34, and a structure around Voerms are yellow instead of the traditional green. I work further to the other side of the room, and a Man smelling of gin and wearing a military cap. As he turns around, a glint on the side of his chest turns into the badge of a Milita captain. "So you are that pilot. Milita Volunteer Aphelion. Pleasure to meet you. You made me jump, flying through Eridani in a Viking-II. You've just made the whole system a whole lot trigger-happy. Looks like a great ship." He extends his hand. I shake it I reply, as sincere as ever. "I'll tell you after I tell you what happened. I just gated into Eridani, when I caught a SOS signal from Habitat 34. Turns out, the Centauri were attacking. This ROM has the details." I briefly fish around in my pickets and show it to him. Gaul's eyes rocket open like a KM100, and he snatches it. He promptly marches to the holographic table and plugs in the ROM. A small holgraphic screen displays a humanoid figure with a campaign hat talking. After several minutes of silence, he then stares at me. "This is bad." I reply, happy to break silence. "Of course it's bad! Habitat 34 is on edge, the Centauri have new weapons an-" Gaul cuts my rant about the situation. "It's bad like that, but lemme tell you something. Since Arco died, the Centauri of Eridani have exibited no hostile moves. The only ones left are civil. They trade their rice and weapons for CW credits and material. Old Centauri camps have been turned into habitats. A couple of Arco's fanatics have attacked, but mostly small ones. But here come Monitors and battlepods with rockets! The peace of the whole of Eridani is at stake, on the chopping board!" I raise a finger. "Ok, but what do we do?" He looks up from the holographic table. "Okay, boy. This is going to sound kinda odd, but the minature arcology Raisu Station has not said or sent us anything for a while." I look up to the hologram on the table, and see a small white rectangle ominously blinking. After three flashes, it opens up into a hologram of the system. Gaul continues. "Fly to Raisu station, destroy any Centauri Warlord craft stupid enough to do such a thing, and dock with Raisu to see the situation." As he speaks, a blue holographic triangle representing me moves from Starton to an asteroid belt. It then proceeds to attack red triangles orbiting Raisu. Then something hits me. "Wait, why me?" Gaul looks up with a grin. "You have a responsibility to do as a Milita Volunteer, and the others are chasing down dirty smugglers." I roll my eyes. No point in arguing.

Twenty minutes later, five of them consumed by public transit, I undock and thrust towards Raisu's supposed location. Gaul comes in on the radio. "You're gonna have to maintain radio silence from now on. Centauri equipment has gotten more advanced, so they can track down radio sources and some heat signatures. You are to maintain radio silence as soon as you enter the A.O, okay? We can contact you, but you need to keep your radio silent. If else they will attempt to blow you out of the the damn system. Good luck." About 20 minutes in high thrust, the proximity alarms blare. I toggle the disposable Illeskan Sensor disruptor on. I found it lying in an outlaw base earlier. I inch towards the asteroid belt and towards the Centaurians.
Huh. Odd. They're flying in formation. The leader is a Heavy Raider, and, in a triangle behind it, five standard Raiders. I personally expect them to have some kind of Disposable Missile Rack, but I am in for another suprise: on further examination, the Raiders have Class-A shields and Light Plasteel, and the Heavy Raider has a EI Class-1 shield as well as Plasteel! I don't know about weapons, but this is going to be a hell of a fight...

"Hoolay 1 here. Squad check-in."
"Hoolay 2 alive, but bored."
"Hoolay 3 here. Dying of boredom..."
"Hoolay 4. Yaaaaawn."
"Hoolay 5 here. I would rather be farming our rice instead. At least we would be surrounded with our own, not just circling around Starton Nowhere."
"Hoolay 5! Shut your treasonous pie hole! Serving Arco Vaughn is much more better!"
"Run! He's about to pontificate upon us about "The endless glory of Arco Vaughn!" Not just that, but also about "The brilliance of serving Arco Vaughn!"
"Hoolay 5! Shut up or fall on your sword!"
"Hoolay 4 here. Is it just me who remembers he got blown up by a freighter?"
"Hoolay 4 and 5! Shut up! Shut up! Shu-"
BOOM.
"We're under attack! Hoolay one's hit! How did they get through the radio net?!"
"Everyone break and engage! Remember the advanced weaponry!"

The Longbow took out roughly three thirds of the Heavy Raider's shield. Instantly, they turn quickly, and begin swarming me. And when I mean swarming, I mean like Anarchist-speed swarming. Not a slo-mo chase that usually occurs. Being slightly alarmed at raiders moving at this speed, I inch back before firing KM110s towards the wave of angry admirial-blue gunships. A raider is smashed, and the other's shields are downed. Instead of fleeing, the close distance rapidly. I take a couple of KM100 shots, and another raider is down. Unfortunately, the remaining four are upon me. Their weapons are unsuspectedly strong, and my Cyclotron 1200 is slowly being chewed away. And they are more manuverable. Everytime I line up a shot, they quickly dart away. Suddenly, a raider dive-bombs me, maddly firing its guns. I quickly blast it with my dual turbolaser. Just after I destroy it, a number of shockwaves reverberate around the ship. Another raider dive-bombed me as I was plugging the first raider. As the raider swoops over me, I quickly sterilise it with my dual turbolasers. The group looks like falling back, and all of them regroup some distance away. Raisu itself seems okay, despite the battle. Just as I tap the radio button, several rockets slam into my regenerating shields. Crumbs! Just in the range of my radar three red triangles fire yellow squares at me. The raiders were not running away, they were retreating! I counter with my lasers, firing my Turbolasers an dual-linked fast-fire lasers, but my aim is shaky. Not as though they were going to hit anyways. If sound carries through space, then the raiders would have heard the lasers whistle past their craft. They retreat, but start firing back. I remember I still have requested docking, and the sound finally comes through. A hard voice barks "Docking request denied, repeat, docking request denied, you-AAAARGH!"
What?!
The situation on the radio decays into chaos. I hear lasers blasting at something, people barking orders, screaming, and kinetic rounds ricochetting left, right and centre. Welp, I have my warzone to fight in, I think, as the Centauri fighters dive-bomb me. I think they have run out of missiles. Nonetheless, it's not a good idea to dive-bomb anything KM110s. I fire them, and they explode, caught in clouds of flak. Whelp, one way to go. I dock (without permission from the dockmaster), suit up in my reinforced vacsuit, ready my trusty electromagnetic rifle-style minigun, and open the door.

Twenty minutes since I have docked, and the fighting onboard is slowing down. The Centauri are trapped between an angry mob and a hard vacuum, but they intend to fight to death. I am waiting elsewhere, though. A Woman comes up to me. A badge on her chest reads "Stationmaster". She sits next to me. I try to initiate a conversation. "How's everything?" A ghost of a smile crosses her face. "When you entered combat with the guards, you gave us hope and courage to mount an infiltration attempt on their weapons stash. Then the infiltrators broke out using the weapons. You came at the right time. Lemme show you something." She gets up from her seat, and walks to the centre of the station. She then opens a cuboard, and presses a button hidden behind bottles and bottles of cleaner, and a hole in the wall opens. She then steps in. Seeing my evident hesitation, she beckons. I step in, and realise that it is a lift, as she presses one of the two buttons on the wall. The doors slide shut, and there is a humming in the background. Suddenly, she speaks. "Raisu is many things. Its most known "secret" is being an experiment in creating a minature arcology, like St. Kats. Another secret is that its a secret milita cache." The doors slide open, revealing a door. Next to it is a scanner. The Stationmaster detaches her badge and inserts it in. The door clicks open, revealing an immaculat storage-esque room with rack of... "XM900s..." I run a hand over one of the thermononuclear monsters. The Stationmaster continues. "The Centaurians found out, and tried to hack themselves in. Luckily you distracted them. And luckily you came. They were close to answering the final riddle for the manual password." She turns around, and suddenly there are tears in her eyes. "Arco Vaughn has captured this place once. This second capture means that he must be back. I am going to give you something to kill him, once and for all." She turns around, and gives me a box. I peek inside it, and there are two XM900s. I slowly draw my head up and give her a look. "Seriously!?!? Don't you think this is a bit... Overpowered???" She grabs me, and I recoil in shock. "Arco Vaughn has thrown his weight around too much. And now he is trying to get is sticky, greased, bloody hands on thermonuclear weapons! We need him dead ASAP, or Starton Eridani itself could fall! Please, help us!"

I am back in my Viking-II, slightly alarmed at her outburst. Even then, only one answer was painfully obvious. Arco would not stop. Amazed that some of the wrecks are intact, I dock with a Raider. I take a peek, and turns out that the weapons are trashed. I bring them onboard, and spy a disposable missile launcher. I guess that the pilot thought it was jammed. I swipe it as well. I check out the Heavy Raider wreck, and swipe what appears to be a CLAW Cannon. I then speed towards St. Johns Worlds.

"Its... interesting..." mutters a Milita member. Roughly five minutes ago, I docked with Starton Eridani, and called together a meeting. Gaul is panicking a bit, and the other Milita members are worried. "I have used a CLAW Cannon, and taken notes over it. Enough to tell you it's not a CLAW Cannon. For a start, it takes up one slot." He takes out a screwdriver and opens a panel in one of the guns. Inside is a mess of cables, and the circuit board is disfigured, and another one has been cut out entirely. "I thought so. They removed the restrainer circuit for the DK10. It makes it fire in bursts. And with the new Centauri Raider gun, they have it boosted with some electromagnets, and upscaled them. As for the Rocket Pod, its like a rack, but for Kinetic Kill missiles. These are pretty much a slug of dense metal and a solid-fuel rocket together. They are like a missile I have seen Sord Raiders use. Because of the solid fuel, they are fast, powerfull, but not sniping munitions. I suppose they have more instead of one pod, because they seem to fire rather quickly." On the completion on his speech on the new Centauri Weapons, we all turn to Gaul. After an awkward silence, I raise my hand. "What do we do now, Sheriff?" Gaul look up, and slams his fist into his palm karate style, and points outside. "Now, we attack."

TO BE CONTINUED...


Bonus stuff
(Brief ) Afterword
Sorry for taking so long. Keep tuned for more, and happy holidays!

Worlds in order of order
Dante II
Hageron
St. Johns Worlds
St. Johns Worlds Moon 1: Morgana
St. Johns Worlds Moon 2: Lancelot
St. Johns Worlds Moon 3: Mordred
St. Johns Worlds Moon 4: Uther
Voerms
Eldir

[136166]

Chapter 3/III Prologue: Centauri Stratagem

STARTON ERIDANI, ERIDANI.
*Blink, blink, blink.*
"Okay, people. Since Arco Vaughn's supposed death, all Centauri in Eridani have been neutral. Until yesterday. We found out that the Centauri have recaptured Raisu Station. Thankfully, Raisu has been liberated. But that's about half the story. There is talk amongst the Centauri Warlords that Arco is back."
*Gasp!*
"We're doomed! Its a trap!"
"Settle down now! We can't afford them the first move. I requested backup from St. Kats and here they are. Mage squadron, and from the borderlands, Golem squadron. And on top of that, an Aurochs and a platoon of soldiers. The purpose of this is that we are going to take a peek at the Centauri Settlement at Voerms. They have been too quiet, and long-range scans suggest that they have new buildings. Unfortunately, we can't get any closer because they have rigged an alarm system. We can't get close without a kacking kiloton of assorted raiders and battlepods. So here's the game plan: Aphelion, their radar net is not absolute. They have holes in it that you can slip through. You are to slip through and attack the defense turrets. Mage Squadron, you are to reinforce Aphelion once he penetrates the radar net. Golen squadron, you are to defend the Aurochs to land at Centauri Settlement. The platoon will secure and find out what is going on with the settlement. The rest of the Milita will be on high alert and patrolling the system. That concludes the briefing. Now, get outta here. Its gonna be a long day tomorrow. Oh, one last thing, the codename for this operation is Operation Sterile Blowtorch. Now, get some rest."

???, OUTERMOST ASTEROID BELT, ERIDANI.
They thought I was dead. Fair enough. I thought it was the end, too. I will miss my old Heavy Raider, but that damn pilgrim destroyed it. Thanfully, my new ship is ready. Armed with a +fast Monitor cannon, a NAMI launcher, and the new Centauri Heavy AUTOCLAW, it is unique. It even has a CCPD and Cannon Accelerator, and is faster and agile than others. The Light Battlecarrier is in progress of being smuggled, though. We'll have to fight without it. The Milita is on our tails. It'll be before long before we fight.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Bonus
Centurion F-2100
Created during the beginning of the Gene Crisis, it was back then a mass-produced gunship, and the brainchild of a CW scientist known as 'The Cautious" to back up/enforce/defend the germ line ban. Now many of these retired vessels are used by the Milita since the rollout of the Centurion/M.

Stock loadout
x1 dual X-ray
x1 Yoroi S100
x4 Heavy Blast Plate
x1 Nova-100 reactor

Well, that made it up faster than I thought...

[136166]

Chapter 3/III: Revenge of the Centauri, Part 2
MIDDLE ASTEROID BELT, ERIDANI.
"Initiate radio silence. Aphelion, you are entering the radar net. Good luck."
My Viking-II thrusts through, and I proceed into the radar net. The Centauri have set up multiple radar outposts, and due to many factors I have to go through. The Centauri in Eridani were thought to be neutral, but hostile moves were detected. Turns out Arco Vaughn is back. The Centauri Settlement has no activity, and that the Warlords have appeared to take it over. The Milita have mounted an operation called Sterile Blowtorch to find out what they are doing to the Settlement. I silently weave through the tight confines of the radar net. One joystick twitch in the wrong direction and the mission is a failure. And the others are just sitting on couches behind me elsewhere, sipping Eridani Mineral Water and New Coke. After several tense minutes, I see the Centauri Settlement, and Voerms behind it. Wait a second... The Warlord camps are active, and they have wires strung between them! Suddenly, several yellow blips enter my radar. Right next to me. *BOOM*. Turns out they have mines. The camps notice the explosion, and tracer-esque bullets hurtle towards me. Some of them are in bursts, others are a curtain. After several evasion attemps, the radio clicks on. "What the kack are you doing?!" Rhasps an angry voice. Enrico Gaul, Milita Commander. "Well... You haven't cleared me to engage." a brief silence. "Well, you are now. Clear the area. Don't hit the settlement. However, those nets need to be destroyed. Five minutes until reinforcements arrive." The guns are... above what one would think for centauri weapins. Rounds continually dig into my shield, always hitting. I use KM110s to take out one, and with it, the whole network of guns seem to weaken. I fly straightat an outpost, rounds beating my shields like a sledgehammer. Thankully, they hold and another is downed. The wires, still withstanding, block shots. The hidden mines do not make things easier. Many KM100s finally break a couple of wires. Thankfully, destroying the wires makes things easier. "The Calvary has arrived!" I turn my Viking-II around, and see three lenticular shapes flying towards me, thrusters belching exaust, and particle rounds smash into the rest of the fortifications, glittering like emeralds. "Good work, Mage Squadron! The wires and new guns were getting on me!" I acknoledge. Suddenly, the proximity alarm blares. I glance at my radar, and approximately 50 red dots emerge. "Caution! We have bandits incoming! They have reserves!" Other exclamations come in from Mage Squad as their proximity alarm screams. I contact Gaul. "Don't give the Aurochs the go! Repeat, don't give the Aurochs the go!" To my horror, he responds. "The Aurochs is on the way. We can handle a couple of the Centauri. And besides, Golem come from the Frontier! They have rather resistant armor! And fusion repeaters!" Firing a couple of KM110s into the terrifying enemy formation, I radio back. "We have company! We're going to engage in a real big furball!"

I don't catch what Gaul says, because about 10 Heavy raiders, 20 raiders, and 20 battlepods charge towards me like suicidal knights during a jousting tournament, and their rockets are their lances. After the initial charge, things are messy. I can't seem to focus on them one at a time, instead I just spray lasers all over them. Rockets are hitting other battlepods, and Tev9 rounds mutilate many raiders. Shots just seem to come from everywhere. Everytime I actually try to tail a raider, a battlepod shoots in front of me, and I tear after it. To my horror, the Aurochs has entered the warzone. I continue to focus on the raiders in front of me, to realise I should focus on the Heavy Raiders. One Heavy Raider got breached by another emerald, another disintegrated by some thermonuclear round coming from Golem Squadron. I hunted each one of them down, and everything seemed fine. The Auroch's R5 would shrug off anything short of particle damage. Suddenly, silvery projectiles slammed into the Aurochs. "SOS! Our shields have been oneshotted! We need help!" The SOS call blared through CW frequencies. "Roger, A. They appear to be Ballista rounds, and a lot of them. Fly in circles. If you see shots flying in front of you, turn around. Keep on doing so until you reach the settlement. Then hang on top of it until it is all clear." I did not respond to their calls, because I was valiantly, or stupidly, charging the heavy artillery.

I flew at the Monitors, who were focusing on the Aurochs. At the last milisecond, I fired a KM110, and pulled upward so hard that a bit more, and it might have broke. The shards pierced one of the three monitors, tiny shards going at 1000 kilometres per hour. From then on, one of them fired at me. Meanwhile, the Aurochs had reached the Settlement, and pretty much landed on the roof. The monitor did not care about where it was, and commited an unforgivable atrocity: fired at the Aurochs, but made a hole in the Settlement. That Monitor was going to regret the second he took off on this mission. I felt about a million upsetting things looking at the hole, debris spewing out into the sterile vacuum. The people in the settlement were civilians, and civilian killers are going down. I roared in anger, and I divebombed. Screaming filled centauri frequencies as an explosion rips through two hulls.

I silently suit up into my trusty armored vacsuit, check my miniaturised rotary coilgun, and open the airlock into the Centauri Settlement. Most of the Warlord Craft were destroyed, with no alliec casualties. Hopefully no civil ones, as well. The titanium clangs under my feet, the artificial gravity on. I stop in my tracks, seeing two bodies. Thankfully, they have the Warlord insignia on their chests, but the odd thing is that their chests have been caved in, as though someone hit them with a sledgehammer really hard. I her the sounds of laser fire behind a door, and silently open it. Turns out in front of me are two beefy warlords, trying to control a rampaging crowd of centauri civils. Their backs are to me, and they are behind some crates as a makeshift barricade to hold the mob back. Withput any hesitation, I gun both of them down from the door. I quickly close the door, because I intend to hit warlords. I silently walk across the metallic floors, my eyes peeled for movement. "Don't move." I stay still as a rock because I feel gunmetal forced into the rear of my suit. "Commonwealth cow, eh? And he's the one in the Viking-ii! I-AAAAA!" I risk getting shot as I turn around and aim a kick in the groin of my captor. He crumpled to the floor. My saviour was a Centauri with a bomber jacket. His weapon was some kind of shotgun. The stock was intresting, though. It had a sharp, curved spike on the end, sticking up like a hypodermic needle. "Hello. I assume you commonwealth. Beware the warlords. They care not about who they kill now." I nodded. "My name's Aphelion. What's yours?" He smiles. "My name? Gareth Val." I sling my weapon over my shoulder. "Where are the commonwealth marines? And why are the civilians fighting?" He sighs. "I'll take you to them. About three months ago, Arco Vaughn came back. He promptly took our men to work on project. We did not like it, but when we protested, Arco got soldiers to fight us. We sought peace with the commonwealth. He sought revenge. Here we are." He opens a door, into the main docking bay. Inside are many old men an women, and an Aurochs. A bit worse for wear, but it has held up. A man with a CW Milita badge comes up." The Boss wants to see you! Follow me." Gareth simply walk aside to talk to someone, whilst I am lead inside the Aurochs. I am lead through the cavernous transport area, up a flight stairs, to the bridge. A screen lowers down, and flickers into an unmistakable visage: Captain Enrico Gaul. "Hey! Everything seems smooth here. How is everything else?" Gaul lights up into a grin. "You did well, kid. Operation Sterile Blowtorch is a succes! The CW Milita, Mage Squad, and Golem Squad have control over this sector. We have an undisputed victory here! And you spearheaded it!" I am practically glowing with praise. "Stop praising so much... I might explode. But back to ground. Where is Arco Vaughn?" Gaul's excitement dulls a bit. "Honestly, I don't know. The Milita members are patroling, but there is no warlord activity. Apart from on the settlement, obviously. We-" The screen warps into static. And then solidifies and stabilises. "Something i-(unintelligible) jam ou-(unintelligible)! Stay on board, the interference shoul-(unintelligible!)" Everyone on board the Aurochs is at the bridge, staring at the screen. After at least ten agonising seconds, the screen solidifies. But it is not reassuring. A man in a metal cockpit, and an eyepatch over his left eye. But most visible, a badge. A C with a vertical and horizontal line drawn through it. The Centauri Warlord insignia. "Arco Vaughn! What do you want?!" I yell at the screen. He simply laughs. "What I want? ME?! I want you mere bugs off the settlement in 15 minutes! If so... Boom." Arco splays fingers outwards in a circle. "You will do it. If so, you will be crushed by weapons beyond your understanding. After all... THIS IS MY SYSTEM! KYAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!" Just about everyone is either vibrating to death with nervous energy or exitement. I step up once more. "This is not "your system". The Commonwealth presence is bigger than you can destroy, mutilate, or annihilate. And what are your "weapons beyond our understanding"? Oh, those new guns? Oh, how scary!" I mock him. Possibly foolishly. Arco is vibrating as well. "Let. me. put. it. this. way: All your base are belong to us. You have no chance to survive make your time." He then smiles, slowly, like the sun appearing from behind a planet, soft darkness suddenly replaced glaring light. Suddenly, the screen decays into static. When it resolves, an apoplectic Gaul glares at us. "We have serious trouble! A huge armada of Centauri Warlords have just gated in! Another fleet is heading! They will come together at an asteroid belt! You all have new orders! Intercept the Warlords before they blow up anything!" The screen shuts off. Everyone, improbably panicking, stars at me. Before long, silence is broken. "What do we do!?" There is only one answer... "We attack!"

Gareth is staring, confused by the sudden increase if activity for no apperant reason. He fixes on me, and clamps to my arm. "What is bloody going on!?" "Arco Vaughn is confirmed to be back! We are to intercept his fleets!" "Fleets?! Bloody heck! I have a ship. I am coming with you. I am not letting him touch the Settlement!" I stare at him. Right into his gunmetal grey eyes. "Good man. Let's go! Scramble, every!"

TO BE CONTINUED...!
Phew. That was not easy. The forums were intermittent, got back to school, had a performance... But, here we are! Finale time!... Sort of. Enjoy!

[136166]

Chapter 4/IV Prologue: Valiance

My family was noble. A distant relative of mine's father is station commander. But royal titles mean little. Around here, you sow, you reap, you harvest. All the same. Just a couple have special jobs. Special burdens that mean they get a bit more. I am a defender, a test pilot, one of the ones that defend the Settlement. My Centauri Scorpion is a model designed by my missing father. It has an external missile launcher support, and dual-link pods. Revolutionary compared to the other Raider MkIIs, Battlepod MkIIs and Arco's Warlords.

My older brother was once here. No longer. I speculate he was kidnapped by Arco Vaughan. Him and Dad designed ships and weapons, and I piloted and tested them to their limits. All I remember is that he disappeared along with a couple of prototype designs and another Centauri Scorpion. Arco docked a few hours earlier, and left at the same time as my brother was radar-sighted leaving. It was a blur.

Then, a couple of weeks later, people disappeared. My Father was the 14th one kidnapped. I then noticed that weapons my Brother had designed were on warlord craft. In whatever case, they were too late. A pilgrim destroyed Arco's container habitat layer that day. Then it came back to normal. Warlords were shunned. Pirates were repelled. We took up the old outposts, then repaired them. Rice was grown and sold. We were friendly with the Commonwealth, them thankfully distinguishing between warlord and civil. We traded, but then came up in news about Arco Vaughn being revived. We tried to fight back, but many were killed, or captured. Some survived until the Commonwealth sent a task force.

That Aphelion fellow is intresting. I hope this whole tango with Arco Vaughn and him will lead me to my Father and Brother.

???, ???
"We have a crate ship approaching, sir."
"It does not have an IFF, but is requesting to dock. Should we let it dock?"
"Yeah. What harm can come to us? Besides, all these primitive borderland vessels don't have clear IFF. They don't have money for it."
"You know the Guards are refuelling at Starton? Maybe we should wait for them?"
"Just let it dock."
"Okay. Wait... What the- AAAA!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

[136166]

Small note:
I doubt I am going to get more done now.
I have exams.
You can expect me/this fanfic on hiatius until the end of term.
In the meantime, check out this footage I made!
https://gamejolt.com/p/hear-ye-hear-ye- ... h-pcpr2jrv