St. Clara Academy laid in ruins. The damage and the destruction were too severe for it to continue operating normally. After an attack as devastating as this, there was no going back to normal. Not when mostly everyone essential to keeping it functional was dead or severely wounded. A time of mourning had been declared, with the city of New Angeles having dispatched news reporters to the scene. With the lack of a security detail, the reporters had wormed their way into every nook and cranny, taking pictures of the devastation and asking the survivors invasive questions.

From beneath St. Clara, the Aegis had ridden an elevator up to the surface. The ship’s shiny red, white, and golden paintjob flashed as the cameras went off. Sitting silent in the cockpit, Shay Kisaragi stared at his own two hands. They shook with an intense ferocity, as if the fear and rage he felt earlier had simply been a façade.

The day then progressed into what Shay had feared it would. Ensign Arthur Ashton had contacted Shay on one of the X-Gain’s duel monitors above the main monitor. His face appeared, his hair slightly messy as if he had just been rubbing it just before. He gave Shay some orders about helping and Shay followed them without protest. With a giant sixteen-foot robot, it was very useful. It helped move supplies, assisted with rescue operations, and finished loading the last of the Aegis’ armaments. By the time all that had finished, the moon was high in the sky.

Shay headed into the Aegis’ hanger bay, the X-Gain’s footsteps echoing with each step it took. Soldiers on the ground had their light sticks as they directed him to the specific location they needed to load the X-Gain. With a loud click, the X-Gain was secured into a magnetic holder, which would prevent it from sliding around if the ship had to move or was suddenly struck. Two walkways on opposite sides of the hanger extended, combining into one. It had a special location for pilots to exit their Armored Suits, and Shay did just that. What he didn’t expect was the armed security detail that arrived the moment he closed the X-Gain’s hatch.

Arthur Ashton sat at the captain’s chair, musing over the day’s events. The Captain was gone, and so was most of the senior officials onboard the ship. They had been at a private reserved floor on the top of the Mase Building. When the attack had occurred, the ceiling had caved, killing everyone there. The chain of command had to be obeyed, for better or for worse, he was now Acting Captain.

Most of the bridge crew had been replaced, with the ones who were originally part of the Aegis in the single digits. Sgt. Payne was on duty, showing the newbies their way around the complicated security and functions of the ship. The helmsman had to be replaced as well, with Warrant Officer Melissa Kaine being the helmswoman until further notice.

She had on a stoic expression, but deep down, she worried about the position she had been given. It was on such short notice, and the fact that she had been chosen to be a part of the Aegis’ crew added to that. Arthur, sensing how she truly felt, gave her a light tap on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry. We’ve got the strongest ship in the entire Federation arsenal and the X-Gain.”

Whether it was from someone who had noticed how she truly felt or the reassurance that Arthur gave, she turned towards the bow and gripped the steering wheel with renewed confidence.

Not long after that exchange, the doors to the bridge opened with a hiss. General Hawthorne, with his fancy uniform in shambles walked in with a slight limp. Following behind him, his personal bodyguards marched in formation, their black uniforms giving off an aura of professionalism. He paused, looked around the room, then looked at Arthur.

“Are you the Acting Captain?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Your orders have changed. From now until I get off this ship, we’ll be heading towards the Las Vegas base.”

General Hawthorne had barely survived the attack when it occurred. He had been on a lower floor, going over some plans for Operation Storm. It took some quick thinking, and a lot of muscle, but he managed to escape with relatively few injuries. When he saw the scale of how far the attack had spread, he knew it was time he had returned.

“I understand. Will we be getting replacements for our crew when we dock there?”

“If High Command wills it. Now hurry up. I suspect those Armored Suits must have a ship somewhere. The sooner we get going the less likely we’ll encounter them.”

Wobbling out of the bridge, one of the General’s bodyguards whispered into his ear. His face contorted into one of surprise, but quickly went back to its usual guff expression. Arthur watched him until they left, giving out a slight sigh when the door hissed close behind them.

“What a piece of work.”

Sgt. Payne said, looking over his shoulder.

“You can say that again.”

Leaning back into his chair, Arthur looked at the full moon hanging over the horizon. He had a job to do. There would be time for mourning later.

“All crew! I am switching the Captain’s phone to Ship-Wide configuration! Prepare for lift off! All hands-on deck!”

With a deafening roar, the Aegis’ main engines came to life. They spitted out blue flames, followed by the smaller Vernier thrusters underneath. The ground shook with an intense vibration as the Aegis began its ascent into the heavens. The few remaining reporters began to snap more pictures, each phase of ascension a good enough photo for a lead headline. Arthur, now Acting Captain, swung his right arm out.

“All engines forward! Our destination! The Las Vegas Federation Base!”

#

Commander Char Seykan scowled at the images she had been given. A red, white, and blue Armored Suit. The likes the world and space had never seen before. Judging from its performance, the machine could easily outpace a Vyran II. She had lost a single Vyran II, but those things were relatively inexpensive. She had to hold back an awkward laugh. This new Federation machine would be the end of her career if she didn’t do anything about it. She needed to ascend the ranks of the Bardone hierarchy as soon as possible.

Char lived on Colony 13, the colony that announced its independence and declared itself the Democratic Republic of Bardone. It was more like a cobbled together republic and monarchy rolled into one. With the ones being in power holding the surname of Bardone. The family were descendants of some old earth family that used to hold dominion over the North American continent. Seeing how they could govern their own nation, they voluntarily left for space.

Char didn’t want to be the leader of some backwater colony out in the fringes of known space. She wanted to wrestle forth power that would allow her to bring her family to justice. For that end, she needed the Bardone family just as they needed her unparalleled expertise.

“Commander.”

Sgt. Klein Anton held out a freshly printed file. Taking it, Char gave it a quick look over. Furrowing her brow, she read through it. The edges of her mouth suddenly began to inch into a smile.

“Get suited up sergeant. We’re going hunting again.”

Saluting, Sgt. Anton briskly left the room.

Inside the Clarant’s Med-Bay, Jill François stared at the gray ceiling. She had been hooked up to a monitor and had been injected with anti-depressants since she had returned. Her skin had turned a pale color and she gripped the sides of her bed. With a hiss, the Med-Bay’s door opened, and Char stepped through. She had brought flowers, lilies which had been grown artificially and kept preserved for just this moment. Placing them in the vase on the nightstand next to Jill, she pulled up a chair.

“How are you doing?”

Char asked, trying to sound sincere and affectionate. Jill’s right eye twitched the moment she heard the Commander’s voice.

“I can’t go on fighting Commander.”

Jill spoke in a hushed tone of voice, low enough to be barely heard. She moved her neck slightly, the masked woman before her adding to Jill’s discomfort.

“Don’t say that. Bardone needs people like you. Pilots who can excel at their jobs.”

“I’m no good.”

“And why is that?”

“I let him die…”

Char knew of the relationship that Jill had with Jack. Lovers who had somehow been put into the same platoon. She had thought that maybe their affection towards one another would increase their survivability. Guess love can’t fight off a secret weapon. Folding her hands, Char shifted her position slightly, leaning to the left.

“Are you going to let Jack die in vain?”

Jill’s eyes widen and focus onto Char’s face. She couldn’t see much of her face, with the white mask covering her eyes, but her expression made her believe in The Red Lightning.

“We have new orders. To intercept and destroy the Federation’s newest warship.”

Jill’s eyes went back to staring at the ceiling.

“Guess who’s on that ship?”

Jill pondered for a bit. The medicine beginning to wear off. When the realization hit her, her eyes once again widened, and tears began to flow down.

“The White Devil!”

Jill began to laugh. A sad laugh that echoed through the empty sands of her heart. Getting up, Char whispered to the nurse on duty, and walked away. She would have a full squad to intercept the ship, considering that nearby a scouting patrol answered her radio message. And if Jill were to be shot down in the process, well…At least she would be with her lover again.

With the destruction of the Federation’s weapons, the war would have already been won.

“Time to get to work.”

#

A mighty sandstorm raged outside the Aegis, slowing the ship’s progress. The engines and thrusters were becoming clogged with sand, and their output had begun to slowly fall. Acting Captain Arthur Ashton kept a close eye on the various large monitor feeds and their constant updates.

“What a bad time to be caught up in this storm.”

Warrant Officer Melissa Kaine said. The other crew members on the bridge simply sighed in response to her comment. It had been three days since they left St. Clara and the storm had appeared without warning. Since the massive climate shift of the last years of Anno Domini, certain areas and regions suffered from hyperactive climates. The Federation had an ongoing plan to regenerate the Earth’s environment, but the war with Bardone had caused it to be suspended indefinitely.

“Indeed. On the bright side, we can use this as cover.”

Federation communications had picked up sightings of a Clarant Class ship somewhere in the area. It was assumed to be some initial invasion force for Bardone into California, but when it mysteriously vanished, Arthur knew it had to be looking for them. The Aegis had been put into Stage One battle stations, so they had men on the guns, but what they lacked was the X-Gain.

“Goddamit. Who would have thought a kid would be piloting that thing?”

Arthur couldn’t believe his ears when he had been told that the X-Gain’s operator was a civilian from St. Clara. He had been deceived by the uniform, which resembled a Cadet’s. The only way to differentiate them was to take notice of the patch on the right shoulder.

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit hard on him Captain?”

Melissa chimed in, her hands still holding the ship steady. The bridge crew didn’t agree with jailing Shay, but what could they do?

“For what? Stealing a top-secret prototype Armored Suit?”

“Captain! If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here!”

Five Vyran II’s skirted along the desert floor. Their machines were ground types, allowing them to operate even in the harshest of earth’s environment. Leading them, a single red Vyran II moved slightly ahead, leading the V-Formation they had going on.

Char had assumed the ship would have taken this route. It was the quickest route to the next city, Las Vegas. The only safe place they had if they wanted to be among Federation Forces. She had been counting on the Recon Team to supply them with information. They did not disappoint.

The Aegis would make contact in several minutes. Using the sandstorm as cover, they hid behind several dune hills and had equipped several rocket launchers. Armored Suits were small, mobile, and deadly. Their ability to be adapted for any situation gave them an edge that had never been seen before in modern warfare. They were tanks, jets, and infantry all rolled into one.

“Commander Char! They’re here!”

Three of the five emerged from their cover, shooting at the Aegis’ engines. With a loud boom, the ship suddenly began to lose altitude, switching to its smaller Vernier thrusters to maneuver around.

The bridge shook as the rockets made contact, almost causing Arthur to fall out of his chair. Alarms buzzed throughout the ship, and Shay in his cell was thrown out of bed. With a mighty roar, General Hawthorne moved from his chair and placed his body over Lily’s as a steel cabinet came detached from the wall. The nurses in the Med-Bay screamed as the lights flickered on and off.

“Damage report!”

Arthur yelled, getting ready to yell into the Captain’s Phone.

“Both main engines are hit! We’re losing altitude!”

“What the hell are our anti-aircraft guns doing!?”

“They can’t see the enemy!”

“What!?”

Stein Krueger narrowly avoided being pinned under a fighter as he raced his way through the hanger. Fires had broken out in the engine block and had caused damage to the living block. Grabbing a Fire Extinguisher, he raced back, screaming for help at the top of his lungs.

“Get our fighters out there!”

“That’s impossible! They wouldn’t be able to see out there!”

“Goddamit!”

With one final roar, the Aegis came crashing back down onto the earth.