Post by gunblade7777777 on Sept 19, 2006 3:07:30 GMT -5
Prolouge
Within the soul of the steel is a heart which knows no black or white, the justice that the Soul seek is neither pure or corrupted, only driven by a vision that seeks no end in sight, Rather a vision that chases and destroys anything in its path. ~ Raven Ark ~
I remembered that night… droplets of water fell, soaking me, I felt the chilling feeling of water trickling down the back of my neck continuously, without a doubt it was rainy night cold and subtle, which on most days people would savor a bad mood it was when he told me this: 'To be a Raven, is to have that power .... However yet with that power, it does not gives, but rather in return take away everything all so selfishly'. At that time I didn’t really understood what he meant. 'He' then slowly turned his head to fix his eyes upon a silver skyscraper which reached towards the skies, as if it could touch anything and everything beyond its boundaries into the beyond.
'He' just stood there ever so silently ... watching, gazing, as if he was waiting ... not someone or something, rather … a moment. A moment that I didn’t even foresee and had never even crossed my mind: The possibility for one man to embark on a new beginning…I looked back at the skyscraper, the lights began to lit up, slowly at first from the bottom and soon making their way to the top. It was a remarkable sight, it seemed though as if they were reaching for the heavens. I wanted to savor this moment but the cold drops of the rain dragged my attention away from the building. As I turned my head back to where I last looked, and realized 'he' was gone. I looked back to his other shadow, the other part of him, which sat silently under the dark cloudy sky, awaiting for his master return.
I ran towards where he last stood with the fear of the possibility that he could have slipped and fallen of the cliff due to the rain. Cautiously, I peered down into the bottom of the cliff, the search was over quickly and ended in vain. With the faint realization that there was no possibility that he could have found him due to the fact that this, was nothing more but a pit of never ending darkness. The mission was about to began and 'he' of all times had to chosen to disappear at such a time. My search ended with the pushing of some buttons. A hologram screen sprang from the com. At the other side was a familiar face that I knew for a long time. I gave a small grin in a formal gesture, almost like a hello.
"Hey son ...... how have you been? It has been awhile."
I gave a small chuckled at the familiar raspy old voice and turned the dial to adjust the hologram screen larger.
"Hey! It has been a while Pops, still with the Ark I see…"
'Pops' that what I have always called him, he was like a father to me when i first signed up for the training. He taught me the skills not just only to pilot, but also the ways of survival and gave a reason to live through my old life. A life that I had wasted in vain that any sane man would have to walk away knowing there is nothing but emptiness at the end: the life of a criminal. But I was young and foolish back then and 'Pops brought me away from that life which for one I was grateful and in debt for what he did.
Pop grunted and returned the comment with a crooked smile back. "Of course I’m still here, there is too many wet behind the ears pilots like you that is holding me back! If I leave now, who is going to train this bunch of sthingy fed wannabes!? You?"
My lips curled and soon evolved into a chuckle
"Anyhow are u ready son? The president is going to leave the building in ten minutes. So get yourself prepped up and ready. You will then meet us by the gate. Tell the partner of yours to haul his ass quick too! Cause both you don’t want to a have first bad impression do yah?"
At the moment he spoke of my partner I suddenly remembered he was still missing and gave a last look at the place where he used to be standing before returning my attention back to Pops.
"Pops is it possible to send out a small search party around my coordinate?"
"And the hell should I do that for son? What did you lose this time? Your balls or something?'" Pops squinted his eyes.
"Worse, I lost my partner. I think he could have fallen down the cliff due to rain."
Pops expression was of awe and surprise as he looked at me.
"What in the world ....... . is that partner of yours stupid or just a plain idiot? Bah ..... Alright you just get down here and stand ready. Leave the search to my boys."
"Thanks Pops, I owe you again"
"Just remember to repay them before I retire you hear me now" Pops snorted and I took it as a cue as I quickly climbed into the cockpit of 'GunDancer'. The machine was my first gift given from Pops and it has been with me since then. “GunDancer” has served me ever since the day I placed my foot out of the training centre and has done its job well in various missions thereafter
With a flick of my wrist and bushing a few buttons, the display monitor in front lit up and prompted an identification code. I quickly keyed in the code with confidence, speed and precision. At the very moment the enter button was hit, the cockpit was filled with the familiar warm air of the fusion engine as the machine kicked into life. On the display monitor, images of various start up sequences flashed by. As soon as the monitor flashed green with a big word 'OK' splashed across, 'Gundancer's' Internal built in HUD lit up from its short slumber and once again gave me an eye to the outside world.
With a light hum, 'Gundancer' stood up and I stepped hard on the throttle. A low and constant hiss was heard from the rear, as the massive machine is propelled forwards at a blistering speed towards my objective point which was approximately seven miles away.
My thoughts soon drifted to 'him' as 'Gundancer' autopilot mode kicked in. I could not help but to worry about his condition and how he was doing. "Could he have really have really fallen off the cliff?" I whispered to myself. He’s been different since that day. As is there was something eating him from inside and he totally became a different person all together.
My thoughts dissolve away as the HUD flashed as the objective point was in sight. It was the Raven Ark's East gate, where Pop's "Warhog" was already there with six other MT's with him.
Pops face suddenly popped out at the upper left of 'Gundancer' HUD.
"What took you so long? Don’t tell me you got lost?"
I let out a laugh. "Still treating as a newbie Pops?"
"Always!" Pops smiled back
The conversation was interrupted as the heavy metal doors of the East slowly slide open and a stretched limo appeared. Along side the vehicle was four prototype heavy looking MT's.
"All rights boy take escort formations. Son u take the lead. We guarding the president of the Ark, now we don’t want anything to happening to him since his the one signing our checks. If any.........."
"Pops we got trouble." I immediately cut in as "Gundancer" radar flashed a confirm hit of an enemy.
"WHAA........" before Pops could even finish the sentence, four bolts of blue energy flashed through and caught one of the heavy prototype MTs. Instantly downing the machine. Blue plasma energy shredded through the armor at a constant rate burning and disintegrating the armor and causing the unit to collapse directly in between the East Gates door, creating a wreckage of flames and debris preventing an escape route for the presidents limo.
"DAMN IT!!" Pops scowled.
"Driver take left and try to make it North gate and see to it that the President get in safely into the Ark. You three in the Defiance, follow the president. We will take it from here." I automatically barked the order as Pops lance was kick into disarray from the attack.
The limo screeched pass Pops 'Warhog' at the moment of the order along with the three 'Defiance' MT's boosted along escorting the limo.
"Gather up boys, the attacker is not far. I want you all to hold this line so that we can buy the president some time. MOVE IT" Pops roared at the disarray MT's pilot form the previous attack.
"INCOMING." I yelled again. This time it was not energy bolts. The sickening whistling sound followed up by an explosion as large 120mm caliber shells were fired towards our target. It was a grenade round its target: Pops lance.
"Break formation and dont get caught in the explosion." Pops lance immediately broke formation however, two of them failed to respond clearly and paid the price: a grenade slammed in between them sending the MT into a fiery death.
I returned fire with 'Gundancer' dual heavy bazooka into the darkness in hope to hit the assailant. But to no avail all I heard was a loud boom and shattering glasses. I knew the shots hit an office building four blocks away.
"Pops, they outrange us. We are sitting ducks here if just stand there."
"We have to guard the president even if cost us your life. Did u manage to get a glimpse of the attacker?"
"Negative, it is too dark for any visual contact… my eyes cannot see beyond maybe an estimated 100 meters and my ECM doesnt seem to be affecting them at all" I continued to fire a few more rounds assisted by Pops 'Warhog' Dual chain guns. As we fire pointlessly into the darkness. Pops lance only two long range unit and they where caught in the earlier grenade attack. That leaves only my "Gundancer' the only MT with long range capability however, it was still no where near the range of a grenade launcher.
"Pops we are going to get killed if we don’t do something fast"
"I KNOW, I KNOW, DAMNIT" Pops bit his lips, trying to anticipate the next attack.
"What the ...." I silently muttered.
"Are they gone?" one of Pops surviving lance pilot asked. His voice sounded shaken and soft.
Sensing something was amiss Pop open a channel to my 'Gundancer.'
"Son, something is not right. I want you to take one of my men and head towards the North Gate and check if the President is okay"
"Roger..." I immediately answered and kicked in 'Gundancer' booster mode. I looked back one more time to confirm that one of Pops men is following behind and just to see a beam slicing through the area where pop last stood.
"POPS." I yelled at the com.
"DAMM IT SON IM NOT DEAF! I got it here, both of you, get to the President and move it!" Pops voice crackled back through the com followed by a few sounds of gunfire. Knowing that Pops was still alive and holding his ground I boosted straight towards North Gate as Fast as 'Gundancer' could go. Upon reaching the North Gate, i could see there nothing but mangle metals of the three 'Defiance MT’s’ in broken heaps near a nearly battered North side gate.
"Those son of a ....! Are we too late." I scanned the surrounding in hopes to pick up the limo.
"OVER HERE! SIR." an excited voice on the com crackled. It was one Pops who was assigned men who followed me. He seems to have found the limo while I was busy scanning the surroundings.
"Is they president okay, I’m coming over now. Hold your position and defend the president."
"Roger..... wait a minute something............" all I could receive after that last message was static.
"Warhog 3 can u read me? Report?! Warhog 3!." I anxiously made my way to his known last location which was a car park 2 miles northeast from the gate.
"What is the president’s car doing all the way out there" I silently thought to myself. Something was not right, deep down my guts. I knew I was walking into a trap. But at the same time something wanted me to go.
'Gundancer' booster dimly lit the dark car park where the president car was partially visible into the entrance. As i apporach nearer i realized that the Warhog 3 MT was piled on top of the president’s limo, with the cockpit cut open obviously by a high output energy weapon. I zoomed
closer to the presidents car and I could trails of blood streaking down from the side.
"No! Mr. President, what the hell is happening here?" anxious and frustrated, i looked around cautiously. I could sense they were near, the mysterious enemies that attack and killed the President of the Ark.
Then through the silence, a piercing scream almost like those from an OB ripped through the air. At the instant in my mind I thought "Wait a minute, MT's don’t have OB's. Only AC’s have the core capability of over boosting." And I was right, no sooner the thought sank into my mind a marooned painted AC with yellow striped dashed straight towards my 'Gundancer'. With a strong yank to the joystick, 'Gundancer' pivoted away narrowing missing the AC's blade attack which instead spitted one of the car park support pillars in two.
At the moment of attack i manage to sneak a glance at the AC emblem and to my horror it was
The infamous Nine Ball. Many thought ran through my minds, thought like "Why would the Raven attack their very own people that they are working with?"
I quickly recovered from the pivot and brought bear "Gundancer" bazooka's at Nine Balls AC's and fired away. As just like fitting to his alias and the name he had earned, he easily dodged the shots and disappeared into the darkness. "Why dint he fire back? Anybody knows a MT is no match to an AC. Is he toying with me?" I stared at into the carpark pondering, however my questions were answered as clear as a sunshine on a cloudy day as another AC emerge from the dark,
A black AC with an emblem of a seraphim holding two swords with the word written hate and war on it and is not registered in the Ark list as 'Gundancer' computer was unable to get a identification match in the Ark database. But what was more puzzling was the design of the AC, it was somewhat different and my own knowledge of AC part was extensive and it was something i have never seen before.
The AC just stood there with its glowing red lens looking straight at me, as if he could see through my machine, as if he knows who i am. For that few moments both of us stood there and stared at each other in silence.
"Kairu........" the black AC external com broke the silence around us and called my by name.
"How does he knows my name?.......... That voice......it cant be. " in shocked i thought to myself.
"Remember what I told u earlier 'To be a Raven, is to have that power .... However yet with that power, it does not gives, but rather in return take away everything all so selfishly'. I’m going change all of that and put an end to all of this. And it will begin from here ....Kairu." the black AC lifted one of its hand and held there was Pops WarHog MT's head.
"KATSUYAAAA!." those where my last word I shouted in rage as I pulled the trigger.
Within the soul of the steel is a heart which knows no black or white, the justice that the Soul seek is neither pure or corrupted, only driven by a vision that seeks no end in sight, Rather a vision that chases and destroys anything in its path. ~ Raven Ark ~
I remembered that night… droplets of water fell, soaking me, I felt the chilling feeling of water trickling down the back of my neck continuously, without a doubt it was rainy night cold and subtle, which on most days people would savor a bad mood it was when he told me this: 'To be a Raven, is to have that power .... However yet with that power, it does not gives, but rather in return take away everything all so selfishly'. At that time I didn’t really understood what he meant. 'He' then slowly turned his head to fix his eyes upon a silver skyscraper which reached towards the skies, as if it could touch anything and everything beyond its boundaries into the beyond.
'He' just stood there ever so silently ... watching, gazing, as if he was waiting ... not someone or something, rather … a moment. A moment that I didn’t even foresee and had never even crossed my mind: The possibility for one man to embark on a new beginning…I looked back at the skyscraper, the lights began to lit up, slowly at first from the bottom and soon making their way to the top. It was a remarkable sight, it seemed though as if they were reaching for the heavens. I wanted to savor this moment but the cold drops of the rain dragged my attention away from the building. As I turned my head back to where I last looked, and realized 'he' was gone. I looked back to his other shadow, the other part of him, which sat silently under the dark cloudy sky, awaiting for his master return.
I ran towards where he last stood with the fear of the possibility that he could have slipped and fallen of the cliff due to the rain. Cautiously, I peered down into the bottom of the cliff, the search was over quickly and ended in vain. With the faint realization that there was no possibility that he could have found him due to the fact that this, was nothing more but a pit of never ending darkness. The mission was about to began and 'he' of all times had to chosen to disappear at such a time. My search ended with the pushing of some buttons. A hologram screen sprang from the com. At the other side was a familiar face that I knew for a long time. I gave a small grin in a formal gesture, almost like a hello.
"Hey son ...... how have you been? It has been awhile."
I gave a small chuckled at the familiar raspy old voice and turned the dial to adjust the hologram screen larger.
"Hey! It has been a while Pops, still with the Ark I see…"
'Pops' that what I have always called him, he was like a father to me when i first signed up for the training. He taught me the skills not just only to pilot, but also the ways of survival and gave a reason to live through my old life. A life that I had wasted in vain that any sane man would have to walk away knowing there is nothing but emptiness at the end: the life of a criminal. But I was young and foolish back then and 'Pops brought me away from that life which for one I was grateful and in debt for what he did.
Pop grunted and returned the comment with a crooked smile back. "Of course I’m still here, there is too many wet behind the ears pilots like you that is holding me back! If I leave now, who is going to train this bunch of sthingy fed wannabes!? You?"
My lips curled and soon evolved into a chuckle
"Anyhow are u ready son? The president is going to leave the building in ten minutes. So get yourself prepped up and ready. You will then meet us by the gate. Tell the partner of yours to haul his ass quick too! Cause both you don’t want to a have first bad impression do yah?"
At the moment he spoke of my partner I suddenly remembered he was still missing and gave a last look at the place where he used to be standing before returning my attention back to Pops.
"Pops is it possible to send out a small search party around my coordinate?"
"And the hell should I do that for son? What did you lose this time? Your balls or something?'" Pops squinted his eyes.
"Worse, I lost my partner. I think he could have fallen down the cliff due to rain."
Pops expression was of awe and surprise as he looked at me.
"What in the world ....... . is that partner of yours stupid or just a plain idiot? Bah ..... Alright you just get down here and stand ready. Leave the search to my boys."
"Thanks Pops, I owe you again"
"Just remember to repay them before I retire you hear me now" Pops snorted and I took it as a cue as I quickly climbed into the cockpit of 'GunDancer'. The machine was my first gift given from Pops and it has been with me since then. “GunDancer” has served me ever since the day I placed my foot out of the training centre and has done its job well in various missions thereafter
With a flick of my wrist and bushing a few buttons, the display monitor in front lit up and prompted an identification code. I quickly keyed in the code with confidence, speed and precision. At the very moment the enter button was hit, the cockpit was filled with the familiar warm air of the fusion engine as the machine kicked into life. On the display monitor, images of various start up sequences flashed by. As soon as the monitor flashed green with a big word 'OK' splashed across, 'Gundancer's' Internal built in HUD lit up from its short slumber and once again gave me an eye to the outside world.
With a light hum, 'Gundancer' stood up and I stepped hard on the throttle. A low and constant hiss was heard from the rear, as the massive machine is propelled forwards at a blistering speed towards my objective point which was approximately seven miles away.
My thoughts soon drifted to 'him' as 'Gundancer' autopilot mode kicked in. I could not help but to worry about his condition and how he was doing. "Could he have really have really fallen off the cliff?" I whispered to myself. He’s been different since that day. As is there was something eating him from inside and he totally became a different person all together.
My thoughts dissolve away as the HUD flashed as the objective point was in sight. It was the Raven Ark's East gate, where Pop's "Warhog" was already there with six other MT's with him.
Pops face suddenly popped out at the upper left of 'Gundancer' HUD.
"What took you so long? Don’t tell me you got lost?"
I let out a laugh. "Still treating as a newbie Pops?"
"Always!" Pops smiled back
The conversation was interrupted as the heavy metal doors of the East slowly slide open and a stretched limo appeared. Along side the vehicle was four prototype heavy looking MT's.
"All rights boy take escort formations. Son u take the lead. We guarding the president of the Ark, now we don’t want anything to happening to him since his the one signing our checks. If any.........."
"Pops we got trouble." I immediately cut in as "Gundancer" radar flashed a confirm hit of an enemy.
"WHAA........" before Pops could even finish the sentence, four bolts of blue energy flashed through and caught one of the heavy prototype MTs. Instantly downing the machine. Blue plasma energy shredded through the armor at a constant rate burning and disintegrating the armor and causing the unit to collapse directly in between the East Gates door, creating a wreckage of flames and debris preventing an escape route for the presidents limo.
"DAMN IT!!" Pops scowled.
"Driver take left and try to make it North gate and see to it that the President get in safely into the Ark. You three in the Defiance, follow the president. We will take it from here." I automatically barked the order as Pops lance was kick into disarray from the attack.
The limo screeched pass Pops 'Warhog' at the moment of the order along with the three 'Defiance' MT's boosted along escorting the limo.
"Gather up boys, the attacker is not far. I want you all to hold this line so that we can buy the president some time. MOVE IT" Pops roared at the disarray MT's pilot form the previous attack.
"INCOMING." I yelled again. This time it was not energy bolts. The sickening whistling sound followed up by an explosion as large 120mm caliber shells were fired towards our target. It was a grenade round its target: Pops lance.
"Break formation and dont get caught in the explosion." Pops lance immediately broke formation however, two of them failed to respond clearly and paid the price: a grenade slammed in between them sending the MT into a fiery death.
I returned fire with 'Gundancer' dual heavy bazooka into the darkness in hope to hit the assailant. But to no avail all I heard was a loud boom and shattering glasses. I knew the shots hit an office building four blocks away.
"Pops, they outrange us. We are sitting ducks here if just stand there."
"We have to guard the president even if cost us your life. Did u manage to get a glimpse of the attacker?"
"Negative, it is too dark for any visual contact… my eyes cannot see beyond maybe an estimated 100 meters and my ECM doesnt seem to be affecting them at all" I continued to fire a few more rounds assisted by Pops 'Warhog' Dual chain guns. As we fire pointlessly into the darkness. Pops lance only two long range unit and they where caught in the earlier grenade attack. That leaves only my "Gundancer' the only MT with long range capability however, it was still no where near the range of a grenade launcher.
"Pops we are going to get killed if we don’t do something fast"
"I KNOW, I KNOW, DAMNIT" Pops bit his lips, trying to anticipate the next attack.
"What the ...." I silently muttered.
"Are they gone?" one of Pops surviving lance pilot asked. His voice sounded shaken and soft.
Sensing something was amiss Pop open a channel to my 'Gundancer.'
"Son, something is not right. I want you to take one of my men and head towards the North Gate and check if the President is okay"
"Roger..." I immediately answered and kicked in 'Gundancer' booster mode. I looked back one more time to confirm that one of Pops men is following behind and just to see a beam slicing through the area where pop last stood.
"POPS." I yelled at the com.
"DAMM IT SON IM NOT DEAF! I got it here, both of you, get to the President and move it!" Pops voice crackled back through the com followed by a few sounds of gunfire. Knowing that Pops was still alive and holding his ground I boosted straight towards North Gate as Fast as 'Gundancer' could go. Upon reaching the North Gate, i could see there nothing but mangle metals of the three 'Defiance MT’s’ in broken heaps near a nearly battered North side gate.
"Those son of a ....! Are we too late." I scanned the surrounding in hopes to pick up the limo.
"OVER HERE! SIR." an excited voice on the com crackled. It was one Pops who was assigned men who followed me. He seems to have found the limo while I was busy scanning the surroundings.
"Is they president okay, I’m coming over now. Hold your position and defend the president."
"Roger..... wait a minute something............" all I could receive after that last message was static.
"Warhog 3 can u read me? Report?! Warhog 3!." I anxiously made my way to his known last location which was a car park 2 miles northeast from the gate.
"What is the president’s car doing all the way out there" I silently thought to myself. Something was not right, deep down my guts. I knew I was walking into a trap. But at the same time something wanted me to go.
'Gundancer' booster dimly lit the dark car park where the president car was partially visible into the entrance. As i apporach nearer i realized that the Warhog 3 MT was piled on top of the president’s limo, with the cockpit cut open obviously by a high output energy weapon. I zoomed
closer to the presidents car and I could trails of blood streaking down from the side.
"No! Mr. President, what the hell is happening here?" anxious and frustrated, i looked around cautiously. I could sense they were near, the mysterious enemies that attack and killed the President of the Ark.
Then through the silence, a piercing scream almost like those from an OB ripped through the air. At the instant in my mind I thought "Wait a minute, MT's don’t have OB's. Only AC’s have the core capability of over boosting." And I was right, no sooner the thought sank into my mind a marooned painted AC with yellow striped dashed straight towards my 'Gundancer'. With a strong yank to the joystick, 'Gundancer' pivoted away narrowing missing the AC's blade attack which instead spitted one of the car park support pillars in two.
At the moment of attack i manage to sneak a glance at the AC emblem and to my horror it was
The infamous Nine Ball. Many thought ran through my minds, thought like "Why would the Raven attack their very own people that they are working with?"
I quickly recovered from the pivot and brought bear "Gundancer" bazooka's at Nine Balls AC's and fired away. As just like fitting to his alias and the name he had earned, he easily dodged the shots and disappeared into the darkness. "Why dint he fire back? Anybody knows a MT is no match to an AC. Is he toying with me?" I stared at into the carpark pondering, however my questions were answered as clear as a sunshine on a cloudy day as another AC emerge from the dark,
A black AC with an emblem of a seraphim holding two swords with the word written hate and war on it and is not registered in the Ark list as 'Gundancer' computer was unable to get a identification match in the Ark database. But what was more puzzling was the design of the AC, it was somewhat different and my own knowledge of AC part was extensive and it was something i have never seen before.
The AC just stood there with its glowing red lens looking straight at me, as if he could see through my machine, as if he knows who i am. For that few moments both of us stood there and stared at each other in silence.
"Kairu........" the black AC external com broke the silence around us and called my by name.
"How does he knows my name?.......... That voice......it cant be. " in shocked i thought to myself.
"Remember what I told u earlier 'To be a Raven, is to have that power .... However yet with that power, it does not gives, but rather in return take away everything all so selfishly'. I’m going change all of that and put an end to all of this. And it will begin from here ....Kairu." the black AC lifted one of its hand and held there was Pops WarHog MT's head.
"KATSUYAAAA!." those where my last word I shouted in rage as I pulled the trigger.