[B5/SRW] Steel Babylon

[Shukuen]

Prologue: First Contacts

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Unknown Place, Unknown Time

Why are you here?

The Circle calls for them. The pebbles must become the foundation.

They are not your responsibility.

The pebbles are part of the mountain.

They do not carry your taint.

It is inevitable. They will join The Circle.

Your debate will not taint the natural order.

They are untamed, abandoned by The Outsiders. Our duty is to guide them.

Evolution must be guarded. Our duty is to guard--to keep watch over them. They must achieve Order on their own. We cannot allow any other outcome.

Your experiment is flawed. The Young Ones will be united under The Light.

Is that a challenge?

It is only the truth.

Your debate will not taint those that we guard. We warn you: Do not interfere with our charges.

You will let them run wild? To fall into The Darkness?

They will not be tainted by Vorlon or Shadow.

They will join, whether by our will or their own. The Circle is inevitable.

If so, then we will not stop them. If they choose Order, then that is all we will need.

And if they choose Chaos?

There are contingencies. Perfection. Order. Zukunft. That is our goal, our only desire.

...very well, Neue Regisseur. We will not push for now.

------

Two centuries have passed since Humanity entered the Space Era (SE) and took its first steps beyond the comforts of their world. Despite their progress in that time, their way of life has barely changed.

Humanity's technological advancements stalled not long after the creation of the first Space Colonies. In the early 21st century, two meteors collided into the Earth, the turmoil resulting from the devastation broke the hair thin restraint of humanity, triggering a third world war among the various nations.

The war was long and costly, both in monetary terms and human lives, but from the ashes arose a new sense of unity. Tired of the war, the remaining powers banded together to rebuild, forging a new government: The Earth Federation (EF) Government. Guided under a unified banner, Humanity turned its gaze back to the sea of stars and the mysteries that lay beyond.

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Kuiper Belt - Near Unexplored Sector of Pluto's Orbit, 179SE

She glided within the depths of space; her ion drives glowing a serene, blue light; her crimson armor gleaming in the light of the distant stars. She was the largest ship her creators have ever built, utilizing the latest technology available.

Her name was Hiryu--The Flying Dragon--the first of Humanity's Deep-Space Explorers.

The stars gleamed in the distance, bringing a smile to the Hiryu's captain as he studied the long familiar sea of stars through new eyes. At 52 years old, Lieutenant Colonel Minase Daitetsu had longed for one last adventure, savoring the peace within the military before his retirement. When the offer was made to captain the Earth Federation Army's newest ship and technologies on its test flight past the edge of explored space, he had immediately jumped at the honor to join the few to be allowed to reach across the divide--the final frontier of the Sol System.

"You never get use to this, do you, Captain?"

Daitetsu harrumphed, a smile tugging his grey beard. "To which, Sean? The view or the fact we have gravity here?" he mused, glancing at his XO from beneath the brim of his peaked cap. 48 year old Major Sean Webley, a good friend and an experienced hand from their days in the Albatross-Class Morning Ark, was among the many handpicked members of Hiryu's military crew. The crew also consisted of civilian volunteers, mostly scientists, who also wished to share in the honor of stepping beyond the boundaries of known space--not to mention the only ones with the understanding behind the new technologies. Understanding that was sorely needed this far from safe harbor, if anything unforeseen should happen.

"The gravity, of course." Smirked Sean, still amazed by the progress humanity had made in the last decade. The Hiryu was the first ship to boast of Artificial Gravity, and while it wasn't very impressive--the effects little greater than the Moon's gravity--the AG field extended the potential travel of spaceships from weeks to months, potentially years, without the complexity of centripetal force to mimic the effects of gravity. And while the current AG generator could only be powered by fusion engines meant for battleships the size of Albatrosses or larger, in time perhaps, even civilian ships would be able to field the new technology, allowing Humanity to finally reach beyond their own system.

"It's a pity we'll have to turn back in a year," continued Sean in disappointment, watching the view outside the main bridge. Daitetsu hummed noncommittally, leaning back into his seat.

"There's no helping it if we do not improve our ion drives," he commented, gazing across the bridge at the various officers at their stations. "We should consider ourselves lucky to see this much in our age. The future of space will lie in the hands of the next generation." Sean chuckled in response, smiling agreeably.

The navigator interrupted Daitetsu's response. "Captain Daitetsu, we will be nearing the Outer Rim of explored space momentarily. Shall I alert the crew?" she asked, the young woman only able to contain her own excitement due to her training. Daitetsu nodded, and the announcement rung out. He smirked, almost imagining the rest of the crew rushing to their nearest windows and monitors to witness the momentous event in human history. Silence stretched the moment as the bridge crew was glued to their monitors, watching the small, blue icon representing their ship cross the imaginary line dividing the Sol System from the rest of the galaxy.

The tension of the crew melted as loud cheers rang through the ship. Celebratory congratulations were passed by the bridge crew, and even the normally gruff captain smiled as a few civilians came onto the bridge, shamelessly carrying smuggled bottles of champagne to share with the others. He gratefully accepted a glass, though shared an amused smile with his XO as he sipped the bubbling drink, promising to show these lightweights what real liquor was.

An alarm blared, shattering the festive mood. Quickly, the crew returned to their positions as the visiting civilians stepped out of the way, feeling the crew's nervousness at the interruption. "Sir! We... we're picking up some kind of anomaly at 305-127-20591!"

"Can we tell what it is?" demanded Daitetsu, watching the monitor as a new light rippled in existence, something resembling a vortex of various hues of blue spiraled, almost hypnotically. He might have considered it beautiful--if it wasn't growing larger by the second.

"N-negative! Sensors can't make heads or tails of it!" stammered the technician. His eyes widened, his shock palpable. "Sir! We're reading three solid contacts emerging from the anomaly!"

Daitetsu's startled "What?" was cut off as the distant light flashed, and vanished, leaving in its wake three alien ships. To the crew's startled minds, they resembled violet sword hilts, though that was all they could see that was familiar.

"Captain Daitetsu," stammered the communications officer, staring wide eyed at the ship's main monitor. "We're receiving a signal from the alien ships..."

Today is certainly a day of firsts, thought the stunned Lt. Col., eyes glued to the screen in anticipation along with the rest of his crew.

------

Aleph... Aleph Barshem... It is time to awaken.

"Who... Aleph Barshem... is that who I am? ...no..."

Your duty... your mission. This time, my ambition...

"...I am... I am..."

They will not stop me. The Keys to the Record shall...

"...I...am..."

------

Bridge of CRS Early Glory

Kiron Mollari smiled as the violent tides of hyperspace cleared to the calm familiarity of real space, his eyes surveying the new system his task force of explorers had uncovered. A new system with resources badly needed for the current war with the rebellious Narns, he remembered bitterly.

Forty years of war against one of the most technologically inferior races in known space had ravaged the Republic's reputation in the eyes of the other races, particularly the vulturous League of Non-Aligned Worlds. In recent years, the prestige of being a Centauri had begun to decline, and more and more, the noble houses were feeling the effects of the Republic's decline. The Lion of the Galaxy needed to prove to the other races that they were still a power to be respected. To do that, they needed an edge to finally crush the Narn Regime, if not its spirit, then its body.

Hence why his meager task force was sent to the center of uncontested, backwater space. The Primus-Class Early Glory was ancient compared to other Primus-Classes, long overdue to be scrapped had House Mollari not proposed this particular mission to the Emperor. Its weapon systems and fighter escorts had been removed to create room for Jump Gate Construction, leaving the former Battle Cruiser as toothless as the Republic was becoming.

They were thankfully not completely helpless. The Emperor, in his eternal wisdom, had agreed with the need for the success of the mission, and had assigned two of the newer Vorchan-Class Attack Cruisers away from the front lines as escort should the Glory find their destination not as uncontested as intelligence believed. While few could stand up to the might of the Republic, there was little need to tempt Raiders with an unarmed Primus if they could help it.

"My lord, we are picking up an unidentified object approximately 20,000 kilometers off the bow," announced the sensor watch, the young officer frowning in annoyance. "It appears to be a ship, but there's no match for its profile in any of our data banks."

Kiron looked thoughtful, though he grimaced upon seeing the close up of the mysterious ship. It was an ugly looking thing, as if a child attempted to create a cross between a serpent and a fish using only geometric shapes. "What do you make of it?"

"Object appears approximately 840 meters in length--a little more than half the size of the Glory, energy source reading as a primitive fusion device and propulsion appear to be ion-based drives. Weapons consisting of nonnuclear missiles and solid-projectile weapons. They also appear to have plasma weaponry and artificial gravity, but they seem less advanced than even the Narns'. Even if it's bigger than the Vorchans, we can crush it easily," sneered the sensor officer, pausing when new data scrolled past. "We are reading a partial match from our biometric scanners. Odd."

"What is it?"

"84.6% match to the Zuvorg," answered the officer in confusion.

"Perhaps they are an offshoot? Or a lost colony," suggested Kiron's XO thoughtfully.

"Perhaps," agreed Kiron. "Until we learn otherwise, we shall treat this as First Contact. Communications, send the contact package to the unidentified ship and try to raise them." He smiled speculatively, envisioning a potential new protectorate for the Republic. "If they even have the ability to communicate," he added, reminded that whatever these locals were, they were still primitives.

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Bridge of FAS Hiryu

"Helm, keep us steady, but prepare for evasive. Weapons, arm, but do not target," ordered Daitetsu, watching the three alien vessels cautiously. While they have not made any threatening moves, he could not shake off the feeling that something was coming. Something that would endanger his crew. He had learned long ago to trust his gut feelings, despite how irrational it sometimes seemed.

"Captain, the alien signal appears to contain basic languages and a series of mathematical concepts. I think... I think it's a first contact package," concluded the communications officer, his findings providing much needed relief to the bridge crew, though Sean noted Daitetsu did not appear to share in their relief. "I'm also detecting a communications signal from the alien ship. Should I patch it through?"

"Hmmm. Do we have a translation yet from their language packs?" asked Daitetsu.

"Already working on it, Sir," The data officer answered, entering the alien package through the ship's computers in an attempt to build a lexicon--being thorough in his scans for malicious programs. It was a pity the Hiryu lacked a linguist in the crew roster, but given that no one expected First Contact with an alien race, they could be forgiven for not thinking ahead. It took a few moments, before the computer signaled its completion, and Daitetsu nodded at the officer's verbal confirmation.

"Perform a log dump and send all information back to Salacia," Daitetsu ordered the communications officer. "Then send our translated language packs to the alien ships and patch through their audio signal."

"Yes, Sir."

Static filled the bridge, slowly clearing to a haughty, male voice. The alien's language filled the silent bridge, before the computer's rough translation converted it to something understandable.

"...Glory to unknown star ship. We mean no harm to you. Repeat, this is Centauri Republic Ship Early Glory to unknown star ship..."

"Early Glory, this is Federation Army Ship Hiryu. We have sent our own translation packs so we may speak," answered Daitetsu, waiting apprehensively and hoping his gut feeling was wrong. "You are entering our controlled space; if you commit any hostilities, our leaders will take it as a declaration of war between our peoples."

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Bridge of CRS Early Glory

"Flying Dragon? Is that accurate?" Kiron questioned, listening to the local alien's response. He smirked, hearing the bluff for what it was, though he didn't doubt the captain of the alien vessel thought the threat was worth something.

"As far as we can tell, my lord."

"Humph. Rather pretentious of them," Kiron sighed, "patch us through again. And ask if they can send visual feed. Let's see whether they resemble the Zuvorg as much as our scanners say."

"Yes, milord."

------

In the unclaimed depths of space floated a glistening, white star. But, unlike the glowing stars around it, this white star did not gleam in a warm corona of light. No, this star was dead--cold as the metal that it was built from. Along its crevices, openings appeared, and from it flew a swarm of glistening, crystal insects.

Like bees from a hive, the Megillots streamed from the Neviim, their wings glowing with an ethereal light as they swarmed around a small, spherical object that had launched ahead of them. The object flashed once, then again, energy pulsing around it until space itself tore open before it. As one, the insects and the spherical object vanished into the tear.

The crossgates were open; it was time for the wanderers to find their destiny.

------

Bridge of FAS Hiryu

Daitetsu could not keep the surprise off his face when the video feed synchronized, allowing the crew of the Hiryu to see the aliens as they really were. From the look of the alien captain, it appeared the crew of the Hiryu were of equal surprised to the Centauri.

"I am Kiron Mollari, captain of the Early Glory," the alien--Kiron--introduced himself, eyeing Daitetsu with curious scrutiny. "Are you members of the Zuvorg Alliance?"

Daitetsu frowned in confusion as he replied. "No, we are called Humans. I am Lieutenant Colonel Daitetsu Minase of the Earth Federation and captain of the Hiryu."

"Earth Federation?" repeated Kiron thoughtfully.

Daitetsu nodded gruffly, though his apprehension grew. "It is the name of our government and where Humans hail fro--"

Alarms blared, though this time in echo as the alien ship picked it up as well.

"My lord! We're picking up a gravitational anomaly surrounding the Federation Ship!"

"A jump point?" demanded Kiron.

"Negative! The signature doesn't match--it reads more like a... a wormhole?"

Daitetsu, already tense from his intuition screaming at him, felt no comfort at seeing the Centauri's reaction to the anomaly surrounding the Hiryu. "Evasive, now!" he ordered, the helmsman not arguing as the Hiryu surged forward, nearly throwing many of the unrestrained and unseated crew off their feet as the crimson ship struggled to flee from a standstill, it's great mass resisting the sudden acceleration.

However, they were too late. From multiple points surrounding them, blue-green insects, resembling tailed rhinoceros beetles, pulsed into existence from gates of violet light, each immediately swarming the hapless Earth ship. Each insect appeared only 10.4 meters in length, yet their numbers were enough to cloud and overload the Hiryu's sensors. Desperately, she armed her AA Autocannons--yellow, 120mm tracer rounds swatting the swarm from her sides. To no avail however, for every one they disabled, two more would appear in their place, their pincers opening to spit rings of pulse-lasers. Worse still, those not destroyed outright soon rejoined the fight; their metallic hides undamaged, making it harder to tell the newer ones from those that had already been hit, adding to the chaos with their own lasers.

Daitetsu grimaced, feeling his ship tremble from the simultaneous strike of over one hundred bugs. "Sitrep!" he demanded, the crew working in a fury.

"The bugs are everywhere! Sensors can't count them all!"

"They're swarming us! Some are swarming the Centauri ships!"

"There are too many bugs, they can't shoot them all down!"

"They destroyed our starboard VLS Missile Hatches! AA turrets 10 to 17 destroyed! Reading damage to hull plating in blocks 5 to 7! Defense efficiency reduced to 79%!"

"Dammit," growled Daitetsu, falling into the familiar pace of battle. "Are the catapult launchers still active?!"

"Y-yes!"

"Then order all Bogens to launch!" ordered Daitetsu, not doubting the ship's contingent of pilots were already rushing towards their fighters. "Prep the Giganscudo for launch as well!"

"Captain? You want to launch that Cursed Shield?" quietly asked one of the civilian scientist, despite the stress of the situation, there was an inflection of hatred in the man's voice. Daitetsu stared evenly at the man, recognizing him as one of the volunteers from the United Colonies.

"If we want to survive this, we need every bit of firepower we can get," Daitetsu replied evenly, the Hiryu's deck shaking more violently. He could sense the colonial scientist's dissent, but thankfully the man did not voice it. On the battle screen, he could see the four Bogens squadrons that had been assigned to the Hiryu launch from their respective hangers, and he mentally prayed for the success of the twenty fighters adding their meager weapons to the battle.

------

"All right archers! Our castle is besieged by hostiles who outnumber us 10-to-1 and are making us give a poor showing in front of the Centauri! WHAT SAY YOU!"

"We will blot their light with our arrows!" came the respective cheer from all lines, and Lieutenant Jennifer Rowe grinned, her Bogen's thrusters accelerating into the fray along with the rest of the Hiryu's contingent of space fighters.

The Space Superiority Fighter Type 26 Bogen was a veteran in the NID4 Movement, the fighter design a little over seven years old. It sported the first miniaturized plasma beam cannons based upon the schematics of the Giganscudo's Gigante Cannones, though its power generator was limited in comparison to the Gunship derived Gigan. As such, the Bogen's beam cannons lacked a quick enough fire rate--having to be charged for half an hour between shots--to be considered anything more than a one-shot ship killing weapons. The SF-26's effectiveness in prolonged anti-fighter battles depended entirely on its missile armaments and its forward vulcan cannons. More than enough against human fighters.

A pity their opponents were anything but. The twenty Borgens dove valiantly into the swarm of bugs, an alpha strike of forty plasma beams lanced from their formation, shattering a third of the enemy within the first pass... right before they too found themselves swarmed by the alien bugs.

The void of space soon filled with their yellow tracer rounds and white missile exhaust, a liberal debris field from destroyed bugs beginning to cloud their paths. But like before, those bugs not outright destroyed by each weapon strike quickly repaired itself, rejoining the dog fight with greater aggression. The outnumbered Bogens were soon on the defensive, their opponent too numerous, their weapons too few...

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Bridge of CRS Early Glory

"My lord! We cannot keep this up!" exclaimed the XO, steadying himself by gripping the captain's seat. Though their Primus and Vorchans had yet to suffer any extensive damage against the mysterious raiders, even Kiron could tell this was a battle of attrition his small task force could not handle. Already, their armor was becoming stressed by the constant bombardment by their attackers, though their numbers had dwindled to a quarter of the initial assault.

"What's the situation with the humans?"

"They're being focused upon by the swarm," answered the sensor officer. Kiron's eyes narrowed, his mind racing in thought.

"They are the target of these bugs. We were just unfortunate enough to be here when they attacked," his XO surmised, voicing Kiron's thoughts.

"Should we retreat, my lord?"

"No. We stay and fight," answered Kiron, a cold smile drew upon his lips. "As primitive as the Humans are, they are still a potential trading partner. I will not doom the Republic against the Narn by ignoring potential revenue." He shook his head, glaring at the communications officer. "Order the Breaker of Xon to clear its immediate space before aiding the humans. The Drivers from Heaven shall provide cover for us against these upstart insects."

"Yes, milord!"

------

"Longbow 4 and 5 down!"

"Crossbow 3 down!"

"This is Quiver 3, requesting support! I can't-- Aaaaaaarrrrrrrgh!"

"Quiver 3?! Dammit, Faulds!" cursed Lt. Rowe, her Bogen twisting to shoot down a bug stubbornly on her tail. Six minutes since their initial strike and the Bogen squadrons were down to 70% of their numbers, their armaments reduced to their vulcans and their beam cannons, the latter still not charged enough to even give the bugs a mild case of sunburn.

The situation was already dire, despite having successfully reduced the bugs' numbers down to three-quarters, there was little to nothing left that was capable of keeping the existing bugs from simply regenerating and rejoining the fight. Even the Hiryu's powerful Beam Cannons were incapable of keeping up with the countless swarm.

Rowe cursed, seeing three bugs flying parallel with her fighter, their pincers clapping menacingly as the familiar glow of their ring lasers charged. Thoughts of escape quickly died as her LIDAR screen revealed she was surrounded by thirty more incoming bugs. Her eyes narrowed, and her fingers deftly keying in her fighter's self-destruct code. If she was going to die, she was damn well sure to take as many of them with her as she could...

An explosion caught her attention. Followed by another... and another. A golden beam of light lanced beside her, and she could see on her screen the bugs dying by the dozens.

"You looked like you could use a hand," drawled a familiar, infuriating voice.

"Dexter, you glorious bastard!" exclaimed Rowe, exuberant at being alive and appalled at who had saved her. Launching from the Hiryu was the Federation Gunship Giganscudo--at 132.2 meters in length and topping 270.2 metric tons, it was too heavy to be considered a fighter; the gold and crimson machine's weapons were still smoking from its full alpha strike of VLS Missiles, Gigante Cannones and Giga Wide Blaster. Despite utilizing technologies over nine years old, it was still a force to be reckoned with, second only to a fully armed Battleship. Unsurprising, as it was designed as a dedicated anti-ship weapon, equipped with the same--albeit miniaturized--fusion generator as a full scale battleship, with its armaments reflecting its purpose.

There was little surprise in it singlehandedly wiping out half the enemy bugs. There was also no doubt in Rowe's mind that Gigan's pilot, Master Sergeant Kevin Dexter, would not be letting her live the moment down anytime soon.

"Shieldbearer-1 to all Archers! Pull back to Dragon-1 to rearm. We'll cover you until you get back!"

"Roger!"

"Roger!"

"Good luck!"

As one, the fourteen remaining Bogens turned, retreating to the Hiryu's retrieval bay. The surviving pilots wished the two specialists well, hurrying to rejoin the battle before it was too late.

Kevin grinned, gripping the controls of the Giganscudo in white knuckled anticipation. "Give me some options, MacKinnon," he called to his rear copilot.

"The Wide Blaster has overheated, but we'll be able to fire again in seven minutes; Gigante Cannones still within acceptable safety margins and AB Field holding at 80%," replied Master Sergeant Geoff MacKinnon, drolly adding, "you wasted all our VLS Homing Missiles with your last stunt."

Kevin laughed, watching the bugs switch targets from the Hiryu towards themselves, giving the ravaged ship some much needed peace. "You should know the hero has to be showy in front of a pretty lady," he replied unabashedly, squeezing the trigger and firing the Gigante Cannones into the approaching swarm. The bugs answered back, their ring lasers deflecting off the weakening AB Field protecting the gunship.

The break bought by the Giganscudo would be short lived however, as new bugs warped in to reinforce their fallen numbers...

------

Bridge of FAS Hiryu

An explosion rocked the Hiryu, sending the unrestrained crewmen and civilians sprawling. Various consoles sparked and smoked, destroyed by the impact, and many were injured by the explosion.

"All units, status report!" ordered Daitetsu.

"Blocks 4 to 9 destroyed! Second Bridge is gone!"

"Main cannons disabled!"

Daitetsu growled, slamming his fist upon his armrest. "Our fighters? The Giganscudo?"

"Fighters successfully retrieved, but catapult launchers 2 and 3 destroyed! Gigan... It's surrounded by the unknown hostiles, Sir!"

"And the Centauri?"

"One escort destroyed, Sir. They... they tried to provide fire support before they were taken out by the enemy reinforcements... The Glory and its other escort are hanging back--the unknowns are ignoring them."

"We're outmatched, Sir. We should retreat," Sean voiced quietly.

"There must be something we can do..." Daitetsu growled angrily, fighting back the growing feeling of helplessness and failing.

"Considering their numbers, they must have a carrier nearby. We cannot hope to hold position against an enemy with these kinds of resources."

"Just when we finally reached the Outer Rim of our system."

"I know. I'm sorry, Sir," Sean replied, a sliver of anger slipping from his calm tone. "But we must retreat. If the Hiryu sustains any more damage... We'll never make it back to Earth, or even Mars."

Daitetsu nodded, deflating, though his eyes still burned with anger. "Retrieve the Giganscudo, and send coordinates to Geneva and the Centauri. The politicians will send someone better equipped for diplomacy--and in safer space," he added, glowering.

You will pay for this, he vowed, echoing the thoughts of the Centauri captain as the three ships withdrew from the ambush.

------

End Prologue

[Dracos]

<_<

>_>

Yay SRW:OG fanfiction!  :)  I don't really know B5, nor do I care, but anything with Daitetsu rocks :P</fanboy>

[Shukuen]

Notes: Sorry the update was late. This chapter was harder to write than I thought. It's mostly an interlude to fill in the gap and provide back story, so I apologize if it's rather short.

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Chapter 1: Testament to the Underworld

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Earth Sphere - Columna Station: Military Sector Command and Control Center, 179SE

“Lieutenant, we’re picking up a spatial anomaly at Earth-Moon L5!” warned the sensor watch.

Lt. Knowles paled, twisting towards the harried officer. “Confirm that!” he barked, dread welling in his chest.

The blare of alarms did not help ease his anxiety, and the look of the officer at watch only solidified those emotions. “Confirmed match; it’s the same energy profile preceding the hostiles in the Hiryu’s communication logs!”

“Damn! Alert all EFA and UCC forces! Scramble our Bogen contingent!” Knowles ordered, though intellectually, he knew it was hopeless. The Bogens alone could not stop an incursion this close to Earth, and the nearest support fleet was a half-day away, patrolling the colony lanes. Inwardly, he cursed the fates for allowing the unknown hostiles to appear so close to their world unchallenged...

“Object emerging from the anomaly!” reported the paling sensor watch. “Object measuring five kilometers...!”

Knowles flinched, voicing the first thing that came to mind, “A ship?”

“Negative, it’s...” The sensor watch trailed off abruptly, staring incredulously at his screen. Knowles’ demand for a report was answered when the sensors’ transferred their data to the main screen, and the C&C witnessed the impossible upon the holographic projector. The object--an asteroid--was accelerating, dragging a visible tail of debris from the Kordylewski clouds it had appeared within. In the time it took for the officers to gather their wits, the asteroid had shot forward at unfathomable speeds, the computers calculating impact in less than half an hour.

“Dear Lord in Heaven...” murmured Knowles in shock, watching the asteroid moving into Earth’s gravitational pull. There was nothing he could do... nothing anyone could do to stop it. Eighty years ago, Humanity had nearly destroyed itself because of two meteors...

Could they survive a third?

------

Two centuries have passed since Humanity first staked their claim among the stars. In the year 179SE, they discovered they were not alone in the cosmos.

On April 7th, diplomatic representatives of the Earth Federation and United Colony Governments met with the Centauri task force within the neutral Spēs Colony orbiting Mars. The Centauri would welcome the humans into the arms of the interstellar community, leasing to them a Jumpgate, and allowing Humanity to finally reach beyond their cradle of stars.

But not all of space was friendly to the humans. The hostiles that had ambushed both the Hiryu and the Centauri task force were still at large; their identities unknown even to the Centauri. While the Hiryu was still MIA, Earth itself had suffered a traumatic attack. An asteroid--codenamed Meteor 3--had crashed on the Marquesas Island of Aidoneus. The incident, largely a mystery in itself, was quickly covered up by the Earth Federation, both from its citizens and its new alien neighbors.

A research team lead by Doctor Bian Zoldark was dispatched to the crash site to uncover the truth behind the anomaly surrounding Meteor 3’s crash. What they found only confirmed what they already knew.

Meteor 3 was discovered to be an artificial construct, containing technologies beyond Humanity’s current understanding. They would term the discovery EOT: Extra Over-Technology. Further analysis would be conducted by the EOT Investigative Committee (EOTI), founded by Doctor Zoldark, which would be supervised by the Earth Federation under the EOT Council.

Upon conclusion of their investigations, Doctor Zoldark announced to the Earth Federation that, based upon information extracted from Meteor 3, Earth was facing an impending alien invasion. The Earth Federation, heeding his warnings, began developing new mobile weapons to counter the upcoming threat.

------

Centauri Prime - Centaurum

"It has to be them! Who else could be advanced enough to fit a jump engine on something that small?!"

"Calm down Lord Valini. You know very well the Minbari have no interests in interacting with those outside their borders. What reason could they have for attacking a primitive race as the Humans?" argued Lord Ultan, trying to bring reason back to the room.

"Besides, they didn't even come out of a jump point," sneered Lord Refa, defending his trading partners' honor.

Since the ambush by the mysterious bugs just weeks earlier, tension among the Republic was at its highest. The Centauri were already being stretched by the Narns and they did not need another front--especially against an enemy they did not even know.

For days since the Centaurum had gathered, many had called for a retaliatory attack. Others had argued that without proper intelligence, they would risk angering the wrong race, turning a two front war into three... possibly more.

Reason had won out at first, but as reports from their intelligence agencies of continued failure to identify the source of the bugs, the more hotheaded houses began calling for blood against the only race in known space that had access to technology comparable to their unknown attackers.

A call that the cooler heads knew would only end in the death of the Centauri Republic.

"We've already tapped our resources among the merchants for intelligence from the other races. No one has seen, let alone know of anyone utilizing the technology my nephew witnessed," added Lord Mollari coolly, still somewhat disappointed that Kiron was unable to capture one of those bugs intact.

"What about the humans? Surely they have found something by now."

Mollari barked in laughter, "They didn't even know there was life beyond their system before we found them. No, these bugs are as much a mystery to them as to us."

"Then what? We just ignore this? Let this slight against the Republic pass?" snarled Valini, slamming his fist on the table in frustration.

"We have no choice," the old emperor spoke for the first time since the argument began, his throat wheezing from the effort. "We are struggling as it is to keep our borders and protectorates intact. All we can do now is keep our eyes open."

"And if the originators of these bugs show?"

Emperor Jano coughed tiredly, but in his eyes burned the familiar spirit that had helped him carry on the throne in the last hundred years.

"We show them the folly of challenging the Lion."

------

Earth Sphere - Mao Industries: Moon, 181SE

The Cargo Transport Andrea Gail listed to her side, her engines sputtering weakly in the coldness of space. Her hull was scarred and pitted from a pirate ambush, her crew desperately calling for help as the pirate ship approached to tow her in.

Their calls were answered as a beam of neutronic plasma lanced at the pirate ship, striking the rear port drive with a devastating explosion. The pirates answered back, lashing at their attacker with their own beam weapons--to no avail however as their target had flown away.

The Type-R's thrusters burst in alternating sequences, its blue flares the only give away of it's location as it twisted along it's flight path, bringing its weapon to bear upon the crippled pirate ship. It fired another beam at the ship, destroying one of the main cannon turrets and disabling the other before it could target his machine in retaliation. The pirates answered by launching their fighters, two squads of ten Bogens launching from the ship's hanger towards the lone machine.

"Aggressor-6 to Aggressors. Turrets 1 and 2 destroyed. There should be a blindspot between 50 and 130 degrees."

"Roger, Aggressor-6. Aggressor-4 will help you cover the fighters. Aggressor-3 and 5, you're with me."

"Yes, sir."

Aggressor-6 turned, spotting his team mate accelerating towards him. Aggressor-4's thrusters were at full burn, his Type-R in a gyroscopic spin; its neutron beam firing in controlled bursts, sniping at the Bogen squadron and blowing past them before they could react. Taking advantage of the confusion, Aggressor-6 launched his Split Missile pods, the two pods bursting open to reveal multiple missile warheads--at six mini missiles per pod for a total of twelve missiles altogether, the remaining Bogens didn't stand a chance.

The skirmish over, the two machines regrouped before spotting the other members of their squad, the three Type-S machines dodging opposing fire from the pirate's point defenses, their heavier armor absorbing the few hits by the 120mm autocannons. Once they were close enough, the three Type-Ss fired their Blaster Cannons--a powerful neutron beam tied directly to the plasma generators powering their machines.

With three Blaster Cannons melting through the pirate ship's hull, the raiders had already lost. The addition of two neutron plasma beams were simply overkill, and the pirate ship found itself crippled and helpless as its intended victims.

"Aggressor-1 to Aggressors, mission accomplished. Good work, team."

Major Gilliam Yeager smiled, relaxing in his seat as the screen around him darkened. The words Simulation Ended flashed once before the training pods opened, releasing him back to reality.

"I take it we got your interests in being the test pilots for Project PTX?" asked the waiting technician, the man looking both hopeful and nervous.

"Of course," said Colonel Kar-Wai Lau, chuckling goodnaturedly. The other four members of the Aggressor Squad gave their own comments of assent as their squad leader patted Gilliam on the back. The young major remained standing, if only barely, from the friendly blow. "That was some smooth piloting, kid. I could swear it's like you've done this before."

"It wasn't hard, Colonel," replied Gilliam with an enigmatic smile. "I guess I'm just a natural."

------

"You're thoughts, General Ross?"

"To be honest, lieutenant, I still think your father's PTX crap isn't worth the paper it was printed on," grumped the EFA general, glaring distastefully at the displayed plans. Since Doctor Zoldark's announcement, the Earth Federation had geared their weapons research into overdrive, scientists and military contractors working tirelessly in the last few years to upgrade their current armaments to prepare for the arrival of Meteor 3's creators.

Project PTX, Mao Industry's contributions to the effort, was to take a step beyond what was being done. Their goal was to create an entirely new--and therefore untested--weapons platform. PTX or Personal Trooper Experimental would create the first humanoid mobile weapons platform, its module design allowing it to fight in a variety of terrains with few modifications to its basic frame. In addition, it was capable of carrying different weapons specially suited to its missions, allowing a greater deal of versatility in the expanding universe that had opened to Humanity since they received a Jumpgate.

In layman's terms, it was a giant robot. To General Ross, it was a colossal waste of the EFA's time and money.

"Give me a T71 any day," Ross continued, scoffing loudly, "Hell, even Isurugi's new Langzens are more appealing."

"You're not even trained to fly, General..."

"I know that, captain." Ross glowered at his aide, who pointedly ignored the general's glare. "That was the point."

"My apologies, Sir," replied the aide half-heartedly.

Ross harrumphed, ignoring the insubordination and turning his attention back towards the young woman before him. "I understand your loyalty to your father's company, lieutenant, but I'll be honest with you: If it were up to me, I'd scrap this money pit before it destroys your family's work and get back to making real weapons..."

"Then we should be grateful it's not up to you," dryly interrupted Chairman Jing Mao, the Chinese CEO smirking as he joined up with the three EFA representatives. "Whether you approve or not, General Ross, the PTX-001 prototype will be rolling out of assembly in three days. If all goes well, prototypes of the 002 and 003 will follow within the week. Perhaps the brass will be convinced by a live show as opposed to virtual?" mused Jing, chuckling softly.

General Ross glared at the arrogant civilian. "I'll note that in my report," he said curtly, turning to leave. Lin and the general's aide watched the officer leave, before Lin slumped in relief from having to put up with Ross.

"Rough day, Lin?"

"I'll be all right, Father," she answered, glancing at the aide who remained fairly aloof. "How do you put up with him?"

The aide smiled, the first crack in his emotionless mask. "For the greater good of Earth, of course," he joked dryly, studying the project's plans left behind by the general. "Still, Personal Troopers... hard to imagine we would have something like this after only two years..." He glanced curiously at the chairman, gesturing towards the pilot candidates in the simulator room.

"Who do you have in mind for the prototypes?" the aide asked.

Jing followed the aide's gesture, watching the five pilots of the Aggressor Squad. "I was originally going to use Colonel Lau, Major Kitamura and Major Branstein; but maybe we'll have Major Yeager pilot the Type R instead while Colonel Lau and Major Kitamura pilot the Type S and Type T."

"It does seem like he was born for the Type R," agreed Lin thoughtfully.

"Indeed," mused the aide thoughtfully, returning the papers to the desk. "I should get going before the general has a fit, but I have one last question, Chairman Mao."

"And that is?"

"Why call them Gespensts?"

Jing chuckled, eyes glinting thoughtfully. "Until we are ready to reveal our hand, our Personal Troopers will remain ghosts in the interstellar community. We cannot risk the Aerogaters being tipped prematurely that we are preparing for them." He glanced at the aide, smiling politely at the young captain. "Will that be all then, Captain Plissken?"

Captain Ingram Plissken smiled back, his teeth flashing in the room's light. "Of course. Thank you, Chairman Mao."

------

End Chapter 1

------

Notes: Just a note I forgot to add. I revised the prologue for consistency. There's no need to reread it, but if you do, this was a warning if it seems different from the first draft.

[Jon]

I know nothing of SRW, but I do know B5. In B5 canon, humans didn't have artificial gravity until the tech was given to them by the Minbari after the Earth/Minbari war. Omega class destroyers such as the EAS Agamemnon (commanded by Sheridan) had rotational gravity sections, as did the Babylon stations. In 2261 (after the events of B5 season 4) Earthforce's first AG-capable ship was produced: the prototype for the Warlock class destroyers.

[Shukuen]

I know nothing of SRW, but I do know B5. In B5 canon, humans didn't have artificial gravity until the tech was given to them by the Minbari after the Earth/Minbari war. Omega class destroyers such as the EAS Agamemnon (commanded by Sheridan) had rotational gravity sections, as did the Babylon stations. In 2261 (after the events of B5 season 4) Earthforce's first AG-capable ship was produced: the prototype for the Warlock class destroyers.

It has been implied in SRWOG that the humans were already experimenting with Artificial Gravity before they gained the tech boost from Meteor 3. Going by the anime canon, in 186, they were able to mimic gravity just slightly less than Earth's, as implied by Sean's comment of (paraphrase) how feeling his weight assured him they were back on Earth.

That line, combined with a later scene of people walking in the ship's deck while in space as opposed to floating shows that humans have created working AG in about six years since the impact of Meteor 3.

[Jon]

I know nothing of SRW, but I do know B5. In B5 canon, humans didn't have artificial gravity until the tech was given to them by the Minbari after the Earth/Minbari war. Omega class destroyers such as the EAS Agamemnon (commanded by Sheridan) had rotational gravity sections, as did the Babylon stations. In 2261 (after the events of B5 season 4) Earthforce's first AG-capable ship was produced: the prototype for the Warlock class destroyers.

It has been implied in SRWOG that the humans were already experimenting with Artificial Gravity before they gained the tech boost from Meteor 3. Going by the anime canon, in 186, they were able to mimic gravity just slightly less than Earth's, as implied by Sean's comment of (paraphrase) how feeling his weight assured him they were back on Earth.

That line, combined with a later scene of people walking in the ship's deck while in space as opposed to floating shows that humans have created working AG in about six years since the impact of Meteor 3.

Just saying it's pretty jarring to the B5 fan.

[Dracos]

Jon:

For a bit of context to the B5 fan, Meteor 3 is given technology from the Balmar aliens.  Basically, it's a sleeping superweapon they like to plant on planets for the dual purpose of having a sleeping superweapon on the planet and to accelerate rapidly their military developments (to help bring about self-destruction).

Basically it's a "Here's a carrot.  Now we're all armed with carrot hunting missiles and its in your stomach." gesture.