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Prelude to War Chapter 3 - Conclusion

QuantumForge Blog

Chapter 3: Coda
Hector was dumbfounded. He and Giuseppe had been spending time in the simulation room, spending time with their new Martian friends when a stern faced academy sergeant entered the room. The sergeant called Veronica and Hector to the administration building. The walk was brisk and quiet, they were ushered through the milling crowds of students enjoying their morning. He and Veronica kept exchanging glances, trying to decipher the meaning of the summons. Passers by that recognized the pair gave them confused glances. When they entered the administration hall, a large two story command center, they were stopped for a moment. Hector recognized a few instructors and waved to them, but they turned and averted his gaze. They were ushered by the sergeant into a room neither had seen in their time at the academy.

It was arranged like a tribunal court room, and the headmasters of each of the wards sat above the central podium the two were instructed to stand at. Each of the ward headmasters were poring over documents and didn't really pay much attention to their arrival. The students behind them however, did.

"Ah...excuse me...Sirs?" Hector began, but his headmaster looked up from his paper with an annoyed expression. Hector heard snickering behind him quickly reigned in his curiosity and resumed his silent standby until his ward headmaster finished observing his materials. Headmaster Martin was an older dark skinned man with extremely wrinkled skin, appointed for his service as an astronaut. Headmaster Martin risked his life to test each of the iterations of the spaceships flown today. The headmaster cleared his throat.

"Welcome council, and welcome, students. We are here on a very solemn occasion. This very rarely happens at a UEC academy, and we want the student body to benefit from the knowledge of what happens when rules are broken." Headmaster Martin said, giving Hector a look of disappointment as he finished. Hector and Veronica noticed the students sitting quietly behind them.

Hector's jaw dropped in disbelief. He hadn't gotten into any fights, he adhered to the simulator room rules. He hadn't broken any rules at all! Veronica looked at Hector sharply. She didn't look too sure of what was happening either, but being very new to the academy she had been looking to him to guide her away from breaking rules. She wondered if she was being singled out as a Martian, but then why was Hector there as well?

"I hold in my hand the UEC exams for a one 'Hector Haines' and 'Veronica Voight', the two that stand before us today." The Headmaster continued, holding the two printed tests between his fingers. "Exams that are not to be taken lightly. Exams that help determine your rank among the standards of technical proficiency and morality that this academy is respected for."

Now Hector was as puzzled as ever. He heard the murmur of voices behind him and tugged at his collar. His exams? He hadn't thought much about them after he handed them in, it wasn't anything controversial-nothing to be reprimanded over. Veronica as well, who had less time to study for the exams, used her first hand knowledge and practical experience on Mars to breeze through the exams. She felt very confident in her ability to pass. Luca proclaimed that he had easily passed as well, although that may have been his Martian Bravado.

Headmaster Martin paused, looking amongst the students. "Both of these exams were taken at the same time, and have been meticulously analyzed. The results prove they are identical, down to the last detail, to the answer key reported stolen the week before the date of the exam. Every mark, every blemish, each with the same wrong answer to deflect suspicion. As we investigated, we discovered that these students have been meeting regularly, many times alone, or with more presumed Martian collaborators. An anonymous tip was received the day of the exam implicating students Haines and Voight in a conspiracy to sell the stolen answers to the Martian student body."

Hector and Veronica both cried out in protest, in outrage. They were ignored, their voices were drowned out by the murmurs of the students behind them. The court sergeants quieted the tribunal. The headmaster continued. "This tribunal had a hard time believing an Earthborn would sell out the integrity of the academy, especially with an academy alumni in his family. But we have evidence that sadly confirms it. We are deeply disappointed by the facts revealed by the council, and even more disappointed in our new Martian students. This kind of subversion is unheard of on the UEC Academy, Earth. For these violations and without the evidence of the mastermind of the conspiracy, the council has decided to expel students Haines and Voight from the academy, and bar them from UEC service."

His words were a hammer that smashed their composure into a million pieces upon the courtroom. The students, some Martian, gathered behind them all yelled in protest and anger. The court sergeant ushered Hector and Veronica out and each were taken to their dorm to gather their things. Hector thought of his mother and father, and what they would think of him. A pit grew in his stomach as the dream of flying in space seemed to launch away from his grasp. Veronica had angry tears in the corners of her eyes, she always thought she was too stubborn to fall. She didn't know what came next. Would they send her home? She never planned for this, and every time she closed her eyes, she whispered to her father, asking him why this was happening to her.

Neither Hector nor Veronica received more information on their trial than that. Refusing to face his parents, and with no friends to help and support him he stopped believing in others. Hector went into seclusion. He did realize his dream of space travel though, when he found work for a local smuggling ring. He refused anything more illegal than bringing exotic supplies and spirits to the remote UEC outposts and colonies. Hector tolerated the company, and saved up to buy his own ship. He broke ties with the ring, hoping to live the comfortable and safe life of an independent small-time smuggler. Veronica remained determined to reach space as well, but she became a political pawn for the anti-Martian movement. They called her a cheating rat, and the news comms were in a firestorm of heated debate over the Martian Enrollment program. She felt humiliated and tried to avoid the attention by applying to become a commercial freighter. Contracted by the UEC, but not directly associated, she tried her best to fly within the lines and prove the stereotypes wrong. Both were running from their past, avoiding the questions they would never get answers to. Who cheated on whom?

It was many months later that they saw each other again, on Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede. Hector had just dropped off a shipment of luxury goods for the colonies. Wine and spirits, extra antibiotics and stimulants, and other commodities that aren't included in the UEC rations allowances. He was enjoying the atmosphere of the UEC's newest burgeoning colony. The credits were in his account and his ship was ready to go, but the Ganymede colony had become his biggest source of business, and he was looking for a new client. However distracted he was he would never forget that beautiful red hair, or that scar.

"V-Veronica!" He called out awkwardly.

She almost didn't recognize Hector without that pale grey-green uniform and the bold blue UEC logo. He looked seedy in his civvy combat armor and coat. She had just finished the dropoff of food and water to the Ganymede Colony council and was about to return to her shift for a break before takeoff. She slipped into the open bar where he was sitting and sat in the chair opposite him.

"Hector... I..." Veronica started. She had so many thoughts she wanted to share with him, so many thoughts of him she couldn't share.

Hector took a sip of his drink. "I can't believe you're here, what fortunate timing!" He began, looking at her work uniform. "Good for you for finding a job, you're an amazing pilot..." The memories overwhelmed him like a rising tide.

"Thank you...but listen, Hector. I want you to know I never cheated on that exam. I never got the chance to talk to you before they took me away. I sat near you, but I would never-"

"I know. I hope you know I never cheated on you. I never stole any answer key, and I wouldn't sell them if I did. I don't know what happened, at least for now there is no way to find out. But I won't stop looking. Anyways, I suppose it's all in the past..."

Veronica felt warmth surge through her as she found the answer to a long asked question. "Oh Hector, I knew you never needed to cheat. I'm here as a transport pilot, yes. What are you doing now, still flying? What are you doing on Ganymede?"

"Ah- well I'm flying I just bought a new ship a few months ago. I'm ah, looking for courier work on the colonies." Hector sidestepped. His bottle sat next to two glasses, one his. He poured a shot in the other and pushed it towards her.

Veronica drew it to her lips and tossed it back. "Well, if Solbay is ever hiring new pilots I'll send your name their way if you like. I'd love to stay but I am on duty. Here..." She scribbled down her comms address. "Feel free to contact me, we should catch up!"

Hector smiled. "Thanks, Veronica. You'll have to tell me someday what has happened to Luca and his sisters, and I'll tell you all I know about Giuseppe. You know, I missed you."

"You too, Hector, thanks for the drink. Take care of yourself, OK?" She said. Her eyes warmed on him a moment, and then she turned to leave.

Hector finished another shot and thought more about the red headed Martian. "It's a small system..." He thought to himself, chuckling aloud. He returned to his ship and began the pre-flight checklist. His engines roared to life and bluish white fire erupted as he undocked from the colony.

His brow furrowed. All the ships around him were behaving very erratically. He banked left hard, barely avoiding the ship behind from rear ending him. "HEY!" He yelled, but looking over to the console he saw his comms were off. Ships all around him were blasting away from the colony, none seemed to be following Ganymede protocol. He flipped the comm channel on to shout at the jerk that cut in front of him and he heard hundreds of frantic overlapping hails, too many. "What the...-" He pulled Veronica's comms address from his pocket and punched it in. "Veronica? Solbay freighter, do you read?"

"Hector? What are you- you've got to get off Ganymede, NOW!"

"Veronica, what's going on?" Hector asked, priming his overdrive and plotting a course.

"We don't know from here, but Hector...It's Earth... something is attacking Earth and shortly after the emergency broadcast, the Earth comms have gone silent..."

"WHAT?" Hector screamed. His mind immediately went to his parents. He swallowed his fear and boosted away from Ganymede, hoping his family was OK.

Prelude to War Chapter 2

QuantumForge Blog

Chapter 2: Here Comes Voight

Veronica Voight sat in her assigned dormitory exhausted. Her entire flight to Earth had been stressful to say the least. Half of the Martian chosen weren't even happy about having to leave their families and homes behind. Some were suspicious about the motives of the UEC, questioning why they were so insistent about plucking the best and brightest from the colony. Veronica felt differently, after all her mother and father filled her with the romantic stories of green fertile fields, salty endless oceans.

Growing up on Mars meant making your own fun in an endless dull sea of red. For a child it was an endless indoor adventure, and Veronica often found herself sitting in her parent's lap listening to tales from Earth. So started the romantic stories, and when they ran out of those, they told her about their lives, about the birth of the internet, facebook, of the first space station. When they were taken from her, she heard the last of their stories from the friends that came to comfort her. She finally knew that they were not exaggerating when she saw the gorgeous blue ball in orbit. But it was the surface, when all of the Martian colonists stepped foot on terra firma and took a breath of non-recycled air that any initial trepidation faded.

And then the culture shock set in. It took Veronica a couple of attempts to refrain from bursting out in laughter at the Earthborn men, some of which didn't even have sideburns. She noticed right away that Earthborn had free flowing clothes, a fair complexion, and a strong sense of privacy. The thought resonated in her mind as she sat, alone in the small space assigned to her. She began to feel anxious and claustrophobic, and just as if he had been reading her mind, Luca and his two sisters opened her door and came in mid-laughter. Veronica couldn't contain her relief.

"Neeka! Oh these rooms are just awful, we feel so alone, can we be here with you? Lorde is scared that her dorm is closest to the Earthborn dorms!" One sister teased, pushing Lorde as she moved to sit down beside Veronica.

"Don't listen to a word she says, Neeka, Bella just didn't want to come by alone. Those Earthborn don't scare me" Lorde bragged. "Have you seen their sideburns?"

Bella's nose crinkled and she giggled. "What sideburns? How can you even tell the girls from the boys?" She sat next to her sister and for a moment the three girls looked at Luca. He rested against the door and scratched his spirals with typical Martian bravado.

"Their space suits aren't built like ours, and neither are they..." He boasted. Lorde grabbed the nearest pillow on the dorm bed and lobbed it at him, hitting him in the chest. They all had a laugh and the room grew quiet.

"It's pretty strange here..." Bella said, looking down at her hands. "I hope everything is OK back home..."

"Everything is fine, without all of us out there, there will be more food and oxygen for everyone. I think we had to come here to help supply the oxygen for the great farms. It's going to change everything for them out there..." Luca tried to reassure her, and they all nodded in agreement.

The Great Farm project was a commonly populated rumor among the colony at the time the candidates were being chosen. The Pioneers, their first generation, were on the council governing the selection process. They encouraged many to go for the promise of life 'beyond the suit'. Veronica knew though, as did all Martians that the birth of the first generation of Martians brought a great depression to the colony, as the limited supplies from Earth were stretched ever thinner. The most promising prospect to the colony now was the Great Farms, large open field greenhouses to grow crops that would ensure that their people would never go hungry again. These greenhouses needed a large quantity of cycling oxygen at first, and Mars was already rationing it. Veronica wondered whether his friend was right, and they were being budgeted out of their home.

"Those Earthborn today were nice to us. If all the rest are I think we will be OK. Everyone, including us, are here to learn." Veronica thought again of the blonde student that had approached her earlier.

"Whatever the case may be, I want to join the UEC. My life, my folks, it all can't mean nothing. If I can't be there to help Mars and our family myself I'm going to protect it. And that means putting the past behind me, for now."

"And what if it's not so simple? If they order you to attack Mars? What would you do then?" Lorde whispered. "On the colony, at my shift in the commons, I overheard someone talking to Adama saying that the mining shipments have been coming up short. Why talk to the head of the great farms project about mining operations? What if-?"

Luca's eye narrowed, he was getting upset. His glare was so fierce it caused Lorde to stop mid-sentence, a rare occasion. They all were thinking it already anyways. What if the great farms project didn't get the UEC funding the Martian command claimed it would when it was proposed. Luca worked the mines since he was 17, eleven years ago. In a Martian mining crew, each member is trained to collectively oversee the operations and he was no different. The mining crew was well respected by all the colonists, they laid down their lives to supply the colony with the ore and minerals needed to make the payments for the UEC supplies. He shook his head. "It just matters that we learn all that we can here, and take advantage of this opportunity we were given. If I could have given my dad my place in this..." He paused as the memory of his father gripped him, and regained his composure. "...I would have. He told me before I went to start fresh when we landed. You girls can see it how you like, but I tend to agree with Veronica." He lifted a fist and she bumped it, a gesture that had not lost it's meaning in space.

In the weeks following her arrival, Veronica began to adjust to her new home. The Earthborn were mostly respectful, but she couldn't really call it a warm welcome. It was a very subtle dance of prejudice that the Earthborn had been perfecting for millennia. Veronica and Luca matriculated into the military ward.

Lorde was surprisingly offered a place in both the Science and Logistics wards, despite her crazy conspiracy theories. She chose to accept the Logistics ward token, her sister Bella decided on the Science ward token. Veronica grew to enjoy her new classes. She discovered many of the secrets behind the day to day technical tasks she performed on the colony, and she developed an affinity for running the simulators before class. She shot for the higher scores with Luca, but they never ranked higher than fourth on the list. Luca told her the academy likely programmed them in to keep the students working harder. But talking amongst the other students they were told of a legend, of two students from Earth who were in the top spots, above the programmed in score. Rumors were that they still try to top their score in the afternoons after class. The Martian students tended to cling to the old survival habits. Rise with the sun and seek shelter at sunset. One evening, Veronica and Luca bundled up in their grey-green UEC academy jackets and walked out to the simulator room. The door read their datakeys and slid open.

A small group of students seemed to be huddled around a few players that were engaged in a simulation. She and Luca slipped in, dodging the eyes of the inquisitive Earthborn. As they approached the remaining two simulator pods, a short dark skinned Earthborn stepped in to stop them. She noticed his curly hair was almost as long as hers had grown in the time since she had left Mars. She also noticed the sad excuse for sideburns that made him look like a little kid, if not for his sickened expression. He looked slightly familiar, but she had seen so many faces that she couldn't recall why.

"Whoa whoa whoa Cyclops... isn't it past your bedtime?" The Earthborn was trying to make a scene of things. However, thankfully he was the only one. The other students seemed interested in seeing what the Martians could do, calling out challenges and taunts. Eventually, the offending Earthborn stepped aside, lips pressed together. Luca ignored the display and got into the simulator with Veronica.

"If he only knew..." She comforted Luca. He just shut his eye and let out an exasperated sigh. The simulators began to emit a low humming noise. The room around them and the burning eyes of the angry Earthborn disappeared behind the veil of projections in the simulator pod. Veronica tried to forget those hazel eyes, and as their pods synced they began to observe the other two pilots, labeled by the system with their initials HEH and GTG, finishing up the current simulation. Luca was experiencing the view of GTG, and Veronica was seeing through the viewscreen of HEH. They excitedly watched as the pods replicated perfectly the movements of their counterpart. Veronica tried to make sense of the mission through the action. The Martians immediately identified the Ship ID format and functional shape of the supply transports. They were of abnormal shapes and sizes, the main features were the large globular oxygen reserves trailed by a patchwork of interchangeable compartments. These held various supplies and machinery needed for colonies like Mars and the Moon, but also the new outposts set up further out.

These classified UEC outposts were commonly populated by the bravest volunteers in the Science and Logistics wards, and the simulated UEC outpost this ship was headed to was on Neptune. The sounds of explosions and warning tones interrupted her. HEH was under attack, his ship had a crippled shield integrity and was taking heavy fire from above him. She felt a strong G-Force pull and struggled to keep consciousness as HEH made an extreme evasive maneuver that sent him flying towards the network of connected compartments.

She couldn't help but whisper. "No... no...!" She thought of the times that their shipments had come up short, about what each of those interconnected cargo holds meant to her and her people. The simulation seemed almost too real to her.

"Neeka... NEEKA!" Luca called to her. "Are you OK?"

Veronica's hands went up as the fighter zipped into the web like network of supply canisters and machines, but he precisely maneuvered through them, banking hard to avoid a large mining excavator secured to the ship. He popped through the other side of the network at the rear of GTG and fired a salvo of missiles at the fighters on his tail. The sound of explosions surrounded her. From the front the fighters burst into bright molten slag that ricocheted off HEH's shield and hull. From behind, she heard a chirping alert, the ship told her that the transport had sustained damage. Pursuing fighters had not made it through the network, and crashed into some of the supplies. In total, about 8% of the supplies were calculated lost. The simulation ended, and she and Luca popped out of the pods along with the others.

She passed between the cheering group and stormed up to the Earthborn pilots who seemed very pleased with themselves and tapped one on the shoulder. Hector turned around and started to smile.

"Oh, hey! Voight, right? So good to see you out so-" He started, holding his hand out to shake. Veronica was surprised to see Hector again, and troubled. She took it, but her expression seemed to worry him.

"Everything OK?"

"YOU are HEH? Then why...? Wasn't the objective to protect the convoy? You almost crashed in there yourself, and you drew fire towards the transport. Do you..." Her fingernails dug into her hands. The memory of her frail malnourished mother looked back at her when she closed her eyes. "Do you even know what losing 8% would do to the people who depend on that?" She said, on the verge of tears, but she calmed herself quickly. "I admire your skill...but your choice may have cost a lot of people to suffer...I just wanted you to know that, for the next time you decide to show off."

"Whoa hey, calm down. I'm sorry, I didn't consider that Voight. I saw my friend in danger and I just did what came naturally to me. Most of the students here lose twice that on this new sim. There are two separate squads attackers on either side, and we both just tried to take a squad each on alone at once. It's just not possible. That is I guess, unless one of us doesn't make it..." Hector and Giuseppe looked at one another.

Giuseppe patted her shoulder reassuringly speaking softly so they four could hear. "As you said, our ultimate goal is to protect the transport completely. Would you like to run it again with us? Perhaps together we can find success."

She heard a scoff behind her. "The simulation scales with the number of pilots Haines. You add two more...people... and you're going to lose twice the cargo." Tarik warned, and then shot a glance at Luca. "Maybe more."

Luca grunted annoyedly at the insult. "We shall see." He turned to return to his pod.

Veronica looked a little embarrassed for getting worked up. "Hope we can be of some help. I didn't mean to sound angry. It just hit home for me. My mom... well I lost my mom to a supply shortage."

Hector's expression softened and he nodded. "Well let's try to make sure that won't happen again. Come on!" He said encouragingly. They all activated the simulation pods. After they synced the simulation began. The four fighters flew together in formation approaching a cargo transport. Four enemy pirate squads were in formation around it, guiding the ship off course to plunder.

"Is this some kind of joke, friends?" Luca said nervously, activating the ship comms. "I thought scenario involved Neptune."

A small pause. "TARIK!" A rare touch of outrage in Giuseppe's voice. Veronica saw the simulated target planet change from the dark red of Mars back to the dark blue of Neptune. Hector tried to stay out of it and ignore the chatter.

"Allright everyone, the way we usually start this is through a simultaneous strike on all four of these groups, to try and get their attention away from the transport. But if we pull too far away from the transport they will break off to try to destroy it." He explained. "Giuseppe, Luca, you're group A, Veronica and I will be group B." He saw the video feed of his friends in the HUD, they all nodded in agreement.

"Group A divides the top two squads and B takes the bottom. This time, we're going to alternate between targets, try to keep them chasing us. Let's do this!"

The four ships divided and Veronica grit her teeth as the ships began to reach top speed. They routed a portion of the engine power to reinforce their shielding, as they got into range, the pirate ships began to fire at the transport. The glimmering plasma dissipated when it connected with the shield relay protecting the cargo, but it would not last for long. The moment the chime of the target locks caused a major adrenaline rush. She flipped the switches on the missile control systems and let loose controlled bursts of missiles. The missiles soundlessly rushed to their target, and clashed against their shields. She saw the ships begin to turn and adjust to her position and the ship warned her of multiple enemy lock on signatures.

"You have to fire two missiles at a time, with a small delay. The first one hits the shield, and the second one can punch right through before it blows!" Hector called out. "Ok, Veronica, fly towards me. You take my group and I'll take yours. We'll switch again when we can!" Veronica understood and the two ships began to fly toward one another. On her radar she saw Luca and Giuseppe doing the same. Small course corrections were required to dodge the enemy fire from behind but soon the two ships passed with just a few hundred yards between them. She fired again, this time trying to match the pattern Hector had explained. She almost leapt out of her pilot seat when she saw the second missile destroy one of the three ships. Behind her, she saw the glowing explosions of two of her pursuing ships. The remaining bogey formed up with the two she left behind, and pulled away to attack the transport. She felt a pit in her stomach as she flew into formation behind Hector. They needed to stop the enemy ships from getting through the shield she thought, but how? Giuseppe and Luca had only taken care of two of their six targets and were in the same position they were in.

"We are doing quite well so far, all. I suggest we destroy the remaining ships and hope that we don't damage the transport in the process." Giuseppe said. Shortly after he lanced his laser through the hull of one of the remaining attackers. The four fired, and a bouquet of missile trails bloomed into explosions at the surface of the transport's shields. Each one of their missiles found a mark, except for Veronica. She quickly rerouted her shield energy back into her engines and launched ahead of Hector.

"Voight! Wait!" Hector called out, switching to full engines as well. Veronica didn't listen, edging closer to the lock on range of the boosting pirate. She heard the chime and fired all of her remaining missiles. They fanned out and converged on the ship and it exploded before it collided with the Oxygen reservoir.
Veronica cut the forward thrust and shot past the transport, barely avoiding it herself. "HECTOR!" She screamed "DO IT!"

She saw the ship approach the transport and then the signatures merged as Hector sped faster than before between the containers. Just as he reached the other side he fired his salvo of missiles and they peppered the hull of the remaining two fighters flying towards him. They blew up and the simulation ended. Her heart swelled with pride thinking they had done the simulation perfectly. But it was short lived as the ship reported the calculated loss was 5%. Apparently due to her last salvo. When the canopies opened everyone in the room was cheering and talking about how natural the Martians were at flying. But Veronica couldn't help but feel sad. It seemed that the loss of supplies was inevitable. She entered her initials in the third place spot above Luca, VIV. She examined his entry curiously.

"LUF? What is your middle name?" She asked.

"I'll tell you when we graduate." Luca said grinning.

Hector walked up to Veronica. "Voight, that was top notch! Very reckless though. You drained your shields just for the chance to get a lock. I don't think I would have risked myself like that." He tried to pursue conversations with her but she was drained. She and Luca headed back to the Martian dorms.

Everyone wanted to know about their time in the simulation room the next morning, and for weeks after. The Martians were surprised to hear how difficult it was to preserve the safety of the transport ships, especially Lorde. It had been a cause of growing resentment back at the colony, with some theories as crazy as trying to weaken them as the first stage of an assault. The Earthborn were just curious about how it was playing with the top students, and whether she had seen the new prototype fighter they had Haines and Glaisyer flying. She was proud to have given her people a good name here, but she kept seeing the last fighter she had chased, and the desperate face of her mother.

The four continued to run simulations together, improving their skills and teamwork. Tarik grew cold and distant around the Martian newcomers, but ever since his stunt reprogramming the simulator and a talk with Giuseppe he no longer made any rude remarks. Classes began to go smoothly, and just when she was beginning to get used to the routine her Marine training was over, and the exams were a week away.

Hector and Giuseppe joined the Martians in the mornings now, before class, to study. She and Hector were becoming fast friends, and she was so grateful when he was around. She wasn't sure but he made her feel more relaxed. Together they tried to cram for the famously difficult to pass written comprehensive exam. A failure of this test wouldn't just mean reassignment within the academy or a removal, it meant she was letting down her home. Her friends were all were rooting for her. She spent that week studying, and when she rested she dreamt of life in the UEC. Finally the day came for the final exam, and she touched the red lines on her shoulder. It filled her with confidence, and she walked into the class ready for the exam.

Sol Avenger: A Prelude to War

QuantumForge Blog

Introduction
Welcome readers. Please enjoy this short story based in the future timeline of our upcoming game Sol Avenger. In Sol Avenger, the player may choose a name for either protagonist. However for the telling of this story, I'll be referring to them with the names I chose in the early development stages of the game. The male pilot's name is Hector Haines and the female pilot's name is Veronica Voight.

Hector Haines was born in Oregon, a son of the first generation of spacefarers. His father, an intrepid explorer and military pilot for the United Earth Command, flew vanguard for the engineers and scientists that began the first colonization. He is focused, outgoing, and was frequently chosen among his peers as a leader. Hector finished primary schooling and immediately began preparation to join the UEC Military Academy on Earth. Eager to test himself, he never lost sight of his dream to follow his father's footsteps in the service and the stars.

Veronica Voight is a first generation Martian, a result of 21st century commercial venture to Mars. Her parents were swept up by the romantic and pioneering spirit of space colonization, and signed up for a one way expedition to help expand the colony. While the original colonists were hailed as brave Earthborn explorers, the first generation of Martians became a symbol of power being shifted from Earth. The Martian people were initially discriminated against, but as space colonization became more mainstream, humanity became less bigoted against spacers. Unfortunately, her parents didn't live to see the ban on interplanetary travel lifted. Veronica became an orphan on Mars at a young age, and she learned by experience on a colony that had not yet developed an education system. One day, ships from Earth arrived, and recruiters from the UEC Academies on Earth and the Moon offered a scholarship to any able volunteer. Veronica couldn't resist the chance to retrace her parents path and to show the Earthborn the might of Mars.

Chapter 1: Our weakest link could cause failure beyond your control
Hector Haines fidgeted in his UEC academy uniform. The grey-green woolen jacket was coarse and poorly fitted, dull at best. He didn't like wearing it, or the black button up shirt and slacks, but his father looked so proud when he had left with it on that he had to smile when he looked at himself in the mirror. Hector's father had told him that many of his old comrades retired to teach at the academy, and that he should not expect special treatment. He grabbed his satchel bag and reached into his pocket for his datakeys. They weren't there. He took one last look around his dorm room and spotted the ring of data sticks plugged into the computer on his desk. He tugged it out and stashed them in the front pouch of his bag and let the door shut behind him.

The dormitories formed a circle that cradled around the classrooms, laboratories and academy training facilities. The academy was built in Africa. The flat deserts and savannas that were once the cradle of humanity were now giving birth to the new industrial revolution. Rocket launches and landings went off hourly, the ground crews could hardly keep up. The air was scorched and smoky and blocked the stars in the sky at night.

Hector exited the outer dorm ring, following the signs set out for new arrivals and the groups of grey-green students converging on a hangar normally used to train the mechanics. A degree in mechanics from UEC Earth was considered one of the most prestigious of it's class, but he wasn't interested in spending his life in the hangar. Hector hoped he looked like Space Marine material - he adjusted his collar.

The hangar that held this orientation was a superstructure capable of housing multiple rockets for refueling and repair. Booths peppered the hangar floor, each were space occupation wards with excited students seeking for a coveted academy major allowance, which gave them permission to pursue this study major. Each year the mechanics, logistics, engineers, scientists and military wards of the academy gave a limited number of major tokens to be distributed to qualifying candidates based on the needs of the UEC fleet. Hector did not worry - the military ward tokens often went undistributed.

The original space marines were viewed as heroes. Men and women with little training, piloting ships with none of the safety precautions developed since, putting their lives on the line for humanity. Since the successful colonization of the Moon, Mars, and the establishment of the UEC, the opinion of the Marines program changed. There didn't seem to be a combat role for humanity in space. By the common skeptics, they were seen both as both a de facto police force and a possible invasion force - a precaution in case the tensions rose between the Earth and Mars. The Earthborn generation that saw the Mars One project launch, that called them 'heroes' were dead and gone. The new generation that grew into power saw Martians as a possible threat to UEC dominion over the system, as crooked thugs looking for the opportunity to seize independence.

A massive explosion from ten years ago caused the death of hundreds in the Martian colony. The tragedy was attributed to poorly constructed substandard construction practices and materials from Earth. In exchange for those parts necessary for survival, Martians were hauling large quantities of mined ores back to Earth. As the gap between their peoples grew, the colonists began to self-identify as Martian. They were no longer colonists from Earth but citizens of another world. In retaliation to these actions, the Martian council decided to temporarily limit the shipments of ore back to Earth. It created a jagged rift between the two peoples. Earthborn propaganda began depicting Martians as barbaric and selfish, incapable of sustaining themselves without the direction and control of Earth. This made joining the space marines a controversial decision, but Hector didn't hold these prejudices and he was determined to pilot a fighter like his father.

Hector combed through the crowd looking for the familiar blue tipped missile logo of the Space Marines. The crowds of students were a sprawling school of grey-green woolen fish. The gulping murmurs, the smell of anxious perspiration and salty cooking were waves that overwhelmed his senses. Military ward sergeant recruiters were set up between any two booths, hungry sharks that lie in wait for doe eyed recruits in need of assignment. A small group surrounded a booth where a spirited sergeant was showcasing different features of some personal powered armor. It was a lightweight, durable exoskeleton to fit over the armored spacesuit to allow a peacekeeping marine to move around an orbital laboratory, factory or other facility without the aid of a costly space fighter.

Hector caught the eyes of a searching shark, a sergeant who seemed to recognize him.

"HAINES! Front and center!" The sergeant bellowed. The students around him gave him a concerned look. Hector approached stood at attention.

"Well well well, blonde hair and blue eyes, you look just like he did his first day, kid", the sergeant seemed to be lost in a thought but regained his stern and aggressive persona. "Your father told me you'd be going through our program."

The sergeant pulled a copper ward token from his coat and placed it on Hector's hand. "Get out of my sight; see you at 0700."

Hector felt the engraved insignia of the Space Marines between his thumb and forefinger and pocketed the token. Looking around he decided to loiter around the orientation a little. A huge banner was draped against the wall of the hangar. In bright red letters it said "Welcome to the first Martian class at UEC, Earth!". He walked over to the Martian info kiosk and swiped his display over the data node. His small screen displayed a welcoming message to the "First Martian Class", it showed a stereotypical Martian covered in red dust, shaking hands with an Earthborn.

"Earth is the home for all humanity. Mars and the Earth need each other, and to honor the sacrifices of our brave explorers we welcome the recipients of the Mars Initiative Scholarship, to bring humanity together!"

He pocketed his screen and chuckled, first class of alien attendees? and began to walk back to his dorm on the outer ring of the academy.

His first week of class had been invigorating. The marines exercised strenuous physical regiment and access to the simulator pods to practice. Hector concentrated on his remedial classes that covered basic combat repairs, first aid, explosives and tactics. Spending time in the hangar bay learning how to repair and modify a service model craft, he asked many questions from the mechanics students, and discovered he rather liked working with his hands on the strike craft after all. However, it was the simulator pods that got his adrenaline pumping and took up his time. All of his off time.

This is where he met Giuseppe.

About a week of frequenting the simulator, each of the pods retained a high scores for each attempted simulation, and in a week's time he was close to top of his class, but came up short each time. Tired and frustrated, he was beginning to climb out of the simulator when he heard a voice behind him.

"You're ruining your score," An accent whirled around Hector. A tall thin man, a pair of glasses, each lens displaying a small screen.

"Who are you?" Hector asked, furrowing his brow.

"Giuseppe Glaisyer. I am a marine-in-training, like you. You saw me during instruction with my friend, Tarik, right? Playing these simulations alone like this will never let you surpass these high scores."

Hector adjusted his collar. "Hector Haines. I have an easier time when I run the simulation without allies. Allies cause failure, and throw off my focus. If I can memorize the simulation I can get the best score, but I can't keep all of my allies safe..."

"It's an easy mistake for new cadets, part of the total score in these simulations is effective teamwork. You can never get top leaderboard scores without these extra points."

"But it's impossible to score this high with allies!"

Giuseppe shook his head and approached another simulator. "Not without practice. Just because something is hard does not mean it is impossible. You are correct though, we will need to practice a lot. Our weakest link could cause failure beyond your control." He turned the simulator on. "Let me show you."

Hector dropped back down into the simulator and turned it on. The pods synced and the simulation began. The pod cockpits were modeled much like the old 21st century fighters, and the transparent canopy of the cockpit displayed simulated space. He heard the communicator click on.
"You take point, Haines!" Giuseppe said, his fighter pulled up into formation behind Hector.

They entered small scenario in which a group of criminals were assaulting a transport freighter. Four enemy pirates attacking the transport ship, and four enemy pirates in a dogfight with the transport's three AI escort fighters. Hector had ran through this one many times. When he tried before, and worked to save the dogfighting escorts, the transport is destroyed. When he had protected the transport, the dogfighting escort was destroyed and the criminals overwhelmed him and the simulation had ended. Hector collected his thoughts for a moment.

"Giuseppe, concentrate on the transport, I'll handle the fighters!" Hector called out, banking right and increasing thrust. He activated his targeting computer, and red and green identifiers appeared on the grid display in front of him. The escort fighters were flying in tight formation below the transport, desperately trying to distract and deter the pirates from intercepting the transport. Hector assigned his objective in his targeting computer and flew to intercept. When he pulled into position behind them the enemies began to raise speed and quickly maneuver. Slowly, his fighter's onboard targeting sensors built a lock, and as soon as he heard the chirp of the successful lock, he flipped up the missile safety and let loose a salvo of bright blue homing missiles. One of the simulated ships erupted in a fiery explosion, and the other three enemies disengaged the attack on the escort fighters, forming at Hector's 6 and began to lock onto his vessel. He shot forward full thrust. The chirping of the enemy lock alarm faded as he outpaced the pursuing pirates behind him, and oriented his craft towards the allied escort fighters, who were trying to use Hector's distraction to change formation. Hector disabled his injector safeguards, enabled overdrive, and laid onto the thrusters. His ship shot even further forward and caught up with the fleeing escort squad. Once the escort drones were in network range, he relayed orders to them to form up at his sides and they immediately turned together with him back towards the pirates.

Giuseppe had successfully distracted and made short work of the pirates that had not chased Hector to attack the transport. Hector's eyes were glued to his targeting display as he sped back to the transport. He felt a pit in his stomach as he saw the three pursuing pirates behind his ship, and heard the wailing alarm of an enemy lock. Giuseppe took control of the situation and began flying on an intercept course, straight for Hector. The pirates were delivering a hail of laser fire towards Hector and the transport ship. White hot plasma began to drain Hectors ships shields and errant shots grazed the transporter's hull, scoring it. As the gap between Hector and Giuseppe closed, Hector braced himself.

He drew a deep breath and sent a scramble command to the escort drones. The computer controlled ships banked away in opposing directions, unfortunately none of the pirate fighters took the bait and broke away to pursue. Their shots were becoming more accurate, and the small rocking of shield impacts shifted to the sudden and violent impacts to the hull armor. Suddenly, his diagnostic computer began to chirp, and Hector realized that Giuseppe had fired four missiles that were headed in his general direction without any designated target. The blue plasma missiles twisted unopposed through the vacuum of space, barreling towards Hector. He did a hard evasive roll maneuver, pulling up into a somersault. Giuseppe saw Hector bank clear and activated his ship's lasers. The missiles flew in proximity to the pirate ships and Giuseppe's lasers lanced through one of the projectiles as it passed, causing an explosion that engulfed the other missiles and set off a chain reaction overtook the remaining pirates. The simulation ended and they each put in their initials. Hector hopped out of the simulator pod with sweat dripping down his neck. He unbuttoned his collar, and approached Giuseppe shaking his head in disbelief.

"You've got to show me that trick you used. How were you able to lock onto the missiles with your lasers so quickly?" He approached Giuseppe, smiling.

"I didn't," Giuseppe said dryly. "The missile and laser lock takes too much time. You have to get a feel for how to aim intuitively." He tapped his forehead with his forefinger "Our weakest link could cause failure beyond your control, eh?"

They spent the rest of the evening talking in the simulation room. Giuseppe came from France - he was practical and efficient. Giuseppe's father, like Hector's, was a member of the first vanguard of the UEC forces. He was stationed on Jupiter's moon Europa and returned after his tours of duty to Earth.

He felt his calling was writing, but his family forced him into the service. Resigned to his fate, he joked that the experience would make a perfect first novel.

That month, Giuseppe and Hector teamed together to become highest scoring students in their class. They received a lot of attention from their classmates in the process, and began to help the others improve their scores as well. One night, sitting in the commons area, a dark skinned man with curly dark hair approached Giuseppe with light hazel eyes.

"What's the matter Glaisyer, you're looking like a Martian over there with your mouth gaping like that," The man joked.

Hector felt uneasy around this new arrival, but he politely smiled and remained silent. Giuseppe clenched his fist, but eased in slow pulses - relaxing, calculating, winning.

"Tarik! You've finally escaped from your studies!", Giuseppe opened his hand.

"More like they escaped me, some idiot classmate in the hangar slipped with the spanner on a fighter engine, and there was plasma leaking everywhere. We were told to relax until they had the situation under control!"

They all had a laugh.

Tarik looked at Hector. "A new friend of yours?"

Giuseppe nodded. "Hector Haines, meet Tarik Tabia. Tabia, Haines. He is the one I was briefing you about, the high score."

"Ah, I see now, you're a fast growing legend around here, Haines!" Tarik's eyes widened. "You know a real ship is much less predictable..."

Hector shook Tarik's hand tightly, and grinned despite himself. "Nice to meet you, Tabia. My dad taught me that behind every great Marine is an amazing mechanic"

"Oh, a pilot that appreciates us gear monkies. Excellent! Where'd you find this guy, Glaisyer?" Tarik squeezed even tighter.

Tarik was given a full scholarship to attend from Egypt. His family remained on Earth during the colonization, a luxury of the upper class. His application to the academy was an act of rebellion against their control. He never expected a scholarship and acceptance letter to arrive, but it did. His entitled parents cast him out of their home, and he traveled to the UEC academy without their blessing. His wild behavior and frequent quarrels with Giuseppe were the simple cherry-picked pleasures life him.

Giuseppe had hoped Tarik would be chosen to be a Marine with him, but a scout for the mechanics ward saw Tarik's talent being wasted and demanded he join the mechanics ward.

Ever since they met him, Giuseppe and Hector would hurry out of their classes to meet up with Tarik in the hangar. Most students would return to their dorm areas, enjoy the luxurious common rooms and work on tedious homework, but Hector and Giuseppe completed all this work during the instruction. They looked forward to the hum of the generators and the echo of metal against metal.

One particular afternoon, as their engineering class drew to a close, the teacher's aide in charge of weekend instruction broadcasted a new data bulletin to their devices:

"Cadets, we are accepting the very first Martian applicants tomorrow. Not only the first for our academy, but the first for Mars. I know some of you have never seen a Martian before. Our professors and I want you to remember that like many of you they left their homes and traveled far for the chance to join the UEC fleet."

Hector looked around, looking at the spectrum of reaction from the class. Wrinkled brows, cocked heads and shivers emanated throughout the room, but mostly the familiar looks of disinterest. Tarik seemed lost in a bad thought, Giuseppe was curiously gauging Hector's reaction. He raised his fingers, pulling at the woolen collar that seemed to shrink on him. Class was adjourned and they all walked out of the lecture hall with a silence between them.

In the short time he had gotten to know Tarik, he felt the soothing warmness, the familiar fire within, but also the burn when Martians were the subject of interest. Tarik grew up mired in the political propaganda on Earth, the threat of a Martian revolution, and the survival of the UEC.

A few times the subject came up between them, and it became uncomfortable. Giuseppe cared for connections, an avid humanist. Hector learned from his father to stay out of it, but he was very interested in the Martian recruits. He noticed in the data bulletin that they were due to arrive in the mess hall that afternoon for late orientation.

The three made it just in time and spotted the Martian cadets all clad in the academy grey-green uniforms with rich red stripes near the shoulders. The usually bustling mess hall, now nearly vacant, swarmed with hushed voices of the new arrivals. Hector noticed that with the red sands of Mars washed clean the students had pale, almost alien looking skin. Most had a very short buzz cut around their head, but their sideburns grew out long. Many were styled and trimmed into geometric shapes. Just as Hector begun to stare, his eyes caught the gaze of a Martian woman who looked just as curious about them as they were about her.

She had shoulder length bright red hair and an athletic frame. Something about the flame, the way the match lit in her eyes at him, made him want to shake her hand.

Giuseppe nudged him, stepped forward to the nearest Martian, and extended his hand.

"Those sideburns. Those sideburns! Those sideburns!" Tarik guffawed at the large spirals cut from the long grown sideburns of the man Giuseppe's had approached. This man was much larger and more muscular than Giuseppe, and it was only upon closer inspection that Hector noticed his arms were scarred and burned, and he could tell the man was blind in his right eye, probably from working the mines, or from sudden decompression.

"I want to welcome you to the Earth UEC academy. I am Giuseppe Glaisyer, a cadet just like you, and I hope you and your classmates enjoy your time here." He said, gripping the larger hand and shaking vigorously.

The Martian's left eye softened. "Luca Forte, well met. Your Earth is a beautiful sight to behold. The atmosphere is pleasant."

Hector used the opportunity to approach the woman who had been looking his way the entire time.

"Welcome to Earth. I... well I'm Hector Haines. I'm enlisting to be a UEC space marine. In fact, we started just a half semester earlier and are pretty new ourselves. What's your name?" The words felt cool, were they?

"I'm Veronica. Veronica Voight. I guess we have something in common then", she said tracing her finger along the three red lines at her uniform's shoulder. "They told me we would help bring Earth and Mars closer. I loved being in the cockpit on the machines on Mars, and..." She paused letting her hands fall to her sides. "I like to see the stars when I look at the sky. No offense."

Just as he was about to ask her something else, a martian with forked sideburns tapped her shoulder and pointed to an entering academy aid that called all Martian cadets to report to the dormitories for room assignment. She followed the others, but turned to look once more at the two before she slipped through the cafeteria doors and out of sight. Giuseppe gave a final farewell to Luca, and walked back to Hector and Tarik.