The flashes of future insight, the precognitive glimpse of
things to come, had so far been terribly vague and brief --
fairly minor events, though still of high significance.  He might
see a vision of someone he was close to, a member of his psychic
innerweb, as Dr. Palovich put it.  Ryo, he saw once, standing at
the foot of a towering mecha, a mecha that dwarfed all other
mecha like a titanic giant.  He saw Sara, wounded and smeared
with blood, blasting away at some unknown adversary, screaming
for a retreat.  There were yet other glimpses of Kay Sabre, still
alive, laughing in twisted madness, her voice distorted by some
mechanical augmentation.  In yet another, he saw David Pollux's
mecha turn black and crumble into dust.  And, on one dark night,
he envisioned Xandra destroying entire legions of troops with
hideous blasts of telekinetic powers.
     Dr. Palovich told him that these glimpses into the future
were the most common.  Simple windows into major points of highly
significant or psychologically trauma that were destined to take
place, one way or the other.  Some were symbolic, others were
absolute.  The same was true of retrocognition, though Taeon had
few experiences with that.  Both revolved around the same
temporal psionic theory.
     Graphically pictured, every individual, diver or normal, was
a node in a vast psychic web of interpersonal contacts.  When two
people meet a connection was made between them.  Over time, this
connection would fade and eventually vanish along with the memory
of that person, unless contact is reestablished.  Strong
connections exist between family and friends.  Many ages ago,
some people called this the universal consciousness.  Whatever
the case was, these connections exist between all people and all
things in the universe.  It was how a mother knows when her son
tragically died a thousand miles away.  It was how psychic
'ghosts' become imprinted on houses or buildings after terrible
events transpire.  And, at the root of it all, was even related
to the quantum interactions of fundamental particles.
     On the first circle of Taeon's psychic web were the people
he had come into direct contact with.  The strongest links were
to his family and close friends -- his comrades in Guardian
Squadron.  The next level out were other people who had come into
contact with those of his friends in the first circle.  That
second circle spread out to other circles as the web of contacts
spread out from person to person, becoming fainter as the level
of familiarity declined.   There was much overlapping and criss-
crossing in the uncharitable web of psychic interactions and
contacts between the multitude of levels and nodes.
     His connection with those people on the second level was
extremely weak and the chances of him foreseeing future events
involving those individuals was slim.  The only way for it to
happen would be for him to have extremely powerful abilities, or
for the event to be terribly significant or close by, temporally
speaking.
     When Taeon saw a snake in his dream, he at first thought it
was simply a dream.  But as the dream transpired and Taeon
continued to feel the psychic pull and the energies of vast
cosmic powers surging through his mind, he realized that the
dream was in fact a precognitive vision.  The snake, strange as
it was, had five heads, like some kind of mythic hydra, and wore
a cloak draped across its body.  On the cloak was the metal eagle
emblem of the ITR.
     A great battle-ax swung down from the sky and cleaved off
all five of the snake's heads in one stroke.  Taeon woke with a
start, shuddering in a cold sweat and crying out in terror.  The
dream was not frightful, though it's implications were
terrifying.  Nor did it carry significance in and of itself, as
it must have been a symbolic flash of a future event.
Nevertheless, Taeon felt that it was a great event indeed, and
somehow knew that it had come from the second level of his
psychic web involving a person, or a number of people, he did not
know.
     The next day he met with Dr. Palovich as usual.  Half way
through his standard mental exercises, Taeon brought up his
precognitive vision.
     "You have glimpsed what we believe to be a serious blow to
the Empire," stated Palovich.  "Many divers, including myself and
Admiral Steele, have had similar dreams.  Sometimes, the animal
is seen as a wolf, a dragon, a krythak, or some such aggressive
animal.  In every case, the beast has five heads, all of which
get severed by an ax or sword."
     "No one as seen a clearer vision?" asked Taeon.  "Not even
powerful divers such as the Admiral?"
     "Unfortunately there are many mysteries to psychic
phenomenon.  Sometimes, no matter how powerful one is, the future
is a misty haze of uncertainty, even though we know that the
future is as solid and material as the past.  Now, please
continue."
     Taeon nodded and sat down in a chair.  He picked up the
small marble and cupped it in his hand.  Concentrating with all
his thoughts and energy, he focused his mind on the glass ball.
The ball did nothing, though Taeon swore he felt it vibrate a bit
on his palm.
     "Now that I consider it," blurted Palovich, shattering
Taeon's concentration, "more and more events are being foreseen
as unclear, symbolic images, much as a class one or two diver
would see them.  It seems as if the closer we come to the great
psychic cataclysm, where all precognition sight is hampered, the
foggier events become.  There could very well be a massive psycho-
temporal backlash from the cataclysm."
     "A psycho-temporal backlash?" asked Taeon.  "That sounds
real bad.  Why have I never been told anything about this until
now?"
     "That's why we've been keeping it a secret from the general
public.  There would be a panic if something like this were
generally known.  Any panic would be foolish and unwarranted, of
course, as this event is obviously unavoidable.  It is,
therefore, in the better interest of humanity to delay sharing
this knowledge outside our circle."
     "Sounds like some damn conspiracy," muttered Taeon.
     Palovich smiled.  "Yes."
                            *   *   *
     The inevitable had come.  Ryo knew it was only a matter of
time until it did.  He slouched down in his chair and drummed his
fingers across the tabletop.  Near the other end of the
conference table, Katana Falcon smiled.
     "I am pleased to introduce to you the latest members of the
Third Wing."  She motioned toward ten young, goggle-eyed pilots
who looked as if they were fresh out of basics.  They stood stiff
and attentive, mindful of every speck of dust on their non-com
uniforms.  "These are the members of Remora Squadron and Green
Squadron."
     They won't last one battle, concluded Ryo.  He glanced over
at Taeon, hoping he would divulge some of that great diver wisdom
of his, but he looked back at him and just nodded.
     "And let me congratulate Destiny Gray on his promotion to
the rank of captain."
     Destiny seemed to ignore the applause as he stood and
received his new rank pin and chevrons from Major Falcon.
     "Captain Gray," said Katana Falcon.  "The Imperial Earth
Guard has put forth a request to transfer you back into their
ranks.  The General has sent a letter stating that all court-
martial charges have been withdrawn in light of your remarkable
performance.  Furthermore..."
     "No," said Destiny.  He sat back down in his chair.  "I'm
not going back to the Earth Guard."
     "May I ask why?"
     Destiny frowned as if he did not want to say, but he
divulged his reasons in spite of it. "My place is with the
Vigilant, her crew, and the pilots of the Third Wing.  My loyalty
to the Earth Guard died with the death of my wing."
     Katana nodded.  "Very well.  You will remain leader of
Guardian Squadron and the wing sub-commander of the Third Wing."
     "Thank you," he said.  "That is all I desire."
                         *   *   *
     Earth rotated slowly below, an insignificant speck of blue
and white in an infinite void of darkness.  Ryo closed his eyes
for a second, then opened them again.  The sight of JT alleviated
the pains in his mind.  She had recently made the promotion to
second lieutenant, though it wasn't going to be official until
she went to officers' academy.  Until such time it was just a
field promotion.  Ryo would miss her when she left, as she had
missed him when he left for the academy, but he was glad that she
had been commissioned.  JT smiled and leaned forward in her
chair.
     Ryo took a sip of his drink and glanced back at the lounge
window.  "The war isn't going well," he stated.
     JT frowned and made puppy dog eyes at him.  "Why do you
always talk about the war?  We're at Earth now, we left the war
behind at Eridani."
     "Can't drop my guard for a picosecond," stated Ryo.  "Now
that Eridani has fallen, Earth or Alpha Centauri could be next.
The New Coalition has made its big push, and now the Empire has
to make a big push back."
     "Maybe so, but can't you relax for a little bit?"  JT smiled
again.  "I can help you relax, you know?"
     "Hmmm," said Ryo, thoughtfully.  Just then, he heard a
commotion from the back of the officers' lounge.  Looking back,
he saw Kyle Suavarre and two of his rebel henchmen walking
arrogantly into the lounge as if they owned the place.  A number
of officers glanced resentfully at the newcomers; some actually
left the lounge.  The ex-rebel mercenaries were not highly
regarded by the general populace of the Vigilant, and no one was
more resentful of their presence than Ryo Gunn.  "Perfect
timing," mumbled Ryo.
     Kyle, trailed by his subordinates, headed straight for Ryo
and JT's table.  "Jane," said Kyle, in his cool, charming voice.
"I was wondering if you might be interesting in dinner with me
this evening."
     JT smiled politely and looked back and forth between Ryo and
Kyle.  Her expression was that of amusement and confusion.  "I
don't know.  I..."
     Ryo clenched his fist and jumped to his feet.  "You arrogant
bastard!" he exclaimed.  "How dare you waltz in here and ask her
that with me sitting right in front of her!  And who the hell are
these guys?  Were you too much of a coward to come and ask her by
yourself?"
     Kyle wasn't fazed, though his two henchmen stood a bit
taller, tensed and ready to fight.  "Lieutenant Gunn," said Kyle.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance once again.  I assure
you that I pose no threat to you, nor to your current
relationship with Lieutenant Tacwell.  As we are old friends, I
was merely asking her out to dine so that we might catch up on
old times.  Is that so much too ask?"
     Ryo cross his arms and glanced back a JT.  He wanted to beat
the hell out of Kyle but that would certainly not impress JT.
She would never speak to him again if he did something as gravely
immature as fighting over her.  He looked back at Kyle.  "So, you
and your gang... I mean, troops, have joined up with us?"
     "That is correct," said Kyle. He brushed his hand back
though his hair. "In light of the recent tragedies at Eridani,
the Admiral has seen fit to hire us as elite mercenary marines.
Our job is to strengthen your marine and mecha divisions.  We
make up a full mecha wing, the replacement for the annihilated
Second Wing, and about a platoon of heavy strike marines."
     "Look, Kyle, you may think you're hot stuff, but remember
whose ship this is.  This is an ITR warship.  We fight for the
freedom and rights of human civilization, not some half-baked
rebel idealists."
     Kyle smirked and crossed his arms over his flamboyantly
decorated uniform.  "Hypocritical Imperialist!" laughed Kyle.
"When will you see that neither the Empire nor the Coalition
stand for freedom or civil rights?  Government was created to
serve the community, but ever since the advent of class-structure
five thousand years ago it was the community which served the
government."  Kyle nodded and took in a deep breath.
"Personally, I don't have a problem with it.  The system runs
smoothly enough.  The Empire at least advertises its class-
structured feudal system; but the Coalition doesn't.  The
Coalition is a cynical, twisted bureaucracy bent not on
independence, but conquest of the Main Worlds and the Frontier.
The Coalition juggernaut crushed countless billions in the wake
of its warring rampage.  That's why I fought against them and not
against the Empire.  Now that Briggs is in command, the New
Coalition is a military dictatorship.  I don't know which is
worse...."
     Ryo brought himself face to face with Kyle Suavarre.
"Briggs is going down!  I'll see to that personally!"
     "Not likely," stated Kyle, smugly.  "If Briggs dies, anarchy
and chaos will reign for another fifty years.  Billions more will
die.  Is that what you want?  You have to admit, for the first
time in fifty years, the Coalition has a politically stable
government, unlike the Empire.  You see, that is why we're are
losing the war."
     "Whose side are you on?" demanded Ryo.  "And why the hell
are you trying to piss me off?"
     "It's working, isn't it?" replied Kyle.  "I'm on my side,
and that happens to follow the same agenda as the ITR.  Don't
worry, Briggs can be eliminated.  Remember, the ITR government
doesn't give a damn about its citizens.  Why would it give a damn
about the GSC's?  Even if it takes a hundred million buried
heroes, a hundred million sorrow-torn widows and starving
children, the Empire will do everything it can to crush the
Coalition."
     Ryo sat back down and glanced at JT.  She was staring at
Kyle, tears forming in her eyes.
     "That is the real reason I joined up with the ITR," said
Kyle.  "My fight is still for the freedom of the GSC, but also
for the freedom of the Empire."
     Great, thought Ryo.  And we're paying this guy to defend us.
He shook his head and watched as Kyle and his soldiers left the
lounge.
                         *   *   *
     It was the 23rd of July, 2380, when the crew of the
Vigilant, and every other person in the Imperial Terran Republic
stopped what they were doing and listened in horror to the FNN
news reports.  The crew of the Vigilant first heard word of the
incident via Captain Armour's announcement over the ship's
intercom.
     "My brave crew and valiant pilots of this, the flagship of
the great Imperial Terran Republic, stand fast in our time of
crisis."
     Taeon looked up from the security control console as he
heard the Captain's voice on the intercom.
     "On this terrible day, at exactly 13:13 GMT, President Aaron
Grashein was assassinated.  Shortly there after, the assassin
took his own life."
     Taeon couldn't help but glance over at the chronometer on
the wall.  It read 13:17.  The President had died only four
minutes ago!  Why had no one foreseen it?
     "Summarily assassinated at approximately the same time was
the High General of the Army, the Executive Admiral of Naval
Operations, the Chief of Imperial Intelligence, and the Commander
of Strategic Defense."
     Taeon felt his heart skip a beat.  The head of the Empire
has been cut off in one fell swoop!  Five heads of a beast,
severed by a blade.  The vision which had supposedly been
foreseen for years, and recently by himself as well, had finally
come to pass...
     But how the GSC was able to make such a devastating blow
escape the explanation of reason.  It was unthinkable, and
impossible, unless...  Unless the ITR government had been
infiltrated by GSC agents!
     "President Grashein has been succeeded by former Vice-
President Tsunami Hametsu."
     Hametsu was known for his controversial stand on Frontier
expansionism policies of siege conquest campaigning, thought
Taeon.  Undoubtedly with this new administration, there would be
a renewed interest in exploring and conquering the lost colonies
on the Frontier.  Maybe even Arcturus.
     "We must remain strong in the face of this terrible
catastrophe.  President Hametsu is taking measures to insure the
safety and stability of our government.  As the flagship of the
ITR, we must set an example for all.  Admiral Steele is the
successor to the late Executive Admiral Triphen, so we have
become far more than just the flagship; we are now the mind and
soul of the Imperial Navy itself.  Our glory shall shine as
bright as the brightest star, as we, the men and women of the ITR
Vigilant, usher forth a new era in the history of mankind.  We
shall unite civilization and crush tyranny in the name of freedom
and prosperity.  The evils of the rebellious and hypocritical GSC
will fall to the might of the Empire.  We will overcome all
trials and tribulations and prevail for all time."
     Big words in light of the current situation, thought Taeon.
Eridani had fallen, the Imperial leaders have been assassinated,
and he was certain that Briggs was on his way to Arcturus.  It
was as if the Manifest Destiny of the Empire was but a fading
dream; an impossible goal.  The universe had turned upside down,
and Taeon Toshio knew there was nothing he could do.  It was all
in the hands of the politicians now.  And that would spell
disaster.
                            *   *   *
     "I'm glad you could make it to this emergency meeting,"
stated Katana Falcon to the seven members of the Guardian
Squadron.  She walked over to the briefing room's intercom and
switched it on.  "We're ready," she said.
     She switched off the intercom and went back to her seat at
the front of the table where she waited patiently.  Six of the
seven members of Guardian Squadron looked around the room
burdened with the anticipation of what event was about to befall
them.  Only Destiny Gray seemed unaffected by the mysterious
circumstances.
     Soon, the briefing room doors opened, and Dr. Chrome stepped
through followed by two smug-looking, well-dressed men. One of
the men, the smuggest one, typed a code into the door controls.
The door slid shut and locked.
     Major Falcon stood and motioned to the new arrivals.  "You
all know Dr. Edward Chrome," she started.  "So, may I introduce
Mr. Robert Ellington and Mr. Ash Iowa.  Mr. Ellington and Mr.
Iowa came on-board this morning with orders from the newly
appointed President Hametsu."
     "Appointed as what?" asked Allen.
     "I am your political advisor," stated Mr. Ellington.  "This
is my assistant."
     "Political advisors?" asked Allen scoffing the title ever so
slightly.  "Whatever for?"
     Mr. Ellington smiled.  "Under the advice of Admiral Steele,
the Imperial Council has elected to investigated the Arcturus
system.  That system has been avoided, or rather outside Imperial
contact, for quite some time.  In recent years, our military
efforts have been concentrated on holding the Main Worlds, and
the Frontier has become ever more chaotic."
     "If Arcturus holds a secret military base, I would have
thought that it would be of the utmost value to you," stated Ryo.
     Mr. Ellington frowned.  "Who said anything about the
military?  All information on the 'secret base' as you call it,
is strictly on a need to know basis.  As far as we know, the base
was totally destroyed."
     "How?" demanded Ryo.  "And in what way were my parents
involved?"
     Mr. Ellington's frown deepened.  "Let us say that the base
was destroyed during the GSC's carelessly planned attempt to
capture it.  As for your parent's, Lieutenant Gunn, we truthfully
know nothing.  All records, except for a few regarding the base's
existence, were expunged a dozen years ago.  We have no record of
the base's staff, purpose, or any breakthroughs which might have
been made there."  His frown vanished, but he did not smile.  "I
can tell you that your parents were not at all the people you
thought them to be.  They were not Frontier explorers, but were
indeed high-ranking scientists in the Imperial Special Projects
Division.  We believe, and regrettably I must tell you, that they
were possibly GSC double-agents as well."
     Ryo looked away and bit his lip.  He had suspected both of
these facts for some time, the way he parents always slipped off
on missions no one knew anything about, and never talked to
anyone about what they did.  The holodisk his father had sent him
also supported the truth in what Mr. Ellington had said.  Even
so, Ryo was far from trusting a political imperialist, such as
Ellington, to be telling the whole truth.  "I understand," he
lied.
     "The Vigilant and twenty other ships are under preparations
for an expeditionary venture into the Arcturus system," stated
Major Falcon.  "However, it will be about another week until we
get underway.  Tactical analysis has shown that the GSC could
arrive shortly before hand, if they indeed departed for the
system five days prior to the Eridani invasion, as we suspect."
     "How do we know this?" asked Taeon.
     Mr. Ellington smiled.  "Spies are still quite useful in that
regard, Lieutenant Toshio.  General Briggs has not yet found and
disposed of all our agents."
     "And, in light of the tragic events of recent note, neither
have we," reminded Vista Juno. "Could we have faulty
intelligence?  The GSC may already be there."
     "Could be," said Ash Iowa.  "In this business, you always
take risks.  Win and you survive.  Lose and you die."
     "With the recent death of President Grashein and our top
four military leaders, we believe that General Briggs is
preparing for a major strike against us," explained Mr.
Ellington.  "If he believes there is something of value in the
Arcturus system, there probably is.  That is why we are going.
We must try to stop him and to take what is rightfully ours."
     Major Falcon nodded.  "It is the Admiral's option that we
send an advanced force to the Arcturus system to scout it out and
report back.  You have been chosen for that task.  The fast
frigate Stinger, commanded by Captain Neben, is schedule to
depart tomorrow.  The Guardian Squadron, pilots and tech crew,
Dr. Chrome, Mr. Ellington, and Mr. Iowa, will be taken on-board
today at 1700 hours.  Dr. Chrome has been assigned an Ironclad
Raptor Vernier, and Mr. Ellington and his assistant have each
been given an Ironclad Mindancer mecha."
     Ryo rolling his eyes, realizing that the only mecha those
political sharks could possibly control would have to have a
neural interface control system.  They probably knew less about
mecha than a pre-boot camp pilot wannabe.
     "Captain Gray," said Mr. Ellington.  "You have turned down
the promotion to transfer to the Earth Guard?"
     "I have," stated Destiny.
     Ellington nodded.  "I see.  Your skills would be quite
valuable to us, but your background is, how should I put it, a
possible liability.  Do I have your guarantee that you have
forgotten your past and that you will not let your emotions or
feelings get in the way of your duty?"
     "My emotions have long since vanished," said Destiny.  "And
I know my duty.  I shall uphold it, though I may walk through the
fiery chambers of hell and face the wrath of death itself."
     "Good," said Ellington.  "Then you may remain squadron
leader."
     "I believe that is all," said Major Falcon.  "If there are
no further questions, you are dismissed.  Get packed and be ready
to move out by 1630."
                            *   *   *
     "It's a long story," said Destiny.
     "You're our commanding officer," said Taeon.  He looked
around the almost empty lounge.  Ryo and Lynn were present and
listening intently for Destiny's explanation.  Allen and Juno
were also present, but they were listening with only one ear.
David was probably in his room reading a book.  Taeon asked the
question again.  "What happened with you and the Earth Guard?"
     "We have a right to know," stated Ryo.
     Destiny nodded.  "You are correct.  As I must know the ins
and outs of my squadron, so must my squadron know the ins and
outs of me."  He sighed.  "As you know, several months ago I was
transferred to the Guardian Squadron.  At that time, you knew
only that I had been severely demoted and expelled from the
Imperial Earth Guard.  You did not know why.  The official report
merely stated that I had made a serious breach of the command
structure that had cost the lives of twenty-four men and women -
everyone in my wing.  That is all true, but that is scarcely a
fraction of what happened that day.  I was not demoted for my
errors or my disobedience of orders.  I was demoted because of
what I knew.
     "We were on a training exercise in the Barnard Star system.
That was unusual for us in and of itself, as we were restricted
to the sole protection of Earth.  But, from time to time, we did
receive training outside the Sol system.  After a few days of
simulated combat with painting lasers and paint ball bullets, we
received new orders to switch out our practice weapons for live
ones and then proceed the Barnard III.  There, we were to destroy
a small farming colony.  As wing leader, I questioned the orders.
I was told the colony was a renegade military base.
     "Our ship's long range sensors showed no sign of military
presence at the target.  No ships, no energy cannons, nothing.
There was, however, a powerful psion field emanating from the
colony.  I told my wing that we would not follow the orders,
beings that it was a defenseless colony.  The ship's captain
ordered me to proceed and threatened to have me executed on the
spot for treason if I did not.  With little choice, as I knew the
mission was now eminent no matter what I did, I gave the go ahead
and we took flight to Barnard III.
     "Once we sustained geo-sync above the target location and
had made preparations to attack, two of my wingmen broke
formation and went on a bizarre killing spree.  They took down
four of our other mecha before I myself took them both out.  The
only clue to their actions was a massive spike in psion particle
levels."
     Allen and Juno turned their full attention to Destiny, as
this was the first time he had said more than two sentences in a
row, and both were shocked to hear his voice for such a prolonged
expanse of time.  Knowing that Destiny was revealing the most
secret mysteries of his past, all listened with wide eyes and
half-opened mouths.
     "We dove into the atmosphere minutes later," continued
Destiny, "but half my men blacked out.  Once again, there was a
psion spike, the source of which was the supposed farming colony.
The mecha of those nine men tumbled helplessly though the thick,
Venus-like upper atmosphere and burned away in seconds.  Another
psion spike registered, and this time I felt a million needles
stab into my brain.  Two more of my men lost control of their
mecha and perished.  Somehow, I managed to keep control as did
the remaining six men in my wing.  All remaining pilots reported
the same sensations I had felt.  A minute later, we cleared the
upper atmosphere only to be greeted by a new psion spike.  This
time the readings went right off the scale.  A brilliant light
exploded far below and ripped up toward us at an insurmountable
speed.  I grabbed the controls of my mecha and spun out of the
way just in time, though the shock wave blasted me several
kilometers off course.  The immense blast of whatever it was,
some kind of quantum energy surge I guessed, obliterated the of
my team.  I vectored my booster back down, and rocketed into the
sky, putting as much distance between me and that hellish colony.
As I broke atmosphere, a new flood of psionic needles tore into
my mind.  It nearly cause me to black out from the sheer pain,
but I kept my course steady and headed back to the ship at top
speed.  After awhile, the pain finally stopped.  I'd left that
damnable weapon's range...
     "As I neared my ship, they locked onto my mecha with two
anti-mecha cannons.  But they never fired.  The Captain must have
changed his mind at the last minute.  When I landed, I was taken
on board and thrown in the brig without explanation.  Once we had
returned to Earth, a high-ranking admiral told me that I had two
choices.  I could be eliminated or I could be court-martialed
with the story that I lost my wing in a training mission
accident.  I took the latter.  Strangely, the admiral told about
the project.  It seems that what had killed my wing was a new
technology, the psi-amp prototype, and that my wing had been used
to test the new device to see how well it fared against the best
of the best.  The admiral claimed that the military had not
intended to destroy my entire wing.  They had calculated only a
fifty percent fatality rate.  As I was the sole survivor, they
were quite proud of the psi-amp, and quite disappointed in my
wing's performance.  After that, they released me and told me not
to speak of it."
     "So why did you tell us?" asked Ryo.
     "The admiral gave me secret instructions to reveal the truth
at the proper time."
     Ryo and Taeon looked at each other, then back at Destiny.
"Who was this admiral?" asked Taeon."
     "The admiral was Sylvia Steele.  Surely she must have been
as much a victim as I.  She was not the one who tested the psi-
amp at Barnard.  She told me that when all hell had fallen across
the Empire that I should reveal the truth.  I guess she knew
about the fall of Eridani and the assassination of our leaders,
the leaders who were responsible for this atrocity..."  Destiny
shook his head.  "It's my fault that events transpired as they
did.  I should have made my team turn back at that fist sign of
trouble, but I was too concerned with my own honor.  I wanted to
be a hero, and everyone but me died.  I lost my friends, my rank,
and my honor.  I hated the Empire for what it did.  I no longer
fight for them; I fight only to end this terrible war.  I fight
for the people, for the children, for freedom, and for a better
tomorrow.  This Empire will not last, but humanity must.  Yes, my
fight is for humanity."
                            *   *   *
     The shuttlecraft Renmer cruised across the starboard bow of
the fast frigate Stinger.  Two massive gun turrets were locked
into place on the top deck, ready to spin into action at a
moment's notice.  Along both sides of the hundred meter long
warship were dozens of anti-mecha point defense turrets, only a
fraction the size of the two main cannons.  About midway down the
ship was the bridge tower, speckled with lights from various
windows.  The half-disk shaped bridge was near the top of the
tower itself.  The ship's small mecha bay was situated at the
base of the bridge tower facing out on the starboard side, and
could hold ten mecha, approximately two squadrons.  The entire
aft half of the ship consisted of the main momentum impulse drive
and diverdrive.  On either side of ship, reminiscent of an
aircraft's lift wings, protruded the thermal radiator fins, vital
sail-like structures used to emit waste heat from the warship's
electronic systems into the vacua of space.
     "Pretty nice looking ship," stated Jason Grivar as he guided
the shuttle down to the main docking port.
     "I guess so," said Allen.  "Not enough guns in my honest
opinion.  Should have a couple hundred atomic missile launchers,
then it might be a nice looking ship."
     "I give up," mumbled Vista.  She walked out of the cockpit
and headed back into the aft cabin where most of the shuttle's
passengers were hanging out.
     Ryo Gunn turned his attention back to the main screen.
"What's her crew compliment?"
     "About ninety," stated Allen.  "Though half that are marine
troopers.  Unfortunately, in our case, those marine troopers have
been replaced by a science staff.  So, half the ship consists of
naval personnel, the other have are absentminded, white-haired
bugheads."
     "I heard that!" came the muffed voice of Dr. Chrome from the
aft cabin.
     Taeon smiled.  "Well, we'll have to hope nothing big
happens.  I don't think we have the resources to take on a battle
fleet or anything."
     "We're just an expeditionary scout team," stated Jason.  His
hand played across the controls and the shuttle rolled around to
position itself to dock with the frigate.  "And the Arcturus
system has been abandoned for over a decade.  It's a done deal."
     "Not even close," said Ryo.  "Did you ever stop to wonder
why Arcturus was abandoned?"
     Jason and Taeon looked at each other, the back at Ryo.
     "I doubt those political goons would tell us, but I bet they
know.  There's a reason neither the GSC nor the ITR returned to
that star system until now."
     "Maybe," said Jason. "On the other hand, that reason may
have been lost or forgotten.  Could be we're walking into a death
trap and not even those Imperial reps know it.  Could be Arcturus
is the embodiment of hell itself."
     The face of his father materialized in Ryo's mind.  'Damned
is the star Arcturus', Ryo could almost hear him say.
     Allen Mercer grinned. "Heh," he laughed.  "Maybe there
really is a place called Armageddon."


Written and Directed By
Mark Chase

http://www.meta-earth.com

Copyright 1998.  All rights reserved.

Casting By
Mark Chase

Starring
Ryo Gunn         -  Mathias Russ
Taeon Toshio     -  Jonathan Fuller

Other Characters - Mark Chase
Destiny Gray
Allen Mercer
Sara Toshio
Xandra Toshio
Dr. Chrome
Kyle Suavarre
JT
Dr. Palovich
Katana Falcon
Admiral Steele
Lynn Firewolf
Jason Grivar
Vista Juno
David Pollux
And Everyone Else

(all mecha were constructed under
the Mekton Zeta© RPG system, by
R. Talsorian Games, Inc)