Some of you already know that I enjoy writing as a hobby. Here is my latest effort, cooked up in five minutes on my PDA at work. It's based on Zephyr, and places it in the storyline after the collapse of the Human Empire Braddock sets up when he conquers Earth. I know no time was specified for ZE, but that suits me fine. And I also know that ESAF is European, not Eurasian. But it suits me. So there.
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THE SHIN'KLUH
Sometimes, it takes real evil to push people into action.
That's why I'm out here now. The vast snowy plains of Europa. A far cry from the Royal Palace, let me tell you.
When Braddock finally died, he'd ruled the Empire with an iron fist for years. Life on Earth changed dramatically. With no figurehead, the council began to fall apart. And with nobody to distribute the biometal, the riots began. Within months, the Empire had fallen apart and humanity's years of peace were broken by a long and bloody civil war.
I'm a commander in the ESAF. It's two years after the end of the civil war, and humanity is split into two main factions - Eurasia and Panamerica. We are at pace for now - just. Each faction controls about half of the Empire. And I'm out here patrolling between the drilling rigs. The most monotonous job in the universe.
Just as I think that, the radio squawks into life. Fantastic. Perhaps something could be about to happen.
"Dolphin One," the message begins. "Outpost Three is picking up some unusual energy readings. Get over there and see what you can find."
Now that is good news, I think. The outpost is only just over a click away. Turning my scout craft around, I speed away over the North Ridge.
When I arrived at the outpost, I was greeted by its commander. He stepped out of the bunker just as I arrived at the door.
"We're picking up a large unidentified radar signature to the east, but all our combat-read Dolphins are out of action." He explains. "Care to go take a look for us?"
Climbing back into the cockpit, I powered up the engine and headed east.
By the time I reached a hundred metres from the nav, I had picked up the anomaly. It looked like it had picked me up too, because I saw it wheel around and head towards me. Activating my SITE Camera (an old relic I had liberated from an ISDF weapons dump), I scanned the area. Sure enough, there is was, right on the other side of the ridge. A large black and red shape, perhaps twice the size of my craft. As it turned into view, crossing the ridge, a beam of searing purple energy lanced overhead, so close that I heard the arc as the air above me ionised. The next beam hit me before I could even get a shot off, and suddenly there I was in mid-air, watching helplessly as the thing - whatever it was - headed for the outpost.