Ashia Nova's Story

The Century Bomber continued to ascend into the sky, and it had quite the head start by the time the Battle-fighters had managed to get off the ground.

“Tango One, bogeys inbound on your six...” The Aschen radios chirped, and the trio of Raptor Talon starfighters began to enter combat formation.

Icebrand, Nacho, Husker, on me! The lead Talon pilot called into his radio, as the Battlefighters closed into their position.

The bomber pilots too were aware, as gunnery crews moved towards their turret emplacements, which swiveled to life along the length of the Century Bomber. At that moment, as Ashia closed in, the Raptor Talons broke away, flying in multiple different directions.

“Squadron, check... we have the target, weapons free!” Icebrand called into his radio.

Spinning around, Icebrand oriented his fighter around, and back towards the approaching Battle-fighter.

“We got a figure on the hull... I’ll try to target.” Icebrand reported.

The Century began to open fire, rapid-fire Voram-Thraxon A-6 MECS system that propelled a thirty-millimeter projectile at hyper-velocities. These projectiles peppered the battle-fighter, and were easily capable of penetrating the armor Ashia wore, though, even if the armor could stop the projectile, the sheer kinetic energy imparted would liquefy her insides.

“Target lock, fox one away!”

One of the Raptor Talons launched a missile, which seared towards the Battlefighter, drawn by the heat of it’s engines. The shaped charge would detonate on impact, this was timed at the moment Ashia fired her plasma beam, which meant it would likely miss the bomber entirely.

They had reached the altitude where Aschen ships in low orbit were garnering targeting solutions on Ashia’s fighter, if she continued to give chase, she would find herself up against an Aschen aegis cruiser, ready and willing to take her battlefighter down.

The Aschen Empire had established near total orbital supremacy over blackrock, and it was clear from the vast numbers of Aschen warships in orbit.

—-

Admiral Whitcomb was watching the displays rather intently, as EVE Fed her the data in real time.

General Nabaal was already planning her ground campaign, and the last pockets of resistance would soon surrender, or be wiped out.

The Aschen would make one thing clear, the rebellion against their authority would not be tolerated, calls for the RFE and the Militia to surrender were beginning to propagate across the planet. Those who joined the RFE after the bombing found their shanties burned to the ground, and their families executed.

Things would only get worse once General Nabaal arrived.

Ashia got a holophone prompt as she was flying around and trying to dodge the kinetic missiles the Aschen were sending her. Her plasma beam would have hit perfectly, but the Aschen had performed a maneuver which caused the laser to only hit a bit of the rear - a little bit damaging, but not nearly so much as it could have done. Overall, it had little effect on the bomber, which continued to pepper the RFME troops.
"No, Rome, I do not have an escort and I do not need one," Ashia said sufferingly. "I can handle myself, so you focus on the ground combat while I worry about the aerobatics. Besides, it would have cost way to much to make two or three more of these suits. I'll be fine, I promise." Then, after a moment, she pitied him and said, "I love you. Be careful."
She then switched off the holophone and focused on dodging those kinetic missiles. She had to pull a bit of bait-and-switch, and finally managed to throw them off course, but it had taken way too long. The Aschen began to gain ground. Ashia cursed softly. I need to figure out how to reduce their numbers. If we can whittle them down, we might have an advantage. But how? she wondered.

FOB Lyra
100 Kilometers south of Ruston
Provisional Command and Control Center
Blackrock Garrison



"--Aschen forces continue to encounter resistance in these pockets." EVE reported, as Admirals Clegg, and Whitcomb surveyed the hologram of Blackrock before them.

"These Rebels... they call themselves the Militia... and this Roman Fell Empire..." Whitcomb muttered, bringing her eyes up to Clegg. "They challenge our authority, attack our soldiers, and threaten to undermine everything we have built here." She growled, as Clegg nodded. "I hope that when General Nabaal arrives, we can put this rebellion down once, and for all."

Their conversation was drowned out briefly by the low rumble of a Reverence passing overhead, they had been coming and going for some time now, dropping cargo, soldiers, and materiel for the final push into rebel held territories.

Bryon considered the map before him, and then looked up to Whitcomb. "Why don't we just cut our losses, and hit them with a Thalaron device?"

"We can't do anything until the General arrives... but we can send a message."

Whitcomb then turned to EVE.

"We'll demand their surrender, failing that; we'll crush them."

EVE offered a brief nod. "Submitting authorization for Thalaron weapons deployment... authorization granted."

"Recommendation; surround, and encapsulate enemy forces while cutting off food, and medical supplies. Ensure local cooperation through the diligent enforcement of Aschen law. Victory is assured."

Whitcomb nodded.

Tentatively, she picked up the reciever, and began beaming a wide beam transmission towards the Roman Fell Empire, and the Militia.

"This is Admiral Elisha Whitcomb of the Aschen Empire's Blackrock Expeditionary Force; Requesting to be patched through to the entity in charge. I am calling for the total and unconditional surrender of the Militia, and those calling themselves the Roman Fell Empire; challenge us at your own peril. You have twenty four hours to respond to our demands before we commit to your complete, and assured destruction."

Hanging up the reciever, Whitcomb would await a response.

Once in range of the Aegis cruiser, it opened fire, sending up a thick wall of explosive flak towards the battlefighter, while the Century Bomber made it's final approach into a Reverence I Assault carrier.

At this point the scale of the Aschen occupation made itself evident, there would be no whittling down their numbers, because they would keep coming.

This was made clear as another grouping of Aschen ships winked into view in the distance, General Nabaal's fleet.

General Nabaal's fleet was immediatly under fire from countlless C.O.R.e. ships coming for reinforcements to re-uplink their forces on the planet. The hundreds of C.O.R.e. ships could not be destroyed easily, neither could their billions of troops that were coming as a never ending onslaught. General Whitecomb's ship was also being heavily bombarded.

--------

Down on Blackrock, some of the C.O.R.e. ships hit, and causing an immediate battle between the two. During the madness, Rome transmissioned all troops this simple message,"Blackrock is lost, either to C.O.R.e., or the God damned Ashcen. Get to a evac zone, my battalion and I will guard it untill all are gone, then we will follow. Good bye, and Godspeed to you all." And with that, all coms were cut with Rome, even between Ashia and him.

With that, all 23 battalions retreated, ecept that of Rome's.

"No... No!!" Ashia cursed. They were too strong. Yes, they were the Aschen, feared throughout the Multiverse. But she actually thought they would have a chance.
But they were too strong. Despite the combined efforts of the Roman-Militian troops, they could not defeat the Aschen Empire. Plus, the C.O.R.e. had somehow made a comeback (apparently, they had been dwelling on other planets) and were now serving purpose as a wildcard.
As her troops were given command to retreat, Ashia felt herself torn between staying behind and retreating. She knew it made tactical sense to retreat, and staying here would get her killed... but Godsdammit, this was her planet! Her country! She'd been born and raised on Blackrock. To Rome it was just another tally to his empire, but to her it was her home! And no matter how cesspool-y it was, she would defend it to the death if she needed to.
However, she came to the conclusion that she should retreat as well. The R-M needed top rest and recuperate. Perhaps the C.O.R.e. would wear the Aschen down, and then-
Suddenly, there was the sound of roaring winds and a popping noise as a fleet of 500 battleships appeared in the sky. Each one gleamed with a chrome that seemed to reflect light even better than a normal metal. On it's side was printed a symbol; an azure shield with a white edge.
Oh, hell, Ashia thought, the color draining from her face. The Protectors. This should be fun.
A deep male voice was broadcasted to all of the ships present, whether R-M, Aschen or C.O.R.e. "You fascist fools. Did you really think your villainous deeds would go unnoticed by us? We were just waiting for the precise moment to strike, when we'd have you all in one place." An edge began to creep into the voice. "The Kreios System belongs to the people, not some fascist regime. We're here to make sure it stays belonging to the people."
Within the lead ship of the Protectors, General Reavus DuMarkel turned to his captains and soldiers. "Attack all enemy vessels, whether they are attacking or retreating. Especially target Ex-Captain Ashia Nova, who is wanted for high crimes against the sanctity of the planet of Blackrock."
With that, the Protectors began firing on the various ships present. Ashia Nova had to dodge the laser blasts of five or so W-Wing Blade-Runners that were firing on her. A blast seared the side of her armor; it wasn't very damaging, but every hit counted.
"Dammit!" she said, trying to contact Rome to tell him to retreat as fast as he could. But he had cut off communications for her.
This is going to be a rough one, Ashia thought. She began dodging all the attacks being made on her as quickly as she could.

(OOC: Yes, I know, I kind of pulled the Protectors thing out of a hat. But I actually have established their existence in prior posts before, and I have been planning to introduce them. Also, I felt the action was getting to focused on Ashia, and so I wanted something to preoccupy her so other roles could shine.)

They were losing.
That was the only conclusion that Captain Ashia Nova, commander of the RFE-Militia troops and reluctant lover of Emperor Rome of the Roman Fell Empire, could draw from all of this. It was three against one - one the sworn enemy of the Militia, one the enemy of the Roman Fell Empire, and one the enemy of all humanoid life itself. Her soldiers... her... soldiers...
Snap out of it!!! she thought, and came to just in time to see several heat-seeking missiles directed at her. "Shit!!!" she exclaimed, and quickly attempted to dodge. But she was not fast enough, and one missile clipped her side and exploded. Her suit, although made of very tough material, was still quite damaged, and she was dazed.
A man chuckled into her intercom. "Not holding up so well anymore, eh, Nova?"
Ashia gritted her teeth. "Reavus. This isn't over yet."
"Or is it?" she could feel her sworn enemy sneering at her in his voice. "You and your foolish 'emperor' really thought you could consolidate enough power to take on the Aschen Empire itself, not just take over the Kreios System? Face it, Ashia. You are a brilliant tactical mind, but you have been outplayed. Give up, and we might just let you go."
"How do I know I can trust your word? Or even that there is not a chance for us?"
"Unlike you, I am a man of honor. As for the latter question, look around you."
She did, and saw what had made her halt in the first place. They were losing, and that was that.
Dodging blasts and attacks from her enemies, she finally came to a decision. Rome would not like it, not like it at all. The man had drive, which she could expect, but he was too ambitious. Such foolish excesses of courage were the very thing that lead to the disbandment of the Militia in the first place.
This was the only way. She knew it, and it gods, it hurt to admit it, but Reavus' word was true.
Disconnecting from Reavus, she barked into her intercom to her soldiers, "Retreat! Retreat! We are losing this battle, and if we do not retreat then we all will die! I repeat, retreat! Over and out!"
Gazing one last look at Blackrock, her home, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Rome."
Then, using her suit-powered gravity boosters, she launched herself away from the battle and into the deep recesses of the Kreios System, where she would wait to rendezvous with the rest of her army.
And, probably, have to face the music with her emperor.

12:51 ISP: "Captain Ashia Nova to RFE-Militia HQ. Recon requested ASAP. Battle outcome assessment requested as well. Current location: Kreios Galaxy X159, Y650, Z489. Over."

* * *

15:30 ISP: "This is Captain Ashia Nova to RFE-Militia HQ. I request recon immediately. Battle outcome assessment requested ASAP. Current location: Kreios Galaxy X159, Y650, Z489. Over."

* * *

18:59 ISP: "Captain Ashia Nova to RFE-Militia HQ, please respond ASAP. I request recon immediately. Battle outcome assessment would be welcome as well. Current location: Kreios Galaxy X159, Y650, Z489. … Please respond soon. Over."

* * *

22:55 ISP: "... Shit on a stick."

Ashia clicked her intercom off sharply. This was the twentieth time she had attempted to call for recon from the RFE-Militia HQ in the... how many hours? Ten? It didn't matter. The current situation was rather dire; stranded out in the middle of space with half of a power battery keeping her running, no allies (or even enemies; at this point, the former tyrant captain would have welcomed any sign of life, human or otherwise) anywhere in sight, and no idea what had happened in the prior battle.
While it was a horrible - and painful - idea to think, Ashia was almost certain that the RFE-Militia had lost. If it had been just them versus the Aschen, they might have won - a very, very slim chance of course, but a possibility. But then those damn rebels had to intervene... on the plus side, the Protectors had most definitely been steamrolled by the Aschen. The bad news was, so had her army.
Ashia spared a thought for Rome, perhaps the greatest leader she'd ever met - no, the greatest man she'd ever met. Calculating without being cold-hearted, and a great listener as well, he had been able to lead a strong army against their greatest foes. And he had loved her not for her looks (or for just being a woman in a high position on the social ladder) but for who she was. And he had understood her - that was without a doubt.
And now he was almost certainly dead.
Ashia was surprised to feel a tear roll down her cheek. Since when had she become so damn emotional? Ever since that business with that snake-man troubadour and the psychic Protector, her entire life had been turned on its head, with said head then being bashed against the wall of suffering until it was a bloody pulp. There was nothing left for her. Everything she had worked for... gone. In less than a month too. She should just give up, and-
NO!!! she thought. I cannot give up! I have not come this far only to give up and die! There are still things I can do. That I must do.
And it came to her so suddenly that it seemed her own body was knock back a few feet from its former position: she still had a mission to do; it was all coming together. Abraxas and his crew; her mission had been to hunt them down. Then, of course, the Aschen intervened, and everything fell apart. But the mission still remained. And it was a mission she had to do, if not for duty then for her sheer sanity.
I will fulfill my duty, if it is the last thing I ever do in this life, Ashia reckoned. Come blood or bane, woe or wave. For the Militia, for Blackrock, for my family... for Rome. For myself. I swear upon it with all of my force of will.
Immediately after this, in an event Ashia would not be sure actually happened even long afterwards, her Gauntlets of Doom seemed to vibrate, to hum with some psionic agreement. To become more... attuned to her. And she could sense the path the trio had taken... where they were now. Even though she had no idea how, she could all the same.
The Zanzarian Port. Misrana. I will find them. And with that, Ashia Nova blasted off into the depths of the Multiverse once again, on the mission that could save her life... or doom it.

Suddenly, all C.O.R.e Units stop attacking and start leaving. Their purpose seemingly unkown still.


On the Emperor's side, he would immediately try to get in touch with Ashia. She seemed far to distressed in her last com.
"Ashia, this is Rome. Do you read? I repeat this Rome, do you read?" He would wait for a response impatiently.

Sadly, nothing but static would show up on the intercom. It would appear that Captain Nova had already traveled out of the range of the radio signals that could link them together. Considering that her last message had been from more than 24 hours ago, she was probably long gone by now.