[Personal Log, Lt. Theska "Henry Jekyll" Brosarus, June 4426]
(6 years before present events.)

I lost my entire squad today. Wing Alpha of the GR-41B Squadron "Vengeful" is gone : Callus, APC, and Fiery were killed in action in a routine patrol around the supposedly safe Geira Rutilus Home Guard station, deep in Serco space. But that is not what I want to write about here.

I was flying wing to Fiery, our squad leader, in sector F-14 at G, Callus and APC were covering point in a tight Echelon formation, in a routine patrol mission that they assign reserve squads to.

There was no word of warning, nothing, when I saw a stream of green neutron bolts hitting APC in the aft. His SVG spun out of control immediately, clipping Callus in the wing as it broke into several pieces.

"Break! Break! Break!" I heard Fiery screaming into ths intercom, and I broke right as hard as I could.

Before I've even completed that move, I saw another flash from the corner of my eyes.

"What the..." was APC's last words before his line went static.

I banked downwards to break as far as I could from the explosion, but I spun my SVG around, scanning desperately for the aggressor, and then I saw him : he was a single all black centurion bearing down hard on Fiery who was now vainly trying to throw off his hunter. I could hear Fiery screaming for cover and support, but at that moment I was transfixed by the sight of the centurion out-turning the most experienced pilot in our squad.

The cry of "Henry! Where are you!" jolted me back into reality, and I hit on turbo towards the furball now in progress. The entire battle must have lasted seconds at the most, but it seemed an eternity. This single aggressor was clearly bent on taking out Fiery first, but somehow everytime he managed to find the blind spot of two SVGs trying to beat him. He flew gracefully, economically even : there was no wasted thrust, no unneeded turn, his flying was like a beautifully choreographed opera to our amateurish sketch.

He caught Fiery on a turn, and he took apart my squad leader's wing with a stream of neutrons : every single shot hit.

"How many of them are there?" was Fiery's last audible intercom message before his out of control SVG crashed into a nearby roid.

Then it was between this aggressor and myself. I knew I was going to be out fought, and in a desperate move, I turboed directly into the roid that Fiery met his end. I knew I was giving him a free firing solution, and sure enough my aggressor followed and he had my tail. I felt two jerks on my ship as neutrons slammed into my SVG, but I was still alive. I skirted the roid, and for a brief moment kept my SVG out of his line of sight.

That was when I pulled out my last trick : I slammed thrust down and reverse hard and my SVG grounded onto the roid, coming to a stop almost immediately. This took him by surprise, and he overshot me though he reacted fast, spinning around to face me as he did. I couldn't aim in my grounded SVG, but fortunately his flight path took him over my crosshairs and I sent a stream into his centurion. I saw his engine flamed out, and he came to a stop facing me.

So there we were, a grounded SVG on a roid and a flamed out centurion, facing each other, guns primed at each other. The game was up for both of us : if I shoot he shoot, if he shoot I shoot. Boom. Mutually assured destruction.

We stared at each other for some time. In this moment of mortality, I finally saw the markings on his ship : a Blackbird, and a sword with the words "Upon the Serco this shall Impale". An Akanese. My heart sank : I knew there would be no parlaying with these types. I said my prayers to Lady Serco, and reached for the firing button when...

"Are you ready to die?" the intercom crackled in the voice of the Akanese.

"I don't think I have a choice, do I?", said I.

"No," said he.

"Neither do you," said I.

"No..." said he.

But there was a tinge of doubt in that word.

"Why not?" I ventured.

There was silence. I expected a stream of neutrons as a response, whereby I would shower him with the same. But it never happened.

A minute passed. Then two. Then three. Then four.

"This is not a good day to die," finally the voice came on again.

"Oh?" said I. I wanted to say "but you are an Akanese", but I decided that I would rather live.

"Do you have family? Like...." said he, hesitating, " a wife?"

"No," said I. I wanted to lie and said yes, but somehow my instincts told me to be honest. "Do you?"

"No..." said he. He paused for a moment. "Have you ever being in love?"

"Yes," said I. "Tis was a long time ago. Yourself?"

He didn't respond for another long moment.

"I think so," said he finally.

"think" is not a word that an Akanese would use.

"Are you in love now?" I knew the answer, but I had to ask.

"Yes," said he, and then added wistfully. "She is very beautiful."

"What's her name?" asked I. His response was the beginning of a very very strange, and very long friendship I still keep.

"Clarissa," said he. "Isn't that a wonderful name?"

More?

Akanese would use black-painted ships, not any other color. Just a backstory-related nitpick.

Otherwise... *finally* we have something to read about the Akanese! :P

Thanks Celkan :). [EDITED]

*claps* please continue

ditto

when will we see more, it's been a while.

[Personal Log. LT Commander Theska "Henry Jekyll" Brosarus, CO 240th Pursuit, Geira Watch]

(2 weeks ago.)

I nearly fired into the Itani Centurion fighter as it banked into my gunsights, even though I have been waiting for my friend for a few hours and I have been looking forward to see him again. I suppose War does this to you : your mind is so conditioned to fire at the sight of every single enemy ship that you no longer think to kill, you just kill by reflexes.

The Centurion maneuvered over my vulture, and flipped around such that the cockpit is directly over mine, so close that I could see the mischievous smile of my old Akanese friend. I gave him a smile back. He lowered his ship, until our cockpits touched.

We switched off our comchannels, and turned off all engines, laying perfectly still for the moment. The touch of our cockpit bubbles would transfer the vibration of our speech, such there nobody in this univere would ever hear what we were going to say to each other.

"Hey Henry!" his voice resonated all round me as my cockpit bubble vibrated ever so slightly. "Long time! Long time!"

"Hello, birdy old chap," I replied.

"My oh my! Squadron *COMMANDER* Henry Jekyll," he laughed at me. "Now, now. The Serco military is run by secret pacifists now? "

"Just a reserve squadron," said I. "And just acting commander, the old commander bought the barn a few weeks back. By the way, thank you for sending your other birdy friend over to help out, I need good pilots rather badly, I have been losing them by the grossloads to that new Itani faction."

"Yes yes, Skygge whatever whatever," said he impatiently. "Take good care of my buddy Crowy, he is one heck of a decent pilot, even if you don't understand a single word he says sometimes, damn stupid greyspacers. By the way, let me say this : damn it is good I don't have to go do that stupid doublespeak Akanese speako-speako thing. I *hate* that."

I could see him spit into this cockpit, and the globules of spit floated in perfect spheres inside. "Bah! 'Akan this, Akan that.' I'd tell ya : Akan is dead. Period. He couldn't even fly a fighter I bet. Umm. Maybe one of the old ones, but not this one. Wheee!"

He spun his IBG around, nearly wingclipping my vulture, which rather worried me for a moment.

"Okay Okay, Henry, listen," said he after he settled down and touched his cockpit on my mine again. "Watch out for that Skygge Vakterozor whatever. They are being infiltrated by some of those nutcase Akan-shit-heads, whose guild has just gone underground. Again."

"I see," said I. "I was wondering whatever happened to the black stripes on your centurion."

"Yeah, damn Akan has decided to disperse and spread their screwed-up philosophy," said he rather bitterly. "Clarissa, damn that wife of mine, decided to bloody follow. Good grief, Henry, we already have *kids*! Oh why Clarrisa, do you have to be both so beautiful and reckless!"

"She went underground with them?" said I, incredulous. "Goodness me."

"Yeah, her mission is to infiltrate the infiltrators," said he. " Bah. Sometimes I think that order of Eo dumbasses are as nutcase as those Akanese. Okay okay, they didn't know I got married to her and have kids and all that, but still...."

He trailed off. We were quiet for a while.

"Listen Henry," said he. "I got to beat it soon. There are at least a couple of Akanese in that Shit Vakter guild. One of them was my old boss in Akan, Puck. He is one heck of a pilot. He is bloodthirsty, and that's relative to the other Akanese. Watch out for him. Grey IBG. When you see him, run. "

"Will..." I never got to finish that sentence, he turbed off in a huff. In a second I realized why : a wing of SVGs bleeped onto my radar. I hit my turbo, and gave a half hearted pursuit of my old friend, firing some shots with a lack of aiming that I was sure he would appreciate.

/Corranis Watch , Skygge Vakter headquarters/

Bojan leaned back in his chair setting data-pad with the new transcripts from SKV secret Listening Post in Geira on his table silently cursing the Itani High Command for putting him on this "Mission impossible".
Closing his eyes Bojan let his mind wonder "How the hell do they expect me to lead this wild bunch? Gah, Akanese assassins, aggressive and angry IA misfits, a couple of reliable former IDF combat pilots.....and one highly decorated veteran warrior....._Ghost_. Someone should keep an eye on that unpredictable Akanese lunatics....."

As he reversed his thrust and banked his white clad centurion into another series of rolls and strafes, Ghost struggled to keep his eyes open. After being on duty for nearly two days straight, he had been dancing with a pilot of the Serco 240th for nearly an hour now; and neither of them had fired a shot. The pilot had appeared out of nowhere and closed distance quickly for a fight, but had neglected to fire; turning the seemingly inevitable fight into a waltz. He had gotten close enough to tell from the markings on the red vulture it was a pilot by the name of Theska "Henry Jekyll" Brosarus. Apparently both of them were content not to fire first, but neither dare stand still.

In the hour they had been in this pacifist's dogfight, Ghost had begun to wonder what kind of a life this Henry Jekyll led. What kindof a person was he? Did he have a family? What would he be doing if there were no war? But his thoughts were interrupted by several green blips which appeared on his radar and steadily began to grow brighter, the rest of the squad was comming.

He sighed and thought to himself, "Now I can finally get some rest." Jekyll turned and began turboing away towards a clump of asteroids as Bojan, Smittens, Puck, and Death Maker approached. Puck and Death Maker were close in pursuit, seemingly competing with eachother for the kill... but something didn't seem right.

"Hold." Ghost said.

No reply.

"Hold!" he repeated.

"Sorry, com's broken sir, can't hear you." Came the hot shot Puck's retort. The two Akanese continued after the fleeing serco pilot. Death Maker of course remaining eerily quiet. Ghost began to wonder if Death even had a com system in his ship. He kept his eyes fixed on the two of them as Smittens and Bojan came to a stop next to him.

"Whats the deal?" Bojan, asked over the com.

"Yeah, there's only one of them." Smittens chimed in.

The talented Serco pilot was keeping just inside of 3000m from the pursuing assasins.

"Something's not right. He's fleeing towards those roids, not away from them. He's not planning on leaving," Ghost said.

No sooner had Ghost finished his sentence then 5 more red vultures jumped out right on top of Henry Jekyll. Puck and Death maker were in the middle of them, unable to jump out due to the now surrounding asteroids. The two pilots immediatly broke and began to mix into the fray. They were damn good, but 6 to 2 was a bit overbearing, especially against the pilots of the 240th. Ghost swore and threw his ship into turbo and heard the comforting dull roar of Smittens and Bojan doing the same on either side of him. Looks like it was time to wake up.

Ghost was surprised that Death Maker and Puck had been able to hold their own, but the two of them, now heavily damaged, took a less active support role in the fight. Ghost, Bojan and Smittens cruised into the fight and the three of them let loose a barrage of fire on an unsuspecting vulture. The ship was enveloped in flames.

"Break formation and engage at will." Ghost ordered. He knew what he had to do. Take out the leader and the rest of the 240th would temporarily lose their organization. He targeted Henry Jekyll.

"I can't hold it! %!*%&$%@ Serco!" He heard Puck shout as he ejected just before his centurion was enveloped in flames. Ghost saw the confirmation on his screen, "Chimaera destroyed Puck." So the great Chimaera was here. A sudden chill came over Ghost. For the moment he knew he had to concentrate, he put the Serco ace in the back of his mind.

"Scratch one serco!" Came Smittens' report. Good, only 4 left.

Ghost waited patiently for his shot as Jekyll bobbed and weaved his ship in and out of the incomming fire from Bojan. He thought to himself, "Wait for it..." Then, like a gift on Christmas morning, he got what he was waiting for. Jekyll manuvered his ship around so that the broad topside of the vulture was now exposed.

Ghost tightened down his fingers on the trigger and let loose a volley of neutron blasts. But then something unexpected happened. Another red vulture turboed directly in the way of his fire and absorbed the blasts, sending his own ship flying into pieces. Ghost saw the confirmation on his screen, "Ghost destroyed Chimaera." The infamous Serco ace had sacrificed himself for his wingman! These weren't mindless Serco brutes he was fighting, these were humans... just like himself.

A jolt from a neutron volley jerked Ghost back to reality. He pitched his ship around to face his attacker and reversed his thrust.

"Bojan, Death Maker, Smittens, you guys still with me?"

"Affirmative." replied Bojan.

"Well, I had some things to do elsewhere but I decided to stick around." sounded Smittens.

"Heavily damaged, but still in the fight." Was Death Maker's cold reply.

"Good, attack pattern 5!" Ghost ordered. The three pilots acknowledged. He watched his radar as they formed up behind him strafing backwards and then turbo boosting forward while Ghost continued to withdraw. The three pilots shot over his cockpit spraying rockets and neutron blasts at the two vultures following him. One immediatly shattered, the second was caught in its explosion and the port wing promptly cracked off, sending the vulture spinning out of control.

"Nice work, now fo-" Ghost was interrupted as his ship shook violently. He checked his scanners, Henry Jekyll was right behind him.

"Need assistance!" He shouted while attempting to boost and roll out of range, but it was too late. Jekyll's last shots impacted on his engine, severely crippling it. His ship began to slowly spin out of control as his engines flammed out. He was a massive target. He checked his systems only to find, "Ejection system malfunction."

Ghost watched helplessly as Jekyll circled around in front of him for the kill. He bowed his head and quietly accepted his death.

But Jekyll did not fire. He continued to bring his ship slowly closer and closer to Ghost's until he could make out the pilots face. They looked into eachothers eyes. Instead of seeing the hate and rage Ghost had come to expect from the Serco, he saw something entirely different on the face of this pilot. Sadness... the pilot had an expression of such utter sadness on his face. They paused there, just looking at eachother, for what must have been only a few seconds, but felt like an eternity. Then, without warning, Jekyll's ship was enveloped in a light that made Ghost turn his eyes away. When he looked back, the ship, the pilot, and the sadness he had seen were gone.

"Another Serco down." Came the report from Death Maker over the comm system. The three of them had together blasted Jekyll to pieces. Ghost remained silent.

"You all right sir?" asked Smittens. But he still could not find it in himself to speak.

"Sir?" He repeated.

"Yeah," He replied hoarsely. "Just got shaken up a bit is all."

"We'll get a repair ship out here promptly, once your ship is functioning, all pilots return to base for debriefing." Bojan ordered. They acknowldedged one by one. Ghost couldn't erase the image of the serco pilot from his head. He didn't know what to think of it. Frusturation began to flow through him.

"I'm sick of this war." Ghost said to himself as he placed his head in his hands. He decided to exclude the encounter from his debriefing.

(Farewell Holden and Shape. You will be missed.)