As far as I'm intending, this is a one post story. Feel free to add comments as you see fit, but posting a continuation of this story isn't what I want for it.
Hope you enjoy reading it!
New Berlin was the same as always. Dark and dull, with military presence everywhere. Being in the military was the best any Rheinlander could hope for, unless they belonged to a family with close relations to the Daumann or Kruger corporations. As such, the enlistment for the military was high. Lars Ascher enlisted as soon as he could. Being of Ascher blood, his thirst for credits drove him up the ranks of the normal military.
After a few recommendations in his fifth year of service, he joined the Rheinland Rapid Response Team, 3RT. There he could abandon his patrolling duties and fly only when needed. Huge threats were scarce in Rheinland due to most knowing the military power held by the Germanic house. This suited Ascher immensely. He was getting paid and the work was minimal. And when he did fly, it was as exciting as flying to Hell and back!
Ascher soon became his own worst enemy. Whilst flying for the 3RT he would fight along side the core of the Rheinland military, the best pilots he had seen fly in Sirius. Headed by Chancellor Reinhardt, Admiral Kreig and Admiral Kaiser, these pilots were always on duty regardless of the situation. They flew as one, fought as one and won as one. Ascher soon found himself being forced into this squadron as the only 3RT member able to keep up with them.
From there things went from bad to worse. Ascher discovered that with this position came information about Rheinland that the general public didn't hear. Rheinland was crumbling from the inside. The population slowly edging nearer and nearer to poverty. Only the military, Daumann and Kruger were staying afloat in the financial crisis that had secretly plagued Rheinland for many years...
Ascher's main motivation throughout his service had been monitary gain, until now. He began to fight for the people of Rheinland, instead of himself. The pirates and terrorists that tried to plunge Rheinland further into the depths of poverty would perish at his guns. His sole motivation would be to relieve Rheinland of the hands that attempted to strangle his nation into submission!
---
New Berlin was the same as always. Dark and dull, with military presence everywhere, but this did not bother Ascher. This was normal. However, it didn't feel normal deep down. Ascher had been standing still for some time. A rare break in his duties had given him time to think. The sudden revellation of his motivation caused a dramatic shift in his thinking. The hands that strangled Rheinland were no-longer the hands he had known, and fought. They were no-longer bathed in blood of those he cared for. Now they were clean, well kept hands. Hands that were laced with jewels on each finger. These were hands that he had been protecting from pirates and terrorists, all the while they horded credits from the people. While they became fat and rich, others were struggling to survive, the very people that Ascher had been killing.
No more. Without the job he had no ties. They could cut him off to his credits but that no-longer mattered to him. He'd get by, as others do every day. All he needed was an opportunity.
Ascher served as he would usually until the opportunity arose. And arise it did.
"There's a group of Hessians causing trouble at the trade lane in sector D6. You will be dispatched to meet up with a patrol already on their way in."
"Roger."
The flight out was nerve wracking. That might be the last time he will ever be inside New Berlin's atmosphere. The trade lane's were slow and only increased the nerves. He reached D6 and caught sight of the patrol on his scanner. They weren't moving so they must have started without him. As he moved in the leader of the patrol hailed him,
"Good to have you out here, Sir. We've taken care of their little party, bar these two. They've damaged my ship badly, aswell as taken a chunk out of Strattermann's hull. With you here it shouldn't be a problem anymore though."
"Excellent work. I'll proceed to take down the pirates."
"Roger th-"
The Wrath exploded with a green cloud of dust as a Hornviper energy projectile ripped through it's engines. The other pilots, not knowing what had happened, began to hail Ascher. With a click Ascher disabled his communication equipment and rounded on one of the rookies. He could see the panicked strafing of inexperience as he pounded down his shields, and hull. The ship momentarily split in two before exploding in the same neon green display.
The two pilots left were now on Ascher's tail. His shield was being clipped, but not too badly. He chose his next victim and made his move. Releasing a mine caused the two to split for a fraction of a second. This gave Ascher enough time to kill his engines and rotate side on to his mark. With the two pilots back on him he re-engaged his engines and thrusted away, leaving the line of sight of the enemy. With a quick repeat of the engine kill he was now facing and locked on to his oncoming victim. Striping his shields before the pass was simple, destroying his ship with an unavoidable mine was even easier.
However, Ascher had become complacent. They were rookies, and knowing this he underestimated them. Whilst he effortlessly eliminated the third Wrath, Strattermann had passed, turned and locked Ascher in his sights. He began to rain down on Ascher's shield, removing it before Ascher could begin to manouver. Destroying Ascher was as easy as firing a missile, or atleast it should have been.
As Strattermann fired his missile another came out of nowhere. One of the Hessians, who had been observing until this point, realised what was about to happen and took action. His cruise disruptor made contact with Strattermann's missile just as it was released from the launcher. The resulting explosion took all of Strattermann's shield, leaving him exposed to rapid fire from the Odin baring down upon him. An explosion of deepest red ended Strattermann's military career and life.
Now facing the Hessian ships, Ascher knew this was out of his hands. He readied himself for any eventuallity and turned his communication equipment back on. He was receiving two hails. One was a long distance hail from Rheinland Military Command, the other was a short distance hail from an unknown signal. He opened communications with the latter.
"This is Flottekapitan Meisnerr of the Roten Hessen Armee. Who is this?"
Ascher was never one for using the German language, it being a symbol of the working class and all military affairs being conducted in English. He did, however, understand it.
"This is 'former' Lieutenant Commander Lars Ascher. My time serving the money hungry military and corporations of Rheinland is over. Do with me as you will."
"This show of your loyalty was quite inspiring, so to say. If you want to play your part in der Grosse Aufstieg in Rheinland, leave that ship of yours and come aboard mine. We will show you what you need to see."
---
The sight of what these Hessians are fighting for was enough to affirm Ascher's choice. These are the people that need his help. These are the people he wants to fight for.
Daumann... Kruger... the military... those are the ones he shall destroy for them!
