[X] The Familiar
=\\//=
Decision made, you enclose your hand around the final star you were given. You hold this position for what feels like an eternity, expecting the same flowing sensation as the previous two times you were forced to make a decision. You finally turn your attention away from your closed fist, looking for clues in the void around you. Something looked different. Squinting at the stars above for a second, you finally see it.
Overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out.
One by one, the stars you had travelled among winked back into the void, forming an advancing wave of darkness that was quickly closing on you from all sides. Flinching back, you desperately clutched at the star you had chosen, huddling as close as possible in the absence of gravity. Then it's gone, and you are alone in the darkness.
Wordlessly, you scream into the endless night.
=\\//=
You're not sure how long you've been floating here. Maybe it's been days, maybe seconds, maybe an eternity. The darkness makes it impossible to tell. Regardless, you're not sure how much more you can take.
Then, in the space between eye blinks, you find yourself surrounded by light. Blinded by the sudden change in illumination, you flinch back in surprise. Or rather, you would have, had not gravity decided to suddenly make itself known. Your foot catches on something hard, sending you falling backwards. Instead of the void you had expected, you grunt as your shoulder and arm bang into something hard before you land harshly on your back.
As you lay there, easing the pain in your back and blinking the spots from your eyes, you wonder. Was this all some kind of dream? Did you simply fall asleep here and imagine it all? Finally, the spots clear, and you find yourself staring up at actinic glare of overhead lights. Rolling onto your side, you find yourself face to face with the source of your rapidly bruising arm: a vending machine. Unamused, you glare at the offending machine. Its response is nonplussed.
After a few more seconds of expressing your frustration, you manage to pull yourself off the floor. You're in the middle of a hallway, windows on one side, gently curving upwards at both ends. Wait, if the hallway curved like that, this meant…
All previous concerns abandoned, you dash across the hallway to get to the nearest window, eyes wide in excitement.
You're in space, you're actually in space!
Below you, slowly spinning in your vision is a blue green world; unfamiliar continents and glittering oceans under swirling clouds. It's clear this isn't Earth. It is beautiful however. You can't quite stop yourself from hopping up and down a bit in excitement.
Eventually, you're able to pull your gaze from the planet below to focus on the sights a bit closer to you. You can see the ring of the space station gently curving off in both directions. Crouching down, you can make out a sleek spaceplane at the very edge of the visible curve, its nose embedded into the station wall. Meanwhile, looking outwards lets you see two clusters of flickering lights. Too close and inconstant to be stars, they're likely other space stations or ships.
"!"
You start slightly as a series of friendly chimes echo around you.
"Welcome to Von Braun Station, your gateway to the stars!"
The voice that follows is far too jovial for your taste, like something from a bad late night infomercial.
"It is currently 10:30 station time on error, date not found. The next outbound flight to all destinations is scheduled to depart from gate three. All passengers please make your way to the gate at this time. Thank you for visiting Von Braun Station."
Well, better than just standing around you guess. Glancing up at the ceiling signs for directions, you make your way towards the gates. Really, were it not for the illusion that you're constantly walking uphill, this place would be pretty mundane. At least, it would if there were any people around.
The next few minutes of walking slowly carry you around the station, only the distant hum of machinery for company. Soon though, you come upon your destination; an airlock door adjacent to a small counter, surrounded by rows of low chairs and benches. As you close on the seating area, a screen near the door flickers to life.
"Welcome to Atlas! As one of the most populated colonies in known space, Atlas serves as a hub of trade and industry on the Spinward Arm. Atlas also has the most diverse ecosystem discovered outside Earth, and is home to many natural and botanical wonders. There's always something to see or do, whether it's cosmopolitan adventures or life and death struggle, Atlas has something for everyone. The nearly sixty million people who call this planet home hail from many nations, but no matter where your planetside travels take you, we'll be happy to make you feel right at home."
The screens play what looks like a small tourist advertisement as you walk up to the gate desk, alternating between shots of expansive natural vistas and towering cityscapes. Sitting on it are three old fashioned paper boarding passes.
"Attention passengers, flight 1103 will be departing for Atlas soon. Please choose your destination and prepare to board. Travelers should note that this flight will also determine your chosen Exemplar."
The screen looks like it has updated itself to display another video. This one shows a cityscape dominated by three massive towers, surrounded by a grassy plain. This is followed by a close-up of three blocky starships in close formation; their gunmetal grey hulls unadorned save for unobtrusive white numbers on their flanks.
"Even now, the United States of America remains one of the world's largest military and economic powers, and nowhere can that be better seen than Kennedy City. As the largest and oldest offworld colony of any nation on Atlas, Kennedy has been at the forefront of the planet's economic development, in addition to continued exploration of the Spinward Arm. It's also home to the carrier Midway and the 3rd fleet of the United States Stellar Navy, a powerful force projection group responsible for securing American interests in the region."
The film has continued onwards. Now it shows a far more arctic clime, light snowfall blanketing itself over wide streets as smoke rises from factories in the distance.
"While no longer amongst the premier three spacefaring powers, the European Union remains a strong economic power. The colony of Hoffnung is the most recently established on Atlas, founded jointly by the German and French governments with the intention of exploiting natural resource deposits recently discovered on the planet's southern latitudes. While smaller than its neighbors, Hoffnung's high industrial potential has ensured that the EU has deployed the 12
th escadron spatial to guard the colony, in addition to a sizeable ground forces contingent. Travelers are advised to stay clear of areas disputed by America and the EU for their safety."
The next clip also shows a colony, but a far more pastoral one. Deep blue waves crest against white cliffs while the camera pans up on boundless fields of grain, buildings dimly visible in the distance.
"New Carthage is the only offworld colony of the Carthaginian League, a smaller multinational bloc formed by the nations of Northern Africa and the Mediterranean. Founded as a prestige program just a few years after Kennedy, it is focused primarily on agricultural and biotech developments, in addition to a booming tourism industry. As befitting its importance to the Carthaginian League, a significant portion of the League's meagre space force is stationed on the planet. In an excellent show of international cooperation, they engage in a disproportionately high percentage of the region's anti-piracy patrols."
As soon as the final clip has played, the screen cuts off abruptly. With a sharp hiss of compressed air, the airlock door to your side swings open, the corridor beyond passing into and out of shadow as lights within flicker on.
"Attention passengers, flight 1103 has begun boarding. Please present your boarding pass and prepare for departure."
=\\//=
Which boarding pass do you take?
[] Kennedy
[] Hoffnung
[] New Carthage
=\\//=
So, here we go. As a brief clarification, you'll get all of the forces described above for your campaign. What this vote indicates is both the colony city where you start off and which nation your Exemplar will come from. While the rules of the war will be explained in detail next post, an Exemplar is your hero unit. Think of them like a servant from Fate/Stay Night – a person capable of performing far in excess of their peers.
As usual, please ask away. You never know what kind of information you might get.
