X-COM:Into the Void
Episode 3:Peace, then scramble!
by James Pickens

Introduction:

Narrator:In the edge of the frontier, the Quick Strike Cruiser Excaliber has engaged hostile aliens, and survived. The ship now rested sea side, next to the burning city. The battle had ended, but above the planet, resided an unknown new threat, two other Quick Strike starships, the Mesamune and the Scythe, sent by the supreme commander of X-COM.
Across explored space, rested the Sol System, and the planet Earth. Standing in his room, in the X-COMMAND facility, the Supreme Commander looked out over MegaPrimus, his creation and was awed by its sight. The lights comming on, as the construction carried on during the night.

Derrick:My creation, sprawling out in front of me... It is surely a site for sore eyes. Sore, old eyes.

Narrator:Looking across the city, he sees the three segments all ready done, and the beyond, the segments still under construction, with a degree of sadness and anger, he turns back to his desk. The computer is online, showing X-COM funding. Even now, he can see the funding being redirected towards X-COM Space Defense.

Derrick:I must not let my creation, my legacy fall apart, even if that means killing your legacy Jake...

Narrator: Turning back around, Derrick's focus returns to his city, his garden of eden, MegaPrimus.

Computer:Transmition Omega-8 Class, from the Starship Masamune.

Narrator: With a quick flash, the Supreme Commander turns around.

Derrick:Patch it through.

Narrator: The holographic projects turn on, filling half his room with the bridge of the starship. His knowledge tells him that there is almost 6 hour time delay through the HyperRelay Sats.. but it seems so.. lifelike, in Real Time. Standing seriously is his personal second in command, Erin Stewart. His respect for her loyalty is unsurpassed.

Erin: Sir, we are now in orbit of the planet, as you believed, the Excaliber has landed for repairs. We standby for your orders.

Narrator: Derrick knew what she meant, she was unnoffically requesting final confromation, for an irrevertable act. He began to falter, until he saw the city in the corner of his eyes. His words becoming strong, and solid.

Derrick: Destroy the ship, claim it went.... renegade.

Narrator: Shutting off the holo emitter, he looked down, knowing that in six hours, the message to terminate their lives had been issued. He had just sent his former friend's olny son to his doom. No one could hear the words he muttered, as to speak out to those who could not hear him.

Derrick: To join his father...

End of Introduction

Act I

Kari: You never relize how big these ships are until you stand next to `em.

Tyler: It's the fact that pilots like ourselves, we feel the ship, and feel it's perspective, outside the cotpit.. our sense return.. telling us the truth.

Narrator: The younger pilot Kari Willams laughs, both of them standing on the concrete shores of the former colony city. In the waters, the X-COM Quick Strike Cruiser Excaliber is being repaired by the cities lightly damaged repair facilities.

Kari: You any better? You've been sounding kinda weird...

Tyler: Who you kidding... I've been my best lately.. all that adrenlein!

Kari <Smirking>:That all?

Tyler: And I sound kinda weird.. ha!

Narrator: Above them, in the X-COM cruiser, is the observation deck. Nestled above the bridge of the vessel, it is where formal events are traditionally held. Standing alone, was Lauri Rowell, until Kyle Rowell walks up next to her. Captain and Commander of the X-COM ship, the look out over the water together, Lauri's attention drifting over to the two ace pilots.

Lauri: I was wondering.. what is up with our ace.. he's acting so.. mature.

Rowell: Remember when I specifically asked for particular pilots for the ship?

Lauri:Yes...

Rowell:I have known him since my days in the Second Alien wars.. and beyond. His life has been hard on him. I first met him as a small child, of olny six, durin the second alien wars.

Lauri:Olny six?

Narrator: Captain Rowell stares out into the seas of the alien world, but it takes him back to the seas of his own world, Earth.

Rowell: It was during a Terror Mission. The slimmy bas**rd aquatoids were leading the forces, trying to shut down X-COM, and terrorize the planet. The means, by killing civilans. My force, Rowell's Revengers.. was aimed at intercepting the aliens. It was no longer covert. Funny thing, my father had known about the time when the aliens were first emerging out of their covert stages. I knew when it was all out war.

Narrator:Lauri nods, as Kyle continues.

Rowell: I... We.. didn't get there fast egnough. The alien allready wiped out a good portion of the population. When I got to his house, his parents were killed, and a slimy aquatoid was about to slaughter him. I stoped it.

Lauri:My god..

Rowell:He went to an orphanage.. and I thought I would never see him agian. After the destruction of Te'leth, X-COM was used for world security.
That's when I'd meet him agian.
It was an Astroids colony, several years had gone by.. that would place him.. what.. 15, 16 mabye? He had gotten in with the wrong crowd, the very wrong crowd. You know the Brotherhood, he was probally one of the earliar members. Had him as a pilot of a modified Firestorm. When I saw his name as one of our prisoners, I recognized him. Seemed he had developed an affinity for space-shooter simulations after the war... and grew to be quite accurate. So accurate that the Brotherhood recruited him.
I decided I had better intrests in him. So, I kinda acted like a father, and taught him the ways of X-COM.. his life is devoted to it now... I think.

Lauri: But that... you mean..

Rowell: I think the sudden maturity that comes to him now.. is somehow related to the terror mission.

Lauri: I underesitmated him.. and you...

Narrator: Both look out beyond the horizon.
Meanwhile, with the help of the surviors, the city has stopped burning, and some of the X-COM troops have taken this as a reprieved, a shore leave of sorts. Captain Rowell has not decided to take action, deciding the troops need rest after the newer ones meeted the alien for the first time.
In space however, an impacting message is recieved.
The acting captain speaks to herself quietly.

Erin: So it is to be.

Masamune Captain: What's wrong?

Erin: Goto yellow alert, and have everyone report to their battlestations. Patch me through to the Scythe, and standby for my report.

Narrator: Erin leaves to her quarters, to plan for her next move.

End of Act I
Act II

Narrator: Across the city, in a little cafe, some of the X-COM forces take a break, unsuspecting of events transpiring above them.

Tyler: Ah.. some good coffee...

Kari: Is it just me, or does all food taste better.. and easiar to digest, and thus eat.. in normal gravity?

Tyler: It's alien technology.. what did ya expect?

Kari laughing: Hey.. weren't you gonna tell me the story about our Captain...

Tyler: Kyle.. well, okay.

-----Mid-Act Intermission-------
Cuttings from a Base called Cydonia, a ship named Hyperion, and a threat known as Te'leth
by James Pickens

Looking over the harbor, Kyle Rowell's hair fell into his face. He pushed it out, and looked up, as he felt te shift as the anti-gravity propultion of the shuttle touched down.
"He's here..." Kyle murmered...
Steping out of the ship, was the hero of the first alien wars, the commander who led X-COM into the alien base on Mars named Cydonia. The commander had led the forces to the brain of the alien forces, the leader of the extraterrestrial forces. His crew sucefully ended the first alien war, and made X-COM a name known to the world as the saviors of mankind.
With his wife, Jake and Jenni Rowell appeared, a small press group taking photos and asking questions. His father and mother, two of the surviors of Cydonia.
The event was sure to attract press atention, being the reunion of all the vetrans of the First Alien War. A party was to be held on the cruise ship Hyperion. It was to be a party of grand scale, and of rememberance for those lost in the shadows of night, and the fire of alien plasma.
Kyle had been looking out, into the water, and at the great ship. He was sick of the water, and the ocean. His life had been spent in that last experimental base.. the Alantis-1... spent looking at alien objects.. of unknown origin. He was done with wading in the water, and ready for a new job.
He was becoming distant with his parents. His life, he wanted so much more then what X-COM was providing. Looking up into the stars, he felt he knew where his destiny lied.
His father walked up to him, as his mother proceeded towards the Hyperion. His father's arm went around him, as he said, "I heard, you want to resign from X-COM..."
"Dad, look out there.. your wading around in water.. looking at rusting and rotting fallen alien parts. Now, look up into the sky! What do you see, the vast, open, unlimmited expanse known as space! Dad, I want to join Transteller's exploratory forces."
A flicker went across Jake Rowell's face. Old and wrinkled as it was, he still had crystal clarity in his thoughts, and his emotions. A look of surprise, then of disapointment.
"You really think it's over?" Jake said, keeping his cool.
"Dad, you were there! Your considered the savior of Earth, the hero of the battle of Cydonia! The war is over!"
"Kyle, you fool, ever relize what the name Extraterrestrial Lifeform means. A lifeform from beyond Terra! They are out there and you must be ready to stand up agianst them."
"Dad, the war has been over. X-COM is being pushed aside, shelved. We are basically just sitting for the press, looking good. There is no more knowledge to be gained by studing these wreakages. The supply of Elerium here on Earth is dwindelling. But offworld supplies have been discovered, in the Astroids.. The future lies in space, and so does my future."
Jake got an overwhealming look of sadness in his eyes, as if his own hopes had been shattered. "Then so be it, if the stars are your destiny, go to them. I can't hold you back. I guess X-COM won't be your future after all."
Jake Rowell walked off towards the Hyperion, as Kyle Rowell walked off to his car.
The two paths split, never to reunite agian.

(Cut to later portion of the story)
Kyle looked at the two boxes, his life stored in them. "My future lies in space..." he mummred. My destiny... interrupted by the sound of a blarring klaxxon.
"What the hell?!?" Kyle looked up, the flash of the red light signaling to the change from Normal Alert Status to Red Alert Status.
The voice of the base command, Jessica Tompson, came over the intercom, "We are at Red Alert, an unknown hostile has hit the S.S. Hyperion. Repeat, Unknown Hostile has attacked the S.S. Hyperion."
Kyle's heart nearly stopped for one moment, droping the boxes, spilling it's contents all over the floor. Kyle broke out running, heading towards the launch pad.
Soldier had been assembled at the new prototype Triton Sub Squad Transporter. He walked up to Jessica, who was assigning the mission.
"Jessica, I want command of this operation!" he said sternly.
"Kyle, you are not a member of X-COM staff, you are offically a civilian, please leave the base as soon as possible." Jessica said, in annoyance.
"Jessica, I created the ship's piloting systems, I am the best trained to use it, and my father is on that ship! YOU KNOW THAT! QUIT SCREWING WITH ME!"
"KYLE, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK TO ME IN THAT MANNER!"
Kyle's rage grew, his worry for his father's fate undeniably growing stronger. A look of pity crossed Jessica's face. She remembers Matt's untimly death.
"Kyle, get in there, you are now offically reinstated to X-COM! Don't screw this up!"
"Roger! Let go!"
In a matter of minutes, the X-COM team was assembled, and the prototype sub was launched. Jessica watched as Kyle eased it out with such speed and precison that truly no one could match. She would olny hope that things were allright aboard the Hyperion, for all her friends and co-workers and soldiers she fought along side.
With a grace unlike any other seen, Kyle pilots the Triton protoype. His face, showing no emotion, his entire mind, set on piloting the craft, and finding his parents. This mood is shattered, as they see it.
Split in two parts, clearly struck by something, the Hyperion has sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Terror crosses Kyle Rowell's face.. the knowlege that his parents have almost certainly died seeping through his entire body. He lets go of the navigational joysticks, the ship begins to descend into the deep...
Something strikes him.. hard in the face. "Captain.. look!"
A large object rises from one of the cliffsides. Kyle looks at the shape, identifying it to be a Manta of some sort. "No, wait.. it's too big..." The center lights up as weapon energies build up. The terror of the aliens has returned. The terror of the deep!

--End of Mid-Act Intermission--

Kari: So, Kyle would of quit... except for the Hyperion incident.

Tyler: We both lost everything to them.... That's why we are here!

Kari: To make sure it never happens agian?

Tyler: Right... we, the forces of X-COM, shall protect humanity from their menace!

Narrator: A look of compassion come over Kari, over Tyler's sudden maturity.. but all this is shattered as a massive explosion occurs outside.

Tyler: What the he... ::boom::

Kari: What is it?

Narrator: The two pilots run out of the cafe, watching as another fusion cannon bolt strikes a nearby building.

Tyler: We are under attack, agian?!?

Kari: Lets get outta here!

Tyler: Right!

End of ACT II

Act III

Narrator: The two X-COM officers got to the Excaliber, as the orbital bombardment continued, meanwhile Captain and Commander Kyle and Lauri Rowell took command of the bridge of the Quick Strike Ship.

Rowell: What's going on? Where's the source of that bombardment?!?

Lt. White: It's can't be so!

Rowell: What's is it Lt.?

Lt. White: According to my sensors, the bombardment is comming from the Masamune and the Sythe.

Rowell: WHAT?!?

Lt. White: It's X-COM Fusion Cannon bombardment sir.

Lauri: They can't be doing this!

Rowell: But they are! Lt. White, try hailing them!

Lt. White: I can't get through sir!

Narrator: Meanwhile, on board the Masamune, X-COM Internal Security gaurds held back the Mesamune Captain, as Erin Stewart led both the ships agianst the Excaliber.

Masamune Captain: Even if they are traitors, they are trying to contact us, perhaps they want to surrender!

Erin: It's too late for that!

Masamune Captain: We can't kill our own soldiers, my god, it's Captain Kyle Rowell!

Erin: I do not care how famous his name might be, Captain, a traitor is a traitor.

Masamune Captain: Where's your proof?!?

Erin: I don't need proof, I have orders from the X-COM Supreme Commander. Guards, take him away!

Narrator: The two gaurds take the Masamune's Captain off the bridge, as Erin continues her assualt on the Excaliber.
Meanwhile, Tyler and Kari feel the gravity shift as the Rowell Class Quick Strike Cruiser began it's ascent from the oceans of the distant frontier world, taking little evasive action agianst the orbital bombardment. Tyler and Kari got to a comm. system fast.

Tyler: Captain, what's going on!

Rowell: I don't know.. it's the X-COM ships orbiting us! They have begun firing upon us! Suit up, and prepare for combat.

Tyler: You heard the commander! Lets get ready to go.

Kari: Oh, yes sir!

Narrator: Tyler took a quick grin to Kari as they both ran to their seperate fighters.
The Excaliber left orbit of the planet, heading towards the two starships.
Captain Rowell tried agian to hail the ships, but no manner seemed to work.
Meanwhile, on the Sythe.

Captain Johnson: So, they continue to hail us.

Sythe Lt.: Yes sir.

Captain Johnson: Put me through to the Masamune.

Sythe Lt.:Aye-aye!

Narrator: An annoyed Erin appeared on the bridge's main veiwer.

Erin: What now Johnson.

Narrator: Captain Josh Johnson remained cool and calm while he replied.

Captain Johnson: Sir, they are hailing us.. I think they wish to surrender.

Erin: Do not receive their hails. Continue firing Captain, or you will be declared a traitor too.

Captain Johnson: A traitor to who?

Erin (furiated): TO X-COM and X-COMMAND! Now conitnue to fire, Commander Stewart out!

Narrator: Sweat was on the Captain's forehead, he may make a grave mistake, in his next order.

Captain Johnson: Recieve the Excaliber's hails.

Rowell: Captain, Josh is that you?

Captain Johnson: Kyle, they are calling you a traitor, that you destroyed this base.

Rowell: Josh, it was the aliens, they have found us, here in the frontier!

Captain Johnson: Why would she call you a traitor, with orders comming from X-COMMAND itself.

Rowell: I don't know Josh, but trust me.. I didn't do anything wrong.

Captain Johnson: I.. don't.. know...

Rowell: Josh, I have been your friend since after AW-2. We were comrades, why would I turn agianst X-COM.

Narrator: Captain Johnson remembers the time he spent with Kyle Rowell, as war buddies in the thick of the Second Alien War, the Terror from the Deep.
He remembers the terror they shared, and the triumphant they felt, when word was spread that T'eleth was destroyed. He saw the truth in Captain Rowell's eyes, and decided to take action.

Captain Johnson: I believe you! Now let's stop this manical commander, and settle this.

Narrator: The Sythe's weapons turn on the Mesamune, as another fusion blast hits the Excaliber. Commander Stewart was clearly pissed.

Erin: Treason! Your both Traitorous scum!

Narrator: Meanwhile, on the Excaliber flight deck, the scramble order was given. All the fighters lighted up engines, the airlock opening, a static field deployed to keep atmospheric pressure. The fighters launched, hurdling out of the Excaliber, led by Tyler and Kari.

Captain Rowell tried one last ditch effort, trying to contact the Mesamune.

Rowell: Commander, let us not solve this through violance, but through peace. Let us sort our problems without death.

Narrator: Another blast struck the Excaliber, parts of the round, front, hull sheilding shattering with an explosion.

Rowell: Allright! Battlestations, fire!

Narrator: Both ships opened fire, the Mesamune taking hits from two sides.
Fighters deployed, in a clash of missiles and lasers the like of which X-COM had not seen since the Alien Wars.
The bright flashes of battle filled the void of space, sending adrenlien into all the pilots.

Each pilot had their own way of dealing with this. Kari put her concentration into quiet, focused mode. On the other hand, Tyler turned on loud music, the sound relating to the battle going on before him. The music seemed to focus him further into the battle.

Things were frantic on the bridge of the Mesamune, as the ship suffered more and more damage. Fighters were being lost, and another fusion blast struck the ship. Erin looked on, enraged at the possibilty of defeat.

Erin: Damnit, helm, get us outta here! Open up a comm signal to Rowell!

Officer: Yes sir!

Erin: Captain Rowell, this battle is far from over. Expect to hear from us soon!

Rowell: I don't know why your doing this commander, you and X-COMMAND, but if you do intend to come back, we'll be ready for you.

Narrator: Kyle Rowell watched the ship enter hyperspace, as the thoughts crossed his mind. "I olny hope that we are ready for her return."

End of ACT III

ACT IV:Epilouge

The new threat had arrived. Before, X-COM defended olny Earth, in the battle agianst the Xenophobic Aliens. Now, a battle for the Galaxy was being waged. A battle across the stars.
In the middle of this new war, was a new ship, being pursued across the stars by an insane commander. The ship and it's crew would have a destiny that would cross the stars, a destiny that would in the end, save humanity and bring it close to destuction.
A drama was unfolding, a vast drama, as the Excaliber went.. Into the Void!

End of Episode III

Next time on X-COM:Into the Void:
The two ships must cross space, with Commander Erin Stewart right behind them, in the next exciting episode of X-COM:Into the Void, Endless Pursuit