(Posted on 02-17-2001)
NOTE:
This story is a continuation of Battle of Sol. If you have not read it, you should search for it before you read this story. Remember, this is recomended but if you wish to read on without doing so, I'm not stopping ya :). I hope you enjoy this as much as the first. Now on with Renegade Wars!!!
Prologue
After the Battle of Sol, trade was needed in the Voinian frontier. Unfortunately, only Military and Explorers could fly the ships. So, to encourage this trade, they developed the Shuttle. Tiny, affordable, and available to any human. This helped merchants to expand and anyone could start a good steady business. The old Freighters were even demanded due to their humongous cargo space. The old Colonist Transporters were even put into good use, renamed as the Cargo Transporters. Trade flourished and civilians began to develop business. A few small companies started as well known as Stellar Corp. and Frontier Express.
But as these ships started to venture into enemy ground, they found themselves utterly defenseless. Civilian deaths skyrocketed and people demanded either Military protection or legal use of weapons. After repeatedly being denied this, due to lack of funding and possible misuse of weapons, a small group of civilians began to rebel. Among them were Iothe Ian and an ex-military officer, Nadir. Their fight was short and pitiful at best. The entire fleet of 25 was destroyed by a single UE Fighter. Unfortunately, the two main uprisers got a hold of some escape pods, meaning their quest would still live on.
Finally, United Earth passed a law that civilians could have limited use of the Military equipment with proper training. Almost everyone agreed with this, but a few were still not satisfied. They thought that they still needed access to UE Fighters, Destroyers and Carriers. Of course these few were lead by the two notorious rebels.
United Earth was forced to exile the small group after repeated disturbances. They fled to the most desolate place, known as the Proxima Nebula. After learning tricks, they began to dominate that space. New Alcatraz was the first colony marked by the Renegades and is said to be the most deadly today. Second was another planet called Gorky. After many other raids, they compiled enough scrap metal to build a station in Riomor called, ironically, Freeport. However, they still were no match with no weapons and only some Shuttles, Cargo Transporters, and Freighters. They were all outlawed and laws restricted them of any weapon use.
After careful deliberation, several systems were released from the power of the UE. The Voinian War was taxing on them heavily, thus they had almost no money to support them. Helios, Omm, and Hatuli were the first to be released. They were never really affected by the Voinian war so this was a smart choice. Painfully, they soon had to release Iothe as well. To see them on their way, United Earth put Profit Enterprises in charge of creating ships for a small militia in case of any type of trouble that would happen in the Proxima. Bad idea.
The rebels were soon interested in the ships being conjured up. The array was astounding. The small fighter class Krait, the semi-legal gunship Helian, and the behemoth warship, the Turncoat. The Needle Launcher was the clincher. Nadir, and Ian quickly made plans with two other known rebels, Lightning and Hellcat Helen. They were able to steal enough cash to buy off the Krait and shoddy duplicate Blaze Cannon blueprints. With this, the terror of the Proxima began. Cash piled up until Profit Enterprises reluctantly lost the Turncoat design. The Helian and Needle Launcher were soon lost as well. The new Independent planets were about to put their militia to good use. Profit Enterprises was finally shut down and prosecuted after they released plans for Rockets and the very deadly, and very illegal, Space Mines. The Renegades werent a group to bring free rights for the people, but they were now a mob. A group of very disorganized crime members. The scourge of society. They had to be stopped. Watch the Renegade Wars unfold...
Chapter 1 - Homecoming
I woke up and sighed greatly. My warm blanket was gone, and the cramped quarters seemed all too familiar. My trip had taken all night, and I was still tired. Plus I still had to get used to the 22 hour day. Thats when the door slid open to reveal my old friend.
Ugh... hey Jacks... I whispered groggily rubbing my eyes. He chuckled and responded.
Morning to you too. Ya better get up, man. You got a long day ahead of you.
The Jasmine glittered in the light. The burn marks and the guns had all been repaired. The final coat of wax was just being put on. It was beautiful.
So how does it feel to be back from retirement, Jason? harped Jacks again.
Painful. But I couldnt stay in a hole on Saalia forever. Gotta tell ya though, that is some great wine..." I chuckled.
I retired right after the Battle of Sol. I had lost too many people. Too many had perished at my hands. Hawk flashed into my mind, right before he careened into the lone Cruiser. A single tear rolled down my cheek.
Yeah. Thats the only reason I came to the Proxima. Too many bad memories fighting the Voinians...
Yeah, I interrupted. A brief silence came over the two of us when the man waxing my UE Fighter told me it was finished.
The five of us lined up. An officer stepped into the room handing us our missions for the day. Just a routine patrol mission was all it was. After the officer left us in the docking bay, Jacks stepped forward.
Skullriders. Im proud to introduce my good friend and the original squadron leader of the Skullriders. This is Jason Sikes.
I stepped forward to be greeted by Scasm Claw, Shard, and Scott Ubermann.
I never imagined that you would be a squadron leader someday, Jacks. But it looks like youve got a good team here, I smiled.
We each went to our separate ships and waited for the spaceport doors to open. The sun almost blinded us as we got onto the small runway.
Okay. Status check, said Jacks over the comms unit.
Scasm, check.
Shard, check.
Scott, check.
Jason, check.
Okay, turn on your hyper driver. Were heading out.
My ship hummed and began to lurch forward. The engine became louder and louder as we screeched down the runway. We were soon up in the air, our engines screaming now. Numerous G's hit me until we finally hit space. I looked back on the large planet that reminded me of Earth. Hurons sun glimmered in my eyes again as we began to hunt the notorious renegades...
Most of the ships in the system were foolhardy Kraits, along with a couple of Helians. My newly polished ship had a few needle scars on it already, but the job was easy. It took my mind off of the approaching evil on the other side of the frontier.
So how ya doing back there Sikes? asked Jacks, playfully.
Im a little bored at the moment, I smirked. What else do we have to do?
Well thats it for todays patrol. But in agreement with our Independent Outreach Program, we have to help out the militia on Hatuli. Trust me, youll have a LOT more fun there, he smiled widely. Chuckles came from the other members of the squadron.
My hyper driver hummed again as I jerked forward. I set the navigation to Troub and we all felt the numerous Gs as the hum became a screech. A flash of light and we were gone.
We arrived over Gribn and landed immediately. The scattered groups of militia and traders at the spaceport all had haggard looks on their faces. A small medical office was almost empty. When youre trapped in a Krait or a Helian, you dont have much of a chance for survival. Painful memories began to come back as we went to the bar.
We were greeted by two militia officers. One must have been sleep deprived; the other stood there emotionless except for the fierce fire in his eyes.
You must be the UE outreachers. Am I right? said the officer, stonefaced. Pitiful. You ask for some help and they just... he mumbled as he handed us some papers.
The sleep deprived officer sat down at the bar table and put his head down while the other walked off to another grueling patrol. Jacks and Shard read over the mission quickly then headed over to the bar table. Scott and Scasm followed as they handed the paper to me. The Turncoat Devils Advocate had been raiding the system. We had to take it out. I ordered a shot of Saalian Brandy and got ready to carry out the mission.
We waited around and sure enough, the massive Turncoat arrived in the system with a posse of Helians. They began to head towards Their and we attacked.
Okay, Scasm, Jason, and Shard, hit that Turncoat. Scott and I will try and hold off the Helians. Let's move.
We split off as Needle Missiles flew randomly hitting every ship in the system, including ours. Blaze fire rocked our ships as we rocked his. I fired my two rockets and fled to the right, one of its Kraits right on my tail. Shard and Scasm were being chased as well, and Devils Advocate moved closer to the prized Their.
Im coming Sikes! yelled Jason, as he fired a rocket at the Krait on my tail.
The Krait shot in front of me after the blast, and my Blaze Cannons finished it off. I steered left to help out Scasm and Shard. When the annoying fighters were out of the way, we moved in for the prize. We ganged up on it, me firing from the front, and Scasm and Shard on either side. I was barraged with Needles and Blaze fire once more. The red cloud of Blaze fire blinded me for a desperate second. I shot to the right and got out of the hell fire. While I waited to regenerate, Jacks and Scott came triumphant to help out. The four ganged up on it again and the behemoth went down.
Still bored Sikes?
Hope you like the first installment of Renegade Wars. I hope you enjoy the rest of it 
(This message has been edited by moderator (edited 02-17-2001).)
Look forward to the next chapter! 
can't wait for more. This looks like it might surpass Battle of Sol as my favorite story in the chronicles so far! 