Act 1: The British Interplanetaries

Chapter 1: Embarked

17-5-2289, 23:37

Lance Corporal Cameron Hughes sat, feet propped on the desk, having just deleted his third attempt at a farewell letter. Try as he might, he couldn't exactly find the right words to say. His girlfriend had made it clear when he joined the army that she wouldn't stay. He hadn't minded. But what would he say to his parents? He had meant to type up something sorrowful and mourning, but each time had devolved into ramblings about what he might see or who he might meet. Even though he knew full well he'd likely just be transferred from colonial base to colonial base, he couldn't help but fantasize. His only feelings were of excitement. He decided after some debate to send his latest draft, ramblings and all. With his literal Earthly affairs in order, he finally allowed himself some sleep.

18-5-2289, 8:22

"Cameron! Cam, over here mate!" Jordyn called out, leaping to be seen over the crowd. Cameron, in somewhat of a miracle, made it through the crowd to a group of his comrades. Jordyn immediately grabbed hold of him, and dragged him toward the lift. As soon as the doors slid shut, it plunged downward.

"Jesus man… Look at that beauty." Jordyn glued himself to the glass wall, marveling at the massive ship before them. The London stardock was easily the biggest in Britannia, but had largely specialized in smaller freighters. Now, sat in the massive structure was the ship Cameron had longed to see all his life; an army transport, waiting to depart from Earth and travel the stars. Jutting out from the side of the stardock was a large platform, with a massive stage at one end. No doubt there was a similar setup on the other side. Hundreds were preparing to embark already, lined up in neat rows before the stage. Cameron also noticed that there was a drone buzzing about, likely recording for the news. A large screen sat behind the stage, at that moment showing a distant shot of the transport.

As they neared the bottom, Cameron's eyes were locked on the ship. Sleek, silver, and with faint blue lights. It was easily twice the size of the occasional construction ship that came in for repairs. Possibly as large as the colony ship launched from London, though that had been ages ago. Despite himself, even knowing that his superiors were watching, he couldn't help but be overcome by his fantasies.

They arrived at the platform, and as the doors opened, the sound of cheers and applause echoed from the top. Cameron looked up, barely able to spot a hand or two waving down over the guardrail. He wondered just how many people were up there. His attention was quickly grabbed by a Corporal, who directed him into one of the lines before the stage. Despite the tangible energy of the whole event, the soldiers were all but silent.

This silence was broken, as the Lieutenant Colonel and some other officers climbed the steps to the stage. They were welcomed by a slight cheer, before they called for quiet. The cheers of the crowd above, however, could not be stopped, and it seemed there was no intention to try.

The Colonel nodded to another officer, the Captain who had been in charge of this army's training. He beamed as he stepped up to a pedestal. "Gentlemen of the Fifth British Army. I believe you are aware of your new designation. We are to receive the honor of carrying Britannia's name to the stars!"

A roar of applause erupted from the ranks. Cameron joined his voice to it, fist raised in excitement, some next to him nearly leaping in joy. "Settle down now boys. We're professionals after all, aren't we?" He cleared his throat. "Well, on a more serious note. It has been my honor and privilege to serve as long as I have. But… I regret that I will not be there with you. We still need someone here who knows how to train recruits, after all."

Even with the salutes and promises to remember him, (Some promising to send an alien pet of sorts home for the base.) Cameron's eyes were caught by a glint of sun reflecting off metal. He quickly scanned for where it came from, and saw that the VIP lift was now descending. The Lieutenant Colonel was now at the pedestal, and Cameron feigned attention, but followed the lift as it came down. He noticed that it actually slowed quite comfortably before reaching the platform and… Were those leather seats?

He forgot his envy quickly, as the doors opened and a small group of soldiers filed out. Judging from the uniform...

"Hey, Jordy… Those guys up there…" He nodded to the group. "Are they?"

Jordyn's eyes were alight. "Yeah. That's the bloody Waffen SS… What are they…"

He failed to ask his question, as the troops opened up, and two people walked forward at a gentle pace. One wore a field cap and long coat, and was talking hurriedly to the other. As to the other, well, everyone knew who he was. As he walked toward the pedestal, the ranks fell silent. He wore no badges, save the Iron Cross. He was actually rather humbly dressed. Like his companion, the most color he had to his uniform was the red band around his arm. He eyed the soldiers, and as he did so, the feeling of anticipation among them grew. He gave a small salute to the Colonel, which was returned quickly, and they switched places.

He paused, seemingly collecting his thoughts. "Soldaten. Meine treuen Leute." He began slowly. "... I am geehrt… Honored… To be here. As for the first time, eine Armee of Großbritannien will be sent abroad. Out there, be it in the Kolonien, the frontier Welten, or in our starbases, remember this: Out there… You are the faces of das erste Sonnenreich. The First Solar Empire!" His speech, though accented, eased. He seamlessly blended German with English. As he continued, he became more expressive, more emotive. "You are our envoys, our diplomats, und our voice! Some fear such a task. Some are not capable. Nicht die fünfte britische Armee! Not you, brave Soldaten! Hingehen! Let this herrlich Reich be known by die Sterne!" He stopped, once more overlooking the army. "Für das Vaterland. Für diese Welt! Für das erste Sonnenreich!"

The applause from the upper levels had stopped when his speech, likely broadcasted, had begun. Now, as he closed off on his address, they began anew, even louder than before. The ranks, seemingly in perfect union, saluted. Cameron had never been so overtaken by patriotism. He hadn't cared in the slightest as to his government just the day before. Now, his heart swelled with pride.

"Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!" The cries repeated, not just from the ranks, but from the people above. The Captain and Colonel were clapping as well, and Cameron could swear that someone in front of him actually wiped tears from their eyes. He turned to Jordyn to go off about this pride, but he stopped himself. Jordyn, though joined in the cries, was rigid. As the Führer and his guard reboarded the elevator, and the salutes were replaced with cheers and celebration, he only half-heartedly joined in. It was a bit too late to question him on it now, as they quickly began with the boarding process.

10:45

They had been given the welcoming speech once aboard by a slender fellow in the Kriegsmarine. Afterward, they had been they were free to do as they would. The ship had a firing range, a massive room in which an "outdoor" yard had been built for exercise, a pool. It seemed like a luxury vessel. With a large collection of weapons and armor aboard, as well as men and women trained to kill a xenos or traitor in 25 different ways. Not exactly a civilian's idea of luxurious, perhaps, but fun nonetheless. Not to mention the trip was just shy of a month, giving plenty of time to see it all.

With their introductions over, it was nearly time to embark. A message over the ship's intercom said that they would be leaving the dock briefly. As everyone else began to settle themselves in, Cameron made his way to the window. He had been wondering, after all, how many people had come to see the ship off. Sure enough, it slowly began to rise. It was a rather gentle ascension, he noted. He leaned in a bit, just to be sure he could see all he could. As they came over the lip of the dock, he saw the throng of people spread out before them. The dock had been built a ways away from the city, with a large field surrounding it. The green he had expected to see was covered for what seemed like kilometers by the crowds. He couldn't help but wonder to himself if his parents had popped over from Dresden to see him off. Was the Captain still there? Had Faith come to see him leave? He laughed to himself at his last thought. If she had, she'd have probably flipped him off.

He was joined at the window by Jordyn. Cameron turned to see him, and noticed that he seemed a bit better. Jordyn leaned against the wall and nodded slightly, turning to get a look at the crowds himself. "I always felt like I hated all this. But you know… I think I will miss it." Cameron didn't ask anything about what he meant. The two just watched as their home grew farther and farther away. Soon, it wouldn't be more than a small speck in the sky to them.

…

Hey guys! Darth Trekkie here! So, this is the first bit of the first bit of a story I'm co-writing with a friend of mine, Jonsosweg. In idea, the two of us will co-orchestrate the story of our Stellaris universe! In practice, the two of us will d*ck around in Google Docs talking about Space Nazis and alien wars. For the most part, Act 1 will be written by myself, with my favorite faction from the game. Yes, I made the Space Nazis. And yes. You're welcome. Act 2 is (semi) planned out, and will be written by Jon, as well as uploaded under his account. Also, since Stellaris doesn't come with pre-packaged lore, a lot of this is just straight up our sh*ts and giggles fun. Which is why there are Communist Penguins. Yes, those are mine as well. Don't you judge me.