UEES Carrier “Gemini”
AO: CENTAURI SYSTEMS
Four weeks… four long weeks since Cal Mason rescued the kidnapped Xi’An diplomat and he was just getting cleared from Medical. He had that itch, that itch that came from being grounded too long. Pilots always got it. Almost like they didn’t trust their limbs to carry them, they needed to move through this universe with wings and thrusters, not arms and legs.
Cal’s ribs still stung from that blast he took back on Vega but he didn’t care. He had to get out of there. Cal made his way back to his quarters, nursing his side. The last shift of patrols just landed. They passed him on their way for a debriefing.
“Hey there, Mason. They finally let you out?” Cal turned. Penny looked tired but chipper as always. If there was something in this universe that could bring her mood down, Cal hadn’t seen it.
“Not officially. How is it out there, kiddo?”
“Danger at every turn. You know how it is.” She said with a wink. “Have you checked in with Grandpa yet?”
“Heading there now.”
Penny jogged to catch up with the rest of her wing. She loosened the band to unleash her flame-red hair and turned.
“Oh Cal,” she said backing up, “stop calling me kiddo.”
* * * * *
Admiral Showalter was not in a good mood. Like Penny, if there was something in this universe that could put Showalter in a good mood, Cal hadn’t seen it. The admiral, nicknamed Grandpa by those with a death wish, was a lifelong soldier. Survivor of multiple ground campaigns, hundreds of sorties, and more-than-likely dozens of covert ops, he had his career etched into his very features. His narrow eyes took in everything but never gave up anything.
“You shouldn’t be out of Medical.” He grumbled as he looked over the doctor’s report on his screen. “Besides, you aren’t going to be anywhere near a ship until your review. Western Command is all over me for that stunt you pulled.”
“Sorry, sir.” Cal could barely stifle a grin. Afterburning after a smuggler ship through the bustling city of Titus at rush hour was liable to ruffle some feathers. It was a hell of a chase though.
“Don’t sorry me, kid. You did good out there. I’m not going to let them scapegoat you to curry political favors.”
“Thanks but don’t put yourself in any hot water because of me.”
“Shut up, Mason. You think I got to where I am without being able to sidestep some political pitfalls?” That’s why all of Showalter’s troops would eat a bullet for the man. Showalter shut down his screen and looked at Mason. “But I’m still not putting you back on the rotation.”
“I’ll beg.”
“And I’ll hit an injured man. Now get out of here.”
Cal decided not to test him. He was going to get back in the sky though. Just had to figure out how. Turns out he wouldn’t have to wait long.
A distress call had gone out the second the Vanduul raiding party hit the system. Feet thundered across the grates. Engines ignited. The carrier’s massive bay doors rolled back.
Penny strapped into her seat as her NavComputers booted. She looked across the bay. There was Cal, passing in front of her ship. He grinned and saluted.
“Crazy son-of-a…”
Admiral Showalter was on the bridge when Mason took off. He knew instantly, he could recognize that little takeoff flourish anywhere. He thumbed the Comms.
“Dammit Mason. You get that bird back on the deck. I’m only going to tell you once.”
“Sorry, sir, Nav’s already locked in. Will try to-“ Cal muted the channel. He settled into his seat. That thrill of the impending storm rose inside him. This was home to him. He knew it the first time he strapped in and every time since.
Penny burned up to him. She glared at him for a few seconds. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Lending a hand.”
“The Admiral told me to blast you out of the sky.”
“I’ll be good. Promise.” Penny stared at him for a few moments. Finally she shook her head.
“Fine. Cover our six and don’t do anything stupid.”
“Come on, Penny, you know me.”
“Exactly.”
Cal fell back into formation. The wing stretched sixteen ships wide; ten Cestus dogfighters, three Zippers, and two Anvils. Should be enough to handle whatever the Vanduul got cooking.
On the Gemini’s bridge, Showalter watched the blips of the raiding party cruise through the system on the mapsphere. They disappeared into the planet Yar’s atmo. That gave him pause.
Why there? He thought. There were much more densely populated planets in the system. The Vanduul hadn’t been afraid of a Fleet presence in the past. If they’re here to smash and grab, why hit a desolate planet on the rim with only a handful of settlements and research stations?
“Admiral. New contact. Bearing eight-seven-zero.” Whitacre, their SIG-INT specialist, bounced the new radar blip onto the sphere. Showalter took one look and knew immediately.
It was a Vanduul flagship. Heading to intercept them.
“Well, well, I guess someone’s come to play.” He gave the order for the Gemini to ready itself for war.
Verrah nice!
Aarrgh! Part 2! Quickly!
Feet running across the hangar bay. Canopies closing. Displays coming up.
I need this game!
Awesome! Very well written! If these keep coming, i’m not sure if i will play the game or stay reading forever! Very good work guys!
This is no game. This is the real deal.
Nice. I was wondering if we would see any fiction like this!
It’s not fiction it’s real!! IT’S REAL!!! IT’S…wait i think I’m getting a bit too wrapped up in this Star Citizen Business…
Given the subtitle “A Cal Mason Adventure” I’m actually not sure if its in universe fiction or not. Perhaps a fictionalized version of actual events?
That’s my take, see below
Maybe some concept art to go along with a great opening story
Awesome
Awesome! Loving the stories so far along with the Time Capsule’s.
Man I can’t wait for this game haha, I really hope they release more vids/screenshots soon!
i hope not, so they can finish the game sooner!
Well look at it this way, the more videos/screenshots/info they release in the crowd funding period, the higher we go in goals, making the game bigger and with more content.
Love it !!
Nice story… ANOTHER! =)
I really love the pre-launch lore. I’ll probably be going through a few books these next few months to get myself into SC mood. Watched “Wing Commander” last night, saw young Chris Roberts towing the lieutenant back to the battleship
. It was like, “HEY ITS CHRIS ROBERTS IN THE COCKPIT!” 
. Then I realized that his flight suite on the picture from recent letter is from the Wing Commander movie too!
Ha, ha, so did I! I thought at the end – it’s a really good movie, I want a sequel!
Couldn’t we add another stretch-goal to the crowd-funding?
btw: why the heck is the wing commander movie not available as blu-ray? i would buy it.
looking forward to the next one
So we have another Ian St. John on our hands, eh?
“Afterburning after a smuggler ship through the bustling city of Titus at rush hour was liable to ruffle some feathers. It was a hell of a chase though.”
Is this a clue as to what we might be doing in the game? Hope so.
Reminds me how much I’ve missed playing Wing Commander. Good stuff there!
Time to replay through!
wow, nice.
would be nicer to see this played out in game video, or as part of a mission.
Am I the only one that had the image of a Guild Navigator (Dune) popping into his mind, when he read that? Though this itch is porbably way closer to what sailors experience after they’re ashore again.
I didn’t until you said that…now I see that stubby armed big headed fella with the creepy mouth…
If this is a clue to game play the bring it on.
“Cal’s ribs still stung from that blast he took back on Vega but he didn’t care.” = first person on foot combat?
“Afterburning after a smuggler ship through the bustling city of Titus at rush hour was liable to ruffle some feathers.” = Detailed, navigable cities that you can fight in!?
“They disappeared into the planet Yar’s atmo.” = Atmospheric flight?
If only eh ?
Very good story, would be nice to see High velocity chases in the cities… could definitely bring the players back to riding on the edge. one wrong move.. and poof..
Classic misdirection, beautifully executed.
Now the FUN begins.
Shiny!
I bought the Constellation, but not sure I’ll be able to pass up a ship called “The Zipper” lol
Eido
Like from chip N dale rescue rangers? Sorry if you know that show and the theme song is now in your head…
Dang it!
*grin*
I’m guessing that song is equally catchy no matter what language. It works in Swedish anyway. From time to time some dj plays it in my local bars and people go crazy
, and yeah I have it going in my head now 
.
I think I like Cal…
Cal is staring to grow on me. he sounds like a bad ass. i’d love to meet him in game it would be awsome.
I love this…..I am ready to get in the cockpit.
Good job keep up the good work!
I have that itch, that itch that comes from being grounded too long. Space Sim fans always have it…
Great start for a great story to fall right into it.
I want more!
Can’t wait to put my hands on the alpha to come.
It’s things like this I miss in video games. The first time you opened the box for WC and WC2, seeing the ship blueprints and the Claw Marks ‘manual’, reading that fiction, the stories – it really did create the universe. This is sorely missed these days in video games. Now you may get some extra swag if you pony up for the ‘collector’s edition’. It used to be standard and awesome, merely because the creators wanted to give full creation. I’m glad this is back in this format that is readily updated.
I’ve already got that itch….and have to wait at least a year to scratch it.
ha ha me to I need to fly. man its like a drug and i think i’m getting withdral simptums;)
I wonder if this is meant to be current events or fiction in the fiction, for young future pilots to read in this universe to recruit them/get them interested in serving. Like war stories for the future–then again we are all future recruits and need heroes to celebrate and emulate as well, so it’s for us in our pre-citizen state. “I want to be just like Cal Mason when I grow up and I want to be a Citizen!”. The banner for this makes me think it’s stories for the kids/teens/non-pilots. “A Cal Mason Adventure”
That was cool. I can’t wait for the next episode.
This story is going to be epic!
It was just starting to get good… now do we have to wait all weekend to get the rest of it?
For $6M do we get the Admiral voiced by Edward James Olmos?
HA! Rather have the one eyed Saul Tigh (Michael Hogan) do the voice. He’s done some video game voicework already anyways!
Now that’s more like it!
Nice one!
Damn, and i’m sitting here on the bunk still grounded…
I definitely know that itch! It’s the feeling I’ve had since the last time I strapped into a Hornet, Arrow, or Broadsword.
And, did this story hint at possible atmospheric flight?!?!?! I love to fly in the empty expanse of space, but a little planetside flying would be pretty sweet from time-to-time too!
Darn it! I thought the same thing! Atmo flights would be soooooooooo great!
Nice story btw and good writing!
Sounds like the combat-specific ships used by the military are different from the ones available to the civilian population. At least, they have different names.
very good, don’t let them take the sky from you, cal.
Good writing!! The mechwarrior online ones are flipping awful.
It had me until the bearing. If you must have him say something gimmicky, use Star Trek’s polar coordinates.
Max! I was gripped the whole short way through… I really hope you guys have the time to actually produce a novel for Squadron 42 as if that is anything to go by it would be Max to the hilt!
Any1 can translate to German?
ich bin gerade dabei
kommt dann auf Star Citizen HQ
No Hornets, Rapiers, Scimitars, Ferrets, Sabres, etc?
Nope. Those are from Wing Commander. Electronic Arts would have a fit since they aquired that property and licensing.
That was awsome thnk you. Guys we should start storys as well to get this mp going:)
“He had that itch, that itch that came from being grounded too long. Pilots always got it”.
Thats how i feel for not having any good new Space sim to play xD thank god for Chris Roberts visionary game, can’t wait
Love it. For me that’s the itch from not dogfighting anything new is space in years. Bring it on! pew pew pew.
I hope I am not reading to much into this…seams like a lot of little hints there for us.
I liked this one..keep it up
So there will be Xi Ans and Vanduuls as others races, Vanduuls are really badass guys and will make a lot of problems in future, I guess. But nice story anyway
Awesome hope they saved a few fighters for CAP or poor CAL will be on afterburners again…
Then there is the beating he will get from Gramps
Something really piqued my interested – “a Vanduul flagship.”
Have we seen this before yet? If not… I can’t wait for the reveal, if those alien fighters in the trailer are Vanduul.
Vin-Vanduulie-duulie-duulie-duulie-duulie-whatsits
Vin-Vanduul
Vin-Vanduul…
Oh man I hope you got a years worth of these lol
God… this so reminds me of all the characters I fell in love with in the Wing Commander books (Bear, Hunter, Lone Wolf, Round Top, etc). Please tell me there are novels on the way? (begging) Nevermind that myself and many others are fiending for a good Space Sim. Chris Roberts is my hero!
Cal Mason = Bruce Willis
Admiral Showalter = Sean Connery
Penny = ? XD
Saphron Burrows? DOH!
Very nice story! Looking forward to the next one.
Well-written. I am wanting to keep reading.
Get me a ship, now!
Bearing eight-seven-zero???
Presumably some new system for three-dimensional bearings.
I agree Pagan. A bearing shouldn’t be greater than 360. Perhaps they need someone to do a bit of editing for these posts because this wasn’t the only minor error I caught in this post.
Its a trap!
I love reading this over my morning coffee and toast. Begin the day with a little adventure!
I love it when developers build lore into their games. I really love it when they expand on said lore in other formats, too. Keep up the great work RSI!
Chills running through my spine..!
And now: advertising!
This gives me the same kind of pleasure that watching Battlestar Galactica did! Can’t wait to read more!
MUST – PLAY – GAME – NOW!!!
Aaaargh! The 2 year wait will drive me to insanity!
What are the changes that these issues could be released, or what do you call it, via RSS feed? Or any of the updates! Cassandra’s Tears, Kid Crimson, Clean shot, NU NewsOrg. That would make it really convenient and easy to follow on any device anywhere you are, and so stay in touch as the setting and atmosphere is set and the backstory unfolds. Just a humble request/suggestion.
Fantastic story so far.
what a way to build up the game! wicked stuff!
Traduzido em:
http://www.gamevicio.com/i/noticias/144/144721-star-citizen-entrando-no-clima-1/index.html