Nightglows of the Starlit Sky Episode 1 Part 2

You come to in an infinitely spreading space. Your feet feel nothing in contact with them, and no walls are around to hold you. Stars twinkle like shining sand in the far off distance, some parts clustered together while other parts are thin, all in a number of different colors. Nodens' form flashes for a second before his voice speaks to you, noting that you are the inheritor of their dreams and that you have finally reached this place. His voice sounds like it both near and far from you, and Nodens continues by saying he was tired of waiting for so long in the place isolated from time and space. His spirit has become distant, slumbering in the sea roars of the ebb and flow of the shore.

 

You ask who Nodens is, what he means by inheritor of the dream, and where you even are for that matter. Nuadens declines to tell you his name at this point and describes himself as someone who once left but is now returning. He commands you to go to him if thou would be the one worthy of being the successor of the their dream, over to the sturdy castle bathed in agate light where he dreams and waits. His voice echoes through the the world of stars where light illuminates the gloomy darkness, a monologue of an earnest wish that searches for something. His last words to you is to wake up and come to him, as he can't have you lying there all day and dying.

 

You awaken back to your room in an instant as an alarm is blaring. Your dream quickly becomes a haze that gets swept away by the urgency of what's happening. Breke rushes into your room and asks if you're awake, then says you're okay when he sees you. He then asks you to keep calm in listen to him. The base is under attack, and the defensive lines will be broken eventually. This is your last chance, and he apologizes for asking you to make a decision right now. Will you fight the Shadow Buggers, or will you run and hide on some colony?

 

Breke rethinks his question and suggests that it's best if you run. He drops his voice down as he confesses what he's really thinking, a wish he could normally never say aloud. He talks about how having strength and the ability to fight doesn't necessarily compel you to fight. The most important thing in the end is your will, as nothing will ever begin if you don't have the will to jump into the terror of night where you can't see anything. He believes that's what Duo and Bertro's attitudes stem from at the heart of it all. If they wanted you to help fight, there wasn't any need for them to put everything in the grimmest light possible. They would have just fed you war propaganda and made a show of welcoming you on board. Breke says you should do what you want and not worry about what happens. He chose to fight so he can handle the battles, and he promises that to forge a future where you can live in peace. He smiles as he makes this vow he can't provide any support for, and his words speak from the heart no matter what sort of tongue lashing awaits him.

 

You remember what Blue said to you earlier, then tell Breke that he said he was the best boss ever in his last words. Breke is surprised by this, then saddened as he says he told that idiot that he's supposed to say things that important directly. He comments that life is full of separations, which he uses as a point to say you should run and live and make your way to the escape pods. You however interrupt to say you'll ride the ship, protect the future of mankind, and/or fight together with Breke. He's shocked by your declaration, then asks if you're sure since there won't be any chance to take it back later. You nod vigorously, partly to confirm it to yourself as well.

 

Breke apologizes, then thanks you as he takes you in a gentle hug just like he did the first time you met him. When he lets go, all that shows on his face is his resolve as a soldier. Breke declares that you are now part of his unit and therefore must obey his commands. Your first mission is to repel the invading forces, and now that you've chosen to do this he'll be counting on you. You respond back affirmatively and have the option to ask for a reward if you guys come back. C gets an extra line where Breke is briefly confused but offers to give you whatever he can as an incentive to live through this.

 

You follow Breke through the base to the aircraft hangar, and occasional explosions that cause the ground to rumble indicate the enemy's progress. As you two make your way over, Breke is communicating with the command room. He informs them that you are heading out too and asks they register your IFF code to the ship you're using, 002. He assures them he'll support you and asks they leave it to him.

 

When you two make it to the hangar, Kurogane is there already done with the preparations. He informs Breke that his ship is done with maintenance and can fly out immediately, so Breke says he'll go and tells you to come when yours is done too. He quickly jumps into his ship, then flies out to intercept the enemy forces. Kurogane leads you to your ship, leaving no time to watch Breke go. Kurogane tells you your power has already been certified and just needs to be formally registered. You can choose which pilot suit you like when you get back, so you better come back safely if you want to make that choice. Kurogane then informs the AI to get the ship to partner up with Breke when it heads out and move in formation with him, which AI Solomon acknowledges before asking you to climb aboard. Once you're in, you tell AI Solomon that you'll be counting on him and ask to get the verification done quickly. AI Solomon assents, then declares you Master.

 

Soon after, AI Solomon says he has a new announcement for you. He reintroduces himself as the Nightglow's exclusive support Wizard, the AI that will present you the optimal action guidelines for your survival and duty. In order to make the best use of the Nightglow, he needs to interact with you and get you to state your intentions. If you have any suggestions for battle plans or questions about the situation, he asks you to input them. You ask if he has a name since just referring to him as an AI doesn't seem right, so AI Solomon says he's just an interface system to help the Nightglow fight. There's no pressing reason he needs a name, and he sounds cold and disinterested in contrast to his avatar. But then a name suddenly comes to mind.

 

You suggest the name Solomon as a nickname for the ship, and the AI processes this for a moment before saying you can do so. He reminds you that the ship is the military's property though, so it's best you not use that name in formal settings. Solomon then realizes that you guys have been delaying your departure for three minutes now and suggests taking off right now, so you say it's time to go and help Breke. Solomon acknowledges this as he gets the safety harness deployed and starts the take off sequence, running off a checklist of things before sending you into the episode battle. More happens afterwards.

 

After the battle, the story tunes in with a bunch of night gaunts grouping up in the sky and chattering madly. Your ship's attacks are confirmed to destroy the enemies, though this is less of a physical destruction and more forcing them to disappear into the darkness of night and leaving behind strange traces. Still, the night gaunts' attacks are raising the pressure on you quicker than you've imagined. You are alarmed by the nigh endless numbers and the danger they pose to everyone else as you ask Breke for ideas. Breke radios over to you to tell you not to whine in the middle of an operation and commands you to work with him to not let a single mob through. He also warns you to keep your distance from them or else they'll have a chance to overtake you.

 

Back at base, everyone in the command room is watching the battle with bated breath. Bertro notes how many enemies are around the base, and Kurogane estimates they cover 70% of the sky at present, which too much to keep up with on the interception's side. R-19 reports that the defenses at Block A have been broken through while Block B is estimated to go under in about 12 minutes. Duo nods at this and says to move up the plans then. He orders to have you and Breke divert the enemies to the designated points, then says it's time to abandon the base and have everyone not engaged in the final operation to move out.

 

Kurogane is excited that it's finally time to set sail and says he's already got the preparations done. Bertro says goodbye to the base and asks if everyone's settled what they need to, but Duo says there's nothing to regret and they're just moving forward. Bertro laughs about trying to make mankind come together poetically but notes there's no need to do so. R-19 reports that all personnel have been transferred before plotting out a route for the new base and asking everyone to follow him. Everyone leaves the bustling command room, and the lights go off before the computers power down.

 

The next moment the base explodes to your horror, but Breke informs you that this was planned to go off at the same time as another operation getting underway. Duo patches into the radio holo-call then order Major Breke to clean up the enemies on the way to the ship, so Breke acknowledges the order and tells you to follow him to act as heralds for the way for your last hope. You follow Breke's lead as you both shoot down enemies from the sky, and you see the ground where the base was far below starting to open up. It was actually a disguised barrier, and something rises that makes the atmosphere quiver.

 

You react in surprise at the unveiling of the space warship, and Breke tells you it was built to work with the Nightglows as an anti-Shadow Bugger countermeasure. It is the Authority Driven Deep Space Battle Cruiser, the Wall of Time. A strong sense of hope fills you at Breke's words, and the ship's size dwarfs the night gaunts to the point that they look like rice grains in comparison. The polished metal armor looks like it could hold up to almost any sort of attack as it shines in the sunlight. Duo is on the bridge and commands the deployment of the Denial Field and preparation of all cannons for one simultaneous firing. Night gaunts are shot down by the gun ports, which pack the power of several Nightglows put together. All that stand in the ship's way are brought down by its might.

 

You are amazed by the cruiser's firepower and feel there's a chance you guys can win this now. Duo calls in and tells you there's no time to be emotionally moved as he orders you to return to base. The ship will soon be leaving the atmosphere and making its first warp out to your new destination. Bertro tells you not to be late as they won't be coming back to pick up any stragglers. Kurogane tells you that when you get back there's going to be a study group about the ship, and you won't have any time to sleep so you should be ready for that. R-19 says the AI can handle the boarding route and that you should use the third guiding beacon for directions. The escape is a success thanks to your work, and he asks you to come back safely. Everyone looks hopeful as they sign off the call, and you are all bound for a journey to take back hope for humanity. Breke then calls you up and says there's going to be a toast when you guys return. It's going to be a wish for your future fortunes in battle and a celebration for your first battle, and you happily acknowledge your captain.

 

On the next episode! The last operation for humanity to fight against the Shadow Buggers has begun. The crew of the space battleship Wall of Time is heading straight for the enemy base, the Agate Castle. On the way over, you come across a new encounter as the ship stops to resupply at a colony. There you meet with Nomad, a deserter whose fate is tied with Breke's. He refuses to return to the battlefield, unable to face his past. And as he hesitates, the Shadow Buggers' invasion draws ever closer to the colony. You then take to the skies in your beloved ship to save the colonists with Nomad. Find out more, next time in Nightglows of the Starlit Sky Episode 2: Remembrance of Things Past