Prologue


Earth
Before/During the events of Mission 19

Death Star leaned back in the shuttle and flipped the control switches as it entered Earth's atsmophere. He was here to talk to to the earth counsel about building more fleet ships and launching an assualt on CorSec to steal back the ships stolen during The Battle of CorSec.

He began to let his memories drift back to that day. First Contact with the Tsivrixsh Empire had seen CorSec, still a part of EarthGov, in a dangerous battle against it where the two fleet locked horns. He was still haunted by that day. A lot happened, and afterwards, he became CorSec's #1 enemy. An honor.

Checking the readings, Death Star saw he was clear of the atsmophere and began to head to Washington DC. That's the one city he wished the aliens managed to bomb during the battle. Oh well.

Landing on a small pad, he leaped out of the shuttle and began to walk away. Some Reploid-supporting humans were there and they began to talk to him as they walked. Their words were lost on his ears. He didn't care to really acknowledge them. They were unuseful and totally annoying as hell.

Entering the counsel meeting, Death Star gave the huge, intemadating building hardly a second glance as he entered and began to walk past the rows of humans there, all from around the room, discussing their little meetings. He had come in uninterrupted. To have called ahead of time would have been worthless and frustrating.

The man on the floor, Senator Kyle, continued to talk as if Death Star weren't even there as the reploid continued walking down the asile to the center platform of the room. He could hear the EarthGov members whispering in surprise at a reploid entering the building.

Stepping onto the platform, Death Star noted he finally gotten Kyle's attention and smirked slightly. "I would like to address the counsel."

"A-A-A-Reploid would like to address the EarthGov counsel?" said Kyle in disbelief, not recognizing Death Star. He began to laugh.

"Listen you bootlicking slimeball human, I have no time to listen to that awful crawing you call laughing. I would like to address the damn counsel," Death Star repeated.

"And WHO do you think you ARE, Reploid?" snarled Kyle, who blushed deeply and immediately stopped laughing. He crossed his arms and attempted to look even more threatening. Which was hard. Kyle was a short, round man with a funny looking mustache and receding hair...very receding.

"I think I'm Commander Death Star of the Maverick HUNTERS." Kyle's jaw dropped open and recognition of what he had just done dawned in his eyes. But, of course, he had leverage due to Deaht Star's attitude. He stepped back and Death Star quickly took his place in front of the stand, glaring evilly at the round man. "Thank you." Turning his head back to the rest of the humans, who were busy whispering about what had just happened. "Now...I came here to address another matter totally, but your damn prejudicistic ways make me sick."

Kyle spoke up finally. "And by WHOSE right do you think you can call on us how we treat your kind?"

Death Star turned. "You foolish man. Your kind makes me sick!"

"Humans make the leader of the Hunters sick?"

"No, scum like you who think they can do whatever the hell they want with Reploids make me SICK."

"You're saying you think Reploids should be treated differently!? This coming from CorSec's highest ranking officer who told the world that we treated you GOOD. We're treating you ahelluva lot better now."

"Are you? Are you really? If you ask me, you're going back to the beginning of this whole problem! Do you even remember WHY you banished the Reploids so idioticly to the Wastelands?" asked Death Star, his voice cold. Kyle stepped back and swallowed.

"B-Because your kind murdered humans."

"No, no....none of you, EarthGov counsel, so just, so fair, so sickening....you don't even remember the reason you banished us! IT WAS BECAUSE ONE REPLOID KILLED HUMANS AND CREATED THE WASTELANDS! And you don't even remember his name! Two generations have passed since that day, 70 years ago, and the only thing you can remember is your prejudisim. THAT'S all. The Reploid's name is unknown by MANY of my own group. His name has been forgotten, but those who have forgotten have not forgotton their wraith towards YOU for banishing them. The humans who banished them only remember the death, never the good. His name was ZERO, and he fought for you! And his friend, X, saved you all over and over. And do you give them EITHER any damn credit for it?! No, you forget, you forget and hold to your prejudisim ways saying to yourselves 'They killed humans'. SO FREAKIN WHAT?! Man has killed man! Man has killed Reploid! But if Reploid dare kill man, then damned them to hell!" Death Star shouted.

"What YOU are talking about, Commander Death Star, is treachary!" shouted Kyle and stood up, his round belly lifting upward with him. It was really a commical sight, but Death Star felt no laughter within him.

"Is it really? To kill, out of anger and wraith and for the wrong reasons. To murder a human or a Reploid without reason, without cause, for the hell of it, that's treachary. What I speak of is not treachary. What I speak of is a new era...You have forgotten why you banished us. The reason you made up, is unjust. We all know that. This EarthGov's principles all are based on justice. Where IS the justice?" asked Death Star camly.

"I-I....I, uh..." Kyle stammered.

"....There is no justice in keeping us like slaves. To hold prejudisim over us. Hundreds of years ago you enslaved a race, the black race. You whipped them and beat them into submission and forced them to work for you for many, many years. They were human, but hell, ya'll didn't care, now did ya?" Death Star hissed and everyone fell quiet. "Then, they earned their indepence and rose up and became great people in this world. Now, you created us, yes, and we all should hold respect to you for that. We all do. The Mavericks don't, but those that have respect for your giving life to us battle them. We are the Maverick Hunters. Yet, we are still met with prejudisim. We HELP you and are kicked down. There is no justice in that. Humans can kill us, mainly CorSec, and they can beat us. There is no justice."

Kyle clearned his throat and looked around. Everyone was eagerly watching the events. "Well, I, uh, what do you suppose would be justice?"

"Disband the first rule of robotics." The crowd immediatley rose in an uproar and everything loud and confusing. Everyone was in an outrage. Kyle looked at him in disbelief. He then blew a sharp whistle that caused everyone to shut up.

"You say that will give you justice?! You MAVERICK, MAVERICK talker!" Kyle snarled.

"Yes. I demand this. Reploids live under your law. The law you follow, we follow. We killed a human in murder, we are dealt with. But, this law stops us from killing a human that is killing other humans. I demand your law, not the first rule of robotics, to be held over us. When that happens, mad men like Wily and corporations like CorSec can be dealt with efficently and effectly. This is WAR people, and in war man has killed man. Now, it's time for reploid to kill man also, just like man has killed reploid.

"Lightning Strike, a Hunter, a friend, died due to CorSec HIGHERING Mercenaries to deal with us. By that, CorSec has killed a Hunter. I demand not retaliation back, but a chance to fight back equally and fairly. Your law; our law. Then, and only then, can your prejudism finally begin to end." Everyone in the room was silent.

Kyle spoke forward. "I....agree. God forgive me, I agree. EarthGov counsel, lets take a vote to see if we should even BEGIN to proceed with this. THIS idea of justice.." Kyle said, his voice softened. The counsel members began to raise their hands slowly, one by one, when suddenly there was a bolt of thunder and a blast roared from a plasma cannon down and hit Death Star in the chest and sent him flying across the room, a huge hole appearing in his armor instantly. The counsel members jumped up and began to run around in fear, the shooter quickly vanishing and leaving. Kyle whipped around and ran over to the still body of Death Star, which already had smoke rising from the hole in his chest.

His eyes slowly fluttered open and his head fell over where the two's eyes met for an instant. "Promise..me..Kyle.....think about...my idea....and, vote on this...the true reason I came..." Death Star began, battery fluid appearing at the corner of his mouth. "We need more....ships built...for the upcoming....war...the aliens are coming.....and with the ....first law of robotics disbanded....my Hunters.....can one day... fight CorSec....for those ships back...to....help protect you..." he managed to say.

"Shhhh. Conserve your power, Replo--Commander," Kyle said.

"....Too..late....for...me....death over..looked me....70 years...ago.....X1...saved me twice....he brought me back and somehow...history has overlooked...me...until now. I joined the hunters....to make a difference...I hope...that I did it..." Death Star continued. He eyes began to dim and head his fell back.

Suddenly, the doors to the room burst wide open, and in the doorway stood a silhoute of a Reploid. "Have no fear, someone really, really good at this stuff is, uh, here, or sometihng." X1, battling through a crowd of people arrived at the still, smoking body of DS. "Jeeze, Ds, you're lucky you paid for the extended warrenty."

X1 bent down and scooped up the fallen Hunter, Death Star's head falling down limpy as X1 stood up, holding him like he was a light feather. "Remember boys and girls, car batteries and banana peels don't mix." He turned from the stunned Kyle and began to walk off with his friend.


Death Star sat back in the shuttle as it flew for Earth, holding the slightly damaged spot and smirking at X1 who sat next to him. "Damnit, man, if you shot just a few inches higher or lower I'd be a dead man." He sighed and looked out the viewport. X1 piloted back, the shuttle going crazy. Down below, he could see the reporters walking around and talking to the members of the EarthGov counsel, all of them confused as hell.

"Hey, chief, when you trust a mad-wielding mechanic to shoot you, you have a few bolts loose..." X1 told him as they left Earth and began to head slowly or HQ.

Smirking, Death Star turned to him. "X1, thank you. You're a good friend. I don't..know what I would do without you...." he said slowly and turned back to the viewport. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I was seventy years ago, at the funeral of Mega Man. I wasn't really there for you like I should have been. Chasing after Doc and all...."

Fliking the IV bag, X1 looked down at DS. "Yeah, deifnetly gave you too much anestetic."

".....If you don't care to talk about it, it's alright...." Death Star said, a slight hurt tone to his voice as he took the controls from X1 and began to fly silently.

"Chief, you gotta lighten up man. You just faked out all of Earth Gov, Reploids are finally getting some respect, and you're still living in the past. For Light's sake man, buy a time machine and get your ass up to date before you're obsolete."

They arrived at the HQ a few moments later and Death Star landed gently on the pad, shutting down the power as he got out of the shuttle, holding his chest slightly. Turning to X1, he said, "Thanks, Xtreme. I needed that. Now, excuse me, I need to watch the HoloVid....I know EarthGov will be voting for weeks on this, but I got through to them at least. One day...." He turned and walked off.


Sigma turned to face Vile, who stood before him, smirking. For many, many weeks the Maverick had been missing, leaving his arch nemesis to run things and deal with the Hunters. But, while he had been busy in other matters, hidden and secertive matters, Vile also had been busy training a squadron to match the Hunters. The day would be his. "You called for me, Sigma?"

"Yes. Our 'friends' want us to deal with the Hunters as they bring in a small portion of their upcoming fleet. That way the Hunters cannot battle them any. You are to deal with them. Do not fail me, like you did before!*" Sigma snarled angerily at Vile
* - Mission 1 and 2.

"Of course. This will be easy. I could use my squadron on them..."

"NO. Deal with them using your might and traps. Not them. I want them training further before you unleash them on the Hunters just to be slaughtered uselessly. Dismissed. Tomorrow, however, you will be victourious, you understand me?!" shouted Sigma.

Vile nodded and left.


War continues in Mission 20: Doomsday Approachth!