0
This story will also contain a number of fanon elements in it, the first of which is Zhijong City on the world Capella.
PART I: The Student
Chapter 1
Suburbs, Zhijong City, Capella
Capellan Confederation
May 15, 3029
Eighteen-year-old Chen Yeung hadn't felt very tired when he went to bed the night before, and now, on the morning of the biggest day of his life, he was positively wired. He sprang out of his bed in the dark, flicking on his bedside lamp and squinting at the wall-mounted analog clock: 6:11 AM. Normally he'd never get up this early so soon after graduating high school, but he was on a mission. So to speak.
"Morning, Mother," Chen said happily five minutes later, fully dressed and lugging a heavy duffel bag with him into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"
Mrs. Yeung looked up from her coffee and newspaper in surprise. "Chen! You're up even earlier than you said you would be. The shuttle bus to the Capella War College doesn't arrive until seven sharp." There was a slight note of disapproval in her voice, but Chen wasn't dissuaded.
"Couldn't sleep. Big day," Chen offered, opening cupboards at random. "And I'll get my own breakfast. Don't worry about it. Maybe I'll have eggs and toast with some orange juice and fruit. Need to maximize nutrition for my upcoming duties." He was talking a mile a minute, the excited Chinese youth fumbling with everything he touched.
With a sigh, Mrs. Yeung folded up her newspaper. "Chen, I am excited about this for you, but I'm still a little concerned. You've hardly given any thought to the local universities. Your grades were good enough to get into at least half of them, and there are promising career fields here on Capella."
Chen slowed down a second before responding. His mother and father had moved here from a remote world near the Taurian Concordat, looking for a new life here. Until he died from a stress-related heart attack, Chen's father had worked at a nearby company and told Chen that he could become anything he wanted. He had already applied to the War College and been accepted. Going to the Capella War College to become a Mechwarrior carried its risks, but the urban doldrums was no place for Chen!
"I know that my friend talked me into this, but I was toying with the idea anyway. I just needed a second opinion, that's all," Chen said a little defensively. Many had accused him of being a bit of a tool, doing things just because others did them. Even his younger brother Tai and younger sister Wen had teased him about his easygoing and malleable nature from time to time, but now Chen had never felt more self-determined about anything. He had a future in the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces. He just knew it.
Mrs. Yeung took a sip of coffee and nodded slightly, giving her eldest child a caring look. "If you do this with conviction and pride, Chen, then you have your mother's blessing. Just please... don't do anything you'll regret."
Chen hesitated for a second, then smiled. "Thanks, Mother, but I won't screw this up. You'll see."
*o*o*o*o*
The College shuttle was only ten minutes away when Chen finished his preparations. He quietly opened the doors to his slumbering brother's room and sister's other room, whispering fond farewells to them both. When the would see him next, he'd be a proper man, not just a kid with a diploma. Then, with a fond good-bye to his mother, Chen stepped out the front door and across his dawn-lit front lawn. Everything seemed normal so far: his mother's blue sedan was parked in the driveway, the dogwood tree in the front yard was blossoming, and a beat-up pickup truck rumbled down the street. His mind bubbling with excitement, Chen set down his heavy duffel bag and stood at the lawn's corner.
Right on time, a sleek red shuttle bus with the Capella War College logo on it motored its way down the street and halted right before Chen, its door swinging open to reveal an overweight driver in a white uniform. "Chen Yeung?" the driver asked curtly.
"That's me," Chen said brightly, but the driver merely grunted and jerked his head to indicate the bus's seats. So, Chen picked up his heavy bag and climbed aboard, squeezing through the narrow bus aisle past other boys and girls roughly his age. Most simply ignored him, but one kid Chen's age waved a hand and called him over, pointing at the empty aisle seat next to him.
"Glad you made it, man," greeted Han, Chen's high school friend. Unlike the lean Chen, Han was built like a boxer and in fact had been on the boxing team at their old high school. Other martial arts had been offered, but Han enjoyed the direct, brutal Western style of boxing. Chen, meanwhile, preferred to watch such things on TV.
"Wasn't too hard," Chen grinned as the bus door shut and the vehicle rumbled into motion. He stuffed his duffel bag into the overhead storage rack and sank into the padded seat next to his friend.
"Is your mom still mad that you're going to the War College?" Han asked curiously as the bus rounded a corner, squeezing past a passing car.
Chen shrugged. "She's not mad. Just wanted to make sure that this is really what I want."
"Isn't it?"
"Yeah. This time, I'm doing what I want. This is all me," Chen said doggedly, then relented. "Well... you too."
Han gave Chen a light punch on the arm. "Darn right. We're a team, you and me. We'll do great."
Chen nodded. "Definitely."
----------------------------
So that's it for chapter 1. If you guys like where this is going, I'll post more chapters. I currently have 11 total on Fanfiction that I can post, including this pilot chapter.
