Disclaimer: I do not know the video game know to many as Skies of Arcadia, for those in good old Japan Eternal Arcadia. Now that includes the plot of the game, the characters, and of course the jewel of the game itself, the Airships. They are own by Sega and Overworks (I think?) and therefore are not owned by yours truly, I am merely playing around with this sandbox for my amusement. The only I hereby own are my own characters, the Plot of this story, and the Airships that I have commissioned...errr I mean created for the purpose of the story. Thank and Goodnight!

Skies of Arcadia: Legend of the Phoenix
Novella based in the World of Skies of Arcadia
By William R. Woods
aka Deathzealot

Author's Foreword:

Hello everyone and welcome to my very first Skies of Arcadia Fanfiction. Unlike many other authors I am not going to write an AU or a rewritten version of the game, or even based it after the years after the game. Instead this story is going to based little over a hundred and fifty years after the end of the game and will follow the tale of the Great-Great Grandson of Vyse, Duke Tomas Dyne. Yes you read that right, Duke Tomas Dyne, and I am sure you are wondering how someone who has a pirate as a ancestor manage to become nobility. Well the answer to that question shall be partly answered in the story's introduction before the rest shall be answered further into the story.

Anyhow, before we get into the introduction I have one final note I need to make clear to you all. The islands of Arcadia are going to larger then they appeared to be in the game. Part of the reason behind this is that to me they look pretty small to me while I played the game. There was a reason behind this in the game, but I just can not see them being that small so they are going to be a bit larger then they where in the game. For comparison, Sailor's Isle will be about as large as one of the Hawaiian Islands. Pirate Isle should be about the size of Rode Island. Also Crescent Isle will be as large as England, but there is a reason behind this and as such will be answered during the story. Now as for the Continent sized islands well they will be quite larger then in the game as if they where large enough. For example, Valua will about the size of Australia while Ixa'taka will be the size of Brazil. Meanwhile Yafotoma will be about the size of Japan give or take a few Islands. This comparison is only to get the right sizes in your mind and will not be the exact size or general shape just gives you a good idea on the general size I am talking about. Anyways thats about it I hope you all enjoy this story, and please let me know of any problems with the story. Thank You.

Author Note ( Added: 7/01/08): I would just like to mention that this story that I have been slowly writing for the past six months, and only recently when I started to play the game once more, managed to turn my attention full time to this story. (Read: managed to find my damn Dreamcast and figure out how to set up with my brand new wide screen TV as I had recently moved and could not figure where I put it) Now those Honor a Knight Fans don't fret, I do plan on finishing it, Phase Nine shall be out in a matter of a week or so before I turn my attention back to this story. As for those few desperately hoping that I will update Chains of Fate, well I apologize from the bottom of my heart that while I do intend to post it, and later finish the story, but it will not be anytime soon for Honor will take much my required time. Now once Honor (whenever I managed to finish the damn thing!!) is finished I will turn my attention to some other pursuits like Chains or I may dust off my plans for rewriting several of my older, weaker fics like New Exodus, The Sabers, New Generation. Also on another note those who are eagerly awaiting the next story of the Tau'ri Defense Fleet Saga... well I hit brick wall with that, but that story shall be out soon as possible as well.

Now I want to make something clear this story is only going to be a few chapters long, about six tops and will depend on how long I make my chapters. Granted there will be a sequel but those hoping for one, well like I mentioned earlier, Honor of a Knight will take a lot of my time and energy, so no begging folks. Anyhow I think I prattled on enough, time to get to the good stuff, so sit back, put those tray tables in upright position and please enjoy the ride.

Story Introduction:

After what was to be later called the Moon Crystal Crisis, Vyse the Legend along with his friends Fina the Last Slivite and Aika the Free Pirate went on a three year long journey around Arcadia in the Airship Freedom of the Skies. After this they came back to Crescent Isle where Vyse would marry Fina and gather his loyal crew to him once more. From there he would continue his career as an Blue Rouge Air Pirate. However unlike before the Crisis, Vyse and his crew would only attack Black Pirates along with the usual Blue Rouges activities, never would they attack any ship under a national flag. Before long the Age of Piracy came to an end, and Vyse the Legend became Duke Vyse Dyne at the age of thirty-five when his longtime friend Emperor Enrique the First gave him that title when the Mid Ocean Islands would be made into a Dukedom of the Empire. Soon after this the Second Valua-Nasr War would begin which would last for over ten years, and Vyse for the first time will fight in the name of a nation not himself or his crew. However he soon became one of the Empire's greatest Admirals and would later lose his life only minutes after the final battle of the war. His title would fall to his teenage son Jack Dyne who would rule the Dukedom of Mid-Ocean for over fifty years.

After this war Arcadia had an age of peace thanks in part to the Dyne Family and their friends, along with their Vassals. However this peace would once again be brought to an end when the internal struggles in Valua brought on a Civil War. On one side there where those that still thought that they should rule Arcadia. While on the other side who lived by the ideals of Emperor Enrique the First and that Valua should help and nourish Arcadia not rule it. During the first days of this war, the entire imperial family would be killed and Dyne Family Seat at Pirate Isle would all out destroyed by a blast of an old weapon brought back to life. The Moon Stone Canon! The island of Pirate Isle was completely obliterated by this old yet still deadly weapon. The majority of the Dyne Family and their vassal families would be killed by this act. However not all of the Dyne Family was killed on Pirate Isle, for the youngest son of the family Tomas Dyne who was an Admiral of the Valuan Navy and had been on maneuvers with the Yafotoma Navy during the first days of the war still lived. With almost all of the regular Navy destroyed during those three days Admiral Dyne and his fleet where the only ones who could save Valua. A single ship was sent to bring the news of the war to the Admiral.

This is where our tale and the Legend begin...

Chapter BGM is All Along the Watchtower from the Battlestar Galactica Soundtrack

Prologue: Ill Tidings

The Sea of Tenkou
Kingdom of Yafotama
3 Days After the Start of War

The Dark Rift, one of Arcadia's largest and most fiercest sky rifts on the face of the planet. It was made famous by Vyse the Legend during the Moon Crystal Crisis when the young Air Pirate went through it to get to Yafotama and retrieve the Blue Moon Crystal. Today it was one of the wonders of the world and as such it brought many to watch its splendor. However today it was quiet for only a few miles away was some sort of fleet exercise going on and as such the Tourist Area around what is called the Crossing was pretty much dead. For it was evacuated in case of any stray shots hitting the artificial island that was the tourist area. This so called Crossing was where Vyse the Legend and his airship the Delphinus had exited the Rift during the Moon Crystal Crisis. Hence it being an avid Tourist spot, since the Crossing is not used by anymore for while many managed to brave the Rift to reach the land of the Blue Moon it has since become more dangerous and deadly thanks in part to the increasing winds. So this route has been closed off thanks in part to being more dangerous, so no more ships flowed out of the Crossing as there once had been. However a ship was now currently slowly cruising out of the Crossing for some odd reason. This particular ship was a small Gunboat Class vessel of the Valua Navy. The Gunboat Class vessels was an older class, one that was used during the Second Valua-Nasr War. It looked like a more modern and sleek version of the older five canon Gunships of the old Valuan Armada during the Crisis. This single Gunboat was heavily damaged wither from the dangerous winds of the Dark Rift or battle damage you can not tell, for it was that heavily damaged. On the ship's bridge it was bad as the ship's exterior. Many stations where all destroyed with the few remaining ones sparking as they where damaged. To the side of the bridge several black body bags gave the bridge an eerily feeling. At the ship's helm, one of the bridges only surviving stations, stood a man that like the ship around him was beat up and looked like he was on his last legs. His uniform was bloody and ripped in several places. A bloody gash sat on his forehead and his orange. reddish hair was stricken with soot and blood. On the man's shoulders lay the rank pins of a Vice Captain and was most likely the ships most senior officer. Sighing the man rubbed his eyes and start blinking as pure sunlight streamed into the bridge.

"We made it! By the moons we did it," the man whispered to himself sighing in relief before leaning heavily on the helm station. However he soon brought himself back together for they where not done yet. Frowning he squinted out of the bridge's view port before looking at the ships compass the single remaining working piece of equipment on the bridge besides the helm itself before turning the small wheel in front of him towards a new heading. It took a bit but the ship soon turned to follow the command with a groan of protest. Sighing he flicked a switch on the helm station and static burst from the speaker mounted next to the wheel.

"Lieutenant we made it through the rift. Get someone up to the crows nest and see about sending up a hailing flag if you please," he said with a stronger tone through the ships intercom before he flipped it off. Thanks to damage to the unit he could only speak into it not receive anything and it is times like this that he wished that they still had talking tubes instead radio like intercoms. In today's world radios where the primary way for airships to talk to one another. However ships still had sets of signal flags in case of radio failure. The Vice Captain turned and listened as someone scrambled towards the bridge before going up the ladder that laid outside the entrance of the bridge towards the ships crow nest where the signal flags where located. It was a miracle that it was still there with all the damage to the ship the crows nest was remarkably intact.

Wiping some blood off his forehead the Vice Captain sighed and leaned back a bit after he locked the wheel which set the ship on it's new course. He hoped that Admiral Dyne would have his fleet where his records told him where it was. A lot had happened in the past three days, or least according to the ships chronometer it was. First the attack on the Capital City Victoria and than the Imperial Palace. The entire Imperial Family where brutally killed by the Rebels and than Valua's First Fleet was taken out when the Rebels attacked Fort Enrique. The Fleet's home base located at the tip of Victoria Harbor and destroyed the majority of the fleet based there. The rest where captured to use for the Rebels campaign against the Nasr Fleet. Next was the invasion of Mid Ocean. Duke Dyne and his fleet tried to stop them but when the Rebels brought forth their three Moon Stone Canon Equipped battleships it was all over. As the battleships fired their moon stone canons as fast as they could recharge. Pirate Isle would than be destroyed with the Dukes family as well, and that was it for an organized resistance. Though it looked like the Rebels got their intel wrong and when they attacked Esperanza they expected to find Admiral Dyne's 3rd Fleet there docked. However the fleet had left only days earlier to participate in maneuvers with the Yafotama Navy. His ship was part of small force left behind to patrol the area for any interlopers and pirates in the area. Granted the Age of Piracy had long ago ended, pirates still roamed the trade lanes of Arcadia. The mentioned patrol force was all out slaughtered and his ship had been ordered to retreat after a brutal hit early in the battle which took the life of his captain along the majority of the crew. He than ordered the ship into the rift knowing it was there last chance to get help for the rest of the Empire. He had hoped that the ship could be make it through the rift and they managed it though they had run into a few sky creatures living in the rift itself. Luckily the ship was still pretty fast even if one of its propellers down and they managed to out run the creatures. Though the wind and the air pressure crushed their remaining turrets and several places of the hull. Suddenly a yell from the look out brought him out of his woolgathering since the look out had left the crow's nest hatch open allowing him to hear what the man said.

"Ship sighted!" the man reported and paused as the two ships came ever closer. Look outs usually reported ship sightings first than as they got closer to see it better they reported what type and nation it belonged to.

"Looks like another Gunship Class, can not see the flag from here. Stand bye," the look out said and the Vice Captain lightly cursed for the Rebel Fleet had several Gunships in their fleet. So he was not sure if it was allied or not.

"Got it! It is flying Imperial colors Vice Captain," reported with some relief in his voice, but still the Vice Captain did not calm down, for it would not be the first time Rebel ships flew Imperial colors. That was how they attacked Victoria and the Palace, they all flew Imperial colors and it was after that battle they started to fly their own colors, but he would not blame them for doing it again.

"Don't be to hasty Crewman! It still might be Rebel," he yelled out as he unlocked the helm and took the wheel into his hands once more. He brought the ship around to present their last turret to the enemy hoping that it was indeed Imperial for if it was Rebel then Third Fleet would be already destroyed or on its way there.

"Lieutenant I hope you are still in that turret, we have some company. Make ready in case its Rebel, Class is Gunship so prepare yourself. We also going to need some hands on deck, so if you can stand and hold a weapon get to the deck," he ordered his crew into action through the intercom wondering how many of his crew still lived. The noise of pounding boots sounded throughout the ship. Before long the Vice Captain saw several crewman rush onto the deck of the ship armed with everything they could laid their hands on. Only three wore the long green coats of Valuan Marines while the rest where only normal crewman. Sighing he watched as the ship grew ever closer, and wondered what they where saying on the radio. Before long both ships came alongside one another and the Vice Captain locked down the helm once more. He grabbed his officer's saber and a single pistol before running to join those on the deck. As he ran he saw many of the crew dead or injured, the dead in black body bags and the wounded being treated by their fellow crewmembers. He soon found himself on the deck just in time to see a Marine boarding party jumping over from the other ship. Every single Marine he saw wore Valua Uniform, and every crewman he saw on the deck of the other ship also wore the proper uniform. He started to ease up as a officer with the same rank pips of his own stepped onto the deck of his ship. Sighing in relief and he walked up to meet the man thanking the moons that they where indeed imperials.

"Stand down everyone!" he yelled out as he approached and the armed crewman started to ease up as well letting sighs of relief of their own. One of the Marines his uniform matted with more blood than any of his fellow Marines started to collapse but his fellow marines stopped his fall and started to support him. Gritting his teeth as this the officer turned and saluted the other Vice Captain with his good arm before holstering both his saber and pistol.

"Vice Captain Gregory Locke, temporary command of the HMS Hornet," he reported as the other man saluted him. The other captain looked shocked as he watched the injured Marine be lead back into the ship.

"Vice Captain Kyle Irons, Second in command of the HMS Stingray. Let me ask you this sir what in the names of the moons happened to you guys. The last time I check the Hornet was part of the Esperanza Patrol Force right?" he asked with shocked lacing his tone as he kept looking around at the damaged ship from the crushed turret laying in front of the ship's deck to the holes in the deck from the falling debris from the hit to the command tower of the ship. Gregory's only answer was to nod, before licking his lips a bit before putting his hand down.

"Sir I request passage to Admiral Dyne's Flagship as soon possible I would like to report to him in person if I can," he asked with a frown as he saw more the crew on the deck looked shocked at the state of the ship. Vice Captain Irons shook his head before turning his attention back to Gregory in shock for normally something like this would go through the chain of command.

"Good lord man! You and your crew desperately need medical aid. I don't think my Captain would let you," the older man responded with a shocked look on his face. Closing his eyes for a moment he breathed in before letting it out.

"Sir I desperately need to report to the Admiral ASAP! Do you know that we are at war, how do you think my ship got this way Vice Captain. It sure was not from someone throwing rocks at us sir," he answered angrily as he looked at the other Vice Captain with blazing eyes, who blanched for a moment before calming down and looking thoughtful at the damage for a while.

"Very well Captain. You two get over here," he responded before pointing to two of the Marines from the Stingray and ordering them over to him. The two selected Marines with no or little fanfare trotted over and saluted the two officers.

"Escort the Vice Captain to a Skiff, I will have the necessary orders waiting for you on the skiff," the older man said calmly before stepping out of the way. Nodding to the man Gregory stepped onto the ship and headed for the ship's dock where the skiff was located. Behind him the two Marines trailed him as if they where shadows. Before long his small party reached the dock which had a skiff ready to depart with a single midshipman at its helm. As they approached the small airship a crewman wearing a white coat of a healer with a single paper in hand rushed into the room before boarding the skill as well.

"Here are the orders you need, and now sir I need you sit down while I treat that head wound if you please," the healer ordered after handing over the paper which had the orders required for them to bypass the normal chain of command and head right for the flagship. Sighing the young Vice Captain only nodded before sitting down at one of the skiff's seats as the skiff launched out of the dock on a heading towards the rest of the Third Fleet.

"On course towards the Pegasus, it should be about ten minutes Vice Captain," the midshipman at the the skiffs helm reported as the tiny little airship aligned with something that Gregory could not see at the moment and took off nearly sending the two still standing Marines to the ground.

"Thank you Midshipman," he replied with a small smile before turning his attention back to healer as he inspected his head injury, not even being phased by the acceleration. Which shown by the winged healer's staff emblem on his coat, he was used to it. For he was a Combat Healer and as such he would be used to being on skiffs as such as this one.

"Well Captain it looks only skin deep nothing to serious about it it should an easy fix. But before I heal it any other injuries I need to know about?" the older man asked finally looking down at the young Vice Captain.

"Besides a few minor scratches and bruises thats about it Doc," he replied with a hint annoyance for like many of his fellows he did like being pampered by healers. The healer only stared at him hard for a few moments before nodding.

"Very well than. If you hold still a second," he said as he held his hand over the gash and mumbled under his breath before a green glow surrounded the man's hand for a moment before transferring to Gregory's head. He shivered lightly as the wound healed for it felt like ice cold water had been suddenly thrown at him. Nodding his thanks to the healer he got up and walked over to the helm to walk as the skiff approached the fleet. Which as soon as he got up the fleet started to appear through the haze and fog of the day much to the amazement of the young captain. A large floating artificial island was at the center of the fleet, which is Fort Daigo the Yafotoma Navy's Southern Base. On one side of the large floating base where the large steel armored forms of Third Fleet, while on the other where more the graceful forms of the Yafotoma's Southern Defense Fleet. While Yafotoma like Nasr had long ago started building steel armored ships like the Valuan Navy, their ships still had the graceful forms of the older wooden clad ships.

Shaking his head Gregory turned his attention to Third Fleet while he had see the fleet before it was only when it was docked. He never really seen the entire fleet out like this, so it was quite a sight to see, not to mention he never saw them leaving for the Hornet was out patrolling. Now he watched the fleet in awe as the Skiff passed by the small escorts of the Gunship Class and the more modern Drake Class. Than once they passed the perimeter they came to the cream of the fleet, the Cruisers, Battleships and Carriers. The young Vice Captain stood in awe as he saw the six Dauntless Class Heavy Cruisers, eight Archangel Class Light Cruiser, two Sheridan Class Mage Cruisers, and the true hammer of the fleet four huge Cerberus Class Battleships. Standing in the center of all these powerful ships where the three Long Island Class carriers themselves, and at the head of the carriers was the flagship of the fleet itself the HMS Pegasus. A older Delphinus Class ship that had been modified to be an Assault Carrier as shown by the large turrets gracing her hull and the forked front of the ship hiding a single fighter catapult. Finally flying all around the fleet where patrolling fighters, of the older but still useful Arrow Class and the modern yet more expensive Sickle Class.

Fighters had been introduced during the Second Valua-Nasr War by the Nasran Fleet, who used captured and stolen designs from the Empire to produce the fighters. Later Valua would field their own fighters not in the numbers that the Nasr had for they knew they where outnumber so mass produced fighters like crazy, but still quite a fair amount. While Battleships and Cruisers still ruled the Skies the fighter soon became an fixture in any modern air fleet. Granted a fighter strike could ruin any Air Ship's day, and hurt a lot Air Ships still dueled it out along the Skies.

Much to the surprise of the small party on the skiff, two Arrow Class fighters broke off from their patrol pattern and came up along either side of the larger skiff. Blinking in surprise Gregory turned his head and inspected the small fighters. They had an arrow like profile, which most likely gave it its name, at the rear of the craft were a pair downward sweeping wings and at the of each wing was what is called a Moondust Engine along with a third at the direct rear of the craft. These engines provided the lift needed for the fighters to function and since they where too small for proper propellers like the large Air Ships they needed something else to keep them flying. Hence the Moondust Engines, which are run by Moondust which is in fact grind up moonstones. Finally there where the fighter's main weapons, two Machine Guns placed on either side of nose. These weapons where used to destroy other fighters and strafe enemy ships. Another weapon that had been recently added to the fighter design where four rockets that where attached snug under the wings of the fighter, two for each wing. These small explosive projectiles which where similar to torpedoes in function where the fighters main weapons to use against enemy air ships and sometimes other fighters as well. Though the rockets where far to slow and could not track the more nimble enemy fighters that well. They where better used against air ships, however it has been known that many pilots still fired their rockets at enemy fighters and if they timed it right could destroy their target. That is however only a move used by the more veteran pilots, and as such is never really used by many pilots regardless. Speaking of the pilot, unlike Skiffs which have the pilot standing up at the helm, the pilots of fighters have to sit down to pilot in their craft. The pilot's cockpit is located right between the wings of the fighter and right front of the rear engine of the fighter. This provides the pilot with an excellent view of his surroundings and allows him to get a better feel for any battle.

However Greggory soon noticed something different about the fighters, both pilots had strange helmets they where wearing unlike the normal flight helmet these two where shaped like some of creatures head. It was than that he realized these two fighters where not your run of the mill fighters but they where from Wolf Squadron, an elite group of pilots that where part of the Dyne Family's Household Troops. As such they most likely flew off Admiral Dyne's flagship and Gregory remembered right Tomas Dyne had started his career as a fighter pilot which was pretty rare nowadays. At first the young pilot started in an average squadron but soon transferred over to the legendary Wolf Squadron of his own family's house troops when it soon became apparent of Tomas' ability as a pilot. For the next three years the young pilot would fly with the squadron before a flying accident took him out of the cockpit and onto the bridge of an airship. Later Wolf Squadron would be assigned to the light carrier that was Dyne's first command and for than on out Wolf would be part of any command of Tomas. Today they where the lead squadron of the fleet and as such had the honor of flying off the flagship itself.

"Sir we are now approaching the flagship and we will be docking momentarily so if you can please take a seat," the skiff's pilot order brought him out of his thoughts and back to present. Shaking his head the young Vice Captain turned away from the view and sat down on of the benches in the skiff to prepare for boarding. At the corner of his eye he could see the two fighters peel off back to their patrol patterns as the small skiff approached the large form of the Pegasus, the flagship of the fleet. As they continued towards the flagship Gregory's awe at seeing the fleet around him all dissipated and his gloom returned for he brought ill tidings to the Admiral. As he sat there a small sad smile graced his lips, since he had just realized that the Rebels made a very big mistake for they awakened a sleeping giant and nothing was going to stop him from smashing the rebels to dust. For the young Vice Captain it was going to quite a sight to see he was sure and he would have front row seat. He couldn't wait.

Chapter Fin

Whew! Well heres the first chapter of my brand spanking new Skies of Arcadia fanfiction. So I hope you all enjoy as much I enjoyed writing it. I will soon be creating a Forum to post information on the various characters and air ships that I have created for the story. So keep an eye out! On another note in my original plan I wanted to introduce my main character Tomas Dyne, but the chapter was getting pretty long for a Prolong so I had to cut short. So instead we have the POV another one of my main OCs who make an appearance later in the story for now the story will turn towards the POV of Tomas and some of his officer who will be introduced in the next chapter. Anyhow I am now a weary author and must go get some sleep so I say adieu and please review. This is William R. Woods signing off!