What you are about to read below was originally a series of posts made to my Google+ account for a VERY few select people to read over.
This was a very deep passion of love for the Darius series, I've never written anything before in my entire life, so I felt if I was going to do it, it would have to be about this. I'm kinda lazy honestly....
Please keep in mind a couple things when reading this:
1. I'm very new to the world of writing and don't do this kind of thing.... like EVER.
2. This was written to follow the exact story of Darius by timeline NOT by release dates.
(G-Darius / Darius / Darius Gaiden / Darius II / Dariusburst and EX variants)
I want you all to know that I am dedicating this story to EVERYONE here at the shmups forum. You have all been very friendly to me and that made me feel happy inside.
I've drawn inspiration to write this from the friends I've met here, and I wanted everyone to experience this with me.
Please leave me comments and feedback if you would like, I would LOVE to know what you all think of this.
Please Enjoy!
ProcoTaito
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--Darius Prologue Story--
A Great War Begins....
A battle between the inhabitants of Amnelia and Blazar resulted in one planet being destroyed. With Amnelia the victor of the war, using their terrible weapons of destruction, they unknowingly awoke a great protector of the universe....Thiima.
The Thiima saw Amnelia as a threat to the rest of the universe and charged themselves with the mission of destroying the inhabitants, so that peace could be restored.
A new battle between Amnelia and the Thiima race began. At the initial start of this battle, many of the pilots of the Amnelia Royal Cosmic Force (ARCF) were destroyed. However, pilots and scientists noticed that the Thiima were using a very special power, one that Amnelia had never seen.... An almost magical power. During a brave mission by an unknown pilot, this power was secretly copied from the Thiima. This power was known as the A.N. (All Nothing)
With the A.N. copied, the Amnelia Royal Cosmic Force needed to create a special spacecraft that could utilize it, in hopes that they could fight fire with fire.
By order of the King of planet Amnelia, the very first in a powerful line of spaceships was created....
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Silverhawk Series #1
The G-Darius Silverhawk (Genesis).
Named after the legendary mythical warbird of planet Amnelia, it is technically the most powerful Silverhawk of the whole series.
Capable of controlling enemy craft via the capture ball system and using their energy to create a powerful alpha beam, the key to the Genesis Silverhawk's power is in the A.N. Drive, copied from the enemy Thiima technology.
Eventually, the planet Amnelia was able to overcome the attacks by Thiima using the A.N. power within the Genesis Silverhawk against them, destroying their race forever.
This Silverhawk was lost in time after the great Amnelia war. Attempts to replicate this specific craft were unsuccessful, and thus new models were created on the planet Darius, against a new enemy....Belser.
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Silverhawk Series #2
The Darius Silverhawk (Origin)
After the Amnelia attack by Thiima, the planet Darius was attacked by the Belser army who saw the peace loving planet as vulnerable and ripe for the taking. Belser quietly acquired the Thiima technology after their defeat. They were able to do so via the A.N. control nerve of Thiima's ultimate battleship "GT" (Great Thing).
Top scientists and engineers on Darius created a new model of Silverhawk, loosely based on the Genesis version from planet Amnelia, and selected 2 pilots (Proco and Tiat) to fly the Silverhawks in defense of Darius.
Although these Silverhawks do not possess the A.N. drive of their predecessor, these ships pull no punches in battle! Equipped with strong Vulcan, Laser and Wave cannons, Proco and Tiat took these Silverhawks to victory against the Belser army.
Sadly, although Proco and Tiat were able to remove the Belser threat, massive damage to the planet was still unavoidable and the inhabitants of Darius needed to find new planets to colonize. One such planet was known as Vadis. These new planets were colonized in hopes that one day Darius would heal and become a place to live once again....
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Silverhawk Series #3
The Darius Gaiden Silverhawk (Gaiden)
With most of the inhabitants of Darius scattered across the system, Belser returned and began an all out attack against the colonists of planet Vadis, in an attempt to rattle the nerves and hopes of the Darius civilization. Once the Belser army was finished there, they once again turned their attention back to the home world, Darius.
Fearing another attack on their torn world, the Silverhawks were sent out once more, to deal with the threat. This time, the Silverhawks were fitted with a devastating new weapon, the Black Hole Bomb. This weapon creates a mini black hole which sucks in enemies. The bomb has the capability to "force close" the black hole so quickly, it creates an energy flash that discharges in the surrounding area, continuing to damage enemies that were not claimed by the initial attack.
With great skill and a little luck, the Silverhawks were able to destroy one of the Belser army's main commanders, forcing their temporary retreat from Darius. The Silverhawks returned to the colonies for a short period of time, only to receive an emergency SOS from Darius and the surrounding planets.... Belser had returned with new ships once again.
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Silverhawk Series #4
The Darius II Silverhawk (2nd Configuration)
Receiving a distress signal from Darius and the surrounding planets, the Silverhawks left to deal with this new issue. Their first stop....Planet Orga. Before the Silverhawk's departure from the colonies, their weapon systems were changed out again. This time the ships were fitted with an advanced Laser cannon system that was developed on the planet Orga. When powered up, the lasers have great range and size, dealing large amounts of damage to the Belser fleet. This weapon was powerful enough and not limited to a stock amount, that the Black Hole Bomb unit was replaced in it's favor.
As the Silverhawks continued their way through the system, they eventually made their way back to Darius and were barely able to force another retreat by Belser in destroying one of their main bases of operation. War torn, the Silverhawks flew over the skies of Darius and the pilots could feel the planet's lifeforce returning. Darius was in a period of renewal, perhaps it was time for their people to return and rebuild.
Many years have passed and Belser has yet to return. Maybe this time they have finally given up for good. With the news that Belser had no longer returned to their system, the original Silverhawks from planet Darius were finally and officially retired. The ships and their pilots were now legends in Darius history. The Genesis Silverhawk became a simple myth, spoken in whispers amongst the people. Some do not believe that it, or it's "Black Magic" A.N. Drive ever existed.
A long period of time went by in peace on their home world and eventually many forgot about war and moved on to continue finding new planets to expand their race. Things seemed to be well for the beings of Darius, but history does have a tendency to repeat itself....
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Silverhawk Series #5
The Dariusburst Silverhawks (Legend)
History has indeed repeated itself, and Belser has finally returned with new fleets of ships, more fleets than ever before. The time that the Belser army has taken to prepare for a final attack has paid off, they have succeeded in invading the whole system in a very short period of time. They were able to take advantage of the fact that war was now behind the people of Darius and they no longer felt the need to have war machines to defend themselves.
Upon hearing the news that the system had been invaded, an emergency order was given.... Create a new line of Silverhawks and train new pilots to defend their worlds, and thus the "Legend" was born.
This Silverhawk was named "Legend" for it's similar appearance to the original models. New design changes were incorporated into the Legend for high maneuverability. The power and sheer amount of force that would have to be withstood by a normal pilot in order to fly this ship, was simply too much. In order for the ship to operate correctly, a special A.I. known as TI2 was created for the sole purpose of controlling the Legend. TI2 was given the appearance of a younger women so that she could communicate and comfort other pilots in battle.
The Legend, and other new versions, were also fitted with a brand new and very powerful weapon known as the Burst Unit. This unit was designed to work with, but is not completely connected to the Silverhawks. This was decided because the unit would have to work with several different models of Silverhawks at once. The different versions of Silverhawks were fitted with computer systems that could communicate directly with the Burst Unit. The unit is summoned by the computer out of temporal space and placed in front of the ship. The 4 crystal prongs generate a high level of energy that can be converted into a concentrated beam that can deliver large amounts of damage and can cut through an armada in a single shot. The beam can also be angled for difficult areas that require precision shots.
The "Legend" and it's following line of Silverhawks, left Darius to destroy the Belser armies and save their system from complete destruction. Only time would tell what the outcome would be in this new war, but everyone knew that all hope would lie in these new and brave pilots....
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Silverhawk Series #6
The Dariusburst Silverhawks (Next)
Among these brave pilots was a man who had previously tested a new version of Silverhawk known as the "Next", and had achieved the pilot rank known as "Riga Pratica" (Rookie with Stripes). The "Next" was named for it's clear intent to be the next true model of Silverhawk in design. It has retained the classic rear cutter fin of the original models, but that is where all similarities end. This was truly a brand new design and was a perfect fit for the Silverhawk line.
This ship is equipped with the same array of weaponry as the Legend and other models. However, because of small unforeseen computer errors, the control of it's Burst Unit is a bit more erratic than the other ships in the line. Fortunately, the test pilot of this ship has become accustomed to it's irregular behavior and has quickly adapted, making the "Next" his ship of choice.
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Silverhawk Series #7
The Dariusburst Silverhawks (Formula)
This new Silverhawk incorporates a special Tri-Winged design for added maneuverability and low detection rates. However, because of it's specific design, a different weapons system needed to be installed to save space. This had a direct impact on the weapon systems range but boosted it's power greatly. Pilots of this model were made aware before selecting this ship that battles would be a bit more "up close and personal".
The Formula has great speed and power at the cost of range, but is still widely accepted as a "ship amongst experts". The Formula was not made in large numbers, as it's design was still experimental, but it has managed to become a legend in it's own right.
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Silverhawk Series #8
The Dariusburst Silverhawks (Assault)
Not as much is known about this Silverhawk, called the "Assault". It's deployment came late into the war and was not as well known as the others in the Silverhawk line. The Assault was classified as a ship for pilots new to the war and not as familiar with older flight systems, making it more "User Friendly". This ship is equipped with a special and experimental weapons system called the "Spark Burst", which sends out damaging bursts of energy to it's enemies. The pilot can control these bursts to a point and can also overpower the unit for a very large radius attack.
The Assault has a good mix of speed and weaponry making it a great choice for all pilots, old and new. It's limited deployment made it a somewhat rare site for other pilots to see, and with it's rarity comes the question.... Will the Assault get the recognition it truly deserves?
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Silverhawk Series (Final)
The Dariusburst Silverhawks (Misc Deployment)
With the war on such a large scale, it was decided to reactivate some of the older Silverhawk models to increase the fleet's numbers. At one point even, a familiar name was uttered once again.... Genesis.
Deployment #1 (Origin)
These Silverhawks were the legendary heroes of Darius, originally flown by the great aces, Proco and Tiat. These ships have done their duty in spades, but the time for reactivation was now. Repaired and Re-Armored, the Origin Silverhawks were flown only by the most respected and elite pilots. The ships were almost instantly labeled as "Highly Difficult", due to the Origin's inability to cope with the Burst Unit computer, making it impossible to equip on the ship.
Only the most daring pilots choose to fly the old workhorse of the fleet. Some even say that the spirits of Proco and Tiat fly alongside these brave pilots, in hopes that one day they can see the TRUE end to this conflict.
Deployment #2 (Gaiden)
Over the many periods of this great war, the Origin models were fitted with some of the old weaponry used after the Vadis attack. The Black Hole Bomb made it's appearance once again and was just as effective as in the past.
The dark hole created by this weapon still strikes fear into the hearts of the Belser army. It is the last thing they see before they die....
Deployment #3 (Second Configuration)
Some pilots enjoy the Laser weaponry on the Silverhawks, and this one was quite the setup. An old but still effective weapons system, "Second Configuration" as it was called, was used in certain areas of the system for downing larger Belser craft at range.
When powered up, the lasers could grow in size and attack range. This was not a preferred or as well known weapons system, except for those who lived on or near the Planet Orga, as this system was originally created there.
Deployment #4 (Genesis)
At some point during the great war, scientists on Planet Darius were able to partially replicate some of the weaponry that was originally part of the Genesis Silverhawk. This ship is widely considered to be a "False Genesis", as it does not work exactly the same as the original. The Capture ball weaponry can never be replicated except under the now extinct A.N. The Belser fleet has modified their weapons and ships so many times, the A.N. is all but lost to them now. An almost "Black Magic" power that was meant to be used ONLY by the now extinct Thiima race.... and it really should stay that way.
However, the Alpha beam was partially replicated by using a modified Wave cannon and close range attack satellites with an overdrive technology that, like the Genesis, responds to an opposite polarity beam and causes distorted growth, overpowering the attacker. Although this "False Genesis" does have some variations of the weaponry found on the original myth, it falls short of anything the great myth, that is the "Genesis", could have done for this war. It may never BE the true Genesis, but it has it where it counts.
--Conclusion--
This war is still being waged to save the system from destruction. The Belser fleet grows tired and old. Eventually, some say the war will just simply end and there will be no more conflict. With these brave pilots out there risking everything for their system, there is no doubt in their minds that this war will finally draw to a close, and the beings of Darius will finally have true peace....Forever.
"I always wanted a thing called tuna sashimi!"
ProcoTaito
sweet foot gas!
