S1, 01 Intro Mason Hawks (February 2, 2018)

Somewhere:

Mason looked up at the evening sky. It was still a crystalline blue, but night was coming quickly. Drifting clouds glowed in the golden luminescence of this particular sunlit evening. Or was it particular? Mason couldn't recall coming outside to gaze at the sky. In fact, he couldn't remember coming from anywhere. He knew he was somewhere, sometime, but he felt as though he had existed there always.

The crest on Mason's helmet swayed in the breeze. Prying his eyes away from the beautiful sky, Mason glanced at his surroundings. Around him lay a large field, with short, already harvested crops. He guessed it had been corn, but now it was hard to tell. The field was bordered by a forest of colorful trees, whose autumn leaves shimmered in the sunlight.

Mason now looked past the forest, into the purple horizon. Faded mountains lay in the distance. As he stared, he noticed something strange. Something that shouldn't be there. It was Polaris. Rising in the northeastern sky, it shined it's brilliant rays from wherever it was in this vast universe. Well, that's what it would have done, anyway. The North Star was now a distant memory of many constellations Earth had left behind so many years ago.

Mason suddenly felt like he was being pulled toward the ghostly celestial body. He picked up speed, his cloak fluttering as he soared into the sky.

He awoke. Not too fast though, or suddenly as if he was stressed and confused. After noticing that the clock read 0800 hours, he jumped out of bed and went to his dresser. Grabbing his G.I. facility clothes, he commanded his room door to open and headed for the showers. As he walked down the hall, he thought about his dream. Why did he remember that star from before The Shift? He knew almost nothing about it.

He entered the locker room and locked his clothes in one of the small cabinets. After his shower, he hurried to the armory, where he found his fellow Trojan Guard members suiting up for something.

MASON:

"What's the hurry? I didn't send a command to get ready for- well, anything!"

One of the men in the room turned and answered him frantically.

KYLE SOUZA:

"Sorry Captain Hawks! We didn't get a order from you Sir. It came straight from G.I. Command Central!"

MASON:

"What could they possibly want?

KYLE:

"They said they captured one of the Aurelians Sir! They would like us to help interrogate him.

MASON:

"Why all of us? Listen, you guys have been on four very tiring missions in the last two weeks. I'll take this one myself. You can all get some rest, as well as train in the range. David, I noticed you were having a hard time wielding your spear while also carrying the shield. Training might do you some good."

Mason said this in a goodhearted, joking manner, as these were not just his inferiors. They were his men, and his best friends. He finished putting on his armor.

David grinned and responded heartily.

DAVID SIMMONS:

"Yes Sir!"

MASON:

"Alright, I will see you all in a few days. Train well!"

With that being said, Mason headed toward the door. Boarding his one of the G.I. fighters, he took off his helmet and replaced it with a flight visor.

The engines fired up. As he flew into the bright morning sky, he caught himself thinking about the Polaris again. Why had it come into his dream? Why did he start to fly towards it? What did it all mean?

Turning his thoughts to the mission at hand, he switched on his communication device.

MASON:

"Leaving English airspace, will be entering Tokyo in about 3 hours."
G.I. control:

"Roger that, Captain!"

Whoever this rebel was that Mason would be interrogating, he was ready. He was strong. He was Captain of the Trojan Guard. No Aurelian could do anything to change that.

"Tokyo here I come!"

To be continued...

BONUS IMAGE:

This is the original main image for the episode.

DISCLAIMER!!!:

His "Captain" title is purely that. Just a title. He only commands his Trojan Guard squad. Outside of that, he must advance like any other soldier.