Chapter 9: TBD

=the troph's crew detect's the pelican and alerts zeru who open a private comm to the others=

guys there is pelican hovering above the base if i had to guess i'd assume it will fire on it soon as our new aqquantance leaves

-switches channel to the bridge crew-

aim a pair of point defense guns at the pelican if it fires shoot it but do not destroy it just damage enough so it has to flee

(Jason)
=Excited, I shouted=
How much damage are we doing?

*Lt. Lake*
Mi...minimal damage sir. They're changing position, and trying to get their weapons to bear on us.
=To emphasis that point, the view screens displayed an image of the monster ship turning, rolling at the same time, so that it's starboard section was moving to face us=

(Jason)
Fire our emergency thrusters on the port side! We need to turn around. And transfer power to our shields!
=It wasn't going to be fast enough. The ship was on us, and its weapons glowed again, ready to fire. We were all so focused on it, that we barely noticed the plasma torpedoes impacting the front of the warship. I guess they weren't expecting that either, because when they hit, they immediately stopped, and began moving back towards the planet=

*Lt. Lake*
Sir, those shots were fired by the Covenant carrier.

(Jason)
They're helping us?

--Covenant Carrier Bridge--

=The decision to aid the new vessels was not strictly speaking an easy one for the Fleet Master to make. But, it appeared that these new arrivals were enemies of the massive ship that had decimated his battlegroup, and he would be damned if he didn't do all that he could to retaliate against it=

*Fleet Master*
Take evasive action, and continue to fire on that ship. Ready our energy projector. We'll deal with the first ship....then decide if these new arrivals are allies or not.

Rika frowned, hitting her comm.
"Xerxes. Captain James, Intel on a black ops CO called Jeff.l Goldbloom."
"Sounds cheesier then the original Power Rangers monster costumes." Said the shipboard AI.
James rubbed his temples. "Run it."
The AI's code lines sped up...then slowed. "None exist. This feels wrong, but I say Innie st every don't exist group."
Captain James frowned. "Move us to orbit. ETA on Long and Dark December?"
"Two hours." Was the prompt reply from Callie.
The AI turned to the Captain. "We csn dodge if things go south...or go planetside."

Rika nodded to herself, then looked up. "I hate it when someone doesn't't exist, and doesn't't give me a name of one who can verify your identity."
Keeping one shotgun unslung, she looked at them."What did you find?"

(Burk)
Nothing yet. We just got here wen you showed up. We're hacking computers and interrogating as we speak.

Rika relaxed a bit. Slinging g her shotgun, she slid off her helmet, shaking her nearly-breaking-regs red hair out. She looked around 16 - 17.
"Mhm. So, a waiting game."

The Xerxes powered off of the forest moon, accelerating out of it's gravity well and into space. As it entered the orbit of the planet, Captain James sent out one of three Longswords kept on the ship.
"Keep an eye on that massive ship Lima Four Zero."
"With pleasure." Came the pilot's reply.

(Burk)
=i lowered my shield when she put her shotgun away, Deniv keeping her rifle light on, though=
Looks like.

=gets the innie to hand it to him=

see that wasn't hard was it?

I look over towards Burk and Deniv, noticing that the UNSC Spartan had taken her helmet off.
I guess she trusts us enough or actually found that 'Jeff Goldbloom' guy. But that would mean he'd tell on us.
one way or the other, we're going to get found out. Meaning we might have to avoid the U.N.S.C. for awhile. Where would we go? Wait, red hair... just like Rach-
I shook my head in an attempt to empty my mind. I have to focus on the mission, not the color of someone's hair or the future.

--Bridge of Hyperion--

*Lt. Lake*
Yes sir. It seems they're assisting us.

(Jason)
Then let's return the favor. Bring the ship about, and our main weapons to bear. Have the scouting groups targeting computers synced with ours for a coordinated attack.

*Lt. Lake*
Yes sir.
=The Hyperion completed its turn, it's bow now facing the enemy ship. As for the remainder of the scouting group, they linked up with the Hyperion's' targeting computer, the firing solution now sent to all of them. Their energy weapons warmed, while their Gauss guns charged up=

(Jason)
On my order.....fire!


--Covenant Carrier Bridge--

*Fleet Master*
Fire the energy projectors!

(Punikav)
=i look over to Zeru=
You got something?

=In a coordinated strike, the Haven ships, and the Covenant Carrier, opened fire with their weapons, all of them targeting the massive Forerunner vessel. Gauss cannons and plasma beams streaked through space, and the Haven ships weapons hit in the exact same location, their weapons focused in the damaged section of the ship. As for the Carrier, its energy projector struck the vessel on the prow, causing the shields to flare. While neither side was coordinating with the other, their accidental synchronization had the desired effect. The shields were weakened to the point that some of their shots got through, and caused damage to the massive vessel=

(Jason)
Yes, direct hit!

*Lt. Lake*
Sir, our sensors are detecting a slip-space rupture. They're retreating!
=Sure enough, a massive portal opened before the gargantuan ship. Its engines flaring, it vanished into the portal, leaving us in orbit around the Covenant world, with only the carrier for company=

[u from what i can tell it's just a vague mention of armor not much else[/u

--Bridge of Covenant Carrier--

*Bridge Officer*
Fleet Master....what do we do with those other ships?

*Fleet Master*
We our outnumbered, and damaged. But, I do not think they are enemies. If they were, they would have fired on us by now. Hail the lead ship. I would have words with their Fleet Master.

--Bridge of Hyperion--

*Comm Officer*
Sir, the carrier is hailing us. No visual channel, just audio. They...they want to speak with you, sir.

(Jason)
Put them through.
=Moments after the order was given, the speakers on the bridge were filled with a recognizable sound. The sound of a Sanghieli breathing=

This is Admiral Jason Shepard of the Hyperion. To who am I speaking?

*Fleet Master*
I am Fleet Master N're 'Shar, Ship Master of the carrier Glorious Resoltuion. Why were we attacked?
=There was no hiding the rage in his voice, and frankly I would have been surprised if he wasn't angry=

(Jason)
=With a sigh, I decided to explain. Not the whole story, but just the bits that involved him=
You were attacked by a rogue group of humans that I, and the rest of my forces, are at war with. They gained control of a Forerunner ship and this attack was a test, to see if the ship was still functional, and apparently it was. We came here to stop them from wiping you all out.

*N're 'Shar*
Why? Why would you care if we were destroyed?

(Jason)
Because this war is between us, and them. No one else. I won't stand by and watch while my enemies attack forces that have no part in this war.

(Denne)
So, I am a serial killer of sorts?

(Laiara)
In a way, yes. But you see, you remain anonymity by creating the illusion it came from else where or other cause.

(Denne)
Such as?

(Ander)
Pose as a servant and poison their food, use a silenced sniper and a speaker in another building, stuff like that.

(Denne)
I see.
=Denne zones out=

(Laiara)
Denne. DENNE!
=Denne returns to reality=
Do you remember any of your training?

(Denne)
Nothing comes to mind.

(Ander)
Maybe some field work will jog his memory!

(Laiara)
Hmm, I don't want to take that risk. Lets start with a 'sim. We'll see how he does.

*N're 'Shar*
That is honorable of you..... Your ships are unlike any other human vessels we have encountered, as are your weapons. Where did you get them?

(Jason)
=I was afraid he'd ask that=
We built our ships ourselves.

*N're 'Shar*
Are you part of the human military, UNSC?

(Jason)
We have a mutually beneficial agreement with them, but we're not part of them.

*N're 'Shar*
Hmm....wait, I think I've heard of you. There were rumors, that a Jiralhanae fleet, under the command of a Prophet, was headed for a Forerunner Reliquary. No one has heard from them since.....

(Jason)
Damn, he can put two and two together pretty fast.
They trespassed on our world, and we dealt with them.

*N're 'Shar*
You live on a world of the gods?

(Jason)
Yes. Let us say, that it was inherited.

*N're 'Shar*
=What this human was saying, was blasphemy. Humans, inheriting a Forerunner world? Even if he was no longer loyal to the Prophets, he still believed in the Forerunners as Gods, and that humans were blasphemers against them=

"Any idea where the armour would be? Or the guy in it?"
I fight back a yawn, remembering to focus on the mission. Not my personal concerns.

(Jason)
=I had a feeling that my words were only aggravating him. After all, the war with the Covenant started because they believed humans to be an affront to their gods, the Forerunners. I was suddenly reminded of something Silver Light, monitor of Haven, had said to me when we first met. That the Forerunner religion, the Mantle, would have made the Covenant ashamed of their actions=
No matter what you think of humans, where do we, my ships and I stand with you? We saved you, though we could not save your battlegroup, and it was our enemy that attacked you.

*N're 'Shar*
The last I had heard, all Sangheili were in a state of cease fire with the humans. And, you have saved my vessel.....

(Jason)
So, are we free to go without you attempting to fire on us?

*N're 'Shar*
I doubt my vessel, in all it's glory, will be able to best your ships.
=He thought to himself for a moment, realizing that letting these humans go, in addition to losing his fleet, would make him look weak=

This Forerunner world you inhabit. You claim to have inherited it?

(Jason)
Yes. Perhaps one day, I'll elaborate on that. But for now....we go our separate ways, N're 'Shar.
=With that, I closed communications=

Alright people. Lets head home. We've got a lot to debrief about now.
=Our ships turned around, and slip-space portals opened for us as we began the journey home=

(Jason)
=The bridge was silent as we traversed through the slipstream. I suppose there was nothing to talk about, but then again, what does an Admiral talk about with his bridge staff? Besides, it's not like we had a victory or anything. We lost a frigate with all hands, and we learned the Reclaimers now commanded a vessel larger than anything we'd ever seen. Larger than a Covenant Super-Carrier, and maybe even larger than the Azure Comet. Not to mention the fact that this ship had wiped out all but one of a Covenant battlegroup, single-handed. I'd have to consult the Archives on Haven, to figure out what that ship was=

(Simile)
=i find a locations database. I radio the others to keep noise to a minimum for our guests=
I have a locations database. I'm going to cross reference it with what we have. Hopefully we get something.

I respond with the same way.
"Alright, tell us when you're done."
I cut it and look around. I realize that I have nothing to do other then interrogation. Which I'm decent with but I'd rather not do it.
So I stand in the middle of the room, just breathing.

--Aboard the Bridge of the Forerunner Fortress Vessel, Colossus--

=Colonel Harris had been aboard the Forerunner vessel, overseeing the test. All of it, was simply a test and the results were nothing short of spectacular. A Covenant battlegroup, a collection of ships that would give even the largest of UNSC battlegroups pause, had been all but decimated by their one ship. If only Shepard and his ships had not interfered, then the carrier, and the world behind it, would have been destroyed. In the end though, his interference mattered little, especially in the eyes of Hans, who was currently on the main view screen of the bridge=

(Harris)
Our repairs seem to have worked, though it was not entirely perfect sir. We were only able to bring up the six plasma beam weapons out of the hundreds of other weapons aboard, including the main weapon. We sustained light damage, after both Shepard's ships, and the Covenant carrier grouped up on us.

(Hans)
Hmm, interesting. No matter, the test went better than expected. Come on home then Colonel, and we'll get your ship repaired. We're going to need her soon after all.

(Harris)
=That made me look up in surprise=
Does that mean, it's beginning?

(Hans)
=I grinned=
Yes. With our ships, and the GESTR's, we will be able to go forward with our campaign. It's time this Cold war of ours, heated up.

"I guess they thought they had some time. They obviously didn't know Dormii had some friends."
I smile under my helmet.
"Plus they're Innies, they're bound to suck."

they aren't that bad my armor's security is just better

=yawn slightly=

--Covenant Outpost World, Elated Dream--

=Reinforcements arrived soon enough, once Jason and his ships had departed. For the Fleet Master, N're 'Shar, it was a disgrace. His battlegroup was destroyed, and he and his charge were saved by a human fleet. However, his disgrace was not as sever, once it was learned that he had lost to a Forerunner Ship larger than anything ever seen. Add to it that he was saved by a human using ships built on a Forerunner world....what was disgrace turned into interest. His defeat forgotten, his battlegroup was to be restored, and efforts were to be made to seek out this human fleet. For if they truly were upon a Forerunner world, then it was the duty of these Sangheili forces to seek it out=


--Haven System, Roughly 5 Minutes Later--

(Jason)
=The journey back home did not take as long as it did to get to the Covenant world, considering the fact that we did not have to meet up with any scouting fleets. I took the first shuttle down to Alpha Base, having relayed the contents of the Hyperion's black box down to command for analysis. I wasn't all that surprised to find Miri waiting for me near the landing pad=

(Miranda)
=I was among the first to be informed over what had happened in regards to Jason and his encounter with the Forerunner ship. After all, I was part of Command now. So, I decided to meet up with him at the landing pad, partly so I could get his take on what had happened, but mostly because I was just worried about him=
Jason, good to have you back. What happened, I heard there wa--

(Jason)
=I raised a hand, cutting her off=
Not right now. We need to debrief with the captains of the other vessels of the scouting group. They should be on their way down now.

Rika looked around at the "Spartans."
"Anything? I'm a bit uneasy at the moment, as I never met a Spartan-II before."

(Deniv)
We aren't Spartan twos. And yes. We just got a location database, a list of where he might be.

"Nothing compared to the Flood..."
I get a flash back of a battle a little ways back. Many good Marines changed that day, I had to kill them all.
"or Covenant. These guys are just a nuisance compared to the other Factions."
I may not have fought many Rebels, but I know they're nothing.

(Jason)
=We were gathered in the debriefing room.....again. Honestly, I think I might actually have to move in to the damn room. I stood at the head of the room while Miri and the captains of the scouting group sat at a large desk=
This meeting is to discuss what occurred over the Covenant Outpost world, mainly the Reclaimers new ship.

=A holographic image of the ship appeared in the center of the room, rotating slowly=
According to the Haven Archives, this ship is in fact a Forerunner Fortress-class vessel. Approximately 100 kilometers long, and covered in weapons, this class of ship was among the Forerunner Navy's most powerful warships.

*Captain*
Sir, do we have any idea where they could have gotten that kind of ship?

(Miranda)
According to the Archives, the Forerunners used many of these vessels during the Forerunner-Flood War. What's more, the Archives list a number of regions in space where these battles took place. We've narrowed down the search to regions that were mainly ship to ship battles, and we came up with several hundred. There are a number of regions within the Haystack that have a likelihood of containing Fortress ships.

*Captain*
So, you're saying they salvaged this thing? It looks like it's still in perfect condition.

(Jason)
There is a chance that the battle this ship was found in, was taking place at the same time the Forerunners fired the Halo Array. I'm sure by now we're all familiar with the effects of the array?
=They all nodded silently, faces grim=

It's likely the ship was still relatively intact when the array fired. Some damage was taken from the battle itself, but clearly nothing that couldn't be repaired. However, it would seem that the ship is still not in perfect working order. It has hundreds of weapons, and we went up against only six.

"Because they're roaches, they'll never truly die off."
I give up and yawn, not really caring anymore.
"Simile? How's it coming?"

*Captain*
Christ, only six weapons? What if they manage to fully repair it? There's no way we can go up against that kind of firepower.

(Jason)
Yes, we can and we will. We're maybe the only ones with the firepower to take them on. And we can still adapt our strategies to handle this thing.
=I closed the image of the ship, and opened another. A map of the Galaxy=

We have the same knowledge as the Reclaimers. We know the location of other Forerunner worlds, and sites of interest. If we move fast, and establish our own presence there, we can regain equal footing.

(Fatet)

=I watched the last of the recruits run the obstacle course.=

5 minutes, 32 seconds... Fuck me, they're slow

=The Drill instructors had given me a lot more say in how the men were trained, so I could congratulate, chastise, and even punish them if I saw fit.=

"That was the most pathetic excuse for a run I have ever seen. You want to be special force? Act like it."

Number 2: You do it then.

"What?"

Number 2: You run it, see how fast you can do it.

=I sigh and step up to the start.=
"Ready?" I say to the instructor.

=He nods, and moves his arm to indicate the clock has started.
I sprint to the wall and climb, throwing myself over the top.=


=3 minutes, 24 seconds later.=

"That- is how you run the course."

=They looked shocked, number 2 in particular.=

"Other than the fact that you run like an 82 year General, I'd say you're almost combat ready."

I look at the drill sergeant.

"Inform the admiral that his men are almost ready."

(Miranda)
Admiral, what you're suggesting.....we don't have the numbers for that kind of tactic. We'd spread ourselves too thinly to maintain secure borders.

(Jason)
Actually, our current numbers are more than enough. The number of bases that we have betrays that fact. We have more than enough personnel in each base to afford reassigning them to off-world sites, while still maintaining a sizable defense force.

(Miranda)
=Everyone was silent for a moment, as we processed what he had said. I decided to break the silence=
Well, it's possible. If you want, Vigil can begin making the necessary arrangements for troops to be reassigned to off world sites. But we'll need supplies to send to those sites, to build significant bases.

(Jason)
That can be managed, I'm sure. If nothing else then.....this meeting is adjourned.
=With the meeting done, we all filed out of the room. My comm made a soft beep, informing me of a message. Listening to it, I was informed that my SpecOps troops were almost done. Good=

(Fatet)
"Patrol exersises in an hour, you can go."
I look at the sergeant.

"See if the admiral will let them have their toys. Oh and we'll need someone who knows how to work them. They're not even touching the weapons before they know exactly how to use them."

He nods and leaves to send the message.

(Simile)
I got a lot of things over here. I'm saving it into my armor so we can check it with our information we already have as we decrypt it.

(Jason)
=A new message was sent my way. Apparently Fatet was ready to let the troops begin training with their weapons.....not that they needed it. I thought I made it clear to him that these soldiers were volunteers from existing forces. They already knew how to use weapons and equipment, and the special stuff wasn't all that different=

Rika kicks her boot against the ground.
"You done yet? I need to tell the Xerxes what's up and all."
She glances at them all, twirling a lock of hair around her finger thoughtfully.

(Deniv)
=i radio the others=
Hey, we done?

"Yeah. We're good. Maybe three minutes."

Okay.

=i turn to our friend and take my helmet off, giving her a break from my voice modulator. My short mohawk was plastered to my skull and I ran my armored hand over it to fluff it up a bit=
Yeah, we're done. In three minutes we're gone and out of your nearly regulation-breaking hair.

(Conner)
=It was roughly an hour later, that Alpha Team and I had parted ways once leaving the bar. My head felt a little fuzzy, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I used to spend plenty of nights drinking during my team in the UNSC, during the war with the Covenant. Those were nights that I really needed the drink. Pushing those memories aside though, I enjoyed the company I kept earlier. Crowe, Wierzbowski, and Vasquez. They were alright, considering that they weren't real, experienced soldiers like me. That they pulled through like that during our mission, spoke volumes about them. Finally reaching the barracks, I crawled into my bunk, and fell asleep=

Rika's cheek grew pink, but she quickly composed herself.
"Mind sharing what you found?" She inquired. "I was sent for a reason, might as well leave with something."

(Deniv)
=i noticed her cheek grew a bit pink and I raised an eyebrow, but continued on regardless=
It's a locations database. We'll let you keep the computer, as long as you don't throw any more frags at us.

=i put a bit of a tone into that last bit=
All we want is locations, and you can have what's left.

I lean against one of the walls with my arms crossed and my head eventually tilts upwards, giving the impression that I'm dreaming.
Which I'm not, I start daydreaming about Rachel, the missions we were on. Several dozens of infiltration missions.
Then after a couple missions everything blurs for a minute. When it clears I she her in her deathbed, smiling that beautiful smile of her's.
She dies not long after and I'm shattered all over again. My heart breaks, my body breaks, my soul breaks all at once.
Everything blurs again and I'm back on the battlefield. Watching Marines die in combat. I try to help by finding a gun and try to pick it up.
But much to my horror my hands go through it. I can't pick it up so I'm forced to watch the Marines die off slowly. Unable to help at all.

Eventually to my dismay the battlefield morphs around to a steel, open courtyard.
Somehow I'm back to fighting off the Flood. I hear screaming, yelling, sounding of flesh erupting and transforming.
I keep killing them but the spores keep coming. Only 3 left in my squad. I have to keep them alive. That's all I can think.
All I can do is fire into the Flood spores as they watch. No matter what I say they won't leave, not without me. I tell them I can't.
They still don't listen as the Flood spores gain ground. The argument continues on for awhile longer. Eventually the Flood get close and jump.
Time freezes there.

Rika chuckles. "Deal. Better then nothing."
Rika turns her helmet over in her hands and makes to put it back on after pulling her hair back.

It seems like hours before I shake myself awake. I feel like falling down and never getting up again. Just lay there on the floor.
But because I need to help Dormii get out of here I won't. At least this way I can fix one of my mistakes. Lift my guilt a little.
Then I get to thinking. My life just flashed before my eyes so to speak. Am I about to die?

(Ander)
Follow me, we'll start you off with sharpshooting.
=Denne follows Ander to the sharpshooting range=

(Ander)
Okay, so, what you're going to do is -

(Denne)
Shoot them in the head?

(Ander)
Well, aren't we smart! Okay, here's your rifle. Begin when your ready.

(Denne)
It's not loaded...

(Ander)
Clips are next to you, figure the rest out.

=Denne loads a magazine into the rifle, then proceeds to hit every target square between the eyes, then subliminally reloads the weapon with extreme speed=

(Ander)
Hmph! Beat your own time! Nice job, Denne. Go see Laiara, shes at the melee training.

=Denne casually trots over to Laiara, who is impatiently waiting by the melee field=

(Laiara)
What took you so long?! I waited three minutes!

(Denne)
What?! It was three minutes out of your twenty-four hour day!

(Laiara)
Three minutes i could use to coordinate assassinations! But, NOOOO! I had to wait here for slow poke Denne!

(Denne)
Whatever I'm not arguing. Let's get started.

(Laiara)
Fine, you have five knives in your belt and six targets. Good luck!

=Denne picks up two knives then proceeds to throw them with deadly accuracy. He pulls out two more as he spins behind the two "dead" targets and throws the knives. He takes the final knife and jabs one target in the throat, rips it out, and "kills" the final target=

(Laiara)
Hm, seven seconds. Nice time. Now we compare your times, and, I think your ready to go out into the field. Meet me in the briefing room at seven. SHARP.

(Denne)
See, you then.

(Jason)
=It was nighttime on the surface, for Alpha Base. I should have been in bed, getting some well earned rest, but instead I was in my office, once again, working late because I had to. So many things needed to be done that required my approval, and while Silver Light was more than willing to devote some of his run times to doing my work, I felt that I needed to do this myself=
I place way too many burdens upon myself.....but this is my responsibility, isn't it?

=I was worried about what kind of strain this might put on my marriage with Miri. Granted, both our jobs meant we had a lot of commitment to the job, with very little time to see each other, but that would be a poor excuse to hide behind down the road. Hmm, maybe letting Silver take over some of my workload wasn't such a bad idea after all. Shaking my head, I got back to focusing on my work, which was more important right now. Reassignment orders for large numbers of troops, building materials to be shipped out, and patrols reformed into battle groups for securing beachheads.....everything I was working on right then, was all for our military expansion into the Haystack=

=Lucas then turns around, and looks at the footage=

Lucas: Boss...you're going to want to see this.

=Aaron comes over from the vehicle pool and come over to where Lucas is=

Aaron: What is it, Lucas?

Lucas: Roadside security cams got something.

=Lucas pulls up the feed from the camera and freezes it=

Lucas: =Pointing= There's our unknown contact.

=Aaron pats Lucas on the shoulder=

Aaron: Get me a name to that face...and see if you can't get an idea on their plans.

Lucas: I'm on it, sir.

=Lucas gets to work on getting the ID on the contact=