Battle of Adachi

Continued from Chapter 9: TBD Part 2 page 10

Code:

Haven Military Records,
Timestamp: February 12th, 2553
(according to UNSC Calendar)
Archivist: 376 Silver Light, Monitor of Shield World Haven
Records gathered from ship computers [black box data] and accounts of surviving troops,
including personnel journal entries submitted by Admiral Jason Shepherd.
Event: Battle of Adachi, first major engagement with rebel group called Reclaimers.
Haven Vessels Involved:

.......Hyperion, Assault Carrier and Flagship
.......Unyielding, Destroyer
.......Stalwart, Destroyer
.......Dresden, Frigate
.......Phoenix, Frigate
.......Olev, Frigate
.......Run Silent, Prowler

(Jason)
=I had left my office, setting out for Alpha Bases airfield if I wanted to grab a transport up to the Hyperion. That ship may have been the size of a Covenant Assault Carrier, but it was easily the most powerful ship in the Haven fleet of human made ships. Granted, until she got the new refits she was scheduled for, there were easily other Covenant vessels out there that could go toe to toe with her and live. Which was why I was thankful we weren't setting out to attack a Covenant world. Nearly 24 hours ago one of our new prowler vessels had discovered a Reclaimer base. The Reclaimers....a rogue group of humans who broke away from us here on Haven, taking with them whatever ships, troops, and weapons they could carry. They wanted revenge, retribution for the deaths of their families and fellow man at the hands of an old acquaintance of mine. And not just him and his kind, but the Covenant as well. And me being me, that was something I could not allow, especially since the Reclaimers were our responsibility. If anyone was going to stop them....or loose lives to them, it would be us=

(Jason)
=It wasn't long before I reached the airfield, and I was thankful there were still transports on the ground. I climbed into one bound for the Hyperion and to say the soldiers on-board with me looked nervous was an understatement. I guess riding with an Admiral had a way of making soldiers feel a little more anxious about what they were going to be doing soon. I did my best to hide a grin from them, since it would have hurt their morale a little. Once everything was sealed, the dropship took off, climbing into the sky=

(Conner)
=When our dropship landed in the hangar, the first thing I noticed was how the deck was busier than I had ever seen it. Crew men were a usual site to see, but there were soldiers moving in groups. Dropships that were in the bay were being attended to by maintenance while their pilots all seemed to be moving somewhere else. So did the groups of troops=

Okay, Alpha Team, our orders are to report to the same briefing room the Admiral met us in last mission. Sam, that includes you, the crew will deal the Blacklight.

=Sam looked a little upset, which was understandable. She was attached to her dropship=

(Sam)
I can't just get my briefing in the cockpit?
=I couldn't help but make the joke=

(Chris)
=I tossed my arm over Sam's shoulder, getting her in soft headlock=
Come on Sam. You're part of Alpha Team! You go where we go.

(Sam)
I'm your chauffeur, remember? All I do is drop you guys off and fly like hell.

(Crowe)
Nah, you're not just our chauffeur Sam, you really are part of the team. We can check the records if you want.

(Sam)
Fine, I'm part of the team.
=We all left the hangar, walking through the ship. It was a bit of a walk to the briefing room, considering the size of the ship, and the corridors themselves were crowded. Squads of soldiers apparently had the same orders we did, though I doubted it was to meet with the Admiral=

(Jason)
=After the flight up on the dropship, I made my way to the briefing room I asked Alpha Team to meet me in. Getting there was both easy....and annoying. The halls leading to the briefing rooms were crowded by soldiers from the surface bases, and they all parted and snapped off salutes when they saw me. I know it's part of the chain of command thing, but good God was it annoying. I've never enjoyed being the guy that people salute, though that may have been because I wasn't accustomed to it that much. On the bright side, I managed to get to the briefing room early, and as I waited I loaded up the information on Adachi=

(Conner)
=We finally got to the briefing room, only to find that it was already occupied=
Admiral.

=I snapped off a salute, as did the rest of Alpha when they walked in and saw who was there. I noticed the admiral tried to hide a grimace=

(Jason)
Alpha Team, please have a seat and we'll begin your briefing.

(Jason)
=Everyone but me took a seat, while I remained at the podium=

Alpha Team, please forgive me, but I need to give two briefings and yours actually comes last. I need to address the troops first.

=Tapping a series of commands into the podium, I was suddenly surrounded in a blueish glow as both my image and voice were sent out to the other briefing rooms, not just aboard the Hyperion, but the entire battlegroup, so that every soldier who was a part of the coming operation would know the plan=

Greeting soldiers. This is Admiral Shepard, and I'll be briefing you all. As you're aware by now, we located another Reclaimer world, and this one is more heavily fortified than the GESTR facility encountered before by Alpha Team. We believe this world is among the first of a Reclaimer beachhead, one they intend to secure in that system, putting them within striking distance of both Haven and UNSC territory. We cannot allow that, so we're going to hit them hard.

=I tapped a few more commands, and my image was replaced with a holographic image of the planet=

Our first phase will be during our arrival over the planet. We'll engage whatever orbital forces they have, and draw their attention away from you. You will all be riding the dropships down to the surface, to here, grid 23, about 20 km outside their base. From there, you'll set up a Forward Operating Base with the materials we're sending down in the dropships. Scouting teams of three will scout an area of 2 km in radius, around the FOB, while Fireteams maintain defensive positions. Further instructions will be given upon completion of this first phase. Any questions?

=A soldier aboard the destroyer Stalwart spoke up=

*Soldier*
Sir, what form of support will ground forces be getting?

(Jason)
Ground forces will get limited air support and recon from whatever fighters we can spare, along with dropships that'll serve as gunships. This will also mark the first use of the mortar Sentinels, so I'm trusting you've all gone through the tactics involving them. We jump in fifteen minutes, so I suggest you all get ready. Eta is in an hour.

=With that, I ended the briefing, and turned to Alpha Team=

As for Alpha Team, you're mission falls in line with phase 2 of this attack. During phase 2, our ground forces will push forward toward the Reclaimer base and no doubt encounter resistance. However, while they engage the bulk of the Reclaimer forces, you'll slip in from the rear.

=The holographic image of the surface changed. Lines symbolizing Haven and Reclaimer forces opposed one another, while another acting as a trial, went around the whole battlefield, and looped behind the base=

The Blacklights stealth features should be enough to get you close without being detected, but getting in will be your problem unfortunately. Once inside, your goal is to locate their data archives, if they have any, and recover whatever files you can. This is a Vigil assignment, and we need that intel. Alpha Team is the only group of soldiers I trust to get that data back to Haven in one piece.

(Conner)
You're worried about traitors?

(Jason)
Though it pains me to admit it, yes. The risk of traitors among our own ranks is too great to ignore.

(Chris)
=That was certainly an upsetting thought. To think that the person standing next to you, fighting with you, shedding blood for you....could be a traitor to all you swore to defend=

(Jason)
I know it's not hard to swallow, but that's the reality we need to accept. Now get ready Alpha. Your mission may not begin until phase 2, but you're being dropped down there like everyone else. I want you to help them out, secure the area.

(Conner)
We'll get it done sir.

(Jason)
That's what I want to hear. Dismissed Alpha Team.
=They all filed out, and headed for the armory, while I headed for the bridge. This time....I wouldn't be taking part in the ground engagements=

(Chris)
=While we walked through the hall, I couldn't help but talk about what just happened=
Anyone else smelling something fishy here? I mean, I get the why, but traitors? Really? They all left with the Relcaimers.'

(Conner)
I may not have been part of it, but even I still remember the war against Insurrectionists. They had spies within the UNSC, and they proved just as deadly as the Covenant.

(Chris)
Yeah but here? Haven is our home. It was their home too.

(Conner)
Chris....history is filled with patriots who committed treason because they thought it was the best thing to do. That's all the Reclaimers are. Patriots. Misguided maybe, but patriots.

(Crowe)
And it's up to us to stop them...great.

(Chris)
I had friends....used to have friends, that left with them. Man I really hope I don't have to....

(Conner)
Let's hope we don't face our friends Chris, but if it comes to it remember your duty. They're going to try and kill us, but we won't let them.
=We reached the armory soon, and found other soldiers inside, grabbing what gear they could as they all prepared=

(Jason)
=Once on the bridge, I met with Lt. Lake=

*Lt. Lake*
Admiral sir, welcome aboard. The battlegroup is ready to jump on your orders.

(Jason)
Good. Give the order then, we jump now.

=In orbit over Haven, the battlegroup gathered into formation. Their engines were dim, and then they opened the portals into slip-space. Engines flaring into life, they entered the slipstream=

(Jason)
Have we received any more word from Run Silent?

*Lt. Lake*
Yes sir. Six Reclaimer ships dropped out of slip-space, soon after the Silent had taken the topography scan. For now, they've moved into a geosynchronous orbit over the base.

(Jason)
What's the strength of their battlegroup?

*Lt. Lake*
They counted four frigates and two destroyers.

(Jason)
Hmm, that could be a problem.
=I walked over to a section of the bridge, where a holographic image of the system was displayed. I zoomed in on Adachi=

We'll exit slip-space here, just out of engagement range, and move towards the battlegroup.
=I adjusted the image, so that our group movement soon turned into a loop. As we approached the planet, we arched inwards so that we were soon charging the Reclaimer group while 'parallel' to the planet's surface=

Moving in this pattern, we can drop off our troops and then engage their forces.

*Lt. Lake*
Looks good. I'll forward the course data to the other ships.

(Jason)
Excellent. As for engagement strategies, enter loose formation so we have room to maneuver after we drop off our troops. We'll focus fire on their destroyers, take out the heavy hitters first. I want fighter squadrons split into two groups: defense and offense. Offense will move on the frigates while defense works against their own fighters.

--Hyperion Hangar Bay 1--

(Molly)
=Talon squadron and I were in the hangar bay, after just getting out of the briefing with the other soldiers. Everyone was tense, anxious and I did my best to be calm. We got new orders though, as we all waited in our cock-pits. Talon was being moved to an offensive group, dealing with enemy frigates in the space engagement. Great=

(Ford)
Oh man, frigates? Are we up for this?

(Molly)
Damn right we are Ford, if I have anything to say about it. So get your game face on, because we're about to be flying with big dogs.

(Cameron)
Hell yeah, let's shoot those bastards down.

(Laura)
Keep a cool head Cam. Honestly, you start flying with a hot head I'll be too busy saving your ass.

(Cameron)
Aww, I knew you loved me.

(Molly)
=All I could do was roll my eyes, and check the systems of my fighter. Controls were green, life support was green, atmosphere seals were green.....look everything was green, let's just go with that. A strange thing I noticed, as I looked out the canopy, was that there were dozens of other squadrons getting ready. That wouldn't be odd in and of itself, but it was just the number of fighters grouped together getting prepped for take off. I've never seen that many before now=

(Jason)
=I pressed a button on the intercom, my voice being sent to the entire battlegroup=
All soldiers report to your dropships immediately. We will be exiting slip-space within 6 minutes, and our eta to the drop zone is 20. Let's move it people.

=Throughout the battlegroup, every soldier assigned to the groundside mission scrambled for the hangar bays. Soldiers piled into the dropships, both Tridents and Silverdogs, strapping in, weapons secured, while crew men secured crates and other large containers to empty transports, no soldiers sitting inside and the seats collapsed=

=Soon, the battlegroup emerged from slip-space, near Adachi's moon. Engines flaring to life, they accelerated towards the planet. The Reclaimer battlegroup however, remained in orbit over the base, though they readied their weapons and sent out their fighters to maintain defensive formations=

*Lt. Lake*
Admiral, their ships are maintaining position, though scans show they're readying their fighters.

(Jason)
Then have our squadrons launch. Tell the offensive squadrons to remain with the group until we drop off all of the dropships.

*Lt. Lake*
Aye aye sir.

(Molly)
=Orders came in. We were go for take off=
Alright Talon, let's punch it. Go! Go! Go!

=My voice was almost drowned out by the whine of engines, as Talon squadron, and every other fighter in the hangar, took off, shooting down the small runway, picking up speed, and bursting out of the hangar bay through the energy field. Talon squad was no where near the tip of the spear, and my vision through the canopy was filled with hundreds of blazing lights, the engines of the other fighters=

=The fighters soon took up defensive formations within the fleet, keeping pace with the larger ships as their course took them, at an angle, towards Adachi=

(Jason)
Lieutenant, how long before we reach the drop zone?

*Lt. Lake*
Current velocity places us there in 15 minutes.

(Jason)
Forward power to weapons and shields at the end of the arc. I want us ready to face those ships head on.

=It wasn't long before the battlegroup started it's miniature swing. Their straight line formed into a small arch, the bottoms of the ships pointed downward to the surface as their engines dimmed, forward jets firing to slow their velocity as dropships poured out of the hangar bays, descending to the surface=

*Lt. Lake*
All dropships deployed.

(Jason)
Good. Seal the hangar bays, and bring weapons to bear.
=The ship shuddered, lights flickering on the bridge=

Status report!

*Lt. Lake*
Lead destroyer fired off a plasma beam. Shields holding, but we're down to 80% shield strength.

(Jason)
All ships return fire. Offensive fighters, target their frigates.

=Both groups opened fire, lances of blue energy impacting on shields, the barriers of energy flaring in response. Fighters in the offensive groups raced towards their targets, main guns strobing as they fired=


(Molly)
=The fight soon began in earnest, Talon Squadron and I flying towards the enemy frigates. Our jobs were simple: take them out, though that was easier said than done. The weapons mounted on the fighters weren't much use against their shields, and concentrating attacks would deplete reserves. Which was why our own frigates were firing their weapons on the enemy frigates, softening them up for us=
On my mark, fire your weapons. Aim for their communications array, and cut them off from their friends

--Lower Atmosphere of Adachi--

=While the ship to ship combat raged above, the dropships from the Haven fleet rapidly descended towards the surface. Tridents and Silverdogs, they all fell towards the ground, engines flaring as they adjusted their entry speed. Three ships moved away from the main group, heading for separate locations to scout the area. Once they broke through the clouds, they arrived at a fairly flat stretch of land, crevices formed here and there by ancient rivers that had long since dried up=

(Sam)
=It was difficult, coordinating with all the other pilots as we flew in formation, being careful not to hit each other. Sensors showed that the atmosphere was breathable, but background radiation levels were higher than normal, just barely under tolerable=
Check your suits Alpha, radiation is too high to risk walking around without your seals functioning.

(Conner)
=From within the troop bay=
How bad?

(Sam)
Bad enough to make me tell you. Just make sure your combat skins are sealed up tight, or you'll start to glow. Or worse.

(Conner)
Geesh, yes ma'am. Alright Alpha, you heard the lady, check your seals stat!
=Everyone, not just Alpha, but every other soldier who got the message, did just that. No one wanted to get exposed to radiation in a combat zone=

=Soon the dropships reached the landing zone, the first group touching down, doors already opening. Once the soldiers exited, the dropships rose and flew away, the soldiers clearing the zone as the next group landed to repeat the drop off. Over in a separate area, another group did the same thing, as dropships came and dropped off troops on a patch of land the size of a sports stadium. Those that carried supplies and building materials lingered the longest, as troops had to aid in the unloading procedure=

(Conner)
Alright move move move!
=It was all I could shout to spur my team out of the dropship as the doors opened, and we filed out. Around us were other dropships landing and quickly taking off, engines kicking dust in the air, and soldiers moving in tight groups to take up positions around the site=

--Adachi Orbit--

(Jason)
=The engagement turned brutal very quickly. Our strategy with the frigates worked at first: the three frigates focused fire on the opposing four, hammering their shields and softening them for the offensive squadrons to use their weapons for more pinpoint attacks on their communication and sensor arrays. It worked on the first one, and almost worked on the second, until their own fighters began focusing on the offensive teams, forcing them back. One frigate was now blind while the others continued firing. As for their destroyers, their weapons hammered into Hyperion's shields, draining them down to 40%=

We need to take out those destroyers now! Stalwart and Unyielding, focus fire on the left ship, Hyperion will focus on the right!

=The destroyer pair and the Hyperion both switched targets, weapons discharging at a destroyer of their choosing. Stalwart and Unyielding were able to severely cripple their target, while the concentrated fire of the Hyperion cut through the shields of their own, damaging the destroyer and causing secondary explosions, leading to its destruction=

*Lt. Lake*
Confirmed kill on destroyer number two, and scans show that destroyer number one is crippled.
=No sooner had she said that though, than the same destroyer fired off a lance of blue plasma at the frigate Olev. Their shields were already weakened from the fire they took from the other frigates, and the lance of energy struck their bow on the starboard side, cutting through the shields and armor, and punching cleanly through them=

Olev is reporting severe damage Admiral. Atmosphere venting on decks 2, 3 and 4. Power loss in sections A and C.

(Jason)
Have them fall back into geosynchronous orbit over the f.o.b.

*Sensor Officer*
Sir, sensors picking up new contacts slipping in! Low-tonnage.
=No sooner had they said this, than two slip-space portals opened, a pair of new ships emerging. They weren't human made, the design clearly Forerunner. Both ships were the same size as a frigate, though they looked nothing like our own. Their front sections glowing for a brief second, they discharged bolts of golden energy, both impacting the front of the Stalwart. The destroyers shields flared=

*Communications Officer*
Sir, Stalwart is reporting a massive drain in their shields. That pair of shots drained them to 25% shield strength.

(Jason)
Dammit....fallback into orbit over the f.o.b. We've done what we needed to anyway.

=The Haven battlegroup began a strategic retreat, retreating until they were over their own base. Reclaimer forces did not pursue=

(Jason)
What the hell were those ships? How could they pack that much of a punch?

*Lt. Lake*
They looked...Forerunner. True Forerunner. The Reclaimers must have found ships they could salvage.

(Jason)
Well that's going to be a problem.......for now, work on repairs.

--Adachi Surface, F.O.B. Site--

=While small squads of soldiers worked to secure the site and set up a perimeter, engineers were busy setting up fortifications. Crates that had been brought down in dropships were being opened and their contents unloaded and assembled. It would still be another two hours of continuous work before the base was complete, but for now focus was being put on assembling the communications array, and perimeter defenses. The array would have resembled little more than an antennae aimed at the sky. Power supplies in the form of portable generators were unloaded and spread out around the site, the commanders not wanting to place all their generators in one spot=

(Conner)
=Despite my duties to Alpha Team, orders from the Admiral had me aid in the oversight of base construction. After all, having had more combat experience than any of the soldiers here, I was deemed one of the few qualified enough to set the base up=

--Adachi, High Orbit--

(Jason)
Have we managed to reach the ground forces yet?

*Comm Officer*
Nothing from the f.o.b's relay yet sir. Updates are being sent from a dropship parked groundside though, so we're not out of the loop.

(Jason)
What's their status then?

*Comm Officer*
So far so good. No encounter with enemy forces yet according to scouting patrols. Construction is going smoothly, though they estimate it will be another 45 minutes before they get the relay up and running along with the power.

(Jason)
What about trying to reach Haven? Have we got anything on that?

*Comm Officer*
We've yet to even get on that sir. Traffic is still coming in from Olev and Stalwart along with multiple bits of chatter from the surface.

(Jason)
Dammit.....as soon as you can, contact Haven, we may need reinforcements.
=I sat back in the command chair of the bridge, scores of scenarios playing in my head. The Hyperion was still a power house, and we stood a chance against the Reclaimer fleet. The problem now though was the new ships, which were also fairly powerful, and we had no idea how many more ships would be coming=

--Adachi Surface--

=Eventually, the relay was up and power was flowing from the erected generators. Fortifications and proper defenses would still take some time but for now at least, the ground forces could communicate over a wider range and not just short range radio=

(Conner)
=Once communications were up and running, it became much, much easier to coordinate with the other teams/platoons. Because there was next to zero combat going on, more soldiers, like myself, were being assigned to constructions roles. Thankfully, the instructions, sent to the combat skin visors, were user friendly. That's not to say the assembly of the base would take us minutes, but it was smooth at the very least=

(Chris)
=I opened a private channel with Conner, hoping to speak in private over some concerns=
Okay, I know I'm usually the nervous member of the team, but this whole invasion seems off.

(Conner)
=I sighed as I used a small plasma torch to weld together the front walls of the base=
What do you mean?

(Chris)
I mean the fact that we've encountered no resistance. No attack from the Reclaimers. What are they doing?

(Conner)
Probably preparing their own defenses. Chances are they only have the man power to defend the base but not the whole area around it, so they can't face us out here.

(Chris)
Hmm, you have a point. Still, it's a bit unsettling, no fighting. Just anticipation.

(Conner)
There's an old saying my drill sergeant used once: the anticipation of victory, almost always results in one.

(Chris)
You're saying I should be anticipating a win?

(Conner)
I'm saying get back to work, and put on a positive attitude.

(Chris)
Pff, whatever you say man.


=Eventually, the first few walls were assembled, followed by large objects that resembled guns. The defenses were plugged into their own generators, and soon they began swiveling left and right, targeting scanners on the watch for enemy forces. Once the walls and guns were up, work began on the main building that would encase the comm relay, while a medic tent was built=

--Adachi Orbit--

(Molly)
=After the battlegroup had been given the order to retreat, Talon Squadron, along with the others, had fallen back within the hangar bays to restock on ammo. I still remained in the cockpit, eager to get back out there and fight, but orders were orders=

Wonder if the boys down low are getting as much action as we are up here....

--Hyperion bridge--

*Comm Officer*
Admiral, we're getting signal from the surface. It's the f.o.b., they managed to get the base up and running.

(Jason)
Excellent. Now it really begins......have battalions Zeus, Ares, and Hades loaded up on the transports and dropped off 5 km outside the Reclaimer base.

*Comm*
Understood. What about battalions Thor, Odin, and Loki?

(Jason)
Have them board dropships and land here with mortar teams, due north of Zeus, Ares and Hades. Once deployed, I want them on a steady march, Phalanx teams guarding the Sentinels as they move within range of the base. Everyone else keep that base busy, and draw their attention away from the mortar teams.

--Adachi Surface-

=When the orders came down from high up, the assigned battalionss burst into action. Those assigned to mortar detail opened the crates holding the new Sentinel variants, and out marched four sets of the new variants, three Sentinels per set. Despite being based off the original variant, they were quadrupedal in nature, four mechanical limbs acting as legs holding them up. The gun that would have been in their undercarriage was gone, replaced with a cannon that arched from behind, hanging closely overhead like a scorpion stinger. Dozens of silver-dog dropships landed for the soldiers to board them, while the "Scorpion" Sentinels marched into the small troop bays. Once they were all loaded, they took off=

=In total, there were 300 mortar Sentinels, and only 36 were being sent out with the battalions. The rest either remained in their crates, or were taking defensive positions around or within the base itself. As for those flying out to the battlefield their new, rudimentary A.I. was linked to the battlenet the Haven soldiers used, orders sent in from either the f.o.b. or the mortar teams=

--Within Trident Transport Echo-Sixer--

*Soldier*
Any idea what we're going to be facing out there?

*Mortar Crewman*
Not a goddamn clue Jim. All I know from the recon reports is that they look to be heavily fortified, and that's it.

*Soldier*
Oh that's just fuckin great. And all we've got is six teams, and mortar crews?

*Mortar Crewman*
Pretty much. You've got a problem with that?

*Soldier*
Eh, would it matter if I said yes?

*Mortar Crewman*
It'd make me call you a chicken shit. How's that?

*Soldier*
Fuck you.