Event 1- The Path is Set

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(This is a rewrite to the whole story, I find that this is necessary, due to the fact that I had not written Gateway with any consideration of the actual characters supposed to be involved, and also the plot was heavily random, I didn't even plan it out after ch6 it didn't even exist, so I'm going to do this right and do it properly to the canon base I made for this universe. I promise to give it a better shot this time, also thanks to all those who had supported this in the past, but those chapters won't count once this comes into play.)

Also I'd like to present you guys with the largest fire fight in the history of the galaxy, operation Reclamation!

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(Word of warning, this is rather required to be read if you want to understand what's happened, this isn't absolutely relevant and thus you can ignore it, but I wouldn't recommend it if you don't know the UCAF history. So it's your decision, I'm not stopping you, just consider it.)

UCAF chronological data- ACCESS GRANTED

Date of admission- Published 2221- Updated 2521- Modified 2555

/Memo/ -Dr Valerie E Haley
To those who read this chronological archive of the UCAF you may require to read the UCAF foundation records and past ICA records in order to understand this, please note that all archives were accessed and modified by me, and any confidential data seen may or may not be factual as there have been continuity issues through the UCAF archives since 2399. All data regarding specific structures and organisations will be recorded in their own separate sections, please also note that this shares archived data on past organisations and records involving the military, economic and historic events and timelines. This information must not be allowed to fall into unwarranted hands due to the sensitivity of the information.

To those who read this, the future is not set, however the past is, heed this warning, and do not make the same mistakes…

/END/

Index Archives

Factions: Note that some may not exist while others may have disbanded

In the beginning of the new colonies of the Nova Stratus region, there were over 80 known factions in control of the region of space; throughout 2221 the UCAF recorded the 8 main power factions:

Pop: 46 billion, 890 worlds, unknown amount of systems

Imperial Arcadian Empire: The Arcadian Empire was once built over the ruins of a past race that utilised space FTL teleportation; the Arcadians decided to ignore trying to understand the super advanced technology and simply accepted it as a gift from fate. The Empire structured itself on militaristic and imperial beliefs since the early 5th century when the first Arcadians witnessed the first king travel through the gateways with his armies to ascend into godhood. It wasn't until much later that it was discovered to be a teleporter and began to spread news of the new king, and thus over 500 years the Arcadian Empire has stretched far even though not being FTL capable, it encompassed over 172 planets and 5 dozen systems by 2225.

Human Unification Organisation: This faction of power was infamous through the Nova Stratus records as being completely immoral in practices with medicine and genetic manipulation, especially through the early 24th century. The Human Unification was a movement and ideal based on a single mind and body, not literally but metaphorically it meant to bring the human race under one banner and to bring the colonies to improve themselves by adapting their beliefs of improvement through health and genetics, their beliefs were well met, but not widely accepted. The HUO began expansion just 75 years before 2225, it reached over 93 worlds, but had severe restrictions due to non-FTL abilities, but it could communicate to other planets through a unique technological device found on their planet, this communication allowed access to dozens of worlds, but made things arduous as it took years to convince many, and those with them were not as loyal as they had yet to show themselves until 2225.

Imperial Orussian Imperium: The Imperium of the Celestial Tundra is what Orussia essentially means, the Orussians had been formed during the 8th century and continued to evolve into the state that it is, however it is unique due to its amazing bit of genetic evolution. The Orussian people originate on their world of Icarus, frozen tundra of a planet, but they live in underground super cities constructed millennia before their existence, it was said that their gods shaped and created them to do their will. The Orussiuan people were initially suspected to have been cloned, on closer inspection that rumour had become somewhat true, in the earliest days the ICA found that the Orussians were using an alien technology that allowed them to be cloned at nearly instant speeds, it aged the clones to a certain degree before releasing them as perfect replicas, however in the years the Orussians phased out the use of clones as there was no longer a need. Orussian space from records indicated that they possessed 123 worlds.

Independent Colonial Coalition: ICC was not only a formidable power during the early colonial era, but the fact that they had the largest coalition of planets was frightening. The ICC had formed during the late 9th century as the planet of Callistan began to advance; the Callistians had unified and advanced rapidly in technology and science putting their beliefs in religion behind for idealised morals and ethics and beliefs which suited their society. The Callistians recruited a number of neighbouring systems through talk and began to advance into modern 21st century technology by early 11th century, they had covered the areas of technology faster than that of earth, however during the period which became known as the 'colonial age' the Coalition fell apart at the seams as many new colonies wished for independence. For 400 years the ICC was engrossed in civil strife and war, and eventually it fell into a dark age of space. ICC did not reform until late 18th century and only during the 19th did it fully recover to begin again with efforts to reconnect with lost ties. The ICC first developed AI in 2101, and created cybernetics in 2021. ICC planets numbered roughly 180 worlds, however many factions that splintered decreased the numbers down to 50.

Neo Koslovic Separatists: NKS was formed about the same time the ICA was formed and was kept marginally controllable, the NKS however had many flaws in ideals and beliefs and most of the reform was half hearted corrections that worked well to suit certain colonies to join, the efforts it took the NKS to form was staggering and highly costly, the NKS did not survive with its neo communist beliefs as it died out in early 2312. Planets under NKS influence were roughly 45.

United Republic of Calisto: URC was amazingly the wealthiest faction out of the Nova Stratus factions and it was the most developed faction surpassing the ICC, but it was not as expansive as the ICC or the IAE, it took the efforts of the Calisto Strata Cluster 400 years to get to a fully developed point and the URC required to buy most of the FTL technology from the ICC when they encountered each other during the late 18th century. URC was initially 30 systems and 130 worlds but developed heavily into 80 systems and 210 worlds by the end of the 23rd century.

Arian Systems Movement: ASM was notoriously a heavy left hand fascist ruled dictatorship, Arian Molvic was an imperialist ruler who believed heavily in the strength of his people, but also his blood, he was supposed to have died during the 17th century, however with certain technology he had managed to stay alive and active, his rule had been nearly absolute, if it weren't for the many new factions which opposed him during the rise of the 19th century where the ICC and the many rebellion forces began to push forwards with a war on his rule, he was not killed until a single 4 man team infiltrated his palace and managed to slay him in 2332. Number of planets under recorded history is unknown…

Independent Colonial Alliance: ICA was the foremost impressive force of Nova Stratus region because of its FTL and colonisation ability, the ICA formed in 2225 with its position on Anomia and 12 new colonies, it began to garner support over the whole region boasting new technologies from an empire far away on a planet called earth, and thus the ICA began integration in a short 25 years. It continued to expand until it was stopped by the ICC and the IAE during the late 23rd century. The ICA formed 80 worlds and moved upwards since.

Races: This must remain absolutely confidential for the security of the human race and beyond it

Fenrisson: An indigenous species connected to the world of Valence, their discovery was not made until the 15th century by ICC colonial explorer ships. The Fenris have no intentions to join the human race as they had lived in isolation for many millennia, the ICC did not attempt to force borders open and simply remained passive. The Fenris race did not join the human race until late 2400s where the planet suffered a disastrous famine caused from heat of the local star, it had a minor solar flare which lasted 3 months and destroyed over 60% of crops and caused heavy instability in the planet's ecosphere.

Timeline: 2250-2350

ICA formation in Nova Stratus was welcomed by many, the formation of the first new faction since the HUO centuries earlier, the ICA formed with the intent to bring a democratic social order and wealth to the worlds of Nova Stratus, its 110 ships and 1.1 million colonists met with the first Anomians who lived on the new capital and integrated the pre-space capable race into its own. The ICAF was later formed in 2263 in order to defend against possible raids from pirates and slavers.

ICC and the ASM began a conflict when the planet of Vekta was invaded by ASM forces, the ICC responded with a massive fleet strike and soon the far western regions of the Nova Stratus region was engrossed in a war of attrition, it would not end until late 2341.

URC and HUO form a pact of trade in order to maximise their economic standing as the ICC colonial conflict progressed, the pact would last until the rise of the Advent order and the Imperial Vindicators of 2371.

IAE makes a calculated move to engage the ICA in the south east regions of the Nova Stratus regions, the factions face off in a heavy warzone and soon finds themselves battling on equal terms. The ICA only has the advantage of space FTL and weaponry while the IAE only possess the ability to utilise ground troops. The first conflict alerts the ICA to its fragile situation and makes the ICA council partake in a future plan to protect its space.

2350-2450

The ICC becomes united as it celebrates the victory over the ASM and the death of Arian and his rule, the support for the ICC rises and changes in power gives way for change to order. The ICC begins the next stage of development as it moves to unify the western regions of Nova Stratus.

2370 marks the beginning of change as the URC encounters a mysterious unexplored region of Nova Stratus, this isolated region reveals 64 worlds under the control of the Imperial Vindicator order which had taken root nearly a millennia before. The IVO was formed by the ruling emperor Kisage Hotari his empire had been formed through the use of alien technology in 1250. The IVO keeps at distance until offers of trade and expansion are revealed, the IVO accepts in late 2371 when the URC offers to show them regions of recently conquered ASM systems.

ICAF begins rapid expansion across all front as helps in reconstituting the many ASM worlds, the expansion of the ICA grants it access to over 61 worlds and 30 systems, it had covered as much ground in technology as the ICC, but still did not possess a formidable military.

IAE began its intervention into the expansion of the ICA and the confrontation of the IVO, this move made the Nova Stratus region breach a tension point as the IVO found the intrusion an act of stupidity and challenged the IAE in 2375.

The First Colonial War-2375-2385

The ten year period saw to the end of minor instability as the IVO began its first major step into Nova Stratus, and its first major stride into forming the UCA, the IVO engaged in the war with no belief over pride or greed, but purely on the basis of honour. The war went through 50 systems and on 60 worlds; it totalled 18 million lives and 360 billion credits worth of reparations from the IAE to the IVO.

The ICA made contact with the IVO in 2378 and joined the war, the IVO granted the ICA access to military power and technology as well as access to the legendary Vindicator Order. It was at the end of the war that the ICA suggested a combined effort to unite the colonies and bring proper order to all factions with their assistance, there would no longer be conflict, maybe minor apprehension to the idea, but it would work well with the IVO.

The IVO joins the ICA and forms the ICAF…

Second Colonial War-2415-2445

The remnants of the IAE formed into the Neo Imperial Arcadian Empire, and begin another war, the URC step in to assist as hundreds of URC worlds are annexed and the ICC also join. The war goes for over 20 years and brings into play the advanced technologies of the ICC and the IVO creating the MKI Hayabusa powered armour variant suit. The war rages on until the Orussian military joins from its years of isolation. The war escalates with the defeat of the Arcadian Emperor, Magnus Derion on Theta Arcadia.

2450-2525

The UCA is formed in the aftermath of the SCW2 as the ICA no longer was capable of being independent as it had encompassed over 5 major factions of power and over 1200 planets in 2450, the UCAF begins mass expansion and colonisation up until the covenant war.

However things did not stay normal, in 2455 the UCAF was contacted by the Office of Naval Intelligence of the UNSC and was asked into aiding in possible future plans it required. The UCAF was sceptical in accepting the ONI or the UNSC as it had long since ended its ties with earth. But the role of the ONI seemed too good to ignore, the UCAF accepted the terms and conditions and integrated and formed the ONI on Anomia, Hyperion Point base.

2500

The birth of Valerie Haley and the initiation of Project Delta One-

2520

The preliminary stage of development of the Spartan Alpha project and the final steps of Project Delta One, the initiation of Project Rey and Forge

2525

Completion of all assigned task and programs…

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/Memo/ -Aniston Grey- UCAF Rey Project Director

"To those who maybe hearing this message, I warn you about what you will hear and what you will read, this is no story of great honour or faith this was survival, and I'll be damned for those who condemn the actions we took in order to save the human race from extermination at the hands of the covenant… we did not sit on our asses and do nothing, we took the war to our enemies, with fire and vigour, we shall ensure that mankind will live to see the future, even if we do not make that journey. I say this now, 'I have become death, the destroyer of worlds'."

Project Rey: The Rey project was by far the most disturbing project ever undertaken, this child known as Rey -0149 was taken as a child and then genetically cloned with a psychic membrane in his frontal lobe, his genetic augmentations were meant to keep his mind in communication with the other Rey clones, however he suffered severe trauma and went into a coma. His body was cryogenically stored and 5 more clones of him were created in order to test the psycho telepathic communications link.

The link was proven to be highly unstable as the many Rey individuals shared memories and emotions, but also their same creator, their mother. Rey then began to show signs of psychosis amongst the young group as their minds drifted into the mind of Rey-0149 and began to relive dead memories; the ONI took action to severe the link and begins a neuro-telepathic connection to a quantum core in order to avoid any future incidents.

The units after the connection began to act normally passive and engrossed in training, their controlled belief was to die serving and then to end up with their creator in the afterlife, or the quantum core in which their fragmented existence is sent to after their initial deaths, however there was a severe down side to this adaptation, the neural link made the effect of one of the units dying and sent a psycho impulse to all other units warning them of their brothers deaths and making them relieve their deaths inside their own minds. The ONI did nothing to subdue the effects and observed intent on figuring out the working mind of the young Rey clones.

The program did not end until 2601 when the Rey units reached 11,000 units; although of the 11,000 barely 1000 survive up till 2605.

Project Alpha: "They show greater promise than that of Orion, and they show much to be offered to save humanity, it is a cruel truism that I must do this in order to save lives by destroying theirs, but it is a necessary evil that is inexcusable and for what may come I shall eventually pay for it, but till then they are my children, my legacy to humanity for better or for worse, the judgement is made by us as humans to decide upon it. I did what I believed was right, even when they suffered; I did it because it was necessary. Mind, body and soul…" Valerie Haley 2525- A Choice page223

Project Alpha was named in the alpha stages of the Spartan program; it was formed after the failure of Orion and was then used as a template to test the gene-enhancements for the SPII program, Alpha was made in order to ensure that the SPII did not fail, however there were substantial differences in the two programs, the UCAF had funded enough to have 750 candidates aside from the 75 that the UNSC could only afford, the reason being was due to the sheer amount of resources available by the UCAF and the number of highly related gene-strands of precursor DNA that was in the human race in the Nova Stratus region as many humans had been originally altered by the forerunners.

The UCAF had all candidates tested and evaluated over the period of 6 years had had them all take a 3 step initiative into becoming Spartans, the fact remained that some of the chemicals and procedures were far too deadly to perform all at once and it was advised to the ONI that doing so would kill the subjects faster, the process taken by Valerie Haley proved the best option as the program had plenty of time.

The program proved fruitful if not somewhat gruelling, the program produced 690 available Spartans from the 6 year training program and it was less suspicious as to the SPII program, many children were selected from orphanages and certain locations, there was also the fact that those children taken from families were either compliant or unaware of the circumstances involved with their children. The Alpha project moved swiftly and deftly through to the final stages without flaw.

And the program reached its intended goal by the end of 2524 to begin the Ascent Program.

Project Ascent: The Ascent was meant as an inspiration to the new generation at the beginning of 2525, the program was to provide the new powered armour of the UCAF to the Spartans, and it was also to provide Project Rey with the advanced combat skeletons which had been in secret development in the Prodigal System from early 2520. The MKIII series armour was an early prototype suit required to be piloted by a single Spartan occupant, it was a streamlined variant that shaped exactly to that of their bodies, the only flaw was that the suits had bulky designs and irregular joints, it was based off of the Powered Armour of the Vindicators Order, but had to be adapted with the EOD from the Union Specialists program in order to compensate for the lack of shielding from possible enemy fire.

The Ascent Project also featured the research of the MVF-01 series suits, the Mobile Versatile Frames were made as an external support force for the Spartans, it possessed the firepower that the Spartans lacked as well as the shielding, but it could not create a body shield only a bubble area of effect shield. The MVF was first seen in use in the Prodigal system in the first month of the war, there were records that indicated further use, and then afterwards the suits became obsolete during the fall of 2535 when the Mobile Suit program took place.

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Pop: 76 billion, 1780 worlds, 1500+ systems

Timeline-2525-2555

2525- January

UCAF troops are moved to the Prodigal and Haven's Gate, suspicion to many beliefs that there would be an expedition into the further reaches of space garner much support and thus masks the hidden agenda of the UCAF HIGH COM in its pursuit of hiding the truth of the situation.

Spartan Alpha is moved to Haven 2 days later and begins the final armament procedure before they reach Seti Etha.

Prodigal final checks completed and all MVFs had been fully prepared, only 1 capable pilot is used in the program and is set out to test in field.

5th of January brings the heralds of unknown contacts in orbit over the Haven System, the UCAF respond by attempting communication, the reply is. "Your destruction is the will of the gods, and we are their instruments." UCAF engages in space combat, the UCAF fleets are heavily armed and manage to fend the covenant off from taking the planet on several occasions; however planet side operations revealed heavy combat and action on the planet.

UCAF marine Mitchel Walker of the Marauders independent division is called in from his previous station in orbit aboard a UCAF cruiser to help in a classified mission.

18th of January the Spartan arrive on Prodigal Eta and encounters the Rey program and Dr Haley, the Dr requires to give all Spartans the armour Ascent units and then asks for assistance in evacuating all Rey units to escape craft in order to continue program, Rey Unit 201 is left behind and ordered to self-destruct once all UCAF ships escape, the unit complies and is killed in action, the first clone casualty of the war.

21st of January, Major Mitchel arrives in the Eastern Verge, he is ordered to aid in the location of a special forerunner beacon and is tasked in retrieving the technology to be sent to ONI Section III, his mission soon spirals out of control as the facility he enters is infested with a hostile parasitic entity known as the flood, his platoon is wiped out shortly and he and 3 others manage to reach the safety of the main complex, however surrounded by the flood and the covenant he soon finds no other option aside from sending the message and ending the facility, he activates a quantum purge inside the station core and sucks the station into oblivion with the flood and the covenant.

Through the rest of the year, the covenant press to engage the UCAF, battles prove to be highly costly on both sides as they are nearly equally matched, the covenant fleet masters agree to bring forth their finest commander, grand fleet overseer Tol'ree Moteree, the devised operation heralds the name of the first exalted crusade.

2526-2531

The UCAF lose over 200 light years and over 400 planets are either destroyed or rendered lifeless, more than 8 billion die within less than 5 years and over 1.9 billion soldiers of the marauders and reserve forces. The UCAF initiate military protocol and command, all military academies were to provide youths with military mandatory classes and training, all colonies were to have an immediate defence force in order to stop any chances of the colony's demise.

The UCAF military standing was at roughly 3 billion, with 175,000 available warships and vessels.

Spartan Beta begins the recruitment of more than 1500 new Spartans and advanced MKIV armour is placed into production.

2531-2540

UCAF casualties mount as the war progresses, the UCAF colonies are cut nearly finely in half at the middle of the Nova Stratus region, 490 light years had been lost, 29 billion had been killed and a million youth a day were being killed to fight the enemy covenant on the front lines. Child soldiers from ages up to 12-17 were being recruited near combat zones and guerrilla fighting becomes fierce in the region of the now known dead zone, the Daedalus Crusades.

2535 sees the change in the war as the MS program takes hold in the western regions and the eastern flanks, the UCAF begin a massive counter offensive using MS units. The war takes a significant turn, as also the UCAF brings forth the many new Spartan troops, the Beta program brings out over 2000 troops into the war and begins mass escalation in the war.

2539 brings out the covenant's own MS program to bear and the war begins to stagnate once more, the UCAF finds itself at a kill to death ratio of 1:7, the UCAF only suffering 1 for almost every 7 of the covenant's own. The war continues as it had until 2545…

2540-2551

UCAF begins the slow build up till operation Overlord to which the UCAF would spearhead a massive attack upon the covenant planetoid to kill and wipe out the hierarchs of Divine Resolve, the Spartans receive further upgrades and new forces appear. Covenant renegades begin to harbour support and the war takes a turn for change.

2545 brings into motion the massive assault, the UCAF bring to bear over 11,000 ships upon one of the 4 command planetoids of the covenant, the mass assault breaks the covenant grasp in a major sector and kills one of the prophets. Another flees into the depths of space and is pursued by the UCAF Spartan team Sigma.

Sigma encounters a forerunner planet in the unknown regions of Nova Stratus; the planet of Reverence's Grace is discovered. UCAF forces engage in battle with the covenant, and also locate the forerunner known as the Inheritor, his revelation of the human race and the forerunners changes the beliefs of the prophet of Amity who seeks to change the covenant, Amity vanishes from the Nova Stratus region and takes with him his most loyal troops in order to reform the covenant.

The prophet of Reverence takes his forces and steals the location to a forerunner ultra-dreadnought and begins to hunt for its location, the UCAF soon follow behind to deal with the rogue covenant leader and the covenant forces soon fall into civil war. All 3 planetoids are isolated however their forces manage to build a heavy resistance to the UCAF approach and the UCAF wait until the end of the hunt for the rogue prophet in order to regroup.

2550 the final battle rages after the discovery of the dreadnought Light of Grace, Himitsuki and his fellow Spartans of the specialist division of Alpha fight the covenant and the flood in the region and successfully eliminates the prophet and destroys the dreadnought in the process, Himitsuki and his forces are reported as MIA.

2551- Present Time-

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BEGIN

2551-3-22

New Leppington- Far Eastern Casus Cluster- Nova Stratus

UCAF Naval Fleets travelled across the open expanse of the cold grasp of the vacuum, they graced the emptiness with their presence as they headed to their primary destination. The glow of a world comes into visual range of the UCAF fleet as it begins to decelerate. On the starboard and portside levels of the largest ship present, large vessels detach from the hull and begin to accelerate from the massive carrier and head to the troubled world below.

Aboard the carrier from the main bridge, dozens of personnel worked to begin operational checks as the UCAF fleet comes to active stations. Amongst the bustle of the bridge a single figure sat in at the centre of this hive of activity, a grey haired man who had seen more than his fair share of war, 26 years of conflict had taken its toll upon his once youthful figure, hair had grown and aged, his body posture had that of a man who had been in the command chair longer than any other man should and could have been in.

Captain James Vance watched as the fleet took up preliminary defensive positions across the besieged world, it was standard protocol in the usual damage control for the covenant scout fleets which managed to strike a blow at the UCAF whenever they could. This is was the 13th hit and run from the covenant in the past 8 months, they had grown desperate to keep the UCAF on guard, and it had worked, but for every hit and run that the covenant made, the UCAF managed to still gain ground out in the main campaigns.

UCAF cluster fleets had openly hammered a number of remaining covenant factions as they attempted to flee back to the safety of their capitals, but this retreat was only temporary for the covenant, they were out to kill each other now. Civil war had erupted between the many factions now attempting to regain order. The brutes taking their own beliefs and waging war against each other while the elites and jackals do the same, grunts are everywhere and the buggers are all running back to their hives.

Victory had been assured, but that victory back in 2551 had been hollow, the many lives expended had only caused frictions to explode, but not enough of it to fully eradicate any sense of order of the covenant, the covenant as loose as the term was now, still had control of its own forces. The covenant was on the slow retreat while others broke away and splintered in search of their own goals. The whole thing was a mess and the UCAF was expected to clean it up soon.

James slouched slightly as he tried to think about what he and the rest of the UCAF was expected to do, over 36 billion had died for this, a hollow victory against a religiously psychotic race which had nothing to do with the human race, this had been a ridiculous reason to wage a war and wipe out billions of people for. The UCAF honestly didn't know if they should be laughing or crying or both at the irony of the whole thing when the covenant learnt of the truth. The human race was part of their so called gods and they committed generations of sacrilege in the name of their gods who they had been murdering.

The covenant splintered into so many factions the UCAF had been overtaxed trying to keep tabs on all of them at once, and thus the reason for the numerous hit and run strikes launched by the covenant upon small worlds. Leppington had been hit because it bordered on UCAF space and the open expanse which led to the greater galaxy, the UCAF colony had been one of the few which remained active as a research colony and for good reason it should have been abandoned, however the UCAF had been determined to find the location of their old home, Earth.

The joke was on them as the UCAF had no recollections of where Earth was after the ICA first arrived all those centuries ago by accident, afterwards the chances of earth vanished once the UCAF formed and the war began. Leppington was a sign of hope that mankind still had allies, but sadly it wasn't a symbol some of the covenant liked. The colony was struck three days ago by a moderate sized scouting fleet.

The UCAF fleet now was here to ensure that the colony was recovered, and anything that could be salvaged was. The UCAF forces would secure the world with a small ground force and then begin searching for survivors of the world and then hopefully rebuilding if the cities and the towns weren't destroyed and if the regions were glassed to hell.

This was just another day for Captain James Vance, the hero of the damned war and the first captain to pull off one of the most dangerous tactics in a war, dropping his ship from orbit and ramming it right into an enemy defensive position and attacking them with the troops aboard the ship. His tactic was renowned to have been considered the stupidest and bravest thing a person could do in his situation.

Now he was sitting in a command chair ordering reconstruction efforts on border worlds while the covenant jumped about like lice, but he couldn't complain, this was part of serving ones people to help in any way that they can provide. James would be doing this for a while until the war either ended or he and the ship was destroyed.

He brought himself from his thoughts as he ordered.
"Alice, combat status at primary, prime all interceptors and proceed with regular field scans, I don't want anything jumping in while we try to search for survivors."

"Expecting trouble James?" A green and gold woman asked as she materialised on the holo-pedestal.

"The covenant don't leave a world like this for us to recover and then reinforce, they either ignore it only if there's a reason to, don't forget about Orion Beta and the Seraphim Cluster incidents, the covenant always have a reason for making choices, and I want to know why they attacked Leppington." He replied duly.

"Yes well, all systems are operational before you asked, I know how you think when you strut about like that." She pointed at his arms behind his back as he was tensed.

The coms chimed as communications was opened to the first marines who had landed on the world.
James walked to the com line and activated it over at the command interface tactical display desk, he answered.
"Commander Acker, what is your status?"

"Could be better, we're picking up signals at the entrance to city 332-11, the place was first to be hit and the reports indicated from the E-band coms said that there was something at location grid: 3, 5, 11, we're checking it out." Graham replied over the background noise.

"Very well, report when you reach the waypoint we need to know what's happening on the ground." James reminded him.

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Graham felt the rush of the winds around him; the night chilled air was freezing seeing as it was winter here on Leppington, the UCAF colony city was still a fair ways off. And it seemed that transmissions around the area were worsening as they went deeper into the cover of the dark zone, it was highly possible that covenant forces probably remain to harass any UCAF forces while reconstruction and recovery took place.

Acker had a feeling that it wasn't just a small force here though. His coms went dead as they finally reached the 800m mark from the epicentre of the dark zone, he assumed that this meant that they were in a free for all once the covenant reared its head. His guesses were usually correct and this was an assumption he made from just feeling that something was wrong in the air.

"Hey private mind driving for that high ridge over by the bridge into the city?" Acker asked.

"Yes sir, I'm on it." He replied.

The warthogs deviated from their direct route to a ridge that overlooked the city. It took a short drive but finally reaching the peak of the incline the commander ordered.
"All stop, we're disembarking here, I need a mortar and marker team here stat!"

The rear most of the convoy disembarked and started fixing a single scope for the long range marker team, the idea would be to send out a low pulse shell that would illuminate any residual energy signatures, if the commander's hunch was correct, they'd be right on top of a whole battalion of covenant.

The marker team finished and had the mortar team zoning in with a single pulse shell, the guided round wouldn't illuminate them, but it would for everything else. The team loaded the shell and fired it, it went into the air and headed for its intended target, the marker team watched carefully as it scattered the light particles into the air and around the city.

"Okay, I've got signatures, green, and a lot of red, way more red… and confirmation, there's something large at point 44, it's the source of our jamming problem commander." The marker alerted the commander.

It was as he suspected, covenant forces took a place they made sure it was secure before having to bug off, this was not a simple scout fleet, probably was an advanced elements for the next bigger fleet to come along. He'd have to call this in, but sadly the marines were deep in the dark zone, calling now would be useless and calling now would also gain attention from the covenant.

He addressed his second in command. "Okay, here's what we do, take half the marines from the convoy get them around the other side of the city, begin a full 5 minute shelling, I need fire for effect at the critical locations of the covenant positions, don't bother if you can't hit them, just run then. We just need a distraction, you pull the force back to waypoint Eta and I'll get the marines to begin attacking the jamming tower." He told his second in command carefully.

"Right sir, we're on it." The sergeant replied.

"Good, no screw ups, at least not now…"

Acker mounted his warthog once more and took half his main force to enter the city from the north east side of the walls, they'd hit the main jamming grid once they secured their rally point and then they'd push deeper into the city if the commander saw any reason to continue. The marines packed in and moved out, they had a war to wage.

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Helios Cluster- Epping

The grand unveiling of the artefact had been a great achievement on Epping, scientists had spent the last 18 months hard at work since the discovery of the Epping portal relay, or that was what the scientists of the many organisations of the Citadel had assumed that it was. The portal was discovered about 2 years ago by a dig team searching for minerals in the Helios cluster, Epping was just another backwater until 3 months into their survey of the world they found a massive underground cavern.

By luck or stupidity, the team laid over 10,000 tons of high explosives upon a supposed mineral deposit and ended up digging up the outer layer of a massive metallic structure. The discovery took weeks to map and the teams had no way of knowing what the structure was, it wasn't until proper research was conducted by members of the alliance that the structure remained buried for some time.

Now the multi armed structure was fully uncovered and revealed, the council wished to see the artefact tested and activated. Much religious opposition was forwarded as the hanar saw the activation as an affront to their gods, the HSA had not lost any credibility, the structure revealed was much older than what had been initially recovered, it was said to date back roughly 150,000 years earlier than the prothean empire.

The council thus had taken that the structure was in no violation of anything to do with the hanar and the matter at hand was meaningless. However the council fell under attack for being in support of activating an unknown alien structure. The claimed dangers began to hold the activation back for months as more research and security had to be increased.

The final product was now and whatever happened, Councillor Valern commented.
"This is a new dawn for all races of the galaxy as we embark on the journey to tomorrow, this will be recorded through history as the ground breaking event that secured the future of peace and prosperity of the council races and the citadel."

The portal began to rupture the dust from its ancient hull and pull itself into a lotus shape as it began to charge. In orbit ships watched intently as the structure came to life, one certain ship was a new frigate, on its hull painted in black "SSV Normandy SR-1".

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UCAF Armaments and Weaponry

Thermal 'hot shots' rounds were introduced during 2540 when snipers began receiving mass accelerator drives in order to fire deadlier payloads at much faster rates without over burdening the sniper, Revenant SR-X9 snipers were the first released to use thermal shell of 50 calibre size and fire at speeds up to 1/3rd the speed of light, the recoil wasn't compromised thankfully by the upgrades made to the SR series. Later in 2550 many special operations forces began receiving major upgrades, snipers of all varying types received variant one mass driver upgrades and later UCAF military began development of mass produced mass accelerator carbines, it wasn't until 2555 that the UCAF began dispersion of all mass accelerator weaponry.

'Hot shots' are encased bullets which possess heat sinks curled around the outer casing which is ejected with the shell once fired, this means that the barrel is immediately cooled by the firing of the shot and the weapon does not over heat from usage. The weights of all standard thermal rounds are 20 grams and can be increased to up to 200, each rounds is comprised of titanium for normal targets, adamantium for heavily armoured targets and ionised copper to deal with shielded enemies, each variation of ammunition works to grant the user an advantage in the field when dealing with opposition, the only flaw is that not all ammunition can be carried and special ammunition is only present amongst the Psychic Operatives and Combat Engineers and rarely found on any UCAF marine. Other modified ammo types are present but many remain between troops who require them for special missions or those who have specific goals and operations that need them.

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That's all I have folks, I really wish I could add more, but sadly not now, I'm too tired…

And yes recycled the main time line of another story which is supposed to be canon.