Halo Gateway Chapter I To P1B-304
On the 4th of May of 2016 the existence of the Stargate Program was revealed to Earth's entire population. As expected it resulted in anger, fear and wide-spread riots across the planet. There was an outrage that it had been hidden for so long and under the control of the United States of American. The existence of the IOA somewhat calmed most governments, but not the ire of Earth's people. It was decided to create the UEAF-United Earth Armed Forces-which was a type of Marine Corps drawing manpower from all of Earth's countries. Stargate Command and the experienced teams serving there were all kept, since their experience would be needed more than ever. The SG teams was basically a Special Forces branch and the UEAF was responsible for the standard troops. The SGC had authority over the marines, and a military Council was established with authority over all military matters. The Chairman of the Council was shifted between them at regular intervals.
Between then and 2020 three colonies had been established. Valhalla, New Adjustment and Casablanca. The largest was Valhalla with 11,000 colonists, the others had 3,000 and 400, in that order.
One of the gravest threats against Earth came from a SG Colonel named Joseph Eli-who had been originally presumed dead long ago when they were at war with the Ori. He then created a militaristic organization called Advent. They had become a force to reckon with and a threat to Earth and its allies with their 'human domination at all cost' ideology.
Speaking of allies, the Free Jaffa Nation was back on their feet, but their alliance with Earth was shaken by internal politics and a loaming Civil War on the horizon that seemed almost unavoidable. They had rebuild and reorganized their powerbase after the Ori and a High Council had been reestablished on Dakara. Which had been rebuilt after the Ori destroyed the Ancient weapon and the temple. But there were fractions amongst the members of the High Council and the different factions within the Jaffa ranks.
One people who had faces hardship after hardship was the URG, or, United Reach Government. The military body, the UNSC, United Nations Space Command had been thorough devastated in the last decades. They had begun colonizing space through ships and gate travel decades before they encountered their first alien threat. The Covenant. It was an alien hegemony far more advanced and powerful than any primitive human worlds they had found yet. For three decades they fought a bloody war of annihilation, the UNSC fighting for the right to exist. It ended when the Goa'uld System Lords focused their collected attention on them. The first battles was swift and carried great defeats on both UNSC and Covenant forces. At least colonies occupied by the Goa'uld wasn't entirely exterminated, but enslaved-if that was any comfort. What is the life of a slave if not another death? For what is life without freedom?
The UNSC was saved from the Goa'uld when Anubis launched his bid for total power. But it only bought them a few years because then the Ori appeared in the Milky Way. The UNSC was forced to join forces with the Free Jaffa and Stargate Command on Earth. With the Ori's eventual defeat and return to their own galaxy it left a galaxy to rebuild. The UNSC had countless planets to rebuild and re-colonies.
After the Goa'uld decimated their forces the Covenant suffered defeat after defeat. Their war with the humans of the UNSC had to wait as their destruction seemed imminent. It was the most devastating conflict in the Covenant's history. The System Lords-the Goa'uld's ruling body-saw great opportunities from the Covenant.
The Sangheili and Jiralhanae had the potential to perfect and ultimate replacements for the Jaffa. They were stronger and knew the hardship of war, and loyalty. The Unggoy was seen as a good slave race, but pitiful soldiers. The Yanme'e was seen in a similar light, but their ability to fly could make them a wild card in combat. Very much so in large numbers. The Kig-yar offered their mercenary services to the System Lords in hope of doing just what they did to avoid destruction by the Covenant. But the Goa'uld ignored the offer and decided they would make decent slaves and warriors. Good cannon fodder. The Lekgolo was strange creatures that couldn't be made host to a symbiote and seemed hard to control. Therefor they tried to exterminate them. Though some survived most died when their homeworld was obliterated. Last but not least was the San'Shyuum. Their lazy nature and physic made them an unlikely alternative as slave labor, and warriors…laughable. Only a few hundred of their species survived the Goa'uld cleansing of their species. Most escaped into unknown space together with most of the Huragok. The fantastic engineer race the Covenant had used. They were biological supercomputers and if they hadn't mostly disappeared the Goa'uld would have had great use of them.
The War against Anubis and the decimation of the Goa'uld at the hands of the Replicators ensured that the Covenant races survived enslavement, but the Covenant, and there believes was forever shattered. A Civil War followed. The most prominent was the Sword of Sanghelios-a Sangheili led faction under Arbiter Thel Vadam. The Jiralhanae fought the Sangheili, UNSC and themselves in many small wars for power within their Clan society. The Kig-yar returned to their mercenary, trade and pirate lives and expanded their operations across the galaxy. Power within their society fell to the unofficial High Council, a Conglomerate of powerful pirates. The Yanme'e and Unggoy was caught in the middle of everything. Many Yanme'e return to their homeworld, but the Unggoy remained a faction subjugated by everyone and with no powerbase of their own. Their homeworld-Balaho-was governed by the Thel Vadam's Sangheili faction.
The date was now February 2020, or 2566-UNSC Calendar.
12th February 2020, Earth Calendar
System Sol, Planet Earth, Stargate Command
US Air Force Major June Cooper walked up the corridor towards General Jack O'Neill's office. She had been called as soon as she arrived on the base. She hoped it would been a briefing on a mission. It would be her first mission back after her injuries over a year ago. She had been shot in the spine by a Staff weapon and left in a wheel chair for eight months. Another five months in to recover and slowly being able stand upright and walk and run.
She stopped outside and knocked on the General's open door. The grey haired man looked up and waved her inside and gestured for her to sit as he talked on the landline on his desk.
"I know…he's a Sangheili, they always growl…" he listened and occasionally spoke. "…Lord Hood's delegate said as much. They're putting pressure too and-yes, Mr Carver…Well that's something you should ask the President…no…we are…good day." He hung up and breathed out, annoyed. He looked at the tan skin woman. Her black hair sat in a ball behind her head. "That was Mr Craver, IOA. Did you meet him before your injury?"
"No, sir. I don't think it's ringing a bell," Cooper answered truthfully in her English accent.
"Lucky you. He's nagging me about Advent. Practically on a daily basis, want us to take more action and do one of those operations the UNSC launched two weeks ago."
Cooper arched an eyebrow. "Did they strike Advent, sir?"
He arched his brow. "Haven't heard?" She shook her head. "Two weeks ago ONI and our own sources had put together enough Intel to identify three Advent bases. They gathered a hundred starship, three Battalions of those Orbital Drop Shock Troopers and a few Spartan units, love those guys by the way, the armor-the-the quick reflexes and…never mind. A massive operation. They eliminated a total of seventeen Advent Frigates and Corvettes-nothing larger though-and killed three-hundred and twelve troops-not counting the ship crews, capturing fifty-eight. Their own losses was below the one-hundred mark."
Cooper thought that sounded pretty impressive. But it was a shame no Cruisers or Carriers was destroyed. Those were Advents true naval strength. The Frigates and Corvettes was easy enough to rebuild or buy.
"Sounds like an impressive effort, sir."
"Does, doesn't it?" O'Neill semi-agreed.
She felt a 'but' coming.
"What's the problem General?"
He straightened up and looked at her with a frustrated expression, but it wasn't frustration over her, just the facts of the case, which she understood.
"There was a reason we waited and asked them to do the same. Three Advent bases and just under four-hundred personnel? Two of them were minor and one was still being built. Was supposed to be a future airfield. Holding capital class ships, you know. If we had waited we had a chance of dealing a heavy blow in the future. And…Advent launched retaliatory strikes, which we knew they would!"
She saw that O'Neill was very frustrated about this, and she couldn't blame him. She couldn't blame the UNSCs swift action either. The Jaffa, UNSC and Sangheili all were frustrated with their-at first glance-vain attempts at stopping Advent. They had been for over a decade. Since way back in 2007, fighting the Ori. Advent had been a growing problem for a long time. But although Advent had been born from former SGC personnel-Colonel Joseph Eli-it was mostly made of humans from primitive worlds and actually a good amount of disenfranchised UNSC personnel too. Many had joined after Fleet Admiral Terrence Hood reined in ONI and reformed part of the military branch.
"What, sort of retaliatory strikes?" She was hesitant to ask, knowing Advents homicidal tendencies.
"They launched an assault on the Zeta site, our Valhalla colony, two UEAF protected worlds, a Jaffa world and a UNSC space station and ambushing a UNSC Battlegroup."
"Jesus…" Cooper breathed. That was an ambitious play to say the least.
"The Zeta site held, 27 dead, Valhalla's target was the shipyards but our brave marines held their ground as the George Hammond and Trafalgar arrived and crippled Advents position with F-302s. Advent killed a hundred civilians on the two protected worlds before we beat them back and the Jaffa world saw a village wiped out. The UNSC station destroyed was a science station, crew of 37, all dead. The Morrow Battlegroup was ambushed by Cruisers and a Carrier with Corvette support. Advent lost a Cruiser, half a dozen Corvettes and the Carrier was severely damaged, but not before destroyed two Carriers in return," O'Neill finished. "Eli hopes to deterrent us from launching any similar strikes in the future." He clenched his fists fumingly under the table. "He's wrong Cooper. Damn wrong."
"Damn right sir."
"Our way might take longer, but I will have Eli put in the ground." He sighed and leaned back. "And you know the political crap. UN's been pressured by UNSC and Sangheili to do…'our'…part against Advent. Which gave way to IOA's Mr Craver." He ended by gesturing to the phone.
"I'm happy to say politics are over my head as a Major," she said honestly.
O'Neill smirked. "Lucky you. Let's talk about your mission. First one back. How's it feel?"
"Damn good, sir."
"Good. Tell me, have you had a chance to see your team yet?"
"Not yet. But I planned on it when we're through here. I, eh…imagine Rae's had a hard time?" Rae was extremely anti-social and really awkward, but she was also one of the smartest people in the SGC despite her young age. Cooper's team had found her on a mission where her village had been burnt down by a Jiralhanae raiding party and she was the only survivor. She had grown attached to the girl and Rae had grown desperately attached to her.
O'Neill nodded. "Even after a year her, you're the only person she really trusts. Poor thing's been anxious and worried about you. Sergeant Roark has kept an eye on her and her psych eval was normal." He changed subject and put a file on her side of the desk. "P1B-304. Minor planet in the Free Jaffa Nation. They call it Hallana. A month ago a Sangheili archeologist got permission to search the ruins a km from the gate. He originally suspected that they were Forerunner, but he's identified them as Ancient after finding markings and some old door underground. It screamed Ancient tech and so he got the rights to open up a dig sight and look closer into it. Local Jaffa helped with labor and we sent in SG18 as security after a joint operation was agreed upon. There's also a full Platoon of ODSTs there. Colonel Gate say's they have excavated enough to almost open the door and peek inside." He arched an intrigued eyebrow. "Right, I want your team to relieve him."
"A baby sitting gig, sir?" Cooper questioned disappointed. "I realize I've been away for over a year but I promise you that-"
"Cooper," O'Neill interrupted her. "I have full confidence in you, you've evaluation was perfect. This is an important mission. There could be some really cool Ancient weapons or artifacts inside. Local Jaffa Garrison Commander, a woman called Zolana says her Scouts have seen Advent on more than one occasion. Expect trouble."
"So they heard about the ancient ruins and want their hands on whatever's inside," Cooper put together.
"Pretty much. Your team leaves in one hour. Dismissed."
She stood up and saluted. "Sir."
She found her teammates outside the locker room after a few hours of training. Lifting weights, and running on the treadmill and the likes. The first person she saw was Rae. The red haired eighteen year old was leaning against the wall, hands in her pockets, looking at the floor like she mostly did. Intentionally avoiding eye contact with everyone. Cooper imagined she finished quickly and was now waiting for the rest of SG23.
She stopped in front of her and smiled widely. Rae's eyes locked onto the familiar pair of boots.
"Hi honey, how's it hanging?" Cooper said.
Rae raised her head and stared at Cooper with wide red eyes. After a fraction of a second she took a long step over and hugged her. She rested her head on her dark green uniformed shoulder.
"J-june," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotions.
"Yeah hon. I'm back."
It was like the dam holding her tears back broke because the young redhead started crying her eyes out as tears streamed down her cheeks. Cooper gently rubbed her back.
"It's okay love. Everything is back to normal," she whispered soothingly.
She let Rae hug her for a minute or two until she voluntarily let go.
"Missed you," she said in her usual low voice.
"I missed you too," Cooper assured her. She could see a big smile Rae's face.
The door to the locker room opened and first out was Colonel Reynolds of SG3.
"Major."
"Colonel."
Second was Senior Master Sergeant Demetrius Roark. Her XO and acting OC during her recovery. The giant South African man's face was overtaken with a grin when he saw her. He grabbed and shook her hand hard.
"Good you dropped by Cooper. Almost thought you forgot about us," he joked.
"I could never," Cooper answered with a grin of her own in her English accent. "Haven't changed much I see. Still having a bad hair day."
He scratched his bald head and chuckled loudly in his husky voice. It was just a moment later that SG23's last two members joined them. Staff Sergeants Robbie Flannigan and Abbigail Phantom. Abbigail, or Abby for short, was the newest member of SG23. She had only been with them for a few weeks when Cooper got hit in the back with a Staff blast. While Robbie Flannigan hugged Cooper, Phantom snapped to attention.
"Ma'am."
"Good seeing you back June," Flannigan said with honest joy.
"Right back at you, Rob." When the hug broke apart she turned to Phantom.
She extended her hand and shook it.
"How's it going Abby? Good seeing you."
"I'm good ma'am. It's really good to see you back with us. Hasn't been the same without you," Phantom said.
"You can say that again," Flannigan agreed.
"I'm sure you survived well enough with Demetrius as CO."
"Well enough," Flannigan said with a mischievous smirk.
Roark threw him a mock glare. Rae added an emphatic nod that he had been a good substitute.
"Thank you. Someone's grateful," the South African gestured to her.
It made her blush and she quickly looked down at her shoes. Cooper put her arm over her shoulders.
"Have you guys been briefed?"
"Three hours ago ma'am," Roark switched to his professional voice. "Only waiting for you."
After gearing up they arrived in the embarkation room just as Sergeant Walter Harriman said, "Chevron five encoded." Cooper saw O'Neill standing behind Harriman.
Cooper stopped at the lower end of the ramp and looked up at the gate. It felt like a lifetime since she walked through the stargate. She sucked in air and breathed out through her nose.
"Chevron six encoded."
After all this time nothing had changed here. Everything was working like before she left.
"Mind the curfew kids," she heard the General's voice through the room's intercom.
She turned around and gave him a two finger salute.
"Chevron seven…locked," Harriman finished.
Cooper led her team up the ramp towards the Stargate's event horizon.
"Let's see what Hallana has to offer," she said with finality before stepping through.
Planet P1B-304 aka Hallana
The next moment her boots touched the stone platform the stargate of Hallana had been raised upon. The Stargate was standing in a circular field surrounded by lush green trees reaching for the sky. The clear blue sky was devoid of any clouds. The field was thirty meters across.
"Nice place," Flannigan commented. "Reminds a bit of good old Tennessee." He looked at Cooper for a moment. "Did I tell you I grew up there?"
"Only every mission offworld," she exaggerated.
He thought about it. "Can't have been that often. Was it?"
Cooper marched off towards the direction of the ruins.
"Let's keep moving. Got a short kilometer to walk." She reached to key her earpiece. "Colonel Gate, this is Major Cooper, SG23."
"Hey Coop, nice of ya to drop in on us," the Colonel answered cheerfully. A bit too much for Cooper's liking. If she knew him right she was walking into a boring mission with nothing to do. It was probably what it had been like for them here. "Corporal Locke and I took bets on who they'd sent to relieve us. He bet on Colonel Reynolds, but not me. Put my money on you. You earned me twenty bucks."
"Well," she said and rolled her eyes. "Always thrilled to assist." She looked around them. "We are started off towards your location. Shouldn't be long."
"Copy that. Give the Drop troopers a wave. Their Platoon is watching the gate."
She looked around and spotted a black armored individual in the tree line. He waved at them.
"Right. Got one. Cooper out."
She figured the ODSTs was spread out around the field or had a basecamp hidden in the vegetation, out of view. She recognized the man as Gunnery Sergeant Casco. She had met him on a joint mission three years ago, and on a few delegations where her team acted security for their people.