End of Days (V2)
Disclaimer: I don't own BSG or Halo (But I will own your but if we meet on Xbox live)
AN: The idea for this story came from a review from VampiricAnt to Bob Regent's story entitled Reunions are A Bitch The reviewer commented on how screwed the colonials would be if they where messing with the UNSC or The United Earth Directorate,(Instead of Stargate like in Bob's story) and as I know nothing about Star Craft but love Halo. I decided to go for it. I tried to find a way to make the UNSC the aggressors in this story but I really couldn't see them picking a fight with the Covenant baring down on them.
Changes to Halo timeline: This is after Halo 2 but I am ignoring Halo 3. That is not to say that things like the Ark don't exist only that Halo 2 went differently. Halo 2 went as it did in the game until the meeting of the Chief, Arbiter and Gravemind. At the end of their conversation, it was the Arbiter not the Chief who was transported to High Charity by the Gravemind. What transpired afterwards will be explained throughout the story. But this is important there is No Human-Sangheili alliance (at this time) as it was the Chief that saved Keyes and Johnson and killed Tartarus. The flood never seized the In Amber Clad and the humans used it to escape. Also the events in the book Ghosts of Onyx did not happen.(planet Onyx does exist) No Spartans III either(Colonel Ackerson has been working on a…different… project). Halsey didn't kidnap Kelly instead she returned to Earth with the Spartans.
PROLOG
1334 hours, November 7, 2552 (Military Calendar) / UNSC In Amber Clad, Location Unknown.
Tearing its way out of slipspace the UNSC In Amber Clad created a blinding nova of white light and hard radiation. Despite this the transition for the 127 surviving members of the In Amber Clad's crew back to 'real' space was surprisingly gentle. As the In Amber Clad exited into normal space it became blaringly obvious that all was not well for the small vessel. Large sections of the vessels outer skin appeared to have been melted off exposing several of the vessels hallways to space. A particular nasty wound existed where one of the primary magnetic coils for the MAC resided.
The frigate class to which the In Amber Clad belonged is the smallest UNSC class to boost a MAC. The MAC, Magnetic Accelerator Cannon, was the main weapon of the UNSC. Through a series of Magnetic coils - the number depending on the size of the vessel - a large super dense ferric tungsten round was fired at tremendous velocity. The largest MAC, like those stationed on orbital defense platforms (ODP), are capable of putting a round clean through a Covenant capital ship. The MAC onboard frigates however where nowhere near this powerful and at most the frigate could hope is to take down the shields of a Covenant warship allowing its remaining armaments to finish off the vessel. In addition to the MAC, frigates also boasted 26 missile pods, each of which held thirty Archer high explosive missiles, eight strategically placed 50mm auto cannons protected the vessel from enemy fighters and bombers. The frigate's outer skin, composed of high density titanium-A armor, was only 60cm thick but lesser armor equated to a lower tonnage making the frigate class the fastest and most maneuverable of any UNSC warship.
"Report." Commander Miranda Keyes ordered.
"Shaw-Fujikawa Translight drive has been disengaged," Cortana replied appearing on the holo pad next to the commander's chair. "The engineering crew is already initiating a full restart hopefully it will eliminate the abnormal readings the drive is giving off."
"How long till the restart is complete." Keyes questioned impatiently. While the trip to the second Halo ring was far faster then she ever dreamed possible, without the Covenant carrier to pull the ship through slipspace the return trip was anything but short. And with the precarious situation back home every second counted.
"The deuterium fusion cores are already hot so we just have to wait for the drive to reboot." Cortana explained, "If that fixes the irregularities we should be able to resume our journey in roughly an hour."
"Roughly Cortana?" Keyes questioned.
"Sorry ma'am but the rebooting process requires the assistance of human hands, and no offense ma'am but humans have a tendencies to disrupt my time tables." Cortana replied shrugging her digital shoulders.
Smirking the Commander choose not to comment. "Anything in the vicinity I should be aware of."
"Negative ma'am, we're currently in the void between stars, nearest star system well over a light year away, at this range I can confirm several planets in the system. I'm also detecting a large asteroid near our position, well over ten kilometers in length"
"Understood. Any luck getting the MAC back online."
"Unfortunately no, there is simply to much damage to the system, one of the magnetic accelerators was vaporized by the plasma torpedoed impact, fracturing the barrel in the process. The entire MAC will have to be replaced when we reach Earth."
"Cortana what is your honest assessment of the Clad's combat capabilities." Keyes asked.
"Not good Ma'am. In addition to the MAC being beyond repair we only have archer pods u thru z. We have two C709 Longsword fighters left. The only bright side is we have one Shiva nuclear warhead left."
"I see," Commander Keyes replied her eyes locked on a small data screen built into her chair as it displayed the damage inflicted on the Clad. "The crew?" To human ears the commanders question sounded calm and normal but to the Cortana and her highly accurate microphones situated throughout the bridge the wariness in her voice was obvious.
"They are do as well as can be excepted. Of the original 230 crew 103 are dead, mostly marines, and the rest are suffering from wounds of varying severity." Cortana replied solemnly.
"How's the Chief?"
Although several people onboard the frigate could be referred to as 'Chief' it was still obvious who she was referring to.
"He's fine, been spending his time helping wit…" Cortana trailed off getting a far away look.
"Cortana." Miranda Keyes asked worriedly.
"Sorry ma'am for a moment I though a detected a strange energy reading near the asteroid. But with the longer range sensors in the shape they are its unlikely to be anything."
"Still best not to take any chances," Keyes replied. "Helm bring us closer to that rock. Take the safeties off the nuke."
"Aye Commander," the helmsman replied.
"Ma'am," Cortana interjected, "you do realize that if the energy surge was a slipstream event we…"
"Could be running headlong at a Covenant warship," Keyes finished fro her, "but if there's a Covenant warship in this system we're already dead, no matter what direction we go in."
NEARBY SEVERAL MINUTES LATER
"Commander on deck!" Colonel Vincent Strong's voice bellowed throughout the Battlestar Cerberus CIC bringing an immediate halt to all activity as the crew came to attention.
"At ease," Commander David Sinclair replied off-handedly as he took his place next to his XO by the main DRADIS display. "Report."
"Sorry to wake you sir but on of our Raptors just returned ahead of schedule." Colonel Strong replied.
"Why?" Sinclair asked.
"They encountered an unknown vessel and jumped as soon as they got a good look at it," the Colonel replied. "Here," he handed the Commander a printout of the blurry picture taken by the recon raptor.
"…"
"Tiny little thing," the Colonel commented. "Only about 500 meters long."
"Any chance this is from the Colonies?"
"Anything is possible sir, but highly unlikely. That ship is less than half a light year from the Cylon armistice line. Even we don't get that close."
"Cylon scout maybe?"
"Maybe sir, but its not a design I recognize."
Several moments passed as the Commander studied the picture of the unknown ship.
"Dispatch a Raptor to Picon let them know we have encountered an unknown ship."
"Sir in the time it takes the Raptor to make it back to Picon that ship may be gone."
"That's why we're going there to check it out ourselves," Commander Sinclair replied setting the picture on the command table. "Recall the Vipers and single the Reliant."
"The Reliant sir."
"I know its overkill with such a small vessel," the Commander explained, "but that close to the boarder I'll feel safer with two battlestars instead of one."
1354 hours, November 7, 2552 (Military Calendar) / UNSC In Amber Clad, Location Unknown.
"Contact!" The shout went out bringing the bridge of the In Amber Clad to a dead halt.
"Report," Commander Keyes ordered turning from the view port where she had been studying the large asteroid less then two kilometers away.
"Two ships unknown class, they just appeared, closing slowly on our position, I'm trying to narrow the sensor rea… wow."
"Lieutenant report."
"Sorry Commander its just that each of the ships is well over 1500 meters long."
Commander Keyes felt her blood run cold, 1500 meters, as big as a Marathon-class cruiser, three times the size of her damaged frigate.
"Covenant?" she asked dreading the answer
"Negative ma'am," Cortana answered as she appeared. "I have compared the vessel to all known Covenant ships, the basic design doesn't even come close, here look." Cortana said as she vanished from the holo pad being replaced by an incomplete 3D image of the unknown ships.
Commander Keyes leaned forward in her chair studying the vessels, they were defiantly not Covenant in fact they looked almost Human. Two large pods with what looked like hanger doors were attached to the vessels main body, possibly indicting that it was some form of carrier.
"Commander the lead vessel is broadcasting but not on any standard frequencies."
"Cortana," Keyes said.
"One moment ma'am," Cortana replied. "That can't be right."
"What is it?"
"The transmission is in a bastardize version of Greek."
"Greek?" Keyes eyebrows rose in surprise, "are you sure."
"Positive," Cortana replied.
Miranda Keyes fell back heavily into her chair not sure what to think. Here they where in the depths of uncharted space encountering two ships of alien design that apparently spoke in a now dead Earth language. What the Hell.
"Cortana what do they say."
"My language subroutines are having a hard time with their version of Greek but from what I can tell they are identifying themselves as the starbattle or battlestar Cerberus. They say they are from the… Twelve Lands of Kobol. Ma'am with your permission I wish to make contact. If I can get them to say more I can refine my translation programs."
"Very well Cortana… but keep it simple," Keyes added as an afterthought.
Battlestar Cerberus
"Repeat. This is the Battlestar Cerberus of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol to unknown vessel. Identify yourselves immediately. Repeat. This is the Battlestar Cerberus…"
"Anything?"
"Negative Commander," Colonel Strong replied. "Should we launch Vipers, maybe that will make them more talkative."
"Negative Colonel. So far they have done nothing hostile and if its just some lost civilian ship we don't want to cause an incident. We have enough problems wi…"
"I've got something."
"Let's hear it," Commander Sinclair ordered.
Almost immediately a female's voice crackled out of the CIC speakers.
"To craft Cerberus this is Clad in Amber."
"Clad in Amber," Colonel Strong muttered. "What the hell kind of name is that. And what's with the accent."
"No idea but their speaking Colonial standard… kind of." Commander Sinclair replied as he picked up the black handset from its secure holster next to the DRADIS display. "Clad in Amber from what colony do you hail?"
"Starbattle Cerberus from Colonials not, hail from Earth."
A pin could be heard dropping in the CIC of the Cerberus.
"The Lost Tribe," Colonel said flabbergasted, "Imposable! It's a myth."
"Maybe not," the Commander muttered. "Clad in Amber to whom am I speaking?"
"Cortana."
"Do you have a rank?"
"No AI resident of Clad in Amber."
"AI?" The Commander asked.
A moment in time passed and then, "Intelligence Artificial."
… Intelligence Artificial …
… Artificial Intelligence…
…Cylon!…
Commander Sinclair slammed the handset into its holder. "LAUNCH FIGHTERS!"
1358 hours, November 7, 2552 (Military Calendar) / UNSC In Amber Clad, Location Unknown.
"Transmission terminated."
"Cortana what happened?" Keyes asked.
"Not sure, everything was going find and… both ships are launching fighters and picking up speed."
"What," Commanded Keyes yelled looking over at the tactical map, watching horrified as the two large red dots representing the closing capital ships became surrounded by over three hundred smaller red dots.
There was simply no way in Commander Keyes mind that her ship could survive such an overwhelming force. Her only hope was to hold out long enough to get the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight drive back online. But it seemed unlikely that these aliens were going to give her the time. "Cortana how long till we can enter slipspace?"
"Twenty minutes."
Not good. She needed to buy time but how, she couldn't hope to outrun them and there was no place in the system to hide… or was there. The asteroid.
"Cortana get us behind the asteroid."
"Ma'am positioning the vessel behind the asteroid will inhibit our ability to maintain watch over those ships. Permission to drop our remaining Clarion spy drone."
"Granted," Keyes replied already feeling herself being pushed into her chair by the more then one million pounds of thrust the frigates engines were generating.
Before the vessel disappeared from sight of the two approaching Battlestars a small metallic hatch opened and released the vessels only remaining Clarion spy drone.
Through the Clarion spy drone Cortana was able to relay real time updates on the course and position of the incoming warships.
Commander Keyes studied the projected course lines, if they maintained their current heading and speed they would pass the asteroid in a little over fifteen minutes on opposing sides, making it imposable for the frigate to keep the asteroid between them. She then noticed something else about their course, it brought them ridiculously close to the asteroid and each other. (Unknown to the commander of the In Amber Clad the reason for this was that Battlestars became more deadly the closer to the enemy they came)
No doubt the enemy ship commanders hope to catch her small ship in a crossfire, but in their haste, Keyes realized, they made a mistake. "Cortana I have an idea."
1408 hours, November 7, 2552 (Military Calendar) / UNSC In Amber Clad, Location Unknown.
"Ma'am several groups of fighters have broken off from the main group and speeding towards our position, contact sixty seconds."
"Understood Cortana." Keyes replied, "Helm come to heading zero nine zero, declination zero zero zero maximum thrust," Keyes ordered. "Ready the point defense guns, arm archer pods u and v, and get a firing solution, Cortana ready the nuke.
"Aye ma'am," several people and one AI said at once.
Its position about to be compromised the frigate abandoned the safety of the asteroids shadow and blasted off into space directly away from the incoming battlestars.
Four squadrons of colonial Vipers, 20 fighters apiece, and six Raptors blew past the asteroid and dove headlong towards the retreating frigate.
"Do we have a firing solution?" Keyes asked.
"Yes Commander," the weapons office replied.
"Then fire."
Sixty archer missiles erupted from the In Amber Clad. The fighters changed their course to avoid to incoming salvo but the sophisticated guidance system easily maintained lock and in matter of seconds 38 vipers and 2 Raptors were violently destroyed. Angered by the lose of their fellow pilots the remaining Raptors and Vipers descended upon the frigate.
The three rear point defense guns controlled by Cortana herself unleashed a hellish hailstorm of bullets on the incoming fighters. Her pinpoint accuracy shredded several of the incoming Vipers with ease.
One of the incoming Raptors fired off six of its anti-ship missiles.
Seeing the danger posed by the missiles the point defense guns swiveled away from the attacking fighters and focused on the incoming missiles. They were only partially successful, five of the missiles died on route but the sixth managed to get through the hailstorm of bullets and reduced one of the Clad's point defense guns to molten slag.
Cortana, one gun down, immediately refocused her two remaining rail guns on the larger threat, namely the enemy bombers. 50mm rounds tore their way through two of the enemy bombers including the one that had fired it's missiles. Realizing the danger they where in the bombers dived away from the frigate only to run headlong into a wall of lead. As the last of the Raptors died the remaining Vipers broke and ran.
"Ma'am the fighters have been dealt with."
"Good work Cortana status of the Shaw-Fujikawa Translig…ugg." Commander Keyes was thrown violently forward, the chairs restraints painfully restricting her midsection. "Report!"
"Capital ships have opened fire, port engine has been damaged and we are venting atmosphere in several sections."
"Cortana! Do it."
The two battlestars passing by the asteroid fired full salvos as soon as the frigate came in sight, however in their haste they failed to notice a crashed ship on the asteroids surface.
The two battlestars became eclipsed by a blinding flash of white light as the eighty megaton Shiva nuclear warhead detonated vaporizing the C709 Longsword fighter and sending a massive wave of raw energy washing over the two battlestars.
"Cortana Report."
"The warships are still intact but they have stopped firing and moving. We also managed to take out most of their fighters."
"Good," Keyes sighed. "What of the Translight drive?"
"The drive restart is finished and I am not reading any abnormal readings."
"Then gets us the hell out of here."
The In Amber Clad slowly slid its way into the dark realm of slipspace leaving behind the impromptu battle field and new enemy behind.
It would be some time before the battlestars restored power to their vessels and return to the colonies. When they did cries for the dead would erupt but they would be quickly drowned out by other cries. Cries for vengeance.
Fleets gather, armies assemble, and the galaxy takes one more step closer to the End of Days.