Chapter 1: Shoving Off

UNSC Superarrier Indomitable

In Station in Orbital Post Beta 12 over Mobius

Three Hours Earlier

Opening…

Soldier's Log

Identification: 0979-07820-CV

Name: Captain C. Vennettilli

/Begin Entry/

Ah, the sweet smell of Titanium-A battle plate after almost a week of recovery. My skin seems to have fully healed itself after that little bullet wound. I have to say it was no picnic getting the bullet removed. But now that's over and done with I can relax, at least until Major Everly makes me refuel and shine all of the C710 Longswords until he sees his face in them. Some days, it pays to be dead. Anyway, I'm back in space and we're gonna see some action. Before I came back, the guys were just kicking the Terrans off of Mobius, now, with our new comrade Logan, we can concentrate on liberating Earth which is a Terran cesspool by now. One of the things I'm going to miss about Mobius is Sally. Shame. I have to say that something might be coming from this relationship. I had to look at her and say goodbye. I promised I'd be back, let's hope I live up to my promise. I emphasize on the 'live' part.

/End Entry/

Captain Chris Vennettilli stood inside his bunk staring out the window. The planet Mobius hung in space as a sapphire blue orb. Even from near the moon, the marine could see the many fires flickering over its surface. After the Terran invasion, the captain thought that the planet could never truly recover again. But the planet was free. And monarchy was once again the government the people desired. Chris decided to sit down on his bunk and turn on the television set. The human flipped the power switch. An electric field activated and a holo-screen stretched from one post to the other. A television screen appeared and GNN was on. The news reporter was talking. "Well, Jack, we're in Paris right now and there seems to be a lot of action going on." The reporter had a ballistic helmet on to protect him from shrapnel. "What's the situation in terms of casualties?" Jack asked the on-site reporter. "Well, General Kits of the Marine Corps has assured us that the ratio of Terran soldiers taken down for every UNSC trooper is almost 10:1. Which are very good odds." Behind them, an explosion lit up and made a Warthog spin away from the camera at tremendous speed. "Well, at present time, the commanding officers haven't released any strategies on how to take back the city but in due time, they'll think of something. GNN's Charlie Daniels, back to you, Jack." Chris shut off the TV. The plasma band dissipated and he thought: I need to get back there. They need me Earth needs me. Just then a group of marines walked through the door. "…So anyway, I tell the guy, yes you can pick up chicks in a tank and… Hey, the Cap's back!" Carl Santorini said. "Nice to see you boys again." Chris said smiling at his troopers. "Nice to see you made a good recovery." Lance McGregor, Support Unit said. Chaz Sullivan merely smiled and said to the black marine next to him, "We knew he was gonna pull through, right Sarge?" The sergeant, who smiled said, "Boy's got more spunk than my entire whole unit put together!" Chris smiled and said, "I just want to thank everyone for giving me such a warm welcome." As if delivering a speech. "And it would give me no greater pleasure, than to go down there with you guys and personally kick them off our rock!" the marines roared enthusiastically at this; just what he wanted.

Up at the bridge of the ship, Admiral Gerome Andsworth sat himself down in the command chair of his beloved ship. He snuggled in as the added convenience "seat warmers" turned on. Lieutenant Velo asked "Orders sir?" Andsworth nodded. "Steady as she goes, Jack." He turned to his female bridge officer Lieutenant Sue Braden, a fox-human hybrid. Lieutenant Feedin had been promoted to Commander after the Battle over Earth and had been granted her own brand-new vessel the UNSC Dominic, a destroyer. Andsworth witnessed the bottle breaking ceremony himself. "How's our gun status, Sue?" he asked. "Magnetic coils at 110 sir and we have a total inventory of Archer missiles. Guns say that the shot locker is filled to the top." Andsworth admired old Earth navel sea names for parts of a ship. A shot locker referred to a room where cannonballs were kept. In space, a shot locker referred to the pods where the missiles were kept. The admiral checked with his communications officer, Lieutenant Jaffa. "Any outbound orders?" Jaffa checked his receiver. "Just one, sir. Quoting the RSS Dignity: 'Be careful out there, the Terrans really skewered our ships out there, who's to say they can't do it again.'" Andsworth nodded. Captain DuLand of the Dignity had all the right to make sure that the Indomitable's crew wasn't sent back in body bags. She was after all, the first Mobian to make contact with the humans after hundred of years of severed contact.

The mighty Indomitable coasted silently in the near vacuum of space almost eerily. Her olive drab hull illuminated only by spotlights positioned around her hull and by the sunlight of the Mobian system's star. The Jumpgate that connected the human universe from the Mobian's was only about a kilometer away. Andswoth eyeballed the device.

He always had a fear of Slipspace flight, ever since his high school trip to the ruins of Maleficent V, the sight where the humans fought against renegade robots. The planet cracked in two when a whole stockpile of NOVA bombs went off on the plant's surface. The humans escaped, barely. "Sir, we are half a click from the Jumpgate, sir." Velo told his superior. "We are go on the universal transfer." Andsworth nodded. "Ease her in, Jack." The naval officer told the Lieutenant. The Indomitable's prow grazed the film of matter that hung like a web of unexplained stuff. The gate was powered by energy siphoned off of the legendary Chaos Emeralds of Mobius. Such matter was hard to maintain, but, with the human's brains and the Mobian's funding, a second gate was created to connect the two separated Verses. The supercarrier's bridge submerged itself in the matter, followed by its stern. As soon as the entire ship was through, the human vessel shot forward at incredible speed, coasting at hundreds of light years a second, across space and time… The blinding white tunnel of what Astrophysicists called Anti-Slipspace seemed to stretch on forever. Andsworth sat more comfortably. "How much time until we hit the other side?" Velo checked the math, about 45 minutes sir, give or take 30 seconds or two. "Might as well get comfy." Andsworth told his bridge crew. The junior Lieutenants behind him stretched and even took a nap. Not that the ship needed anyone to pilot it for a while. "How about some music. Velo, lets try 21st century, any band you like." Andsworth was in a good mood. As the upbeat music of Crush 40 sounded through the bridge speakers, Andsworth got all the more comfier. Only three quarter hours of heaven left to go.

Almost a klick aft, Captain Vennettilli sat down in the mess hall and started thinking on what to order. "I don't know, guys. I think that the chef's special might be a trap. Those guys on KP couldn't cook anything if their lives depended on it." Carl took his plate full of chicken. "Speak for yourself. I once was curious and got something that resembled halfway through a bass and meatloaf. I was sick for weeks." Lance snickered. "I thought I heard retching coming from the bathroom." Carl tossed a chicken wing at Lance hard. It hit him square on the nose. "What the hell was that for?" he complained rubbing it. "Great now my nose is greasy!" Carl heaved another one in his hand as if it were a javelin. "That's not all I'm gonna grease if you don't shut up!" Chris chose this moment to step in. "Hey, HEY!" he said angrily, his seniority as an officer kicking in. "If you guys are so willing to fight, I would toss you both into a ring and would arm you to the teeth, then whoever's left, I'm beating myself!" both of the underlings looked terrified. Chris suddenly slinked back. "I'm sorry, guys. I just need some coffee. I haven't been myself lately." Suddenly, a Styrofoam cup landed in front of him, light brown coffee dripped down the side. "Thanks, whoever did that." Chaz smiled. "Welcome, Cap." Chris shook his head. "Are you trying to kiss my ass? That won't get you a promotion."

Chaz smiled again. "No problemo el capitan. I never was one for promotions." He sat down and took a sip of his own coffee. "Where's Sarge and the new guy?" Chris shrugged. "Anywhere I guess. He said that he was going to show him the ropes, but I know a guy's night out when I see one." Carl decided to change the subject. "Do we have a plan when we get back to Earth, which I imagine will be a Terran hive world." Chris actually paused at that point. "Actually now that I think of it, no. However, in military history, there comes plenty of times when plans are thought up on extremely short notice. We must be back in our own universe now. The TV's working." And sure enough, the GNN news network flashed online. "And recent events have unfurled in the European country of Soleana, war has sparked between the civilians and invaders. "Soleana. That name sounds familiar. You ever hear of a place called Soleana?" he asked his squad. "Yeah." Lance said. "My parents brought me there for summer vacation when I was 13. Small island in the Mediterranian. Beutiful city, beutiful people." "Except now the news says they're at war." Carl noted. "I wonder who they're fighting?" Chris entered. "I hope it's the Terrans. We could use a hand now and then. Anyone can join in." Chaz scoffed. "Except the Canadians." Chris said. "Hey, nothing wrong with the Canadians. Sure they worship hockey and what's up with "Eh?" but, they make good beer and thier army isn't so bad." Carl said "Sir, look. Thier military consists of two rowboats and a drum battalion, maybe a few paper airplanes..." Chaz interrupted. "Shh, smething's going on." Chris looked and saw Sgt. Remus Stacker's platoon watching the nearest screen. "What the hell are those?" Stacker asked his Corporal, Rogers. "Looks like robots, sir." Stacker looked at Rogers. "I knew that, dumbass, but who's?" Chris looked at the screen, Soleana military forces seemed to be holding off what Chris suspected to be robotic supersoldiers. Strange that these robots were unfamiliar. "Oh my God, I don't believe it." Chris said in a half amazed, half annoyed voice. A streamlined oragne and yellow cruiser hovered above the city. Just then, an obese man climbed on top of a balcony. "Charlie we've now believed that this man is the cause of the insurrection. Galaxy-wide know criminal Dr Ivo Robotnik aka Dr. Eggman." Chris heard the countless groans of marines as they heard the doctot's name. Captain Kanow from the 107th Helljumper Division even tossed a tomato at the screen. "Didn't we already get enough of him?" Carl took a sip of his drink. "Apparently, fat boy doesn't know where to quit." Chris pointed to the screen. "Check out what's happening now." Just as the doctor made a request for Princess Elise of Soleana's necklace which he claimed had a Sol Emeralds in it ("Definatly an Emerald" Chris said.) one of his robots had his face punched in and fell backwards. "Whoa!" Carl said. Suddenly, a robot split in half and another exploded altogether. Suddenly, a streak went across the camera. Neon blue. "All right!" Lance said. One robot was knocked off its feet and the blue streak stopped over it. There stood the world famous Sonic the Hedgehog. One robot was befind him, he punched its eye and then, with a little push of his foot, knocked the robot off of the balcony, splashing into the water. The marines cheered as thier furry friend achieved vctory. Chris noticd something. "Wait, if Sonic is in Soleana, where's Tails?" Lance shrugged. "Dunno. Last time we heard from them they were in New Mombassa, East African Protectarate. Sending out a mayday signal." Chris considered it, "He still might be there. We have to hurry. As soon as this tub exits Slipspace." Chaz drained his coffee. "Sure thing, Cap"