Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your feedback and all of your reviews are really helpful. Please feel free to point out any plot inconsistency or plot holes. Major grammar issues will also be noted.
A thank you to Darksoul2142 for editing my pieces.
Forerunner Naval Assets
Fortress Class: 100 KM Forerunner warship. Capable of obliterating entire planets and launching multiple attack ships of various class.
Dreadnought: 10 KM Forerunner warship. Backbone of Forerunner military in space.
Harrier Class: Fast Attack Forerunner warship. They are relative small in Forerunner standards but maintains a cruiser standard in Citadel standards.
Carriers: Forerunner Warships that are capable of launching 700 fighters.
Forerunner Naval Assets
Fortress Class: 100 KM Forerunner warship. Capable of obliterating entire planets and launching multiple attack ships of various class.
Dreadnought: 10 KM Forerunner warship. Backbone of Forerunner military in space.
Harrier Class: Fast Attack Forerunner warship. They are relative small in Forerunner standards but maintains a cruiser standard in Citadel standards.
Carriers: Forerunner Warships that are capable of launching 700 fighters.
Encounter
"Offensive Bias, I want you to triangulate this so called Harbinger now." The Didact demanded.
"... It is done. Triangulation complete and we have located Harbinger now. It is currently 1 light year away from our position."
"Very well, Council of Ecumene, this so called Harbinger has just declared hostility upon us. For the safety of the Forerunners, I request immediate Emergency powers be granted upon me."
"Perhaps we can still utilize diplomatic resolutions… this doesn't have to end in bloodshed." The Life Workers were known to for peace and diplomacy. Being the head of the Life shapers, Chant to Green was always on the forefront to argue for peaceful contact with other species.
"Can't you see Chant to Green? We are facing a million different vessels with unknown power. They want to "harvest" us. We don't have time for any diplomatic solutions. For I am the commander of the Warrior-Servant, and the survival of the Forerunners is our primary and only objective."
"Aye!" The Council burst to demonstrate their support for the Didact. (Frankly you have used this line a lot in the previous chapter so I think you should cut straight to the paragraph below as this line, no offense is redundant given the following paragraph.)
"The Council has made its decision, for the survival of the Forerunners, the Ecumene Council grants the Didact emergency power to command all Forerunner vessels."
"Thank you Council, for now I request all of you to take shelter in your ships."
All the Council members then activated their slip space teleport system and teleported to their own respective ship.
"Offensive Bias I want all civilian ships to cloak and disengage, have all Fortress class vessels cloak and form a shield around the civilian ships as well." The voice of the Didact echoed in the quiet Council Chambers. The voice of experience and knowledge commanded the remaining Forerunner fleet.
"It will be done."
"Offensive Bias, have the Dreadnoughts get into Delta formation, and get all the Harriers to cloak and form a protective sphere around the Dreadnoughts. Tell the carriers to cloak and stay behind the Dreadnoughts, and do not release the fighters yet."
"It is done Didact."
"Offensive Bias you will take control of the civilian and Fortress ships. If the enemy overwhelms us, then disengage and flee. This is your last command."
"It's been an honour Didact."
With a single gesture, the Iso-Didact teleported himself back to the bridge of his planet breaker, Guilt of Consequences. The upcoming battle would determine the survival of his species. Didact could feel the burden of responsibility on his shoulders, but his millennium of warfare experience allowed him to concentrate even under such pressure. Didact looked over to his monitor and watched the movement of the fleet.
The Forerunner fleets are divided into civilian ships and military vessels. The fleet consists of 30 different ships of the Builders, Miners, Life Workers and Council members, escorted by 4 Fortress class, 2 Carriers, 28 Dreadnoughts and 30 Harriers and the Didact's personal flagship. These were the remains of the once mighty Forerunner navy, old but still functional at optimum efficiency, just like all Forerunner equipment.
Suddenly, the First Officer of the Guilt of Consequences, Endurance of Eternal Stars, broke the silence on the bridge.
"Didact, we have multiple readings on our Epsilon Sector. Contacts of roughly 200 unknown enemy vessels. 150 enemy vessels are just 160 meters long and 50 vessels are 2000 meters long. They are currently 5000 kilometres away from our position, and are travelling in pincer formation Sir."
"Very well, let them think that they can encircle us. Have the dreadnoughts move into Hex formation and fire at their capital ships. I want all Capital ships to be eliminated, and ignore the smaller vessels for now. Hex formation Alpha and Beta fire at left pincer, and Hex formation Gamma and Delta fire at the right pincer. All Harriers are to be maintaining their cloak."
"Understood Didact, it will be done."
Dreadnoughts are the backbone of the Forerunner military, they are versatile and hold tremendous firepower. The 28 Dreadnoughts broke their original Delta formation split to four groups. This tactic was simple, have six Dreadnoughts form a Honeycomb in space and have one Dreadnought in the middle. Then all six Dreadnoughts would have their energy diverted to the Dreadnought in the middle, and the combined power of seven dreadnoughts would then release a concentrated energy beam. It is one of the most devastating attacks ever created during the Flood War, and it remains as the most effective long range weapon for the Forerunner military.
Each Dreadnought was in its battle group formation and powered up its energy weapons. Then suddenly, a concentrated beam of pure energy sliced through the empty vacuum of space. The bright blue beam instantly decimated three Reaper capital ships in one shot. It was a clean cut and the once mighty Reaper capital ships were sliced like butter by a hot knife. Some Reaper ships had their Element Zero core completed cut by the energy weapon, and the core itself exploded in a brilliant fireball of red. Then, the rest of the Forerunner battle groups fired as well.
The Reaper formations didn't even had the time to respond to this kind of attack. Millions of years of harvest served no protection against directed energy weapons. Harbinger had underestimated the power of these organics, and his fellow Reapers would pay for his mistake.
"Didact, all ships confirmed kills. Scan indicates that these Reapers have only primitive Kinetic Barriers. Total kills count 13 enemy Capital ships sir."
"Very well, have all Dreadnoughts to hold their position and continue their fire."
"Didact, enemy ships are closing to our position. Currently their lead ships are only 3000 kilometres from our position."
"Continue fire; remind me when they are in the range of 1000 kilometres."
"Yes sir."
The Dreadnoughts continue their concentrated barrage, and each shot decimating a minimum of two Reapers Capital ships. The capital ship's evasive manoeuvres prove to be in vain, as the Forerunner barrage proves to be just too fast to be dodged. One after one, the Sovereign-Class Reaper capital ships were obliterated by the blue beam of death. Never before had the Reapers encountered such a powerful adversary. Through all the cycles of harvest, the Reapers had always outclassed the organics in power, range and defence. However, now the Organics were able to destroy the majority of the Reaper capital ships from an incomprehensible range. This situation caused the Reapers what they did not feel in eons, fear.
Suddenly, the Reapers changed their tactics. Instead of trying to encircle the Forerunner forces, all Reaper Destroyer performed a FTL jump in an attempt to overwhelm the available 28 dreadnoughts. This plan would have worked if there were only 28 Dreadnoughts that the Reapers were able to locate.
"Didact, we have all enemy vessels entering some kind of faster than light travel."
"Very well, they want to attempt to overwhelm our dreadnought. Fear not. All Dreadnoughts perform emergency slipspace jump and enter closer quarter range with the remaining Reaper capital ships."
"It is done Didact."
"Good, now have all Carriers release its fighter and have all Harriers disengage cloak. We will crush these Reapers to nothing but dust."
"Understood." Endurance relayed to the Didact.
The Reaper Capital ships believed that the Forerunner fleet is already finished. 150 Destroyers is overwhelming fire power to all the previous Organic races, and the Destroyers can surely take down these 28 Forerunner Capital ships. However, to the Reaper's surprise, once their Destroyers entered FTL, a strange blue disc formed in front of the Forerunner ships, and suddenly the Forerunner ships were no more. The Reapers capital ships were still analyzing the situation before suddenly the 28 Dreadnoughts reappear right in front of the Reapers. One of the Dreadnoughts even rammed a Reaper capital ship, and the Reaper is immediately shattered to multiple pieces.
"Didact all emergency slipspace transitions are complete. Scan indicates just 11 enemy capital ships remain."
"Very well old friend have our Dreadnoughts fire at will. Eliminate these abominations."
"Yes Didact"
"Have the remaining enemy vessels arrived yet?"
"...Hostile contacts reappearing. 150 enemy vessels sir converging on the Guilt of Consequences."
"I want all Harriers and fighters fire at an elevated angle. I want our Harriers and fighters to encircle the enemy vessels and suppress them with all of their firepower. Endurance of Eternal Suns, fire all particle cannons and move away from friendly fire."
"Already done Didact."
While the Reaper capital ships were being decimated by the Forerunner Dreadnoughts, the Destroyers fared no better luck. Once coming out of FTL, the intended Forerunner Dreadnoughts had moved to the other side. Instead, the Destroyers were faced with 1 Dreadnought, 30 cruiser and hundreds of fighters. The Destroyers halted for a second to calculate the situation, and that one second proved to be fatal.
In synchronised action, all of the Forerunner vessels fired their weapons. Hundreds of blue beams smashed the Reaper formation like a hail of meteors. The direct energy weapons deployed by the Forerunner military completely bypass the kinetic barriers of the Reapers. Each shot of energy pierced through the hull of each Reaper destroyer. Element Zero core overload, hull structure failure, and overall hull disintegration occurred across the reaper fleet. The Reaper ships fought back in an attempt to turn the tide, only to find their Magneto hydrodynamic cannons to be absorbed by unknown blue shields.
"Didact, we've suppressed the enemy vessels. We are firing from all angles."
"Very well. Endurance, do you have any analysis on our enemy's weapons?"
"Yes Didact, these Reapers utilize Magneto hydrodynamic weapons. Our fighter's shields were only able to withstand these hits once, but our larger vessels are capable of taking multiple hits. We've been hit by multiple Reapers, and our shield strength only dropped by 2 percent."
"Very well old friend, contact Offensive Bias."
"Yes Didact."
"Offensive Bias, do you read me?"
"Didact, your tactical prowess is supreme. I estimate that all enemy vessels will be eliminated in the next 3 minutes, with us only taking minor casualties. "
"Offensive Bias I want you to analyze these Reapers. Their propulsion, faster than light drive and anything that poses a threat to the Forerunners. We may have defeated this task force, but there are still millions of Reapers out there. A tactical victory serves almost no weight for a war."
"It will be done."
The Didact looked out at the monitor of his ship. The Reaper vessels were being gutted by single shots. The threat of these Reapers would be no more, but what concerned him was still what was out there. Millions of Reaper still out there…
"Didact the battle is over. All Reaper vessels have been eliminated and we suffered minor casualties. To be exact we lost only 25 fighters. Congratulations Didact." The words of Endurance of Eternal Stars interrupted Didact's thoughts.
"Very well Endurance, let us join the Council."
"Very well Didact."
"Wait… have all ships cloak, we don't want more vessels to engage us, not for now."
"It is done Didact."
Suddenly Offensive Bias's hologram appeared before the Iso-Didact. "Didact, I've detected a vessel in approximately 1 light years away."
"Another Reaper?"
"No Didact, it doesn't seem to match the design of the Reapers. Scans indicates a more streamlined vessel. I've detected organic life forms on that vessel, it's owners are still currently unknown."
"Continue scanning Offensive Bias, Endurance?"
"Yes Didact."
"Have all ships cloaked except for mine. The Guilt of Consequences will deal with this new vessel."
"Yes Did-."
"Didact, this can be most troubling." Suddenly Offensive Bias's hologram turned into the Glyph of Reclamation. "Didact, I've detected human presence on the vessel."
Humans…. The Didact's first thought is that some of the ancient humanity must of escaped from the wrath of the Forerunners and travelled through intergalactic space. If these are the foes that the Forerunners had faced… the Didact cannot even imagine the possibilities. .
"Does it match with our ancient humanity's profiles?"
"No Didact, this vessel does not have any slipspace drive cores, and they give off some similar unusual gravitational readings that the Reapers were giving."
'Then perhaps these are indeed different humans.' This thought made the Didact to believe his Precursor theory to become more and more accurate.
"Very well Offensive Bias, Endurance I want you to prepare a recording, for I will sent a message to the humans."
"Very well Didact."
As the Iso-Didact walks in front of the recording device, he experienced a flashback when he last met Forthencho. Forthencho, the Lord of Admirals of Humanity, was the Didact's greatest and finest opponent. Their last encounter is still vivid in the Didact's memory, "I believe, that humans will not end here, but may rise again—fight again. Humans are always warriors." Human are always warriors… if only the Forerunner ever had the honour and chance to fight alongside with Humanity.
"Humans, we are Forerunners, and my name is Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting, commander of the Forerunner military. It seems that this galaxy faces the threat of this Reaper, and so do we. I hope that we can come together as allies during the time of crisis."
"The message is sent Didact." The deep voice of Endurance of Eternal Stars echoes in the bridge of Guilt of Consequences.
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