Alternate Past: Uncertain Future Mk. II
Chapter 2
Fire for Effect: Hold the Line
"The sounds of Conflict, will shatter the strength of any Peace."
-Unknown
Version 2.11
On the far edge of the newly titled Shanxi system, named after the sole Human-Majority Colony in the system, a massive technological relic had been discovered some time ago. The colony itself had been only establish a few years ago and as most of the resources and value was closer to the star, few felt the need to explore the outer reaches of the system. Until recently that is.
As per standard protocol, any investigations of the relic were treated with the utmost caution, not wanting to accidentally trigger something, no matter what it may be. Despite having similar aesthetics to Forerunner designs, it was most definitely not Forerunner. It had no reaction whatsoever to those confirmed to be of Reclaimer status. The device would have gone ignored for quite possibly years more, if not decades, were it not for the fact that it seemingly activated on its own, and showed up on every sensor scan within the system.
Only recently, after the activation of the artifact, had the UNSC/UEG authorized a more detailed and intrusive inspection of the vessels. Dozens of civilian craft were now approaching the vessel, many of them outfitted with the finest scientific instruments inside and out. Watching over them was the Colonial Defense Force Marathon-Class cruiser; the Right of Way. Currently, the sole military vessel in the entire system, and nearby reinforcements being day away at the least. With the colony so far removed from New Covenant borders, along with any known areas of pirate activity, a stronger defense fleet was seen as excessive.
In the command chair of the Marathon-Class Cruiser sat Captain Tekau Zarais. A relatively new officer, one of the first to come out of the Officer Candidate Schools on Luna after the Human-Covenant War, The Heretic War and the Second Insurrection. "Kalia, watch our approach. Any news from the science teams?"
Next to the armrest/command pillion, the image of a young woman, wearing the highest fashion from 1990s New York that would, and did make heads turn, appeared. "Oh nothing much. Seems there's quite a large energy field emanating from the device. The boys are asking if they can a peek up her skirt." Kalia answered. One of the latest in the generation of Smart-AIs, which were becoming more and more commonplace thanks to the method pioneered by the Doctors Halsey and Denton, the creation of Smart-AIs by the cloning of Human brains and flash coping of memories. Still, they were far less common then their 'dumb' brethren. "So what should I tell them?"
"Let them go, but bring us in closer with them. First sign of trouble we're pulling the eggheads back and quarantining the damn thing." He answered. Looking at the floating relic projected on the screens in front of him, he repressed a shudder. This, 'thing' had an aura around it. Being around it just felt wrong, not only that, the feeling was primal; telling him to just ignore it and go around. "Just tell them to be quick about it. I'm only giving them a few hours today, before we head back. Tell them if they complain, they can just come back again later."
"Message sent and delivered. And not even a peep of protest." Winking at the Captain she added, "I think they like me."
Zarais snorted. "More like they got a nosebleed from the innuendos you probably put in the message. Despite me telling you to stop that." With later generations of Smart-AIs, some of them developed, for lack of a better word, eccentricities. Nothing dangerous that could lead to early rampancy, but little things. Some were actually religious, others more cynical, some optimistic while a few like Kalia developed, a more perverted personality.
"Yes well, you can't deny-" She stopped, her avatar turning her 'head' to look towards the artifact, "What in the world?"
"Kalia, what's going on?"
"The energy from the relic, its reaching out, towards…the ships! Towards us!" She yelled. "The civilian craft are reporting energy surges! Something's going on with their navigational drives! Slipspace drives are being suffering some sort of fluctuations! The energy is arcing towards us!"
Cursing under his breath, the Captain began barking out orders. "Tell the civvies to pull back! Get away from the artifact as fast as possible! Have those small enough to enter our hangars! Helmsman! Full reverse now! I want a fucking planet between us and that relic yesterday!"
The helmsman replied, "Yes sir! Full reverse no-Sir! I've lost control of the engines! Slipspace drive is nonresponsive!"
"I'm getting coordinate data! The system is accepting the feed! I can't read it!" This time it came from navigation.
Kalia spoke, "I'm getting a data burst from the relic. Opening now." A millisecond passed as she opened the compressed data and read its contents. The eyes on her avatar widened as she broadcasted to all ships near the relay, "ALL HANDS! BRACE FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION!" Not a moment after she spoke those words did all the vessels around the Relic were suddenly catapulted into the unknown. In that instant, the inertial dampeners were pushed to their limits as they compensated for the sudden burst as dark energy from the Relay wrapped around the Marathon and the civilian vessels, giving each ship an aura of blue energy, though the Marathon's was shakier than the others, before each ship was catapulted forward at incredible speeds.
In a different system, within relatively close distance to an exact copy of the artifact in the Shanxi system, the civilian craft and the Right of Way decelerated back to normal space.
On the bridge of the Cruiser, the crew were thrown forward though all of them managed to remain at their stations. "Report!"
"Slipspace drive in unresponsive! It's…it's shut down…" The helmsman answered. A quiet murmur rounded throughout the bridge crew. As far as anyone knew, slipspace drive engines, once activated were never meant to be taken apart, and the only way to shut one down was to shut off a ships reactor, and even then the things possessed an internal power source. The things were notoriously difficult to do any sort of work with. Any efforts to shut them down totally were met with either the engineers disappearing or catastrophe. As a result, many slipspace drive engines of decommissioned vessels were shunted into the sun, or put into a hibernation state with high-security lockdown protocols in place.
Across the bridge, others began to report in the statues on their consoles. For the most part, everything was still operational, though there were reports of hull stresses in various sections of the ship. Nothing too concerning, but Zarais had those sections evacuated and sealed off just in case.
"Navigation is still online, showing a surge in coordinate data. Shunting data to empty server and isolating."
"The civilians?'
"Panicked, worried. Wondering what the hell just happened but otherwise fine captain."
"Send out some of our Longswords and Claymores, get them flying closer to the civilian ships. Try to reassure them everything's alright. Now can someone tell me what the hell just happened?"
"That 'relic' is apparently some sort of faster-than-light travel catapult." Kalia answered. "Just before we launched I got a data packet from the device. Apparently it's called a Mass Relay. The information wasn't even in an alien language but it used a pi-baseline for its code. Took me less than a nanosecond to translate it, as those someone made it that way. I got information on how they operate, and more importantly; how to get us home."
"Alright. Send whatever you need to send to the civvies. Use the data to get us back home. Do what you have to."
"Understood sir." With that Kalia's avatar went faded. A short while passed as fighters passed over the civilian ships. Getting ready to travel back through this relay device. 'Least it's all quiet here.' The captain thought to himself. 'That much fortune has given us.
Fate, it seems, was eager to correct that. "Contact! Twenty-six ships! Unknown classification! Two are Cruiser analogues,, another eight frigates analogues and the rest read as corvettes!"
"Shit! You know protocol people! First Contact: Assume Hostilities! Ready Archer Pods, get the AAA Helix Grid up, prep the MACs!" Around him those in charge of the weapons stations, both the primary, secondary and tertiary weapons, their hands were a blur as they passed over their consoles. "Someone tell the civilians to get behind the Way. Our priority are the civilians and getting out of people don't forget that." Since the Human-Covenant War, the primary task of any military commander, when in the presence of civilians was said civilians and their evacuation. "Kalia, have they tried contacting us at all?"
"Negative sir, they're ignoring all hails I-Energy spikes detected! Focus on their bows and 'wings'! They're firing!" On the screen they could see the streaks of light as missiles and projectiles flashed across space towards the Way. Normally, the Right of Way would have been tried to avoid the majority of the shots, letting the others strike against the thick armored hull. A luxury that the smaller civilian ships, leaving the Way with only one course of action.
"All hands brace for impact!" The deck shook from the alien ordinance as it struck the hull. Alarms started blaring on the bridge. "Report!: Zarais yelled out.
"We've got multiple hull-breaches: starboard side! Decompressions in sections on decks: 5, 7, 8, and 10! We've lost one Autocannon emplacement. Several casualties!"
"Some get me a firing solution on those bastards! Archer pods A1 through F3, I want a wide swath across that entire damn battle group! Fire the moment you have the solutions set! All starboard cannons: fire!"
Across the starboard broadside of the refit Marathon-Class cruiser, the covers of the oversized half of the cruiser's oversized Archer Missile Pods, each carrying 60 M58 Archer Missiles each, explosively expelled themselves, revealing their payloads within. Not a moment later, hundreds of missiles roared out, streaking across the void to their targets. Some were struck down but the vast majority made it through, impacting on the shields of the alien ships. Leaving scorch marks in many, deep rents in some, and crippling a few. Even as the missiles were leaving their pods, the half dozen, newly added 105mm Autocannon emplacements opened fire. At over a 1000 rounds a minute, metallic death soon began pounding on the alien warships.
"Some give me a status on the relic. And did our weapons do anything?"
"Sir, enemy ships possess shielding technology! But very weak! Detecting multiple hull breaches from several enemy ships!"
"Sir, both MACs are fully charged! Targeting solutions set for their frigates!"
"Reorient us to target their ships! Turn the ship onto its side, have the civies stay behind us." The Right of Way began to turn, presenting its bow to the alien ships, at the same time, turning so that it's 'side' was now the 'bottom' the civilian vessels diving below to stay out of the line of fire. The moment the alien ships were directly 'in front' of his ships, he yelled: "Open fire!" On his command, the deck shuddered as the two six hundred ton ferric Tungsten rounds streaked forth from the muzzle of the MACs, little more than a golden blur as they hurtled towards their targets.
The first round struck one of the alien frigates, the hyper-velocity round tunneled through the shields as though they weren't there. The kinetic energy rippled through the superstructure of the ship as the round traveled clean through and through. For a moment, the ship had great hole coming outs its 'top' before shattered into thousands of pieces as the kinetic energy overwhelmed it. The round tunneled sliced off one of the 'wings', sending the vessel hurtling through space through momentum, the kinetic energy again shattering a large part of the vessel. The shot itself continued on through the void, disappearing from sight.
The second shot missed by a hair's breadth; an inherent flaw when fire the Marathon's twin MACs in unison.
Still the captain smiled. If this was the worst these new aliens could through at them, then the UNSC, hell the CDF was more than well prepared.
Kalia's avatar reappeared, "All calculations made and relayed to the civilians. Commands sent to the artifact and ready for use."
"Send the civilians through now! Rotate the ship one hundred eighty degrees: present our unmarred broadside to the contacts! The moment the last of the civvies are through, we follow!"
"Sir they're firing again!"
"I don't care! The civilians are our priority! Keep them covered."
"Reporting hull breaches on more decks! Lost one, now three gun emplacements! Captain-" Another officer tried to protest, only to be shut down.
"You heard my orders!"
Kalia's interrupted the Captain, "The last of the civilians are through! Commands have been sent: all hands brace for acceleration!"
Again the crew were thrown forward but this time had better braced themselves for it. By the time they had returned to Shanxi space, the civilian craft were already making way towards the planet. And by the comm. chatter, we're screaming on all frequencies just what had happened.
"Comms! Get me a line to Second Line! I need General Williams on the line."
"Sir, he's hailing us!"
On the holoemitter the image of an aged man, his hair gray with age but still displaying a proud aura of power appeared, "Right of Way, Right of Way. What the hell is going on out there? I've got civilian ships panicking about a 'another Covenant' and 'invading armies'. Just what the hell did you people find?"
"Sir, I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear your voice. We have encountered a new hostile alien race, potentially more. I repeat they are hostile. Their guns don't got much punch but they got the numbers sir. I'm leaking atmosphere, got multiple hull breaches and damn sure that these guys are not far behind."
The General's face didn't pale, nor show any sign of fear. If anything he took on a hardened look. The look of a veteran who had seen too many wars and was ready to jump back in the saddle. General Bertoldo Williams was an old man, old enough to have participated in the later years of the Human-Covenant War. He had his first taste of combat as a Second Lieutenant during the Battle of Reach. And later, made his name during the Battle of Earth. He had the reputation of being able to pull through almost any battle. If not win, at the very least survive. It was still a mystery why a man with his reputation had taken over the local system's primary CDF garrison base. He turned, barking out orders the Captain couldn't hear then the General turned back to the screen.
"Get your ass within the grid Captain. We'll give these bastards a 'Welcome To Shanxi' Gift basket." Williams's had a near feral grin, referring to the orbital defense grid. "I'm ordering the civilians into the bunkers, but's it going to take time. We're sending a message calling for help, but don't expect anything for a while. Mind dropping whatever you extra ordinance you got on that boat of yours my way? I think we're going to need it."
Both the Captain and the General could read the message hidden between the lines. If the worst came to pass, than Shanxi would need every advantage, every defender and every bullet it could get its hands on. "Understood sir." Off screen he made a gesture, signaling others to begin ground drop operations. With that the general's image went away. In the Hangar bay, D79H-TC Pelican were being loaded up with munitions, troopers and a myriad of other supplies. M12 FAV "Warthogs" in multiple variants were being loaded up and prepped for an orbit to atmosphere transfer. M809B Scorpion Main Battle Tanks were being secured , others had weapons pods secured to the underside. Others were being outfitted for gunship roles. The moment they were ready, the dropships took off and began heading towards the planet. Longswords, Broadswords and Claymores were taking off from inside the ship and heading towards the planet.
In geosynchronous orbit above the planet were three Mark III Orbital Defense Platforms: Base Variants. Each carrying the single most powerful projectile weapon known to Humankind: the Mark V 'Super' MAC, or "The Big Stick". It was capable of sending a three thousand tungsten/depleted Uranium round at four percent of the speed of light. As the alien ships began to come out of FTL and return to normal space, the three platforms began to orient themselves: the muzzles of their cannons aimed toward the unknowns. Their barrels flared in silence as they fired their shots. This though, the aliens were prepared. All of the three shots were kill shots, but this time each round only claimed one vessel, a frigate-tonnage, removing the vessel from this plain of existence before continuing into the void. It didn't matter however, the sheer distance between the two groups and the firepower of the Orbital platforms meant that they would strike them all down before they even got close.
Then, it all went wrong. One by one the alien ships were wrapped in a blue aura, not like that of the event horizon of a slipspace portal. Suddenly, they jumped forward. One moment they were by the relic, the next they were directly next to the stations. They were out of the minimum cone of fire for the platforms' main cannon. The point defense autocannons opened fire on the alien warships, but too little too late. The alien guns began to pepper the stations. For all their firepower, for all their armor, the stations were not designed to handle such a barrage as that close range. One by one the stations began to fracture. The once massive monuments to Human ingenuity and firepower turned into so much scrap. Hundreds on the stations died and those who made it to ships and escape pods were soon shot down by the alien ships.
Back on the Way, the Captain had a white knuckle grip on his command chair. "Kalia, engage Cole Protocol. Begin mass evacuation of the ship. All personnel are to report to escape pods and any remaining space worthy vessels and head planetside." Looking towards the AI he added, "That includes you too love." Zarais and Kalia had been a long time working pair: almost 10 years. Despite the captain's young age, he had been working with Kalia since her initial start-up. They had a closeness that bordered romantic, but both knew it could never go beyond close friends. The bridge had already started moving the moment he gave his orders. They knew if they disobeyed, he would just knock them out and dump them in a pod.
After the crew had cleared out, her avatar appeared yet again, this time though, she was dressed more casual. A favor to the captain who enjoyed that over her usually fancy styles. Smiling, she 'looked' towards Zarais. "Together to the end Te." She knew what he was planning, they both did. They couldn't run. The slipspace drive was inoperable. Meaning they couldn't jump to slipspace and retreat. Nor would they have ever considered it. There was no point trying to contact for help. Shanxi already sent out the call, and their long range communications were rendered moot. That left one choice: to go down fighting and by those planetside as much time as they could. "The last of the pods and dropships are away. We're alone."
"Good. Charge up the MACs. Arm whatever Archer Pods we got left. Ready the autocannons."
"MACs are no go. Whatever happened when we made that second trip, the magnetic coils aren't working for some reason."
"Guess that leaves one option then. Ready self-destruct."
There weren't anymore words to say. The bridge stayed silent as the thousand meter vessel charged forward into the heart of the enemy fleet. Archer missiles flared their engines as they left their pods and began impacting the remaining the ships. As the Way came closer, the cruisers began to distance themselves. The Right of Way's autocannons opened fire with a fury unexpected. The guns burning through their ammunition stores until their barrels glowed red hot and still they fired. When the last Archer pod was expended, the last gun turret destroyed. The alien warships had lost five of their corvettes. Their other ships were dead in the water or suffered slight damage but most were still operational. Their helmsman and gunnery crews having successfully dodged and avoided the worst of the damage. The Way was a shadow of its former self. The hull was pocket marketed with so many holes, the plating starting to peel off from the force. Atmosphere was visibly leaking from the ship. Two of the corvettes-tonnage vessels closed in. Intent on claim their prize.
On the bridge, Human and AI shared one last look. And then, for a moment, the Right of Way shined bright as star. The two corvettes that had closed in were vaporized along with the cruiser. The battle above Shanxi was over. The aliens had won this round.
Now it was time for the ground war. And blood will be spilled.
Teaser Ad. for a friend.
Excerpt from Mass Effect: Salvation by EspionageDB7 on Deviantart.
Gordon turned to face the Commander, locking eyes with his. "Commander." He began, with a look of resolve on his face. "It would be my honor, to serve under you." Gordon affirmed, as he extended his hand.
A grin overtook Shepard's expression, as he shook his head. "No, Doctor Freeman." He replied, extending his own hand to shake Gordon's. "It would be MY honor, to serve beside you."
In the blackness of space, and the void of the abyss, two men aboard the SR-2 Normandy, stood face to face, making a pact. Heroes may be but ordinary men, who do extraordinary things, at extraordinary times. But there are heroes, and then there are legends...
What happens when history's greatest hero joins forces with the future's greatest champion?
After Gordon Freeman is allegedly killed by the ruthless Combine Regime, Earth enters into a
new golden age of technological advancement. Until 179 years later, when galactic civilation is
threatened once more. After nearly two centuries, Dr. Gordon Freeman finds himself in the midst
of a strange, new reality. With a past in ruins, and a future in jeopardy, he must join forces
with the inexorable Commander John Shepard, and the entire crew of the SR-2 Normandy,
in order to try and stop the most relentless enemy the galaxy has ever known. An enemy bent on
bringing about the annihilation of life itself...
