Welcome!
This is a relay story between me and Fuhrer, the writer of Covenant Empire.
This is the story of the future of our empires, who gets to clash.
These futures are 'possible' futures for each of our empires, and our original stories may take different paths. However, this will allow glimps of the future of our empires.
Replies to Reviews/Comments:
Halikaon085: Thanks! And maybe you can vote for who wins! Fuhrer got a poll going, and I think I do too, but I cannot be certain... lol...
Morgomir: Thanks!!!
tamahome8: NICE! Just keep reading and it will be fun!...
Special thanks to Fuhrer, my co-writer, who has began a poll on who wins this epic story...
Chapter 4
With the rest of the Vanguard Fleet still escorting the various Colonization fleets, military and civilian convoys, only the Vanguard Heart, the core of the Vanguard Fleet, could speed its way directly to assist Stormcrow, with the rest of the fleet requiring some time to reroute their headings. However, the Vanguard Heart Fleet, led by the Commodore himself, had immediately headed to reinforce the Stormcrow. Crusading Angel class battleship Righteous Wrath XXXIV, which was the flagship of the Vanguard Fleet of the Imperial Grand Fleet 43-095, was classified as a battleship, which begins from Light Heavy Ship. In fact, it was one of the smallest among its size-classification. Mere 12km in length, 4km in width and 2km in height, the Crusading Angel H-A4 class battleship was one of the newer models on the line, built no more than twenty years before. It was a lighter battleship built to inflict many lighter damages over a relatively long period of time using its superior manoeuvrability.
Powered by five Mark 6 ZPM-5s with backup of three Mark 6 ZPM-4s, the ship featured 5 layers of shielding, and an array of powerful propulsion engines. Like the rest of the Imperium's warships, this battleship had a lot of weapons, far more than even the ships of Imperium of Man, whose ships were infamous for their overwhelmingly numerous weapons. Unlike the light class ships or the medium class ships, the Ori/Alesian beam weapons and Asgard Plasma Beams were not used as the heavy weapons aboard the heavier class ships. In fact, the two weapons were considered light weapons aboard these bigger ships. Of the three main weapons aboard the Crusading Angel class battleship, the primary weapon was the five turrets of three-barrel Trans-phasic Singularity Pulse cannons. Capable of forward arc with margin of 45 degrees to each side of the ship, these turrets fired bolts of energy-field contained miniature singularity with trans-phasic variance that can move past frequency based energy shields including multi-phasic or AT-fields. Shields with randomised trans-phasic properties or absolute quantum value, such as the Alteran or Ori based shields, or some of the more powerful magical shields could block the attack.
The problem with the TSP Cannons was in its relatively slow firing rate. With each barrel capable of firing one round per minute, each turret was able to fire three shots every minute, or one shot every 20 seconds. To compensate for this weakness in the primary heavy weapon, the second weapon was a beam weapon. The Disharmonising Plasma Disruptor Beam was a relatively new weapon invented during the middle of the 5th War of Imperiums, to be used against Alesians and their Alteran based shields. It has been updated and upgraded three times during the last two thousand years, and it has become a formidable weapon of great power. Based on reverse harmonics resonance inherent to most energy based shields, the beam fires a disruption wave that disperses most energy shields, and even the physical objects. The damage or the penetration increases upon the duration of the beam and the density of the object or the energy field. This deadly beam in interestingly more powerful against stronger shields rather than weak ones, and stronger against power and strong armours than softer materials. Aboard Crusading Angel class ships, twelve ports of this weapon, with four at the rear arc.
The third heavy weapon was the Hellfire Warhead on torpedoes, missiles or Drones. This was a magical weapon devised shortly before the 1st War of Imperiums by the concerted efforts of the Warlocks of the Burning Legion, Mage Tower of the Alliance and several other dimensions with 'magic'. Developed in preparation against the Chaos Gods of the Warhammer Dimension, the warhead, upon impact, explodes into a cloud of fire that burns even in the vacuum of space. The size of the damage depends on the amount of energy within the ZPM-battery that feeds the magic core with the power. The minimum warhead explodes in a spherical area with a radius of 5km, where the area within the sphere burns in dark purple fire that reaches the temperature of 32,000 degrees Kelvin, which is only 2,000 degrees less than the surface temperature of the hottest stars. Though the fire only burns for an average of three seconds, the damage caused by the heat, magic, pressure, various energy pulses and radiation is enough to wipe out a planet with ease, and even the most powerful of the ships and their shields can suffer grave damages. However, the inefficiency of delivery methods, the nature of magic core being delicate therefore cannot be 'beamed' in, has limited the use of these powerful warheads. Only few are stocked aboard each heavy sized ships, and used as last method, and a single large warhead is installed along with anti-matter Annihilator Bomb as the self-destruct device.
Armed with such weapons, as well as array of nearly 80 Ori beams, 160 APBs, 480 anti-fighter weapons and 40 Helix Penetrator Cannons, 60 Quantum Anti-Matter cluster bombs ports, 120 torpedo/drone launchers and 20 HyperGravity Tractor Beam ports, the Crusading Angel class ship was a formidable ship. Surrounded by ships armed with similar weaponry, the flagship made the Vanguard Fleet extremely potent. Of course, the Vanguard Fleets, while regarded with some respect, was also considered as a light assault fleet, unable to fight off more potent enemies. Indeed, with most of the Imperial fleets, especially when the Main Fleet component fleets like the Core Fleets and Assault Fleets contain dozens of ships of even larger sizes. For example, the Core Fleet of the Main Fleet element of the Imperial Grand Fleet 43-095, is lead by a Heavy Heavy category Honourable Devastator V-A class dreadnought Bane of Foes XXIX, which has the length of 75km, with its escort being the two Medium Heavy category Black Shark H-C class battlecruisers, which has the lengths of 42km.
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As the tension began to rise, the planet below prepared to fight as well. Planetary shields powered up and secondary shields covered each building. The Clones took to their designated shelters and manned the anti-orbit weapons placed all around the compounds. Various towers were manned and the buildings became half submerged into the ground like Tokyo-3 of Evangelion dimension. Giant dual-barrel positron cannons popped up around the compounds, readying to fire their deadly weapons into the sky.
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The five Covenant warships accelerated, and their batteries and drone
launchers warmed as the Archangel began the process of power its two Particle
Weapons. The fighters formed a wall in front of the Fleet, and pushed their
engines to the limit as they strived to match the powerful engines of the
Capital Ships.
Small ships, triangular in shape with two fins sticking out of its sides,
shot out from the large hanger bays of the Archangel and entered Slipstream
space. The Priors within those small ships, each no bigger than 100 meters in
length and half that size in width, the missionary vessels to the other
Dimensional Set.
"Hail vessels of the Galactic Imperium" the Hierarch declared as his
reinforcements neared closer and closer, "The Covenant is kind thought we
can be deadly. Embrace the Covenant and the Final Revelation of the Bible,
embrace God and Lord, and you shall join us in Salvation!"
He paused for dramatic effect: "What say-"
His eyes widened in alarm as one of his Sovereign-class Starships fired a
swarm of Drones at the Imperium Scout Ship. "Ship Master Anthony Perez,"
he roared angrily, tapping into the Federation-Earth's Neural Interface
Implants, "I gave no such order nor did I desire for you to fire!"
~~Holy One! ~~ The Ship Master said, ~~clearly they refuse to embrace
Salvation – they must be punished! I only do what is necessary, holy one, I
believed it was what the Lord desired! ~~
The Hierarch growled.
This…. This was….
He sighed as his reinforcements arrived.
-----
The ship shook as the drones from a Sovereign class ship collided against the powerful shields of Stormcrow. Tom-043 saw through the external 'cameras' of the attack, but was not overly concerned. The immediate transmission from the lead ship to the attacking ship had suggested some sort of miscommunication or disagreement with the command. He was certain that this was attack was the first but not intentional. However, he could not really let it go. He powered up the Ori/Alesian beam weapons and aimed at the Sovereign class ship when a transmission came through from the lead ship.
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~~Heed this Hail, Tom-043 of the Galactic Imperium Scout Ship Stormcrow. This is not aggression. Do not take it as such. What occurred was not on purpose, but mistake as well as failure to obey the words and orders I had given. Do not retaliate, I wish only to speak and bring you upon the path to eternal Salvation, despite your origin as Replicator Humanoid. ~~
Tom sneered as he replied.
~What leader can promise such salvation when disorder within his own ranks is too obvious?~
~~He followed only the Sacred Laws, and he interpreted incorrectly. It is not within his fault, and whilst it is honorable that he obeys the Sacred Laws, it is not honorable that the Ship Master did so crudely. By the Power of God, of my Brother Jesus, he shall be punished, make no mistake. The Covenant does not tolerate disorder, does not allow betrayal of any sort.~~
~Interesting... Your brother is Jesus of Nazareth? Then your 'God' must be Yahweh. My God had captured and destroyed several versions of Yahweh across the dimensions, including some genuine gods. They all fell before my master.~
~~Impudent Replicator! The Lord, my Father, the God of all realms, has no name, he does not have any other but himself! He is the sole God, immortal! To state your... God... your heretical being is... your blasphemy is a curse! Choose your worlds carefully - I have seen the War of the Imperiums, read the records, and my Divine Crusade against the Imperium of Man was simple and easily accomplished compared to your crude invasion. ~~
~Well, I have read your records too, and your Warhammer Dimension didn't have the Alesians. They made all the difference in those wars. Besides, the lengths of the wars were deliberate. As will this war. Your empire shall suffer this war for a ten thousand years before my master is done with you!~
~~Arrogance! These Alesians would not have made a difference! The Covenant is undefeatable, we purged the Saiyans, our Crusade against the Undead of the Marvel Beings is ending, your Galactic Imperium will wither away, and no matter how long it takes! I am the Hierarch, the Prophet of the Lord, even as we speak, my Divine Missionaries go to your set to bring the brainwashed beings that your so called 'God' rules, and when they are finished, when the Imperium shatters when we arrive, and your people join us, it will you who perishes in the torture of infinite years.~~
~Your arrogance blinds your, Hierarch of Covenant. The Imperium is eternal! We have been around far longer than you can imagine, and we have fought, and continue to fight wars beyond your imaginations. Take heed, Hierarch, the God Emperor of the Galactic Imperium is merciful and your people shall eventually serve the Imperium, while you shall be mercifully... be made a Warmaster.~
~~The Son of God serves none!~~
At this point all of their weapons charged up and targeted the Stormcrow.
~~You seem to speak, but you nothing more than a servant. You shall perish in the fires of hell, but I wish to meet your so-called God-Emperor. Perhaps, in time, we can rule our Empires togeather, and end the threat that the Great Enemy, the Keeper of the Void, presents, if he is wise.~~
Tom raised an eyebrow.
~You know of the Void Keeper also? The God Emperor also demands the destruction or the capture of the being. However, it is my master who will ultimately decide your fate.~
~~I am the SECOND SON OF GOD! My power is unlimited. I can manipulate your atoms, travel through dimensions at whim. I accomplished in less than a fraction of the time what took your God-Emperor to do.~~
Tom-043 chuckled.
~Your boasting merely amuses me, Hierarch. You know from what you have gleaned, that you cannot possibly hope to take on the Imperium. However, we 'want' this war, Hierarch. We want perpetual WAR! As it has been for the fifty thousand years, your empire will continue to serve the Imperium long before you are conquered. You have the advantage now, so strike! I wait for it! When you have destroyed my ship and my fleet, then the God Emperor shall bring the war. I tell you, Hierarch, that a Vanguard Heart is coming. You know what that is, since you have gleaned into the basic structure of our fleets. Fight or flee, I care not!~
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~I tell you, Hierarch, that a Vanguard Heart is coming. You know what that is, since you have gleaned into the basic structure of our fleets. Fight or flee, I care not! ~
The Hierarch was shocked – this society grew more barbaric by the moment. What society desired war? The Galactic Imperium was more and more similar to the Imperium of Man, savage and cruel. They strayed from Holy Path, and as such, they were devils and inhuman.
He growled.
He waved his hand and stood up, connecting to the implants of his Ship Masters as they warmed their Plasma Batteries and discharged their weapons. Concentrated beams of high-intensity plasma, four beams per battery, collided with a Journeyman V-E-class Light Cruiser, breaking through its three shield's with ease, boiling and ripping apart its ablative armour, and destroying the one ship. The remaining drones circled the erupting ship and smashed into the next Light Cruiser.
-----
The new ships returned fire the moment as Tom instantly took command and ordered all ships to fire. Loss of a Journeyman was rather significant as it had already taken down many enemy fighters and would have continued to do so. In response to the enemy's attack, the small fleet fired their Ori beams and Asgard Plasma Beams. The powerful shields blocked the attacks but the immensity of the firepower, which was the style of the Imperium to have over-the-top firepower. The Stormcrow shuddered as the Drones and beams struck the shield, first layer hold back the attack with 90% depletion. Rerouting power to the shields and weapons, Tom narrowed his eyes. He knew that his fleet and his ship was not going to last too long. He had to move fast.
-----
"Their shields are strong," he muttered, "as strong as my divine shields. But our faith is strong, we will survive."
He grinned insanely behind his mask as he charged the two Particle Beams at the sides of his ship, and targeted the planet. The Particle Beams were deadly weapons, firing at Light Speed, and able to burn away a world's surface. But even with the power source his flagship possessed, it took a day for it to recharge to full power, and for an enemy and heretical force such as this – he knew he needed to improve his weaponry technology… as well as the defence force in this Pocket Dimension.
He watched as hundreds of thousands of drones swarmed over the Imperium ships, and Plasma crisscrossed the sky. A Sovereign smashed into a Germaine H-A class Anti-Fighter Frigate, overwhelming it's shields and damaging the Frigate, but destroying the Sovereign.
He frowned.
What a waste.
"Show them your will, show them your devotion to the bible!" He roared to his fleet as his Particle Beams charged, "We are strong, we are undefeatable. No enemy has ever defeated the Covenant, and this heretic's shall not defeat us! Burn them, burn those who dare say they killed God."
He glared at the Stormcrow as he unleashed a hail of Phase Missiles. The Missile tubes shuddered as their deadly devices launched out, and vanished in a flash of light several meters from the tubes, hundreds of bright lights flashing. The Imperium ships weaved back and forth as his fighters were decimated, and a Basestar erupted in flames and was burned by the sheer number of weapons on the enemy ships.
A Journeyman took pot shots at his shields, the advanced shielding flaring as they absorbed the hits and drained half of the impact's to power the shielding generator. His eyes trained the Light Cruiser as hundreds of bright lights erupted between the shields and around the ship itself.
Coming out of Slipstream Space, the Phase Missiles detonated between and around and inside the ship. It was a lucky success – he had no doubt that the Imperium, as the Imperium of Man had done, would adapt to prevent this from occurring again. And unlike the Imperium of Man, it would be in seconds, not years as it had taken the Covenant's last Crusade Enemy.
An Assault Carrier shuddered under the massive blows of the enemy weapons, the powerful Ori-type Beam Weapons smashing on the Forerunner shields and breaking them layer by layer… eventually destroying it. He brushed the loss aside, although it did pain him to lose such loyal followers.
These casualties, while severe, could be replaced. The real threat was the six hundred or so blasphemous vessels arriving soon. Only the full force of a Crusade Fleet could match that.
"The Covenant does need a new Crusade," he said to himself, "I can test the loyalty of my people."
He closed his eyes and spoke to his people in the other dimensions and in this Pocket Dimension:
"Warriors of the Covenant," he declared, "The time is at hand to test our faith – the Lord has sent us a new opponent, a new heresy. This Galactic Imperium threatens us with blasphemous words – and as such, I henceforth declare that of this moment, to all vessels and warriors…"
"SO BEGINS A NEW CRUSADE!"
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The Hierarch took his seat in his Gravity Throne, and smiled as he felt the Slipstream Drives disengage, and raised the multi-layered energy shields, and armed the vast arsenal of Drones, Plasma Pulse batteries, Particle Beams, and Phase Missiles. The Archangel possessed a large arsenal of weapons, two million mini-Drones as well as four hundred standard sized drones that were, in reality, thirty drones stuck together to cause massive amounts of damage.
The Archangel had two hundred plasma batteries around its hull, as well as several Particle Beams that fired at the speed of light at its prow. The Phase Missiles were an old technology, but were extremely unique. They weren't particularly strong, but when fired, they travelled through Slipstream space and, unless their opponent could disrupt Slipstream travel. But it took fifty Phase Missiles to equal just half the strength of a Drone weapon…
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Tom-043 knew that his ship was lost. Stormcrow was a good ship but not worth him or the things aboard. He immediately got to work as the ship trembled under enemy fire. He beamed down data modules and stored bug-form replicators, and finally himself. Just before he beamed off, he set Stormcrow to a tracking mode and set it at a collision course with the enemy's flagship, and placed the engines at ramming speed. Of course he did not forget to set the self-destruct to go off at the moment of impact.