Author's Notes: Well, guys, I did it! I delivered this serie's next installment within my personal deadline of 3 weeks! There was a LOT of effort put into this given I tried putting something I've had absolutely no experience in doing. But, this ain't the first time I've tried something new in my story, and no one's yelled at me so far, so I think I'm doing good. Just wanted to thank everyone of you who has reviewed in light of the fact that I've gotten over 150 FUCKING REVIEWS! FUCK YEAH! That special checkpoint in my story is why I made sure to update this earlier than usual, give you guys a special treat (my many thanks). Also, I'm contemplating the whole 'mass-universe' idea. For once, I actually sat down and thought the whole idea's purpose through and through. I'm not going to lie, I had several ideas way back on March that I now look back on and find them to be really shitty. The whole OC races thing is more of something I'd consider putting 3 tops, and none of them are allowed any humanoid/humalien traits. I apologize for this, because I like to believe in consistency, and now I've downright taken a shit on it. That is why I'm putting the whole idea on hold, and I've got a lot of time to contemplate before I make the final decision. Originally, I wanted this 'super-universe' thing because I wanted to write about the 'A-list, dreamteam' that people like to imagine (Master Chief, Shepard, Marcus Fenix, etc.) and now I find it to be an extremely shallow plotline, something I'm sure as hell not doing. As for third-party elements (Staw Wars, Gears of War), I'll be contemplating for a while (I've got a lot of time for it; there's still several more chapters incoming), but I thought it'd be best for you all to know. Without further ado, enjoy.
PART 2- THE GREAT WAR
The Roots of Te
June 5th, 2531: The retaking of Balaho proved successful as the Chieftain Captain Taurus's forces put a stop to all Covenant activity in the world. Though the mission was not done as deftly as it'd been planned due to an unforeseen preparation on the defending force's part, the moral victory proved to move all amongst those fighting in the planet to supersede in the planet-side battle. Of the five hundred ships sent to Balaho on the SA's part, only three hundred and twenty-seven returned in one piece, many needing immediate repairs. Another boost of confidence was given to the soldiers when they learnt of Chieftain Lieutenant Parabus's death, cheering as the one that had been giving the Alliance a hard time through several glassings was dead. This type of motivation was entirely discouraged by the higher ranking Jiralhanae assigned to the operations, Taurus, Bracktanus and Ceretus dictating that the first to insult his name would spend a week in the brig.
June 9th, 2531: The fleet returns to report its victory to those aboard the Unyielding Hierophant, finding out soon after that more fleets had already been assembled in their absence. Learning of how intelligence reports from the SA had led them to find out where the Forerunner fortress world was located, they assigned the ships in the best conditions from the recent warfare under Supreme Commander Thel Vadam's command. Many questioned how this had come to pass, considering that the last news they'd received from the whole state of affairs in the matter was that the Insurrection held the data. No answers were given, instead replaced by orders to head under the experienced Fleet Master's rule along with his second in command, Captain James Cutter of the UNSC. The SPARTANs of Red Team that snuck into Taurus's Bloody Dagger were reassigned to the Spirit of Fire.
September 29th, 2531: Reports of the Separatist Sangheili colony Tertholen suffered a massive raiding along with several other inhabited worlds and satellites in the system arrived to the Unyielding Hierophant. Being one of the more populated economic centers, the few remaining defending fleets took several losses, which led SA leaders to contemplate new forms of defenses. The stroke of bad luck of the Covenant finding several of the colonies whose ships had been sent to Armageddon, the high authorities had their already serious state of paranoia worsen. After several years of trust, UNSC HIGHCOM analyzed the situation and has agreed to share the schematics for Orbital Defense Platforms with the others of the Alliance not pertaining to the Human species. Received with undoubted gratefulness, the Separatist have begun to create the invasion countermeasures on the most important colonies in possession, including the now retaken homeworld Balaho. Talk of sharing AI creation methods with the Separatists has been a subject of much conversation amongst the higher representatives of Humanity, though most are reluctant to share the means for making one of their most valuable war assets. For the meantime, they are satisfied with their sharing of the ODP blueprints with their steady allies.
November 31st, 2531: After requesting Admiral Parangosky's permission, Colonel James Ackerson is set to begin the training of the next SPARTAN generation. Having assigned Chief Mendez, the previous instructor of the SPARTAN IIs, to prepare a next batch of now expendable Super Soldiers, he recruited child volunteers in the best conditions who lost everything in the destruction of their homes. Promising them the revenge they desired, he rounded three hundred children from the ages seven to nine as the candidates of the SPARTAN III program. Amongst his requests, Kurt-051 was selected to help his old mentor in making sure that they would not be taken lightly in battle. The other SPARTAN IIs and Doctor Halsey were forced to swear secrecy in the matter, stating that he was 'MIA' for troop morale. Being the only others who'd know of the Super Soldier's approved disappearance other than the SA's leaders, they were to never mention the actions he was taking a part of.
March 3rd, 2532: Surpassing its seventh year, the war continues, tensions only increasing with the fall of a settlement from either side. SPARTAN Blue Team, grown in size with the addition of the other smaller SPARTAN Team remaining such as Black, have been split up. In trios, the SPARTANs have been scattered in a more defensive stance around Alliance territory with the continuous Covenant pillagings going on. Until the arrival of the other seventeen SPARTANs from the grown Red Team returned, or at least until they were truly marked 'MIA', the remaining members of Blue Team are to take more protective lines of work was a decision agreed by the SA assembly.
June 4th, 2532: The departing fleet of three hundred warships dropped contact since the start of August of the previous year since the start of their journey to Armageddon, not giving the SA leadership any signs of how it went. Most were hunched to believe that the group was far too tenacious to die without so much as a couple of surviving ships that could report to them their triumph or failure. It's likely that the leaders prefer not to dwell on the crude possibilities of what could happen if the fleet was entirely wiped out. Not allowing the sense of fighting to diminish in their troops, they assembled another fleet to take on the next operation that would take out a homeworld. Still not far enough into enemy territory to grasp for worlds like Sanghelios or Dossiac, them also being too well protected for the time being, they chose to make Te their next target. Where taking Balaho was taking a good percentage of the Covenant's cannon fodder and slave work, a large population of Unggoy that the SA managed to get to join them, taking Te would mean depriving the Covenant of their heaviest units. Considering the previous operation's turnout, on this mission both Chieftain Captain Tartarus and Special Operations Commander Rtas Vadum were assigned to carry out the task. While rough spots between the two warriors were very much existent as they were sore, it was agreed that the two would put off any personal grudges for after they completed the assignment.
17:13 – June 5th, 2532 – Unyielding Hierophant
Lydus strolled past the Unyielding Hierophant's halls he'd grown so used to walking through. The odorless atmosphere created by the space station's air conditioners did not block his scent from finding the warriors he'd partially raised and trained. Each one giving off their own unique smell led the centuries-old veteran to find his way around the rooms assigned to the high authorities residing in the thirty kilometer-long headquarters. Coming up to one door and simply placing his hand against the lock, the gate opened in several different sections before him, finding inside his cousin's nephew observing the empty space that resided outside his window. He knew that he was still looking at where his brother's ships had disappeared from a mere day prior. Near him, sitting on the bed was Samallix in her armor's undersuit, not quite as geared up as Lydus preferred to be. Sitting on two separate couches were Bracktanus and Ceretus not as under-geared as Samallix yet not as armored as Lydus. Both in silence contemplated the mission a year prior.
"Mourning Parabus, aren't you?" Lydus asked softly. Taurus did not even turn around, only finding the strength to nod at the fact. The old Jiralhanae sighed, as he nodded at the others of the squad he once lead. The others nodded in return, showing care for their original leader as said veteran walked next to Taurus. Though the hand on his shoulder did not take too much grief away, some condolence was felt from his father-like figure. "I killed him, Lydus. I still remember the moment perfectly. Where he hesitated, I did not, and because of that, a good man died where a monster lived."
"You are many things Taurus, but you are nothing short of unfair to yourself if you can regard yourself in such low standards. A monster you would be if you'd shown no remorse over your actions. This war has driven us all to undesired corners where we've been forced to make terrible choices for the sake of our survivals." The young Captain grunted, not really having the mind to think of a comeback. With the help of his friends, Taurus had maintained his personality and mental wellbeing intact, though the death day of Parabus struck him harder than a hammer to his ribs.
"Forgive yourself, Taurus, it is the only advice I can give. Forgive yourself for if it'd been Parabus who'd lived, he'd have found himself today in a position exact to yours. No grieving will bring him back, this I've learned with the death of countless brothers in steel, so live for the warriors in this room. Your warriors. It is the only way to cope with the weight of your actions." Finally, Taurus turned around to give his elder guide a hug, one which was promptly returned. The clanking of their lavender armors filled the room, as Lydus broke the embrace and turned to head out of the room. Walking past several more rooms, he found a private mess hall reserved for him and the other high military representatives residing in the area. Sitting on one of the chairs, the Minor Prophet of Faith contemplated in silence as she drank a caffeine-filled drink.
Lydus walked, bowing his head with much respect to her as she returned the gesture. Making his way to where several of the fist-sized balls of meat under the spines of a hathamor, more commonly known as a 'thorn beast', he grabbed a bowl and a fork, serving himself a large ration. He then walked back to the Minor Prophet's position and sat across, eating in silence as he gave her company. "In my near three centuries of lifetime, I've never looked back at the life I've lead and felt more like a child. A child or a fool."
"That, your Honor, is only because you've been unfamiliar to the concept of war. Mayhap you were alive to see the rise and fall of the Unggoy Rebellions, yet you haven't had the chance to experience times of strife, of uncertainty, of fear of loss and death. It's everything but your fault for you to feel lost when encountering countless situations you could not have prepared for." Lydus comforted.
"Still. Through it all I created and believed a preposterous credence that this would not be half as difficult as it's proved to be, and I've not prepared accordingly. There are countless deaths to which I'm sure I'm inadvertedly responsible for because of the course of my actions, and their souls plague my sleep and waking nightmares. Unlike the last time we've spoken of this matter, this time there is not a doubt that many graveyards have been occupied with how I've handled the choices I've been given."
"Perhaps they are inadvertedly dead because of your actions, yes, but perhaps more by the millions would be as well had you not managed this period of war with the calmness and levelheadedness that you've somehow kept. Looking at things from the coldest perspective is the wisest decision, for you let not fear nor anger nor revenge cloud your mind when the time to carry out the best course of action comes."
Faith chuckled sadly as well as a little bit tiredly, too. She shook her head lightly, looking at him again as he spoke, "I guess it'll come to be a tradition for me to have a breakdown once every few months and then have someone, namely you and others of your rank and knowledge, place me back on track. Now that we are speaking, I'd like to ask you a question that's been gnawing the back of my head for something close to a decade now."
"Of course your Honor, what would that be?"
"Why is it that the group of you, Taurus, Ceretus, Amadeus, Maccabeus and yourself seem to be so aberrant from others of your kind? When I say this, I mean in the sense that although the others of higher rankings have worked alongside other species, they still maintain some sort of prejudice at least to the Sangheili, small or not. The five of you intrigue me entirely, knowing the nature of your species. Pardon me for being crude."
"Don't be, your Honor, I am more than well aware of how the Jiralhanae's mindset works. For myself and for Maccabeus, I can only say that it's experience that's changed our perspective in more ways than one. We've lived long enough to see countless leaders amongst our kind rise and fall, in short times finding spacefaring technology wells from previous dead generations and rise to that status once more. To go from leading fleets and taking on worlds to killing tribes with rudimentary weapons. When we got to the point where we became the eldest of our kind, we knew that this form of fighting was worthless. We attempted to unite the tribes to the best of our ability, and nearing that merging of the clans, the Sangheili claimed our colonies in the name of the Covenant. Our kind's deep resent comes from this, that you well know, yet Maccabeus and I felt nothing towards them. Whatever damage they'd done to us and our worlds was not something we haven't already done to ourselves.
"Ceretus is by far amongst the smartest Jiralhanae as a critical thinker and a strategist. He likely came to the same conclusion not out of experience, but out of logic. He renounced himself to the savage ways that many of our kind fight with in order to not tempt himself into turning aside his intelligence. For how faithful he was to the Covenant, it surprised me when I heard that he came over to the Allegiance the first Separatists created. Then again, with his cynical viewpoints and his brothers' stances in this war, it was the only logical outcome for him to end up here.
"Amadeus is innocent, more so than even the infants of our race. Being so youthful, he hasn't encountered too many lethal fights. Though he's trained much with us and is deemed an excellent fighter, he's stuck to his labs more than to the battlefield. An invaluable trait for a Jiralhanae, given most, if not all, would take a weapon long before a book. It truly is a damn shame that he kept to the Covenant, no doubt in a large part of it because of Maccabeus putting pressure on him into helping achieve the false 'Great Journey'.
"Taurus… is a tough case. He has love for those closest to him, from his birth brother, to his bond-mate, to even the Chieftain General. Believe me when I say that Maccabeus may be colder than a devil's corpse, but also was the one to take his young nephews under his wing. Though the fact that he's always been harsh with his training has led Taurus to develop a distant relationship to him, he still holds a form of care for his uncle. Ironic to the fact that Taurus admired Maccabeus, practically the pinnacle of the Jiralhanae, he's always hated his race. Do you know why, your Honor?" Faith, who'd been listening the whole time, shook her head in doubt. Seeing her shake of the head, Lydus closed the distance between the two a bit more as he whispered, "His little finger."
"His little finger?" Faith asked, not understanding the statement.
"Yes. The reason he hates his race is because of his little finger, or rather the lack of it. Have you not noticed that his left hand boasts of only three digits? See, Maccabeus and I trained the two since Tartarus was eight and Taurus six. Before then, the two still had parents, their father being Maccabeus's older brother. Narakus was his name, and Mauerovix hers. Narakus was tough, one known to give hell on the battlefield, and Mauerovix was a good protector of her household and children, though with queer tendencies. Most were overlooked by Narakus and ultimately their children, yet both the General and I knew something wasn't quite right with her. As the years passed, her sporadic behavior increased, yet none of us truly paid mind to it.
"It was around sixty-eight years ago that we noticed how Narakus had gone missing. Not taking any calls nor reporting, we went to his household hoping to find him. When we arrived, we found him lying in the kitchens ground, his chest ripped open with what had probably been the aid of a knife. Both hearts were missing, vilely ripped out and had ended in Gods know where. We believed it had been our enemies, given that Narakus had constantly taken torture as a habit with as much frequency as he could. It was then that we saw his blood splattered a bite on his neck, on what should have been perhaps a bite of care, a show of affection for a race like ours. We then saw Taurus in tears in the corner of the kitchen, too shocked to fully cry at the sight. With him was Mauerovix licking him lightly on the head, leaving his hair lightly pinkish from his father's blood.
"We were in too much shock to act at the moment, despite the regularity of cannibals being in our kind, and only shouted at her to stop when she began to suck at Taurus's pinky finger. She had her back turned to us, so when she heard our bellows, she reacted in fear and shut her trap, taking Taurus's finger as well. It was then the child screamed in pain, fear and agony from losing both his father and his finger to his mother. On instinct, Maccabeus ran to Tartarus's room to find him, hopefully still alive and I stayed to kill her. Though she had the kitchen's knife, it didn't take me much to end her. I broke her neck so Taurus wouldn't have to see her as bloodied as his father, and then I carried him away from the sight.
"The injury was minor and the wound was disinfected with ease, but the psychological trauma remained. That day was what made him hate our culture with a passion that no one else of our kind or others has matched. Since Tartarus was spared from the sight, he didn't change too much, though he grew to help his brother in any way he could and care for him to the best of his ability. Taurus, however, used the experience to set out to accomplish the one true goal he had in his life. It wasn't to find the greatest bond-mate, to fuck every last woman of our kind or to be the most powerful Chieftain of all. It was to change our race's tendencies, from the simplest that was to murder with ease to the cannibalization of others of our kind. Records of him say that his rather friendly and lightheaded behavior is the greatest anomaly of his report. What you see in him today could be said that it's the prolonged insanity from that day sixty-eight years ago that's finally come to strike him."
4:41 – June 5th, 2532 – Retribution's Sword
Tartarus looked to his right and upwards, to the face of his second in command. Gargantus, the tallest and one of the mightiest in their race, his face was solemn in comparison to his usual hearty demeanor. Little over three meters of height and fur of auburn, it was an irony that he was younger by a year to Tartarus. Not the sharpest when it came to wits, yet still more than enough to fit the rank of a Chieftain Lieutenant, the giant boasted almost everything in strength. Ironically again, said giant was only so much stronger than Bracktanus, who'd earned the second place in that competition. While he silently stared on in respect for the anniversary of his fallen brother's death, Tartarus could not help but feel uncomfortable at the giant's temporary conduct.
He was usually quite throaty, most times speaking more than is necessary, namely being known for making brash statements that he laughed at by himself. With his attitude though, he helped put a smile on others' faces, and frowns on his preys' fearful faces. Tartarus looked at the same thing Gargantus observed, said object being the hologram of Te. The Chieftain Captain commented, "We're getting closer to the Lekgolo homeworld. This will be a hell of a fight, won't it? How many do you think will be able to say after this is over that they manage to defeat the largest armies of Hunters and Raiders this galaxy has to give? Not to mention the countless Scarabs that must plague the surface, too."
Gargantus immediately brightened up at the statement. "Helluva fight it'll be, ha! Only we'll be able to come out of this and say that despite how we fought a bunch of worms, we still found a way to fuck 'em up the ass! HA!"
Tartarus grinned at his friend's now better mood, knowing that it was only a matter of minutes before they invaded the large world. Though Tartarus had the confidence that they were going to win, he also knew that the fights that were going to take place were going to be complex, putting it lightly. The Lekgolo's architectures and structural basements were unique without a doubt, being the only race that rather than build upwards, built downwards. This left an enormous amount of room for defensive constructions on the top while the rest were far too underground to be affected by the battles and even a glassing, if it came to that. Still, in the lowest levels of their constructions lay the heads of the species, and certain accesses were bound to take them directly to them. Worse came to worst, a heavy bombardment on a specific region would make the grounds collapse on the structures. Not the most conventional, morally correct or strategic idea, but it was always good to keep a fallback plan.
"Entering the Svir system, Chieftains!" Rang the voice of one of the Jiralhanae ensigns. The ships popped out of slip-space as they appeared behind the homeworld's largest moon, Rantu, and began to activate their defenses. Where in the previous mission his brother's fleet engaged the enemy's head on with the hope of gaining the drop of them and suffering the terrible fortune of the Covenant being prepared, Tartarus along with Rtas had their fleets to ready for battle behind the satellite. Shields raised and weapons ready, they made a plot around the titanic rock to view the planet in its splendor.
Te was, for lack of better words, generally a soil-covered planet. Having oceans by the dozens of small sizes, them generally as large as the Humans' Mediterranean Sea, it gave way for countless interlaced jungles and cities. The bodies of waters sprinkled across the surface, some interlaced with rivers long enough to connect them, covered half the surface. The other half was conformed of the hardly rocky exteriors that served as bases for automated structures. Not too many, yet the few there were powerful enough to weaken his fleet if he had a rough fight with the Covie's one. Said armada began to close in on them, practically already aware of their positions. Still not close enough to invade the planet's surface, he heard from the ship's comms, "Tartarus, the home fleet is inbound! Ready your half for battle, for I will take some of my ships to begin disabling planet-side battlements! I'll leave my place and have my second in command aid you with the oncoming fight! I shall wait for you groundside when the time to infiltrate the Lekgolo's prime headquarters comes! Do your job, and I'll do mine, for the sake of the war and all the lives that hang at its balance!"
As the transmission ended, he saw a few ships from the fleet of four hundred disappear, leaving Tartarus with three hundred and ninety. Gargantus shook his head at the departing vessels, uttering, "That damned split-jaw is too scared shitless to stay and face the fight forth. How odd that he happens to be Sangheili. Of course he had to be a member of the race that is born naturally with a two meter stick up its ass."
"Scared shitless or not is not what matters now. Warriors, go to your battle stations! We are going to fight the home fleet and we will not stop until we burn them all!" Tartarus bellowed, the ships still in his fleet warming their weapons. At three hundred kilometers, the home fleet stopped, preparing their array of artillery. For a few seconds, everything was silent. It was interrupted by the ensign, who shouted, "Energy projectors, Plasma Turrets and Pulse Laser Turrets ready to go, Sir!"
"FIRE! AIM FOR THE SUPERCARRIERS MARKED AS THE FLAGSHIPS! DESTROYING THEM WILL CUT OFF THEIR MAIN CHAIN OF COMMAND!" The Chieftain Captain's bellow ignited a response from the Lieutenant, him roaring, "YOU HEARD THE CAPTAIN! ALL SHIPS BURN THE HOME FLEET SO WE CAN DOCK ON THE PLANET AND FUCK 'EM OVER HARD ENOUGH TO SAY THAT WE'VE CLAIMED A SECOND HOMEWORLD!"
And then came chaos. Barrages of Plasma Torpedoes, beams of Energy Projectors, salvos of MAC Rounds and more rained on the opposing fleet. The fleet of three hundred began to take losses by the dozens, but not before they unleashed their own volleys. Tartarus's personal Assault Carrier began to shake intensely as several Energy Projectors began to burn at his ship's shields. The onslaught continued, making an ensign shout, "Shields at eighty percent and dropping!"
Of the four Assault Carriers that continuously aimed at the Retribution's Sword, two of them shook intensely when they took several sudden bombings that destroyed their plasma defenses, one's hull being breached and its engines being burnt as the other's Pinch Fusion Reactor was seared. Ultimately, both were engulfed in massive blasts originating from their failing systems. The other two ships put a stop to their salvo as they retreated to a more defensive position along with the fleet. A transmission leaked through the ship's radios as the two Jiralhanae looked to the side window to see a UNSC Task Force from the fleet. "This is Captain Arnold Wallace of the UNSC Trafalgar reporting in, Captain Tartarus. We've got your back, Sir."
"My thanks, Captain Wallace, those pricks were giving my ship a hard time as it was. Our ships are better fit for up close combat or one extraordinarily far away, so I'm assigning those under your command to be the vanguard of the fleet. Your MAC Rounds and Archer Missiles are sure to bring hell to them under any circumstance, so make sure not to give them room to breathe. I'll be following closely behind with the rest of the ships, and if the situation turns to shit, head back to the end of the fleet behind some of our larger crafts, they'll protect you well enough."
"Understood, Captain. Beginning our course towards the enemy's flagship, the Holy Vanguard!" The radios cut off, and Gargantus commented, "For being meek as they are, those Humans are part of the better lot. Damn shame we're stuck with more cowardly races like that of the Unggoy or some birdy dipshits like the Kig-Yar. There're only so many species that I can actually consider equals to ours. Forget that. It's only the Humans so far, and that's because the Lekgolo aren't keen on fighting and the San'Shyuum are too few to count. The rest are pansies, if spoken modestly of. Ha!"
Tartarus shook his head at the titan's note and instead shouted, "All ships! Follow the Human's Trafalgar and defend them at all costs! Given their minority and weaponry, they shall be our fleet's spear!"
The Retribution's Sword and all those under its command began to move, shooting off several missiles and energy lances along the way. Gargantus then complemented his command, "All fighters, it's time for you to leave your stations and divert their attention! They can't shoot us all at once, and we can take advantage of that through any and all holes in their defenses!"
Fighters ranging from Banshees to Seraphs to even the UNSC's Sabers made their ways out of the ports, beginning their trajectory through the spaces in between the ships of the Covie fleet. Just as they set out though, a horde of enemy spacecrafts of all kinds headed towards their own ships. Taurus grunted as rains of Plasma Torpedoes lands upon his ship, prompting the head of the ensigns to shout, "Sir, we're down to twenty-five percent shields! We can't take much more before they can breach our ship!"
"Then focus all in our power to stop the enemy fire! Concentrate all Pulse Laser Turrets to burn away and preemptively ignite the torpedoes heading for the ship! As for the nearing Supercarrier, prepare the Energy Projector along with the rest of the ships in our sector!"
"Sir!" The Captain's ship finally came up to the Holy Vanguard, it almost outsizing six times over. The Retribution's Sword maneuvering it to float atop the flagship picked up a cobalt hail emanating from the top of the titanic ship. In turn, several neon magenta beams struck the burning rockets in their tracks, detonating them all through their massive heat as well as dancing over the giant ship's shields. Covered in the blue aura and becoming brighter by the minute, the SA flagship powered its Energy Projector that came from ship's belly. Tartarus felt sweat pouring onto his forehead as he watched the energy from his ship deplete, as well as the ceasing of his own shield's restoration. Just as the Supercarrier's plasmatic defense was about to succumb, the ensign shouted, "Reactor overheated! Stabilizers deprived an additional ten percent of energy to cool it down, Captain!"
"Fuck." He growled. The Supercarrier's own laser beams burned what was left of his shields, finally getting to the point where the Jiralhanae ensign shouted, "Shields are down!"
The beams kept on as an additional dozen torpedoes made their way to his ship. Crashing against it, the vessel vehemently shook as the lights flickered and the power wavered. "Damages to ports A and C have them crippled! Port D is offline and B has been destroyed! The other twelve are still online, but the pulse lasers are making their ways towards the engines! They'll leave us immobile if we don't do something, Sir!"
"Damn it! Go forth along with the rest of our ships at top speeds and hide in the center! It'll be the only way we'll survive the-" He was cut off as the violet terrain below his ship pertaining to the Holy Vanguard had its shields overload and vanish, stopping the blitz it was ensuing. Fifteen pods of twenty-four Archer Missiles flew from the sides of the UNSC's personal Supercarrier, the three hundred and sixty projectiles dividing into two dozen more each. While managing only to take out little more than a thousand and a hundred of these rockets, seven thousand and five hundred shells detonated on impact on the Covie Supercarrier's hull. The ship was crippled, and within a moment's notice, a MAC Round shredded through its stomach only to stop at its reactor, destroying the gargantuan vessel. A sigh of relief escaped the mouths of all those aboard the Retribution's Sword, many giving silent thanks to the Trafalgar as Tartarus voiced it through the comms.
The satisfaction was short-lived, however, as the other three enemy Supercarriers nearby closened upon their brethren's corpse, intents on killing its assaulters. Three concentrated energy projectors and the UNSC's headship was pulverized, its hybrid shields not withstanding the massive amount of power pouring on it. The shields recharging, only at thirty percent, could only last a minute at the barrel's end of the trio's armaments. Tartarus was trying to think up any evasive maneuvers they could pull and escape routes they could head through, obviously not having the strength to take on any, much less all of the three Covenant spacecrafts. Options were stressfully limited due to his Carrier's large size, being an easy target from any angle through which his enemies might fire. His thread of thought was cut short with a coming static filled transmission, "Chieftain Captain Tartarus! This is Chieftain Lieutenant Karmandus of the SA Wrathful Phantom. My ship is near-crippled, all defensive shields have been depleted, my plasma reactor is unstable and all weapons are destroyed or offline."
"I read you, Lieutenant, but I'm sorry to say that we aren't in a good position to help, Hells, we'll be disintegrated within a minute if we can't find a way out of-"
"I know sir, I can see the Supercarriers heading towards your position. My own Supercarrier has been the target of many of the Covenant's own forces. The one thing that they haven't taken out is my ship's engines. All of my personnel has been evacuated, leaving only those piloting this warship along with myself. I can still make use of this ship. What I wanted to ask was of you was to take Dossiac back from the bastards who used us, no matter the cost."
"On my word I will, Lieutenant, and on it I shall raise a statue in the name of your pilots and their Chieftain!" Claimed Tartarus, more than well enough aware of what the Lieutenant was implying. Gargantus alongside him showed a somber attitude towards the message, one similar to the one he kept before the mission began.
"Ha, no need for the luxuries, Sir. My spirit shall be more than satisfied that our home was reclaimed, even if my ashes are never to touch the River of Eternals. May the Gods grant you the strength to destroy our enemy and restore the Jiralhanae to our former glory." The broadcast ended and a fourth Supercarrier came to view, fire licking its body whole as only its engines produced a non-harmful flame. Where the three Covenant controlled spacecrafts were facing the Retribution's Sword, the centermost already warming its weaponry, the fourth came from the right, not making any attempts to cease its course. No shields, not even a Supercarrier's could endure the force behind the crash of an object of such magnitude. At the brunt of the impact, the vessel furthermost to the right was split in half, the explosion originating from both its reactor and the assailant ship's own destruction propelling both halves into the other Supercarriers. In a chain reaction of the sorts, the remnants of the two newly destroyed ships crashed against four other Covenant Assault Carriers, totaling on the destruction of seven ships with the sacrifice of one SA Supercarrier.
With the finality of the martyr's last command, the battle begun to die down, the heavier units of the home fleet destroyed or impaired, and the rest was being annihilated by Tartarus's own two hundred and eighty-three surviving ships. Nine Assault Carriers and a single Supercarrier flanked the already losing flotilla, finishing them off with nowhere left for them to hide. Seeing his timing, Tartarus scowled revoltingly and growled, "You're late."
"Their fortifications were hard to bypass, Chieftain Captain. This was the fastest we could arrive." A voice answered from the comms. Gargantus angrily shook his head and Tartarus growled again, keeping his temper in check to avoid breaking anything in the room as he ordered, "Set a course for Varm! And radio Rtas when we're within range to contact him!"
With only scraps remaining from the skirmish posing resistance, the invading fleet's flagship along with its followers neared the large planet. Not near enough to the atmosphere yet close enough to contact the Spec Ops Commander, he questioned through the comms, "Rtas, are you near the capital?"
"No, I'm stationed a few hundred acres aside. I'll be there in twenty minutes by Phantom."
"Good. Glass the capital." At his order, his ship took aim and sent a molten pile of plasma of great mass at astounding speeds, impacting the stations in the area and giving the effect of a nuclear blast. A cobalt shockwave incinerated the countryside, replacing the ground with glass and caving in the structures built far underground by the Lekgolo. Through the comms he heard and indignant cry, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODSDAMNED MIND?!"
"No, Rtas, I'm just not willing to sacrifice any more of MY men because of your inability to complete your job with the speed required to complete a task of much importance. I'll be damned if I'M the one ANTAGONIZED for preventing the deaths of thousands of the troops that are to be sent to take the homeworld!" Before the Commander could replied, he shut off the comms, preventing any more derisive remarks from being made by the honor bound Sangheili.
6:15 – June 5th, 2532 – The Edge of Varm
Rtas landed on the burning ground, not the ideal terrain for a fight as he stared at the pit of the crater. He stood on the brink of Varm, a titanic smoldering hole exposing its true underground metropolis. Not truly damaged, the glassing blast had served as a means of skipping ahead of the enemy ordinance prepared to take on them. At the sound of a Phantom, he and those of his trusted and talented squad, all sporting pure white armor, turned at the sight. The Commander muttered, "That is our ride."
"We have to ride? With them?!" Questioned Avor 'Kariss, his second in command. Rtas sighed, "Unfortunately, yes, we do. The moment we step on that Phantom, we will ignore our grudges and any issues we have to settle with them for the time being, understood?"
"Sir." The group of four replied. Looking at the lot, he said, "Actually, I believe that it's better off if only Avor remains with me. The rest of you are to be withdrawn from your service with me and lead any other Special Operatives that may lead tasks around this planet."
Three of the group nodded affirmatively, both relieved of not having to work with the Jiralhanae inbound and troubled that they wouldn't be aiding their leader. Ultimately, they left on the same Phantom through which the group arrived, the other two mounting on the Jiralhanae boarded transport. Levitated into the aircraft, they came face to face with a tall brute in powerful, violet armor, somewhat ornamental. Next to him was a huge brute in crimson armor, not quite as elegant or strong as his counterpart's. Then again, his size likely covered more than what his shell lacked. The Captain hit the side of the Phantom, indicating that it was time to go down the kilometer deep hole. Certain lights flashed that the elites recognized as indications of active stealth systems.
Looking behind them, they found a few jet packs, two of which they grabbed and equipped themselves with. Looking back at the duo, they heard an animalistic snarl coming from the taller of the two. Despite the silver polarized visor, they could tell he was glowering behind the helmet, prompting Avor to question, "Something the manner?"
"Yeah… you two stand where one of our own lies dead." The giant spat, making his rage far more evident to the arrivals. He responded with a hiss, "You expect me to grieve for someone capable of glassing a homeworld's capital?!"
In a second, Gargantus nearly sprang at the operative, being stopped only by the Captain. Tartarus, depolarizing the golden plate that protected his face seethed, "I chose to glass this city. Do you know why? It's because our ships have been the ones to take the most losses amongst the rest in the fleet. Such is the case where one of our Lieutenants sacrificed himself where he could have escaped and lived on in order to take out not one, not two, but seven heavy ships that won the battle. Because your ships arrived too late for them to actually be fucking useful, a warrior died for the sake of this battle. I glassed this city because that is the last Chieftain I am losing today on this mission, do you understand you ignorant fuck?"
Avor stepped back, intimidated by the giant and reprimanded by the morose and infuriated Captain. Rtas stepped in the middle of both parties, intent on dissuading the forming conflict. He looked at Tartarus and sighed, bowing his head as he crooned, "I'm sorry for your loss, I'd not known of your Lieutenant's valiant death. I am at fault here for not being as deft as I should have been, and now I understand your motives for destroying the city's defenses in such a blast. What is done is done, and there is nothing I can do about your Lieutenant, and for that I will forever be in his debt. The best we can do now is to put aside our feelings on this matter and fight to reclaim this planet, for our own homeworlds shall eventually be our next objectives. Do you accept?"
As he finished, he outstretched his right hand, hoping for a compromise with the Chieftains. Tartarus heaved a sigh as he gave the reptile his own hand, accepting the shake for the time being. When he reached for Gargantus, the latter grunted and returned to his original place, not looking or recognizing the fact that either one of the elites were there. He dropped his empty hand, deducing that the Chieftain was far too angered at the time to come to cooperate. Hearing from his reports, though, bigotry was probably a factor in play as well. As much as he'd like to, he couldn't judge him himself given that he still kept mistrust for the Jiralhanae, something that would understate his second in command's views on the race. Tartarus joined his comrade at his side, polarizing his visor and looking elsewhere, a motion that the two Sangheili copied.
"We are nearing the capital, Chieftains and Operatives." The pilot called as the side entrances opened, motioning for the four to hop out. Taking in his surrounding, Rtas found how odd the Lekgolo architecture was. Resembling columns, the buildings went from the stony floor, this being rockier than the surface given how deep they were, all the way to the also gravelly ceiling. Thick in many respects and varying in materials, some looking like carved stone while others appeared to be erected walls of steel, they supported the top of the tunnels of a hundred and twenty meters of radius. Large and in every respect, the group knew more than well enough that their target was at the center of the city, not too far away from where they were standing.
They began to sprint, led by Tartarus, as they constantly took cover from walking Scarabs and dozens of Hunter patrols, all scattered and active at the city's exposure. The four looked at the giant machines of war as they began to dig into the walls of the crater and climb up, searching for an out to attack the trespassers from above. Countless troops were also making their ways upwards through Banshees and Phantoms, their objective being to protect the city at all costs. It was unnerving, truthfully. The four felt like they'd landed on Hell's deepest pit, being able to watch all the monsters rise and crawl out of it.
Rtas was the first to shake his head from his thoughts and motion towards the others to continue forth, not stopping for anything in their path. As they progressed deeper into the heart of the capital, they watched as the rocky and metallic buildings became fewer and instead replaced by colossal tubes filled with a yellow liquid of low density that served to light up the cavern-like tunnels. Inside each, rows of thousands, if not millions of interlaced Lekgolo formed internal columns to the already cylindrical shaped poles. In silence, Rtas thanked the Gods that the glassing had not damaged the organic pillars, knowing how the Lekgolo valued each individual worm of their kind. Even by the Separatists, the actions would have been heavily condemned, even if they could not do anything to the Chieftain Captain. Then again, before the Alliance, many of those sitting in high command were responsible for the glassings of several of the Humans' colonies. Morality and resentments were things to be sacrificed in times of such a terrible war.
His run was cut short as he stood above yet another cliff, this one being a far more naturally shaped circle. Inside the circumferences walls were slimmer tubes of Lekgolo, lighting up the precipice. Several pieces of violet machinery lay around the limits of the ten-meter radius hole, indicating that Anti-Gravity was the method of transportation upwards and downwards. He began to move towards one, reaching the proximity to activate it, yet a green blast cut his trail short. The hardly mild blast had sent him back a few feet, looking up to find three intimidating figures perched on top of one of the balconies around the place. The four readied their weapons, taking aim as the three hopped down in unison, creating a miniature shockwave from their landing.
Three Raiders rose, towering like the columns above them, as the one in the center spoke, "Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadum and Chieftain Captain Tartarus, you and your subordinates are under arrest for the countless acts of heresy that you have committed. Surrender now, and with luck you shall be given a painless death. Fail to do so, and you have our word that we will kill you in the most excruciating manner possible."
"How's 'fuck you' sound to you?" The gargantuan of the group replied. Rather than answer, the three raised their arms, six green missiles beginning to form in the holes at the center of their palms. The one thing the Commander had heard before he rolled out of the way was an 'ah, fuck' emanating from the Captain. Then, all hells broke loose.
Rtas had barely just dodged a pair of the green explosives, getting up from his position and grabbing his Energy Swords from their holsters. At the sound of repeating thunders closing in on his location, he rolled yet again to find a crater where he once stood, a giant metallic fist covering it whole. Next came a quick succession of slashing, hacking and punching from the two opponents, both trying to gain an advantage over the other. Still, Rtas was at a great disadvantage, the Raider outmatching him in speed, strength and reach. All he had to save himself was experience that equaled the superb Neurnlekgolo's own and an agility that the giant lacked. The fight was short-lived, however, as a punch that covered his torso and more, sent him wavering back, falling on the ground in an attempt to breathe once more. He looked to find that the beast was already standing over him, this one closing its Jiralhanae modeled hand for a much gorier kill than its cannons could offer. It threw the punch and Rtas closed his eyes for a second, not expecting to ever wake again. He was shocked to open them to find Gargantus holding back the punch with both his hands and the strength of his back. Both struggling to push the other back in a match of equals, Gargantus grunted, "Oi, split-jaw, you have legs, don't you? Use them and get out of the way, 'cause if this Raider kills me because of your inability to move, I'll rise from my grave just to actually cripple you… ha!"
At his words, Rtas hurdled out of the way and Gargantus roared with an additional burst of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Managing to send the Raider back a bit, the giants took aim at one another, one with its right cannon while the other dual wielded FRGs. Storms of neon green formed from the firefight, both running at the other in a fight of strength and brutality, neither hardly gaining an advantage over the other. The Captain and the elite operative were ganging up on another Raider, his friend's martial arts and skill being complemented by the Chieftain's strength and abilities. His mind jumped when he realized that the third Raider was heading towards him like a missile, dropping from the highest point of a looming tower nearby. Landing once more, he was covered in an explosion-induced cloud before the Commander could do anything about its presence. Looking up, he thanked the Gods for the fourth Raider that'd arrived, this one sporting the Mark of Honor on its right breastplate.
With the arrival of the super unit, he'd not expected the opposing Raider to die as quickly as a Separatist Scarab appeared from behind a column, its main cannon reducing the giant to a smoldering pile of molten metal and burnt worms. Enraged, the Raider fighting the Chieftain and the Operative ran from its fight, too fast for the Scarab's beam and turret to incinerate it. Latching onto its leg, it refused to let go, denting the limb on its climb to the surface of the massive vehicle. No bullets from the soldiers stopped its ascent, it merely throwing them aside when they attempted to pose resistance. In a savage motion, it went to the back of the Scarab and ripped the Lekgolo worms partially controlling it. Within the ninety seconds of its rampage, the berserker Raider destroyed the quadruped monster of metal.
Dozens of Hunters emerged from the sides, flanking the enraged Neurnlekgolo and pouring all their ordinance onto its body. Having rarely any way of covering itself from the onslaught of green mortars. The second Raider, the one against Gargantus, ran to the first's aid, attempt on keeping it alive in spite of the overwhelming odds in the firefight they faced. The SA Raider, the one responsible for their safety, gripped to the side of the stony building and slid down, its massive hands slowing its descent. Reaching the four, it reported, "Sirs, Commander Tametaro Krusin, reporting for duty. We stormed this center, leading Mgalekgolo and Scarabs to stop the Covenant's Neurnlekgolo in their tracks. We were set to come here, for there be a way for turning them to our cause."
"You mean the mini robot mammoths could kiss our asses as easily as they could burn them?" Gargantus questioned. The Raider looked at him and paused, processing the remark in the span of a few seconds. "In essence, yes. If we are capable of passing down our memories and judgment down to the memories of this city's Gathering, then all Lekgolo in the area shall fight for our cause. A few may turn rampant, but they'd be only a fourth of the splintered population. Couple this with you knocking out the power in the same room and the Varm shall be reclaimed. Soon after, Te shall follow."
"The Gathering… that is the massive group of Lekgolo that functions as a hive mind per population of your kind in say, a city, no? If so, then this city must have the largest one in the entire galaxy, given the amount of linked Lekgolo that inhabit the tubes!"
"Almost. On a galactic scale, the Clnylekgolo that inhabits Varm's interior is amongst largest Gatherings, being second to Kyrt, Te's military capital. If I can interlace myself with it, the job will undoubtedly be done. Our objective lies at the bottom of the Consecrated Well. The Anti-Gravitational gears that were meant to take us down have been destroyed, meaning that we'll have to find a way to survive the drop. My armor may just take it, but I doubt that any of you four will be able to withstand the fall."
"Not to worry, the Chieftain Captain has provided us with jet packs. They'll slow our descent. We must go now, your platoon may not survive too long against a pair of Raiders." With that, the group hopped down the tunnel, the tubes illuminating their path in an eerie yellow light. While the Lekgolo Commander had long since left them behind, leaving a thunderous boom upon his landing, the four took a few seconds midfall to use their jet packs to decelerate for a few seconds and then drop again. By the time the group reached the ground, the Raider had its metallic fists off. In their places, a few dozen Lekgolo worms' ends stuck out, moving somewhat casually, closing in on the city's most valuable asset.
Before them was a huge organic column of a mound of Lekgolo worms. It didn't react to them in any way, rather pulsating like a beating heart. It took up almost the entirety of the room, the walls filled with monitors and screens it was interlaced to. The electronic surrounding were the controls to the planet's defenses, they presumed. Rightly so, as countless simultaneous reports and analyses were popping up in each screen, the mound reacting to the constant flow of information. The four paused as the Neurnlekgolo gently dug its 'hands' of dozens of terminations into the organic pile. Then, everything shut down.
Commander Krusin, now his body pulsating in the same rhythm as the Clnylekgolo, emitted bits of steam, the friction of all of the composers of his body creating an amount of heat large enough to produce the heated gas. Not sure as to how to handle the situation, they chose to wait it out, the power returning within the fifth minute. The Raider 'disconnected', turning around as it vibrated the words, "It is done. Varm is ours."
Unbeknownst to the four, Krusin knowing fully well the consequences behind his actions, countless organic tanks were splintering within the moment's notice all around the city. That was without counting the deactivation of whatever anti-air defense systems were still active controlled by the capital. Whatever troops of other Covenant races were annihilated by the combined force of the turned troops and the Separatist invaders. From its roots, Te breathed free life once more.
Author's Notes: So there you have it, the very first space-battle of the series. Hopefully it wasn't mediocre. I take pride of the fact that I got this out in short timing (given my usual lazy-ass), and I hope that it still retains the quality of previous, longer-timed chapters. Also, there's still a good amount of Separatists racist to certain other races (if not all), this chapter was a reminder. Also hoped you liked Taurus's origins and reasons of being. Like I said up above, keep reviewing and my motivation for bringing chapters in short time will improve more and more. In other words, al constructive critics and reviews are welcome.
The Almighty Afroduck,
All Hail