Chapter 10
Genesis
Dust and smoke littered through the area decreasing his vision to a certain extent. He coughed lightly in order to exhale the dust that had managed to sneak inside his body. His eyes hazily scanned the area and he saw a person approaching towards him...
All he could remember was Mikoto gathering a lot of chakra in her right fist, and slamming it on the ground like a biotic slam. The effects were devastating as he saw the entire cafeteria had been but almost destroyed.
Tali and Jash lay on opposite sides, groaning in pain..
Before he could think further he was grabbed by the collar of his jacket and single handedly lifted off the ground.
He instantly closed his eyes in order to evade the gaze of Mikoto's Sharingan. After all, he had seen what effects that eye had on people caught in its sight.
"Huh, smart move..." said Mikoto,
She had to jump away as Naruto tried to send a vicious right hook straight for her face. Smiling she looked the boy from a distance.
"How did you find out?" asked Mikoto curiously,
"After our mission on Therum, I saw you writing a report. When I tried to approach you, you shut down your console at lightning fast speed. My curiosity got the best of me, and I tried to read it..." confessed Naruto,
"That's a bad move. Leading a lady's personal reports..." scolded Mikoto, but he scoffed.
"I was never one to follow rules. Although your security encryption stopped me, but I did manage to discover who the receiver of that data was. The Illusive Man..." said Naruto frankly,
"Well, the cat's out of the bag I suppose..."
"Now why would my second in command override my authority behind my back? So, I asked Tali to get me every report written by you. She's a good hacker, and guess what I found you spying on me and reporting everything to the Illusive Man..." accused Naruto bitterly,
"I just followed my orders..." replied Mikoto flatly,
"My trust broken, I decided to investigate Cerberus's past. After giving everything to this organisation, they spy on me and think of me as a traitor. Tali helped me uncover your dirty secrets, you lied to me Mikoto. Cerberus turned out to be my worst nightmare..." said Naruto sadly,
"I should have known taking that quarian bitch on board was dangerous. Not to worry, I'll take care of it just fine..." said Mikoto
"Lay a single finger on her, and I'll kill you..." promised Naruto menacingly,
"Since when did you start caring about a fucking quarian? Much less an alien..." spat Mikoto venomously,
Naruto was slightly taken aback by the hatred burning in her voice for other races. While he had been openly hostile towards Turians until recently, Mikoto had never spoken outloud about her doubts, misconceptions or hatred for other species.
"The silent ones are the most lethal enemies..." thought Naruto gravely,
"When I realized I was wrong, that in my inexperience I viewed the galaxy with biased eyes. I have to stop living in the past, so should you..." advised Naruto, shocking her.
"Never. They took everything from me. My friends, my comrades, my career...my-" said Mikoto sadly, her eyes brimming with tears.
Making a risky move, Naruto opened his eyes and looked her in the eye. In that moment, he realized the reason behind everything she had done till now. The motive that drove her to such hatred...
"You loved my father, didn't you?" asked Naruto sympathetically,
"Yes"
Naruto averted his gaze to the floor, his anger towards her reducing just a little. In the end, Mikoto Uchiha was just a women with a broken heart.
"You remind me of him. The same talents, the same face and attitude, yet today you are making the same mistake which he did. Don't be so naive, Naruto. These aliens want nothing but to keep humanity under their heels..." warned Mikoto,
"You were with him that day. And not lying injured in some hospital on Mars, isn't it?" asked Naruto sadly,
"I lied to you. The flotilla was not totally destroyed on First Contact with the Turians, neither was I the sole survivor..." confessed Mikoto,
"What? Then my father..." said Jash suddenly, slowly rising to his feet.
"No, he didn't make it. Raval, your father was Minato's second in command. They both fought till the end, dying honorably in the line of duty..." clarified Mikoto, surprising the young officer.
His eyes met with those of Naruto as both of them exchanged sad glances.
"If only you had seen what I had seen, then you too would never trust an alien again..." said Mikoto regretfully,
"What happened that day?"
(Flashback: 20 Years ago)
There was a cheerful atmosphere on the deck as every Alliance officer and sailor waited with awaited breath. Their eyes fixed on the massive Relay they were about to activate. The clock slowly ticked down to just 2 minutes, after which humanity would take its first step in deep space.
Venturing out into the unknown, just like Columbus had set out to discover new continents centuries ago. Today, mankind would take its first step to search for other life and habitable planets in the vast galaxy in front of them.
Minato Namikaze stood on the top most floor of the bridge, observing his anxious yet enthusiastic crew with a wide smile on his face.
A small picture rested in his hand, in which his beautiful pregnant wife was smiling.
Beside him two other people. One was a 30 year old man. He was semi-fair in color and had dark black eyes and hair of the same color. Dressed in his Alliance Uniform, he observed the commotion with a calm look.
"Come on, Shantanu there's no need to be so tense..." said Minato light heartedly, earning a faint smile from the ever serious man.
"Admiral, I understand. But still..." said Shantanu Raval uncertainly,
"You're nervous, that is to be expected. Don't be afraid, we have ran through the drills hundred of times by now. Still I want our ships to be ready for anything..." advised Minato, getting a faithful nod in return.
"Yes, Admiral. All 600 ships are ready for anything. Awaiting further orders from you..." replied Raval,
"Hmm"
"So the historical moment finally arrives..."
Both men turned around to find a young girl approaching towards them. Dressed in civilian clothes, her long dark hair tied to a ponytail Mikoto Uchiha certainly managed to attract the attention of many young officers on the deck.
The 19 year old stepped beside the young Admiral giving him a teasing smile, Shantanu sighed on seeing her openly flirting behavior while Minato clumsily smiled and rubbed the back of his head.
"So, Admiral what are your plans after this mission? You certainly will be rewarded a promotion and several medals..." said Mikoto cheerfully,
"I'll retire"
She would have nearly fallen off the bridge if Shantanu had not caught her instantly. The Indian origin officer had the same exasperated look in his eyes clearly showing his discomfort to his Admiral's decision.
"Why?" asked Mikoto quickly, unable to understand this blonde handsome man.
"I never wanted to be a soldier. My parents died in the line of duty, they didn't leave me much wealth. The only way I could have completed my education was through Alliance Support. In return, I had to enlist in the Navy and luckily I managed to climb the ranks..." confessed Mikoto,
"Admiral, you didn't reach this rank through luck. You are one of the best officers I've served in my career of 12 years..." chided Shantanu.
"You're too kind, Raval. Maybe I'll recommend you to take my spot after I retire..." said Minato honestly, making the man take a step back in shock.
"Admiral, that's-"
"Hey, we're missing the point here. If you didn't want to be a soldier, then what did you want to be? More importantly, what will you do if you are allowed to retire?" asked Mikoto curiously,
"I wanted to be a Historian. My wife will probably stay with the Alliance, and our son will need at least one parent to look after him. This way I get to pursue my true interest and look after my child as well. Plus, I'll retire as one of the most decorated officers receiving a good pension. So..." said Minato mischievously,
"I...see" said Mikoto hesitantly, not happy on hearing about a certain redhead.
Shantanu saw Minato curiously staring at the young girl's remorseful face, and quickly signaled her silently. Mikoto instantly regained her cheerful smile and gave the man a silent thankful nod. Only a handful people knew about her feelings for the young Admiral, fortunately no one had spilled the secret due to Shantanu denying those rumors and rebuking any personnel who talked about it.
"You see, Mikoto. This guy has his eyes set on that fat pension, that's all..." joked Raval, quickly diverting the topic.
"Hmm, I never knew that you were so cunning..." accused Mikoto lightly,
"Well, I just want to be there to see my son grow up..." said Minato with a smile,
"Raval, your own son will be completing his first birthday in a few months. What are your plans?" asked Minato curiously,
"The Navy is my life, Admiral. My family and in the longer run my son will understand it. I plan to continue to serve the Alliance until I retire or..." said Shantanu suggestively,
"I see. Well then, I wish you luck. Now let's start the relay..." said Minato seriously,
The three of them smiled and turned to accomplish the task for which they had worked so hard the past few months.
"T-minus 30 seconds to activation, Admiral..." informed Heinrich Mclinger, the Operations Head.
"Contact, we have incoming vessels on zero-four-seven knots. Now on intercept course..." warned a young female,
Minato's smile vanished as he quickly leaned forward and looked in the mentioned direction. The "SSV Storm's" camera zoomed and indeed there were foreign vessels approaching towards them.
While he was the commander of this ship, he was also the Admiral. The entire Scouting Flotilla of 600 ships was under his command, and now they were at a dangerous turn.
"Shantanu, issue alert through the fleet. Send a message to the incoming alien ships, warn them..." instructed Minato,
"Yes, Admiral..."
"Heinrich, stop the relay sequence right now. We cannot activate it under these circumstances..." ordered Minato,
"On it, sir..."
Mikoto tensely observed as the previously cheerful crew became extremely tense. After all, this was the "First Contact" humanity was having with another entity.
Minato issued orders after orders with quick succession, displaying his prowess as an Admiral.
Just when things looked to be getting under control, Shantanu approached towards his leader with a grim look on his face.
"Admiral, our fleet has adopted alert status. Ships are preparing for combat, but the enemy is not answering to our hails..." warned Shantanu urgently,
Mikoto observed Minato placing a hand on his chin, his eyebrows furrowing in thought.
"Raval, contact Alliance Command immediately. Code Delta is to be issued right away..." instructed Minato,
"Admiral, our long range communications have been jammed. We cannot contact command, plus the enemy is trying to disrupt flotilla wide communications..." informed Raval worriedly,
"Damn it, we'll just have to do this on our own-"
"Sir, enemy contact to our Stern (Rear). Ships numbering 800, the frontal force seems to have nearly another 400 ships. We are surrounded..." warned another officer,
"Incoming salvo rounds!"
Mikoto froze in fear, the enemy were clearly attacking their flotilla. She saw Minato and Shantanu assuming their battle stations, with the Admiral grabbing a flotilla wide communication device.
The young Admiral had understood the enemy's intention to jam ship-to-ship communications, and was now announcing on open channels.
"This can prove deadly if the enemy is able to understand our language. But given the circumstances..." thought Mikoto worriedly,
''All ships, launch attacks on the frontal enemy fleet. FIRE!" ordered Minato sternly,
The entire dark space lit up as 600 ships launched their missiles. The projectiles sped towards their target with great speed, and a few moments later the space lit up like fire crackers as the enemy ships returned fire.
Even then, the Alliance attack was more fierce and Mikoto watched in horror as nearly 20-30 enemy ships were destroyed instantly.
"Admiral, the main enemy fleet is closing up behind us. Contact in 4 minutes..."
Minato grit his teeth and quickly turned towards Shantanu, who gave a nod and pressed a few consoles. Moments later, the faces of three other commanders appeared on screen who gave Minato crisp salutes.
"Commander Moretti, Commander Patel, Commander Li. Adopt a semi circular formation and hold the frontal enemy ships at bay. No matter the cost..." ordered Minato,
"Yes, sir!" replied the three commanders with crisp salutes,
"Shantanu, order all ships to spool their FTL drives. Give me an estimate before we are ready for jump?" asked Minato sternly, surprising his subordinate.
"Approximately 20-25 minutes. But Admiral, are we really running away? The Alliance Command will never forgive us for this..." warned Raval, as Minato slammed his hand on the desk.
"I won't sacrifice thousands of soldiers for the sake of pride. The enemy has us outnumbered and cornered, strategic retreat is the only logical choice. Don't worry, I will take full responsibility for this decision..." reassured Minato,
The next few minutes were perhaps the most memorable moments of Mikoto's life. She could only stare in awe as Admiral Namikaze reorganized his small fleet against an enemy who had him outnumbered by twice as many ships.
Minato was quick in giving orders and organizing his fleet into proper formations. Fortunately, his second in command was a competent officer who co-ordinated the flagship's order to other ships effectively.
According the Minato's orders, Shantanu organized the three chosen commanders and nearly 200 ships in a semi-circular formation in the front. While Raval maintained command over the intense battle happening on the front, Minato organized the remaining 400 Alliance Ships into formations in order to face the main enemy fleet which had nearly reached them from the rear.
She had seen fleet battles in a few war movies, where humans triumphantly defeated other races. Those actors made the ordeal seem so easy, but now facing the real battle where their lives were at risk made her aware of the enormous task that Minato shouldered on his shoulder. Co-ordinating which each ship, making its commanders fall in line quickly, the crews working exactly as per given orders.
It was fair to say that no matter what her views about the Alliance were, she could never deny the fact that they were a competent military force led by some extraordinary officers and sailors.
Even then, the Alliance was heavily outnumbered and completely caught by surprise. And a few moments later they were made to accept this fact very harshly.
"Battleship Grendel has been sunk, Commander Moretti died in battle!"
"Battleship Kremlin has been destroyed!"
"Battleship Washington is no more!"
"Battleship Shiva has been hit, severe hull damage. Commander Patel is injured but still in command..."
Minato listened to the incoming devastating reports with a grim look on his face, in a matter of 2 minutes he had lost nearly 70 ships and one of his top commanders. The other two were still in the fight, but not for long.
His serious eyes turned towards Shantanu who indicated 15 minutes before their ships could embark on FTL jumps.
His eyes saw a holographic projection of the entire battle, despite his commander's best efforts they enemy frontal fleet had penetrated deep inside. Although their numbers were merely 150 now, even then they were relentless.
However the main danger was the larger enemy fleet that was attacking them from the rear...
"Admiral, we're being pincer attacked from both sides. We've lost nearly 120 ships by now, another 80 are badly damaged and are of no further use in this battle. At this rate..." said Shantanu grimly,
"How many minutes more before FTL launch capability?" asked Minato quietly,
"10 minutes, sir"
Mikoto did well in not making her presence disturb the Admiral, however she could not understand the grim, understanding nods exchanged between Shantanu and Minato.
"Organize our fleet into a conclave formation, place the injured ships at the center..." commanded Minato,
"Yes, Admiral"
Shantanu quickly executed the orders, even so the enemy rained heavy fire on them destroying a few more Alliance ships. For the sake of his soldiers, Minato even once tried to contact the enemy fleet command. Many years later, Mikoto would always wonder whether the Admiral had made that call for surrender or something else.
Alas he got no response, leaving only one way for him.
She had met a few Admirals in her short tenure in the Alliance, most of them old and strict. If one thing all of them had in common was their pride, but Minato was nothing like that. He was carefree, lenient, friendly but extremely talented and competent when things got tough.
And then he did something which immortalized him in her heart...
"Raval, have we identified the flagship of the enemy fleet?" asked Minato cunningly,
"Yes, Admiral. It's a battleship called Menea, we think. Strange, it is almost leading the charge and stationed just behind the enemy's front line..." explained Shantanu,
"Strange indeed. Perhaps they think that we are on the verge of defeat, and they're right" said Minato calmly,
"Admiral!"
The young Admiral merely laughed clumsily easing the tension and worry on the faces of Shantanu and every other Alliance officer on deck.
"Don't worry, we won't be defeated..." said Minato light heartedly, with a small wink.
Mikoto would have face faulted if she wasn't quite stunned with Minato's simple answer. She saw the other officers even smiling and shaking their heads playfully on seeing their Admiral be so calm.
Then the smile vanished from Minato's face as a cold, deadly look appeared in his piercing blue eyes.
"Order the entire fleet to concentrate fire on the Menea. Destroy their flagship!"
Momentary shock was visible on every Alliance soldier's face, but soon enough Shantanu whipped them in shape and communicated the order to all ships quickly. In a way, she was glad that Shantanu was more serious and imposing as an officer. It made up for Minato's lenient nature, and maintained the respective chain of command.
If Minato was the mind, then Shantanu and the other soldiers, officers of the Alliance Flagship were the body that held this fleet in place.
The Alliance Ships suffered quite a few losses, as they aligned their weapon systems on a single ship stationed on the right arm of the enemy main fleet.
"FIRE!" yelled Minato,
It was a magnificent sight to watch nearly 400 Alliance Ships fire precisely on one certain point. No matter how strong the enemy was, or how many ships they had. They couldn't stop this attack and the Menea was destroyed in a glorious explosion taking with it nearly another 200 other enemy ships stationed near it.
Mikoto's eyes widened on seeing the entire enemy right flank collapse, the main fleet itself erupted into chaos with the loss of the flagship. The small fleet firing at the Alliance from the front also seemed stunned for a moment, on losing their leader ship and top commanders along with it.
Minato instantly pointed his arm forward, as he realized the decisive moment.
"All ships, charge in!"
As soon as the Alliance ships entered into the enemy fleet's perimeter, Minato launched several fighter squadrons deep inside the enemy lines. The quick, small fighter aircraft squadrons and their deadly pilots created even more chaos destroying several enemy ships caught by surprise.
"Admiral, our rear flank has collapsed. Commander Li has died in battle..." yelled Shantanu urgently,
Minato clenched his fists on seeing the tactical picture. More than one third of his fleet had broken through the enemy lines and were now safe for the moment, almost ready for FTL jumps. Even so more than 140 ships still remained stuck in a chaotic battle.
While the enemy main fleet was trying to reorganize themselves, the small frontal fleet had charged in from behind with great force. Despite the best efforts from Commander Li, the Alliance rear flank had collapsed.
And they were trapped...
She saw Minato silently grabbing the picture of his pregnant wife, and she was not sure but she may have heard him saying "Sorry, love" or something like that.
Then with determination shining in his eyes he stepped forward,
"Order Commander Patel to assume control over our trapped ships. He has to breakthrough this blockade, no matter the cost. This ship will remain in the rear, as the flagship of this fleet we will cover their retreat. Understood?" asked Minato seriously,
The Admiral received grim nods and rueful smiles in return, as the officers and soldiers started carrying out their orders for the last time.
Shantanu stepped beside her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You should evacuate, Mikoto. Reach the escape shuttles, gather your team of civilians and get off this ship.." advised Shantanu seriously,
The "SSV Storm" assumed the rear flank, firing heavily on any enemy ship caught in their cross-hairs. She saw Minato smiling sadly, as a few more Alliance Ships joined their Admiral in his last stand firing mercilessly on the enemy, while their remaining ships made a quick retreat.
Their eyes met for a moment, as Minato gave her a small smile.
"Looks like I won't be boring students with my history lessons..." said Minato clumsily, earning a smirk from Shantanu.
Tears welled up in her eyes, as she understood the meaning behind those words. Her lips parted to say something..
"I know..." said Minato calmly, surprising her further.
Marching forward he enveloped her in a warm hug, gently caressing her back as Shantanu assumed temporary command over the flagship and its few remaining allies.
"It was nice knowing you, Mikoto. I'm afraid, I cannot go on further with you..." explained Minato patiently,
"This...is...not...fair..." said Mikoto tearfully, even as she hugged him fiercely.
"I suppose that's the case. Regardless, you need to get out of here. What we discovered on Mars is far more important than any of this, make sure the Alliance knows about it. If they do not act, then try to make my son understand. It will be his choice whether he wants to fulfill my last wish, or chose his own path. And give him this letter when he's of age..." instructed Minato compassionately, receiving a bleak nod from the tearful girl.
"What...should...I...tell...Kushina?" asked Mikoto hesitantly,
"No words are necessary. We are both soldiers, she will understand..." reassured Minato,
He surprised her by placing a tender kiss on her forehead, before making her stand up. She looked towards Shantanu and the other Alliance officers who gave her small smiles.
Steeling herself, she gave a firm, respectful salute to all of them. A gesture they returned whole heartedly.
Then without looking back she ran. Never stopping for a second, she gathered her team of civilian scientists and made her way towards the escape shuttles. The last time she heard Minato's voice was over the ship speakers where he ordered all non- essential officers and soldiers to evacuate. While the Admiral, Shantanu and a handful remaining officers and soldiers continued to command the flagship holding the enemy fleet at bay.
Four minutes later, she and the remaining survivors from the personnel arrived on SSV Shiva. Commander Patel did well in following Minato's order and achieved success in making the remaining Alliance ships break free from the enemy blockade.
And then she heard something which broke her heart.
"Flagship SSV Storm has been sunk, Admiral Minato Namikaze honorably died in battle..." said Commander Patel respectfully, but nobody missed the sadness in his voice or the tearful looks in each other's eyes.
As the Shiva's FTL drives spooled up for jump, her eyes got fixed on the far away distance where she saw wreckage of the Alliance Flagship and its allies. All of them destroyed, and the enemy turning back to pursue the surviving ships.
Her eyes gleamed with hatred, and a nearby Marine was shocked when those dark orbs of her turned blood red.
(Flashback End)
"Due to the Gallant battle waged by both of your fathers and their officers, nearly half of the Alliance Fleet managed to escape. Minato was awarded the Star Of Terra, the highest military medal in Alliance Navy. While Shantanu and many other Alliance officers received the Navy Cross. You may or may not know it, Naruto. But the Alliance promoted your father posthumously to the rank of Fleet Admiral for his sacrifice, making him the youngest officer to attain that rank in Alliance history..." explained Mikoto proudly, but the sadness was easily visible in her eyes and voice.
Tali had managed to regain her bearings and had listened to the entire story silently. She could see the sadness and pain in all three humans whose lives were destroyed due to that war. And yet she considered it ironic enough, that history was still repeating itself in an unconventional way.
For starters, Naruto had joined Navy too and was advancing fast through the ranks like his father.
Mikoto who had been present in the past to witness such a strange phenomenon, was now being a part of a similar cycle by being beside Naruto's side and whom she considered as a near reflection of Minato.
And Jash Raval had also followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Alliance. And now ironically, he was serving the son of the Admiral whom his own father had served and died alongside with.
"They killed him and all of my friends. That conflict was avoidable, we even tried to warn them and yet...I can never forgive them!" said Mikoto angrily,
Mikoto was surprised when Naruto moved forward and enveloped her in a warm hug. No words were exchanged, yet his embrace made her melt in his arms.
Tali moved forward and laid a gentle hand on Jash's shoulder who was silently going through his own grief.
"Why did the Alliance then report that the entire flotilla was destroyed?" asked Tali hesitantly, earning a sharp glare from Mikoto.
But on seeing the same question in Naruto and Jash's eyes made her relent,
"To gather sympathy. All the survivors were sworn to secrecy never to reveal the truth. By doing this, entire humanity erupted with bloodlust and rage. Knowing that the aliens had mercilessly slaughtered all of our people skyrocketed enlistments, war funding, and the Alliance striked back viciously and the First Contact War Started..." explained Mikoto honestly,
"So in the end, that cover story was for political purposes. I may not like it, but logically it might have saved our race from complete defeat at the hands of the Turians..." said Naruto seriously,
"I understand your feelings, Mikoto. But it still does not explain Minato's profound faith that Naruto had something to do with whatever information you discovered on Mars..." said Jash confusedly, a frown visible on his face.
"All we could decipher from the book Jash gave us was the word Reapers, Shinobi and certain benefits of chakra. What does this have to do with me?" asked Naruto hesitantly,
The next moment he regretted asking that question when Mikoto looked him straight in the eye.
"Because we found your name written on the strange artifact discovered on Mars..."