Mantle Across A Starry League
Disclaimer: I own no franchise or original content that appears within. They belong to their creator's, and owners.
Summary: Megaverse. A grand vision, on how Mass Effect, and others will be affected by a humanity forged from the influences of 1980's-2000's Sci-Fi and such. Prepare for BattleMech's, Powered Armour's, Fusion, Energy Weapons, Psychics, Magics, and more. How will the Citadel deal with a humanity that has seen and has Cyborgs, Super-Soldiers, BattleMech's, WarShips, with more to come?
One of the more exotic ground units of humanity emerges in this chapter, and displays it's preeminent power.
Enter, the Lyran Commonwealth, who bring gifts of tanks with mo' tank on yo' tank, because I heard you liked tanks bruh!
Chapter 10-BattleTech Wars:Part 2-Ottumwa I
"When even the dictators of today appeal to reason, they mean that they possess the most tanks. They were rational enough to build them; others should be rational enough to yield to them."-Max Horkheimer
-Classical – Richard Wagner – Ride of the Valkyries START-
Draconis Combine
Planet Valasha
10th February
General Friedrich Steiner, the head of HEIMDALL in the LCAF, deployed with his army to the planets surface. There were still significant Covenant troops upon the equatorial line, and he needed to kill them before they got to comfortable in that Temple.
The massive and custom-built DropShip's hit the atmosphere with a loud fwash, shaking the ships as they descended to a viable landing zone. The Barbarossa-Class carried 100,000 tonnes of special units, ready to roll forth and smash the Covenant to pieces. All commanders anticipating this drop, as they waited inside their units.
The Tiger Drei.
A massive conglomerate of twelve metres wide, thirty-one metres long, and weighing approximately 1,750 tonnes. A 305mm Railcannon was it's main armament, having inertial dampeners placed in the turret to prevent recoil tearing it off. Secondary RAC-2's dotted it's hull, providing anti-missile and anti-infantry abilities. The rounds were fitted with a complex device that held pure-fusion grade hydrogen, which would detonate upon impact or proximity(depending on how they were primed by the AI as it auto-loaded the shells.
The DropShip opened up, and out rolled 57 machines of the Ultra-Heavy Tank Battalion, forming up and waiting for the other ships to disembark their own accompaniment. The 3-story hull cast a shadow over the tanks, and a Mech would barely be able to see onto the deck. The cannon rotated back and forth on the tanks, as they each surveyed the distance with their sensors and their visuals.
VTOL's embarked from the second space-transit vehicle, hovering in formation above the battalion. Smaller, more mobile platforms emerged from the third DropShip, as they looked like rats milling about their larger brethren. The assorted Assault Tanks took up perimeter around the Tiger III's, careful to stay wide of the monolithic-sized tread systems, their weapons systems loading and preparing to spit hot-death at the enemy.
Friedrich looked around from high-up his tank Sigdrifa, and saw that all were in position, and ready. Waving to the others that could see him, he motioned with his hand, drawing his finger in several rapid horizontal circles indicating the force was to begin moving.
"ACHTUNG, PANZER!" The General bellowed from his loudspeaker.
"VORWARTS!" The General yelled into his comms, making himself heard over the rumble of the Tigers massive engines, fusion reaction burning with Sunfire deep within and pushing the massive treads forward. The Tigers, Valkyries, and the smaller Fenris tanks all moved out, leaving the landing area behind for the ships to defend.
Beginning to move, Friedrich read up on what the Covenant were currently in-motion with, looking at his bracers tactical display.
"There is a central energy-shielding unit within their encampment, and it is guarding the main units of the Covenant force, with their expedition to the Temple having reduced numbers in preparation to fight us." His AI, Tveskæg(Forkbeard in Danish) stated as he emerged, wearing a crowned 10th Century helm, chainmail and partial plate armour girding him alongside his Viking Sword that was etched with glowing translucent Runes. The sign of Odhinn carved into the helm he wore, his AI turned the helm to stare at the battlefield and gestured at the Covenant encampment with an armoured fist.
"I see. There's three main generators, for the sections of the bases, powering a central generator. However, halting it's operations should be a simple matter, with our forces firepower." Friedrich gestured, and grouped the tanks into three units, putting a Colonel and two Majors in charge of each spear, with him in overall command for the overall battle.
"Colonel, Majors, I want your three groups to this area. Our groups are to be 120° apart from each other, reference point is the enemy bases generators, around 2km outside their perimeter." Friedrich stated, after bringing the officers into his discussion with Tveskæg, and showing them the ideal position they should be in before beginning their assault.
The three nodded, as they barked orders of their own comms officers, giving vectors and directions to the other tanks in the Battalion. Sustaining a rampant pace, they covered massive amounts of ground, the Assault Tanks gunning their engines keeping up with the giants. Steiner grinned, straightening his General's cap, as he took in the crisp fresh air, rolling through the countryside and approaching the equator. The ground churned, and crumbled beneath the mighty tread, breeding clouds of dust as they went, leaving debris settling in their wake.
The countryside greeted them, some animals watching on as the huge force rolled through, and others such as the many species of birds couldn't bare the noise and vibration taking flight and fleeing. The tanks rumbled through the farming countryside, perfect fly-over country, smashing through paddies of rice and other multi-tiered constructs that contained various types of food exports of the Draconis Combine. As the beautiful countryside was marred by the advancing tanks, and their various treads, they began to separate into three individual forces. Three groups of 19 formed, the air fleet separating equally amongst the tanks, giving them each 20 GunShips.
The Covenant huddled in fear as they approached, having detected the movements and emissions coming from the north, and prepared as many of their defences as they could whilst hoping to destroy the enemy force. Most had a pit in their stomach, feeling that they would be unable to prevent the coming destruction, given the humans propensity for only showing a new unit once it was concentrated into a professional military outfit.
Hardly new, the Lyran's had been itching to get their Tiger Tanks into action, but hadn't had the opportune moment yet. Which, as a point-of-fact, was when orbital supremacy was established and only then would the Tiger be unleashed. The Commanders of the units had protested, and vehemently petitioned to have the restrictions lifted as they believed they could destroy Covenant ships from the ground, but the Archon summarily refused.
She refused to endanger the amount of lives that each tanks carried, she refused to waste the resources committed and built with Lyran labour, and most of all she refused the notion her tanks could down the ships of the enemy based upon the facts about their shielding. Such had been said, and all sorts of explanations thrown back and forth, but Katrina Steiner refused to let them test their abilities and draw such attention to the Lyran Commonwealth. For all they know, the Covenant could respond and blast them with larger concentrations of ships from space, overwhelming their tanks and it would be over. Ergo they would be used in situations where they could completely overwhelm the enemy.
The Tiger's manoeuvred into place surrounding the base, as defence craft began taking off and leaving the defence shield to attack them. Moving to a greater altitude, the Valkyrie GunShip craft began to acquire targeting solution from the swarm coming at them, loading missiles into launchers and cycling their weapons up to standby.
The Covenant transport craft opened fire while they held the defilade position, and fired down at an angle towards the humans. Ionized bolts of super-heated gas flew towards them, terse multitudes screaming throughout the sky, electromagnetically-compressed death burning towards the Lyran air force.
Unleashing a barrage of their own missiles, the Barracuda-D, the hypersonic anti-air missiles accelerated towards their targets. Streaking and diving through the cloud of oncoming plasma, they weaved and danced through the bolts, burning faster than the enemy could track with their speed. While the plasma spattered against the bodies of the LCAF air-contingent, sizzling and boiling away chunks of armour, the Barracuda-D's impacted.
Striking and penetrating the Spirits, and Phantoms with ease, the Barracuda-D's struck true. Smashing into the ships like a speeding Mammoth, they were rocked then broken when the missiles detonated inside, blasting apart the transports like water-balloons with a flash of actinic-whitish-blue fire. The Valkyries continued to fire, bringing their powerful RAC-7s to bear, and sending a jaw-rattling salvo of 75mm rounds down-range. Slamming into the Seraphs that were there, they cut their shields down with the rapid cannon fire, and turned them to scrap metal with the lead screens that hit crumpling them and sending the alien ships into plummeting spirals to the ground below.
"FIRE AT WILL!" Yelled the General into his communicator, sending the order to all tanks, now that they were in position. Finely crafted, precision perfected gun barrels barked, sending a small discharge out with their firing. With a krak of displaced air, the rounds exited the carefully forged long-snout cannons, into the Covenant's energy screen.
The hydrogen charges within ignited, as the fuel was compressed into the wonderful glow of atomic fury, before it ripped free of the complex-mechanism and it's small inertial dampener(stopped the hydrogen from detonating under extreme impulse at high-speed). Yellow-gold detonations bathed the screen in violent fury, the force shredding objects to their component elements. With a groan, the energy shield fell, but kept the worst of the detonations away from their base and numbers.
The Covenant Legions advanced immediately, and began firing with everything they had.
"Covenant battle-line, ahead 2 km, 0.01 kiloton round!" Friedrich ordered his men in the command room.
"Dialing, and shot away!" Spoke the Gunner, as he set the yield for the round, and gave the command to fire once the cannon was oriented properly.
"Shot is good. Over 200+ enemy kills General." A sensor operator reported. As the tanks began acquiring and finding their own targets, Friedrich opened up alongside them, targeting the first line of defences. A round impacted the line, smashing through the defence turret and it's energy shield with the massive kinetic power of the round, and then decimated with the atomic fury of a fusion reaction going off from within their structure.
Ripping into the base complexes they sat up, they first volley robbed most of the base of power. The only unit left working and not overloaded, or destroyed, was the main generator for the energy-shield. Which happened to be rebooting in the distance, behind a few structures and walls.
The Covenant's line were screaming in terror, as nearly half of them died in the barrage, and their equipment was completely destroyed in the areas that had been hit. Firing as much as their panicky-hides could, the Unggoy and Kig'Yar sprinted about in a desperate manner. Those who were at heavy weapons, were joined by everyone that was near, the aliens trying to desperately group fire upon the human machines before they got close enough to run them all over with those massive treads.
"Valkyrie-leader begin bombing runs." Friedrich ordered through his bracer, giving the signal for the Captain in charge of the Air-Force-Contingent.
The Valkyries began performing strafing runs, launching powerful missile strikes that slammed into the buildings they overshot, RAC-7 spitting it's silver stream of fire. Rounds surged out of the cannon, as the Valkyries raced through the Covenant bases Airspace, firing at the aliens manning the various defence's. Pulling high-G manoeuvres, the GunShips streaked through the air, dodging enemy plasma fire as they reduced the defenders in number.
Rounds lit up the Covenant defenders, as they were all brought under fire from the withering RAC-7's, air-defence weapons blown to pieces as they struggled to fire upon the fast-movers. Catching a few with large bolts of plasma, around 7 caught ionized plasma in their engine blocks as they jetted through the complex trenches(formed by the buildings the Covenant had all over the place), and blowing up spectacularly in the air, and hurtling into a nosedive with screeches.
Smashing into the Covenant avenues, they tore trenches up into their purple and metallic surfaces, ripping up the pristine and majestic-looking metal. The Covenant cheered with this small moment of victory, as the GunShips flew away from the complex.
Then they remembered the tanks.
Turning with a few hoots and yelps, they beheld the Tiger's bearing down upon them, their treads far to close for comfort. Rolling into the base, the tanks immediately rumbled over the buildings in their way, their massive bulk and inertia smashing the buildings flat as a pancake. Not bothering to fire now, in close where they could hit each other, the Tank Battalions just optioned to crush the base underfoot and leave the cannon-fire for later.
Smashing over the defensive belt, and running the screaming Covenant underfoot, the Tigers rode through the base. Ramming everything before them, they began wheeling and swerving their tanks, making sure to pull every alien sight underfoot and grind them beneath their treads. The aliens ran in total fear now, breaking completely, and beginning to run in any direction they could as they abandoned all pretense of resistance.
"Tiger-5, Tiger-34, Tiger-48 take up positions on all three sides of the base and light up any escapee's. We don't want any of the aliens escaping, now do we?" Friedrich ordered his commanders, who sent out the tanks listed, and they began rumbling as they spun 180° to face the fleeing and escaping aliens.
"Tiger-5, situated and firing on-target." The first Tiger III got into position, and began targeting the sprinting Unggoy and Kig'Yar.
"Tiger-34 in position and decimating enemy." The second Tiger III arrived, and put the lead out in rapid fashion.
"Tiger-48 arriving, and firing." The third Tiger III took up vigil on the path leading back to the Arcopolis, and let loose it's fury.
"All Tiger III's backup to minimum safe-distance, and target that generator and the shield unit." Friedrich ordered, with the Colonel and Majors relaying the orders to their contingents. The tanks reversed their engines, and began backing up, rumbling through the smashed and flattened steel. Screeching, the landscape moved out of their way, as they set themselves up to fire.
"All Tiger III's, with a 0.01 kiloton round on the generator, FIRE AT WILL!" The General roared into the comm, with the relaying shouts accompanying, before the 51st Ultra-Heavy Tank Battalion "Wittman" fired in concert upon the Covenant construct. 57 massive rounds smashed into it's superstructure, rending much of it apart with that alone, before the fury of the fusion rounds burst forth and washed the complex with multiple sub-kiloton detonations.
An awe-inspiring sun formed before the tanks formation, and consumed the structures within a 1km circle, before the energy behind their weapons petered out. When the dust and smoke cleared, they were beholding a crater in the ground where the generator was, removing it's presence from Valasha's surface.
"Begin clean-up. Hunt down all Covenant remnants. I do not want a single alien getting off of this planet!" The General stated through his comms, gazing upon the destruction he had unleashed.
-Classical – Richard Wagner – Ride of the Valkyries END-
~Perspective shift~
-Epic Soul Factory – The Gift of the Gods START-
Planet Kirbyville
Federated Suns
10th February, 2531
Captain Cutter watched from an overseer position, as his Supercarrier was repaired, the Spirit of Fire in a space-dock amongst multitudes of other ships that were present doing one thing or another. A huge space station that included engineering facilities, the dock facilitated nearly 200 ships along it's height and width.
"Sir, we have a Terran Hegemony contingent requesting permission to come aboard." Serina popped up, and began to display a DropShip leaving the atmosphere, having taken off from the StarPort. Cutter acknowledged her, and looked closely at the ship.
Socrates-Class, the primary workhorse of the Spartan branches Space-Lift capabilities, the same as the Team on Harvest used. A message popped onto his bracer, initiating a video-uplink.
"I didn't accept a call..." Thought the Captain, as he stared at a figure in fatigues with the four-star badge of a general clear upon beret, which was itself set on top of a craggy no-nonsense face that held a strictly brushed moustache.
"Good day Captain Cutter." The figure said in greeting.
"General Shepherd. How were you able to open a channel with me?" The Captain said, saluting the General, who returned it before speaking.
"I needed your attention for a few minutes, and I don't have time for an appointment, so I overrode the protocol's on your bracer and set up a link. Here's what I need from you son." The gruff voice of the stern General overrode any objection Cutter had, as he rolled through the conversation, pushing aside the junior-officers concern.
The flagship of the Fleet they had seen facing the Kuritan's at Valasha. Compared alongside it, were several photos of the same ship at Novo Franklin, and Harvest.
"This ship has appeared in most major engagements that we have recorded, outperforming our forces whenever we come across it, and ONI has a running theory that there is an extraordinary commander in charge of it." Cancelling the picture-evidence, the General leaned forward.
"It's been cleared with both SLDF, and through Spartan Branches, so now you will receive the orders. I won't be taking control of your mission to find the truth of this from the Covenant, but I am authorizing an addendum, and additional forces to be attached." A few pictures appeared in short order, listing the units assigned to the Spirit's fleet.
"Your mission, will be to assassinate the commander of that ship, active whenever you come into contact with it." Shepherd said with finality.
"Sir, will this be a mission-critical objective?" Cutter asked with a frown appearing on his face. Shepherd raised an eyebrow at the attitude, but said nothing, and answered his question.
"It will be secondary to your main mission, but it will be a secondary that you will focus on. HIGHCOMM wants that skilled commander eliminated." The General said, crossing his muscled arms, and fixing the Captain with a stare.
"Understand, you have a duty to not just the Star League, but to your home to do your duty. War may be dirty sometimes, but what is done by us prevents the tide of filth from washing heavily over our citizens. This operation will subtitled into the main mission as OPERATION:ALEXANDER. Are your orders in any way unclear, Captain?" The General asked in his stony voice, indicating the conversation was over, and not up for discussion.
"No sir. Understood sir." Cutter answered, and saluted as the General did.
"Good. General Shepherd, out." The man said, and reached forward to shut off his holocaller, disappearing from view. Cutter sighed exasperatedly, and then called Serina forth. The AI popped up, frowning as she came into being, and Cutter pointed out the DropShip still on his bracer.
"I see we will be host to more diversity in the near future. How will affect our mission?" The AI said, as she brought up the ships logs, searching to see who was commanding.
"Sir, you might want to see this." Serina threw a blue ball of light from her staff, where it resolved into a large profile holoscreen, and displayed a grizzled and maned man.
He held a cigar in his grimacing mouth, and an eye-path graced his right eye, hair pulled back by a headband.
"That's Solid Snake. What is Earths most legendary soldier doing with the Spartans, let alone coming on this trip for?" The Captains widened eyes scanned the profile noting everything from age, to service history, to current rank and affiliations.
Councillor of the Megacorporation Outer Haven Foundation.
Frown growing larger and larger upon his face, Cutter resolved to open a channel with the approaching DropShip.
"Call established. Receiving acceptance protocol's. Channel up." Stated Serina, as she worked to contact the Socrates-Class, and open contact. Successful in her endeavour, she threw a screen up in place of the bio of the legendary soldier, with a moving face. It showed a little surprise, but assessed him in a calm manner.
"Captain Cutter, what can I do for you?" The gravelly voice of the Councillor grated over the comm line, greeting Cutter with base tones.
"I was wondering if you could fill me on some specifics, as to why you've been assigned to us." The man raised a visible eyebrow, and peered interested at the Captain, who fidgeted nervously as the soldier assessed him.
"I thought General Shepherd was quite explicit about our directives. What more do you need to know?" Solid Snake queried.
Cutter looked hesitant for a moment, before turning to the bracers projection.
"Yes, I understand the mission addendum. What I want to know is why the General of Spartan-Branch assigned it to me, and why they sent one of the Megacorporations people with. Can you give some light to this." Cutter asked, as he kept his eyes trained on the Councillor.
"Hm. I guess I can tell you the why of our presence. SLDF HIGHCOMM has designated the commander of that ship a threat to human space, and wants to ensure we kill whoever is in charge, thus my and this vessel." James narrowed his eyes, watching Snake closely.
"How are you supposed to be ensure it's destroyed? The Covenant are no slouch's, and honestly if they possess a competent commander, then we would have to tread lightly even with our weaponry." Snake smirked, and moved a shoulder indicating he was typing something into a console.
A form sprang up, of a tank.
"That's a SheVa." Serina stated, tone one of awe.
"Indeed it is little lady. What you are looking at is the Shenandoah Valley Mk-IV Land Superiority Unit. Armed with a 16 inch Railcannon, a plethora of secondaries for metal-beasties of smaller size, it's a unit that can wreak total destruction upon the battlefield. Yes sir, Bun-Bun is a machine designed to ruin someones day." Snake said with a little bit of amusement in his voice, ringing off the tanks attribute like a sales-pitch.
"You going to use that SheVa to try and assassinate that commander?" Cutter asked the man, and he nodded in ascent.
"That is the plan. We're going to land upon the next planet, and whatever you go to after that, to try and present a situation where we can use the SheVa to take him out. Given the skills this commander has presented, it is not desirable to engage in direct battle. This gave way to my being assigned to the mission, as there are few better than me when it comes to stealth and planning." The last piece fell into place, and Cutter understood.
"I see. You will be conducting your operations to retrieve that data, and I will be trying to bait whatever forces there are into a decisive conflict so you can take it out." Cutter stated, frowning slightly.
It seemed a little dishonourable that anyone should be attacked in such way. Such was war though, and it wasn't fair.
"I'm gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch." Snake stated grinning, before he winked out, having stated everything he needed to and decided that the conversation was over. Cutter let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, wondering why he was so tense. As he thought back to the conversation, he stalled upon Snake's eye.
There was a weariness there. Wisdom mixed with regret. It seemed that even as Snake talked to them in a jovial tone of voice, he projected the aura of what he truly was, it being impossible to disguise completely even with a laid back attitude. The man had seen so many battles and wars, being one of the few to survive since humanities greatest changes, and nobody knew how. Cutter never believed that himself, but when he felt the gaze of the Greatest Soldier of All Time fall upon his person, he instinctually knew they were all true. You couldn't hide that stare, and Cutter was adept at spotting fakers from his time in HAF.
HIGHCOMM was afraid enough, to send one of their greatest resources, to end this commander and stop his escapades so humanity would get a chance to possibly reinforce the frontier and hopefully mount an offensive. Cutter rubbed his chin in thought, now trying to think how they would execute their mission.
Especially when he was sure that the Covenant were ahead of them this time.
"Captain, I've let the station know that we will need the parts for maintenancing the SheVa, and keeping it operational. They have notified us that we will be receiving special munitions, that need a separate space set aside in the nuclear magazines." Serina raised an eyebrow, trying to go through the encryption, but being rebuffed. The file blinked with a red string of numerals, reading ACCESS DENIED, before it glowed blue and opened after several red flashes.
"What is going to need space?" Cutter asked, and waited as Serina paused. "Strange." Thought the Captain.
"The Terran contingent is bringing aboard 16 inch shells... That contain antimatter charges within." Serina said in with a little bit of awe in her voice. Cutters eyebrows shot towards his hairline. Being that it had been a while since he had been in the Hegemony, considering he had never stopped serving and joined the Star League as soon as it was formed. So honestly, he had no access to the advances happening at home.
"That is a surprising fact. I didn't know home had started to manufacture Anti-matter. It's a surprise to me, I haven't heard any news about it, but it is unsurprising that the first example I get to see is in the form of the weapon." Cutter grated out, and slowly turned and began walking to a service shuttle. Having been away from Terra for a long time, and serving with the Star League on many goodwill and diplomatic missions, Cutter was disappointed when he saw his home nation keeping such an intriguing discovery to themselves.
Despite their advancements since the beginning of the 24th Century, Cutter did not fully believe they were back to the level that they had been at during the Golden Age of Democracy, as he had ascertained when reading about the alliance that had set aside their difference s in the 21st Century so they could take on various threats. They had shared the technological bounty, and each had contributed to the burden of producing units for the Kaiju Invasions, and Tiberium Conflicts., among other lesser conflicts. Even with the advent of the Fourth World War, the nations had still dealt fairly with each other after the war.
As far as he was concerned, the nations of humanity had yet to gain back the respect for the individuals right to have a say in the governance of their nation, as they were far to strict with the meritocratic nobility most realms had. Cutter firmly believed in the right a man had to vote, and that the populations of the nation-states should be represented, so they could have a more effective hand in it's governing. The Star League was a step in the right direction, and Cutter held their beliefs quite close to his heart, being intelligent enough to make an informed decision as a young man. However, he knew the reality of living in the Terran Hegemony, and until he had taken his commission into the SLDF had kept his beliefs to himself. Once exposed to the Star League culture, he experienced the realms of the Inner Sphere, and saw that there was possibility of people cooperating with nobles as he had seen in the Periphery Realms.
Cutter continued think on this, as he boarded the service-shuttle, making his way to his Supercarrier. The SLS Spirit of Fire hung in the void just outside the star-docks, people scrambling all over, and replacing parts.
Arriving in the hanger, he saluted and thanked the pilot, before making his way into the ship. The Captain headed for the ships magazine, keen to see the safeties in place for the antimatter, and hoping to run into a certain someone. Entering the bay, he looked around, beholding the bustling activity as loaders moved on designated path a intermediate paces and bringing munitions to different areas. Slowing and stopping when someone crossed their path, the people all struggled to complete various tasks. Climbing a ladder to a balcony that ringed the Armoury, Cutter quickly ascended and made his way to the transparasteel-paneled Quartermaster's area.
Nodding to the officer in charge of the supply, he came to a stop at a terminal displaying the incoming inventory.
"Is there any files coming in on the special munitions?" The Captain turned to the Quartermaster, to ask him about the new arrivals. Holding a datapad, the man was a surly, wrinkled, and frowning old officer who squinted at the Captain before shaking his head.
"Nothing sir. The only thing that they've given me, when I asked about what paperwork they had to support such a transfer, they gave me sheaf of paper that amounted to this. They are proprietary antimatter rounds, and the transfer order was digital, before they brought a stack of papers for everyone who has to handle or watch them and said if they wanted access they had to sign. Even then, it was just a transfer that protected what we're handling. Anti-Matter... Didn't think I would see that in my time." The grouchy old man replied in a biting voice, annoyed at all the extra people invading his armoury, and messing up his procedures and paperwork.
"It's Ok Captain. I'll explain everything." The sound of a door opening then a voice interrupted their thoughts. The two looked over to the source, the Quartermaster giving the stink-eye, and the Captain narrowing his eyes slightly. Wearing a light armour suit, that seemed to simulate muscle, with several tactical attachments and weapons the colours black and grey. The eye patch was obvious, and the cigar glowed a dull red as it's owner puffed upon it.
"The munitions you have received, are the result of top-secret experiments. With the necessary personnel being of a number higher than we want knowing the truth of the matter, the Megacorporation Council and Terran Hegemony felt we should only brief those in charge. Technically, we could've never told you and just kept it all the SheVa, but that would undercut our mission-viability during this bit of travelling the Stars." Snake held up two locked binders, and gave them to the men. He motioned for them to place a hand upon the surface, and as they did, a visible line of energy went from top to bottom and scanned their hands. As the binders locks clicked open, the two began to peruse it's contents, only to find a holopad bolted to the innards. A screen popped up, and it displayed a circle, and a prompt that said [Lean forward for Brainwave&Retinal Scan] in a small box.
Looking at each other, Cutter and the Quartermaster did as instructed, with a scanning wave projected from the pad sizing them up through their known brain-patterns and eyes. Accepted, the pad began to display the information they were looking for. Snake spoke up as they began to pour through the material, reading all about the experimentation and prototyping of the Antimatter.
"Now, these pads will only display this extent of the information about the rounds here. When you are not near me and I am not consenting, they will only display the safety procedures for handling them and such. This is to prevent any reverse-engineering underneath the provision of the Mother Doctrine, you understand, which is still in affect when it comes to our higher-technologies." Snake addressed them both seriously, and appeared to be studying them, as he waited for a reply. Both nodded after a few seconds of silence, so Snake continued.
"Alright. Now, my troops will be fine interacting with the SLDF's, they understand the need for low-key behaviour, so don't worry about them. We'll make sure to stay out of your hair, and keep our noses clean. Now, onto the rounds themselves, we want them stored in your best radiation compartment, as they are fine for the time being... But can detonate should they be hit. With that said, we need to ensure they are the last possible thing that could be hit during a naval engagement." Solid Snake said, as he dragged on his cigar, staring both officers down.
"Why such a level of secrecy? We should be sharing these revelatory discoveries with our Star League allies!?" Cutter stated, going through the production methods for the rounds, and how it related to the safety systems. Snake smirked.
"Thought you'd ask that. Cutter you have to be little more careful with your actions. I could just tell you to shut the hell up, and do as you are ordered, but I believe in intelligence upon the battlefield and the execution of supplying the fight. Now with that said, it is only by the Mother Doctrine that the Terran Hegemony keep lead in the race between the Great Houses, allowing us to perform any operation in the last 130 years with advancements and advantage over our enemies from that time. That being said, if the continued cooperation between the nations keeps up at a stable pace, we will have to reconsider this bit of the law. Humanity is slowly approaching the point where it can handle greater technological responsibilities, and liberties." The Captain nodded, and found the Quartermaster nodding along.
"Good. I understand that my presence isn't the most welcome, but it doesn't mean that I won't be of assistance, and ensure that the most senior leadership knows the truth. Unfortunately, even I'm bound by our laws, and this was all I could get for this mission and even then the Council was leery about sending such assistance. Ultimately we decided that the threat posed by this particular Alien, was enough that I could get this tank, soldiers, and munitions. Understand that the Council wasn't even considering going after him, until I suggested it based on the behavioural patterns this aliens showed, and made a convincing argument for using a SheVa to blast him to pieces." Snake grimaced with his cigar in his mouth, nearly sneering at the two, but just turning out to be angry with a few things(aliens, the Councillors, Terra, the list goes on as to what Snake was pissed about).
"So... Your aid is more than we were ever supposed to get?" Cutter said, rubbing his chin with a weathered hand, while the other supported it.
"Yes. I provided the impetus for OPERATION:ALEXANDER, and got it assessed for a fair success rating with the mainframe, and they supported my plan. I wanted more, but they stated that I was good enough to succeed alongside the unit. Thus, here I am, briefing you two fine gentleman. Now, is that good enough?" Narrowing his one visible eye, the soldier peered into each of the officers facing.
Both of them nodded.
"Alright, now here is how the rounds have to be transported..."
-Epic Soul Factory – The Gift of the Gods END-
~Perspective shift~
-Caverns Goldeneye OO7 Guitar Cover START-
Federated Suns
Planet Ottumwa
12thFebruary
Arbiter Xytan Jar Wattinree stared at the planet below. He had wiped out the defence fleet, and blasted the population to ashes, and immediately set his troops to searching for the Forerunner installation below the planets surface. Taking some time, they had penetrated fairly deep by now, and he was awaiting a report from the excavation team on their updated progress.
His crystal armrest beeped, and resolved into a screen that spread around his throne, showing nothing but blackness and dead audio to those around him. They continued about their business, as such a thing was a regular occurrence.
The Prophet of Regret, Hierarch of the Covenant, stared back. Finally, he smiled, and nodded with Xytan nodding to him.
"Greetings old friend. I'm told you are making progress on our little relic issue. Please enlighten me." Regret stated without preamble, quickly asking for information in the search for relics.
"I am penetrating the inner chamber where information is held Hierarch, and I will have the information for the next planet, ahead of anything the humans possess." Xytan stated, as he gazed upon the San'Shyuum.
Regret sighed, before his chair turned, and began to wander across a bridge. Sangheili Honour-Guard stood on each side, nary moving a muscle, as they held a position of salute when the Hierarch floated by. Xytan's view followed, probably bobbing in the air beside the Prophet as he moved along in his Gravity Throne.
The room was seemingly without end, and clouds floated in the distance. The floor was translucent, and a bottom could not be seen. Regret gestured off into the distance, where Sword-shaped towers of enormous height stood, majestically set against the whites and blacks of cloud and shadow that hung in the background...
"This world, is the key to our victory over the humans. It holds secrets of the Ancients. The Holy Forerunners bless us with their bounty, and have rewarded the faithful with it's presence in Covenant space." Regret said reverently, bowing when he mentioned the Forerunners, and Xytan did as well but held in a snort.
He had seen how Forerunner technology reacted to a Human presence. He would get to the bottom of it, of his own accord.
"Hierarch, it is but a dead world, long claimed by the ravages of time. I'm sure if we studied the remains, then we could learn enough to increase the ship production that we have." Xytan said smoothly, finishing even when the firebrands face twisted into a snarl.
"BLASPHEMY! No, this place must remain undisturbed until we learn how to activate it. The campaign we are conducting will need far more ships than we can currently muster for an assault." The Prophet said, before running a hand over his head, and turning about to a console he had arrived at on the end of the bridges length.
"Then I will take what we have." Xytan stated darkly, leaning forward while clenching his claws together in a raised fist.
"AND LEAVE US DEFENSELESS! I am sorry my friend, it's just that the stress of manoeuvring around that piece of Yan'me shit Truth is hard on my mind, and he continues with his games even though we must prosecute this war TOGETHER!" The distressed Hierarch ended up roaring again, shaking his hands in fury, as he slammed them into the console.
Xytan watched bemusedly. It was certainly interesting to watch a so-called Noble Hierarch have a mental breakdown. Oh well, it would just make it easier to manipulate him.
"I know my friend. I am conducting this search with all speed available, and now we are ahead of the humans. This means my lead will only increase from here on out. Do not worry, Lod, we will be there with the key before you know it. Then Truth will acknowledge your greatness, and Mercy will have no choice, but to agree with your points of view when we win this glory for the Covenant!" Xytan's voice reassured the distressed San'Shyuum. He nodded slowly.
"Hurry back Arbiter." With that said, the Hierarch ended the transmission, and Wattinree's post lit up once more and was visible to the others in the centre.
-Caverns Goldeneye OO7 Guitar Cover END-
~Perspective shift~
-Brütal Legend – Through The Fire And Flames START-
14th February
Planet Ottumwa
Federated Suns
Nadir Jump Point
The Star League burst from the harsh and mesmerizing blue of Slipspace's higher dimension. Within, they were pulling a significant flotilla along. Nearly 53 vessels had reinforced the small Star League fleet, bringing it up to strength, and filling out the destroyed commands they had, which brought their number to 58 including the flagship.
Now, they were being accompanied by one of the few Terran great-ships, the Dreadnought-Class. Having the prestigious history of having changed naval standards and power balances during both era's they were launched in, the Terran Hegemony had kept the class name, infinitely annoying those who respected the proud naval tradition and legacy the FedSuns had in the British Empire.
6km long, carrying no fighters, and constructed with the latest technology, it carried a Railcannon that fired 600 tonne rounds. The heaviest mounted on ship ever, it was the largest the structure could take firing, as Newtonian laws still came into effect when they hurled as super-dense ferric uranium slug at 0.004% the speed of light.
The ship had 400 dedicated missile-tubes, half each set aside for new-gen Barracuda-E's, and Killer-Whale-C's. The newest versions of these missiles were updated with greater kill-shot abilities against the Covenant enemy that humanity faced, the Barracuda's able to drive into and smash up Seraphs, Spirits and Phantoms, while the Killer Whales were improved to strike against the Covenant ships with newer tactics and approach's. A Killer Whale had 60 odd tonnes of frame and machine to it, so changing things around, and adding types had proven to be interesting for the HRAD(Hegemony Research and Development) making for some fun times in the lab.
Alongside the vast amount of missile-tubes and the size of it's cannon, the Dreadnought possessed a bevy of 30 NL55's and 22 XLNPPC's. Their pulse laser array was combined with a RAC-5 on all turrets, providing lead backup to all the energy batteries. The ship was a symbol of Terran might.
Accompanying them, was of course the Spirit of Fire, a SLDF Supercarrier. 5 Lyran 3.3km Odhinn-Class Carriers, 8 Terran 3.5km Potemkin-Class Battleships, 10 Combine 1.9km Stewart-Class Battlecruisers, 15 FedSuns 1.3km Grail-Class Cruisers, and 20 FreeWorlder 600m Sabre-Class Destroyers.
The enemy fleet held 18, just like it did when they left the airspace of Valasha.
"Aright people, let's make our way in system, and take this planet from the Covenant. We don't want them to be glassing a garden world this deep in our territory." Glassing was a term picked up in the last five years, as the worlds the Covenant didn't want, they coated with plasma until it was uninhabitable without serious terraforming. Cutter gave the warning on the channel that was linked across the fleet, making sure they understood the gravity of the situation.
Cutter of course thought that the Covenant wouldn't dare hurt their artifacts, and was right in doing so right now, considering their behaviour. The spectre of plasma bombardment may push his subordinates to just try that much harder.
"Sir, reports indicate the Covenant finished exterminating the population two days ago. They have been digging into the site where the Forerunner's placed an installation, in the southern polar ice cap, upon a series of glacier mountains." Serina brought up a display, that showed footage of the Covenant assaulting the cities and inhabitants population, cutting them down before switching to a view of the South Pole of Ottumwa. Whereupon, she indicated a formation that was set into a local valley and boxed in by the high-peaks.
The Covenant were set up near one side, various bits of heavy equipment sitting around, and flashes of light occasionally becoming visible from it's entrance.
"Alright Serina, get our troops to deploy, and inform Councillor Snake. We'll conduct the battle in the skies above, and he will fight on the ground below." Serina nodded, and glowed before a mote of light burst from her form over cyberspace, in the format of a message and orders.
"All ships full ahead, and begin engaging the Covenant."
Moving forward, and beginning the charge for position, the human fleet moved in towards the planet. They needed to access it, and drop their troops without problems, otherwise they wouldn't have any chance of completing their objectives.
"Why are they holding position..." Cutter wondered to himself, as he observed the advance to contact against the enemy Covenant Fleet. Rumbling along in near-silence, Cutter began to get nervous, as the Covenant's ships stayed motionless. Even as they entered maximum weapons range(for their ships Energy-Projector, and Plasma-Energy-Projector), the enemies ships awaited their arrival.
Just as they began entering weapons range, he felt a chill enter his spine, and it chased up all the way to his brain leaving it with pinpricks of anticipation.
"Fire all weapons. Make sure each ship is covered thoroughly, I don't want them getting away." James ordered, and had sent down the line, watching carefully.
The barrage of missiles opened up from all the various ships. The slowest to advance, they would arrive just as the navy's railgun rounds, lasers, and PPC hit, timed by networked ship-AI. The enemy ships remained where they were, not making a movement. Next, the SLDF launched their Railcannon's of various calibre, sending the heavily-weighted slugs through space where they tore so silvery streaks through it's void.
The Covenant continued to remain motionless, and gave no indication of even powering their ships.
The humans waited for the weapons-fire to get closer, and just as they began firing, the AI lit up with warnings of reactor-spikes all across their front scanning range. Once the AI relayed their warnings, the ship Captains began scrambling, and trying to ascertain what the Covenant was doing.
"Serina, what are the Covenant up to?!" The Captain questioned his companion/assistant. The AI frowned as she worked, brow working as she sifted through data and signals.
"I am reading a significant energy-spike in the main reactors of their fleet. All of it seems to go to their shields, and it's interfering with my scans as it builds." The AI spoke, and turned to the Captain to say something, before flashes of lights lit up the enemies positions.
"Their entering Slipspace Captain!" Warned the intelligence as she tried to get a handle on where they were going. The ships entered their slipspace portals, and the weapons-fire from the enemy humans screeched by, filling empty space with their fury.
500,000 kilometre's off their left flank, the Covenant's ships emerged from the blue of Slipspace, whereupon they began to let loose torpedo fire.
"Get the fleet reoriented, and assign fighters and weapons onto those torpedoes. I want weapons-fire on those ships five minutes ago." Cutter gritted out, as he watched the Covenant unleash fire with impunity.
"Captain, their entering slipspace again!" The AI stated worriedly
With an incredulous star, Cutter watched the alien ships enter FTL again, and emerge 305° in accordance to their position as they were facing the planet. The first emergence occurred at 180°. The Captain watched with eyes wide, as the ships exited their portals again, putting his fleet in an extremely disadvantageous position.
The 38 ships launched their torpedoes again, and watched as the humans struggled to evade the first barrage, and reorient to a firing position where they could start engaging the Covenant. Cutter grimaced as the ship swung around, and fired their lasers at the incoming projectiles menacing their flanks and rear.
With a series of emergency manoeuvre's, the human fleet pulled their ships around, and began to draw a bead upon the Covenant's ships. Getting their firing solutions going, the AID and fire-control of the ships cooperated and grunted out equations, getting the weapons ready to fire and firing on the available targets. Firing at the torpedoes approaching from the former right, now left flank, the humans unleashed lasers upon the incoming blue-white projectiles of capital-death. The ships miniature-ion jets pushed the humans fleet into a proper position, whereupon they began to unload their weapons upon the Covenant, trying to pin them down.
Railcannon, Missiles, Lasers, PPC all flew at the enemy disregarding any pretense of a coordinated assault. The cannons of humanity barked, spitting sapphire starbursts of deadly ion/protons, their muzzles sending emerald-beams of long-streaked death at the enemy. Missiles roared out, and began to cross the gulf to the Covenant line, readying their munitions and internal mechanism.
The Covenant launched a second wave of plasma torpedoes.
Once again, when their weapons got within range, the Covenant fleet jumped again.
"Serina, is there any way we can stop this!?" The AI began to work furiously, from a visual point of view, and began pulling up the Covenant ship statistics she could access.
"It appears that is it, as their Slipspace drives are overheated and have shut down. Their reactors are slightly strained, having exhausted quite a bit of power to maintain that manoeuvre." The AI stated, as she observed the readouts and such on the Covenant Fleet.
"Damnit I hope so."
"Captain we are receiving a transmission." The Captains left eyebrow reached towards his hairline, as he surprised someone would be contacting them right now. Nodding at Serina to accept, he was surprised when the purple glow of a Covenant ships bridge, showing various shadowed beings sitting upon consoles and thrones.
"Human. You have fought well. You are now surrounded by incoming death, and possess little options for victory. Give me what I want, surrender, and I will make sure you meet an honourable death on a terrestrial world. Refuse me, and I will glass a hundred worlds for your presumption to stall me. The choice is yours." The transmission shut off.
Cutter stared at the holoscreen, showing the incoming barrage's of torpedoes, and thinking about the offer he had been given. Watching the blue-white torpedoes approaching, and thinking on what his death would accomplish or prevent, Cutter stared off for a few seconds.
He resolved himself, as he looked over at his AI, deciding that it would be even more catastrophic if whoever on that ship got what they were after in Forerunner ruins. Fighting and fighting hard would prevent more deaths than he would prevent by dieing.
"Serina, send this message to the Covenant leader. "To the honourable Covenant Commander:NUTS!" Send it, I don't care if he understands it." The Captain stated while standing at-ease with his hands interlocked, looking off into the distance at the Covenant ships once again by the planets atmosphere.
"Relay that conversation to the other ships, inform them of the threat we were given. Inform them that we must win, despite these odds. Otherwise the consequences will be dire for human-held space." Cutter said, gazing steadfastly at the holoscreen's.
"Yes sir!" The AI said with enthusiasm, as she sent his orders to the other commands.
-Brütal Legend – Through The Fire And Flames END-
BattleTech Wars
Part 2
Ottumwa I
~End~
AUTHOR NOTE: First cliffhanger! The human expedition fleet now faces a surrounding barrage of plasma torpedoes, and a foe who is more skilled than any Covenant they know. In the background, enter Solid Snake, whose mission is to assassinate the Arbiter himself, and the appearance of the super-tanks. Enjoy, read and review please!
As to why the Forerunner installations are commonplace, when I edited chapter four, I placed some notes there on comparative tech and such, and how the Forerunners and Alterans existed in certain areas, with the Alteran territory being a crescent that begins at Earth, goes left and wraps around the Galaxy to Abydos. The Forerunners inhabit a large bulge, and as well hold the south for the most art, until they took over the Alteran worlds after the war. They made many line-installations due to having a slightly better time during the Flood-Forerunner war(as here they constructed all 12 originally planned Halo's, and several other mega-projects) and were able to construct more line-installations for their inheritors(Iso-Didact having a plan that interacts with the
Valkyrie GunShip- Stormraven GunShip, painted Lyran colours, with the weapons they would have hear rather than 40k.
Fenris Tank- Pretty much a 40k Leman Russ tank, with the side-sponsons of the Predators.
Tiger Drei- Supertank built by the Lyrans. In it's original story, it had a freaking Natural Gas Engine, MBA Armour(Molybdenum-Boron-Aluminium), and an inertial-dampened 305mm naval gun. It was able to effectively clear the skies of Germany of invading forces, and take out a significant contingent of the alien Posleen with it's antimatter munitions and several other special weapons.
Effective in the end of the Age of War when it was used to assault a troublesome world held by the Jade Emperor, Maximilian Liao, it made a stamp on history when it showed that the way of the tank was not dead just yet. Of course, it was extremely rare to see them in the LCAF, until the Covenant War highlighted them again, upon which it was discovered that the Lyrans and Terrans fielded large Ultra-Heavy Tank Battalions. Attempts begin to be put into prototype and testing by all powers.
Being about a little taller than the Red Skull's Supertank in the Captain America: The First Avenger(visual aid), it is boxier, possessing a powerful and angular turret, which stabilizes the gun and house the inertial dampener's that prevent it's powerful recoil from ripping the gun from the massive bearing ring that holds the turret to the chassis. It is a pure spectre of death on the battlefield, and it's appearance signifies apocalyptic destruction to it's opponents, a force of nature that is unstoppable.
The gunners and commanders voices for the Tiger III's are the Tiger Tank voices from Company of Heroes. Giant tanks deserve thick, ruthless, Deutsche accents!
You'll see the SheVa next chapter, a la A-Team...
OPERATION ALEXANDER- Named for Alexander the Great, and is aimed at making whoever the commander they keep facing die a death that will stop his commanders from proceeding further into human space. Decapitation strike, using the Terran technological superiority, and loaned Megacorporation assets like Solid Snake.
Review Section-
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Writers rely on reviews to keep a story going, despite all my posturing about how I'm gonna do this no matter the opposition. Kindly leave a review and don't be afraid to say something.
As well, for my current readers, I've added content to the previous chapters(equalized the first three to the codex). Have fun reading the new parts, choice bits that they are.
Peace and positivity be with y'all!