Chapter 28

Several months passed after the initial colonisation of the surface of the shield world's habitable surface. Vulcan was kind enough to offer Sentinels to aid in construction of new bases and facilities for the Assassins and Insurrectionists. Soon after a research base was fully constructed, Jack had some spare time to spend exploring the vast landscape. The Assassins had not spread far from the base of the massive mountain, which remained closed until Jack returned with the Apple and the Staff. Jill pestered Vulcan with questions every opportunity she got, and he was happy enough to indulge her. Through her questioning, she built up a working knowledge of First Civilisation and Ancient Human technologies and culture. All was peaceful on the secret world that the Templars could not find.

Out in the furthest reaches of the Horsehead nebula, someone watched pre-recorded footage of human ships approaching the shield world, laden with supplies and humans.

[Shipmaster, we have been monitoring these blasphemous humans for many months now, when will we attack then and cleanse the holy relic?]

The shipmaster turned away from the display and stared at his lieutenant in the eye, his four jaws quivering in anticipation.

[We will attack soon enough, but first we must make sure we are able to overwhelm them. Humans can be much harder to kill when they are confident.] he replied

[Of course, shipmaster. By your command.]

[Patience, Hirrul, we will soon relish in the majesty of the Forerunner's holy world, and we will take what rightfully belongs to us.]

Shipmaster Dam' Amaree ordered his fleet to remain hidden in the cloud of gas that concealed them from sensors both Covenant and human.

Another month passed on Vesuvius, and the colony was making good progress; a mining operation had begun, and trading with other colonies had been established. The raw materials had been shipped off to construct new bases and equipment on other worlds, they even had several new ships were being manufactured discreetly under the safety of the shield world's shield.

By this time, Dam 'Amaree's fleet was fully assembled and ready to attack.

[Now, after waiting for so long, watching you defile the gifts of the Forerunners with your feeble excuses for tools, we will cease your blasphemy and cleanse the wound you have wrought. Fleet of Achieving Repentance, attack!]

The Sangheili on the bridge gave howls of victory as they set their heavy cruiser on Vesuvius and its inhabitants.

"Jack, I need you down by the mountain entrance. It's important." Said Jill over the radio

"Copy that, I'm on my way." Jack shut off his radio "Oh well, I guess my armour will have to wait." Jack borrowed a Warthog that no-one was using and drove down through the colony to the very foot of the mountain, where a partially buried Forerunner structure led into the mountain's inner working, but was sealed until Vulcan decreed otherwise. Jack arrived in minutes and entered Jill's laboratory she and the other scientists had set up within the structure.

"Jack, good timing. Take a look at this; I'm getting strange readings at the edge of the nebula. There's a cloud of ionised gasses that wreak havoc with sensors, but the cloud appears to be spreading towards us. I can't make it out but it seems very suspicious."

Jack stared at the imaging Jill had taken using Jackdaw's sensors. He noticed that the cloud was dispersing in patches, and those patches were a regular pattern.

"Jill, send word to Jackdaw, we got company."

Jack turned to make preparations, but Jill stopped him

"Jack, what do you mean? What did you see in those images?"

"That's no cloud, it's a fleet of ships, and I'm betting their not friendly."

Jack went up to the pedestal where they could communicate with Vulcan and activated it. Vulcan's image appeared on the top, miniaturised as if he were an AI.

"Jack Jiles, what do you need from me? I have nothing to give or tell you as of yet, and I doubt you would have retrieved the pieces of Eden yet."

"Vulcan, we have a fleet of ships approaching and we have no form of defence against them. Once again, we need your help." Said Jack, trying to make his request sound urgent

"This installation is not equipped with defences against ships, the only thing I can do is send out Sentinels to attack their ships, but I think they would be of limited use against an entire fleet."

"Anything you can do would help. We only have one ship, and it's not really built for combat."

"No, it is built for stealth, so maybe you should work with your strengths."

"I don't think that a small team will be able stop a whole fleet, regardless of how many they can kill before they're detected, they won't be able to stop them in time." Replied Jack

Vulcan's image creased its brow in acknowledgment and disappeared, leaving Jack to contemplate his words. Jill walked up to him and asked what was going on.

"Vulcan's going to send some Sentinels, but it won't be enough. He suggested we use Jackdaw's stealth to win, but I can't figure out how."

"Well, we could use it to get close enough to board one of their ships but I don't see how boarding a single ship will help."

"Miss Monroe, we have something on long-range sensors. It's a Covenant heavy cruiser at the head of the fleet. It's the Covenant alright, they're sending a transmission, audio only."

"Play it through." Said Jill

"You humans are nothing; insignificant insects who crawl over monuments you cannot fathom. We will crush you until you have nowhere left to run to. And we-"

"Can we send a response?" asked Jack

"Yes, but there's no guarantee they'll respond."

'Try anyway. This is Jack Jiles, I am a Spartan, and I think you know what we are capable of. I you do not retreat now and leave us in peace, we will be forced to use the might of the Forerunners to destroy you."

The Sangheili's rant ceased at Jack's words, then responded

"I don't believe that you can wield the power of gods to defeat us. Compared to us, you are children at play, poking and prodding what you do not understand until it explodes. We will take your miserable lives and cut them short, then mount your heads on our keep walls as trophies!"

Dam 'Amaree cut the transmission

"Well that was pleasant, we'll just have to show them we mean business. Release the Sentinels!"

Vulcan released Aggressor Sentinels out into the direction of the oncoming fleet. They were many but not enough to tip the scales; it was still anyone's win.

"Jack Jiles, we can stop them from coming in to attack at close range by reengaging the slipspace bubble that originally hid this world from view, but you must make sure everyone is inside, otherwise it will destroy them in the process."

"Thanks Vulcan, I'll get right on that."

Jack went over to the communications relay officer and told them to relay a message to Jackdaw

"Jackdaw, come in Jackdaw. This is AC-1, fall back to the shield world, repeat, fall back to the shield world."

"Roger that AC-1, falling back to the interior of Vesuvius. ETA twenty minutes."

In orbit, Jackdaw began a wide turn that would bring it under the shield of Vesuvius. The Covenant fleet noticed the retreat of the only ship there, and the fact that no others came any more. They hastened to arrive before they could set up defences.

"You, operator. What other AA defences do we have?" said Jack to the woman at the next console

"We have two AA batteries and a single operational MAC cannon, but it's not powered up. We can get it up and running, and probably complete the other one before the Covenant gets here, but by my estimation it would be cutting it very close."

"Fine, divert all power and personnel to getting those guns online and aimed at those ships."

"I can help too," interrupted Vulcan, "I have larger Retriever Sentinels that are used for gathering raw materials, if we put weapons in them they would make for a formidable foe."

"Do it, and get them guarding the entrance. We shouldn't have to rely on gatherers instead of hunters in this situation."

Vulcan set to work attaching Hardlight weapons to the Retrievers by use of Constructor Sentinels. By the time the first ones were finished, Jackdaw was within the planet's atmosphere, and Xavier had a brainwave

"Jack, hey Jack! AC-4 to AC-1 and all that shit! I just thought of something great!" said Xavier over the short range radio

"What is it Xavier?" asked Jack

"You said you have that huge ship under the mountain, and that its primary weapon is independently powered, right?"

"Yeah, Vulcan mentioned that in the specs. What of it?"

"If we can just manoeuvre it so that it points towards the Covenant fleet, we can fire it and take them all out at once!"

Jack was stunned into silence

"That's, wow. Good thinking Xavier. Jill, can you get Vulcan to open the mountain and point Eden's Blade at the Covenant fleet, then fire the main weapon?"

Jill's voice was slightly garbled in static through the radio

"I suppose so, I'll talk to him. I'll let you know how that works out."