Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Mechwarrior/Battletech crossover. Just as a heads up, it'll take me a few days to edit the chapters in my Halo - Terminator crossover, so it'll be a little while before more chapters come for it. I do not have any intentions to abandon that crossover whatsoever. Most of the edits will be made due to information that an admirer of my crossover has provided. Either way, hang in there, more chapters are on the way.
Also, this chapter is a bit of a tribute to one of my favorite bands: Sabaton. If you don't know, the band Sabaton is a Swedish heavy metal band that performs music based on actual historical events and individuals. I thoroughly recommend giving their music videos a view.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Opening Battle Salvo – Fields of Verdun – SABATON
Unknown Location
Delta Halo
February 15th, 2552
Chief checked his suit systems for the umpteenth time since he had gotten yanked along by the tentacle that had wrapped around his body. So far, none of the suits systems indicated that there had been a breach in his suit's integrity, which was something to be thankful for. The life support system was also functioning normally, with the air he was breathing out being recycled and refreshed by the rebreather in his life support systems.
It had been some time now, since he had gotten yanked along on this unwilling field trip, probably a few hours by now. During that time, he had been dragged along through hallways, corridors and maintenance shafts he didn't know existed. While this was happening, he got sporadic reports that indicated that the SLDF had successfully invaded the area around the Library, with some suggesting that the Index had been secured. If that's the case, he thought, then we've won the battle for Delta Halo. Until I regroup with the others, though, I'll have to assume the Index is in Covenant hands.
As he thought this, he spotted an opening up ahead of him, with the amount of light coming in indicating that this was a massive chamber. Once more, he tired to break free, only for the tentacles to tighten around his armor, not nearly enough to make it creak, but enough to prevent him from escaping. A moment later, he was yanked upright into the chamber, where he got a good look around.
The chamber he was in was massive, probably large enough to hold two Union-IV DropShips with room to spare. The walls had the characteristic, stylish ribbing that Forerunner structures tended to have, both as a means of decoration, as well as structural support for the rest of the chamber. Surprisingly, there were no Flood Spores in the chamber, which was an oddity. Any lights that were present were not on, or were broken, with only a shaft of light coming in from the top.
It was what that shaft of light highlighted that had him worried, and rightly so. Looking down, he noticed a massive mass of pale, sand colored flesh that coated the ground floor like an extremely thick mat, with the stuff curving upwards into a long, seemingly boneless neck. He couldn't see where it ended, as the other end was turned away from him. Tendrils and tentacles extended from parts of the mass of flesh, with some holding still while others writhed and twitched. "What is that," Cortana asked.
Apparently, the creature had heard her, as it turned to face Chief. The creature's face, if it could be called a face that is, was eyeless, with three flaps of flesh that ended in long tendrils, while ribbed gaps in each one were present near the middle. The flesh on the inside was a blood red color, while Chief could see what he thought were teeth deep inside. Moments later, the creature spoke, in a deep, rumbling voice that sounded like other voices were present. "I," it asked rhetorically. "I am a monument, to all of your sins."
That's cryptic, Chief thought to himself. At the same time, he noticed a flash of movement, prompting him to turn his head. He was faintly surprised to see two Elites being yanked along, with one being held upright, while the other was upside down. The second Elite began to struggle as it attempted to break free, while the other, knowing it couldn't break free, simply did the best it could to remain calm. "Relax," Chief told the second Elite. "I'd rather not piss this thing off."
"DEMON," the other alien gasped, recognizing the voice. The other Elite remained silent, though it was clear that he was trying very hard to remain calm and collected, which he was doing a good job of.
Moments later, Chief felt the creature, which he now knew was a Gravemind, draw him slightly closer to it. "This one is but nerve and metal, and has it's mind concluded." Pulling Thel over, it said, "This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded." Pulling Bero over, it said, This one is of constant, changing flesh, and is the more evolved.
"Evolved," Cortana remarked. "I wonder why."
"We might find out at some point," Chief remarked. He was also wondering why the Gravemind had called that Elite the 'more evolved' of the three. If his luck held out, he might find out why.
"Kill me or infest me, Parasite," the first Elite growled, his voice, as he was unmistakably male, echoing somewhat in the chamber. "But do not waste my time with talk."
"There is much talk," the Gravemind replied, it's voice deep and rumbling all the while. "And I have listened, through rock and metal and time. Now, I will talk, and you will listen." Moments later, two tentacles hoisted up two individuals. The first one was a Monitor, most likely of this installation, while the second one was one that had the first Elite growling angrily. Chief promptly recognized the second individual, an infected Prophet of Regret, as most of his body, other than an arm and his head, were fused to a large tentacle.
"Greetings," the Monitor remarked. "I am 2401 Penitent Tangent, Monitor of Installation 05."
"And I am Regret," the infected Hierarch replied. "Hi-Hierarch of the Covenant."
Spotting Chief, Penitent Tangent made a pleased sound. "Ah, a Reclaimer," it remarked, floating over to Chief. "We must retrieve this ring's Index. We have to contain this outbreak, unlike this individual here." If a Monitor could glower at someone, Penitent Tangent would be that Monitor.
"Stay where you are," Regret shouted, which was surprising given his current physical condition. "Nothing can be done until my sermon is complete!"
"Nonsense," Penitent Tangent flatly stated. "This installation has a successful utilization record of 1.2 trillion simulated and one actual. It is ready to fire on demand."
Looking at the Arbiter, who was growling at him, Regret said, "Of all the things the Forerunners left behind, Arbiter, Bero 'Kusovai, why would they leave these worthless Oracles behind. They know nothing of the Great Journey!"
"And you know nothing about containment," Penitent Tangent bit back. "You have even ignored the most basic of containment procedures! How the Flood haven't escaped this ring, I don't know!"
"This one's containment," the Gravemind continued, growling angrily at the Monitor, "and this one's Great Journey... are one and the same. Your Prophets have given you an empty promise of ascension, of an escape from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring. Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent, or all will perish as before."
Looking at the Arbiter, Chief said, "This thing's right. Halo is a weapon. Your Prophets are making a big mistake."
"I know," Bero, the first Elite, remarked. "I should've seen it coming now. The Prophets have lied to use, turned us against an possibly innocent species. It shames me to admit it but…" He trailed off, unable to find the words to express his regret. Thel merely nodded in agreement.
Looking at Bero, the Gravemind said, "This one understands the truth, but the more deluded one still doesn't comprehend. If you will not listen to the truth, however, then it will be shown to you. There is still time to stop the Key from turning, but first it must be found." Looking at Thel and Chief, the Gravemind said, "You will search one likely spot, and you will search another." Looking at Bero, it said, "You will assist one of them in their search. Your evolution is most interesting and fascinating. Fate had us meet as foes, but this ring will make us brothers." With that, all three individuals were pulled into slipstream space portals, disappearing one after another.
Now that it was alone, the Gravemind could think, after hushing that annoying Monitor. While the Gravemind knew about the Covenant and the UNSC, it didn't know much about this new faction, this 'Star League.' Nothing about them had been known, until now that is. When it had learned that the Star League was from another universe entirely from Regret, and the Covenant it had infected and assimilated, that singular fact had caused the Gravemind to think, and it was thinking still.
This Star League will be a direct threat to my plans, the Gravemind thought, it's tentacles coiling as it remembered what it had seen through it's extensions. No faction, in the long existence that the Gravemind had lived through, had ever used the same technologies as the Star League, or in the same way for that matter. Such knowledge of technology would be quite useful to it; alas, it hadn't been able to infect any of the Humans yet, as the Star League had given the UNSC a great deal of assistance, preventing any of them from being infected. Their attitude towards it's own extensions also told the Gravemind that the SLDF was hostile to it, and would be more than willing to destroy it if they got the chance to do so. As a result, the Gravemind had decided that it needed to eliminate the SLDF as a threat, otherwise it would cease to exist.
When it came to the Elite it had spoken to, Bero 'Kusovai, the Gravemind had been genuinely surprised to find that Bero had overwhelmed the infection in his body. The mutations he had suffered hadn't hampered his body or mind; in fact, it had accelerated the Elite's physical and psychological evolution to new heights, even providing him with an immunity to infection as well as telepathy. While Bero's mental defenses were no match for it's own psychic powers, it had been interested in his newfound physiology and psychology.That one has survived my own means of assimilation, the Gravemind thought. When the time comes, I will assimilate him into my own form, and adopt his powers as my own. Growling in a pleased manner, the Gravemind turned back to it's current affairs, while making new plans of it's own.
. . .
SLS/FCS Guardian of Liberty
Near Covenant Holy City High Charity
February 15th, 2553
Looking at the space station known as High Charity, Victor Steiner-Davion could see the enemy fleets moving about in a coordinate manner. This is going to be a major fight, he thought as he examined the tactical maneuvers the fleets guarding High Charity were doing. For the first time, we're fighting an alien species that is, in many ways, at or slightly above technological parity with our own species. I think I can safely say that this will be the shortest war in the Federated Commonwealth and Star League's history.
Looking around, he could see the status of more than a few of his own Great House's fleets, as well as those of other Great Houses. It had been roughly four to five hours since the SLDF and AFFC (Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth) had arrived in this new universe, with the ship arriving shortly over Delta Halo after reading the updated contents of the Memory Core that Chernenko's Battle Group had left behind. It had been a surprise when High Charity had popped into existence over Delta Halo, which was why he had requested more reinforcements from the SLDF and the military forces of the other Great Houses.
Taking a page out of the playbook of the Great Houses during the Succession War, they had decided to use a combination of attrition and maneuver warfare in order to outdo the Covenant. On the attrition part, they had brought in a massive amount of WarShips to counter the Covenant's numerical edge. On the tactical part, they had agreed to use cyber warfare, sabotage, infiltration, flanking and other military strategies to weaken the Covenant fleets, allowing them to achieve victory despite the Covenant having a technological edge in certain areas. The end result was that they had a fleet that had a grand total of 2400 WarShips, with half of that being SupplyShips and YardShips, with the rest being military WarShips capable of dishing out considerable damage. To be safe, the SLS/FCS Guardian of Freedom and Guardian of Justice, the sister ships of the Guardian of Liberty come along as well, ready to dish out considerable amounts of damage when the time came.
Now, they were holding position nearby the space station and the enemy fleets, ready to begin on Victor's signal. I hope the SLIC can pull off what I believe is it's most ambitious tactical maneuver yet, he thought to himself. Rescuing Sangheilian VIP's would deny the Brutes a considerable edge, and we would convince the Sangheilians that the Hierarchs are the real enemy and that Humanity in this reality was just a victim of their lies and deceit. So, with that in mind, he began to wait.
. . .
High Charity
Meditation Gardens
20th Age of Reclamation
Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Watrinee rested on his knees quietly, his mandibles relaxed as he mediated, his eyes closed and his hands resting on his knees, while the rest of his legs provided support and balance for his body. Nearby, he could hear water flowing down some rocks that had been placed there by the people that had built this garden, with the intent of creating a place for Sangheilians of the highest social class to meditate on various affairs. Even now, those that saw him knew better than to touch or disturb him, as it was considered extremely rude in the highest social class of Sangheilian culture.
It wasn't just because he was of the highest social order, it was also because he was extremely well renown in the Covenant. Xytan 'Jar Watrinee was the only Sangheilian in recent history to have achieved the highest military rank in the Covenant, which was the rank of Imperial Admiral. Having achieved this rank through hard work and dedication to the Covenant, he was practically worshiped by Sangheili of lesser repute, despite his efforts to show them that he wasn't someone to be seen as a kind of divinity, but rather a Sangheilian that had dedicated his life and beliefs to the Covenant.
As for what he was meditating on, it was on recent events, such as Regret's death, the arrival of the new Human faction, as well as the future of the Covenant. His mandibles twitched when he thought of Regret and his death; the fact that Regret had been slain by the Humans had been distressing to many, as it represented the loss of one of the Covenant's leaders. While he had some resentment towards the Hierarchs, as they had effectively exiled him due to his extreme success and influence, the loss of one of the Covenant's leaders had caused a pang of grief to echo inside of him. He genuinely wanted to avenge Regret's death, even if it meant his own death.
That was why he was also meditating on the new human faction: the Star League Defense Force. He had first heard about them when the Hierarchs had his fleet return to High Charity after the SLDF had been encountered by Fleetmaster Thel 'Vadamee over one of the holy Halo's. He'd been present at Thel's trial and had seen the footage, which had immediately caused the strategist inside of him to wake up and begin analyzing the footage captured by Thel's forces on Halo. From this information alone, he had distilled that the Star League and it's member Great Houses, were highly trained, disciplined and well equipped with weapons that could tear apart Covenant vehicles in short order.
The arrival of the SLDF, and their subsequent success and reinforcement by another fleet, had caused him to wonder what would happen, now that the Star League was present. That was the question he was meditating on in order to find an answer. The problem, though, was it was proving far more elusive than he had hoped, which was why he had simply decided to relax and allow the answer to the problem to come to him.
As he quietly meditated, 'Jar Watrinee heard footsteps from behind him, which came to a stop a moment later. Opening his eyes, he got off of his knees and stood up, turning around in order to see who had come to him. From his prodigious height of 12 feet and eight inches, Xytan 'Jar Watrinee was a giant by Sangheili standards, a result of his genes, as well as a tumor that had developed in his pituitary gland as a childling. While the tumor had been removed, his natural genetic coding, and the excessive growth hormones, had caused him to achieve the magnanimous height of 11 feet and eight inches, far taller than the average 7 feet and ten inches that was normal for Sangheilians. "What is it," he asked the Sangheili Ultra before him, his voice rumbling in the air.
"The High Councilors are ready to speak with you, Admiral," the Ultra replied, respectfully bowing as he said this.
"I see," 'Jar Watrinee replied, pursing his mandibles in a thoughtful expression. Politics. How tiresome, he thought. As a man of action, as the Humans put it, 'Jar Watrinee was someone that preferred fighting the enemy in the field, rather than playing nice and hooky in the area of politics. Still, he understood the necessary evils of politics, so rather than grumbling, he said, "Inform the High Councilors that I am on my way."
"At once, your Eminence," the Ultra replied. With that, Xytan 'Jar Watrinee began making his way to the Council Chamber, where he and the other High Councilors would speak with the Hierarchs on what to do about the SLDF and the massive fleet that had arrived as reinforcements. What he didn't know was that there wouldn't be any such meeting, as the Hierarchs had other plans.
As he walked along, he began to notice a number of Brutes, Jirihanne as his kind called them, walking alongside. The moment he spotted this, 'Jar Watrinee felt his instincts flaring, telling him that something was wrong. One of the reasons why Xytan 'Jar Watrinee had survived this long was because he always followed his instincts, all of which had saved his life more than once. As a result, he began to keep an eye on the Brutes as he, like many other Sangheilians, did not trust them at all.
It came to a head when he began to reach the gravity transport pathways that would take them to the Council Chamber, where the Prophets were waiting. Instead of activating the lift, as they had done thousands of times before, the Brutes didn't do a thing. Instead, they stood nearby, cordoning off the area, while a few more surrounded 'Jar Watrinee. Almost immediately, he knew was about to happen.
Suddenly, one of the Brutes took out a Gravity Hammer and swung the weapon at 'Jar Watrinee, intending to crush the Sangheilian's ribs and lungs in a single blow. He was surprised, therefore, when Xytan simply leaned back, his back bending until he had almost folded himself backwards, a result of the fact that 'Jar Watrinee's tendons, ligaments and muscles were more elastic than those of normal Sangheilians. Instead of hitting his chest, the Gravity Hammer missed by a significant margin, hitting nothing but empty air.
Putting more momentum into that movement, 'Jar Watrinee neatly flipped backwards, pulling out his Energy Sword and activating it as he did so. Landing on his hooves, he baited the Brute into attacking him again, with the Brute screaming in pain as 'Jar Watrinee severed the Brute's right arm and part of it's upper body. A spray of blood flew into the air, the hot liquid blowing past the cauterized blood due to the Brute's blood pressure.
When the Chieftian's attack failed, the other Brutes immediately charged in, thinking they could overwhelm 'Jar Watrinee through sheer numbers. What happened instead was what one could accurately call a massacre, with 'Jar Watrinee moving as fluidly and gracefully as an ocean current, almost as thought he was dancing rather than attacking and killing. By the time fifteen seconds had passed, all of the Brutes attacking him were dead, their corpses cut up and butchered as though they were meat to be consumed.
Keeping his Energy Sword on, he turned on the Gravity Tram and walked inside, his body being lifted up into the air before moving forwards. Such treachery, he roared internally. The Brutes must be punished for such heresy and treachery! He nearly snarled in anger, his free hand clenching into a fist as he growled loudly.
After a moment, he gained a handle on his emotions. Calm yourself, he said to himself quietly. It is clear that the Brutes have become arrogant, thanks to the newfound favor that the Hierarchs have given them. We will deal with them in short order but first, we must find the other Sangheilian High Councilors. If they attacked me, then it is almost certain that they will attempt to murder them as well. Concentrating, he allowed the lift to lower him to the ground before running forwards.
The garden up ahead was a beautiful place, with vermilion hued archs over a stream that ran in the middle, as well as meditation plots on either side of the walkway. While it was used for transportation, these places were also used by Sangheilians for meditation, as the sound of running water was soothing to many of their kind. To the left coming towards the Council Chambers, one could see part of the structure that was part of High Charity, while the right had a view of the innermost portions of High Charity, including the Forerunner Dreadnought at the very center of the place.
Unfortunately, the tranquility and purity of the place was being tarnished, as 'Jar Watrinee spotted a Sangheilian High Councilor that was on the ground, his hand mutilated beyond repair as he shielded something. A Brute Chieftain was standing over the High Councilor, Gravity Hammer raised to deliver the final killing blow. Behind the Sangheilian, 'Jar Watrinee gasped when he saw a female Sangheili, as well as a… a childling, he gasped internally.
This, to 'Jar Watrinee, was the ultimate crime a Brute could do. It was one thing to kill a fellow member of the Covenant, but it was a horrendous, abominable act of savagery to kill not only a Sangheilian, but his mate and child. To kill an childling was to deny that Sangheilian the chance to experience the wonders of the Universe in all of it's glory and beauty, a crime that was to be punished in the most severe manner possible. Helpless to do anything, 'JarWatrinee watched as the Brute prepared to strike.
The blow never came. Suddenly, 'Jar Watrinee listened as series of loud, percussive banging sounds ripped through the air. The Brute Chieftain's body jerked and spasmed, as small explosions of blood erupted from holes that suddenly appeared in the Brute's body. Moments later, the Brute Chieftain fell to the ground dead, it's Gravity Hammer falling harmlessly to the ground as the Chieftain's riddled body collapsed.
If that wasn't a surprise, then what came next almost certainly surprised 'Jar Watrinee and the Sangheilians ahead. To their pure shock, their rescuer wasn't a Sangheilian or a Brute; their rescuer was a Human, as 'Jar Watrinee could see the Human's face, which was dark in color with brown eyes and a black colored beard on his face. A moment later, 'Jar Watrinee spotted an eight pronged star on the Human's armor. The Star League Intelligence Command, 'Jar Watrinee thought, amazed by what he was seeing. The Human's are helping us?! Why?!
A moment later, he got his answer, as the Human walked over to the injured Sangheilian, weapon still in hand. Instead of attacking, the Human extended a hand towards the Elite and said, in perfect Sangheilian, "Come with me if you wish to live." Apparently, the High Councilor was so shocked that he extended his uninjured hand, with the Human helping him up moments later.
Shaking off his own shock, 'Jar Watrinee advanced up towards the human, grabbing him by the neck and raising his Energy Sword. "Who are you," he demanded, his voice rumbling in anger like an earthquake. "Why are you helping us? Tell me, or I will plunge this sword into your chest."
"Because those are my orders," the Human replied without hesitation.
"What?"
"My orders are to assist in the search and rescue of all Sangheilian High Councilors, Imperial Admirals, Fleetmasters and Shipmasters," the Human replied calmly. "Your kind has been marked for termination at the hands of the Brutes. I have the evidence to prove it." Moments later, he handed 'Jar Watrinee a Sangheilian data pad.
Putting the Human down, 'Jar Watrinee read the contents, just as an Engineer, who had been doing maintenance work in the area, came over. Looking at the contents, 'Jar Watrinee's eyes widened when he read the contents, before he roared, throwing the data pad to the ground, nearly shattering the screen in the process. "The Hierarchs planned this," he roared. "Prove that this came from their hands!"
"I don't need to," the Human replied cryptically. "The fact that the Brutes are currently attempting to slaughter your kind is evidence enough. That Engineer can tell you the same as well."
Moments later, the Huragok, or Engineers as the SLDF-UNSC forces called them, floated over and picked up the data pad, repairing any damage to the device. Moments later, 'Jar Watrinee's eyes widened when the Engineer said, "What he says is true. This is a classified general order to all Jirihanee in the Covenant. I have scanned the information inside for any signs of tampering, and I have found none."
As soon as the Huragok said this, 'Jar Watrinee felt as though someone had punched him in the gut, driving the wind out of him. Why would the Hierarchs demand this, he wondered internally. We have always been their protectors and guardians. Why would they trade us for the Jirhanee despite our recent failings? Then it hit him: they were doing this because of the Sangheilians recent faults, from the destruction of Halo, to the death of Regret.
This has been their plan all along, he realized. They have been planning to wipe us out from the very start, possibly even to just a few years after we signed the Writ of the Covenant thousands of years ago. If so, then the Covenant has been flawed from the very start. After a moment, he asked, in a less hostile manner, "Why are you helping us?"
"Because your Prophets have been lying to you," the SLIC Agent replied. "I did some digging into their personal information archives while using my C-VSS module. It wasn't an easy task, but it worked, and I was able to find out why. Humanity was chosen by the species you worship as 'Reclaimers', those that were chosen by the Forerunners to inherit their technology and their form of governance, the 'Mantle of Responsibility.' The Engineers, or Huragok as you call them, know this because the Forerunners created them as servants and workers. If you don't believe me, ask the one hovering next to you."
Turning to the Huragok, 'Jar Watrinee asked, "Is this true?"
"Certainly," the Huragok replied, using the data pad as a means of communication. "We were created by the Forerunners to help build and maintain their Fortress Worlds, Shield Worlds and Installations. When the Flood, or Parasite as you call them, threatened to overwhelm them, they designated the Ere-Tyrenne, or Humans as you and they call themselves, to inherit their technology, before activating the Fortress Worlds. Since then, we Huragok have been patiently waiting to do what we were created to do, what we want to do of our own free will: to serve the Ere-Tyrenne in their efforts."
This single declaration shook 'Jar Watrinee's previously ironclad convictions to the core. The Humans were meant to reclaim the Forerunners technology, he thought, surprised. After a moment, he asked the Human, "Why didn't the Prophets tell us?"
"Because they were afraid of losing their power and control," the SLIC Agent replied. "The Prophets tricked your species into attempting to destroy Humanity because they learned what the Engineer here has told you. Rather than facing the music and admitting the truth, they tried to cover it up using lies and deceit, thus tricking your species into committing genocide against Humanity. When we learned of this, we began Operations FOG OF WAR, FALSE PROFIT and now, we have begun Operation: SWIFT INTERVENTION, which has the goal of rescuing as many of the Sangheilian High Councilors and HVI's, such as you and these three here, in order to prevent the Sangheilian leadership from falling apart. That's why I helped you, that and I really hate people that kill innocent people, more so when children are involved."
When the Human said this, 'Jar Watrinee finally saw the truth. It was as though someone had cleared away a fog in his mind, a fog that had been preventing him from seeing the truth all along. All those years, he thought, and I was believing a lie, a well crafted, cleverly maintained lie. For the first time in my life… I don't know what to do, or what to believe. After a moment, he asked, "What should I do?"
The SLIC Agent's reply was as simple as it was profound. "Save as many as you can."
. . .
Up in orbit near High Charity, Victor Steiner-Davion was about to order the attack to begin anyways when he got an encrypted message on his C-HPG COM. Opening it, he saw the words, Operation: SWIFT INTERVENTION Successful. All Sangheilian High Councilors Rescued. Sangheilians Alerted to Imminent Danger.
Alright, Victor thought to himself. The Sangheilians got the warning just in time. Now, we can really get to work. Opening a COM channel, he said, "All SLDF and AFFC ships, prepare for combat operations." Looking ahead, he watched for any sign of movement in the Covenant fleet protecting High Charity.
His vigilance as well rewarded, as suddenly, multiple Covenant WarShips began to enter Slipstream Space, disappearing into the relative safety of the 11th dimensional region of space-time. The rest remained behind, their plasma lines flaring as they powered up their weapons, before unleashing a devastating salvo at the Jirhanee controlled WarShips. The Jirihanee WarShips were caught completely off guard by the Sangheilian's surprise attack, with quite a few taking critical damage, either exploding or becoming mission killed. The rest scattered, regrouping into smaller Battle Clusters before opening fire on the Sangheilian controlled WarShips.
Now's our cue, Victor replied. "Helm, initiate jump," he ordered. "Odysseus, record this message and broadcast it to the Sangheilian controlled WarShips and to any Sangheilian forces on High Charity. Ready?"
"Aye, sir," Odysseus replied.
Clearing his throat, Victor said, "To all Sangheilian forces on High Charity and any WarShips under their command, this is the SLS/FCS Guardian of Liberty. The leaders of your Covenant, the Hierarchs, have lied to you, tricking you into committing genocide against the Humanity in this universe. Due to their desire to maintain control, they have stripped your species of your status in the Covenant and have ordered the Jirihanee to begin a genocidal campaign against your people. They have lied and murdered to cover up their deceit, and now they seek to destroy your species alongside our own.
"To all Sangehilians on High Charity and any WarShips under your species command, resist the Prophets and their Jirihanee minions; fight for your loved ones, fight for your people, fight to protect your species from annihilation at the hands of the Hierarchs. As for us, the Star League is more than willing to assist you if you allow us to do so. Should you key in our ships as friendly on your I/FF systems, we will be more than willing to assist." Moments later, Odysseus began transmitting the message in Sangheilian, having broken into the Covenant's communications network a half-second ago.
As they exited their jump, Victor noticed that a few of the Sangheili controlled ships had become green, indicating that they were friendly. A few were still red, indicating that they were hostile, while most had white outlines on their hulls, indicating they were neutral or in the middle of deciding whether or not to be hostile or not. Victor sincerely hoped that they might come over to their side.
Moments later, Odysseus said, "Archon-Prince. I have detected a Covenant transmission going out to the Sangheilian ships. It's coming from within High Charity and bouncing off the Sublime Transcendance to other Sangheili controlled WarShips around the station."
"Can we listen in?"
"Already are. Playing the message now."
Moments later, a deep, rumbling Sangheilian voice came in over the COM. "To all Sangheilians that are still alive, this is Xytan 'Jar Watrinee, Imperial Admiral and Regent Command of the Combined Fleet of Righteousness. We have been betrayed by those we have trusted most. We have been betrayed by our Prophets. I, like all of you, believed in our leaders and their holy covenant. How could we have been so willing to believe a Covenant of lies?
"They have called for the destruction of all Sangheili. They have aligned themselves with the barbaric Jiralhanae. The Great Schism is upon us. The unbreakable Covenant Writ of Union has been split asunder. This is the end of the Ninth, and final, Age.
"You must now decide to surrender to fate – or resist and strive to persist. Myself, I choose to fight. I call upon you all to join me. Let the old ways fade and battle by my side. Together, we can force a new, better union – a new Covenant among the stars.
"Do not fight the Humans any longer, for they have opened my eyes and revealed the truth that the Prophets had tried so desperately to hide from us. We have been deceived, misled into believing that the Humans were heretics, unworthy of union with our Covenant. Now, thanks to the efforts of the new Human faction, the Star League Defense Force and their Star League Intelligence Command, they have revealed to me that the Forerunners, the beings we worship, chose the Humans to be the true inheritors of their legacy, to be Reclaimers.
"The Prophets, in the fear that their treachery and deceit would be exposed, tried to hide the truth and create a tangled web of lies and deceit. It shames me to say this, but not even I was able to discern the truth until now. Now, I know the truth, and I call upon you all to join me at our side. Together, we will create a new Covenant, a Covenant that will call the Humans friend and ally. Throw off the Prophet's shackles of falsehood and deceit, discard the lies that they have fed you for so long, and join me in battle to help save them from the fate that we were unwittingly attempting to bring upon them, the fate that we are now threatened with. I ask this of you, both as your Imperial Admiral, and as a fellow Sangheilian, to help me and those that wish to have both the Humans and our species survive. If we do not work together, we will all die and the Prophets will have fulfilled their lies and falsehood."
Moments later, the COM channel began picking up other Sangheilian Shipmasters and Fleetmasters that had heard Xyan 'Jar Watrinee's passionate speech. "This is Ship Master Voro 'Mantakree, de facto Fleet Master of the Second Fleet of Homogeneous Charity. I accept your call to arms, Imperial Admiral. I encourage all of the Fleet Masters and Ship Masters that are listening to heed the Imperial Admiral's words. We must stop this senseless fight with the Humans, or the Jiralhanae and the Prophets will kill all of us."
With that, Victor watched as all of the ships with white outlines turned green, while those that were hostile turned white, then turned green as well. Only the Brute controlled ships remained red, and that constituted roughly a quarter of the Covenant's fleets in this sector. Now we've got a fighting chance, Victor thought. Keying in his COM, he said, "To all SLDF/Great House WarShips, engage the Jiralhanae controlled ships. Odysseus is sending data now." Looking at his Weapons Control Officer, he said, "Engage the Jiralhanae controlled Super Carrier at will."
"Aye, aye, sir," the Weapons Control Officer replied. "Firing Heavy Mass Drivers at Super Carrier. Capital Missile Launcher Systems in the green. Activating Naval Pulse Laser weapons and N-PPC weapons. All Gauss Weapons powered up. Engaging enemy ship." Moments later, the battle really began in earnest.
The moment the 9.4km long, SLS/AFFC Guardian of Liberty entered the fight, the Brutes were doomed. Four, massive ferro-osmiridium slugs shot out of the Heavy Mass Drivers on the Inner Sphere Dreadnought, impacting the shields of the enemy Super Carrier ahead of them. The first and second shots deflected off of the shields, but the third and fourth smashed through, tearing into the nanolaminate armor with ruthless efficiency. Both slugs ripped massive holes into the enemy ship, with each slug creating massive, ugly tears in the hull on the other side, as the slugs exited the other side before flying harmlessly into the gas giant.
Moments later, the Heavy Naval Pulse Lasers, Heavy Naval Gauss Cannons and Capital Missile Launchers fired, disgorging their lethal payload. The nuclear warhead missiles tore into the nanolaminate armor, with massive streams of plasma tearing through numerous decks of the hull and into the ship. Pulse lasers cut thin, accurate beams of light into the ship, severing whole sections of the ship while damaging critical subsystems. While the Covenant ship fired back, the shields on the Guardian of Liberty held strong, with her sister ships jumping into the fight as well.
At the same time, the other ships in the joint Great House/SLDF Fleet jumped into the battle, firing their weapons as well. The FWS Orion jumped into the fray, firing it's NPL's and Naval Gauss weapons, while firing off it's Light Mass Driver at an enemy Battle Cruiser. The enemy Battle Cruiser's shields flared as they stopped the Laser and Naval Gauss Cannon rounds, but the added strain from the Light Mass Driver tore them apart, with the laser beams and Gauss Cannon slugs tearing large holes into the ship. Coming alongside in a broadside maneuver, the ship hammered the enemy Battle Cruiser with missiles, lasers and Gauss cannon slugs, tearing into the nanolaminate armor. Moments later, the Battle Cruiser went critical, with the ship's reactor detonating as the lasers and Gauss slugs tore through critical systems.
Two ships from the DCMS, the DCS Kokura and Kyoto jumped to each side of a Carrier, firing their weapons into the shields and hull of the Covenant ship. As both ships flew alongside as they fired their weapons, the Covenant Carrier fired off it's energy projector, with the weapon tearing through the shields of the Kokura and into the Advanced Lamellor Ferro-Carbide Armor. In a showcase of the Inner Sphere's superior engineering, the armor ablated, perfectly protecting the ship and it's occupants from taking any damage as the ship fled to recharge it's shields. Before it left, however, the Kokura fired off a Naval Gauss Cannon, damaging the Energy Projector in the process.
Maneuvering around to the rear, the Kyoto blasted the engines of the Covenant Carrier, tearing through the shields and damaging the Impulse Engines. Moving towards the front, the Kyoto fired off it's compliment of missiles and Naval Gauss Cannons, tearing rents and holes into the ship. One shot managed to pierce the reactor inside of the enemy Carrier, causing the bottom of the ship to erupt in an explosion of plasma and radiation. The enemy Carrier was promptly ripped in half by the ensuing explosion, with each half flying away in different directions.
For nearly forty long minutes, the Sangheilian Separatists and the Star League/Great House forces continued to work together to decimate the Brute controlled ships. Ten minutes into the fight, the enemy fleet had been neutralized, with the Star League/Great House ships sending DropShips and Sub-Capital Ships to get troops into High Charity. For the next thirty, Victor Steiner-Davion and the other Admirals continued to work on getting more troops, BattleMechs and Combat Vehicles into High Charity, with the ultimate goal of taking the station and capturing the Hierarchs and any Jiralhanae VIP's in the station. During this time, more SLDF/Great House fleets came in to assist the others.
Continuing to look over data feeds, Victor heard Odysseus say, "Archon-Prince, SLDF and Great House forces are reporting Flood infestation in large sections of the station. The Flood have boarded the station."
"That settles it," Victor decided. "Inform the other Admirals to get their troops out of there. We don't want any of our own forces to be infected by the Flood, and we most certainly do not want them getting their hands on SLDF technology. Order the retreat and get our forces to this Universe's version of Terra."
"Understood," Odysseus replied. "Archon-Prince, I'm detecting a large, Forerunner vessel launching off from High Charity. It appears to be entering Slipstream Space."
Looking up, Victor watched as a tall, spire shaped ship with triangular extensions on the bottom exited High Charity, before entering a portal into Slipstream Space. "We can't worry about that now," he told Odysseus. "All we can do now is focus on keeping SLDF technology and people out of the Flood's hands. Once all forces are off of the ring, we will initiate a nuclear bombardment of the entire station. If we can't destroy it, we might as well make it as inhospitable for the Flood as we possibly can. Given what the Memory Core said about them, it's imperative that we do what we can to neutralize them." With that, each one of them went back to work. Working hard to get their troops off of High Charity.