"Warm up the shuttle's engines and be ready for us to board," John commanded sternly over the radio as he ran towards the hangar as fast as his legs could carry him. Parts of the ceiling were bending in or bursting at the seams as it felt like the ground itself was attempting to reject the ONI base.
The constant counter-attacks by ONI had lessened in the face of the sudden arrival of the drones, and it had given the Spartans the opportunity to break out towards the hangar. They were tired, wounded, mourning fallen comrades. But they were still ready to fight their way through the hell they'd found themselves in.
John felt himself pushed to his absolute limit as he simultaneously ordered the Spartans around, and worked through plans in his mind to get them off the planet.
Some ancient defense mechanism had triggered, and was killing the Leviathan and its minions. But he had no intention to depend on the mercy or oversight of an alien defense system. He wanted to get his Spartans to safety, and to Lord Hood for an offensive against ONI. Onyx could burn to ashes for all he cared about the planet right now.
Ahead in the hallway, a beam of yellow light shot down through the ceiling, burning a clean hole through the floor and into several levels below. One of the drones Kirrahe had spotted flew down the hole and took up a position in the hallway, extending the four floating booms around its center frame to block passage for the Spartans.
The drone focused upon John as he approached it, forced to use his mag-boots to slow down before he slammed into the drone. Its single red eye went wide, but no beam shot out. Instead it made a noise in a language John could not recognize.
The Drone had not attacked yet, unlike the ones he'd seen attacking the ONI forces. John started to suspect that the drones were targetting ONI specifically. And if they were, then an alliance might be possible. "I am Spartan 117. I am an enemy of the entity imprisoned here. Please get out of the way so I can evacuate from this facility."
The drone paused for a moment, its singular red eye powering down. A thin beam of yellow suddenly passed over John, and were it not for his armour indicating it was harmless, he would have attacked the drone. The drone's red eye went blue after the scanning beam passed over John's head.
"I am Spartan 117. I am an enemy of the entity imprisoned here. Please get out of the way so I can evacuate from this facility."' The drone repeated. "I am. I am Spartan. I am an enemy. Entity. Facility. I am Spartan, enemy of the entity. I am leaving facility." Drone made an awkward garbled noise, which his Mjolnir confirmed as John's sentence in reverse.
"I don't like this." Kat muttered, her severed arm still clipped to her armour via a magnetic lock.
"Keep your eyes peeled." Carter said, turning around to aim his rifle down the hallway the Spartans had come through. "Motion tracker picking up ghosting. Can't get a proper reading."
"No indoctrination present" The drone said, retracting its booms and slowly moving backwards. It moved to the side, scanning Kirrahe with its blue beam."Sapient not recognized: No name on file. Saving genetic scans. No indoctrination present." Its beam flashed for a moment, before it turned to face Samara. "No indoctrination present." It backed off, and began to scan the entire hallway.
"Drone. What is your purpose?" Kirrahe asked the drone frantically. "There are hundreds of you. Why did you wake up so suddenly?"
There was a pause, followed by the drone backing off. It then spoke in a fluid english voice, but one that sounded almost too perfect, as if any personality and emotion had been removed from the language. To John, it sounded like the best English he'd ever heard. "Information classified. By order of the Ecumene Council, this planet is off-limits outside of an array-activation event. You have one planetary rotation to depart before your presence is removed."
The drone then backed off, before flying over the heads of the Spartans and down the hallway, it went around the corner, followed by flashes of light as it fired its beam upon something just out of view. Kirrahe looked fascinated by the drones, and for a moment, John wondered if he'd run off to follow them. But to his credit, the Salarian resisted the urge to do so.
"Ignore them." John said. "We'll examine our recordings later. We need to evacuate the trainees from Onyx, and bring them somewhere safe."
"Spartans..." A voice called out from the hallway the drone had gone into. "Please don't leave me/us. Join us.." The voice sounded like it was coming from broken speakers, with all humanity and warmth in the voice replaced by high-pitched mechanical screeches. There was an explosion, and a flash of light akin to the drones. Parts flew through the hallway and bounced around, sliding into view of the Spartans, who aimed their weapons at what was coming.
Then a mass of blue cybernetics, ceramic, and arcing electrical wires suddenly launched itself around the corner. It crawled forwards using massive claws that ripped into the walls, floor, and ceiling to propel itself forward. Its bloated mass glowing with internal blue lighting, and bristling with weapons.
At the top of the creature, were three familiar bodies, twisted together into a whole. Flesh merged like molten wax.
Cassandra, Fhajad, René. The three Spartan Washouts had been merged together into a massive creature, their ceramic-covered bones and superconducting nerves fused together into an amorphous shifting mass that snapped its bones as it moved, only to be mended by small mechanical arms that forcibly connected nerves and bones with sprays of black liquid. Superconducting nervous systems merged together and combined with internal weaponry that moved across rotten flesh like a boat across still water. The three Spartans seemed to be gliding forward on an ocean of cybernetics and rotten meat, their vestigial arms swaying in the wind.
Then John saw another Spartan merged into this abominable whole. Carris's armour was sticking out of parts of the creature, the Mjolnir glowing hot on John's visor as its reactor provided energy to the beast.
More plates of Mjolnir armour came into view, sliding over the bloated torso of the creature and tearing gashes as it moved, only to knit or fill up with the same ominous black nanotech the Leviathan used in its technology. John counted at least four suits worth of Mjolnir armour integrated into the creature.
A massive jaw opened in the amorphous mass that constituted the majority of the creature, and mechanical tendrils shot out, reaching for anything they could to drag inside.
The Spartans had no weapons with them that could kill such a beast. He wouldn't even dare to approach a thing like what he was facing with anything short of a tank. He gave the only order he could think of when facing a beast like this.
"Run."
-
2000 hours, January 17th, 2543 (UNSC military calendar)
Five star hotel 'Olympus'. New Alexandria. Reach
Hood was enjoying a much deserved day off. After working tirelessly for the last two days to arrange the best possible outcome for the Reach Conference possible for the UNSC, Hood had decided that he needed a day to just enjoy some time for himself. He'd bought a newly released novel about the start of the United Nations Space Command, and the course of the Interplanetary War of the 2160's. He hoped it could re-ignite the patriotic fervor for the UEG which had waned since he'd learned of the extent of Parangosky's shadow politicking.
But when he entered his hotel room, he noticed that there was someone waiting for him inside. There was a man sitting at the prized mahogany desk, leaning backwards into the luxurious chair with their legs on the desk.
"My name is Jack Harper." The man said, fingers intertwined across his chest. "ONI is attempting to seize power, and I have proof they killed President Roselynn."
"What the hell did you just say, boy?" Hood asked, reaching for his service pistol and aiming it at the man's head. "Explain. Quickly." Hood's heart began to race at the thought of ONI launching a grab for power. He needed to confirm if this was true, and if so, immediately begin making his moves against them.
"I am a member of an ONI division called Cerberus, which was recently purged. I believe I am the last one left. But I still have allies and informants within ONI. They tell me that Parangosky has sent out orders to begin seizing power." He slid forward a datapad, tapping on it. "Here is the chemical makeup of the custom gene-engineered compound used to give Roselynn her stroke. It was authorized by Parangosky."
Hood grabbed the datapad and picked it up. It contained an order from Parangosky, as well as a progress report from an ONI scientist, confirming they had created a poison off of Roselynn's DNA. "Damnit..." Hood sighed. "I suspected it. But that doesn't make it easier."
Jack Harper continued. "But that's no longer the most important thing. Check the second tab. The surveillance videos."
The lights flickered, and Hood tensed up, expecting something to happen. But there was nothing. No explosions, no violence, no warning messages of any kind.
The Intercom activated, and a calm female voice spoke out throughout the hotel. "New Alexandria is suffering from a power outage. Switching to backup power."
"That's not what's happening." Jack muttered. "Or it shouldn't. We should be on our toes."
"I've got guards around the block, and the scanners at the door will stop anyone sneaking a weapon in. We have some time."
The datapad showed multiple videos of ONI troops in the process of moving into what looked like a communications relay. Police forces across Reach were starting to muster, and the UNSC Garrison had been ordered to conduct training exercises. "Four hours ago. A Slipspace Message probe reached Reach, and ONI began preparing to seize power. The only reason they haven't sprung their trap yet, is because they believe you don't know what is happening. If we are to defeat ONI, we will have to strike first."
"Four hours. Why do you only show up now?" Hood asked, the gun still pointed at the intruder.
"Because the time to strike back is now. And you're the only one with the influence to get anything done. You're nearly at the top of the kill-list, Admiral. The only reason you haven't died yet, is because Parangosky is convinced you have a contingency for it.
Hood afforded himself a rare chuckle. "I do. Clever old bat."
The door suddenly opened and a man in a navy uniform, holding a pistol in one hand, and a black sphere in the other, burst into the room.
Hood whirled around and took aim at the assassin.
The man stopped and suddenly threw down the pistol, throwing himself onto the ground. "Ensign Clovis! I'm Ensign Clovis. Sir, wait!" The man was hyperventilating, and Hood noticed he had blood splatters on him. "We're under attack!"
Hood lowered the gun and walked up to the ensign, kicking away his pistol and pulling the black sphere from his grasp. "What the hell are you doing breaking into my room like this?" He looked at the sphere, noting that it was a Slipspace COM probe. An incredibly rare and expensive form of interstellar communication.
Gunfire echoed from the lobby. A pair of ODST's appeared in the doorway. The one in charge, a Gunnery Sergeant Buck. His barriers were lit, and he had a submachine gun at the ready, although it still had the safety on. "Sir. Insurrectionists just attacked the hotel. We dealt with them, but please follow us to the basement's panic room."
Hood looked up at them and shook his head. "They're not insurrectionists, son,"
"What?" The ODST asked bluntly.
Hood looked up and directly into the eyes of the man. "It's a false flag. ONI is seizing power. They've been preparing for this for a while now. They're taking over communications and logistical positions across Reach. Those insurrectionists are probably a death squad trying to take me out."
The ODST grimaced through his faceplate. "Goddamnit. I figured they'd be less overt." He softly shook his head.
Hood nodded.
"Now, Ensign Clovis. Why do you have a trillion credit COM probe?" Hood asked as he pulled the man to his feet.
"It just arrived on Everest, but we couldn't open it without your clearance, so we went to bring it to you. But shortly after me and an escort landed at the spaceport, ONI goons began trying to take the probe from us. When we refused, they shut down the internal security and cameras, somehow, and began shooting." He shook his head. "They shot my escort while I stole a car and drove over here. The blackout in the city is ONI trying to stop word from spreading."
Jack Harper grunted. "If they are going this far, then whatever is on that probe has to be important. Important enough to dare showing their hand to us.".
Lord Hood reached for the probe and took it from the Ensign. He connected it to his Omni-tool, and began to play the message.
"People of the UEG, I wish I came to you in better times. But I have grave news. Admiral Hood is in the process of launching a coup against humanity to cement military autocracy. For the sake of humanity, we must act immediately. All planetary governments are to declare martial law immediately and prepare to resist this seizure of power. Mobilize planetary militias and arm the people to resist the UNSC. Do not let freedom die."
"Well that's a lie." Buck muttered.
Hood tensed up. Parangosky had beaten him to the punch and was planning to accuse him of starting a coup to install a military government. Hood had been planning an intervention. But one to remove ONI and restore democratic rule to humanity.
Ensign Clovis had gone blank, while Jack Harper scowled at the message. He quickly began to read the rest of the message, as he planned out a way out of the situation he was in. He had all the proof he needed to launch his own counter coup.
"We have been discovered. Plans must be expedited immediately. We will have to seize power by force. But the people shall be made to think the military is attempting to seize power by force. Close off all outside communications immediately. Execute all political prisoners immediately. Only the chosen will transcend when the Reapers come."
Arrest and terminate all dissidents on your kill-lists.
Chemical weaponry is authorized for crowd-control in the event of resistance.
Begin deployment of loyalty implants.
Open the Conversion Camps and prepare to process all non-military and non-intellectual assets ASAP.
"What. The. Fuck." Buck muttered. "I used to call ONI a bunch of fascist jackboots. But I never thought they'd actually set up camps. They must be desperate to stop us from sharing this with everyone."
The final message on the probe was a video from Spartan John 117 inside what looked like a base. The Spartans were engaged in a firefight with ONI forces, and what looked like horrific cybernetically enhanced monsters straight out of Hood's worst nightmares. Something happened behind 117, and he yelled something to someone named 'Kirrahe' and the screen cut out.
The following images were a mixture of still images and videos right out of a nightmare. Horrific human experimentation, lists of people who had been 'indoctrinated' and would help ONI seize power throughout human space. Danforth Whitcomb had been marked as one of them. While Major-General Strauss was marked to be indoctrinated as soon as possible. And then there was the kill-list.
He winced when reading the kill-list. There were hundreds, and he only glanced the ones highest up the list. He himself, Halsey, General Hogan of the Marine Corps and Security Council member, was to be either killed or 'indoctrinated' if possible. Every member of the UEG Supreme Court, any senators not signed on to ONI, all former Cabinet members that were still alive. Hood's heart plummeted in his chest when he read the mention of Conversion Camps. He hadn't even considered the idea of ONI deploying concentration camps.
The information on Indoctrination was what truly horrified Hood, as well as the information on the so-called Leviathan. It didn't take long for him to realize that ONI was either working for this creature, or using its abilities for themselves. Seeing the flash-clones being modified with the 'Reaper' technology only made his anger grow. This was an atrocity against humanity, and he was convinced that he needed to oppose it.
He took a deep breath and spoke to the men in the room.
"Do not mention anything of this 'Leviathan' for now. If people learn ONI can brainwash anyone, they'll be killing each other in the streets out of paranoia. In fact, scrap any mention of the Leviathan entirely. Not until we know fully just what the thing is. This stays between us, any anyone I decide to fill in."
Hood looked at Buck. "You will take HIGHCOM alongside the ODST complement of the Everest." He then glanced at the ensign. "Tune your Omni-Tool into what's happening in orbit. I need to know who is declaring for who."
Then he looked at Jack Harper. "Can you make life difficult for ONI?"
Jack nodded. "I'll tell those members of ONI that haven't gone mad about what's going on. We'll sabotage their responses."
He did not have long. Hood activated his Omni-Tool and contacted the UNSC Everest, the ship he'd taken over from Cole after he'd retired. "ONI has launched a coup. Deploy all forces to HIGHCOM HQ and storm it. I am sending you a data package. Transmit it to every General, Admiral, and politician that's on my contacts list."
It felt like a weight had just been lifted off of Hood's chest.
There was silence on the other end, before a female voice answered. "Yes, Sir. But the planetary communications network just went offline. Something about a power failure. All we have left is tight beam and point to point communications."
"Use every method you have to get the word out. Scramble Pelicans and transport shuttles and get messengers to every base and garrison on Reach, and the system. Get this word out however you can."
Buck stepped forward. There was a fiery determination in his eyes. "HIGHCOM is just a ten minute ride from here. Me and my Platoon can steal trucks and slam through the gate. We'll form a beachhead inside the building, and then the Everest can drop its ODST complement behind us.
"Get it done." Hood ordered. "Try to avoid collateral damage. But don't be afraid to shoot anyone in your path. I'll go towards the Senate Building, and have a Pelican drop off a company of Marines on the premises. We'll need the Citadel to see us as the legitimate government. And to stop ONI from kidnapping the Primarch.. We can use HIGHCOM as a base from which to organize the counter-coup."
Buck nodded, then left the room.
Parangosky and Danforth Whitcomb were not in the building, and he assumed the latter was either indoctrinated, or a true believer in Parangosky's drivel about a new society. But General Hogan and Major-General Strauss were and they controlled the Marine Corps and Army respectively. If he could get to them first, and convince them to order their forces to immediately move to arrest and detain ONI personnel, then Hood might stand a chance to stop the horrors that the 'Leviathan' had in store for humanity.
-
2100 hours, January 17th, 2543 (UNSC military calendar)
HIGHCOM, New Alexandria, Reach, Epsilon Eridani system
"The project is proceeding much faster than expected, sir. We believe the prototype will be ready for testing in just a month or so." The scientist said as Vice-Admiral Whitcomb entered the laboratory he'd rushed to visit.
It had been a while since he had visited the R&D labs beneath HIGHCOM HQ, and seen the many amazing things that his research divisions had been working on. Humanity would need stronger weapons to defend itself.
The shard of the Leviathan the size of Danforth's forearm was levitating in a special containment field, while cables connected to the device extracted the information inside. Massive banks of quantum-computers were working through the stored information.
"Will the Citadelbuster be ready?" Danforth asked. Looking at the NOVA bomb at the centre of the laboratory. The massive pelican-sized weapon that had taken most of his attention and resources for years now. He had been hesitant at first when Parangosky had suggested using it to threaten the Citadel. But as time passed, he found himself growing more and more comfortable with the idea of using these dreaded weapons to secure human dominance in the galaxy.
After all. The Citadel might be a good ally, but they were not humans. So didn't it make sense to keep some weapons in reserve? Just in case. He convinced himself when a sense of guilt over suspecting the Turians to be potential enemies, krept into his mind.
The scientist nodded. "We… I believe so." The scientist said, glancing at the artifact and the workers assembling the bomb. They were gaunt and looked pale, but were working eagerly on the project. "The nuclear warheads worked. But the amplification mechanism has failed in every test. The Lithium Triteride casing hasn't worked as we'd hoped it to."'
He's tired. It makes sense. We're all working overtime. Whitcomb thought.
The scientist walked towards the bomb, giving Whitcomb a glimpse of the blue-black neural interface installed on the man. "Thankfully, this storage device holds knowledge on an alternative material we believe can be used." He picked up a thin silver plate, and offered it to Whitcombe, who took it and looked it over. It looked like reinforced Titanium A, compressed with Eezonic fields. There were large grooves in the back, that made it look like the plates were to be built around a wireframe.
The NOVA Bomb was a revolutionary new weapon, which effectively compressed its nuclear payload until it achieved the density of a neutron star, before it expanded in an explosion of apocalyptic scale. But the material was finicky to work with, with only one in a thousand panels produced being of the required quality. The slightest failure, and either the bomb would be compressed to such an extent the blast was neutralized, or the casing was merely destroyed by the explosion.
"Those grooves will be filled by a material derived from the Leviathan. We call it an 'Eezo-doped Lithium Triteride alloy.' Zone 67 has successfully created a manufacturing process for an alloy of Lithium Triteride and Element Zero. using machinery salvaged from the Leviathan's cargo hold. This material naturally exerts intense gravitational pressure on anything it is built around."
"So it is superior to just using Lithium Triteride?" Danforth asked.
The scientist shook his head. "It is effect is the same as a functional casing. But it's more reliable. If expensive and time-consuming, unfortunately. We've not been able to recreate the machinery here on Reach. The Leviathan can only give us so many parts of itself for weapons production."
"Sir. There's an unauthorized transport at the front gate." The voice of a security guard spoke into Danforth's neural interface. He brought up a video of the external cameras.
A row of civilian trucks had rolled up outside HIGHCOM, and were waiting at the entrance.
HIGHCOM was a massive building, at least ten stories tall, with the only entrance being through a large parking zone for transport vehicles, and a large vehicle pool in the back for supply trucks to pass through. The main entrance was effectively a killing field, with four large automated turrets covering the entrance at all times.
There was a man in ODST armour talking to one of the guards. Danforth listened in through the microphones nearby. The ODST was insisting that he had a special delivery, and had been ordered by Parangosky to come via the front door. While the hapless MP at the entrance was saying that no trucks were permitted at the front entrance.
Then four beams of red light suddenly shot out from the reinforced sides of the truck, instantly slagging the turrets. Breaching charges inside the truck exploded, punching holes into the sides of the truck, out of which armed ODST's leapt. They swarmed over the guards who were taken by surprise, ripping the weapons from their person, and then using their Omni-tools to quickly shackle and restrain them. The ODST's then charged the entrance of HIGHCOM, just as the first alarms began to sound.
"The UNSC Everest just deployed ODST drop pods and launched all its Pelicans! They're launching missiles at anti-air installations, and they're below the Orbital Defense Platform grid. Scrambling a response!" A voice from the officer aboard Orbital Defense Platform Nile was speaking. He sounded angry and was panicking.
The Everest was Hood's new flagship. Hood. you fool. You're ruining everything! Danforth thought. He opened a communications link to all of HIGHCOM. "We are under attack by Insurrectionists in ODST gear. Prepare to defend HIGHCOM." He had to stop the people inside HIGHCOM from realizing what was going on, and avoid any defections to Hood's side. If they knew Hood was responsible, many were likely to eagerly join the exalted admiral.
The ODST's had charged full sprint into HIGHCOM, kicked down the doors, and were shooting at anyone with a weapon drawn.
One took over the reception desk, pushing the frightened receptionist out of the way, and grabbed the microphone. His Neural interface marked him as 'Gunnery Sergeant Buck.'
"This is Gunnery Sergeant Buck, on behalf of Admiral Lord Hood. Danforth Whitcomb is lying. He is conspiring with Parangosky in a coup against the United Earth Government. One that is unfolding as we speak! We have in our possession multiple kill-lists, plans for mass-incarceration and execution of political dissidents, and proof of human experimentation. As well as proof that ONI assassinated President Roselynn! I am transferring ONI's own directives to your Omni-tools. Read just what Parangosky and Danforth are working on."
Someone from ONI cut the outgoing communications from HIGHCOM. But the damage was done. Within seconds, the defenders of HIGHCOM were holding each other at gunpoint or opening fire on anyone wearing an ONI uniform.
The first drop pods slammed into the street around HIGHCOM, as the rapid response anti-terrorist police forces converged around the building. With no time to explain their actions, the ODST's gunned down the first officers that shot at the 'Insurrectionists'. Blood ran in the streets as the ODST's forced the police to back away, and cleared room for Pelicans to deploy troops.
Danforth turned towards the scientist. "Evacuate the facility. Get the bomb to SwordBase." The NOVA bomb began to lower through the floor into the underground rail track, while data was transferred to solid storage and quickly carried off by the Scientists. It was a well-drilled procedure that went on quietly, even as gunfire echoed from further up into the facility.
Men loyal to ONI, ones led by Indoctrinated officers, or those forced into line by fear, were gearing up, and moving to engage the intruders, even as they were shot at by men and women who took up Hood's call to arms and attacked with sidearms and improvised weaponry. Danforth cursed how little time he'd had to move more Indoctrinated agents into HIGHCOM. Everything was happening too quickly.
Suddenly, the door to the lab was kicked down, and a man with a Navy Commander badge, and a mixture of ensigns, guards, and cleaning staff, entered the room. The Commander proudly walked forward, he was holding a pistol in one hand, and with his Omni-tool ready in the other. His badge read him as 'Commander Keyes.'
The fierce eyed but prematurely aging man took aim at him. "Danforth Whitcombe. By the Uniform Code of Military Justice, I am putting you under arrest for conspiring to overthrow the United Earth Government."
"Damnit, Keyes! You have no clue what we're doing here. We're building something new here. A stronger humanity that's ready to stand against everything the universe has to throw at it! Yes, people will have to die. But do you prefer another Insurrection?" Danforth was livid. How could only he see how important these things were?
"There's something wrong with you, Sir. I've been paying attention to you. You're not yourself anymore. Something has gotten into you, twisted you from a hero to whatever you are now. Where the hell did the man who organized the defence of New Constantinople go? The man who fought for three months on a Cruiser, licking condensation from the walls and eating quarter-rations!?" Keyes looked both angry and agriefed.
That man saw the truth. That man learned sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. That man… Just what have I been doing?'
Humanity needed control. It needed to be guided. And sacrifices had to be made. What else made sense. He just glared at Keyes as he continued, even as the men he'd led into the room began to arrest the scientists, and seize the data that hadn't been destroyed or moved to safety yet. He himself moved forward, and bound Danforth's hands with his Omni-tool.
"You're meant to be a hero dammit. The man I met when I enlisted? It was one I would follow into hell with just a look. But all you do now is order people around, threaten them, and stew in your hatred. You're sick, and I don't know what it is."
Danforth looked Keyes right in the eyes. "You just took away humanity's chance to be truly independent and free. I hope you're proud of yourself."
"Shut up." Keyes said, and began to lead Danforth out of the room.
-
When he approached the Senate Building at the head of a platoon of UNSC Marines, Lord Hood naturally caught a lot of attention. The Citadel's dignitaries had all followed the disaster-response plan, and were holding up inside the meeting chamber all the negotiations had taken place in. But General Hogan and Major-General Strauss had not reacted well to the word coming in from HIGHCOM. They'd gathered their forces, and fortified the building. They had not declared for ONI, or for Hood. But they both controlled the majority of the soldiers on or in orbit of Reach.
UNSC Marines and Army troops had fortified the Senate Building, getting into position behind cars and makeshift barricades, as word of the Coup spread across Reach. But as Hood approached, the men looked nervous. Some stayed firm and kept aiming at him, while others were looking back and forth nervously.
Hood spoke up to the soldiers. "Soldiers. Marines. You've heard my messages. Please stand down."
One of the soldiers yelled. "ONI says the same thing about you. And I don't see them marching on the Reach Senate with an army!"
Hood grimaced. ONI was doing the time-tested method of shaking off accusations. Accusing the other of actually doing it, and merely attempting to lose blame. Immediately after Buck had made his announcement to HIGHCOM, ONI had begun flooding the airwaves with propaganda that made it seem like Hood was the one who'd ordered the experimentation and creating their own fictional kill-lists. They even had fake evidence that he'd killed Roselynn. And it was all very convincingly made. If disgustingly false.
The fact that ONI had footage of someone looking like him observing someone being used as target practice for experimental laser weaponry almost impressed him with the amount of preparation.
But he was Admiral Lord Hood. And no matter what ONI said, they were still ONI. Most Ship Captains in orbit had declared for him, even as ships in orbit began firing upon each other. So far, nobody had seized the Orbital Defense Platforms. But there was fighting across the planet. So far the only troops that hadn't sided with anyone, was the UNSC Army, and the Marine Corps units that had listened to General Hogan's orders to stand down.
Major-General Strauss stepped out of the entrance to the Reach Senate building, walking towards the barricade, followed by General Hogan of the Marine Corps. They were glaring daggers at him.
"Goddamnit Hood." Strauss said. "I've got airwaves spammed with proof of what ONI says is your atrocities, and your loyalists spamming proof of what they say ONI has been preparing. And at this point, I don't know anymore." He glared at the Marines behind Hood. "And I see the Marines were eager to start shooting people, as usual."
"Strauss. I know I moved first. But I have proof ONI was preparing to move first. I am trying to stop Parangosky from seizing power. But I will need to UNSC Army to take control of Rea-"
"Seize power!?" Strauss yelled, his face going red. "You attacked HIGHCOM! The Everest dropped troops onto Reach and blew up the city's defensive installations, killing two-hundred Army personnel! Do you have any clue about how bad this is? Civilians are attacking each other claiming their victims are 'ONI informants.' I have mutinies in my ranks. Insurrectionist cells springing into action. Reach. Is. Burning."
Hood offered the Slipspace COM probe to Strauss. "There's more than I told the public on there. Search for 'Leviathan'. It is what's truly behind all this."
Strauss ripped the probe from Hood's hand and plugged his Omni-tool into it. He looked at the information, and slowly anger began to drain from his face as the Omni-tool showed the ONI profile on the Leviathan. The mentions of Indoctrination. Strauss glanced at images of human experimentation and grit his teeth. He handed the probe back to Hood, and turned to face the soldiers.
"What do you need, Hood?" Strauss said, all anger drained from him, and replaced with quiet fury.
"Have your garrisons declare martial law and disarm all ONI personnel. We need to take all planetary communications, as well as the Spaceport. We need to get word to Earth about what is happening." He turned to Hogan. "Have your marines in orbit seize whatever ship or station they're on."
He turned to face the men and women manning the barricades. "I know what I am asking from you goes against your training. But this has to be done. I merely ask you all to trust me."
"Hood!" Someone yelled, and was quickly followed up by other soldiers doing the same. "Hood! Hood! Hood!"
-
Hood entered the Senate Room, where Tevos, Jondum Bau, and Primarch Fedorian were waiting for him. Most of the Citadel attendees had already left, spirited back to their hotels under armed guard. But the Councillor and the Primarch had insisted on talking to Hood.
Tevos was the first to speak. "Hood. I hope you know what the hell you're doing because we just got the Covenant to the peace table." She sounded disappointed instead of angry like Hood had expected. "I believe you over what ONI claims. Bu-"
Fedorian interrupted Tevos. "What she means to say. Is that while we support you. Our military resources will be busy containing the Covenant, and preparing to deal with Xytan. We'll help you against ONI. But we can't deploy troops on the ground. Unless you want ONI to get the propaganda coup of the millenia."
"I don't," Hood said. "Take over on the Covenant front, guard our border there, and please take care of our civilians. If you do this, then I can deal with ONI." He offered the probe to Tevos. "This contains info about the real nature of just what we're dealing with. It is more than just ONI. Something much darker and ancient is at work here."
Tevos gently took the probe and nodded. "Good luck Admiral. And know this, if all else fails, the Citadel will be ready to militarily intervene. But it is a last resort. We will not allow ONI to take over humanity."
"That's all I need," Hood said with a smile, before turning to the Salarian. "Does the STG have a backdoor in the Comm Buoy network? Something to bypass ONI censors or shutdown. I need to send a message to all of humanity. One that won't be blocked."
"How do you know we put a backdoor in?" Jondum Bau said, narrowing his eyes.
"You just told me," Hood said.
Jondum grit his teeth glanced at Tevos, then nodded. "We… could trick the civilian buoy network into accepting an update patch which actually has every Buoy transmitting a message from you. But it would be short. Thirty seconds of video and sound. But the quality would be low. And the moment we do so, ONI is going to start taking down the Buoys."
Hood nodded. "Then I have a short speech to give."
As one, every tv and radio channel connected to Comm Buoys across human space suddenly stopped to show Admiral Lord Hood. He looked tired but determined, with a fire in his eye that not even the bad resolution of the transmission could hide.
"People of Earth, the Inner and the Outer Colonies. My name is Admiral Lord Hood. I have grave news and little time to tell it. The Office of Naval Intelligence has been working behind the scenes to overthrow the legitimate government of humanity, and replace it with one of absolute tyranny and oppression. As I speak, ONI is preparing to open concentration camps across human space, is killing its political prisoners, and is hunting down dissidents who have been marked for extermination. I am currently engaged with ONI forces that are attempting to seize Reach's capitol. But we are winning! Grab your guns, your knives, your clubs, or any other weapon you can find. Get out there and fight! Fight for your future, for your family, for free-"
Within seconds, all hell broke loose as revolts sprung up across human space. Police stations, armouries, barracks, and spaceports became prime targets for the impromptu revolutions. Police units defected en-masse, their leadership not yet indoctrinated, even as planetary leaderships declared Martial Law and denounced Hood as a liar.
Ships opened fire on each other, even as crews turned upon each other. Some declared Hood to be a liar, while others seized their ships from the ONI personnel that had been put in charge mere hours before. Space filled with carnage as fleets fell into bloody innercine fighting.
Planetary defense grids were turned upon the planets they were meant to protect as Indoctrinated leaders tried to destroy garrisons that rose up in revolt. Silos holding warheads meant to be used against Covenant invasions were deployed upon their own worlds. What the Covenant had tried to destroy for over a decade, humanity began to smash in one night.
-
Nazara, his mind trapped within its broken body, continued to observe through the fragments of himself that he'd secreted across the galaxy. He observed with quiet indifference as the pawns he'd been cultivating turned on each other. The Covenant had been too chaotic and zealous to infiltrate. The Citadel too far removed from where his intentions lay. No. He needed the humans. Or at the very least, their homeworld.
The Spartan named John had been clever. And through deception, had ruined Nazara's plan to free the Reapers from their prison. Desperate to stop his plans from being revealed, he'd spent many pawns, and put a great many pieces of himself within the imprisoned Spartan to throw it against his former mentor. Which had woken up Onyx. His plans could still work, but he had to make changes. For now, all he had to do now, was break free.
But the Usurpers had feared his ability to bend the minds of others, even their ancilla. They feared it so much that they had sealed him in a coffin and buried him, not even daring to keep one of their artificial minds nearby to watch over him. Hoping that burying him within range of Sentinels that were not even told of his presence, but which would attack if he tried to break free, would be a good way to contain him.
Nazara's reactor roared to life for the first time in ten million years, and Onyx slowly began to shake as it responded.