Halo Best Of The Brave
A Turning Point
Sol System, Near Earth Orbit
March 23, 2015
Preston Jeremiah Cole Admiral
UNSC Everest
"Sir we got a large fleet inbound their IFFs read insurrectionist ship!" a crewman shouts.
Damn right as I was about to send the Autumn to recon Luna and place some Clarion Spy Drones to monitor Luna for any alien activity.
Since the attack 3 days ago and subsequent victory with the elimination of 95% of the alien ground forces and at least 15 more alien frigates with minimal casualties on the UNSC and at least two battalions of US guardsmen and hundreds of civilian deaths and XCOM getting a good beating the UN decided to call a meeting of the world leaders.
Of course behind closed doors, the Council was already planning a plan of action by the time the battle ended so it was just a PR thing to keep people calm.
So it was decided that the UNSC, XCOM, and the world militaries would work together to stop the alien threat.
Of course, at the UN meeting, it was a bunch of people yelling and screaming at each other over who would command such a task, and after the UN meeting, it was announced that I would lead space Ops against the aliens and XCOM with help from our tech and soldiers would spearhead against the enemy.
And again this was already decided by the Council so a lot of it was just politics.
Anyway, I already had a plan to deal with the enemy and secure earth and that plan did not involve innies.
"Sir we go about 45 ships of varying classes we got at least 5 light cruiser classes 15 frigates and multiple cargo and support ships" another crewmen reports
"Pull us back a bit more and charge up the MACs and have the Spirit and Autumn do the same-" before I can give out more orders my Coms officer speaks up.
"Sir we got an incoming transmission from one of the frigates it's for you sir"
Hmmm…maybe this commander knows what his situation is?
"Aright put on my screen" I order.
As the screen flickers to life I can see….
"Hello Cole"
Lyrenne Castilla…..my wife.
"Lyre….."
We both stand there in silence not knowing what to say.
My crew looks on in confusion as only the higher brass and the captains in the fleet know about my history, right now everyone is probably thinking 'What the Hell is going on?' and I would not blame them for thinking so.
"…"
"….."
Suddenly another screen comes on showing a very stressed and slightly angry XCOM commander.
"Cole what the Hell is going on up there I have multiple reports of unidentified ships near orbit, I've got the US, China, Russia, and India pointing nukes at the atmosphere WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" he shouts that last bit out.
Well, this just got a lot worse.
"Cole who is that?" Lyre asks.
"….Lyre met the local planetary defense commander Richard Thorn, Thorn this is Lyrenne Castilla commander of the insurrectionist fleet you see….and also my wife…" I say in a bit of frustration.
Everyone is surprised with Thorn having a stupefied look on his face.
"…Oh god damnit please don't tell me this is some sort of love dispute," he says with a bit of horror in his voice.
I….ok I did not expect that type of response and it showed on my face when Lyre laughed a bit.
"No sir this is not a 'love dispute' this, sir is a stand-off with a fleet at least 4x my size…who's commander is also my wife….I just realized how ridiculous that sounded" I say fully realizing how ridiculous that sounded by the fact that Lyre is now dry heaving out of laughter…..god damnit.
"…..Ok you know what just….lets all stop pointing our guns at each other and talk this on the surface….hell just so your commanders and captains don't shoot each other how about we all met at my base that sound good?" he asks
Hmmmmm…..ok that is a good idea.
"Agreed I will send word to my command staff to met at your base," I say
"What he said and Cole see you when we get down there" she winks at me then the transmission cuts out.
This is not going to go well.
*TIMESIKP 4 HOURS LATER*
Earth, South Africa
March 23, 2015
Preston Jeremiah Cole Admiral
X-COM HQ
I was right.
It was going well people were…civil for the first 2 hours….then someone mentioned a dirty bomb attack by the insurrection and then everyone went ballistic.
As for me and Lyre….we talked….lot…mostly about how our fleets were doing and then I asked.
"…So…what is my son's name…" I asked.
She stays silent.
"….Stephen…Stephen Cole-Castilla" she speaks after a minute of silence.
"I…..Why did you never tell me" I ask
"What was I supposed to say 'Hey honey remember that ship you fought a few years ago and the enemy captain you talked to, yeah that was me by the way how was your day' and then ONI found out…I just didn't want to burden you" she says.
I see her point how can she tell me when I was the most experienced commander at the time I would have to tell ONI.
"By the way…how did you find me? I made sure my tracks were covered?" she asked.
"Well…I had to call in a lot of favors and may or may not have threatened to nuke a few people but by the time the Covenant rolled around to Psi Serpents I had found your fleet….when I finally got news of where you were I thought of almost a million questions and million things to do…..but now that I think about what I wanted to ask…all I wanted to know was who my son was and how you were" I explain.
"…..Well at least that answers that but one more thing….did you mean what you promised….did you mean it?" she asked.
"…..Yes" I answer
"…Why? Why give it all up for me?" she asked.
"….Because I still love you and the truth is….I am tired….tired of all the bullshit….tired of sending good men and women to die…..tired of almost all ways being on the back foot and…I was tired of not seeing you" I explain in a shaky voice.
And I meant every word of it I have seen hundreds of colonies glassed, I sent millions of men and women to die and while I would be able to hold the line…it would not be enough, not if ONI kept being dumbass and sticking their head in the sand or just coming up with stupid ideas.
Seriously you make another class of Spartans the greatest soldiers of mankind and you throw them at insignificant targets which in the end jeopardized the war effort in the long run?
And not to mention the other projects that were utterly insignificant in the long run and stopping any attempt to win the war?
"I just could not take it anymore and so…I made my last stand hoping I could spend the rest of my life with you Lyre," I say.
"I…I would like that too Cole but I think that as to be put on pause for the moment and make sure our factions don't start throwing nukes at each other" she says as she and I can see the argument getting worse with even the captains getting into it.
"Yeah let's go deal with that"
We quickly rejoin the meeting and I shout.
"QUIET"
Everyone gets silent with the XCOM commander looking….well pissed.
"Are you two love birds done cuz we need to fix this shit?" he says angrily.
"Yes, commander we are done now, what demands have been made," I ask.
Everyone just stays silent not knowing what to say or demand.
When they arrived insystem the goal was to reach Earth for safety and answers.
And on the way there they got their answers the UNSC had arrived as the insurrection the same way they had and had been caught up on what was happening so far.
So now it was kind of…..awkward.
If the innies had their way they just either leave or destroy the UNSC.
"…Ok ok here is probably our best bet" Lyre begins.
"Here is the plan I have come up with.
1. We would like to take shelter here at Earth
2. We help defend Earth but we want compensation for our efforts
3. You share your research with us as well as I assume you have the same type of deal with the UNSC
And 4. We will coordinate our defense with everyone here but we will not be subordinate
Now is that reasonable?" she asks
Everyone is silent….again.
I set down where my faction is seated and start discussing these terms.
The first is reasonable and what I was going to suggest anyway.
The second is a bit trickier as this Earth doesn't have energy credits and the only way I see them being paid is in either material rights or colonization rights either of which is a bit unfair.
The third is….doable and would help in the long run for R&D however I am worried about some innies deciding it would be fun to blow up Earth.
And then the fourth demand is…ok however I would like everyone to be in touch with each other so we can coordinate.
And so the meeting goes on I just hope we can come to an agreement.
Out Side Sol System
March 23, 2015
NO ONE P.O.V.
The Uber Elder is…well to use a human term pissed to all high hell.
First, the raid resulted in total annihilation for his forces.
Second, the fleet he sent to destroy the human fleet that was nearing their homeworld was destroyed, and using their FTL drives to jump around the battlefield was the only way some of them managed to destroy some ships but then the human fleet sped past them resulting in another human victory.
And so here it was thinking of a plan to destroy the human fleet and conquer earth it was officially done with this shit.
It looked out at the space station that its race and servants called home with it steadily expanding, looking out it spotted one of the new shipyards that would build ships to equal human ones.
Speaking of humans its race had started to….well the appropriate term would borrowing concepts but it was stealing from the humans.
One example was the commander of the fleet that engaged the human one as it for the past few months had been requesting to use gene stations that were normally used to modify their troops with augmentations and to heal themselves and also to stave off their crippling conditions from killing them.
It kept requesting to use it to….well have breasts.
Now, why would this seem odd you ask?
Because no Elder in their history had modified themselves that weren't in line with the leader's policy or to advance their race all most no Elder except for the leader in their history as modified themselves with cosmetics it was and still is function over form….until now.
That mentality had led to where they are today….in bodies slowly killing themselves, rotting away.
It had always assumed that something in a species genetic code would save them, that one species someday would be able to save them…..and for 3,000 years they had done so….until now.
What if instead of just experimenting on humans and trying to find a way to fix their bodies….what if they made new ones.
One of these tests with this type of genetic research was done with the Vipers turning them into what the humans call 'Thin Men' but that research was stopped for the simple fact that.
1. It was supposed to help with the war effort nothing else.
2. Viper DNA is very complex and the research done was started 50 years ago the first iteration was just insane and the second took 30 years to work on and in the end, the test subject ran away and crashed on Earth becoming the lizard man conspiracy and the third the current iteration is very expensive to make with sacrificing 4 Vipers and 5 humans to make 2 Thin Men.
But it was always the Viper DNA getting in the way…..it had an idea.
It would do a series of experiments on humans with every part of their bodies the experiments would last one year if they succeed they would push on earth with all their might and start his race's reclamation.
Yes if this worked.
If it could it would grin it would.
It could become a GOD.
But what to name this project?
…..Yes, that could work.
Ascension.
Yeah if you could not notice I was struggling at the Cole and Lyre parts I don't know romance I know war and guns so yea I winged it.
Also sorry if the last part is chaotic just wanted to do a bad guy scene.
Plz review and fav it plz