UNSC Dominion, Vehicle Bay
October 8th, 1958 Menagerie Time, 2552
Operation Bismarck was the largest operation that Richard had ever drafted. Almost every plan he'd ever drawn up in a live combat environment either involved hiding their Prowler or strategically placing a handful of nuclear mines somewhere that they could do some much-needed damage. It also didn't help that it was an in-atmosphere operation, placing it somewhat out of his field of expertise, although the handful of raids they'd run on the SDC to keep them on their toes had offered him some firsthand experience of what to expect.
It helped that the Dominion was a different kind of animal than a Prowler, a prowler was like a cat, quietly sneaking up and pouncing upon the enemy with a fistful of nukes. In this new world, she was like a Titan from Greek legend, a mythical, practically invincible creature laden with the destructive power to destroy anything in her path.
But that's how you get complacent, isn't it? Richard thought, somewhat sardonically. Over-reliance on equipment gets people killed. Still, ignoring the capabilities of said equipment is an equally bad idea.
He agonized considerably over whether to deploy the Dominion herself into the battle. On one hand, she was without a doubt their strongest asset, and her weaponry would make short work of any enemy resistance at one of the target sites. On the other hand, it placed their most valuable asset, the only human warship now in existence, in harm's way. It was only when Richard learned just how stretched-thin the forces on the ground would be that he elected to deploy it into battle.
Thank god we have a full airwing, I can't imagine sending any of these people into battle against odds like this without air cover. Richard thought, noting how even with most of the Atlesian-made defenses disabled, they would be outnumbered four-to-one.
"Commander, please come here, I need to speak with you for a moment!" Lieutenant Clark called out from the line of tanks. He and his detachment of Marines from Menagerie had been recalled for the duration of the operation, with only the Dominion's technicians staying behind.
Richard quickly joined him by the tanks, and immediately saw the source of his concern. One of the Scorpions was sitting with its turret removed, while the turret in question was laying in pieces, half-packed into their crates. "...This isn't getting back into action in time, is it?"
Clark nodded, his frustration evident even under his helmet's visor. "Not for another few days, at the very least. We need a quick solution, and I believe I have one."
Clark handed over his datapad, which Richard quickly read. It was fairly simple, they would replace the firepower of the scorpion by outfitting two of the Warthogs with heavy Gauss cannons. "There's a big risk of over-penetration here..."
"We'd be using them as anti-personnel weapons, to up our firepower enough to crack their shields in one shot." Clark explained. "Ideally they'll lose enough speed punching through the target to ricochet somewhere else when the slug leaves."
Well, at least it'll be quick. Richard thought with a wince of admittedly misplaced sympathy. "Do it, but try to ration the shots, we don't have that many."
"Will do, Sir. I've also finished our deployment plan on the next page, at least for the Marines. I'll leave air-support to you and the XO, but we're going to need it everywhere." Clark said.
Richard swiped over to the next report, seeing how Lieutenant Clark had his units laid out. There were seven targets that had been selected, Point Adolf, Point Frankfurt, Point Kaiser, Point Erika, Point Josef, Point Dresden, and Point Guderian. Each of the six Platoons of Zulu Company was tasked with capturing a site, with Onyx taking the final point.
It was a simple plan that lacked obvious flaws, but without support, the infantry would be torn to ribbons by any entrenched numerically-superior force, regardless of their training or technology. The Third Armor Company would provide heavy fire support for every attack, with every single functioning vehicle in the unit deployed. Zulu Company would also be putting some of their Warthogs and Lynxes to use, offering some extra firepower and mobility.
Richard gave a nod and returned the datapad. "I'll get a plan drafted up for aerial coverage with Lieutenant Bradford. The Dominion will provide close fire-support over one of the targets, where are we needed the most?"
Clark answered almost immediately. "Point Kaiser, it's the most fortified by several orders of magnitude. If we have the Dominion in play, I can free up the Grizzlies there to support other units."
"Good, double-check your intel and send it down the line, we move in tomorrow morning." Richard replied.
"What time, Sir?" Clark asked, looking back up from his tablet.
"0700, Atlas time, Specialist Schnee says that's when they switch shifts." Richard answered.
Clark paused. "...Can we trust what she says?"
Richard shrugged. "We were going to hit them in the morning either way, worst-case scenario, they're ready for us by the time we get everyone on the ground, and we soften them up from extreme range."
Clark nodded, although he seemed dissatisfied. "Yeah, that's our biggest problem here, is the damn Pelicans, we just don't have enough. We'll need an hour just to get all of the assaults underway."
Richard nodded solemnly. The other six Pelicans attached to the Dominion had been given to the UNSC Musashi, as a means to replace the carrier's own losses. Unfortunately, a quick look at the casualty report confirmed that the Musashi had been among the losses at Reach, likely including all of their Pelicans.
Not that we'd have a way of actually getting them here, of course. Richard thought bitterly.
"We're already using the Darters and Albatrosses, can we use the hornets for troop deployment?" Richard asked.
"Not safely, but I do have a solution. We deploy Onyx via SOEIV. That'll free up another Darter and would make my job a bit easier." Clark suggested.
Richard paused. Every member of Onyx would be trained in the usage of a Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle, so that wasn't a concern. The Atlesian weather and Remnant's stable climate also meant that burning up on re-entry was a very low risk, so that was another risk that could be ruled out. On the other hand, it also meant the Dominion's flight path would pass them over two enemy positions, and would leave little room for flexibility.
"We'll do it." Richard decided, before keying his comm. "Lieutenant, do you read?"
Bradford's voice replied almost immediately. "I read, go ahead."
"Tell Onyx to run inspections on the drop pods, and to load their equipment for a hot landing." Richard instructed. "Once that's done, meet me on the Bridge, we need to divide up the airwing."
"Aye Sir, I'll be there momentarily, out." Bradford replied.
Richard released the comm and turned one last time to Clark, speaking quietly. "You're certain we can hit all seven? Don't get me wrong, we need to help those people, but if you can't..."
Clark waved off his concerns. "Some of these men have faced down the Covenant on a dozen worlds, and they didn't fail me then. We'll do our part, and end this war before it gets any worse."
Richard gave a thankful nod. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll let you get back to your own work."
Atlas, Schnee Manor
October 8th, 2122 Atlas Time, 2552
A late night's coffee always made any bit of good news that little bit better, at least, after Jacques had learned to drink decaf. His political motions had begun to bear fruit, and his security staff had completed their goals in an impressive amount of time. For the first time in several stressful nights, he felt confident, a welcome change of pace.
Powerful new weapons had made their way into the hands of his men, outweighed only by an unexpected private contribution beyond his most optimistic hopes, a trio of Atlesian Cruisers. Previously, his company had only operated their own line of unarmed airships, along with a squadron of combat-grade Mantas. But with several of Atlas's largest and most powerful airships under his control, they might just be able to contest the UNSC in the air. But the vessels also presented a large target, which demanded great care to keep them out of the enemies attention, as such, his newly expanded airfleet would lay waiting in reserve, waiting to respond to any further UNSC attacks.
Veteran and experienced fighters poured into the newly expanded Security Force, with some of the more courageous and prideful members of the military even defecting to join his own forces, where they were welcomed with open arms and healthy paychecks. The Military itself officially aligned themselves with the UNSC, but Ironwood was far too busy with turbulent Grimm activity to contribute anything meaningful, leaving Atlas's public frustrated and divided as to who they supported.
Although, it is nice to see that most Atlesians are willing to side with their countrymen over a bunch of animals. Jacques thought, reading a new article about the debates and minor conflicts that had broken out. Although it makes me wonder if the UNSC has some sort of ulterior motive, surely a handful of cheap laborers isn't worth the bloodshed: Perhaps this is simply a matter of personal pride?
Regardless of their motivations, the enemy had proven themselves to be capable tacticians, at least, that's what his officers had told him. He was willing to defer to their expertise, as many of them had well-established careers already established in the business of violence, which Jacques had never held any personal interest in. Atlas's military pride and legendary fighting spirit meant that there was no shortage of skilled leaders for his men.
Unfortunately, the massive technological advantages of the UNSC left them with difficulty planning. Eventually, they finally proposed a counter-strategy, to concentrate their defensive efforts into a small number of the most important locations. The plan made Jacques doubtful and frustrated, as many of their valuable mines and refineries would simply be left empty and useless. But he was assured they would be reclaimable after the conflict had ended, and that they would be attacked if any garrison remained.
In the end, he accepted their plan, recognizing that despite the temporary losses, they would survive to make a recovery. The UNSC had started to make a habit of deploying large forces to attack small garrisons, leading to the numbers being heavily skewed against the defenders. Their apparent strength had left him quietly fearful that he could become a target, eased only when General Ironwood announced that the city of Atlas, as well as Mantle, would stand as demilitarized zones for both the SDC and the UNSC.
Which makes perfect sense, of course. It's only my property that's in danger, not his! Jacques had publicly responded, although he was privately relieved.
Interestingly, the UNSC seemed to want to avoid provoking large battles, aside from the single major mine they had attacked. They mainly relegated their efforts to small hit-and-run attacks, not dissimilar to the White Fang, as well as truly devastating computer-attacks. Whatever kind of computer systems the UNSC had, they had utterly demolished the SDC's liquid asset stockpile, leaving practically every bank account they had empty.
I hope James realizes it will be more than us that suffers if we don't get that insurance bill passed! Jacques thought, referring to a new piece of major legislation that would offer some sort of relief for his dying business. All of Atlas's economy will be shattered, and Remnant as a whole will suffer without us, what will they do without Dust?
There was one upside in how the UNSC conducted warfare, unlike the White Fang, they were willing to display a degree of mercy. For every employee the UNSC had killed, they had captured another, whilst "liberating" any of the Faunus employees that they found in their operations.
Perhaps this could be further evidence that the UNSC may not be fully committed to this war, or is it that they lack the ruthlessness to conduct warfare properly? Jacques pondered, wondering if at some point in the future, maybe they could end the conflict peacefully. But they'll attempt to strike us again, and we need to give them a black eye when they do, enough to break their spirit.
He finished his drink, before checking the time. It was high time he got some sleep, maybe he wouldn't even be disturbed this time. As he stood up, his scroll rang.
Figures. Jacques said with a sigh, answering the device. "What?"
"Sir, we've completed the new line of fortifications at the Selfoss Strip Mine. Major Garrett also wanted to make his report on the Faunus laborers, he said it was urgent." The man on the other end of the line said. Jacques didn't know who it was, as he'd been communicating with hundreds of people every day, but it was the information that was important.
"His report will have to wait, I'll call him tomorrow." Jacques replied, trying to subtly communicate that he was busy. "Was that all?"
"He also wanted to report that the airships are operational and cleared for action, but I'm afraid he didn't give me the details, he seemed quite busy with something." The man said, to Jacques's mild frustration.
"I will discuss it with him then, goodnight, soldier." Jacques said, with a hint of finality, before ending the call. "... What in the world could be so important as to call me at this time of night?"
UNSC Dominion, Bridge
October 8th, 2234 Menagerie Time, 2552
Richard had attempted to conduct most of his communications with Chief Belladonna only during reasonable timeframes, but the circumstances demanded a late-night call, and Richard was confident that Ghira would be professional enough to look past it. The screen of the communications terminal on the Bridge flickered, before the Chieftain's large frame dominated the camera.
"You're on, go ahead, Sir." Ensign Gillespie prompted, before standing up and turning his attention to other duties in order to give Richard some room. He sat down at the station, and wirelessly connected the audio output to his earpiece, offering a degree of privacy while also cutting down on the amount of noise he would be contributing to the Bridge.
"Good evening Commander, I trust everything's going well for you and your crew?" Ghira asked, his professional yet friendly demeanor a welcome change of pace from the frustrated but dutiful expressions he'd grown used to.
Richard gave a solemn nod, hoping that what he was about to ask wouldn't come across personally offensive in some manner. "I wish I had better news, but I'm afraid we need some help. We have a major operation against the SDC planned for tomorrow, and we're expecting to recover hundreds of wounded Faunus."
Ghira subtly straightened his posture, no doubt recognizing the seriousness of the situation. "What do you need from us?"
Straight to the point, good man. Richard thought. "We need assistance in treating all of them. We can temporarily stabilize the injured, and the Dominion has the medical facilities for around half of them, but we'll still need a place to put over a hundred and fifty people, and most of them will be in very bad shape."
Ghira gave a serious nod. "This is rather short notice, you said this is happening tomorrow?"
"We launch at noon, your time." Richard answered. "The operation is predicted to take maybe four hours at worst, five if we're particularly unlucky. After that, we'll head for high-altitude and perform a low-orbit burn to Menagere, which will take another hour."
Ghira's expression shifted to one of thoughtfulness. "That might just give us enough time, I think we can do it, if we keep working through the night, at least.
"...and you can care for them after that?" Richard pressed, knowing that asking him to suddenly take in over three-hundred fresh migrants was a steep request.
Ghira waved his hand dismissively. "Every Faunus has a place in Menagerie, you let us worry about restarting these poor people's lives. Focus on your own people's safety, you're the ones who will be doing the fighting!"
As reasonable a request as any. Richard thought. "Thank you Chieftain, and keep in mind, we'll be needing to bring the Dominion in for a landing to deliver your people, so make sure your citizens are ready for that. We're going to make an awfully big impression, and we'll need your main airstrip cleared completely in order to use the main lift safely."
Ghira looked at him quizzically. "I don't think you realize just how popular you've all become, especially with some of the things you've done for us. Restoring the CCTS was impressive on its own, but fighting a war on behalf of the Faunus... you've certainly made an impression."
"We're fighting for more than just the Faunus, but that conversation will have to wait for another day. We have a lot to do up here, and I would strongly suggest you begin your preparations immediately." Richard said with a slight frown.
"I will see to it immediately, best of luck, Commander." Ghira said, before Richard ended the communication.
On the behalf of the Faunus... I hope he realizes we aren't a personal attack dog. Richard thought, but he was optimistic that Ghira had the humility and wisdom to realize that.
UNSC Dominion, Drop Bay "Hell's Waiting Room"
October 9th, 0648 Atlas Time, 2552
The drop bay of the Charon Class was more akin to a rapid-reload missile launcher than a conventional drop bay. Three vertical tubes ran throughout six entire decks, leading out the bottom of the ship, permitting the deployment of up to forty SOEIV drop pods in quick succession, for a fraction of the space that was used in a similar bay on a cruiser or carrier.
"-but this impressive capability is offset by the exorbitant cost of the system. In fact, its extreme expense was an important factor in the design process of the later Stalwart Class Light Frigate-" Curie droned, continuing a several minute long slew of starship trivia that even Ben was surprised she knew.
The rest of the team seemed somewhat disinterested with what she was saying, with the exception of Yu, who listened intently to every word the A.I had to say. But for the most part, they focused on their preparations.
Curie was interrupted when the door to the drop bay opened, and a large, armored figure entered the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face the man.
Dozens of dents, burns, and scratches covered Jorge's armor, offering a hint as to its extensive career. Jorge stood even taller than Ben, although it was a very close comparison, with only a millimeter or two between them. In his right hand was a personally modified M247H Machine Gun, a weapon traditionally mounted onto a tripod or another mount, which he famously carried into battle himself.
"Damn..." Meadows muttered, momentarily pausing his work on his Battle Rifle as he was stunned by the sight.
"It's good to see you up and about LT. Is your suit all squared away?" Fairfire asked, although her attempt at professionalism was muddled somewhat by her giddy expression.
"Everything important, at the very least." Jorge replied. "We drop in ten mikes, be done by then, we've got a schedule to keep."
"Sir yes Sir." Ben heartily replied, joined shortly thereafter by the rest of the squad.
"Monsieur Jorge, please remember to not place too much strain on the auxiliary power systems, I have middling confidence in their functionality." Curie interjected, piggybacking off of Ben's helmet to speak with him.
"I wouldn't be wearing it if I wasn't confident it would work." Jorge said reassuringly, pausing only to check the magnetic seal on his ammunition pack. "Staff Sergeant, is everything squared away with the pods?"
"Yes Sir, chutes are configured per your specifications." Fairfire reported as she loaded her shotgun, triple-checking the safety.
"Good, once you're ready, grab your kit and seal your caskets." Jorge said, running a quick examination of the rest of the squad. "Weather's a bit rough as well, so bear that in mind."
"Can't be worse than Concord, you all would have drowned in all the mud, what with all the tin you wear" Yu commented, as she shouldered her rocket launcher.
"You can sink in snow just as easily as mud, don't get complacent." Jorge said, although his tone wasn't as harsh as Ben would've expected. "Sergeant, Curie's deadline is just about here."
"Yes Sir." Ben said, placing his assault rifle on the holotable before inserting Curie's data chip. "Alright Curie, give em' hell."
"They'll never know what hit them..." Curie muttered, before she briefly pulsed a darker blue. "My viruses are now active, the enemy will realize what has happened before long."
"That was fast." Jorge observed, seemingly impressed.
"I handled the infiltration hours ago, all I needed to do was send the activation code, and the software will do the rest." Curie replied modestly.
"Still, nice work." Ben said, retrieving Curie's data-chip and returning it to his neural lace.
He gave his assault rifle a quick visual inspection, well aware that all of the internal mechanisms were fully functional. He also gave his secondary plasma pistol a quick examination, confirming it was fully charged and that the emitter was clear.
"Every piece of Covie tech at your disposal, and you picked that thing?" Fairfire asked, somewhat teasingly.
"Curie says that an overcharged shot should be able to immolate just about whatever I point it at, aura or not." Ben justified. "Also, she said I'm not allowed to bring an energy sword."
"Curie!" Fairfire protested in mock disapproval. "How dare you rein him in like that?!"
"I merely suggested he let me experiment with recharging them before we deploy them, I am well aware of the tactical value of the weapons, especially as tools." Curie justified. "If I may change the subject, have you fitted the shield gauntlet correctly?"
"Oh, you mean this?" Fairfire asked, raising her left arm, which had a jackal shield gauntlet secured to the armor with a pair of ad-hoc fastening belts. "Well, it works, albeit with a bit of discomfort. Who would've known their crap doesn't fit our armor?"
"Hey, if you don't want yours, I'll happily take two." Yu interjected.
"Shut your mouth, Corporal. I've got enough to worry about without your begging." Fairfire retorted, before turning back to Ben. "But yeah, they don't fit all that well, do you think we could cook up a better way to clip them on?"
Curie was about to respond when a klaxon sounded throughout the ready room, followed by a flashing amber alarm light. "I believe we will have to discuss this later."
"I'm afraid so. Alright Ben, keep the good lady company, I'll see you on the ground." Fairfire replied, before slinging her shotgun over her shoulder, before climbing up the ladder to board her pod.
Ben quickly secured his own equipment and climbed up the access ladder to his own drop pod. As he strapped his weaponry in, Curie interjected. "Just so you know, Point Guderian was one of the most fortified locations, we may need to get creative."
"Good thing you're coming along then." Ben replied, before climbing into the pod himself and sealing the doors, triple-checking that all of the seals had properly functioned, one broken atmospheric or heat seal and he would have a very rough time entering the atmosphere.
I wonder if I'd even survive to hit the floor, Mjolnir is rated for long falls, but without a re-entry pack... Ben thought, before banishing the unhelpful line of thought. Focus, we've got a job to do.
His pod shifted, before he could feel one of the mechanical arms of the system lift him into position, before a second jolt indicated that he was locked into the deployment rack. Ben checked the obligatory systems check, disarmed the pod's safety, and ensured that the ejection tube was armed.
"It seems that our Battle-net is already active, it seems like some of the other units have already made contact with the Grimm." Curie noted.
"Is the mission jeopardized?" Ben asked, if Grimm were running rampant already, that could cause serious problems for the Marines.
"Not yet, but we should remain vigilant, the Grimm may prove to be a larger issue if we ignore them." Curie said. "I've sent a warning to Lieutenant Jorge, he should know what to do."
I suppose he would have experience fighting the Grimm, wouldn't he? Ben thought, recalling the Spartan's story.
Two of the display monitors inside his pod flickered to life, displaying Jorge's helmet in the left monitor and Fairfire's red-accented ODST helmet in the right.
"Intel suggests the enemy are already engaged with local wildlife, we should be able to get the drop on them." Jorge relayed.
Fairfire gave a soft chuckle at Jorge's unintentional pun. "Any idea if they're winning without all of their robots?"
"We're not gonna find out up here." Jorge answered. "All units confirm green status."
Ben pinged his status light green, and saw on his HUD that all of his teammates had done the same.
"Confirmed, stand by." Jorge added.
A series of four tones passed by, extremely quickly, with the fourth tone sounding louder, accompanied by the explosive bolts firing, releasing his pod. After less than a second of freefall, the pod's dorsal thruster activated, accelerating both him and the pod to terminal velocity within seconds. Ben always had a slight phobia of heights following his rather eventful first day of training, but he was perfectly capable of handling his fears, still, he gave the two control sticks of the pod a tight grip, as a way of affirming that he was in control of this particular fall.
"So uh, is it too late to go to the bathroom?" Yu asked over TEAMCOM, which Ben was reluctant to admit he found somewhat funny.
"Clear the comms, Corporal." Fairfire replied, although her depolarized visor gave away her smirk.
Through the front viewport, Ben could see several other drop pods with plumes of fire formed beneath them, only held away from the ceramic heat shields by the shockwave of the pod's intense speed. Shortly there afterwards, the fires began to rapidly dissipate as the atmosphere thickened and slowed the pods slightly, although their speed was hardly compromised. Flakes of rapidly cooling molten ceramic continued to fly from the bottom of his pod, having literally melted to protect the rest of the pod from terrible thermal energy. The other pods had disappeared, eaten up by thick clouds.
It's only meant for a one-way trip anyway. Ben thought, realizing that these drop pods represented yet another valuable asset to be rationed.
"Five clicks off the deck, standby." Jorge stated, moments later, the airbrakes of the pod activated, stabilizing it's descent and further slowing it.
Several seconds after the air brakes fired, they finally breached the cloud layer, revealing the rapidly-approaching ground. Around fifty meters off the ground, the pod's single-use chemical rockets fired, turning the fatal fall into a safe but somewhat uncomfortable one. Ben felt the sudden deceleration shift his entire body slightly, and without the pod's advanced shock-absorbers, he would have likely been killed by the force. The landing with the ground was far rougher, as Ben smashed through some sort of barrier at such a speed that even with Spartan Time it took him an extra moment to discern where he had landed.
As soon as his vision recovered, he realized he was in some sort of mess hall, his pod having haphazardly penetrated through the concrete ceiling, a plastic foldable table, before finally coming to a halt within the concrete floor. Thankfully, it seemed like nobody was currently in the room.
"Agh... never gonna be used to that." Ben said, letting the pressure of the pod rapidly cycle before the explosive pins of the door detonated, launching the door off of its hinges and flying through the cafeteria, causing mass destruction to the poorly-secured furniture.
"I do not blame you, that was a rather brutal entrance." Curie replied as Ben took a cautious peek out of the pod to ensure his flanks were secure, before climbing out and retrieving his weapons.
"Onyx, report." Jorge's voice came through on TEAMCOM, sounding as if it were any other day at the office.
Ben flashed another green indication on his HUD, noticing that everyone except Meadows had given up a similar green status.
"Meadows here, landed in an enemy bunker of some kind... all tangos neutralized. Debris has me pinned, I can't get the damn door open." he said.
"We'll come to you, everyone, grab your kit, regroup on Meadow's pod, avoid contact with the enemy." Jorge ordered, everyone except Meadows gave a brief acknowledgement with the status lights.
Ben retrieved the last of his equipment, and began to walk towards the nearest exit to the room, a set of two doors labeled 'exit'. "Shall we get to it then?"
"Yes, let's." Curie replied, before Ben opened the door.
Authors Note: I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I actually forgot that the status lights existed, which is odd, considering how prevalent they are in the books. Nevertheless, I will include them from now on, so that Jorge doesn't get bombarded by 11 people all saying "yes" in some manner, which wouldn't really make much sense.
Also, a new chapter to Operation: Unusual Paperwork was posted, for those who missed it.