Reviews and Stuff
It's a bit rough but here is Chapter 2 – Plan for the Future
- Important Note – I don't really have a plan for this, I am writing this for fun and posting it otherwise it would just sit on my hard drive, so it goes where my imagination takes it.
- Brother Bov – Cheers mate and sorry about the spelling and grammar mistakes, I will try to limit them in the future but I also have a problem with using to many commas.
- edboy4926 – Cheers mate.
- OMAC001 – You and me both mate.
- Knighthunter911700 – I was thinking Harvest actually but Reach makes more sense resource wise. So far the UNSC Fearless is the only ship and it is an Orion-Class Assault Carrier that just escaped from Reach, they loaded anything/one and everything/one and GTFO. I am thinking of adding UNSC NAVSPECWAR Strike Group WOLF PACK, it is a group of (was 10) four Gladius-Class Heavy Corvettes upgraded with ONI Stealth Gear to deploy behind enemy lines and cause chaos, a group of my mates and me played them when we were playing Halo Mythic RPG. I'm glad you liked it; it was a pleasure writing it.
- Onyxtechs – I will do my best with spelling but there will be errors, also I will try better with scene description.
- Cooldude101011 – The aircraft used were the F-99 Wombat, they are a Drone Fighter (UCAV) used by the UNSC, they aren't as heavily armed or armored but have the advantage of not having a human pilot so they can pull maneuvers and have a higher reaction time but don't last as long in combat. For a little insight, the Wombats went in to engage the ships while if the Batarians launched fighters (which they didn't have) the F-41 Broadswords would have engaged them to protect the Fearless. Sorry about the grammar mistakes. I don't plan on making any of them weak, Halo has the technology but not the numbers, ME has the numbers but not the technology and XCOM has technology and Psionics but no ships/numbers. I thought the tactic was to have the MAC hit first to weaken the shields for the missiles, I may have missed remembered that though, sorry. Why it is Squaddie is a background thing, everyone on XCOM Earth has combat experience so the Rookie rank was dropped making Squaddie the lowest rank. Also cheers for the recommendation, I loved On The Illusion of Might.
- castle427th – Cheers mate.
- Chloe – Cheers mate.
- Guest – Cheers for the info mate, I knew that they didn't have carriers but I always found it strange, that explains a lot.
- Crazzytony – Cheers mate, I love ME but the Systems Alliance is kind of weak, I read in another Fanfic that some of the tech the Alliance has are prototypes are in development in RL which I find weird that they hadn't advanced that technology, in some other Fanfics Alliance Earth has a slightly different history with only 1 World War not sure if that is cannon though. In regard to the Halo and XCOM history they are going to be similar up till 2015 when the Ethereals invade, I may change this.
- Otto Morris – I'm not planning on any faction being super strong/weak, each faction has their strengths and weakness. Halo has the technology but not the numbers, ME has the numbers but not the technology and XCOM has technology and Psionics but no ships/numbers. Also, the Fearless just escaped the Fall of Reach so no Forerunner Tech.
- Havalt300 – Here you go mate.
Location: Deep Space – UNSC Fearless – Surgical Suite One
Date: September 5th, 2552
Time: 0650hrs Military Standard Time
Master Sergeant Ela "Stash" Foster is rushed into the Surgical Suite where the Fearless' Chief Medical Officer Commander Matilda Grant is waiting. The Acting Second-in-Command of the Fearless Lieutenant Commander April Orenski, Gunnery Sergeant Zofia "Terminator" Molska, NOBLE Six and six ODSTs stand in the Observation Room attached to the Medical Suite. April and Zofia are looking down at the Medical Suite as Matilda prepares for surgery while the SPARTAN and ODSTs watch Zofia, the latter keeping a side eye on the Medical Suite.
Zofia spent the next ten minutes instructing the Medical Staff on the proper way to remove Stash's modified W.A.R. Battle Armor which was carefully followed to the letter after Zofia warned them about built in Explosive Plasma Weapons that can destroy the entire suite and everyone in it, after that the Respirator Implant was removed.
When Ela is attached to a nearby Heart Rate Monitor two wave lines appeared, both steady.
"What the hell?" Matilda asks confused.
"That would be one of the Master Sergeant's Gene Mods, there are only three you need to be made aware of, the first you have already discovered a Secondary Heart, Jaeger Corps Operatives have one and standard XCOM Soldiers can request one although there is a considerable wait time. The second is her Iron Skin, that will cause the most problems for you as you will have to remove Iron Skin from a non-critical area and graft it onto her throat so it can heal properly. Which brings to the third Mod, her Adaptive Bone Marrow which will naturally heal her after the operation is complete." Zofia explains while at the same time breaking several XCOM Protocols.
"Right, nothing you just said was natural." Matilda replies as one of her technicians calls her attention, the EKG Monitor is showing unusual brain activity. "Should I be worried about her brain activity?"
Zofia glances at the EKG Monitor in the Observation Room. "Negative ma'am, that's normal."
"It is anything but normal." Matilda states frustration lased in her voice.
The operation last six hours due to Matilda's unfamiliarity of XCOM Gene Mods, during that time April tried to ask Zofia more about them but Zofia stated that she needs to take it up with the Field Commander when he wakes up.
Location: Deep Space – UNSC Fearless Medical Bay One
Date: September 5th, 2552
Time: 1400hrs Military Standard Time
After the operation Ela was put in Medical Bay One to recover, Zofia joined them and has been watching her two companions rest for several hours. Through her Battle Computer she had a live link to C.H.P.J. to confirm that the UNSC hasn't broken their word and gone through XCOM Equipment in Pelican Bay Five. NOBLE Six and the six ODSTs still with her.
Next to Zofia, Nicole starts to stir from her sleep, Matilda having been able to preform the proper medical procedures to ensure she lives. Rubbing her eyes, she looks down at her missing left arm and frowns before looking up at Zofia and smiling.
"Good afternoon sleepy head." Zofia says playfully.
"Morning, robot lady." Nicole replies equally playfully.
"What you're looking for is MEC Trooper, one of the best in fact." Zofia replies with pride.
"What happen to your body?" Nicole asks inquisitively.
Although Zofia is looking at Nicole NOBLE Six sees her eyes divert a little to look past Nicole as the memory of what happen rushed back to her.
Just like her father, Zofia has the Soldier's Stare and Nicole knows she asks something she shouldn't have and stops talking, looking down at her bed and playing with the sheet she was sitting on.
About ten minutes passed before they said a word, the only people talking are five ODSTs talking to each other and the medical personal.
"Early in the First War." Zofia starts but then stops and looks over at Nicole who is giving Zofia her undivided attention, she also notes that NOBLE Six and one of the ODSTs are listening intently, at least the ODST is she could guess as to what is going through Six's mind.
"I was assigned to Strike-5, and we were deployed to Rural China, XCOM Interceptors shot down a Medium sized UFO, we were sent in. It was my second operation with XCOM, I learned the hard way to not make mistakes and I thought I was prepared for anything. I was a Breacher then, so I took point when we.. well breached." Zofia chuckles to herself at that poor joke. "I got hit centre mass by a Plasma Rifle, then a Muton decided it would be fun to play toss the human across the UFO, I survived the plasma round barely, but the throw broke my spine and ribs in every spot possible. Next thing I new I was in the Medical Wing of XCOM HQ and given a choice, die slowly in pain or become the first MEC Trooper, it wasn't much of a choice, I wanted payback." Zofia says as she stares at the corner of Nicole's medical bed.
"Did that happen to every MEC Trooper?" The ODST asks.
"Not all, some were in perfect health before they decided to become a MEC Trooper, there are many advantages to being one, but the main disadvantage is the lose of your human body, by some accounts what makes us human." Zofia replies looking up to him.
"Why'd they do it?" The trooper asks.
"During the First War we could barely reach the Moon and we were being invaded by X-Rays with advanced weapons only seen in sci-fi with ships that could travel between solar systems. We did what we had to do to survive." Zofia replies with determination.
Everyone is quiet for thirty-seconds before NOBLE Six speaks up. "What's an X-Ray?"
"Extra-terrestrials, X-Ray is easier to say when you got Plasma flying towards you."
"Noted, and Gene Mods?" Six replies.
"Genetic Modifications, they improve humans to beyond our natural ability, they make us smarter, stronger, make it so we can heal faster and in some cases gives us additional organs, not every operative or soldier has every Mod, and I don't want to say anything else on the subject with the Field Commander's say so."
"Does he have the authority to disclose such secrets?" Six asks.
"Field Commander Harrison is the 2IC of XCOM by all accounts he is the second most powerful human on Earth, well our Earth and on the battlefield he is unmatched." Zofia replies with pride and awe.
"Didn't know you thought of me that way mate." A gruff Australian voice says.
"Sir!" Zofia snapped to attention and gave a picture-perfect salute.
Matilda runs over from her station to Warlock's medical bed.
"How are you?" She asks as she views the monitors attached to Warlock.
"Been better, got a fucking massive migraine and my nerves feel like their on fire, I don't recognize you, are you new to Jaeger Support Corps?"
"I'm the Chief Medical Officer of the UNSC Fearless, we just met your XCOM today. That being said you should now we are from a different Earth." Matilda replies as she injects morphine.
"Ok." Warlock says slowly as he sits up against the advice of Matilda. "That is definitely top three of the most fuck up shit I have ever heard." He returns Zofia's salute.
Zofia lowers her hand and looks to her side and notices that Nicole also have Warlock a salute, she smirks as she walks over to Warlock's medical bed.
"So, Gunny, how fucked are we?" Warlock asks his eyes demanding a truthful answer.
"Sir, we have encounter not one but two different humanities, the UNSC and the Systems Alliance, when we reappeared from the Psi Teleport we arrived on an unknown colony world we later learned to be named Intai'sei during a Slave Raid. The colonist are human, but they were attacked by a combination of unknown X-Rays as well as humans, no Ethereal or Micronoid Forces were present, with the support of the UNSC we we're able to repel the raid, Master Sergeant Foster was wounded during combat and rendered combat ineffective, the UNSC was able to preform surgery to save her life, in the process I had to reveal several facts about XCOM Jaeger Corps Operatives, this involves the Secondary Heart with the UNSC discovered by themselves, Iron Skin and Adaptive Bone Marrow. We are cut of from XCOM and the UNSC is cut of from the rest of the UNSC, I was able to acquire a ride on the UNSC Fearless and medical aid for yourself and Master Sergeant Foster. I have also recruited Nicole Arrow into XCOM, she lost her family during the raid." Zofia reports, during the report she stood at Parade Rest looking at Warlock.
Field Commander Theodore Harrison slumps back into the medical bed and places his hands over his eyes.
"Squaddie Arrow! Front and Centre!" Theodore orders.
The nine-year-old girl jumps of the medical bed and rushes over to Theodore's and gives a salute. Theodore sits and puts his legs over the side to face her better.
"XCOM's mandate is to protect humanity no matter the cost, to yourself or anything else, we remain vigilant while others become complacent, we fight when other surrender even if it is humanity that surrenders, we fight until we are free. We Survive, we adapt, and we win, no matter the cost. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir, Batarians killed my family and friends, I want payback and to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else." Nicole replies still saluting.
Theodore stands up, ignoring both the orders of the CMO to lay back down and the medical equipment still attached to him. He snaps to attention and returns Nicole's salute.
"Gunny." Theodore says as he lays back down and Matilda and her medical staff start reattaching medical equipment.
"Sir?"
"Get that soldier a new arm, contact the UNSC Commanding Officer and disclose the necessary MEC Augments to her and the people that will perform the operation." Theodore orders as he places his arms on his chest and closes his eyes for nightmare induced sleep.
"Yes sir." Zofia replies and walks to NOBLE Six. "Please inform the ship captain that I would like to talk with them at their earliest convenience."
"Understood." Six replies and sends a message over the Battlenet to Commander Keyes.
Location: Deep Space – UNSC Fearless Bridge
Date: September 5th, 2552
Time: 1405hrs Military Standard Time
Commander Keyes walks on the Bridge of the UNSC Fearless, her Bridge, she thinks to herself, that's going to take some getting us to. She goes to the large Holo-table that her Command Staff are focused around.
"Commander we just received a transmission from the Clarion Spy Drone we left behind, we are not being pursued by the fleet they are focusing on Recovery Operations on Intai'sei." Agiad states as his small Hologram looks up at Miranda.
"Good." She replies then looks over at the Helm Station. "Lieutenant Miller, bring us to a full stop." She orders.
"Full stop, aye commander." Lieutenant Junior Grade Eleanor Miller replies.
"Ensign Walker, do we have an estimate on the Slipspace Drive?" Miranda asks her Yeoman.
"Lieutenant Commander Jenkins estimates at least twenty-four hours until they can reboot the drive safely ma'am." She replies.
"Shit." Miranda comments. "Lieutenant Commander Wood, how long can you keep the CAP up?"
"With rotations in place, indefinitely but some of our birds we're damaged by the Covenant on Reach, mainly the Longswords and they will take about twelve hours to fully repair, until then CAP will be limited." The Acting Commander of the Air Group replied.
"Ok, Agiad deploy a network of Clarion Spy Drones to act as an early warning net." Miranda orders.
"Yes ma'am." The AI Dutifully replies.
"Major Xao, what were our casualties like on the planet?"
"Minimal ma'am, after the first wave of ODSTs and Hellbringers the Slavers were severely panicked and disoriented, we only suffered twenty-four losses, unfortunately they were all ODSTs." Clint replies a hint of anger and regret in his voice.
"And our guests?"
Clint chuckles. "Which ones?"
"XCOM first." Miranda clarified.
Clint changes the Holo-Table from showing a Tactical Layout of the area around the Fearless to showing Pelican Bay Five, currently there is only one Pelican in it but it has the capability of holding five, the camera in the bay shows the pile of XCOM Weaponry still in the Pelican and XCOM's Drone hovering at the top of the ramp.
"Pelican Delta Six-Eight has by almost every definition been hijacked by XCOM, that drone won't let anyone on it, it's orders are to protect the XCOM Equipment in that Pelican. After Master Sergeant Foster's surgery everybody is actively avoiding Surgical Suite One and we have posted a couple of ODSTs at the door, the armour is where Commander Grant left it, something about an explosive Plasma Round that has the ability to destroy the entire room if triggered by accident. The XCOM Personal and that child they picked up is in Medical Bay One, only one of them is conscious." Clint says as he manipulates the Holo-Table to show Medical Bay One. "Make that two conscious."
"What do we know about her?" Lieutenant Commander Mike Short the Acting Chief ONI Officer asks.
"XCOM picked her up on Intai'sei, that's about all we know." Clint replies.
"I'd like to interview her if I could." Mike says to which Clint chuckles without humour. "Is there a problem?"
"I wouldn't trust ONI to interview me with a ten-foot pole, they usually end up with people hating you." Clint says staring daggers at Mike.
"I am not like my colleagues major, I became an ONI Officer to support the Navy by working alongside naval officers, when I say interview I really do just mean sit down and talk like two civilized people." Mike counters.
"Make that three conscious." Ensign Walker says, interrupting her superiors pissing match.
"Which one is that?" Lieutenant Commander Wood asks.
"That would be Field Commander Theodore Harrison according to the XCOM Gunnery Sergeant, that's their team leader and pretty high in the XCOM Totem Pole." Mike replies.
"So, he could be a valuable ally in this weird galaxy." Sarah Wood replies to which everybody but Agiad looks at her confused. "Come on." She huffs with amusement. "I had to organize CAP and I'm still the only one that read Agiad's Intel Report on this Codex."
"With respect ma'am, you couldn't have read it all, you simply didn't have enough time." Agiad points out.
"Apparently I've read more then everyone else."
"Um, I've read the first fifty pages of it." Lyla Walker says as she raises her hand sheepishly for out preforming her superiors.
"Well ensign, care to enlighten us." Miranda says with a smirk of amusement at the ensigns seemingness to not wanting to one up people that out rank her.
"Um, well, we don't have anything as a reference for this Codex to know if it is true or not. The first twenty pages describe the basics of the known species in the galaxy, there's the humans and what Agiad has labelled as two different types of humans, first there is the Systems Alliance Humans, they have a close tie with the Citadel Council and then there is the Non-Systems Alliance Humans that have expended into the Attican Traverse and Terminus Systems, um, mainly the later as some colonies in the former have ties to the Alliance. Then you have the Citadel Council races they are the big shots of the galaxy and represent the Council, the first are the Asari a blue almost human like alien, Agiad has stated them to be the diplomats of the Council. Next is the Salarians, they are the intelligence gathering race of the Council and last is the Turians, they are the military arm of the Council. Outside of the Council you have the Client Races of the Citadel, the Systems Alliance Humans, Drell, Elcor, Hanar and Volus, the Krogan aren't technically a Client Race of the Citadel, but their Solar System is a DMZ controlled by the Citadel. The Quarians use to be a Client Race, but they haven't been for three-centuries, the Batarians also use to be a Client Race until they got pissed at the Systems Alliance for expending in territory they claim to belong to the Batarian Hegemony, but the Council gave the Alliance permission to colonies that territory. That's as far as I got." Lyla says her confidence growing as she speaks.
"Commander you have a transmission from NOBLE Six, Gunnery Sergeant Molska wants to speck with you at your earliest convenience." Agiad informs.
"Think you Agiad, it sounds like we have a lot of reading to do, humans working with aliens is definitely something I wasn't expecting to hear, I don't even know to feel about." Miranda admits.
"Speaking of working with aliens, what do we do with the Defectors in Cryo?" Mike asks.
"They did destroy a CAS-Class Assault Carrier for us, that has to mean something." Sarah says with several other officers nodding at her statement.
"Could it be a ploy to gain our trust." Clint asks.
"With Reach gone, humanity has what.. three months tops, they wouldn't need to kill so many of their own and they would know we would never truly trust them." Mike replies.
"Thaw them out but keep them under guard." Miranda decides. "Who knows what this galaxy has, we will need all help we can get."
"Yes ma'am, I'll put my best people on it." Clint replies.
"And major, arrange a funeral service for the fallen." Miranda orders.
"Yes ma'am."
Location: Deep Space – UNSC Fearless Medical Bay One
Date: September 5th, 2552
Time: 1415hrs Military Standard Time
As Zofia rests on one of the empty medical beds she notices the ODST Unit is swapped out with another, other than that nothing of note happens for ten minutes.
"Commander on deck!" NOBLE Six announces and snaps to attention.
Zofia gets of the bed and mimics the SPARTAN and ODSTs.
"Gunnery Sergeant Molska?" Miranda asks.
"Ma'am." Zofia replies.
"At ease everybody and return to your duties." Miranda orders. "I'm sorry I have been to see you earlier; I've been very busy."
Zofia stands at Parade Rest. "You don't need to explain anything to me ma'am, I'm just a grunt."
"A very robotic grunt." Miranda says looking over Zofia's MEC Body. "Could you explain it to me?"
"I'm a MEC Trooper ma'am, to be specific a Marauder, we specialize in Close Quarters Combat we are designed to assault X-Ray lines and cause havoc." Zofia explains with pride.
"And you give up your body to do it?"
"Yes ma'am, in my cause it was life or death but many MEC Troopers were in perfect health before they became one. We do what we have to do to survive." Zofia declares.
"That we do. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Miranda asks.
"Field Commander Harrison has accepted Squaddie Arrow into XCOM, we need a replacement for her arm, I have been authorized to give you and the people involved in the operation the designs for a MEC Arm."
"She is just a child." Miranda states looking back at Nicole as she sleeps.
"Ma'am, your people are war vets I can see that in the way you hold yourselves, I am not sure what your war was or is but my war wasn't pretty. We have one planet, Earth, during the First War XCOM went from a multinational sanctioned military operation to a resistance movement when the governments of Earth capitulated to the X-Rays. The location of our HQ was compromised by said governments and we lost eighty-percent of XCOM in six hours. XCOM then went from an up-start resistance movement to an oversized resistance movement in ten years fighting against the X-Ray's Proxy Government, we took everyone and anyone that wanted to fight against the X-Rays and for humanity. After the Second War was over XCOM went from an over-sized resistance movement to a world government, in preparation for the Third War we built massive subterranean arcologies, each one capable of housing hundreds-of-millions of people, everyone worked and we abandoned the surface. When the Third War began and the X-Rays landed tens-of-millions of troops on the surface of Earth we launched almost every nuke we had and turned the surface of Earth into a radioactive waste land, when they assaulted the arcologies everyone fought. We have a mindset of if you're human and have a healthy body you either work to maintain XCOM's War Machine or you fight for the one maybe two billion humans that are left, if you don't have a healthy body you get turned into a MEC. At the start of the First War, we had just over seven-billion people and at the end of the Third War we had around five-hundred-million people and lost entire continents. Everyone works and fights, no expectations." Zofia explains determination in her voice.
"I.. I kind of know what that is like but on a larger scale, instead of continents we lost entire planets, we'll do the operation. Can I ask you a favor?" Miranda replies after a minute of silence.
"Yes ma'am." Zofia replies.
"We have some Covenant Defectors on board and we are going to unfreeze them, I want you there in case they turn hostile." Miranda explains.
"I'll be there ma'am, but I would like to make a pit stop to get a weapon." Zofia replies.
"Done, you can give Agiad our Smart AI the details for the augment and he will make adjustments for what materials we have available and pass it onto Commander Grant." Miranda states.
"Yes ma'am."
"We thaw them out at fifteen-hundred-hours, Agiad will direct you."
Location: Deep Space – UNSC Fearless Cryo Bay Section Twenty
Date: September 5th, 2552
Time: 1450hrs Military Standard Time
Six ODSTs stand in front of two Cryo Chambers, one holding an Elite Spec Ops Major and the other holding a Grunt Spec Ops Minor.
"Why are we doing this again?" An ODST to JD's right asks.
"Orders from the top." The squad sergeant replies. "Agiad began the Wake Cycle five-minutes ago." He says as he tries to itch under his forearm armour.
"Problem Sarge?" Another ODST asks.
"Nah, just an itch form the Quick Thaw, this bastard gets the whole fifteen minutes to wake up." Sarge replies.
Several of the ODSTs move nearby crates to sit on as they wait for the two Covenant Defectors to thaw out.
"Why do you think they did?" A corporal asks after five minutes of silence.
I should learn their names. JD thinks to himself.
During the end of Operation: UPPER CUT, JD was cut off from the SPARTANs and the UNSC Savannah was destroyed, he hijacked a Covenant Phantom and after several failed attempts was able to get it flying, he barely made it out of the blast radius and picked up by the Fearless, where he went into Cryo, when he woke up he was shunted into an ODST Unit the 11th and dropped on an unknown planet.
"Did what?" Sarge replies from his position of lying against a Cryo Chamber.
"You know, help us, destroyed their own ship." The corporal clarified.
"Who cares, we shouldn't trust 'em." A private says.
Several ODSTs nod in agreement.
"What's in it for them, I mean we're losing this war, why join our side?" The corporal asks.
"Ours' is to not question but to follow." Another private says.
"Scott, shut up with your philosophical shit." Sarge orders.
"Troopers, we are entering the final stage of the Wake Cycle." Agiad informs.
"Ok boys and girl, time to earn hazard pay." Sarge says as he gets up followed quickly by the rest of the ODSTs.
"Commander on deck!" The corporal shouts.
The team of ODSTs snapped to attention as Commander Keyes and the MEC Trooper they were watching in Medical Bay One, only this time she was armed with a red glowing rifle and an odd-looking pistol.
"What kind of weapons are they?" The corporal asks.
"This here is a Tier-2 Laser SMG, the Shatterray." Zofia explains motioning towards the former EXALT Weapon. "And this." Zofia says patting her sidearm. "Is a Tier-5 Pistol, the Plasma Pistol."
"That doesn't look like any Plasma Pistol I've ever seen." Sarge comments.
"Who knows, one day you might get to use it." Zofia teases. "One day." She winks at the Sarge.
"So, Tier-2 for laser weaponry and Tier-5 for plasma weaponry, what about the other tiers." The corporal asks.
"Two minutes commander." Agiad states.
"Thank you Agiad." Miranda replies.
Zofia stops in front of the Cryo Chamber and watches the Elite and Grunt.
"There are five tiers for SMGs, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, shotguns, marksman rifles, snipers, SAWs, LMGs and S.H.I.V. weapons, they are conventional, Earth built weapons from before the wars, then you have the tiers developed during the wars, laser, magnetic, coil and plasma. For knifes there are two tiers, conventional and vibro most everything else has three tiers, with the occasional ones with two tiers but they are more support equipment and launchers." Zofia explains.
"This vibro how powerful is it?" He asks.
Zofia turns around and pulls the Vibroblade out of its' sheath on her chest and walks towards the ODST, everyone tenses up a bit when she slowly moves the blade towards the corporal. Slow as to not harm the ODST she slides the blade down his chest plate, a distinctive cut mark is left in its' wake.
"Damn, it left a decent mark how much pressure do you use?" He asks as he pokes and runs his finger of the mark.
"Not much, these blades are designed to cut through Ethereal Alloy." Zofia states and turns around.
"Thirty seconds." Agiad says as the Elite and Grunt start to rouse.
"Be ready for anything." Miranda orders.
As the Wake Cycle finishes the hatches on the Cryo Chambers pop out and slide, the ODSTs half raise their M7S SMGs, M45 Shotgun and M6C Assault Rifle, Zofia on the other hand aims her Shatterray at the Elite and her Plasma Pistol at the Grunt.
The Elite drops to one knee and vomits up the chemicals in his system while the Grunt rushes to put on his mask which he then vomits into. A couple of the ODSTs laugh at that.
The Elite stands. "Where is Captain Sharp?"
"Dead." Miranda states. "We have gotten into an unusual situation, we didn't arrive at Earth, in fact if what little intel we have been able to gather, we have ended up in another galaxy."
The Elite takes several seconds before talking. "You are not UNSC, and you have a machine body, who are you?"
"I'm Gunnery Sergeant Zofia Molska of the Extra-terrestrial Combat Unit, as for my body I'm a Marauder MEC Trooper." Zofia replies not moving her weapons.
"I am Major Tezo 'Watum formerly of the Covenant. "He motions to the Grunt that has stopped panicking. "Is Grunt Minor Yapper, we we're of Special Operations of the Covenant."
"Why did you defect?" Miranda asks inquisitively.
"During what you call the Battle of Meridian I was abandoned by my unit, I was severely wounded a human found me and saved my life, over the following years I became disillusioned with the Hierarchs and the war between our people. I do not expect you to trust me, all I ask for is a chance."
Nobody talked for several minutes as everyone went over what Tezo said.
"For what you did at Reach which saved this ship, we will give you that chance, but you will remain under guard at all times and if you do anything we don't want you to or like you will die." Miranda declares.
Tezo drops to his knees, and he is quickly followed by the Grunt. "Upon my Honour, I will not disgrace you and I will fight for you."
"What the bossman said." The Grunt says.
"And you are?" Zofia asks.
The Grunt jumps up excited. "Oh me, I'm Yapper. Hi." Yapper says as he waves.
"Hello, do you know what I will do to you if you betray humanity." Zofia threatens.
"Oh no, no, no, no." Yapper says quickly. "I want to live, I not fight Nishum."
"Who?" Zofia asks confused.
"It is a Sangheili insult directed towards humans, the Sangheili being my people those you call Elites." Tezo explains.
"Well, all right then, Vomit Face." Zofia replies with a hint of humour and lowers her weapons.
"Now that everyone is acquainted with one another, Sarge take them to their Quarters, Agiad will direct you." Miranda orders.
Location: Intai'sei – Thoreau Mesa Outskirts
Date: June 28th, 2180
Time: 0600hrs Local Time
Most of the people of Thoreau Mesa and the Fifth Fleet haven't rested since the end of the attack, anyone with medical knowledge have been dealing with those that were taken as slaves and those wounded in the defence of the colony, others have been patrolling the colony or guarding the cargo ships that the Batarians brought, and every once is a while you can come across people that have been mentally broken by the attack.
As the sun begins to rise Sara Ryder makes her why to the Outskirts of the colony, dropping to her knees she stays there watching the sun rise, the reds and oranges mixing with the distant clouds to make a beautiful sunrise.
"Pretty isn't it?" Some asks behind her.
Looking back Sara sees a female in N7 Armor with Staff Commander Stripes signifying her rank.
"Staff Commander." Sara says in slight shock as she tries to get up to salute.
"At ease first lieutenant, enjoy the sunrise, you've earned it." Staff Commander Jane Shepard says before she can get up.
Jane copies Sara and they sit in silence for about ten minutes watching the sunrise, both of them ignoring the sounds of shouts and machinery behind them.
"Who were they?" Sara asks as the sun moves past the clouds.
"We don't know, some of the people Intelligence has talked to said that you interacted with them the most. We were hoping you could tell us." Jane replies.
"I don't know, I've never seen anyone with their tech before, or anyone fight like they did." Sara says.
"Intelligence wants you up on the Kilimanjaro for a debrief, they also have some questions about some things they have discovered. Do the debrief, then get some sleep, you've earned it." Jane says as she gets up and wipes the mud from her knee guards.
"Yes ma'am." Sara replies and gets up.
As the pair walk to the makeshift landing area across the colony, they pass soldiers, militiaman, and colonists many of them looking like they have seen better days, many of those that fought during the battle salute Sara as she passes.
"They respect you." Jane observes.
"The UNSC Ground Force Commander Major Xao assigned me to a Support Element, we went around the colony rescuing units that were pinned down." Sara replies.
"I noticed no prisoners were taken, I know Batarians, and I know Slavers, they would have surrendered, what happen?" Jane asks.
"They took prisoners at the start, about twenty surrendered when those attacking the police station were overrun, they tied them up and put them in a building, about five minutes later they were given a no prisoners order and executed them. I asked about it later and the order was given when a spartan, whatever the fuck that is, breached one of the cargo ships and saw the people taken as slaves." Sara explains as they start walking through the craters left in the street from the Drop Pods.
"I know the feeling. What caused these craters?" Jane asks curious.
"Drop Pods, the first and second wave came in them, apparently they were dropped from orbit. They took them away before they left." Sara replies.
"From orbit, who'd be that crazy?" Jane asks unbelieving.
"No idea, but you'd have to have more then a few screws loose." Jane commented. "Did you see any special forces types?"
Sara didn't reply at first as thought over the people she meet during the battle, first there was the XCOM ones, they had to be special forces, right? Then the ODSTs and Hellbringers that dropped from orbit and overrun the Batarians and fortified the police station. Then the Army and Marines came next, if they were their regulars lord help however pisses them off. Fighters and bombers she had never seen before, then there was the Warthogs, the five different versions of them, the transports, the ones with miniguns, the ones with rockets, ones with what looked like a mass accelerators Gauss Hogs they called them and then the Warthogs that were beefed up with heavy armour. Then there was the tanks, the scorpions they called them, why would anyone need something like that. Sara then remembers running into that black.. she was hesitant to use the word mech.. thing?
After several minutes of walking in silence as Sara was thinking to herself she spoke up. "Besides the XCOM people or things.. whatever they were, there was one, it was covered in black armour, we ran into it when we were assisting an ODST Unit, it was called a spartan."
"Spartan?" Jane asks. "As in an Ancient Greek Warrior?"
"I think so.. I don't know but it fought like no human had a right to. It was fast, accurate, strong, it had barriers like I've never seen, it took a rocket hit from a Batarian and its barriers still held under heavy fire. One of the heavily armoured Warthogs in our detachment got flipped and without much effort it flipped it upright." Sara replies still stunned by what she saw.
"What do you mean by fought like no human had a right to?" Jane asks as the police station comes into view.
Sara stops and looks over at the shot up, blown up and burnt building, it barely looks like a building let alone a police station. The courtyard in front of it isn't covered in bodies anymore but the blood, in some areas guts have yet to be washed away, the two broken and blown-up husks of what use to be Makos have yet to be moved, most of one of the Makos is missing have been blown up and melted by plasma. The surrounding buildings all resemble the police station in some way, some haven only been shot at, while others were blown up and the odd on that was outright destroyed.
After several minutes Sara speaks up. "It was too-human, didn't look like a mech at all, I guess that's two."
"Two?" Jane asks as she looks at the wreckage and things back to Elysium and Mindoir.
"XCOM had a mech human hybrid, a mech body and a human head, never seen anything like it before." Sara replies as she starts walking again, followed closely by Jane.
The rest of the journey to the makeshift landing area is in silence for the two women, the occasional soldier or militiaman saluting them as everyone works to help the wounded and others rest anywhere that isn't in the way.
When they reach the makeshift landing area it is covered with landed UT-47 Kodiak Drop Shuttles, other Kodiaks landing and taking off, picking up wounded and depositing supplies. Beyond the landing area Sara and Jane can see the flattened and desolate area that was bombed by UNSC Bombers killing any of the Slavers that decided to save there lives and run only to be killed from the air.
"Sara." Someone to the left says.
Looking over it is the CO of the N7 Unit and her father Commander Alec Ryder.
"Dad." Sara replies and walks over and hugs him.
Alec hugs her back as Sara starts to break down in his arms.
"Are you hurt?" Alec asks after a minute.
"No." Sara replies as she cries.
After another minute she pulls back and wipes the tears away.
Without saying another word, they board a Kodiak and head up to the SSV Kilimanjaro, over the next five hours Sara gives a detailed report on everything that happened on Intai'sei, and everything see saw. After that she has something to eat in the Officer's Mess and pass out while having a shower.
Location: Deep Space – UNSC Fearless Bridge
Date: September 6th, 2552
Time: 1200hrs Military Standard Time
Field Commander Theodore Harrison has been wake for about four hours, although he suffered no physical injuries he is suffering from extreme Psionic Exhaustion to the point it almost killed him. The first hour Commander Grant had restricted Warlock to his medical bed to Zofia's amusement and Warlock stating several times he doesn't take orders he gives them. When he tried to get up she had ordered NOBLE Six to hold him down and after about sixty seconds of trying to move the SPARTAN's hand from his chest to no avail he gave up. For the next couple of hours, he accepted his fate of being stuck to that cursed medical bed and Terminator briefed him on everything that has happened, then Commander Keyes requested to see him on the Bridge.
So that's where he found himself, on the Bridge of an Orion-Class Assault Carrier. It was large divided into three seconds, Ship Control, Air/Space Operations and Ground Operations, a large Holo-table is located behind the Captain's Chair at the back of the Ship Control Area, the Command Staff around said Holo-table. The Air Traffic Controllers are speaking into the radios and being directed by Lieutenant Commander Sarah Wood to keep CAP Operating at one hundred percent which is easier now that the Longswords have been repaired. Looking out the front of the ship he can see the side battle plates slanted to the top, with a small indent in the hull where several external systems are located. One thing Warlock is sure about is that this ship is too loud to be an XCOM Ship.
Warlock makes his way over to the Holo-Table, the UNSC Officers turning to face him when he does. The Holo-Table is a zoomed-out display with the UNSC Fearless outside of the nearby system and Intai'sei Highlighted with a list of seventy-five unknowns next to the planet, Agiad is next to and leaning on Intai'sei.
"Commander Keyes?" Theodore asks looking over each officer.
"That would be me, welcome to the Bridge Field Commander Harrison." Miranda replies from the head of the Holo-Table.
"Ma'am." Theodore says while giving a picture-perfect salute.
Miranda returns the salute. "Saluting me isn't necessary you aren't UNSC." She comments.
"Commander leads XCOM ma'am, therefore you outrank me." Theodore retorts as he stands at Parade Rest.
"Hold on, how come the highest rank is commander?" Lieutenant Commander April Orenski asks.
Theodore tilts his head slightly as he thinks about her question, after about five seconds he shrugs. Looks at her and says. "Commander is highest rank in XCOM, they oversee all XCOM Operations and Management below that is Field Commander, one for each arcology."
"If that's the case then you outrank me, by about four ranks." Miranda comments.
"Oh." Theodore replies.
Several seconds of an awkward silence pass before Miranda speaks again.
"So, field commander in two hours this ship's Slipspace Drive will come online, during this time we are getting a full brief from Agiad on the Codex." Miranda explains.
"Codex commander?" Theodore asks.
While leaning on the hologram of Intai'sei Agiad speaks up. "The Codex is the public records of anything and everything of this galaxy, we are assuming there is no classified information in this thing, but it does hold a good amount of information."
Over the next two hours Agiad goes over the basics of this galaxy, The Citadel and its Council, the member races and non-member races and each factions organizations, Mass Effect, and the Mass Relays and what they are, Batarian hostility against Humanity and the different areas of the galaxy.
As Agiad is finishing his brief summary of the Protheans Lieutenant Koby Evens speaks up from the Communications Station. "Commander Keyes ma'am, Engineering reports that the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine is powered up and ready for use."
"Think you Lieutenant Evens." Miranda says over her shoulder. "Agiad anything else we should know at the basics."
Agiad shakes his head. "No ma'am, that covers the basics of it."
"Lieutenant Chambers, plot a course for the Epsilon Eridani System." Miranda orders.
Everyone stops what they are doing and looks at the CO like she is crazy, everyone expect Agiad and Theodore.
"Ma'am, we just left Epsilon Eridani and it was swarming with Covenant." Lieutenant Commander Mike Short states.
"Lieutenant Commander, at any point in Agiad's brief of the Codex did he mention the Covenant, and did he also mention that Earth is in the hands of the Systems Alliance and that the UNSC does not exist?" Miranda asks loud enough for everyone to hear.
"No ma'am he did not and yes ma'am he did." Mike replies.
"So, Lieutenant Chambers carry out your orders and Lieutenant Commander Wood recall the CAP." Miranda orders.
"Yes ma'am." They both reply.
"Ma'am our ETA to the Epsilon Eridani System is just under eight days." Wilfred says from his Nav Station.
"CAP recalled; everybody will be onboard in ten minutes." Sara replies of the Air Traffic Control Section of the Bridge.
"What's the plan when we reach the Epsilon Eridani System ma'am?" Agiad asks.
"We will begin by gathering resources and repairing the Fearless, after that we will begin rebuilding the UNSC and show this galaxy what happens when they fuck with humanity, starting with those four-eyed bastards that raided Intai'sei." Miranda declares.
"Hoorah!" Everyone including Agiad replies.
"Vigilo Confido!" Theodore replies.
Everyone looks at him for a moment before he says. "Carry on people."