Chapter 5

The Philadelphia II had been in geo-synchronized orbit for three months. It was over the sector where the mysterious structure was. The remaining Core Defenders were in their offline positions. More Obelisks of Light appeared to replace the ones destroyed. A fleet of GDI Phantoms and Nod Banshees were ready to attack at a moment's notice. The Kodiak, the Dragon, and the Scorpion were standing by to assist if necessary. The NTTL had begun distributing the vaccines. Currently, seventy-nine percent of the Forgotten population had been cured. They had to do this in stages as the people who got vaccinated were kept hospitalized at the NTTL. The last group had left. In two more weeks, they would have ninety-four percent of the Forgotten vaccinated. Nod had already started using the virus. All of Russia was now rid of Tiberium. In Africa and the Middle East, they still allowed large amounts of Tiberium to be grown, but they did it in controlled environments in massive bio-domes. Wild Tiberium was becoming rare in Nod territory. GDI had allowed Nod to send scientists and experts into their territory to begin rectifying the Tiberium problem there. Most of North America would soon be free of Tiberium. GDI was also building large bio-domes to grow Tiberium. Soon, they would be able to solve the Tiberium problem. However, the Cabal problem was another thing entirely.

"The Positron Cannon is fully operational," said Richard. He was in a meeting with Generals McNeil, Langley, and White. "We can fire upon that structure now." "What effect will it have?" asked McNeil. "We don't know," said Richard, "Our simulations and calculations never accounted for such a high energy ratio. Actually, we never thought the Tiberium reactor could provide so much power." "So we might be able to blast Cabal to pieces?" said William. "Correct," said Richard, "However, we aren't completely sure." "Let's give it a try," said William, "We have nothing more to lose." Everyone present nodded. The Brotherhood had the agreement of GDI to fire.

The Philadelphia moved out of the way and the Revelation moved into position. This took about three hours. McNeil still had a good view of Cabal's base. The Revelation charged up its cannon. Technicians watched nervously as all that power was focused in the cannon. After two tense minutes, everything was ready. "Fire," ordered Richard. The Positron Cannon fired a massive beam down to Cabal's base. The energy output was off the scales of nearly every sensor. Everyone looked away from the image so as not to burn their eyes. After it faded, they looked back at the monitor. Incredibly, the base was still there. The entire area had been basically destroyed, and the structure now was resting in a crater three miles wide. Its actual shape was revealed. The pyramid was on a large platform in the shape of a six-edged star. "Shit," said Richard, "Eva, evaluation." They were currently on the Philadelphia. "What can I say? Your Positron Cannon destroyed the entire region including a lot of my sensors. What we have here is a nearly invincible structure." "Give me an assessment!" roared Richard. "Okay. I detect high amounts of radiation coming out of the structure. It is possible we managed to do some damage. However, it is so little that it really doesn't matter." Then, the structure started to lift off. "That thing's a ship!" said McNeil. "Fire again!" ordered Richard. "Sir! I'm detecting alien ships appearing from behind the moon." The monitor changed to a view of the moon. A large fleet appeared. "The last time the Scrin came, they had colony ships," said Richard, "I think those are their warships." "Shit. All GDI Space Command units, deploy and prepare to engage the enemy," ordered McNeil. "Nod Missile Command," said Richard, "Activate all ballistic missiles and prepare to fire on my command. Nod Space Command, activate and prepare to attack." GDI Phantoms and Nod Banshees appeared and went into orbit. The three command ships of GDI and Nod also appeared. The Scorpion moved towards a location where it could offer support. "The Cabal ship is approaching orbit," reported Eva. "Revelation, hit it again," ordered Richard. The Positron Cannon charged up again. With the Tiberium reactor, they were able to generate enough energy to fire a second time at the same power level. A few seconds later, the Revelation opened fire. It struck the Cabal ship, but all it did was seem to slightly knock it off balance. "Revelation, use secondary weapons!" The station lit up as missiles took off. They struck the Cabal ship, creating quite a lightshow. However, they didn't seem to affect it either. "Fire again!" The Positron Cannon fired again. However, it still didn't do too much. More missiles struck the Cabal ship. "Damn it!" screamed Richard. "Eva, fire the primary Ion Cannon at that ship," McNeil ordered. The Ion Cannon struck the Cabal ship. Still, it did nothing. "That's it," said Richard, "Revelation, deploy the Omega." The Positron Cannon seemed to retract into the station. However, that was a mistake. Several components appeared and locked onto the cannon. It then started charging again. "What the hell is that?" asked McNeil. "It's a large scale amplifier," said Richard, "It will more than quadruple the power of the Positron Cannon, if it works." "And you didn't tell us about it!" yelled McNeil. "We never actually planned to use it," said Richard, "We never thought we would need it." "Sir, I'm detecting a lot of EM energy from the cannon," said Eva. "A side affect of using the amplifier," said Richard. "It also disables, or at least partly, electronics. All right. Fire!" The Positron Cannon fired a massive beam. This one was a dark blue color. It hit dead center on the pyramid. The explosion was incredible. After it cleared, the ship was still there. However, sparks were starting to show. The ships started to go down. However, it was a controlled descent. It hadn't completely reached orbit and landed back about where it originally was. "Send in teams to take that thing before it takes off again," said Richard, "Make sure they're equipped with railguns and particle weapons." More GDI and Nod ground troops appeared. They began storming the ship. "What's the status on the enemy fleet?" asked McNeil. "Two more minutes before contact," said Eva. "Revelation, deactivate the Omega," ordered Richard, "Run a basic system check to see if we can still us the Positron Cannon. After this is over, do a full maintenance check." "Jeez," said McNeil, "That's one hell of a powerful weapon." Richard grunted. They still had a battle to conduct. "Sir, the Positron Cannon can still fire," said a Nod officer. "Good," said Richard, "Aim and fire upon enemy warships when they are in range." The alien ships soon started opening fire. Nod and GDI fighters flew around the ships, firing their own weapons. The Positron and Ion Cannons were let loose. The alien warships here were not strong enough to withstand the blasts. Then the missiles launched by Nod reached the enemy ships. That took out even more. "Just like three years ago," said Richard. McNeil nodded. The alien ships this time fought to the death. It took three hours before they finally destroyed the last warship.

Stealth Soldiers advanced slowly into the Cabal ship. They had already encountered possibly two hundred of the second generation Cyborg Commandos. They were nearing some sort of chamber. One of the GDI demolition experts placed several charges and ran back. He hit the button and the door shattered. No fire greeted them. The Stealth Soldiers entered first. Here they found a large room with tanks filled with a greenish liquid. Each one of them contained a Kane. They would leave this to the science officers. They ensured that no traps were present and moved on. Mutant soldiers had finally reached the command deck. However, the Cyborg Commandos here were fighting viscously. They were taking dreadful loses. Then, two GDI Firestorm officers appeared. Both had advanced particle weapons. They opened fire on several Commandos and took them out with one shot. Two GDI hackers interfaced with the door controls and opened it. The command deck was empty. The Nod soldiers with the assault team recognized the controls and codes. They were Nod. The technology was incredibly advanced, but they figured most of the things out. Another assault team was making their way down. They had only encountered mutant soldiers so far. Then they found a large door. The hackers were unable to open the door. The Ghost Stalker set several charges and blew the door. When the smoke cleared, nearly everyone but the Stealth Soldiers gasped. They just cursed. Inside was a small army of humanoid/reptilian creatures. "Welcome to our ship, humans," one said. "They're the Scrin!" shouted a mutant. Everyone opened fire. The bullet weapons, including the railguns, were completely ineffective. The particle weapons the Stealth Soldiers had cut several down. They started retreating. Several GDI and Nod soldiers requested backup with more particle weapons. They ran for about ten minutes before some of that backup arrived. They made a stand and were able to slaughter the first wave of Scrin warriors. Another large base had been set up at the ship site. More and more infantry arrived. Nod had already sent in some of their scientists, but they weren't allowed to enter because of the Scrin situation. "Shit! Fall back!" The assault team retreated. They were being attacked by Scrins carrying Tiberium weapons. Two other assault teams appeared and counterattacked. More and more teams appeared and joined in the attack. Finally, the Scrin were being pushed back. Two Ghost Stalkers opened fire on a group of Scrins. Their particle weapons cut through the entire group. The mutant soldiers behind them stood up. Their weapons were completely ineffective and they had to rely on the two Ghost Stalkers with them. Then, more Scrins appeared and attacked. The mutants fell back. More soldiers went down. The fight for the pyramid and entrance level was complete. They controlled those sectors. Now, they had to take out all of the Scrins. GDI and Nod hackers had managed to actually capture Cabal. They activated defenses and were helping in locating and destroying Scrins. The Stealth Soldiers had fought all the way down to the room where they had first found the Scrins. The chamber led down to what they thought was the engine room. The engine room had a huge tube that stretched up and down for a very long way. The Scrins kept retreating. With the arrival of more troops equipped with particle weapons, they were beginning to be outnumbered and outgunned. It took three weeks of fighting before they were able to finally kill every single Scrin. It took another week to fully assess the situation and to decide who would get to study the incredible ship. Nod and GDI scientists began picking the ship apart.

Nod and GDI forces paraded through the second capital of the United Nations, Washington D.C. It had been rebuilt after the Tiberium had been cleared out. The Nod Stealth Soldiers were the first ones since they were the soldiers that led the attack on the Cabal ship and finally taking control of it. Eight months had passed since the second Battle of Earth. General McNeil, General Langley, and Dr. Boudreau rode together. General Conner, Dr. Ross, and their baby daughter were in another car. A Nod Tick Tank followed them. It was the new generation model. This one didn't burrow, but had a secondary weapon, a particle weapon. A third vehicle carried Umagon and Luklas. They headed to the new Capitol building. Its design was similar to the old one, but was more modern. There, the United Nations council met. The leaders of GDI, Nod, and the Forgotten were going to sign a new treaty. With the destruction of a second invasion, the United Nations was more willing to accept Nod as a sovereign power. An alliance of the Brotherhood of Nod, the United Nations, and the Forgotten was about to be formed. They arrived and were taken into the main chamber. McNeil made the first speech. "The first time I saw extreme action against Nod was during the Second Tiberium War," he said, "That was in 2030. It was a bloody long war, in which we won. I fought that war with General William Langley, who was a crucial member of the command staff. Then, General Langley led the fight against Cabal. After we won that war, we continued fighting Nod. Then, Kane returned ten years later. At that time, I had become supreme commander of GDI. General Richard Conner sent a message, in somewhat unconventional methods through his future wife." McNeil glanced at Richard and Carol. Carol smiled. She remembered the fright that she had received when the Nod agent had given her the message. "That message reached General Langley and through him to me. That message started a full revolution in Nod itself. General Conner rebelled against Kane and used his considerable influences and power in the Nod hierarchy to help us. He fought against Kane and kept his side of the agreement we made. After that, GDI signed a treaty with Nod, even if the United Nations didn't really acknowledge it." There was a quiet laughter that spread throughout the council. "Now, three years later, he has to fight renegade mutants that had allied with Cabal, in essence Kane, and the Scrin race. The Nod Positron Cannon played a very important part in defeating the Scrin. Now, it is my honor to present General Richard Conner, leader of the new Brotherhood of Nod!" Applause echoed throughout the chamber. Richard took the podium and began his speech. "Originally, I believed that Kane was a messiah. That was one of the ideas that attracted me to the Brotherhood. In the Brotherhood, I rose quickly through the ranks. My intelligence and strategies impressed many people, including Anton Slavik. I became his second in command. I fought GDI as well as Cabal. However, in the end, I discovered the truth behind Kane and Cabal. I am a man of honor, and I could not follow a leader who did not care for his followers. So I rebelled against him. I have been trying to remake the Brotherhood into something else than a cold heartless tool for destruction. Today, the Brotherhood is even more powerful. We trade openly with the United Nations and the Forgotten. We fight to ensure order and peace. After all this, we have finally achieved what I wanted. A unified Brotherhood, not built upon power, deceit, and evil, but one built on order, cooperation, and honor. That is why this alliance is something I support. The Scrin may yet come back. And who knows what else is out there? We have to be ready." The audience applauded again. Richard sat down and Umagon took the podium. "I once also fought against the Brotherhood, and, I'm quite sure that General McNeil remembers, I also fought against him once. However, I have seen the good that the new Brotherhood has done, and I am willing to start to forgive it for the past crimes it did to my people. We should remember the past, but we should not condemn because of it. The new Brotherhood of Nod cured many of my people, and has so far defeated Tiberium. Without them, we would have been too late to save our planet." Again, applause swept throughout the audience. General McNeil, General Conner, and Luklas signed their names on the new treaty. Everything was set for the future.

Two months had passed since the signing of the treaty. Richard walked onto the balcony. Carol was breastfeeding Rebecca. The doctors were right. Rebecca had red eyes and the hair she had now was a light blue. However, besides that, there was nothing else different. After she was full, Rebecca fell asleep. Carol carried her inside with Richard behind them. She put her down in her bed and pulled the cover over. Richard hugged her from behind. "She's as beautiful as her mother." Carol smiled. "Then she'll probably act like her father." "You mean honorable, loving, and protective?" said Richard. "No, I mean calm, gentle, and smart." "Hum, those are good too." Carol settled into Richard's arms. "Project Orion is almost finished," said Richard. Carol nodded. Project Orion was a joint expedition in which the United Nations, the Forgotten, and Nod would attempt send a colonization ship to Mars. There were already two stations on the moon but those weren't real colonies. Mars had a source of water so it was chosen to be the first site of human colonization. A large space ship had been built. It looked like the Philadelphia but was designed to be a place to live. They were hoping to land a few miles from the North Pole and establish a colony. The oxygen and water would be gathered from the ice and they were going to attempt to start terraforming the planet. Some people thought it a bit ambitious, but the people who were in charge of the expedition thought it was quite possible. Also, the GDI Chronosphere could be used to send supplies to the colonists. "So what new projects have the NTTL started?" asked Richard. The NTTL was as busy as ever. They were in charge of all of the Tiberium farms that Nod controlled. They continued studying Tiberium and developed new technology that utilized it. Carol wouldn't start going to work for a few more months, but she still kept tabs on what was happening. "Well, we fixed the bugs in the new Tiberium breeder reactor," she said. "I never figured out how you can create Tiberium from Tiberium," said Richard. Carol smiled. She knew that Richard only wanted to hear her talk. He had taken a liking to her voice ever since she had started singing, and always wanted to hear it. She was quite happy to oblige, so she went on about the Tiberium breeding reactor.

Well, that's it. It took a while to write, but heck, I've got nothing better to do in China. Read and review. See ya!

Z98