Okay folks, with this Post I declare the Far Flung Hope series officially moved to the Misc: Crossovers category of FF.net. I will no longer update this story, hopefully this will placate FF.net administation. I know I shouldn't have this story up in two places, but if I just moved it I'd piss a lot of you long time readers off since I didn't give warning.

This is the last update on the HALO board, I'm on the MISC boards now. On with the show...

Chapter 11: Counterattack.... Reach....

Super Star Destroyer 'Thrawn', High Orbit over Earth in Coalition Grand Fleet, 2004 Hours, December 24th, Christmas Eve

Grand Admiral Anjek stood in the main briefing room of the Super Star Destroyer 'Thrawn', his hollow eyes starring out at the blackness of the void beyond the view port, gazing at the fleets beyond. He looked at the sleek forms of Asguard O'Neill class Battleships; The large and deadly shapes of Human Alliance vessels; the minute forms of the SGC's tiny X-303 carriers compared to the sheer bulk of New Republic Bulwark Battlecruisers.
It was quite a sight. The glowing hulls and brightly lit superstructures of the many vessels of the Coalition fleet illuminating the tumbling hulks of Coalition and Covenant vessels...these were the orbiting mausoleums of far too many heroes.
"Wars have always had far to many heroes have they not?" Anjek said and turned to the officers that sat at the long table behind him. His eyes looked about at the most unlikely assemblages of commanders and officers he had ever seen, or ever thought would be inside an Imperial Super Star Destroyer.
He saw the uniforms of militaries he had never known before. He saw aliens and creatures; he saw robots that were just as sentient as any human. He saw traitors and rebels seated as allies...
A few nodded solemnly at the sentiment...at least those that had seen true war and suffering.
Admiral Ackbar nodded his brownish hued head and looked with his bulbous eyes towards the white uniformed Grand Admiral. Supreme Commander Thor bowed his head down in agreement. Human Alliance Fleet Commander Sis'karaana dipped his massive reptilian head down. Those three had known wars that made some of the battles these other commanders fought seem like nothing. They had fought in wars that saw millions, if not billions dead.
How many would die in this new war?
"That is far too true Grand Admiral." Thor said.
"And unfortunately I believe that there are going to be many more heroes before this war is ended" Ackbar added.
"They shall have died an honorable death in battle." The Klingon Admiral said. Anjek frowned.
"The projections for casualty rates we sustained are massive. It's estimated that over 100,000 crewmen were lost in that engagement on our side. Covenant losses are unknown. The ground campaigns resulted in the destruction of several million Covenant soldiers and almost half a million Coalition solders lost in combat. Sector General Complin has seen fit to isolate the remaining pocket of Covenant resistance and a Special Operations team has been sent in." Anjek said.
"But right now the ground situation is in the very capable hands of Sector General Complin and his forces. Our concern is aimed at the remaining forces that the Covenant can throw against us." Anjek said. He looked at Admiral Ackbar. The Mon Calamari stood slowly and Anjek took his seat.
"New Republic intelligence Ferrets have been in operation along the borders of UNSC and Covenant space. For the most part, we believe that the main target for the Covenant attack was Earth, and only Earth. There have been no other incursions into UNSC space. But Federation 'Defiant' class Light Cruisers and Human Alliance 'Piranha' Class Stealth Ships show that many of the out lying Covenant marshalling points that have been identified are vacant. Nothing remains." Ackbar said, and then manipulated one of the control toggles before him. A hologram sparked to life and hung in the air.
"A Human Alliance stealth ship investigated the former UNSC controlled planet of Reach and located this." Ackbar said. The hologram showed the planet as a small ball of green and brown, the rest of the hologram was crowded with fleets.
Plural. The sheer assorted masses of vessels were frightening. There were so many...dear god...there were so many. There were too many, far too many. If the Coalition faced it now, they would be out numbered ten to one.
"Accurate estimates are unavailable. But it seems as though this fleet is roughly five times the size of the forces that hit Earth. Estimated at ten thousand hostile ships of varying capabilities and specifications. We can be assured that two thousand of these ships are of Covenant standard specifications, the other eight thousand are of 'Allied' specifications." Ackbar said.
"Thank you Admiral Ackbar." Grand Admiral Anjek said standing up slowly. The human stood and examined the hologram intently, his eyes drinking in the enemy forces and their positions. He knew what he was about to ask of these commanders and knew that he had to word his plan carefully. Technically Supreme Commander Thor was in charge of the Coalition fleet. But Grand Admiral Anjek had 'assumed' command. The Asguard had been in no position to continue command of the battle, and Anjek's command and forces had been the deciding factor in the engagement over Earth. Without them, the victory would have been a slaughter.
Command had been conceded to Anjek to a degree, although it was strictly unofficial. Right now, Anjek was about to try and make it official. Well, he was about to kick out a plan.
"Commanders...I wish to propose a daring plan." Anjek said. He didn't turn around to look at the other officers and commanders. He knew that he held their attention to the fullest extent.
"I wish to propose a strike at the heart of this Covenant Armada. Not a strike to delay their assault. Oh no...I propose to completely annihilate it. Wipe it from this plane of existence." Anjek said.
"I believe that what you propose is madness Grand Admiral. The Covenant ships alone outnumber us four to one. Combined with their allies, it's almost ten to one!" The Commander of the SGC's Prometheus Carrier units said nervously.
"And we have a much more motivated and trained force at our command. Coupled with the superior technology that some of our vessels can boast, we have a chance. And, we are in a much better Strategic and Tactical position." Anjek said.
"Please explain Grand Admiral." Ackbar asked.
"Our position around Earth is inferior for one simple reason. We had to defend the planet. We were set into a forced position that left us little room for maneuver beyond massive and violent assault on the advancing units. If you had stayed in place they would hate torn you apart and the battle would have been lost. And you could not abandon the planet and retreat. Several Billion lives said that was not an option." Anjek said.
"Of course, this is true Grand Admiral. But what options did we have?" Supreme Commander Thor asked.
"None, and that is the titanic weakness of such a fixed defense so close to the objective. It was victory or death, and that is testified to so clearly by the destroyed ships out there. This was a battle of blood and resolve, not Strategic or Tactical finesse. And I believe that if this force of Covenant does make another determined assault, we will lose." Anjek said.
"So you would have us charge into the face of superior odds?" Ackbar said.
"Yes Admiral, that is exactly what I would have us do. IF we attack, we can gain surprise, superior position, and an effective boost to morale." Anjek said.
"But we're outnumbered ten to one!" The SGC commander said.
"So were the Rebels at the Battle of Endor. Isn't that right Admiral?" Anjek said as he addressed the latter part of the question to Admiral Ackbar.
"Yes Grand Admiral, the Rebel fleet was inferior, both technologically and numerically, but I remind you Grand Admiral, the Emperor was killed and the Death Star destroyed, along with Admiral Piett. I believe that had an effect on the fighting capacity of the Imperial fleet somewhat." Ackbar said.
"But you survived and exploited a Tactical weakness in a Strategic strength, the Death Star. Your small fleet damaged the Empire that day, and we have not so easily recovered. If we assault this Covenant Armada now, we can deal a blow to the Covenant that they might never recover from." Anjek said.
"Or, we could have the combined forces of the Federation, the Klingon Empire, the Asguard, the SGC, the Empire, the New Republic and X-Com all wiped out in one battle. That could cripple any kind of defense that we could muster, and smash our ability to resist before this war has truly begun!" The SGC officer said again.
"Commander, I believe that you need to remember, if we don't do something that Covenant Armada is going to swoop down on us and wipe every single vessel we have out of space. We will have sacrificed any meager advantage we could have by sitting around on our ships and waiting!" Anjek snarled, the slam of his cane down on the tabletop punctuation for what he said.
The assembled officers remained silent.
"We have to attack them, and crush them. Victory at this assault on Reach is the only option. If we are content to rest here then we are already dead, and this world already lost. Attack is our only recourse, and victory the only outcome we can hope for. We can win gentlebeings. We can drive the Covenant back from Reach, secure Earth, and set the tone for this war. If we do not, then we...along with all our peoples, have already lost." Anjek said.
"I, concur with your analysis Grand Admiral." Supreme Commander Thor said.
"I wish to depart immediately." Anjek said, reluctant nods were his response. He frowned.
"I am fully aware of the seemingly insurmountable odds we face. But we can be assured that this is our only option for possible victory." Anjek said, he was leading this force into the face of death, and with enough skill, death would blink.

Super Star Destroyer 'Thrawn', Hyperspace, 0044 Hours, December 25th, Christmas Day

Anjek stood on the bridge and looked out the viewport once more. He had stood in this same position eleven days ago, and he had been prepared for battle then, just as he was now. He was commanding one of the most diverse, and largest fleets any Imperial officer had ever had at his command. Humans and Aliens, Republic and Imperial, heading into battle side by side, perhaps into death side by side.
There was something calming about this knowledge of impending doom. They were running into a fight and they were going to do battle with the enemy, they couldn't turn around, and they couldn't retreat. Victory or death was quite the motivator.

"Dropping from Hyperspace in three...two...one...transition." One of the officers said tensely. Apparently the calm before battle did not rest well with many. The starlines that had signified hyperspace travel disappeared and the glittering backdrop of space, and the mauled planet of Reach were it's replacement. The Covenant fleet spread out before them was completely unawares of the new arrivals. Anjek smiled with a predatory bent. His plan was perfect. A fleet of this size was a force to be reckoned with, but if it was completely unready for combat, then it was easier than shooting dreadnaughts. And right now, they were trying to martial their forces to move on Earth. Easy pickings if they hit the Covenant hard enough and fast enough.

"Grand Admiral. All Imperial vessels report no problems and are assuming offensive formation. The Human Alliance fleet has also arrived with no problems." One of the Comms officers reported. Anjek looked out and could see the massive shapes of Star Destroyers and their accompanying vessels dropping from hyperspace like arrows, and falling into precise positions. Anjek had drilled his men relentlessly since he had taken command, and they were very good. Emerging from hyperspace in perfect fighting formation was something that many commanders had used to garner a decisive advantage during the Rebellion. Right now it could make all the difference in the universe.

"Good, have the fleet move into combat and provide cover for the New Republic." Anjek said. While Grand Admiral Anjek had signifigant respect for the New Republic's advantages, their superior fighters, their morale and their strong ships...the war with the Yuuhzan Vong had weakened it severely. Much of the New Republic's forces had been decimated in the fighting, and as a result many of the crews were green and un-tested.

"The New Republic forces are emerging from hyperspace. They're moving to redress their battle lines." The Sensor officer said. Anjek frowned, he had expected as much.

"Good." Anjek said, but didn't sound pleased.

"Asguard, Federation, and Klingon warships have exited hyperspace. They are moving in to cover the flanks of the force." The sensor officer added. Anjek nodded. The bulk of his plan centered on the Human Alliance, Imperial and New Republic fleets making up the bulk of the offensive punch. They had the largest amount of firepower and could do the most damage. The others would guard their flanks and keep the main thrust protected.

"All forces report ready, no tangible Covenant Response. Strange...we're not exactly hard to miss." The Sensor officer said. Anjek frowned. What could distract this Covenant force from the hostile fleet that had just appeared?

Covenant Flagship 'Persuasive Duty', Coalition Armada over Reach, 0044 Hours, December 25th, Christmas Day

The Hunter slammed down on the deck plates with a final death cry; it's heavy armor plate drowning out the sounds of combat that filled the bridge. Plasma weapons fire filled the air and wild battle cries drowned out any sound. Most of the decking outside the command bridge was covered in blood and bodies, dead Elites, Jackals, Grunts, and Hunters. Even Tau Fire warriors and Lizard infantry males littered the decking.
The bridge was in enemy hands, along with the command centers on most of the Covenant Fleet. Enemy forces had taken over many of the command decks and had been fighting hard to hold onto them, and do as much damage as they possibly could.
Treason, traitors within the Covenant Hegemony. Them and their allies.
The Protoss had rebelled against their Covenant masters, and their Eldar colleagues were aiding them.
A Dark Archon and a squad of Zealots stood watch over the bridge entry, holding back the determined Covenant assaults to retake the flagship's bridge from the traitor's hands.
The last assault had been crushed, the Dark Archon turning the Covenant warriors against each other, and the Zealots chopped apart anyone that made it close enough to them. The Covenant forces hadn't been willing to give up at all. No, they were intent on throwing away whatever troops they needed to. They wanted that bridge back.
"Prepare for another assault." Sulas 'Kinmande ordered, His black armor unmarked by battle, although he was leading this charge. He looked down the halls behind him and noted the assembled troops. The massive green forms of the burly Mutons made up the bulk of this wave, along with the hovering forms of Ethereals. Even the bony Skeletoids and Anthropoids were stacked in the corridor. This was going to be another vicious assault.
The Elite nodded and the troops moved out. The massive green Mutons spraying the hall with plasma fire. Their simple minds easily falling prey to the Dark Archon's mind control abilities with ease. Their feeble minds being warped and twisted by the Protoss command of their psi abilities. Their charging comrades quickly dispatched the turned Mutons; there was no room for trying to save allies. If they were turned, they would die.
With such hideous cries of battle and rage, the few remaining Mutons slammed into the Protoss Zealots, their psi blades slicing and stabbing in their smooth dance of death. The bio-engineered skins that the Mutons were clad in could not stand up to the psi energies that came into contact with them.
The Ethereals followed, their powerful minds immune to the Dark Archon's powerful mental abilities, but their weak physical forms no match for the Zealots potent attacks. Followed closely by Skeletoids and Anthropoids, they fared little better than the Mutons and Ethereals. One drew it's clawed hand back to hurl a vortex mine, but was stopped by the firm grasp upon it's mind by the Dark Archon. It dropped the potent explosive to the deck.
Sulas 'Kinmande looked down the hall at the bloodshed and sent the order for more troops.

Protoss Carrier 'Shadows of Light', Joint Protoss/Eldar Armada, hidden in the Yurt cloud, 0046 Hours, December 25th, Christmas Day

High Templar Halimdar stood upon his bridge and gazed out through the swirling ice clouds that concealed his fleet and the Eldar forces from view of their 'masters'. The Protoss had no intent of ever serving the Covenant. But with the few remaining Protoss worlds being held captive by Covenant forces, they had little choice to obey. Otherwise, they would face extinction at the hands of the invaders.
Of course, they had supported the ruse long enough. Long enough to evacuate the civilians with Eldar aid and position their fleet to mettle out the most damage to the Covenant swine. Now, they had struck a blow for the freedom of the Protoss and the Eldar. They would smite the Covenant in a single blow.
But now...now the 'Coalition' had made their assault at a very fortuitous moment. The Covenant fleet was facing internal revolt and disunity, they were horribly weak. It was perfect.
One command, that was all that had to be sent.
'Attack.'

Super Star Destroyer 'Thrawn', Coalition assault fleet, Proximity to Reach, 0106 Hours, December 25th, Christmas Day

"Asguard Taskforce three reports breakthrough. Klingon vessels moving to exploit."
"Human Alliance Battleships 'Thunder', 'Hadies' and 'Inferno' report that they have destroyed the Covenant Battlestation in sector four."
"SGC X-302 fighter wings are stating heavy losses, X-Com Interceptors moving to support."
"Federation battlegroup Alpha is falling back from heavy Goa'uld mothership assault."
"We've just lost the New Republic Assault Carrier 'Intrepid', Star Destroyer 'Luckas' moving to cover gaps in line."
"B-wing squadrons Gold, Beige, and Violet are moving in on an attack run at Sector nine, targeting the Covenant Flagship there."
Anjek let the battle reports wash over him as he stood there, watching the battle writhe in space all around him, the clear view ports giving him unobstructed witness to the immense battle. The voices coming from the crew pits were calm and collected, reflections of the harsh and constant training that he had pushed his crews through. Had the 'Thrawn' been flying straight into a sun with engines ablaze, they would have maintained their composure.
"Grand Admiral, more forces arriving from the Urt cloud. Signals and profiles match those of the Covenant sub race called the Protoss...and a race known as the 'Eldar'. They appear to be hostile, weapons armed and shields up."
Anjek looked at the large formation of ice crystals and stellar gasses that swirled in space far beyond. The smooth and sleek lines of the alien craft emerging from it. There were a whole lot of them too.
"Sith..." Anjek swore softly. This could tip the battle in favor of the Covenant. While the Covenant ships in the Reach depot were disorganized and putting up a fight...a well disciplined force could give them enough support to slam back against their attackers. Anjek frowned and watched the approaching vessels.
"Sir, we're receiving a hail from one of the Eldar ships..."
"Patch me through." Anjek said quickly.
"Greetings Grand Admiral." The alien on the screen said. Anjek knew it was an alien, but he didn't look like an alien. He looked more like a human than anything else. Anjek raised one eyebrow and looked at the image on the screen before him apprehensively.
"Greetings. I find myself at a disadvantage, whom am I speaking with?"
"I am Commander Limande of the Eldar forces of Uthlwe."
"What are you contacting me for Commander?" Anjek asked.
"I am...requesting a courtesy Grand Admiral. While, I must admit that your peoples have suffered beneath one of the many races that now swear allegiance to the Covenant...I wish your forces not to attack the vessles of the Protoss or the Eldar fleets. We are not your enemy at the moment, and we wish you to have the discretion not to treat us as such." Commander Limande said.
"I see Commander – order the 'Kikiader' to move to sector four with Tie defender squadron Alpha nine. Engage the Covenant Cruiser moving in with the two destroyers. – What assurances do I have that you are going to respond in kind?" Anjek said splitting between civil conversation and commands with ease.
"We shall not engage your vessels Grand Admiral, we merely wish to destroy this armada. Our reasons for doing so are our own." Limande said with an expression that gave away no emotion.
"Well then Commander, if you do so wish for our forces to be united then so be it. But how long will this last Commander?" Anjek said.
"Until this battle is over, then the Eldar and the Protoss will leave this system."
"Will we be enemies after this battle?" Anjek asked bluntly.
"Only if necessary Grand Admiral."
"Then for the moment we shall be united in a common cause."

Covenant Command Battlestation 'Observant Wrath', Covenant Armada, Proximity to Reach, 0146 Hours, December 25th, Christmas Day

The Prophet of the Light was not pleased. First, three separate fleet marshals had be diusrupted, one had been damaged, and one entire armada had to be completely destroyed. The humans had damaged the first fleet gathering. The second had to be destroyed to prevent the spread of some strange life form. And the humans had disrupted the third.
Then, the assault on earth had been destroyed completely. The humans dared to trifle with the will of the prophets and resisted. The entire fleet had been decimated, but some of the ground troops had survived. They had reached their objective, but wheither or not they could exploit it was up for debate.
If they could, the thousands of Covenant dead would not have been spent in vain. If they could reach that depository of knowledge left by the Forerunners, this would be the greatest victory they could hope for.
But right now, they had to contend with a counter attack, and with treason. The Protoss scum had rebelled and were wreaking havoc with the ability of the loyal Covenant forces to regain control of the ships. That would have been bad enough. Most of the vessels were experiencing at least some degree of revolt from the Protoss. Some vessels had even been completely taken over and were not fighting.
The worst part of this whole affair was that the Protoss fleets had decided to set upon the Covenant and loyalist forces with a vengeance, along with a fleet of ships of unknown design and command.
All these factors combined made any kind of defense nearly impossible.
The Prophet of the Light scowled and looked at the command screen. The enemy was diverse, but organized; they had a very good commander...someone who knew what they were doing. The Gold clad commanders stood amongst the command consoles and directed the futile defense of the Forerunner system. The UNSC had fought hard to hold onto this system, and now they were coming back, could they possibly understand what was held within this planet?
No...
If they did, then they would know that an even greater treasure was held on their own home world.
But they were here now, and whatever they knew or did not know with their primitive minds was of no importance. They were providing much more of a fight than they had in the defense of this system. Their vessels were now much more powerful and much better equipped. They had garnered significant advantages in a very short time.
"Come forward." The Prophet of the Light said to a shadowed figure standing of behind the Prophet's throne. The hooded figure moved forward its features hidden beneath the heavy shadows. The black fabric of the figures outfit seemed to absorb the light and mask the creature's form. It was the size of a human.
"Yes, my master." The form said.
"This battle is one in vain. We cannot find victory against these traitors and humans. Many of us shall leave. But I shall remain to take command of the forces and hold these humans here. That shall by time for our retreat." The Prophet said.
The hooded figure remained silent.
"You shall leave and take word to the high council. This system is lost. But this war shall be far from over. The humans will be annihilated, along will any other races that deign to stand as their allies. We shall wipe them from the face of this galaxy, and then from the universe. Then you and your armies shall have the vengeance they so desire." The Prophet said.
The hooded figure drew back his hood and exposed his human features.
"The Sith shall have our revenge at your command Prophet." The Sith lord said with a sneer.
The prophet shurugged beneath his hick cloaks and coverings.
"You merely bide your time Sith. And remember, you serve the Prophets, we do not serve you."
"Of course my Lord. Of course, the Jedi are those we wish to exact vengeance upon and we shall do so at your command." The Sith Lord replied.
The prophet motioned and the Sith left to carry out his commands.

Super Star Destroyer 'Thrawn', Close Proximity to Reach, 0395 Hours, December 25th, Christmas Day

It had been a long battle, but Reach had been taken. Of course, much had happened in the favor of the Coalition to give their forces a victory. The Covenant were divided and they were weak. The Protoss revolt had made any organized defense impossible. The Eldar and Protoss fleets had attacked and laid waste to the Covenant fleets in unison with the Coalition forces. Nothing survived.
A few vessels had slipped away, but they were dregs compared to the massive numbers of Covenant ships that had been completely destroyed.
A world had been retaken and a Covenant Armada had been destroyed. It was a great victory.
The Eldar and Protoss had vanished without a trace after the last Covenant cruiser had gone down in flames. No messages were sent, no instructions given, they merely vanished without a word; disappearing into the Urt cloud without a trace.
Of course, a victory was a victory, and now that Reach had been retaken, the Coalition could boast a significant victory. But Anjek was not ready to celebrate yet. He had summoned the assembled commanders of the Coalition fleet to the 'Thrawn' and wished to address them all at once.
The main Stormtrooper briefing room had seating for over five hundred, and it was packed to bursting. Anjek stood before the fleet commanders and looked at the diverse assemblage with humility.
He saw the slate gray of Imperial captains, his own commanders sitting there, along with the black uniforms of fighter commanders. They sat there, fully intent on him, their respect for their Grand Admiral clearly visible. He looked down at the white uniforms of New Republic captains and commanders. The uniforms that he had learned to respect so much. The fighter pilots and associated officers looked somewhat laid back, but were interested in what he was about to say.

Anjek surveyed the Klingon captains, they looked as though they were bedecked for war, but Anjek reminded himself they were. The Klingons had boasted more boarding actions than all the other fleet forces combined. The Imperial's gaze shifted to the Federation captains. While they were not professional soldiers, or nearly as capable as the Imperial or Klingon commanders, they were competent and had held their own.

The Asguard commanders sat silently, their lack of clothing setting them apart from the rest of those that waited for the Grand Admiral's speech. But they had fought just as hard as any of the other commanders and crews in this hall.

The Human Alliance commanders looked to be the most diverse group out of any of the other command teams, even the New Republic. The Human Alliance commanders looked like a veritable zoo of different species, they all seemed to be interested in Anjek's coming speech.

The comparably small concentration of the SGC and X-Com commanders were a distinct minority compared to the professional military forces represented within the hall. They were professional soldiers, but their units had more experience on the ground than they did in space.

"Commanders, Captains and Admirals." Anjek said, his amplified voice.

"I stand before you fresh from the hard fought Second Battle of Reach. Our ships and crews have all fought hard on this day. Some of which shall never leave this system. Their bodies are entombed in the void, and they have earned the right to be remembered as warriors." Anjek said, many cries came up from the Klingon captains, along with a few of the Human Alliance Captains, and even the X-Com commanders.

"We have won two victories against the Covenant Hegemony. We have shown them that from this moment forwards, there will be no such thing as an easy conquest. Before, they could take worlds without difficulty, now we shall give them hellfire and destruction. We have shown the Covenant that they shall fight and die just as the UNSC has for so long." Anjek said.

"Now...now we face a war longer and more destructive than any we have seen. Worlds, if not galaxies shall be destroyed in this conflict. Fleets demolished and armies wiped out. There will be bloodshed on a scale unknown before this point. Such death and destruction shall fill the stars and we shall be both the dealers and receivers of it." Anjek said grimly.

"I wish to say this to you all, before this war truly begins. Throughout history, there have always been those who have said war is a horrific thing. They have said that there should be another way. They have said that all war has wrought is destruction and death. I am a soldier...and I can agree with them full heartedly. I have witnessed too much death for too long, and I believe that many of you can say the same thing."

"But now...now there is no choice. The Covenant have given us no choice. They shall take nothing less than the annihilation or enslavement of every sentient species that stands before them. And now we have to fight, we have to kill and destroy. For some this shall bring distaste. For some it shall bring horror. For some it shall bring honor. But may we all rest assured that no matter what we do, no matter what atrocities are commited in this war..." Anjek sighed and trailed off he looked at the beings within this hall. He shook his head.

"...no matter what we do, no matter what happens...we are doing this for the most righteous reason that any war has yet been waged. We are fighting for the innocent lives of trillions. We are fighting for the defense of those who may never know who we are, we are fighting for some that may loathe what we stand for and believe in. But still, we shall fight."

"For many of us, there shall be no reward. There may be no true honor deserving of what we do. We are laying down our lives for the noblest of reasons. And many of us shall die for those noble reasons." Anjek said with a heavy heart. He was a soldier and a warrior. He had fought to keep the Empire whole and had failed, he had fought to defend his Galaxy from the Yuuhzan Vong, and had been marginally successful. Now this war would be the most important war that any race or people had ever fought. It would be more important than the Rebellion, more important than the Clone wars, or the Sith war. This would be the war that would decide how a Universe would survive. Would it be free, or would it be enslaved beneath the Covenant?
For a long moment Anjek thought about those that would gladly see the military forces of these races destroyed and left to rust, all in the name of 'Peace'. He thought of those that would tell the soldiers before them that the Covenant was in the right, and that they should respect the cultural heritage that the Covenant possessed by dying. He thought of those that would call for negotiation as worlds were fed into the maw of the Covenant Armadas.
Anjek thought sourly of those that championed 'Peace'.
There would never be peace in this Universe, ever again. There would always be conflict somewhere. No matter what those believers in 'Peace' thought, war was inevitable. Even after this war against the Covenant was won or lost, it would be there...conflict.
"No matter what is said about the war we will wage...we shall fight and soldiers will die. I cannot deny that. We shall die in this war, how many? I do not know. For how long? I do not know. But may you all remember this single thing deep in your hearts as you battle this great evil, we are in the right."
"We fight for everything that is good and pure in this universe. We are fighting for freedom, we are fighting for life, we are fighting for the rights and lives of trillions of peoples. We are fighting against those that would see our worlds burn and our peoples enslaved, and we shall fight them with every iota of strength and fury that we possess. We shall not falter, we shall not relent, we shall not have weakness. We shall fight and we shall die, but they shall fight, and they too shall die."

"Look about this hall; you shall see faces that you shall never see again. I can guarantee this much. Some will die around planets that have no name. Others will be the diehard defenders of worlds that you have never known before. But you will all die as heroes. We shall all be heroes for what we do now, for what we fight against in our own lifetimes. Because we all stand here untied as one, we stand here ready to do battle for as long as it takes, and with as much fury as we possess."
"You are all heroes because you are willing to fight and die for those who you have never known, for those who will never know your names or faces. That is why we are going to fight and die."
"So that those innocents can live on."

And, chappie. Sorry about the halfhearted nature of that one, you call all have a pretty good idea of what these space battles look like. I wanted to gear this one towards finalizing who's on which side and that little speech Anjek gave.

The writers block I was suffering from didn't help much either. But not to worry, the last chapter of this will be good. Now you'll find out what's going on in this universe.

Chapter 12: Who are we?