Chapter Two =========
1210 Hours, September 20, 2552 (Military Calendar) Aboard UNSC destroyer Iroquois. One week after the destruction of the Unyielding Hierophant.
The crew fell silent and stared at the Captain for a second, nodded, and returned to their stations.
"Lieutenant Hikowa, what is the Iroquois' status?" asked Archimedes.
"Forward Archer Missile Pods depleted, lower Decks have been breached, and most of our 50mm Cannons ammo has been depleted. We have our squadron of Longswords prepped, as well as the Pelicans and the 23rd Marine Battalion and three Shiva Nuclear Missiles."
"Fleet status?"
Hikowa looked at the monitor, read the reports and looked back at the Captain, grim faced.
"Fifty-seven ships. Ten cruisers, six carriers, twenty-one destroyers and twenty frigates. All corvettes have been vaporized. We also have twenty- seven of the Super MAC Gun Orbital Platforms left."
Archimedes fought back an extreme wave of despair. Out of the two hundred and fifty-seven ships that were left of the entire UNSC Fleet sent to Earth, nearly a quarter remained. Things were looking grim for the UNSC.
"And the Covenant?" Archimedes asked again, trying to keep his cool. Lieutenant Hikowa looked back at the monitor and from the wide-eyed look on her face; Archimedes guessed things weren't looking good.
"O-o-one h-hundred-seventeen ships, sir. Fifteen carriers, forty-nine destroyers, fifty-two frigates and what appears to be one flagship." Hikowa replied.
"Send this message to the rest of the UNSC Fleet: regroup around the Super MAC guns at maximum speed, redline their reactors if they have to. Do not stop to engage the Covenant, only fire rear Archer Missile Pods and use their rear chain guns. Tell them also NOT to use their nuclear missiles, and keep all Longswords in their fighter bays, we'll need them for later on."
"Aye, aye, sir," Hikowa said.
"Lieutenant François, change course to one-seven-eight, push the reactors at 150%, and when they start to overheat, pump reserve coolant, and once the reactors overheat again, vent the drive plasma and go at 100%," ordered the Captain.
"Aye, aye, sir," replied François.
The Iroquois shuddered as it altered course, and the armor around the reactor started to warm as the reactor was redlined. Three Covenant Frigates immediately veered away from the main fleet and charged after the Iroquois and quickly caught up to the larger ship. Their plasma turrets glowed red as they were being charged up. Archer Missiles broke free from their pods and were launched toward the advancing Covenant ships. Covenant pulse lasers fired and destroyed half the incoming missiles, and the frigates shields shrugged off the rest of the damage by the missiles easily.
Deadly beams of energy lanced from the frigates and towards the Iroquois. A few seconds before they were able to hit their target, the Iroquois' lower emergency thrusters fired, sending the ship upward. All of the beams missed their target. The frigates prepared to fire again, but this would be in vain. Five of the Super MACs aimed themselves at the advancing ships, and fired their super heavy slugs. The frigates exploded immediately as the shells hit the ships. Archimedes let out a sigh; the Iroquois had cheated death yet again.
A few seconds later, twenty-seven heavy slugs were fired from the Super MAC Guns and accelerated toward the advancing Covenant fleet. Twenty-seven hits, twenty-seven ships destroyed. The destroyed wrecks drifted in the midst of the Covenant fleet, and the Covenant split up to get around this wreck area. The surviving UNSC ships then fired their smaller MAC guns and the last of the Archer Missiles and fired away with their 50mm cannons at the teardrop shaped Covenant fighters, dubbed "Seraphs" by ONI.
The Super MACs fired in conjunction with their smaller fleet based cousins. Hundreds of super-heavy slugs, and thousands of missiles all raced towards the Covenant. The Covenant ships shrugged off two thirds of the smaller fleet MACs, and the 3rd round, with the Archer Missiles destroyed some. Most of the Super MACs hit as well. Dozens of Covenant ships were alight and some crashed into others. Debris was spread all over the area.
Out of all this debris, only twenty-seven Covenant ships emerged. Twenty- six of the ships raced towards the surviving UNSC fleet, while another veered away and made a Slipspace jump towards their homeworld. The surviving Covenant ships charged their Plasma and fired. The Super MACs turned and obliterated the Covenant ships. With nothing left to guide them, the Plasma dissipated.
Archimedes breathed another heavy sigh the Covenant had been defeated.... Or had they? Archimedes reviewed the battle logs and saw the Covenant Cruiser veer away. Archimedes knew that they obviously would come and bring reinforcements. The first part of the battle was over. Things were going to get much more serious. The repair and refit platform Victory moved over to a cluster of UNSC ships, including the Iroquois. Tubes, docks and men in EVA packs all raced to the Iroquois. A station like the Victory could hold up to six UNSC Destroyers. It would take nearly eight hours of Victory's attention to bring Iroquois back into fighting condition.
Archimedes looked out the main view port and noticed dozens of stations heading towards the battered UNSC fleet. Apparently HighCom came to the same conclusion. The battle was not over.
1210 Hours, September 20, 2552 (Military Calendar) Aboard UNSC destroyer Iroquois. One week after the destruction of the Unyielding Hierophant.
The crew fell silent and stared at the Captain for a second, nodded, and returned to their stations.
"Lieutenant Hikowa, what is the Iroquois' status?" asked Archimedes.
"Forward Archer Missile Pods depleted, lower Decks have been breached, and most of our 50mm Cannons ammo has been depleted. We have our squadron of Longswords prepped, as well as the Pelicans and the 23rd Marine Battalion and three Shiva Nuclear Missiles."
"Fleet status?"
Hikowa looked at the monitor, read the reports and looked back at the Captain, grim faced.
"Fifty-seven ships. Ten cruisers, six carriers, twenty-one destroyers and twenty frigates. All corvettes have been vaporized. We also have twenty- seven of the Super MAC Gun Orbital Platforms left."
Archimedes fought back an extreme wave of despair. Out of the two hundred and fifty-seven ships that were left of the entire UNSC Fleet sent to Earth, nearly a quarter remained. Things were looking grim for the UNSC.
"And the Covenant?" Archimedes asked again, trying to keep his cool. Lieutenant Hikowa looked back at the monitor and from the wide-eyed look on her face; Archimedes guessed things weren't looking good.
"O-o-one h-hundred-seventeen ships, sir. Fifteen carriers, forty-nine destroyers, fifty-two frigates and what appears to be one flagship." Hikowa replied.
"Send this message to the rest of the UNSC Fleet: regroup around the Super MAC guns at maximum speed, redline their reactors if they have to. Do not stop to engage the Covenant, only fire rear Archer Missile Pods and use their rear chain guns. Tell them also NOT to use their nuclear missiles, and keep all Longswords in their fighter bays, we'll need them for later on."
"Aye, aye, sir," Hikowa said.
"Lieutenant François, change course to one-seven-eight, push the reactors at 150%, and when they start to overheat, pump reserve coolant, and once the reactors overheat again, vent the drive plasma and go at 100%," ordered the Captain.
"Aye, aye, sir," replied François.
The Iroquois shuddered as it altered course, and the armor around the reactor started to warm as the reactor was redlined. Three Covenant Frigates immediately veered away from the main fleet and charged after the Iroquois and quickly caught up to the larger ship. Their plasma turrets glowed red as they were being charged up. Archer Missiles broke free from their pods and were launched toward the advancing Covenant ships. Covenant pulse lasers fired and destroyed half the incoming missiles, and the frigates shields shrugged off the rest of the damage by the missiles easily.
Deadly beams of energy lanced from the frigates and towards the Iroquois. A few seconds before they were able to hit their target, the Iroquois' lower emergency thrusters fired, sending the ship upward. All of the beams missed their target. The frigates prepared to fire again, but this would be in vain. Five of the Super MACs aimed themselves at the advancing ships, and fired their super heavy slugs. The frigates exploded immediately as the shells hit the ships. Archimedes let out a sigh; the Iroquois had cheated death yet again.
A few seconds later, twenty-seven heavy slugs were fired from the Super MAC Guns and accelerated toward the advancing Covenant fleet. Twenty-seven hits, twenty-seven ships destroyed. The destroyed wrecks drifted in the midst of the Covenant fleet, and the Covenant split up to get around this wreck area. The surviving UNSC ships then fired their smaller MAC guns and the last of the Archer Missiles and fired away with their 50mm cannons at the teardrop shaped Covenant fighters, dubbed "Seraphs" by ONI.
The Super MACs fired in conjunction with their smaller fleet based cousins. Hundreds of super-heavy slugs, and thousands of missiles all raced towards the Covenant. The Covenant ships shrugged off two thirds of the smaller fleet MACs, and the 3rd round, with the Archer Missiles destroyed some. Most of the Super MACs hit as well. Dozens of Covenant ships were alight and some crashed into others. Debris was spread all over the area.
Out of all this debris, only twenty-seven Covenant ships emerged. Twenty- six of the ships raced towards the surviving UNSC fleet, while another veered away and made a Slipspace jump towards their homeworld. The surviving Covenant ships charged their Plasma and fired. The Super MACs turned and obliterated the Covenant ships. With nothing left to guide them, the Plasma dissipated.
Archimedes breathed another heavy sigh the Covenant had been defeated.... Or had they? Archimedes reviewed the battle logs and saw the Covenant Cruiser veer away. Archimedes knew that they obviously would come and bring reinforcements. The first part of the battle was over. Things were going to get much more serious. The repair and refit platform Victory moved over to a cluster of UNSC ships, including the Iroquois. Tubes, docks and men in EVA packs all raced to the Iroquois. A station like the Victory could hold up to six UNSC Destroyers. It would take nearly eight hours of Victory's attention to bring Iroquois back into fighting condition.
Archimedes looked out the main view port and noticed dozens of stations heading towards the battered UNSC fleet. Apparently HighCom came to the same conclusion. The battle was not over.