Chapter 9 – The Battle for Halo 04


--UNSC ASI--

Admiral Luis Soven sat in the very spacious Combat Information Center on board the Cube, the nickname that had been given to this monstrosity of a ship. Looking around he could see screens everywhere, display the space outside or data needed. So much had happened since the beginning of this war he thought and now finally we have a chance of not only surviving but winning. The Comms technician that he had just sent away a few minutes ago was returning. Standing in front of him she said. "All ships are on the channel and ready to receive Admiral."

"Understood Lieutenant. Open channel."

Walking over to her station she pressed several buttons then turned back to Soven. "Channel open sir."

Taking a deep breath Soven began, "Men and women of the UNSC. For to long have we retreated before the unrelenting attacks of the Covenant. Whenever they appear we fall back. But now we have more than hope. We have the ability, not only to survive as a species but to beat the Covenant. With House Ecaz we have built this ship together, combining the best of our technologies. As we speak the upgrades a traveling through both sides. You were the first to receive them.

Our mission today is not one of defense, not of of delay. For the first time we STRIKE! We will wrest this station from the Covenant's grasp and never give it back. For whatever reason the Covenant want it we will find out. Then make sure that they NEVER GET THEIR SLIMEY CLAWS ON IT! You all have your orders. We hit them hard, we hit them fast and we kill each and EVERY ONE OF THEM! FOR EARTH! FOR HUMANITY!" Soven could feel the entire ship shake as every single human screamed at the top of their lungs. Shouting above the bridge crew Soven continued, "WE JUMP IN ONE HOUR!"

--UNSC Pillar of Autumn--

Captain Keyes stood on the bridge of the Autumn. Looking out the main window he could see what he could only describe as the universe speeding by. This foldspace was so different to Slipspace. The bridge was quiet as everyone prepared for the jump back into realspace. After that there would be a lot of danger as the attack began and everyone undocked from the ASI. A hum could be heard as Cortana appeared above the holotub.

"Hello Captain."

"Cortana." Keyes replied with a nod. "Ship status?"

"The ship has been prepared and the crew is ready."

"Understood." Keyes said looking up at the countdown on the main screen. 5:17 minutes left until the jump into realspace.

--HES Arentys--

Captain Froteh sat deep within the Ecazian destroyer. One of the newest ships in the Ecazian fleet it had been commissioned only a month before the exodus. Now it was in a separate dimension fighting aliens in a battle to the death. Froteh chuckled at the thought. His original plans when given command of the Arentys were to finish out the last 30 years of his commission and live off the rest of his life on Ecaz with his family. Well the multiverse had other plans for him. Looking from his chair he could see the entire bridge with all its holographic displays. "Sir." spoke up his second in command, "Fighter crews prepped, gunnery stations manned and internal security teams deployed. The ship is ready."

"Very well Commander Yetr." Froteh replied tapping a command into his console. "This is the captain speaking. For the first time we take this ship into combat as a crew. For the Duke and for House Ecaz we will emerge victorious. You know what you need to do and I know you will do it. Captain out." Yetr relaxed back in his chair as the crew made the final adjustments to what they could. The timer now read 3:13 minutes.

--Longsword on board the Ark Royal--

Commander 'Ballseye' Ankionson ran over his instruments one more time. His Longsword was carrying a heavy load on this mission and he didn't want to be caught with a safetied dud on his wing. "Missiles report green across the board." He said out loud.

"Same with guns." Replied his copilot.

Tapping a button on the control stick he opened a channel to his squadron and their escorts. "Alright people, one more look at our mission. The Ecazian Worms will be running escort as we destroy on any Covvie ships that have been damaged by the big guns. After we launch make sure you partner up with your escort. Then stay close to the Ark until we have a target." Ballseye was about to continue when, Fryberg, the Ark Royal's AI began to speak.

"Ten seconds until jump. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

--Patience--

Ship Master Orna Fulsamee was in the Command center when several alarms began to scream. Pressing the flashing panel in front of him he shouted. "What is it!" Suddenly the alarms in the room shut off and the elite replied.

"Ship Master, we have just detected a large enemy fleet at the edge of sensor range."

"Show me" He ordered. One of the projectors changed and showed a large cube surrounded by smaller ships. Suddenly some of the ships began to be tagged with information, 'HUMAN ATTACK SHIP, TYPE C2'. "Exalted, whoever gave the humans the location of the Holy Ring will be found and executed."

The being beside did not say a word. Instead his assistant, a lower ranked elite called Ikaporamee, spoke for him."It is unlikely that the humans tracked one of our ships Ship Master. They may be no better than cattle when compared to us but they are still barely sentient. And all sentient beings are drawn towards the majesty and greatness of the Ancients."

Fulsamee snapped his claws and pushed a panel on the console in front of him. Move the fleet into formation and prepare for battle. Begin charging plasma torpedoes.

"NO!" Screamed Ikaporamee "The human vessels are heading to the construct. We cannot allow it to be destroyed."

Fulsamee thought for a second before pressing the panel again. "Cancel the last order. Prepare boarding craft and launch all fighters. Use of torpedoes is restricted for the first attack. No torpedoes are to head towards the construct." Looking back at the Prophet he asked, "Is this course of action supported Exalted?"

Ikapornee once again responded. "We find this course of action appropriate. The largest ship must be captured."

"Understood Exalted one." Fulsamee bowed his head before looking back at the screen showing the human fleet moving into formation.

--UNSC ASI--

Outside ships of every size were quickly moving into a wall. In the center of this wall was the Cube. In front of this wall stood the Covenant.

Admiral Soven watched the screens silently. A few seconds later he said, "Open a channel to the fleet." Quickly a channel was opened. Taking a slow breath Soven said, "Today we have our revenge." Looking around the room one more time he shouted, "ATTACK!"

The entire fleet exploded in light as every single engine was pushed to its limits and every single MAC gun was fired. Quickly the fighters and bombers pulled away from the fleet smashing into the Covenants own cloud of Seraphs. Hundreds of tiny suns and asteroid fields were created every second. Then the Capital ships caught up. Without even blinking they plowed straight through the cloud. Autocannons and lasguns flashed reaching out to the fighters and quickly destroying them. Meanwhile the large lasgun turrets on the Ecazian ships fired, quickly the Covenant ships accelerated and moved out of the way. A few were damaged but none destroyed.

Suddenly the Covenant replied. Over a hundred torpedoes exploded from their sides and quickly accelerated towards the oncoming ships. The Covenant engines began to glow as they turned and raced towards the UNSC and Ecazian ships.

Soven was standing, watching the carnage in front of him. A Fire Control officer shouted. "Sir! We have entered effective SMAC range!"

Without waiting Soven shouted, "All stations, OPEN FIRE!" The front of the Cube erupted in fire as the SMAC fired. As it reached the end of the barrel the round splintered into several smaller pieces creating a cloud which would kill any ship that passed through it. Following it thousands of Archer missiles raced out of their pods attacking any ship in range.

--Patience--

Fulsamee stood quietly watching the fight his own ship was in the middle of the Covenant formation. He watched as the largest ship fired a new human weapon. As it got closer to his ships it broke up. For a second Fulsamee was confused until it smashed into one of his ships. It was ripped apart in a blink of an eye. Fulsamee growled but continued to push the fleet forward.

--HES Arentys--

Froteh was standing up giving his gunners targets. He had already ordered a preparation for shields to be raised. His ship was already targeted by 5 plasma torpedoes. On the main screen there was a flash as one of the Covenant Frigates went up in fire. Not wasting time he quickly ordered them to focus on the next closest ship and the process began again. Meanwhile the Plasma torpedoes got closer and closer. As the counter reached 7 he shouted, "CEASE FIRE! SHIELDS TO FULL! BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Suddenly the lights dimmed and ship became quiet. Then the torpedoes hit. Soven was thrown from his chair into a nearby console and was knocked out. The helmsmen wrestled with the controls trying to keep the ship level. But eventually they lost and the ship tumbled end over end. As soon as the bombardment finished the shields finally burnt out. Then the crews training took over. The ship was quickly righted. Froteh was taken down to the mess hall while his XO took over. After receiving word that the ship was still operational he ordered flank speed and the Arentys returned to the fight.

--UNSC Melbourne--

"Sir! They've bracketed us with Plasma torpedoes!"

"Understood Lieutenant." Replied Captain Reid. During the first salvo the Covenant had concentrated their torpedoes on the ships in the front of the human line. Now the Melbourne had 7 plasma torpedoes heading straight towards it. "Helm, prepare to use emergency thrusters on my command."

"Aye, aye sir."

The counter read 16, 15...

"Order all single ships to scatter."

11, 10...

"Sound collision."

7, 6...

"Fire port thrusters on my mark."

3...

"MARK!"

Throughout the left side of the Melbourne emergency thrusters fired throwing the ship to the side. Unfortunately the Covenant commander had thought they would do that and had his torpedoes move apart just as the Melbourne tried to get out of their path. A single torpedo smashed right into the bow of the Melbourne. The new armor held it off but the open MAC gun was different. Covenant plasma flooded into the barrel and began to eat the Melbourne from the inside out. Alarms began to blare all over the bridge as the deck thumped from the plasma opening sections to space.

"REPORT!" Reid shouted.

"Plasma torpedo hit the MAC gun sir." Shouted back a Lieutenant.

"Sound decompression alarms and vent inner compartments!"

"TOO LATE!" screamed the Lieutenant. Inside the plasma had eaten its way to the reactor. It had just hit the reactor. Immediately the reactor breached. The crew of the Melbourne never knew what happened.

--'Ballseye' Longsword--

"This is the cube. We have boarding ships incoming. All reserve fighters are to engage and destroy them. Cube out." The channel shut down. Ballseye switched to the command channel and said, "Worms, we need you to clear the path. Fireslugs fire when you have a lock, focus on the big ones first." Ballseye heard 30 clicks as 2 Ecazian darts flew past him energy beams lashing ahead of them. He turned to his co-pilot. "Launch as soon as you have a lock." She nodded. Ballseye threw the throttle to the firewall just as two Darts flew beside him as escort.

The Human fleet replied once again. This time there was little time for the Covenant to evade and due to the confusion after the Plasma torpedo impacts many never even tried to move. Over two thirds of the Covenant were destroyed in one salvo. Fulsamee began to scream orders, trying to reorganize his fleet. But a new voice cut him off.

"Ship Master Fulsamee. The humans have won today. We will retreat." The prophet said.

Fulsamme was confused but recalled his training. "As is your wish O Prophot." Fulsamee pressed one of the panels and ordered, "Have all ships retreat to the High Charity and order all small ships to land on the Sacred Ring." Turning to the prophet he asked, "What will happen to my troops on the Sacred Ring?"

"They will serve the Forerunner's will and do what they were born to do." The prophet said. Then he turned to Ikaporamee. "Ikaporamee, I will no longer require your services. I have spoken and now will speak." He began to shake and stutter and opened his mouth to say something, "Silence Ikaporamee! You have twisted what I have said to you. It has never caused trouble until now. Now leave!" Ikaporamee turned and left. "You have your orders Ship Master."

--UNSC ASI--

"They're retreating!" screamed one of the officers.

Soven stared at the screens with everyone else as the Covenant ships turned around and each made jumps to slipspace. The entire ship was silent as the last ship jumped away then everyone erupted in cheers and screams. They had won in an even fight. There was now a true hope that humanity could survive and maybe even win. Still looking at the screens Soven could see the Ecazian ships move forward and release smaller ships. Shouting above the screams he said, "Move forward and deploy the Marines! And Comms, Inform Fleet Command the we have won and require reinforcements!" The crew got back to work but the somber mood was no longer present at all.

Slowly the ships of the human fleet moved to the ring and began to drop troops and equipment. The ground battle for Halo 04 had just begun.