Episode 6: Halo
After a misfold took the SDF-1 Macross into the future, the United Nations Space Command decided to employ the SDF-1 in their war against an alien menace know only as the Covenant. After defending itself above the rings of Coral and in the Adair nebula, the Macross folded into the Threshold system and is investigating a strange ring-like structure between the Planet Threshold and its moon Basis.
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"Cortana, all I need to know for now is did we lose them?" Gloval asked his inquisitive ship AI.
"I think we both know the answer to that." Cortana replied somberly.
"We made a blind jump didn't we... How did they -"
"Get here first? The Covenant ships have always been faster. As for tracking us all the way from Adair, at light speed my maneuvering options were limited." Cortana closed her eyes as more sensor data became available to her.
"We were running dark Cortana, right?" Lisa inquired as she turned her attention to the holo tank that Cortana's hologram appeared in.
"Until we decelerated. No one could have missed the hole we tore in slipspace." Cortana paused for a moment as she gathered more information from the sensor logs. "They were waiting for us on the far side of the planet." Cortana added as Gloval looked into the monitor screen displaying the Macross and the Covenant fleet's position.
"So, where do we stand?" Gloval asked as he took another puff from his smoking pipe.
"Our veritechs are mopping up the last of their Recon picket now sir, but we've picked up approach vectors from multiple CCS-class battlegroups. There are three capital ships per group, and in about ninety seconds they'll be all over us sir." Lisa added gravely as she looked at the sensor readout on her console.
"Well, that's it then. Battle stations! I want everyone at their posts." Gloval ordered gruffly to his bridge crew.
"Everyone sir?" Claudia asked. She was surprised that Gloval wanted all units on combat alert.
"Everyone Claudia. And,-" Gloval was cut short when Cortana called out.
"Sir, I have another group of ships emerging out of slipspace! Their power signatures are similar to the Covenant."
"I have the ships sir. I'll put it on the monitor screen." Vanessa added.
"Let's see it!" Gloval asked hurriedly. When the monitor screen came on it showed some of the original ships that had attacked Macross City five hundred years ago.
"Wait, I don't believe it! The Covenant are shifting course to intercept the new ships." Cortana observed.
"Hmm…. Very interesting." Gloval thought out loud. He saw the tactical value of this new situation, and looked over the computer plot of the two fleets. Both were approaching the ring and the capital ships but were exchanging very little weapons fire. The battle pods and Seraphs were doing most of the fighting, though it was getting bloody. "That ring must be important to them," he thought. "Claudia, steer for a landing in one of the oceans on that ring. We are going to detach the Daedalus and the Prometheus." Gloval ordered his helm officer.
"You think that's a good idea sir? Shouldn't we charge the slipspace fold system and escape?" Lisa asked.
"Are you familiar with the Guadal Canal campaign during World War Two?" Gloval asked Lisa.
"Yes sir, but…Ah. I see. The enemy seems more interested in landing on that ring than coming after us. So we detach the two carriers on the surface and form an effective resistance." Lisa concluded from the historical reference that Gloval brought up.
"Yes, and while our forces keep the enemy busy on the surface, we can fold to Reach and rally a fleet to engage the Covenant." Cortana added to Lisa's former statement.
"Aye sir. I'm steering for a landing near an atoll." Claudia added.
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"Attention all combat personnel. Please report to your action stations immediately." Lisa's voice called over the loudspeaker system. "Fifth Platoon, secure airlocks on the Daedalus. Fourteenth Platoon, rendezvous with 22nd Tactical at Bulkhead Charlie 14. Prepare for separation on my mark."
Sergeant Johnson climbed out of a Warthog that had driven him and his platoon to the Daedalus and turned to his men. "You heard the lady. Move like you got a purpose!" Marines in their new blue jumpsuits quickly fell into two lines.
"This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!" Lisa sounded over the loudspeakers.
"Men, we led those dumb bugs out to the middle of nowhere to keep 'em from gettin' their FILTHY claws on Earth. But looks like we stumbled onto somethin' they're so hot for, they're scramblin' over each other to get it. Well, I don't care if it's God's own anti-son-of-a-bitch machine or a giant Hula Hoop-we ain't gonna let 'em have it! What we WILL let 'em have is a belly full of lead and a pool of their own blood to drown in! Am I right, Marines?" Sergeant Johnson cried out boastfully to his Platoon. Some yelled back with cusses of their own, but others looked confused.
"Ah… sir?" One of the Macross marines asked hesitantly.
"Yeah son, what is it?" Johnson replied.
"Uh… Can you please refrain from using curse words Sir? It's not professional." The marine stated back to Johnson hesitantly.
"WHAT! Don't they teach you kids to SWEAR in the 21st century?" Johnson demanded of the new marines.
"Sir no Sir!" They marine replied as he snapped into attention.
"Mmmmhmmm." Johnson hummed while taking into account what the marine said. "Ah forget it! Now move it out! Double time!" Johnson added. The platoon moved out running toward the Pelicans waiting for them, some of them working over what Johnson had said.
"All you 21st century greenhorns who wanted to see Covenant up close...this is gonna be your lucky day." Johnson added as he walked over to the Pelican.
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While the Macross descended toward the ring below, the Master Chief and his newfound friends were at a loss as to what to do.
"Max, Ben, are you okay?" Rick asked as he approached his friends.
"I'm all right Rick." Max replied while trying to lift himself up off the ground. "How 'bout you Ben?"
"I'll be fine once I get an ice pack on my shoulder." Ben replied. He was rubbing his left shoulder, which was already showing the signs of a bruise. "I think this belongs to you." He said as he handed Max his glasses.
"Thanks Ben. Hey, do you know where the Master Chief went?" Max asked, troubled by the Chief's sudden disappearance.
"Don't worry about me Max; I just went to get a few things." A voice cried out from the darkened section of the corridor. Max, after readjusting his glasses, grabbed a flashlight and pointed it in the general direction from which the voice had come from. It was the Master Chief caring pieces of Fhajad's MJOLNIR mk. IV armor on his back.
"What are we going to do about Fhajad's body?" Rick asked the Master Chief.
"We'll put it in the back seat of the Warthog and report what happened Rick." The Master Chief said consolingly to Rick.
"But… that… It was a person! And I killed him!" Rick thought to himself. His distress was clearly visible on his face.
"Poor kid. Rick just bit off more than he could manage." The Chief thought to himself. "Rick, you get shotgun. Ben and Max, put Fhajad's body in the back seat next to Linda." Soon after Fhajad's body was placed in the back seat area of the warthog Chief started it up and sped back to the city.
"Hey Rick. This may not help much, but you did what you had to. If you didn't shot him he would have killed all of us." Max said, trying to soothe his friend's regret and anguish.
"Hey, am I seeing things or did Linda's hair color just change?" Ben suddenly asked Max, who was sitting right next to him.
"Either that or we both need new glasses." Max jokingly replied. Linda's hair color had indeed changed. It was an amber color now but it still had some light blue streaks.
"Ben. Ben," a female voice spoke, as if to gain Ben's attention.
"Hey did she just say something?" Ben asked.
"I didn't hear anything." Max replied.
"Ben! Help me!" the voice cried out in Ben's mind.
"Who are you?" Ben questioned.
"Spartan 058, Linda!" the voice cried again.
"How do I help you?" Ben thought.
"Kiss me!" the voice commanded. Ben slowly rose and approached the body of Linda and cautiously placed his lips onto hers.
"Hey! What are you…." Max tried to object, but when Ben and Linda locked lips Linda burst to life and engaged vigorously in the once innocent kiss. Ben was stunned at the first, but soon enjoyed the moment. The Master Chief by this time finally noticed Ben and Linda were swapping spit when he looked back.
"Oh hell no." the Master Chief stated as he slammed on the brakes. Ben went flying toward the front seat but was stopped by the limp body of Fhajad.
"Ow! Chief, give a guy some warning will you!" Ben said as he picked himself up and regained his seat.
"Yeah Jackass!" Fhajad cried out.
"What! But you're Dead!" Max yelled at Fhajad.
"Was I? Never saw a bright light or anything. All I remember was eating this flower pedal or something and passing out." Fhajad replied, extremely confused.
Rick by now had fainted at the sight of Fhajad's seeming resurrection. The Master Chief was also stunned by the event.
"Hi John, how are things going?" Fhajad asked. He got no response. "Is that a way to treat a friend?"
Finally the Master Chief shook himself out of his state of shock. "Uh… no it isn't. Uhhhhh…." Chief was clearly still confused.
"Hey Linda, I like what you did with your hair. Brings out those new contact lenses you're wearing." Fhajad said to Linda. She didn't know what he was talking about until she looked into her reflection in Max's glasses. He was too stunned to move or even flinch.
"You know what? I like my hair and eyes this way too." Linda replied.
"I must be dreaming this!" Rick thought aloud.
How true Rick's statement would turn out to be in the coming months.
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"Sir, I would like to go aboard the Prometheus." Lisa requested of Gloval.
"Oh, and why is that Commander Hayes?" Gloval asked his first officer.
"Well sir, we still need to maintain a working command structure among the units landing on that ring. Besides, I don't trust Major Silva. He and his ODST's are a little too overbearing to be left in command of two carriers and over half of our forces." Lisa told Gloval sincerely.
"Yes Lisa, I understand. You'd better go right now, before we splash down. By the way, what is our ETA Cortana?" Gloval asked.
"ETA three minutes and counting. Also Dr. Lang wishes to inform you that he is disembarking from the Macross is transferring aboard the Prometheus." Cortana replied.
"Oh, did he give a reason?" the Captain further inquired.
"He told me that he wanted the opportunity to find out more about the ring and its purpose." Cortana stated.
"Very well then. Go ahead Lisa, and be careful." Gloval said with approval. As she walked out all the other bridge members said good bye to her and wished her good luck. 'She's a smart girl. She came it out alive by the time we get back with reinforcements.' Gloval thought.
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The Warthog carrying the surprised group of young pilots and Spartans were finally able to make their way to the Prometheus with one minute to spare. And a good thing too. Linda and Samuel still need a fresh pair of clothes to put on. Soon after Lisa made it to the Prometheus. Once the Macross splashed on the watery surface of the ring the carriers detached with little effort. Skull, Sepia and Wolf squadrons were loaded onto the Prometheus, while every combat worthy warthog, tank, and Destroid were crammed onto the Daedalus. The carriers landed on the night side of the ring where the space battle between the Covenant and the Zentradi can still be seen raging on. Now those aboard the carriers could only wait until the Macross came back with reinforcements.
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In the next exciting adventure in Robotech/Halo the human forces left on the ring begin setting up defensive positions on the islands next to them as the Zentradi and Covenant land their own forces on Halo. And a recon mission turns to disaster. Don't miss Bye Bye Macross!
