Omake | Side Stories - 1
Originally Drafted: May 7th, 2022
Originally Uploaded: May 12th, 2022
Updated On: November 11th, 2022
Trying out something different here. These are for story snippets that I didn't know where to fit into a main story chapter. They're still canon to the main events, but somewhat out of the ways from the greater context.
Sidestory 1 - Hearts and Minds
/ UNSC Pelican, Tristainian Airspace, En-route to the village of Tarbes, November 16th, 2558. /
Far above the skies of the Kingdom of Tristain, flew a small fleet of aircraft. D82-EST Darters made up most of the composition of this flight — with the occasional Broadsword on their outer orbit.
An impressive enough collection on their own. But, they were there to escort a larger Dropship, the venerable workhorse of the UEGs Cargo Industry, the D20 Heron.
Loaded inside of its compartments, were civilian equipment usually used by Outer Colony homesteads, like farming equipment and supplies.
They were in the midst of conducting an operation within the area. A continuation of one they had been doing for the past week, after the Queen herself had given permission.
The UNSC went from village to village and even helped set up a few new ones to help the displaced refugees. Initially met with wariness, the locals did eventually warm up to their presence.
Something a few minor nobles had been disgruntled about, fearing the influence of a mainly commoner faction would interrupt their way of life.
Today they were setting off to the village of Tarbes. Notable for being the new home of one of their own citizens, who had been displaced here decades ago.
The Darters carried with them gifts on behalf of the UNSC, in order to appease the commoners they had displaced during their initial arrival, in the form of supplies ー to help them start over elsewhere.
The Kingdom of Tristain, after a generous donation of improved arms and expertise in regards to their fields of knowledge, centuries ahead of the natives, gave their approval and formally declared the land around the Eternity's crash site, as a sovereign territory. Effectively making them their own nation-state.
A move which elicited some controversy from their neighboring Kingdoms, notably from the Gallians, who had been apprehensive of the new military state which propped itself up near its borders.
The Germanians and Romalians on the other hand, declined any comment, preferring a "wait and see" approach in regards to the UNSC; they had been too far away to care about them at the time.
Aside from one incident with a disgruntled Gryphon Squadron, who attempted to halt one of the UNSC ships from trespassing ― to which they responded by ascending even further up, higher into the clouds than any native ship could reach, allowing them to successfully escape from Germanian hands. The UNSC seemed to have mostly kept to themselves, within the borders of Tristain, but for how long that would be remained to be seen.
"We're coming up on the village of Tarbes. We can take it from here, over." Crackled the voice over the radio of the leading aircraft in their formation.
"Roger, we'll break off and move back to the Eternity after confirming the Humanitarian team's safe arrival, over." Responded one of the Broadsword pilots acting as their armed escorts.
The D20 Heron Heavy Lift Vehicle, measuring at nearly a 128 meters in length, its boxy form making it appear more like a floating cargo ship than anything else ー carried enough material onboard to make a merchant rich for years, had made its way over to a clearing nearby the village where a gathering crowd awaited them.
The large aircraft began to descend, followed by the Darters.
Blowing away bits of dirt and foliage as its thrusters angled themselves to land on the designated spot. Easing itself gently as it could towards the ground, the ship descended with little fanfare as its weight began to hold it steady towards the earth.
"Big Bird has landed. Commencing Humanitarian Aid mission, now. Thanks for the escort, boys." The Heron pilot called out to the Broadswords flying in circles, orbiting around the site.
"Don't mention it, Big Bird. Have a nice day now." The leader of the Broadsword squadron responded.
The Broadswords then proceeded to do a quick round of aerial acrobatics ー even doing a short little loop above them before speeding back towards the Eternity. Leaving the civilians on the ground in awe at the display.
"Showoffs." The Heron pilot chuckled to himself at the sight.
The UNSC personnel aboard began to disembark from the vessel. Carrying goods by the truckload, as forklifts and personnel helped ferry the cargo off the aircraft. Some of the villagers were even invited aboard to help, seeing as they were the ones who were receiving the goods in the end.
Corporal Dan DiMaggio had been rather cheerful during the trip here. His shit eating grin clear to see to those who were with him in the Darter's rear. Much to his squad mates chagrin.
"Man, do you really have to show us that ugly of a smile?" Joked Lance Corporal Cristofero Ybarra who was sitting next to the man.
"Hey, you're just jealous man." Corporal DiMaggio shot back.
"Jealous? Why would I be, I already have a wife back home." He retorted with a grin, but his face contorted in remorse as he spoke the last word.
Ybarra fell silent after his comment. Deflating the atmosphere in the room.
"Shit, I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring that up." DiMaggio tried to apologize.
"No, no, it's okay, sorry for being such a downer." Ybarra shrugged.
The two sat in awkward silence before Sargeant Dizdar showed up, holding a manifest with the list of goods they brought. He took one look at the pair and shook his head in disapproval. He hadn't any problems with them at all, but Ybarra's attitude lately had been troublesome for the Sargeant. He just didn't know how to deal with personal relations, considering how he never had time to maintain his own ー the military being all he knew, for the past 20 years of his life. Dismissing these thoughts he turned to the matter at hand, shouting out his next batch of orders.
"Alright, men. Start rolling out the goods, let's go, let's go!" Ordered Gunnery Sergeant Afan Dizdar, pushing the awkwardly silent pair off the Darter.
He and his squad had been sent to this village due to their apparent closeness with one of the hamlet's most notable families.
Pretty sure it was only DiMaggio who was close with that woman's family. He thought to himself. The rest of the squad had relentlessly teased the poor man after their little rescue op. Something he apparently didn't take too kindly to, if his little outbursts of at the banter was any indication.
The Sargeant stepped off the cramped Darter, while an extra pair of hands from some Army Troopers who had come with them, helped carry it down. Setting it somewhere along with the other goods where the villagers awaited to receive them.
"PFC's Sung, Silvester, you two're coming with me." He pointed to an idle pair of Helljumpers. The other two members of his squad.
"Where're we going, Gunny?" Asked PFC Silvester, he was the youngest in the group and hadn't been experienced enough to see much action. Making him very eager to prove himself to his older colleagues.
"Just gotta help escort these troopers with setting up around the village." He pointed to a bunch of Army Troopers helping the villagers carry the goods. "We'll also be doing odd jobs all over. If anyone asks for a hand, we'll be there." He replied while looking over his manifest.
"What about Ybarra and DiMaggio?" Asked PFC Sung. The man was only slightly older than Silvester by a few years.
"Those two've got their own job. Captain said he had a gift for that Siesta girl's family. DiMaggio, that damn fool, volunteered the moment he heard her name mentioned." The Sargeant smirked at the reminder.
"Told Ybarra to watch over him. Make sure he doesn't do anything too embarrassing."
The pair of ODSTs looked at each other then shrugged. That did sound like something he'd do. They both thought. With that out of the way they began to accompany their Sargeant with their mission.
"How far out is this place?" Corporal DiMaggio asked a villager who had been kind enough to guide them.
"Not far. It should be just past this next bend here." The villager pointed out. He was apparently a close friend of the Takeo's, the descendants of Siesta's grandfather.
They didn't have a proper surname as it was only those of the nobility which carried them, but for the UNSC's sake ー they adopted their grandfather's last name to make records easier.
Just as he said that the path they were on opened up to an out of the way farmstead. Surprisingly well off, for a quaint little village. With a properly maintained house, a barn and even a windmill off to the edge of the property. It looked to be in better shape than their peers.
"Woah… that's quite the sight." Ybarra said in amazement.
"Almost looks exactly like one of the Outer Colony settlements I've been on." Corporal DiMaggio responded.
The man who led them along had gleamed in pride at what he assumed was praise for his fellow villagers. Though he wasn't a part of their family, he'd known them long enough to be basically considered one. And he'd be damned before he'd let their quiet happiness be ruined by anyone, be they commoner or nobility.
The trio made their way to the modest looking homestead in the center of the property. Occupied on the outside by an elderly looking woman and some younger kids running about. The elderly lady looked at the approaching visitors and waved with a smile plastered on her face. She'd been expecting them for a while, since she heard one of those strange airships flying about the skies of her home.
She was eager to meet with the countrymen of her late-husband.
"Mornin' Alaina." Said the villager who escorted the pair of ODSTs.
"Mornin' Jean." To which the older woman replied with a warmth of kindness.
"I got some visitors for you." He gestured to the pair who had arrived with him.
One of the men came forth and clasped his hands behind his back, standing at rapt attention before the other followed suit. It was a strange sight to the natives, seeing professional soldiers who weren't immediately rude. One of the men moved a hand to his helmet to remove it and coughed into a raised hand to clear his throat.
"We're with the UNSC, Ma'am. Our ship's Captain has an offer for your family, should you choose to accept." He said with a smile at the end.
The elderly lady who had been sitting outside smiled at this. They seemed quite amicable contrary to the rumors about their organization. The kind which ranged from them being barbarian invaders, all the way to being ruthless and untrustworthy to deal with. She knew it wasn't true of course, her husband had vouched for them, as he had served within the UNSC for nearly a decade prior to his arrival.
"Well, now. Why didn't you say so? Come on in then, it'd be rude of me to leave you outside." She said after standing up from her spot.
Urging the men to come with her inside. Her neighbor, Jean, had politely declined to come in after he said that this was a family affair. He didn't want to trouble them, he turned back towards the village after seeing Grandma Alaina help the ODSTs inside.
The pair of ODSTs were invited inside the humble homestead, Feeling slightly cramped on their way in. The walls near the entrance were adorned with what they could clearly see were photographs. Siesta's grandfather must've had a camera with him that produced physical copies for this to be possible. Photos ranging from the village's landscape to members of their family in various stages of growth throughout their life. It helped the place feel lived in.
The home itself seemed to have been lovingly maintained. Even if bits of the walls around them appeared to have aged poorly, they could tell that they did their utmost to keep it from falling into shambles. It was surprisingly homey and inviting, for a feudal era's standards. But the novelty of the design quickly won the space faring men's approval.
The smell of tea being brewed from the nearby kitchen made their way to their noses, telling them there was another person home. Corporal DiMaggio went ahead to see for himself who it was. As he got closer he could hear the quiet humming of a woman at work, a very familiar face on her shoulders.
"Siesta…" DiMaggio muttered out.
He hadn't seen her since she was flown back to her village on a Pelican 2 weeks ago. She seemed to be in good spirits compared to how they found her initially under the Count's thumb.
When she heard him call her name she yelped in surprise. Startled at the noise of someone she didn't expect to hear from. She turned her head to gaze at the roguish looking redhead, his face now cleanly shaven, compared to his rather rough appearance after her rescue.
Her face morphed into a smile at the sight of him. She'd been thankful to the UNSC for all their help, and she'd been wondering this whole time she's been back home about their promise to her and her family.
" Bonjour, Soldat." She greeted the Corporal.
"Bonjour to you as well, Mademoiselle." He greeted back, trying to cover up a growing grin.
"What brings you here to our humble home?" She asked, curious as to their intentions.
"The Captain had a present for your family. He promised you his protection, right?"
" Oui, he did. What is it exactly, if you do not mind my asking?" She tilted her head in confusion at the question, asking for clarification.
"That's a surprise." He responded while raising a single finger up to his lips.
"A surprise?"
"We're still waiting for the rest of your family here to show up. You're all included in it."
He motioned for her to follow him, towards the living space within their home, adorned with little trinkets from her grandfather's time. Photos and small carved figures of familiar iconography from that era were present: A stylized version of the UNSC Logo, a simple wooden carving in the shape of a Pelican, and even a miniature globe, depicting the Earth, displayed proudly in the room.
The man appeared to be quite sentimental of his past while he was alive. Keeping his memory of home treasured even if he was far from it. Alaina looked on at her late husband's works, her eyes gleaming with nostalgia at the memory of the times they shared and the stories he's told. To think that one of them would come true, and for her to be alive to witness it at all was a miracle.
"He seemed to have made quite the life for himself here." L. Cpl Ybarra said to the older lady. He'd spent the meanwhile looking over the room. Fascinated by what he saw in here.
"Indeed." She replied, remembering how the man acted when he arrived here. "He complained at first, about how 'low-tech' everything appeared to be, but he made it work in the end." She smiled at the memory.
The thought of her husband, who had initially once struggled to acclimate to his new reality, but ending up enjoying the simplicity of it in the end. Had made her heart pang at the thought of missing him. It wasn't too long ago that he passed after all. She wondered how he would have felt if the man lived just a little longer to see his reunion with his fellow countrymen.
"I can see why. It's nice to have a family to fall back on." He replied, but the thoughts of home filled his heart with melancholy.
Alaina seemed to have noticed this and tried to ask the man. His tone and mood suggesting he had a heavy burden on him emotionally.
"How about you?"
He turned to her with an eyebrow raised, he didn't expect to be asked about personal things himself.
"Do you have any family waiting for you back home?" She asked gently.
Ybarra sighed. "I do, or at least I still hope that I do." He pulled out his own photograph that he carried with him on his person. "I just hope they're okay."
A typical family photo. Ybarra standing next to his wife, with his two kids at the foreground, faces filled with smiles. It was one of his few precious items he kept with him on his tours.
"They seem quite lovely." The older lady said as she noticed the picture he held.
"Thank you." He simply said before the two basked in a comfortable silence.
DiMaggio knocked on the wooden wall nearby to catch the pair's attention. With Siesta in tow they seemed to have stumbled on a personal moment.
"Are we interrupting something?" He asked.
"No, not at all. We were just talking about Mr. Sasaki and his family at the moment." Ybarra responded, tucking away his family photograph into his pockets.
"Ah, that'd be her grandfather, right?" DiMaggio pointed to Siesta, to which they nodded in response. "Got it."
"So, who else are we waiting for?" Asked DiMaggio. He'd been wanting to get this show started.
"Siesta's parents and my other children should be arriving shortly." Alaina responded. She had apparently asked the villager, Jean to call for them.
Seeing that they still had a while to wait before they arrived, Siesta offered. "In the meanwhile, how about I go fetch us some tea?"
"Sounds good to me. Need any help with serving?" DiMaggio offered to help.
"A few extra hands couldn't hurt." She shrugged before grabbing him by the wrist to the kitchens.
Ybarra and Alaina looked on as the pair left the room to fetch the tea. The man chuckled to himself at the sight.
"It seems to be mutual then." He mused.
"I wouldn't mind seeing some great-grandchildren soon if this keeps up." She joined the man in his quiet amusement.
An hour later the home started to become filled with activity, as family members, the descendants of one: Sasaki Takeo ー the stranded UNSC Pilot, started piling into the room.
Faces, young and old wandered in. Slightly surprised at the sight of two armored men, the ones they saw earlier in the village helping hand out supplies and new equipment to the common folk.
As soon as they confirmed that all their relatives who lived within the village were present, one of the men broke the ice with a question.
"Mother, what's going on here? Why have you called for us?" Asked a middle aged man who wore the clothes typical of a farmer.
"Théo, my boy. I have wondrous news!" Alaina got up to hug the man. Much to his embarrassment as shown by the reddening of his face.
"Mother, please. You're embarrassing me." She tried to pry her off but her iron grip held strong. The sight of which earned a few laughs and jeers at his expense.
"Oh, hush now. None of that here. We have guests after all." She pointed to the two ODSTs in the room who were awkwardly trying to stifle their laughter at the man.
"Guess we found out who's the Mama's boy around here." Jabbed DiMaggio towards Ybarra.
"Well, they sure are close." Ybarra pointed out. A small ghost of a smile on his face, he didn't feel too comfortable in such a familial setting right now.
Théo looked in appraisal at the two men. Currently unarmed and unhelmeted, they seemed rather docile in contrast to their quite strange and terrifying equipment. What they wanted with his family, he didn't know, but he was grateful for them rescuing his eldest daughter from the clutches of a nobleman.
He never felt comfortable with the nobility at all in the first place. Not since his grandfather ingrained into them about how it would be unwise to trust them so blindly, which is why he almost forbade Siesta from working at the Académie. He'd at least been thankful she wasn't hurt during that period, but he was happier now, knowing she was safe at home.
The pair of ODSTs picked up a small briefcase they had carried with them. Unknown as to what the contents inside were he moved to ask.
" Pardon me, Monsieur Soldats. But, may I ask as to what it was you've called us here for?" He spoke after clearing his throat. The men before him stared at each other for but a moment before answering.
"Our Captain sends his regards to you and your family." One of them spoke. He opened the briefcase and showed them a stack of papers with the familiar symbol of the UEG on it - a stylized depiction of golden laurel wreaths over a simplified globe with grids on its surface.
"Papers? What for?" He asked in confusion at seeing the stacks they pulled out.
He took one to read and saw that what was printed on it were definitely words, but written in the alphabet his grandfather used, not the native one of the Halkeginians. While he could read it, his grasp on the letters was never as fluent as some of his family's. It took him a minute to realize what it meant after he gave it a once over.
"Come on, Father. Tell us what it says!" Asked one of his younger children. Who had been hopping about in anticipation next to him.
"UEG… Citizenship?" He muttered out in disbelief. The words on the papers slowly sinking in as he read further.
"Eh?" One of their relatives spoke up. "You mean like what grandfather had?"
DiMaggio grinned. "Exactly, you'll be given all the benefits available for our own citizens as well as our protection, should anyone try to interfere with you, and your homes, we'll be there to help. We've already had permission from the Crown of Tristain for this, so there shouldn't be too much of a legal issue." He attempted to make the pitch to them.
He neglected to inform them that since the Eternity didn't have anyone who practiced law aboard nor any legal representative of the Civil Government of the UEG ー they had to divert resources from the ONI members onboard, who had experience with maneuvering around the laws of the civilian sector and the aide of some of their Smart AIs. If they refused the offer, they would have had to have an extremely awkward conversation back at Alpha Base for failing to secure the deal.
"I don't know how to feel about this. This is all too much for us at the moment." Théo said, speaking on behalf of his family.
Many of the adults nodded along at his words. While they were grateful for the offer, they just weren't sure as to whether or not they should deserve it. After all the wondrous things they've seen coming from the UNSC, they had been more than grateful for making their lives easier.
"But…" he trailed off. This was something their grandfather, Sasaki, had always wanted. To connect his own family with his homeland. Seeing the chance laid out before them, they could hardly refuse. Théo turned to see the faces of his family. From his brothers and sisters, to his own children of eight. They all seemed eager at the opportunity presented to them. His grandmother was already willing, given how easily she sided with the UNSC during this meeting.
Clearing his throat once more. He said with tears threatening to roll down his cheeks at the thought of his own father looking down on them from above, watching over them as they made this momentous decision.
"If you'd allow us. We would gladly accept this offer." Théo spoke for them all.
Sidestory 2 - Doubt
/ UNSC Eternity, Science Deck, Dr. Belle's Lab. November 17th, 2558. /
"Incredible." Came the words out of Dr. Belle's mouth. Ever since the reports started coming in from FOB Dune about their discoveries, she had been completely entranced by the phenomenon.
Bits and pieces from their corner of the galaxy, winding up by sheer coincidence into this strange alternate reality ー one, if that Forerunner Monitor who had also been caught in the same situation as them could be believed, was inside its own isolated bubble of slipspace. Untouched by any of the troubles that plagued the Milky Way Galaxy for the past 100,000 years.
She began to think up of various ways they could possibly make use of this. Could they perhaps use this alternate dimension as a safe hideaway from the rest of the UNSC's enemies? The Created did not seem to have access to this place, neither did the Covenant. The Forerunners only happened here upon the same phenomena that brought the UNSC Eternity and her escorts. This was almost virgin territory they had stumbled themselves upon. That is, were it not for the natives they found themselves becoming new neighbors with.
Their strange system that governs this world. Their magic. Something she struggled to grasp her mind upon, but she noticed that it permeated throughout the world around them. Vast exposure of magic could even assign attributes to certain minerals, such was the case with the magic stones she was currently studying.
A windstone was perched within a small platform, awaiting to be scanned by one of the ship's many devices. She had enlisted the aid of one of her colleagues for such an occasion. She had thought that having another mind would help with her endeavor, but the man hadn't seemed to arrive yet. She'd sent out the call an hour ago, but still no sign of her colleague.
It wasn't until another hour or so that Dr. Hiraga had finally shown up. Though, the man seemed distracted. That much she could tell. She also saw that he walked in with a sword strapped to his back, of all things. She didn't know why he carried it on his person, but she politely called out to him to bring him out of stupor.
"Dr. Hiraga." She said softly.
He seemed to notice the mention, as he turned his head to the source of the voice which called out to him.
"My apologies, Dr. Belle. I was occupied with something that was thrust upon me earlier. I have a lot on my mind at the moment as well "He said, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance.
"What's the matter, Dr. Hiraga? Is there something troubling you?" She attempted to ask. While she had an inkling of what he must be feeling, she needed to make sure.
Saito was about to speak, only to be interrupted by one of the sources of his recent troubles. The scabbard behind his back unsheathed itself, revealing a worn sword with a sharp bladed edge to it. To the surprise of Dr. Belle, it began speaking.
"Well, missus. My Partner over here seems to be in a bit of a slump if I do say so myself!" Spoke the sword.
"Derf, please. Not now." Saito attempted to silence his new "partner."
Dr. Belle looked on in surprise at the sight. Though she was familiar with some weapons systems having a personality of their own, due to the aid of an AI being used in their construction. This was the first time she had ever seen such a thing applied to something as simple as a sword.
"A talking sword… That's certainly new." She said in mild surprise.
"Aye, we haven't met yet, have we? After you folks picked me up — I've been glued to the back of my Partner here ever since. He's actually quite nice when he's not being all mopey." The Sword spoke. "My name's Derflinger by the way. You seem a helluva lot nicer than the creeps in all black."
"Alright, talking sword aside. What's bothering you, Dr. Hiraga? You seem quite a bit out of it." She tried to change the subject after the sword's introduction.
"It's nothing. Really. You don't have to worry about me." He attempted to dissuade her as Saito shot a dirty look at the sword on his back. He didn't want to seem too obvious that something was bothering him. But it seemed his colleague was much more observant than she let on.
"Nonsense. Something is clearly weighing on you." She put down her things onto a nearby table. Paying full attention to the man. "Dr. Hiraga…no. Saito. I want you to be honest with me." She pleaded.
"It might do you some good to let it out." Derflinger added.
Saito relaxed at this. He put down the device he was holding, one that monitored the readings on the minerals they had collected. Nothing was happening at the moment so it seemed fine to put it out of mind for the duration of this conversation.
"I feel guilty." He admitted.
"Guilty?" She tried to pry further. But elected to let the man continue.
"About us being here. If it weren't for me… we wouldn't have been stranded on this godforsaken rock." His face morphed into a frown at his own words.
"Saito, you can hardly blame yourself for this. What makes you think this was all your fault anyway?"
Saito brought up his own personal datapad. Looking over the section involving UNSC materiel and personnel that arrived in Halkeginia. The one thing they all seemingly had in common ー they were summoned alone.
"I should have been the only one brought here." He weakly muttered. "All of you could have escaped to fight another day. Not be stuck in some strange wizardly fantasy land!" His hands began to ball into a fist as he shook.
"That portal that appeared before we got here. It called to me, you know? Like it wanted me to be here. I don't know the reason, but it would have been better than depriving the rest of humanity a fighting chance against our enemies."
Dr. Belle kept silent as she processed the words that came out of her colleague's tirade. She could sympathize with the man, considering he was only human after all. And to have confirmation over the nature of their current circumstances being possibly his fault, had led him to such a conclusion.
She thought for a moment. Thinking how to best proceed in the current flow of the conversation.
"It's better than the alternative." She said in response.
"What do you mean?" Saito turned his head to look at her as she said this.
"Were you aware about the nature of the spell that supposedly tried to summon you?" She asked him.
He hadn't even asked about it. He knew it was supposedly a targeted spell, but he didn't know the reasons for why it was cast.
"No. Do you?" He asked her after thinking about it some more.
"Something called a Familiar Summoning Ritual some noble brat wanted you as a pet." She simply stated.
"A pet? They wanted to do what? Keep me around as some sort of slave?" He couldn't hide the shock in his voice at the revelation.
"Probably not intentionally." She tried to deflect. If word got out that these people might have been attempting to summon humans as nothing more than slaves, heads would surely roll. "I was informed it usually only summoned non-sapient beasts. Like a dog, or a mouse, even a dragon."
"This doesn't make me feel any better." He pointed out.
"No, I suppose not." She shrugged. "But at least you have us. I imagine if you were the only one summoned, you would have had a terrible time."
"I suppose." He drew out a sigh. "It still makes me feel guilty bringing you all here with me."
"Saito, if anything. We should be thanking you." She tried to bring the topic back to a more positive tone. "Look at where we ended up. A portion of the universe where the Created or our enemies could dare touch us. You've brought us time to recuperate. Strengthen ourselves from our frankly, rather embarrassing retreat, I might add." She explained. "If it weren't for you. We would be drifting in the middle of deep space waiting to die."
Those words echoed loudly through his mind. It was a small comfort to him, even if it might have just been speculation on her part. But, it could help put his mind at ease.
"I guess it's a small blessing then." She concluded.
Saito looked at Dr. Belle, seeing her attempt to persuade him from his thoughts was helpful. At least he could now begin to put it past him.
"Thank you." He softly said, to which she simply gave back a smile.
"That's the spirit!" Derflinger tried to say from his back.
"Yosh!" Saito slapped himself awake. "let's get back to work. Shall we?" He gestured to his colleague and Derflinger.
He went back to his station to once again do his research, with Dr. Belle following close by.
"Alright. Let's try to find out what makes these things tick, shall we?" Dr. Belle said to a nearby recording device.
Sidestory 3 - Noblesse Oblige
「 Vallière Family Estate, Tristain 」
Louise sat alone in her room. The familiar setting she found herself in was mostly quiet, with the waiting staff out and about doing their menial chores. Leaving her unattended. Ever since her mother had dropped the fact that not only was she able to successfully summon something; the ones she called forth were none other than the ones giving her parents a dull ache in their heads just thinking about ー the UNSC.
For the last few days, she'd done nothing but think about the implications of such a thing. To summon one beast was common, two wasn't unheard of, but still a rarity, yet she summoned thousands of living, breathing, humans.
The thought horrified her.
Not just because of the unknown technology and magics they flaunted about, but of what they would do should they find out. The Churhc of Brimir never covered a situation such as this in their lessons. She was afraid to be branded a heretic for her loose connection with this group.
From what she gathered, they were nothing but commoners. And one untouched by Brimir's light at that. But the things they could do, the foreign products they could make. It all overshadowed even the best Tristain had to offer. What did that have to say about their way of life? If they could accomplish such things without the nobility.
"No, that would be heretical." She shook her head in denial. Thinking of such things weren't good for the soul. The Vatican would likely denounce them for it.
Louise sighed as she made to leave her room to walk about her home. Her sister Cattleya was warm and comforting as usual, yet she gave a look of pity to the younger Vallière. A look she didn't quite enjoy. Which is why she now found herself by her lonesome within her family's home. She didn't want to be babied, she wanted to prove herself.
Her other sister, Eleanore, wasn't home at the moment. Something she was glad of deep down, as she knew she would have just berated her for her apparent weakness. She didn't have the heart to deal with it.
She wandered to the outside of her home. Towards an outside veranda where she could see her parents conversing. Sitting opposite each other, she watched from afar as her father seemed to be venting towards her mother. She couldn't quite hear what they were talking about so she decided to sneak in closer to listen.
Moving behind a pillar, large enough to hide her form, she began to eavesdrop on their conversation. The contents of which she was eager to know.
"I've no idea how to deal with these… people, my dear." Her father, the Duke, Centurion de la Vallière said to his wife.
"This UNSC, while I'm thankful for them exposing such a hostile element within our borders. I'm afraid they've also seemingly made things worse." Louise curled an eyebrow at this statement.
"With their 'Humanitarian Missions' out in the rurals. They've seemingly undermined our own authority. Being able to reach areas in need faster than we could formulate a response. Commoners seem to be turning over to their side with their seeming benevolence." He scoffed at the issue.
"To think the commoners had been fearful of them when they first arrived. Now they see their 'gifts' as a sign of good intent." The Duchess de la Vallière responded. She'd been skeptical of the UNSC's true motives.
"Yes, which is why I suggested to the Court Royale that we at least send some observers out with them during their missions. Make it appear like it's a joint effort. It would hardly do, for us to seem as if we were uncaring about our own citizens; compared to a rabble of foreigners."
"Did you have anyone in mind?" The Duchess asked, it seemed like a good idea on paper. It would also serve as a way to keep tabs on the UNSC.
"I was going to suggest our friend, the Viscount de Wardes. But, I've been told he was indisposed at the moment. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" The Duke asked his wife, who appeared to have stiffened up at the question.
"No, but, it seems he's… on an indefinite leave at the moment." She brushed it off.
"On leave? At such a crucial time? How irresponsible of him." The Duke crossed his arms in annoyance.
"Nevermind that. What else should we discuss?" She deflected. She didn't want to discuss the matter regarding the Viscount any longer.
"Well, there's always the matter regarding our daughter." The Duke mentioned. He got up from his seat and started to walk, towards Louise's position.
Louise yelped as she heard the footsteps come closer. "You can come out now, young lady. We know you're there." He called out. "You're hardly suitable for espionage." The Duke added as Louise came out from her hiding place.
Louise fraily stepped outside her cover. Red in embarrassment at being caught so brazenly while eavesdropping. "Father, Mother." She greeted them. "I apologize for intruding, I didn't intend to." She said while looking down in shame.
The Duke knelt down on the ground to move closer to his youngest. He placed a hand on her shoulder and asked. "What seems to be troubling you, Louise?" He asked softly. A tone seemingly laden with understanding, but with the firmness only a father could put out.
Louise pondered for a moment as to what she should say. Should she relay her troubles to her parents? No, she didn't want to seem weak. She wanted to prove herself that she was capable to carry out her duty as a noble. Her pride demanded it of her. Remembering the conversation her parents just had, she decided on the topic she would breach.
"I couldn't help but overhear that Tristain needed a representative. In regards to the UNSC." Louise replied to her father.
Skeptically he raised a brow, he didn't think she would care at all about it. But it would make sense considering how loyal she appeared to be to her home kingdom.
The Duke sighed. "Yes, what of it?" He asked his youngest daughter.
"I would like to volunteer myself." Louise said, as the words came out of her mouth, she heard her mother drop a cup of tea in response.
The breaking of ceramic permeated throughout the quiet air of the outside. Turning both of their heads towards the source.
"Absolutely not." Her mother said with resoluteness.
"But, Mother! I can help!" She pleaded. "Besides, you told me it was my doing which brought them here. Shouldn't the responsibility fall upon my shoulders?" She tried to appeal to her mother's sense of duty.
The Duchess froze on the spot at the mention. She held herself to her, her rule of steel, when it came to matters regarding nobility. It was something she upheld quite seriously. Never tolerating any deviation or rule breakers. When she tried to enforce the rule upon Louise at such a young age, she didn't think she would use it against her in this situation.
The Duke, meanwhile, was apprehensive. While he was told of his daughter's possible involvement, he could hardly believe such an absurd claim. He looked to the two women who locked each other's eyes in a deadly stalemate. Nearly freezing the atmosphere with their tenseness. He was out of his depth, he hoped to Brimir, his wife and daughter would see reason. This proposal was much too dangerous for someone of her age.
But to his surprise, the next words that came out of his wife's mouth were unexpected to him.
"Are you serious about this, little Louise? Do you realize the importance of such a task?" She stood up and appraised her daughter. Who, bravely, didn't seem to back down at the intimidation.
"Yes, I am." She said with resolve. The same kind she saw in herself as a young knight when she offered to protect her best friend, the then Crown Princess of Tristain, Marianne. The Duchess relented.
She did have high expectations for her daughter, but to see too much of herself in her. She knew she had to relent, lest the young Louise lash out in response, after all, she did remind herself too much of how she was at that age.
"Dear?" The Duchess turned to her husband. "Would you kindly inform the Cour Royale of this?"
"You can't be serious, Karin. She's only sixteen!" The Duke, Centurion protested.
"Yes, and so was I, when I became a knight." The Duchess shot back.
Seeing no room for argument, the Duke himself also reluctantly agreed. "Fine, but I shall be accompanying Louise for the most part. I would like to see for myself how she conducts herself in official matters." He added.
"That would be more than enough. Thank you." The Duchess replied, before turning towards her expectant looking daughter. "You, jeune fille, will carry yourself as befitting your station. Understood?" She ordered.
"Y-yes, Mother." Louise meekly stuttered out.
At this moment, in a motion that surprised all who were present, even the Duchess herself who carried out the action. Proceeded to hug her youngest daughter. Holding her in a tight embrace. She was proud of her, that much was true. But after hearing about how she nearly died that night in the forest, made her wish she was more appreciative of her while she was still here, in her arms. "Promise me, you'll stay safe." She whispered.
"I will, Mother…" Louise said, reciprocating the gesture.
The Duchess let go after a moment. Dismissing herself from the area. The youngest Vallière stood in shock, processing the moment that just passed by. She was anxious, her parents had agreed on her rather dangerous idea of working in tandem with the foreign force. But she was also excited, it seems her Mother did have some faith in her. She promised to herself at that moment, this was going to be a change for the better for her.
Sidestory 4 - An ONI Agent in an Albish Court
/ The Forests of Albion | November, 2558, 0200 hrs. /
"This is as far as we will go. You're on your own from here."
The pilot of a modified Pelican, a variant specifically for stealth used by ONI, said to his lone passenger.
The man wore a set of peasant's clothes. Tailored specifically to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Although that in itself would have been unremarkable, he carried with him a rucksack which held some of his equipment. Of which, included a silenced M6C/SOCOM variant Pistol and a small hand-held communications device, along with his supplies of ammunition, food, medicine and a few pieces of new gold they managed to forge from the ship's own internal fabricators.
"Thanks for the ride." The man patted the pilot's shoulder before hopping off the Pelican.
As soon as his feet hit the ground the Pelican ascended up into the black of the sky and disappeared from view.
In the dead of night the dim moonlight was the only illumination for the man as he watched the Pelican take off after he left.
He was now alone, behind enemy lines. Having been told to infiltrate a hostile territory under rebel occupation wasn't something new for him, but add in magic to the mix and he was essentially wading into dangerous waters.
The quick crash course he was given prior to taking this assignment didn't ease his worry much either.
The situation reminded him far too much of the Insurrectionists, and if his experience with them was any indicator, then he wouldn't want to meet them when they were in a bad mood.
He stepped foot on the lush green grass of the forest he now found himself in. The sight of so much greenery was one for sore eyes, as he had mostly grown up on space stations in his youth. He'd joined up with the UNSC then later on, ONI, for opportunities such as this.
Such a shame it had to be during a time of crisis.
He wasn't the first to be sent by Lieutenant Redding to the floating island, and he was sure he wasn't going to be the last. Ever since that incident at the Academy, the Reconquista had proven to be more of a threat than they initially realized.
With the ONI Lieutenant's orders, several Agents were placed within key positions all over the territory. Relaying information on local leadership and Reconquista's movements as a whole.
The greater picture they had developed proved to be rather troubling ー a large build up of troops and ships, amassing near one of the last remaining Loyalist strongholds, Newcastle. No doubt to sever the head of the last remnants of the previous ruling government. ONI could not allow that.
With the Lieutenant's blessing, he was ordered to infiltrate the countryside and make contact with whatever was left of the Albish Crown, hopefully there would still be enough for a protracted fight enough to sabotage the efforts of the rebel force.
/ Loyalist Stronghold, November, 2558, 0900 hrs. /
Finding the loyalists wasn't as hard as the locals claimed it would be. The ONI Agent had been trailing Reconquista patrols for hours, observing their routines and behaviors. This was when he came across the Loyalists.
On one foggy evening, during the first week he had been here. He saw the movements of shadowed troops in the underbrush. Making their way through the forest floor to eliminate the poor underpaid bastards stuck on patrol duty.
They quickly began looting the party for supplies after eliminating them. Rather crude in their execution, by the UNSC's standards. But the Loyalists didn't have the luxury of fresh supplies to aid them.
Sensing no better opportunity than this moment to reveal himself, hoping these men would be open to conversation now that their job seemed to be almost done; he emerged from his hiding spot and tried to approach.
"Greetings, gentlemen. I don't suppose you'd care to have a conversation?" He greeted them in as casual a tone as possible.
Only to be met with a quick strike of magic to his body. Knocking him unconscious.
When he came to, he was in unfamiliar territory.
Embarrassing for an ONI Agent to be caught like this, but then again. It's not like the other agents had to deal with magic before.
He awoke and found himself bound to a wooden chair. The ropes they tied him with, though not as uncomfortable as the ones he'd endured during training, still hurt as it dug into his skin.
His captors had been going over the supplies and weapons he had stored within his rucksack, curious as to most of their purpose. One of them fiddled with the can of bio-foam he picked up from the rucksack, and proceeded to taste the damn thing, after figuring out how to work the nozzle.
"Brah, disgusting." He blurted out. Scrubbing the foam off his tongue in the aftermath.
"George, don't fiddle with things ye don't know about." Chided his friend.
"Oi, can't blame me, Mikey. Thing looked delicious when it came out da' can."
The man named Mikey just shook his head in disapproval at George's defense.
The ONI Agent looked at his bindings. It wasn't inescapable, his training had tougher locks to break out of. But he held his ground. He knew they'd come for him eventually. He just had to wait to see who would come out.
His interruption came in the form of a young blonde haired man. He seemed to be the leader of their lot; as the men seemed to salute him and deferred authority to this person.
The young man, who he could only assume was a nobleman ー approached with caution. Seeing as the Agent was currently bound and unarmed, he shouldn't have posted too much of a threat.
Then again, ONI wasn't fully aware of what kinds of threats the natives usually looked out for.
For all they knew, they could have had to deal with shapeshifters or some other kind of magical shenanigans. It was a non-zero possibility given all the strangeness they've encountered so far.
The young man now stood in front of the ONI Agent, arms held crossed in a defensive posture. He scrutinized the man before him as he sat there and did the same from his position. Both sides eyed each other warily, appraising their behaviors.
The young nobleman broke the silence when it seemed that they'd continue in a staring contest if they weren't interrupted. "Who sent you?" He asked.
"That depends, who's asking?" He cockily replied.
"I am in no mood for games. The forces of the traitor, Cromwell, draws ever closer to Albion's last hope. You will tell me who sent you and you will tell me why." He threatened, brandishing a swordwand.
The man's words seemed to remind him of something. The reports he read on the floating island did mention that the loyalists were being led by the last remaining royals of the Tudor bloodline. Based on what the agent could see right now, this man seemed to be the one.
Deciding that playing with him wouldn't be such a good idea at the moment, he elected to come clean.
The Agent sighed. "I'm not with the Reconquista, if that's what you're asking."
The Royal seemed skeptical at this. "If not, then who? Based on your ruggish demeanor, posture and equipment you brought with you, I'd've assumed you a Germanian Mercenary. Are you some kind of landsknecht, come to render his services for a dying government?"
"Heh, funny you mention that. My surname is Germanic. But I'm not Germanian."
Confused. "I beg your pardon? I'm afraid I've not the time for riddles."
"I did come to render my services, but I'm not with any of the Brimiric kingdom's." He simply said.
The Royal took a moment to digest his words. His claim to not be with any of the kingdoms could've been a fallacy. A lie to get him to lower his guard. But there weren't many other places he could think of who would want to intervene in this conflict ー let alone give aid.
He could rule out Rub Al-Khali, given the vast distance between the kingdoms. And he could rule out the Elves as well, considering how they'd rather kill a human on sight than willingly work for one. Which left only one explanation.
He'd heard from many of the loyalists who stayed hidden but kept contact to feed information to Newcastle, about a new faction. One which, quite literally, if the words were to be believed: fell out of the sky.
A foreign military, brought into this continent by an accident with magic. A far-fetched tale, but his informants swore it to be true.
He looked at the bound man once more. He needed confirmation.
"Then, if I may ask. Who do you work for?"
The man smirked. "The Office of Naval Intelligence."
"I've never heard of that organization." The Royal said incredulously.
"Yes, well, we're not exactly from here." The man tried to shrug, but the position of his hands prevented him from doing so.
The Royal took this opportunity to ask the question. "Then, are you with those strange ships my informants tell me about?"
The man nodded. "I am. My boss has asked us to make contact with you. Let's just say we have some experience in regards to fighting traitors and insurrections." He smiled as he added that latter part.
The Royal sized him up. "But, why? You've seen the state of the Loyalists, of those who swore to the rightful Crown of Albion. Why would you throw your lot in with us?"
The man paused for a bit. Thinking of what to say. His eyes were downcast as he spoke. "Because we know what it feels like to be on the receiving end."
The room was silent at this statement. The Royal had to make a decision whether or not to trust the word of this man, he needed one final answer.
"How do we prove you're telling the truth?" He asked.
"You don't have any magic that could pry that information out of me?" He asked in confusion.
"No, of course not. If we did, we wouldn't have to resort to torture." He stated matter of factly, though with a slight grimace as he said the last part.
The man stared at his rucksack. "Check my bag. My proof is right there."
The Royal ordered one of his men to grab the rucksack. Staring at the contents in confusion as he didn't know what to make of them. "Which one do I grab?" He asked in confusion.
"The communications device. It looks like a glass tablet." The man described.
Pulling out the item in question, he handed it to the Royal. Who took it in his hands and stared in confusion. There were a few protrusions inset on the device, for what purpose they served, he couldn't discern. "You say this is a communications device? How does it work?"
"Here, hand it to me, I'll show you."
With reluctance he gave it to the bound man. Who struggled with reaching for it but somehow managed to get it to work in the end. The device glowed a faint blue light, before displaying a symbol of a stylized triangle with a circle in the center, displayed proudly on the surface.
"An impressive display of your technology. But I don't understand how exactly this'll help." The Royal asked skeptically.
"Just wait. Now's about the time the Lieutenant would call in to check on us."
The screen changed to what seemed to be the view of an office of sorts. Although the room was dimly lit. Standing at the forefront was a man in his late middle-ages, staring back at him.
"Who is this?" Spoke the voice on the other end.
Fascinating. He did mention this was a communications device so he shouldn't be too surprised. If they had more of these they could issue commands over the battlefield much faster than the enemy could as an example, or relay critical information faster than a courier. The Royal's mind raced faster than a mile a minute thinking of what to do next.
"In a bit of a rough spot right now, Lieutenant. Mind if you spoke on my behalf?" The bound man spoke up.
"Where's my Agent?"The man on the other end asked the Royal who still held onto the device.
"Not to worry, he is under my care at the moment." The Royal spoke.
"I'll be the judge of that. Is he unharmed?"
"For the most part, yes." The Royal said after confirming the man's health with his own eyes and the appraisal of one of his own healers.
The man on the device sighed. "This is not exactly how I pictured the meeting to happen, but it will have to do."The man cleared his throat. "I am Lieutenant, Oliver Redding of the Office of Naval Intelligence. I am here to speak with you on behalf of the United Nations Space Command on the probability of a military alliance against the threat known as Reconquista. "
This seemed too good to be true. "Do we have any guarantee you won't stab us in the back? Betray us when our guard is down?" The Royal asked, it didn't matter if he came off as rude. The survival of his people was all he had on his mind.
"That depends on whether or not you will cooperate with us. Should you choose to accept our aid, we will provide you the means to fight back. All we ask is a base of operations for us to conduct our missions against them."
"Did you have an area in mind? We don't exactly have the liberty to be picky with our safezones."
"Somewhere around Newcastle should be good enough."
The Royal was shocked at the request. "Absolutely not, we cannot allow Newcastle to fall out of our own sphere of influence."
"You do not have the luxury of choice, Prince Wales. From what my scouts have told me the Reconquista forces are building up a sizable force. We predict they will be at your doors within a month."
"How do you know my name." He asked, he never once gave out this information during the conversation. And he was sure these newcomers haven't heard of him yet.
"I have my ways. Will you cooperate with us or not? It's your choice."
The Prince felt conflicted. On one hand, he couldn't trust an unknown factor such as them to be of much help. But on the other, his informants have mentioned that the foreigners were powerful. He was at an impasse.
"I cannot fully agree at this time." The Prince replied. "But, if you showed us what you're capable of. You'll have my full support."
The man on the other end took a moment to consider his counteroffer.
"Very well. I will dispatch some of our forces to aid you within the coming weeks whether or not you will agree to us establishing a base for us to set our footing, in the end, is up to you. I pray you make the right choice."
"So do I." The Prince replied softly, in a voice he was sure nobody else could pick up on.
"In the meantime I hope you'll accommodate my agent under your watch. My men will be with you shortly."
The Prince stared at the man in front of him who was still seated with his arms bound.
"Are you going to let me go now?" He asked, pointing his body at the binds.
"Very well." With a quick gesture to his men to untie his bindings, he was let loose.
"Thank you, that was an uncomfortable position to be in. Ah, I can finally feel my hands again." He said while rubbing on his injured hand.
"What is your name?" The Prince said as he watched the man articulate his hands. Feeling the circulation coming back to him.
"I never introduced myself yet, didn't I?" He chuckled. "I'm not used to being exposed like this in my line of work. You can call me, Johanne. At your service, Your Highness." He gave a salute after he felt comfortable enough to move about.
Authors Note:
Apologies if these snippets feel rather short or unfinished. I don't feel too confident writing dialogue, but I did want to start some set-up for future plot threads. The purpose of the Saito and Louise bits would be to give y'all some idea of where they're at during the events of the story, as I will be trying not to use them too much.
I'm more interested in seeing how other characters would have reacted to the UNSC or ONI meddling in local affairs. Which will be happening concurrently with the Elfen issue over at the other side.
Do let me know if things get too confusing, and I will try to tone it down if so. It wouldn't do if people get lost trying to read this story, as it would definitely be a poor reflection on my abilities.
I will also be attempting to improve the previous chapters down the line, to keep them consistent with the current quality.
Update: Fixed a few typos, didn't realize I accidentally "promoted" Lieutenant Redding.
Update 2: Some minor changes to this chapter. Sorry about that.
Reviews:
ThatGuyYouMet: Yeah it would be a mix of those. If it helps, you can picture the regular boots on the ground as using equipment similar to the ones seen in Halo: Infinite, but certain vehicles and equipment from 4 and 5 will also be used by others, like the Spartans.
Guest (Zideny): "Flipflap is hungry for the food nipple!"
Guest (Austin): Thanks for the review. Glad you seem to enjoy it so far. As for other stories, I've thought about it. But I don't think I'd be committed to starting another multi chapter story so soon. I might upload a oneshot for other stories initially to test things out. If people want those expanded I'll consider it.
Major Simi: Poor first contact seems to be par for the course when it comes to the UNSC, eh?
snipervtk4: Thanks for reading. As for the Elf's combat prowess, I didn't intend to make them too strong against the UNSC or too weak. Your uhh, equipment suggestions are interesting and I am planning on having the FOB Dune area be expanded upon after the attacks. They'll be better defended in light of that. As for how you think they should be dealt with, I think that's a bit too excessive. I don't think the UNSC has it in them to actually wipe out an entire civilization if they can't even match up to them in military prowess.
memoryofvirtual: Fair points you've brought up in response to the previous reviewer. As for the ultimate fate of the elves. That's gonna be down the line when the UNSC decides what to make of them when they learn more.
Crescentation: Fair enough, I thought it was balanced when I wrote it. I could see why you would feel that way with how I depicted the UNSC military so far, especially the Spartans. But, they'll be better off in future encounters. I'll assure you, once they feel comfortable enough not to drag their feet, they'll be leagues ahead of the competition.
Guest (Mumbo): I was trying to hint at that earlier, with how things seemed to spontaneously appear on the planet. A frigate or two wouldn't be too far out in the story's setting if they suddenly appeared.
Ghost iv: Eventually, yes. I've got an idea for how they'll meet. But they'd probably be nothing more than acquaintances in this setting.
TimeDiver: My apologies if things seem confusing to you. I'll try to rectify any such issues in the future.
Guest (Yellowtail385): That's a maybe. But it could happen.
Guest: Eh, fair enough. But I will try to see if I can include him anyway.
Konstantinsen: We'll see how it goes. Thank you :)
If you have any suggestions or comments. Feel free to join the Discord server: /sDgJN8F4tY
Thanks for reading. And as always. I'll see you in the next one. じゃ、またね