0531 hours September 17, 2552 (Military calendar)
Outside of CMA asteroid dockyard
UNSC Taskforce
The seven human ships sitting above the CMA asteroid base were hard at work having just towed the wreaked Covenant CAS assault carrier they had knocked out the day before inside the reactivated dockyard. Commander Robinson looking at the dockyard bustling with Engineers and specialist from across the fleet. A hour ago he has ordered nearly fifteen hundred men and women to strip the base and the covenant wreck of everything they could to better protect themselves when they jumped back to Reach. The largest project underway was the three corvettes removing their severely outdated M66 naval autocannons and the undersized Archer pods and installing shields, weapons and even the odd intact fighter pulled directly from the assault carrier.
As they worked Commander Robinson received word from the techs and the grunts that they were ready to try again to integrate the covenant shield with the Hannibal. Robinson gave his accent with a word of caution to be more careful they couldn't afford to wreak anymore of the generators. Within a few minutes the massive cruiser started to glow slightly as engineers and their Grunt assistants were finally able to integrate a RPV light destroyer shield salvaged from the graveyard. They had burned out five emitters leaving not even enough for parts before getting it right.
They only had four more shield generators knowing what they were doing now they split up heading for the destroyers Broadside and Paladin. The last generator would be going to Razorback. Or the Meriwether Lewis it would be a waste to shield one of the smaller ships.
As they worked the dock yard was stripped of everything that wasn't nailed to the ground. But being careful to leave the actual dockyard, smelting, and manufacturing facilities untouched just in case they needed it
1251 hours September 19, 2552 (Military calendar)
Outside of CMA asteroid dockyard
Task force Hannibal
Over the last two days Hannibal, Broadside and Paladin had successfully had shields installed. Using the dockyards tools and facilities to upgrade the out of date corvettes. To give them some real teeth since they lacked the Magnetic Accelerator Cannons of every other ship installing a pair of salvaged plasma torpedo launchers. Each of the corvettes being loaded with almost a hundred of the tiny missile sized cores. Hundreds of marines and naval personal had also been busy with the dozens of slabs of Titanium-A battle plate not only welding extra armor but an improvised hanger extension on each of the corvettes just big enough to add a pair of pelicans or Phantoms clearing some much needed room in the others of additional salvaged craft and weapons.
Also allowing the desperate UNSC forces to take the yards defensive squadrons of old Nandao fighters while not as fast or nimble as the modern Longswords they were not in a position to be picky. As well as the single squadron of pelican dropships. Looking at the ships inventory and deciding to be a little more well-rounded they also looted the stations vehicle depo grabbing three scorpion's and a dozen warthogs of various types. The station stripped of anything they could use the upgraded corvettes launched and the doors were closed hopefully leaving the station hidden for future use if needed.
Commander Robinson was handed a updated roster of the task forces ships manpower augmentation and compliment of fighters and dropships:
Bringing the task force numbers to 10 ships;
-Marathon class Cruiser Hannibal shielded
Modified weapons otherwise standard
1 plasma turret minus 4 Archer missile pods
Crew 1,216 (200 marines)
Compliment
2 longswords
5 Nandaos
2 Seraphs
9 pelicans (6 modified as gunships)
2 Sprits (modified gunships)
1 phantoms
-UNSC Diligence class destroyer Broadside shielded
Modified weapons otherwise standard
2 plasma turrets minus 4 Archer missile pods
Crew 1,516 (320 marines)
Compliment
1 longsword
5 Nandaos
1 Seraph
9 pelicans (3 modified as gunships)
3 Sprits (modified gunships)
2 phantoms
-UNSC Halberd class destroyer Paladin shielded
Modified weapons otherwise standard
6 pulse laser turrets minus 4 Rampart defense guns 1 Archer missile pod
Crew 616 (90 marines)
Compliment
3 Nandaos
2 pelicans (1 modified as gunship)
2 Sprits (modified gunships)
1 phantom
-UNSC Razorback Paris class frigate shielded
Modified weapons otherwise standard
3 pulse laser turrets 2 plasma cannons minus 4 Rampart defense guns 3 Archer pods
Crew 310 (76 marines) 20 grunts
Compliment
3 Nandaos
2 pelicans
-UNSC Meriwether Lewis Stalwart light frigate
Modified weapons otherwise standard
3 pulse laser turrets 2 plasma cannons minus 18 streak missile pods 2 Rampart guns, 3 Archer pods
Crew 310 (76 marines)
Compliment
3 Nandaos
2 pelicans
UNSC Charon class light frigate Graveyard Sky
Modified weapons otherwise standard
1 plasma cannons minus 2 Rampart guns, 3 Archer pods
Crew 810 (116 marines) 10 grunts
Compliment
4 Nandaos
1 pelicans
UNSC Charon class light frigate Odyssey
Modified weapons otherwise standard
1 plasma cannons minus pods 2 Rampart guns, 3 Archer pods
Crew 815 (92 marines) 30 grunts
Compliment
3 Nandaos
1 pelican 1 phantom
UNSC Mako class corvette Red Rover
Modified weapons otherwise standard
1 plasma cannons minus 2 Rampart guns, 3 Archer pods
Crew 100 (16 marines) 20 grunts
Compliment
3 pelicans
UNSC Mako class corvette Slingshot
Modified weapons otherwise standard
1 plasma cannons minus 2 Rampart guns, 3 Archer pods
Crew 110 (17 marines) 20 grunts
Compliment
2 phantoms
UNSC Mako class corvette HidenSeek
Modified weapons otherwise standard
1 plasma cannons minus 2 Rampart guns, 3 Archer pods
Crew 130 (11 marines)
Compliment
2 pelicans 1 phantom
As Commander Robinson looked over the data he whistled they had come a long way from a broken Razorback with less than half her crew to ten ships augmented with covenant weapons and shields and six thousand men and women not to mention the hundred odd Grunts that had switched sides and so far been trustworthy. Guess those reports of the grunts being used as just a step above slaves was true. Commander Robinson mused as the ships took aboard the last dropships of crew leaving the station. They saw the humans as their one chance for freedom and with these grunts as examples maybe we can convince more of them to switch sides.
"All ships this is Hannibal actual we are as prepared as we can be for the jump to Reach. All our latest intel shows that Reach has been abandoned by the Covenant as they begin to mass their ships for a deep strike into human space." Robinson paused for a second knowing every set of ears was listening "This will give us a unforeseen opportunity for some large scale salvage and rescue. Before we were just one damaged ship with half a crew forced to do everything secretly now there are over six thousand and ten undamaged and modified warships." A tone of outrage and anger crept into his voice. "When we arrive we will smash any remaining covenant forces and begin large scale SAR of every ship in the graveyard as well as repairing any other ships we can grab there could be thousands of our brothers and sisters still in cryo or surviving on the planet. We go hard and we go fast. Lets get this done. ALL ships prepare for jump."
Two minutes later ten slipspace circles swallowed the UNSC taskforce leaving the Psi Serpentis syetem behind with almost no touch of the recent departures