Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my remastered Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. Thank you for your feedback. I greatly appreciate the feedback that I can get. Every little bit helps make this story better.
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SLS Dallas
Tribute
August 12th, 2552
What Six didn't know was that Admiral Chernenko was more than aware of the developing situation, as he could now see the massive Covenant WarShip that was starting to climb into space over the planet itself. So, he thought to himself, this is the source of the anomaly that we discovered over Reach a few days ago. Well played, Covenant. Well played.
Looking at the WarShip, he could clearly see how the Covenant manufactured their military ships. The thing was massive, with scans indicating that it was almost 29km in length. The hull was a deep, royal purple, with bulbous, curved sections, giving the WarShip an organic appearance. Penetrating scans indicated thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Covenant personnel onboard the WarShip, though it wasn't clear if this was a single species crew, or a mix of the species in the entire Covenant itself. Further scans also indicated thousands of plasma based weapon platforms that were mounted on the hull of the WarShip itself, with the largest weapon being what appeared to be an energy projector that was mounted on the bottom of the bow section.
Looking at the tactical readout, he could see the SLS Tripoli entering a YardShip, with numerous AI controlled repair drones going to work repairing the severely damaged WarShip. Work projections estimated that it would take the repair drones nearly four days to fully repair and refit the ship, far shorter than early YardShips, but certainly a while. Eighty people dead, combined with 120 people killed on the ground by the Covenant. All because of a sneak attack. We'll arrange for proper services for those people later. At least the Lamellor Ferro-Carbide armor prevented the 'Ship from being destroyed. Still, that's nearly a third of the Riga IV-class WarShip's crew. We have to be more careful.
With those facts in mind, he knew that he needed a defense against this WarShip, a game changer so to speak. We can't risk having our larger ships go up against that thing, he thought. If we do, they will attack us with everything they have. They also have energy shielding, which will blunt the force of our attack. The one advantage we have is that our plasma based munitions are more advanced in many ways than what they have. As he paced around, he began wracking his brain for a possible solution. All of the ideas that he had, thus far, were not proving their worth, as they were either too risky, or unacceptable.
Then it hit him. Wait a minute, he thought, his eyebrows raising as the solution dawned on him. According to the field report from Star Commander Alex during the defense of Sword Base, a variable grenade set to EMP mode was more than capable of disabling Covenant energy shielding and weaponry. If that is the case, then the same might work out for our Thunderstorm Anti-Ship Missiles. A moment later, he asked, "Persephone, what is the possibility that one of our Thunderstorm Anti-WarShip Missiles will bring down the energy shielding on the Covenant WarShip, while disabling it's weapons?"
"75% with a single missile," Persephone replied, having already calculated that possibility as well upon detecting the Covenant WarShip. "99.9% with two missiles. Captain, I assume that you intend to conduct naval operations against the enemy WarShip?"
"Correct. This is a clear and present danger, one that we can't ignore. If that SuperCarrier remains present in orbit over Reach, the Covenant will be able to take the planet within two days time. Any reinforcements the UNSC will bring will be reinforcing a graveyard at that point. We have to strike now, while the enemy is vulnerable. If we engage them right now, we will deny them any tactical advantage while they enter orbit." Keying the fleet wide MILCOM link, he said, "All Dallas-class WarShips, please report in."
"SLS Atlas, ready and waiting," came the reply.
"SLS Farragut, on station and armed."
"SLS Lincoln, ready to fight."
"SLS Argo, all systems online and ready."
"Good," Chernenko nodded. "I need you all to listen closely, as this operation is critical to our continued possession of this star system." Once Persephone linked them all in, he said, "As we are all well aware now, the Covenant have stationed what the UNSC classifies as a CSO-class SuperCarrier in the system. As long as that SuperCarrier is present, the Covenant will maintain WarShip superiority against the UNSC. If reinforcements do not come soon, the planetary defenses will be overwhelmed. This is not an acceptable outcome."
"What do you need us to do sir," the Captain of the Atlas, James Patrick, asked.
"This is what we need to do," Chernenko explained. "We know from previous engagements against the Covenant that their energy shielding is highly vulnerable to energy based weaponry. As such, we will use our Thunderstorm Anti-WarShip missiles, which are designed to generate an extremely powerful electromagnetic pulse.
"Once the enemy WarShip enters space, we will fire off a salvo of Thunderstorm missiles in order to disable the Covenant WarShip's energy shielding. Once the energy shielding is down, we will assault the enemy WarShip and disable it's weapon systems, after which, we will demand the Captain of the enemy WarShip to surrender in accordance with the Ares Conventions of 2829. If he surrenders, we will take him and his WarShip and crew into custody. If he refuses, we will annihilate the WarShip and all personnel onboard it. Any questions?"
"What do you need our formation to be," Garrett Ashton, the Captain of the Farragut, asked.
"This will be the fleet formation for when we engage the Covenant WarShip," Chernenko responded. "The Dallas and Atlas will begin a broadside engagement with the enemy WarShip, while the Farragut and Lincoln will engage the top and bottom of the WarShip respectively. The Argo will disable the engines and prevent the enemy WarShip from being able to flee into Slipstream Space. Once the enemy shields are down, we will engage with all available weapons. Nuclear warheads have been permitted for use."
"Understood," Ashton replied. "We will enter formation as soon as possible. We'll teach these Covenant bastards a lesson they won't ever forget: never fuck with the SLDF." With that, each of the WarShips began heading towards Reach, engaging the Alcubierre Modules installed into their K-F Drives to shorten the journey.
As they left, Chernenko asked, "Persephone, what is the refit status of the SLDF fleet?"
"95% of all SLDF WarShips have been refitted with redesigned versions of the UNSC WarShip anti-gravity generators. The SLS Tripoli was one such WarShip that was refitted in time to assist during Operation: ANVIL STRIKE. All other WarShips have been fully repaired and refitted for combat operations."
"Excellent. Inform a number of Riga IV-class Frigates and five McKenna-II WarShips to rendezvous with my WarShip once we arrive over Reach. Also, what is the status of the Tribute Shipyard refit?"
"80% of Tribute's shipyards have been upgraded to service SLDF WarShips. All factories designated for use in accordance with the SLDF-UNSC treaty have been upgraded to manufacture Capital Grade munitions and WarShip armor plating. Manufacture of ground based munitions has also been successful."
"Does this mean that our CargoShips have been upgraded as well?"
"Affirmative, Admiral."
"Good. We'll need as many munitions as we can get." Just before he left, an idea occurred to him. "Persephone, inform the modified Carrack-class WarShips to begin laying Icarus mines at all possible Slipstream Space Entry Points. If the Covenant is sending reinforcements, we can destroy a number of their WarShips as they exit Slipstream Space."
"Affirmative, Admiral. Twenty Carrack-class WarShips are en route to begin mining all SSEP's. Completion time is estimated at 2500 hours. Anything else, Admiral?"
"That is all. Inform the ship to begin combat operations. It is time we show the Covenant the might of the SLDF Navy." With that, the Dallas began to shudder as it's powerful engines pushed it away from the planet of Tribute. Soon, Naval Fleet Delta would get the chance to flex it's muscles for the first time since the Clan Offensive.
. . .
Onboard the Long Night of Solace, 'Barutamee smirked happily at the sight of so many SLDF and UNSC soldiers quickly leaving the battlefield below as his Supercarrier decloaked. Poor little fools, he thought as the enemy ground forces scattered. They thought that they had this all well in hand. Now they know that they are mere insects compared to the might of the Covenant.
Another part of his psyche quickly stamped on the feelings of pride and invincibility that were currently surging through his mind. Be mindful of yourself, the voice of his teacher said in his mind. Just because you face an inferior enemy, does not mean that you yourself are invulnerable. Underestimate an opponent, and they will surprise you greatly, which will often be more than enough to achieve victory.
Clamping down on the turmoil of emotions in his mind, 'Barutamee began to examine the results of the battle with a more tactical mind. It is clear that these new humans came well prepared for a ground assault like this, he thought as he looked at footage caught by a cloaked surveillance drone. Their weapons appear to be far more powerful and more varied than their UNSC counterparts. A single blast from one of their larger vehicle's cannons was able to destroy a Wraith with a single hit. They also appear to use laser based weapons, though that one energy weapon they used is still a bit of a mystery as to what it is. He would have to have a Huragok help him determine what that weapon was.
What had his attention the most, however, were the tall, bipedal machines that had been present during the battle as well. Reports from infantry on the ground described the machines as bipedal robots, which worried him greatly, as these might be fully automated machines. These Human walkers were very durable, as one had taken a direct hit from a Scarab's energy projector and had survived; it had even retaliated, firing a cannon shot that had destroyed the energy projector before retreating for repairs. They also work in teams of four or five, he observed. That makes sense. They are smaller than a Scarab, so they work together in order to take down a greater foe. Interesting.
As he observed the recording of the battle, he heard a sound from behind himself. Turning around, he watched as a Zealot walked in, along with a T'Vao Champion. The T'Vao's armor plating had a number of scorch marks and dents in it, indicating that he, as the T'Vao was unmistakably male, had been in a number of engagements. Once they were inside, 'Barutamee asked, "Is this one of the survivors?"
"Yes," the Zealot replied. "He has much to tell you."
"Good," 'Barutamee nodded. Turning to the T'Vao Champion, he asked, "What do you wish to tell me?"
"I found out what the Human's walkers are," the Champion replied. "They are like the Scarabs, but they are controlled by a single Human inside of them."
That surprised 'Barutamee, as he had initially assumed that these Human walkers were fully automated. "Really," he asked. "How do you know?"
"I was close enough that I was able to leap onto one," the Champion replied. "When I did so, I noticed a hatch that was present on top of the area I landed on. It was magnetically sealed, so I couldn't get inside, but I did get close enough to peer inside of the machine. There was a cockpit inside, but I noticed a Human that was wearing some kind of cooling suit and wearing a helmet of some kind. I was about to leave when the Human noticed me; she shook the walker hard enough that I fell off, after which she tried to kill me. It was only because I kept my wits about myself that I survived." He motioned to a few feathers that had been cut off by what 'Barutamee assumed to be a high intensity laser beam.
"I see," 'Barutamee remarked. After a moment, he said, "You have done well, Champion…?"
"Xhov Bavirk."
"Xhov Bavirk. You have done well. Report to the quartermaster for armor repairs, then get yourself some rest. You will need your strength in the coming battles."
"Yes, Fleet Master." With that, the T'Vao bowed, before leaving. As he did so, 'Barutamee turned his attention back to the video recording.
. . .
As Xhov left, he began walking down the hallway at a moderate pace, before reaching the quartermaster in order to repair his armor. Fortunately, a spare set was available, so he got the spare set instead, before heading for his quarters. As he did so, he took a right hand turn down one of the numerous hallways onboard the Long Night of Solace, before entering what appeared to be a maintenance hatch. After closing it, he swiftly advanced into a small chamber used for ventilation. Once he was there, he sat down after clicking his COM twice in a row.
It wasn't long before a few more T'Vao appeared, along with a few Unggoy. All of them were high ranking members of their species in the Covenant Armada, having survived numerous engagements. "Were you followed?," Xhov asked the others.
"No," the others replied.
"Good," Xhov nodded, "because what we are about to do will have us labeled as heretics." Turning towards one of the Unggoy, Papap if he recalled correctly, he asked, "Is the Corvette we have ready for this?"
"Of course," Papap replied. "The Sangheili on board have no idea that their drinks have been laced with a powerful poison. I tested it on a few Sangheili Minors to ensure that it would kill them."
"Good." Clearing his throat, he had the others gather around before saying, "This day will go down in the history of our species as the one time that we decided to take a stand against the Covenant. You all know as well as I do what we learned at the Forerunner artifact we discovered, before the Sangheili and San'Shyuum got their 'holier-than-thou' hands onto it. The Great Journey is a lie, and I, like you, would rather die fighting for the truth than die to preserve a lie, a lie that our people have bought wholeheartedly. Today, we will break away from the Covenant, and ensure that our species survives alongside the Humans." Turning to the other T'Vao Champion in the room, he asked, "Sihm Bihra, do the other leaders of our various peoples know what to do?"
"Our clan leaders know the truth," Sihm replied, her voice filled with determination. "They will break away as well. After all, we were pirates long before the Covenant began to oppress us. Regrettably, not all listened to my clandestine pleading with them. Some have allowed fear to control them, while others believe in the Great Journey, despite my warnings."
"I see," Xhov nodded. "Should our rebellion succeed, others will join us in the fight to free ourselves from the Covenant and it's oppression." Turning to the others, he asked, "What of the strange humans that have been in the system?"
"They would be our best chance of survival," Papap replied, showing his above-average intelligence for an Unggoy. "They are near the same level of technology as the Covenant is. I am certain that they would appreciate sympathizers coming to work for them."
"Then they will be the ones we go to. Prepare yourselves. This will be the day of the Covenant's reckoning!" With that, they scattered, fully intent on carrying out their plans of sedition, plans that had been over twenty five years in the making.
. . .
Onboard the SLS Dallas, Chernenko could feel his hands becoming sweaty as they approached the location of the enemy WarShip. Looking at the tactical feed, he could see the other WarShips that had been chosen for this operation closing in, their matte black hulls nearly invisible against the void of space itself. Looking ahead, he spotted the Covenant WarShip as they drew closer, it's hull much more noticeable against the atmosphere of Reach. "Activate Null Signature Systems," he ordered.
"Aye, sir," Persephone replied, relaying the message to the other WarShips. As soon as she said this, the Null Signature System onboard the Dallas activated. Within seconds, the thermal and electronic output of the WarShip was completely cloaked, rendering visual acquisition as the only reliable means of detecting an incoming WarShip.
Even then, that would be difficult. The movies got it all wrong, Chernenko thought as they flew towards the enemy WarShip. Space is large enough that even kilometers large WarShips are very difficult to spot. You would have to be very close to another WarShip to even see it in the first place, and even then, it would have to be very brightly colored. Matte black paint is almost impossible to spot against the backdrop of space, making visual scanning unreliable at best, and impossible at worst. Since they were approaching from behind the WarShip, heading towards the planet, the enemy WarShip would not be able to spot them at all, even if they were tracking visually.
It wasn't long before they entered the sensor range of the Covenant WarShip, with the small green blip of the Dallas on the tactical readouts passing through the red circle of the Covenant WarShip's sensor range. This is it, he thought as they got closer to the unknown WarShip. We are almost within the maximum weapons range of the enemy WarShip. Once we are within maximum range, we will fire the Thunderstorm missiles, and begin the counter attack. Breathing in and out, he began tapping his feet as he waited for confirmation that they were within weapons range.
It wasn't long, as about two minutes later, Persephone said, "Admiral, we are within weapons range of the enemy WarShip. Permission to fire Thunderstorm missiles."
"Granted," Chernenko replied. "Time to give our guests a rude awakening."
"Affirmative. Firing missile tubes one through fifty." Moments later, Chernenko watched as a swarm of fifty Thunderstorm missiles streaked out of the missile tubes before flying away towards the enemy WarShip. With that, the counterattack began.
The Thunderstorm Anti-WarShip missile was considered, by many, to be the pinnacle of anti-ship missile technology, and with good reason. Designed shortly after the Succession War by the Free Worlds League as the successor to their Asset Management Weapon, or AMW, the Thunderstorm missile was fast, agile, and the numerous warheads that it carried meant that it was highly versatile. The missile could be customized with a thermonuclear warhead that was capable of a pre-selected yield ranging between five and fifty megatons and an EMP warhead designed for disabling enemy WarShips without using nuclear weapons, among many other warheads. This, combined with it's advanced electronics suite, high velocity and very long range, made it perfectly suited for engaging enemy WarShips.
The downside, however, was that as soon as a WarShip fired any Anti-WarShip missiles, the Null Signature System would be briefly overloaded, with the heat bloom being likened to lighting a flare on a dark night. As a result, due to the adoption of Null Signature technology on all WarShips, naval doctrine had evolved around this newfound technology. This was a lesson the Inner Sphere had taken to heart, and a lesson that the Covenant was about to learn quickly and painfully.
The moment the missiles left the launch tubes, the Null Signature Systems onboard the SLDF WarShips briefly disengaged, exposing their thermal and electronic signature to the Covenant WarShip. Almost immediately, the weapon systems on the Covenant WarShip, now identified by sensor scans as the CSO Long Night of Solace, began turning to fire on the SLDF WarShips. Fifteen seconds before the missiles detonated, several plasma batteries on the Long Night of Solace fired, sending plasma bolts directly at the SLDF WarShips. "Incoming," Persephone informed Chernenko.
"Brace," Chernenko ordered, with the rest of the crew bracing for impact. Moments later, the ship shuddered as the plasma bolts smashed into the ship. Just as intended, the Lamellor Ferro-Carbide armor performed perfectly, with the outermost layers undergoing ablation, preventing damage to the hull of the WarShip. Nearby, similar plasma bolts hit the other WarShips, with similar results, as none of the WarShips suffered hull breaches. Eight of the smaller WarShips were hit, and suffered moderate to severe armor ablation, while four had their hulls compromised. Two were mission killed, with fully loaded escape pods launching just seconds before the nuclear reactors on those WarShips detonated, marking the first casualties Naval Fleet Delta suffered against the Covenant.
It was at that moment that the Thunderstorm missiles detonated. While the EMP blast itself was invisible to the naked eye, the effect that it had on the Long Night of Solace was immediately apparent. The shields on the SuperCarrier immediately failed, with the blue-white barrier shimmering into existence before breaking apart. The cumulative EMP shockwave generated by the other missiles was also just as effective, with the lights on the SuperCarrier immediately going dark. The engines sputtered briefly before shutting down, while the defenses on the Long Night of Solace shut down, leaving the WarShip completely defenseless against a counterattack.
"EMP effective," Persephone reported. "Enemy WarShip has been disabled."
"Excellent," Chernenko nodded. "Helm, get us into a broadside position and begin destroying all mounted weapons. Atlas, move into position and fire at will. Farragut, Lincoln, engage the top and bottom of the Long Night of Solace. Argo, disable the engines and weapon control system. Launch all AeroSpace Fighters and begin hammering this asshole! On the double, people! It won't take them long to bring the WarShip back online!"
"Affirmative, Admiral," The others replied. Almost immediately, the SLDF WarShips descended on the Long Night of Solace like a pack of hyenas descending on a dying gazelle. Despite their bulk, the Dallas, Argo, Farragut, Atlas and Lincoln moved very fast, quickly getting into their positions, while the smaller WarShips clustered around the Covenant WarShip. As soon as they were in position, the hammering began.
The Atlas immediately began firing it's compliment of weapon systems into the enemy WarShip. Gauss slugs and laser beams cut through the vacuum of space, smashing into the unshielded nanolaminate hull with tremendous force. Pieces of the hull were ripped off by Gauss slugs traveling at high velocity, while large sections were cut off by naval grade laser weapons. Sections of the WarShip that were pressurized exploded outwards, sending the screaming Covenant personnel inside to a death in cold vacuum. On the other side, the Dallas did the same thing, with large sections of the hull being torn off.
The Farragut and Lincoln, respectively, quickly moved above and beneath the Long Night of Solace, while rolling to make sure the bulk of their weapons could fire on the Covenant WarShip. Once in position, they also began to tear into the crippled WarShip. The Lincoln, which was one of the few ships armed with Plasma Cannons, Gauss Rifles modified to fire plasma bolts, began to fire. Hypervelocity bolts of plasma cut through the vacuum, tearing into the Long Night of Solace with excellent results. Moving forwards quickly, the Lincoln's weapons fired at the excavator beam beneath the bow of the WarShip, removing the most powerful weapon in the Long Night of Solace's arsenal.
Moving into position behind the Covenant WarShip, the Argo began charging it's twin Mass Drivers, while firing it's forward facing weapons into the SuperCarrier's engines. Pieces of engine components were torn off and flung into the vacuum of space; some were glowing white hot from intense laser fire, while others had been mangled by Gauss slugs. Moments later, both Mass Drivers on the Argo fired, smashing the engines into pieces. One Mass Driver slug, either through good placement or sheer luck, ricocheted of of a harder component, with the ferrous slug tearing through the Borer Drive on the Long Night of Solace, crippling the enemy WarShip's FTL capabilities.
This singular action was just in time too, as the Long Night of Solace's internal systems reactivated at this point. Thanks to the preemptive strike by the SLDF WarShips, however, most of the weapons on the Long Night of Solace had either been damaged or destroyed, leaving only a handful that were undamaged. "WarShip is back online," Captain Garrett shouted. "Careful! They've got weapons still!"
"Status on enemy weapons control," Chernenko shouted.
"Penetrating scans reveal that it's deeper inside the WarShip," the Captain of the Argo reported. "We couldn't damage it with our Mass Drivers, but we did destroy their FTL drive and engines. They're a sitting duck now."
"Well, that will have to do," Chernenko admitted. "At least we've damaged the ship quite badly. Continue destroying the weapon systems on the Long Night of Solace. We can't let them fire on us again. Lincoln, what's your status?"
"We've destroyed what appears to be a bow mounted weapon," the Captain of the Lincoln replied. "It's some kind of excavation beam, but they could've used it as a weapon as well. Penetrating scans indicate that we got a glancing blow on the fire control systems. Their guns are firing in an erratic manner."
"Solid copy. Continue disabling the weapon systems. If they regain their shields, use another Thunderstorm salvo to neutralize them."
"Understood. Lincoln out."
Looking at a tactical readout, he checked the hull of the WarShip. So far, as was going well, as none of the ship systems were damaged yet, though he didn't know how long it would stay that way. Turning to Persephone, he asked, "Status on the enemy WarShip?"
"Scans indicate that the enemy WarShip's weapon systems are severely damaged," Persephone replied. "Enemy fire control systems have suffered moderate damage." There was a brief pause before she said, "Captain, the enemy WarShip is attempting to make a transmission."
"Can you jam it?"
"MILCOM Jammers have been activated. They will be unable to send a coherent transmission."
"Excellent." With that, they continued the engagement, with all WarShips firing their weapons at the SuperCarrier.
. . .
Onboard the Long Night of Solace, 'Barutamee was doing all he could to wrench some kind of advantage from the claws of defeat. The Bridge of the ship shuddered as something smashed into the hull, with a few people stumbling. A panel was knocked out of place, with sparking wires dancing in the air, scattering sparks onto the floor.
How did they get so close without being detected?, he thought to himself. It is as though they were able to mask their thermal signature, allowing them to get close enough to assault my ship. He remembered how the attack began, with twelve of the new Humans warships firing what he thought were missiles, similar to what the UNSC would use against them. As such, he ordered the gunners to fire back, and had smiled when he saw two of the new Humans warships being too damaged to fight.
That was when it happened. When he ordered the launching of plasma torpedoes, the console in front of him practically exploded, with sparks being flung everywhere. At the same time, the consoles brightened briefly, then the entire Bridge was flung into blackness. The darkness had been total, so much so that when he had waved his hand in front of his face, he couldn't see it. Even the purple emergency lighting that was normally used had failed to activate, drowning the entire Bridge in pure blackness.
That was when the attack began in earnest. The Long Night of Solace had begun shuddering with a surprising level of violence given the size of the ship, indicating the new Human's use of projectiles. It was then that he, and the rest of the crew, began working feverishly to get the systems back online, as they had been temporarily knocked out by the EMP, now that he thought back to it. Once systems came back online, they would be able to defend themselves.
When they did, the tactical readouts didn't paint a pretty picture. Most of the weapons on the hull had been destroyed; cut to pieces by powerful laser based weapons, or smashed by ferrous slugs traveling at extreme velocity. In addition, their engines and Borer drive had been completely destroyed, and their Excavation Beam was ruined, having been smashed and melted by what appeared to be hypervelocity plasma bolts. As a result, while they were able to fight back, they were operating at only a fraction of their former capacity. They had tried sending out a transmission, but the new Humans had apparently jammed them, as he had heard nothing but a squeal when he attempted to initiate communications.
Another shudder rocked the warship, with 'Barutamee holding onto a part of his command chair. "Status," he asked.
"Hull breaches in multiple sections of the ship," a Sangheili Captain reported. "80% of our weapons compliment have been damaged or destroyed. Borer functionality is gone. Engines have been critically damaged. Hull integrity is at 55% and dropping fast." As he said this, there was another shudder, before he added, "Now it's at 50%."
"What about our Banshees and Seraph fighters?"
"Launched and engaging the enemy. Unfortunately, some of our hangar bays were destroyed as well. It is only a matter of time before the enemy has us completely disarmed. They do not appear to be attempting to destroy the ship, though."
"I wonder why."
A moment later, 'Barutamee found out why. Moments later, he heard a burst of static, before an accented Human voice said, "CSO Long Night of Solace, this is Commanding Admiral Mikhailovich Chernenko of Star League Defense Force Naval Fleet Delta. Your weapons have been disabled, your hull torn to ribbons, and your personnel dying.
"By the authority vested in me by the Star League and the Ares Conventions of 2829, you are hereby ordered to surrender. Power down all weapons and surrender immediately. Cooperate, and you will be treated in accordance with the Ares Conventions. Failure to comply will be seen as an act of war, and we shall respond accordingly. You have one minute to comply." With that, the COM link ended.
As soon as he heard this, 'Barutamee realized that he now faced a choice, one that he, for the first time, wished he didn't have to make. If he surrendered to this 'Star League Defense Force', he would be branded a heretic and a traitor, at the cost of sparing the lives of himself and his men. If he refused to surrender, he and his crew would face certain death and destruction at the hands of these new Humans. Two choices, both of which had equally unpleasant outcomes: be imprisoned, or die at the hands of this 'Star League.'
In the end, he found that there was only one decision he could make. He was about to speak when the Sangheili Captain from earlier said, "Fleet Master, two of our Corvettes has detached from our ship. They are fleeing directly for this 'Star League Defense Force.'"
Heretics, the lot of them, 'Barutamee snarled inwardly, and there is not a gods dammed thing that I can do about it. Snarling, he slapped at a console, before turning to the COM terminal. "This is Fleet Master Rho 'Barutamee of the Fleet of Valiant Prudence. We reject your offer of surrender. When the time comes, all of you will die as heretics. You are an affront to the gods, and we are their instrument." With that, he willingly sealed his face.
Chernenko's voice was equally cold when he said, "Very well. You were warned. May your so-called 'gods', have mercy on your souls." With that, the offensive was renewed once more, with the ship shuddering once again. Again, 'Barutamee and the others continued to fight on, even though there was little hope of victory. Slowly, but surely, the Hull Integrity reading dropped to 40%, then 30%.
Soon, it was at 10%, and the ship was shuddering even more violently than before. 'Barutamee knew that something had happened when the ship shuddered particularly violently. Turning around, the last thing he saw was his mate, Ivolia, standing near the door as a wall of flames rushed towards him, with the female Sangheili extending a hand towards him. Moments later, nothing else seemed to matter anymore.
. . .
Onboard the SLS Dallas, Chernenko watched as the Fleet Master continued to fight on, even though he knew that it was a lost cause. During the brief pause in the fighting, two Covenant Corvettes had begun to move towards them, prompting him to assign WarShips to them. When it was discovered, however, that their weapons were not activated, he ordered those WarShips to escort them back to Tribute, where the rest of the fleet would detain them.
How much longer until he gives up?, Chernenko thought as he looked at his ship's internal readout, which indicated some thermal damage to non-essential parts of the ship. The hull was holding strong, but it was clear that might not be the case for much longer. We've lost five more Riga IV-class WarShips and quite a few of our larger ones are reporting severe armor ablation. It's a good thing we have YardShips, otherwise, I'd be pissed right now.
Just as he thought this, Persephone said, "Scans indicate that the Argo has damaged the reactor core onboard the WarShip. I estimate that we will have a detonation within two minutes."
"Understood," Chernenko nodded. "All SLDF WarShips, retreat to Reach. The enemy WarShip's reactor is going critical." As soon as he said that, the other WarShips immediately broke off the attack, with each one disappearing as they went into realspace FTL flight once their AeroSpace Fighters had gotten aboard. Soon, the Argo, Atlas, Farragut and Lincoln had done the same, leaving the Dallas as the last one out. Moments later, the Atlas disappeared into intra-system FTL flight.
As soon as it did, the Long Night of Solace detonated. The back half of the ship was immediately ripped apart by a nuclear explosion, with the pinch fusion reactors creating a colossal explosion. Pieces of the WarShip flew in all directions, while the bow of the WarShip began to descend towards Reach, towards one of it's inland seas. The last pieces of the WarShip soon became nothing more than colorful debris that orbited the planet of Reach.
With that, the Long Night of Solace had made it's final stand. Over 600 people had paid their lives in order to destroy the Covenant's WarShip superiority, 620 people that had valiantly given their lives to save millions of others on the surface of Reach. For the first time in history, the Star League Defense Force had gone up against a technologically superior foe… and had won.