Chapter 5:
The morning came, and the beginning of the war was ready to begin. All fleets from different places and factions came to converge over the planet Palaven. During this morning Serenity woke up yawning and stepping over Tomoko but lightly kicking her to wake up. Mangle seemed to already be gone.
Serenity was greeted by Haurchefant who had her another piece of human flesh looking worried.
"Whats up?" She asked taking it chewing and swallowing it looking at him.
He didn't seem to mind watching her eat it. "Your sister Espeon, it seems she had a bad dream. Umbreon is with her." He told her.
"I will go check on her." Serenity said to him and he nodded.
Serenity found them in the starboard room. Both were looking out at space through the window.
"You okay?" Serenity asked patting Espeons shoulder.
"I had a bad dream, but Dad protected me." Espeon said.
Umbreon looked up to Serenity. "Dad was in her dream." She told her.
"There was a big tall monster, it looked like a person almost, a scary person." Espeon said cuddling to Umbreon.
Everyone knew Espeon was a bit special in their family, after her abuse from her mother she was left with a naive personality, but also a kind personality not really seeing evil as evil.
"Then dad appeared with a sword and shield standing in front of me facing the monster, and then the nightmare ended." Espeon said to them tearing up.
Umbreon and Serenity both gave her a hug tightly.
Serenity then noticed Kaiden at the entrance waiting to speak and looking away from the moment to give them privacy.
"Yes, Kaiden?" Serenity asked.
"You're needed on the bridge, all of you. It's begun." He told them and walked off.
Espeon wiped her eyes nodding. "We need to get ready." She said.
"I heard that monster laugh." Espeon then said to them before they walked out.
Serenity and Umbreon looked at her worried.
"It was a woman's voice. Saying how no ones ever really gone..." Espeon said with a sigh trying to forget of the nightmare.
"Come on. Let's attend the meeting, get your mind off it. The time now comes to fight." Serenity encouraged as Espeon tried to put on a smile and they then walked off to the elevator to the bridge. Yet... a small faint voice was heard. Repeating what Espeon said about no ones ever really gone and that faint voice gave a near sinister laugh and faded away.
Everyone was at the bridge at the meeting room where the galaxy map was. The hologram changed into a hologram of battle plans.
"Everyone, this is a transmission to all ships in position. This is it. We do not have a lot of time so I will make this brief. Star Cerberus has unearthed the Gateway and is attempting to re-activate it. We got a limited amount of time before their scientists figure it out. We are going to enter hyperspeed together and come out far from the orbit of Earth and begin to attack their fleet. They may have gravity wells to stop our hyperspeed advancement and if so give them hell and re-enter hyperspeed and launch out again. Once we appear at Earth we are going to give them hell. The assigned ground forces will be on shuttles and let out immediately during the battle to head to Earth. Those of you that signed up for groundwork, get to the shuttles now." Admiral Hackett said showing the screen shifting from space projectory to ground projectory.
"Some of the ground forces will go all over the planet but the main focus of our ground forces will be at Rome to stop the scientists and make a perimeter around the gateway. Serenity and her friends and chosen sisters on the Normandy will be heading to Rome. Serenity is the commander for the Rome ground forces, all of them that signed up. Her sister Maya will be controlling their flagship, The Centurion Dreadnought. Half of the Gorgon sisters will be in space while the other half either at Rome or scattered on the planet to help the resistance. Remember everyone, we do not have much time. Other commanders know your duties with your forces and do what you were told to do, same goes for space forces. Now let us bring an end to this tyranny and bring back our freedom. We launch into hyperspeed on my go. Take twenty minutes to prepare and get to your stations now. I will send a message to all captains and admirals when to launch." Hackett said and then the transmission ended.
Soon after hearing it everyone got to their stations and Serenity in her new outfit walked toward the bridge. All her sisters were in new outfits ready to fight, some of them not on board the Normandy and were either with other forces on their ships or at their flagship, the Centurion. Serenity got to the bridge and seen Mangle and Prompto on it with behind them at the other two consoles, Zarbon and Lamar.
"Sup girl!" Lamar said.
"Sup uh... homie?" Serenity said as Lamar just shook his head turning back to the console.
Standing up was Maes Hughes typing on his datapad and looking at Serenity.
"Says here every one is prepared. I am going on ground incase you guys need another medic." He said to her.
"Leaving Ryuken at the med-bay here?" Serenity asked.
"He didn't want to get into the war but instead stay here incase someone gets bumped and injured with Mangle's flying." Maes laughed.
"Oh I'm not flying, I'm heading to the ground. I am flying right now." Mangle said.
"Wait then who's going to fly this?" Serenity asked a bit shocked grabbing Mangle's shoulder.
"Heh, right here bitch." Mienshao joked walking in.
"You?" Serenity asked.
"Me." Mienshao said grinning at her.
Before Serenity questioned her flying capabilities Qrow came in with Maychiro.
"We got two minutes girls. This is it." Qrow told them.
"Aren't you all excited! Finally, a big war to sink our teeth into!" Maychiro said happily.
Qrow looked back at the other girls who were standing behind the entrance to the cockpit and they all were silent, a bit nervous.
"Hey." Qrow told them as they looked up at him snapping out of it.
"Were going to kick some fucking ass." Qrow said with a smirk taking out his flask and taking a sip from it.
"Everyone." The transmission came in.
"Warp into hyperspeed." Hackett said.
Mangle typed on the console and the Normandy launched along with all the other fleets orbiting space around them.
Meanwhile, on the Olympus Mons, Hux stood on the bridge awaiting orders. The Olympus Mons was stationed facing away from Earth aimed right into space. Around it was over millions of Star Cerberus ships, big and small with starfighters zooming around in defense patrols.
"Sir, our ciphers told us they are on their way now." Hux said to the holocom.
"Good, let us begin then." The Illusive Man said.
The Normandy came out of Hyperspeed first and beside it was the Alliance, Turian, Onderon, Crimson Kingdom, Azure Kingdom, Quarian, Telos and over smaller faction starships and starfighters came out of hyperspeed with them all mixed together and from a distance, looking like stars themselves.
The ships faced Earth and headed toward it, seeing the Olympus Mons being as gigantic as it was and knowing its weapon capabilities.
"Hehe, lets rock some assholes huh?" Mangle said licking her lips.
"Oh! That sounds wonderful." Zarbon shouted.
"Don't ruin this moment." Mienshao snapped.
"Alright everyone, it seems the enemy isn't firing yet. Now is our chance to open fire all together! - Wait!" Hackett said.
"They activated their gravity wells right now? Why didn't they before?" Hackett said in curiosity.
"Sir! We have ships appearing behind ours!" One of the deck officers yelled to Hackett.
Suddenly on the radar, there was millions more of ships appearing out of hyperspeed behind them.
Star Cerberus ships from behind and in front blockading Earth.
"It's a trap!" Hackett yelled.
Serenity quickly pushed her finger on the transmission button to all ships. "Fire! Everyone fire all together and don't stop! They are trying to scare us!" Serenity shouted
Soon all of their ships began to open fire in front of them. Their blaster and missile fire pained that part of space with many colors.
Star Cerberus vessels' shields took much of the blunt of incoming fire but the smaller ones got hit and only a few exploding.
"I think its time we get serious." Hux said on his transmission and soon all Star Cerberus ships in front and back began to open fire at the same time as well and closing in.
Soon all ships were getting close to one another to begin full attack.
"All ground forces head to Earth now! This is our chance!" Hackett yelled on the com and all shuttles left their ships heading toward Earth including the Normandy flying low below the ships as told and going under.
However, squadrons of Star Cerberus starfighters came in attacking shuttles.
Squadrons from the Alliance flew with the shuttles fighting back the other starfighters. Many squadrons of Alliance starfighters headed toward Earth with the shuttles including bombers.
Suddenly they heard many transmissions from ships exploding.
Serenity looked out the window at their ships blowing up one after the other.
"Damn it..." Serenity said to herself.
Mangle suddenly seen on radar other ships ready to come in.
"Serenity!" Mangle screamed.
The Radar showed ships appearing above all the other ships in a rainbow pattern.
"Wait..." Serenity said to them. "That looks familiar in battle formation." She said.
Hackett yelled at the com of ships appearing over them in rainbow formation as well as other ships forming toward the sides of their fleets.
Hacket gulped with his deck officers seeing how there were ships coming out of hyperspeed very very soon.
Back in the Olympus Mons, "Sir?" One deck officer said to Hux.
"What?" Hux asked frowning.
Two Alliance starfighters were getting him with bombardment from a nearby Star Cerberus battleship and one Azure Kingdom starfighter behind them blew up crashing into a Turian battleship on its side.
Suddenly after that happened, appearing out of hyperspace right above the Alliance fleet in a rainbow formation was the Cyclonian Empire fleet, their former enemies.
"Oh no..." Admiral Hackett began to say.
The Cyclonian Empire right after they came out of hyperspeed began to bombard below them right at the Star Cerberus fleet destroying the battleship that took out the starfighter first and raining down blaster fire from its bombardment cannons.
"Alliance! Thought you could use some cover!" Commander Ringo said on his flagship.
"Whats this... missiles?" Hux said looking at the radar.
Suddenly coming from hyperspeed on the sides of the Alliance fleets was the NOD fleet. Mostly consisting of shuttles for ground forces and with them was Trandoshan vessels and Vorcha vessels. All of which began to fire hex missiles with explosive results that could burn through shields.
Suddenly warping in different spots of the area was Hutt battleships.
"Feed me their heads!" Rebecca the Hutt yelled.
"Heh! You guys in over your heads to not include us!" A NOD admiral said on his intercom to the Alliance vessels.
"I don't believe it..." Hackett said having a breath of relief.
Suddenly other ships came in, small ones that were and starfighters from civilians of other planets and forming up with the main fleet and all together began to attack both ends of the Star Cerberus fleets, from in front and behind.
"This, wasn't apart of the plan!" Hux shouted looking at his men.
"Send transmission for all ships to go in and begin broadside attacks now! Now now now!" Hux yelled stomping his foot in anger.
"You guys couldn't protect yourselves huh? Looks like we got to escort your sorry asses ground side. Come on! Let us show you how we do it!" A cyclonian fighter pilot said with four squadrons of Cyclonian starfighters traveling along side the Normandy and a few other squadrons form up with Alliance squadrons to aid in escorting the shuttles with their own and NOD shuttles following up behind with a few larger ships to help in sky bombardment.
Serenity grinned and everyone cheered.
"Save the happiness for later after we devastate these mother fuckers!" A NOD captain said transmitting from his ship.
Suddenly and oddly, criminal vessels warped from hyperspeed, yet only a few under a hundred but appeared right beside other alliance ships using a ray shield toward the Alliance fleets that needed repairs to cover them with their shields- which were illegal shields.
"Sorry, we are late!" One of the crime lords said on the intercom.
"Thank you." Admiral Hackett replied on the transmitter.
"Aye, while you guys were handling things around, we decided to join forces and after we learned of you guys going at the Star Cerberus assholes we thought our leaders were both bitches. So we decided to help ya out. We don't want to lose our freedom neither." Ringo said smirking. "I am the new commander of the Cyclonian Empire and I make the rules. The new rule, help the Alliance." he said.
"This is Grand Admiral Hardy of the NOD faction. I oversee everything that happens in our organization. I will make sure your ground forces have the extra back up they need." Grand Admiral Hardy told them.
"How about we make a bet on who shoots down the most ships huh?" McGregor said from the Azure Kingdom flagship laughing.
"Boy's this isn't a competition back to the fight. But I'd win that bet." Sazuki Momochi said laughing from their shuttle heading toward Earth.
Soon the ground forces made it into the atmosphere of Earth and headed straight down and began to go different ways to head to resistance fighters to help taking back cities or towns. The main ground force headed right toward Rome.
"The enemy of my enemy is also my friend." Mangle remarked.
"Our former enemies helping us. I don't sense deception either, they are risking their lives." Serenity said.
"We can hear you on transmission, awkward." One of the Cyclonian starfighter pilots said which was next to the Normandy flying with them to escort.
"Sorry!" Serenity said closing the transmission sighing.
Soon the Normandy made it to Rome and soon landed at the Resistance fighters small base next to the ocean near old ancient pillars.
The ground forces got off the Normandy as it was hovering, the forces leaving from the shuttle door jumping down.
"Take care of my baby!" Mangle yelled at Mienshao on the comlink.
"Shut up you idiot, it's all of our babies after all." Mienshao said and shut off the comlink.
The Normandy hovered up and headed toward space to join the space battle.
Everyone looked up at the sky and seeing there was black smoke everywhere from the starting battles going on.
"We are back home..." Serenity said walking toward the resistance fighters who were running to them.
"We need to keep on our toes." James said holding his gun.
Kylo was walking beside James looking to the side at the ocean and noticing dead people floating and had a mean look on his face. "Disgusting." Kylo said.
James looked at it and nodded. "Those sick sons a bitches." James remarked.
Over head was NOD helicopters flying and attacking Star Cerberus starfighters that were coming in.
"Are you commander Serenity?" One of the resistance fighters asked.
"I am. What can you tell us?" Serenity asked him.
"Rome is heavily populated by Star Cerberus soldiers. I understand other divisions on the outskirts are ready and are probably engaged with the enemy now. Your ground forces probably by now have left their shuttles and are joining them in trying to get to the gateway. We got no idea how long we got." The man told her.
"Does your people have food? We brought three crates of food and water." Serenity said.
"Thank you, we need it." The man said.
Qrow and Maychiro were carrying one crate together and placing it down and James and Kylo brought one and lastly, Kaiden and Maes brought theirs.
"What about the sewer system? We could go through them and surprise them." Kasumi suggested to the man.
"We thought of that too but they got some patrols in there as well, but hey it is worth a shot to shoot them down and come out on different places, could get them confused on where to send their troops first." The man told her.
"Alright, then we will do that and also fight up top." Serenity said.
"Mangle, I bet you want to go into the sewer?" Serenity asked grinning at her sister.
"Fuck yeah! Come on Zarbon!" Mangle said carrying her Gatling cannon with Zarbon following holding his big plasma launcher.
"Do keep safe Serenity." He said to her walking with Mangle.
"I will keep her safe!" Kaiden, Kylo, and Haurchefaut said at the same time and suddenly looked at one another with a glare.
Serenity blinked a few times and then looked back at the man.
"We will go now. Have your men eat and drink and meet with us." She said to him and the man nodded heading to check on his militia.
"Should I go with Mangle?" Mismagius asked.
"No, she and Zarbon will clean that sewer out for the militia to head in there with no problems. If we were in there, we would be friendly fire." Serenity said to her.
"Oh... god you mean she's going to-" Mismagius started until a blaster bolt hit the ground in front of them and they got into cover as Star Cerberus soldiers ran toward them shooting at them.
Serenity pulled her blaster pistols out and began to shoot at them, only two bolts hitting one soldier but he seemed to tough it out only until he was hit by a shadow ball by Mismagius who looked at her sister with a grin.
"Oh, I could have got him!" Serenity yelled at more blaster fire came at them.
James threw a frag grenade destroying two soldiers and only three more nearby kept shooting only to be picked off one after the other by a nearby sniper.
Serenity and the group looked to the side and seen Ken'shiro walk toward them reloading a new plasma clip into his sniper rifle.
"Thanks." James said nodding.
"Come on, I and my group will join yours. We just cleared out this side of the city. It doesn't seem like there are much around here which means we got a tough job ahead of us. They maybe sending troops toward the area surrounding and inside where the gateway is." Ken'shiro told them.
He beckoned to his quarian and turian squad with one Twi'lek who had medical with him to heal the group.
Garrus being apart of it gave a nod to Serenity.
"Alright, let's follow commander Serenity now." Ken'shiro said and nodded at Serenity.
"How about we see those lightsabers come in handy." Garrus suggested.
Serenity smirked and pulled out both her lightsabers and activated them showing their mint green plasma blades. She turned and walked the empty street with the two groups following her.
Mismagius noticed though on the back of her belt, was their fathers former double-bladed lightsaber hilt and Mismagius just smiled glad to know Serenity had it in her care.