Sol System/Earth Home Fleet/CairoStation/ Bridge
Hood opened a channel to the stations and ships he had chosen moments after the battlestars and their lone Marathon-class cruiser leader entered Earth space.
"I want that group led in by Texas and Vindicate," he said, with faint evidence of awe and shock in his voice. "Tell them to keep their distance. I want stations Zulu and Rome on standby for firing operations. Tell them that if they even get a whiff of shit, open up."
Lord Admiral Hood was not taking any chances with his new arrivals—even with Cole. Admiral Saul Tigh could not stress it enough how important it was to keep a watchful eye on Battlestar Bezerk and its guardians.
From Saul's information, the battlestar's captain, Admiral Atlas, was a man who was heavily built both physically and mentally— but his mentality was that of a scoundrel. Eager to sacrifice those under him to achieve his own gains, he was not to be trusted at all.
Hood was not worried about Atlas; he would let Saul and his companions deal with him, and if things went askew, their battlestars would make short work of him. What he was concerned with was that a living legend had just passed through his gates…a legend who, for all intensive purposes, was not supposed to be alive.
"Admiral Cole you bastard, how did you do it…"Lord Hood thought to himself, recalling what the Admiral had done in the past.
Two-hundred Covenant ships fell to Cole's brilliant thinking, making his ship the most famous out of every UNSC and Covenant vessel to ever exist. The Covenant had taken note of Cole's deeds, and most likely considered him to be an otherworldly monster—much like the SPARTANS.
Hood watched as two Marathon-class cruisers drifted closer to the group. The Everest, Cole's modified Marathon-class warship, halted its advancement. The three battlestars did so as well. After authorization was given from their superior, the Marathon-class cruisers led Admiral Cole's ship to an abandoned shipyard, where it docked, and was soon boarded by UNSC ODSTs. The ODSTs had been ordered to move through the ship and check for any suspicious activity. Perhaps the Covenant had taken control of the ship, and had planted a bomb within in its hull with the intent of weakening the defenses around Earth.
Battlestar Bezerk and her protectors were taken by Battlestar Columbia and Battlestar Athena. Each ship was boarded by Colonial Marines who were ordered to seize the captains and bring them aboard Columbia for questioning.
Battlestar Bezerk/CIC
Admiral Atlas had never had this many rifles aimed at him before. Colonial Marines from battlestar Columbia had been dispatched to seize him and scour the ship for anything that could potentially harm Earth or her people.
Columbia's marines did not don the traditional dress worn by his marines. They wore armor that was a mix of grey fatigues and reinforced metal plates that were scraped and worn, and painted black. Their helmets seemed to be fashioned from the same materiel the plates were, but the helmets still bore the goggles as well as the traditional shape basic Colonial Marine helmets normally exhibited. On the left shoulder plate was the Colonial Symbol, with each marine's respected battlestar of origin's name underneath.
"I see the UNSC has been treating you roughnecks well," Atlas said, taking out a cigar and lighting it.
The marines did not respond. Their weapons, a mix assortment of M90 CAWs, MA5B ICWSs, Colonial Marine Mossberg 500s, and Colonial Marine Cx4 Storm Carbines were all pointed at Admiral Atlas. Taking a quick glance at the massive array of ordinance pointed at him, the captain surrendered his sidearm, and slid it across one of the many control panels that darted his ship's CIC. It was quickly snatched up by one of the marines.
Two men stepped out from the group of marines and handcuffed the admiral. The admiral was a large man, standing almost seven feet all, and weighing nearly three-hundred pounds—enabling him to tower over everyone in the room. He was a middle-aged man, and had rough-looking skin that gave off evidence to being burned some time ago.
The marines onboard Bezerk were captured as well as the crew. The same procedures that had been carried out aboard Bezerk were also carried out on the smaller ships that protected it. In all, over two-thousand crew personnel had been rounded up, and a force of over one-thousand marines had been thrown into the brig.
No one put up any resistance, despite Saul Tigh's warnings.
Bezerk and her escorts, gutted of their crews, marines and over sixty-two nuclear missiles, were towed to Shipyard Yamada, a UNSC shipyard designed to accommodate battlestars, where they would wait until further notice. If the admiral was deemed an ally, his men and nuclear weapons would be returned to him.
For now, the admiral was being led down to a waiting room where Admiral Saul Tigh and Captain Lee Adama resided.
Sol System/Earth Home Fleet/CairoStation/ Brig
Cole's crew personnel had been treated to dinner in Cairo's mess hall as a welcome home gift. Cole, skipping out on the dinner, had heeded Lord Admiral Hood's request for a formal meeting. While the brig was the least desirable place for two individuals of high value, it was the only place not crawling with lower-ranking UNSC soldiers or navy men.
The two men sat opposite each other, with only a metal table and an overhead light in between them. Cole's face looked worn and aged, although not changed when Hood compared a photo of him to the actual Cole. While numerically he was 82, Cole appeared to only be in his late forties.
Spending time in Cryo sleep worked wonders on the human body, and no doubt most of his crew operated under similar circumstances.
"Lackluster and Phoenix gave mention that there was a ninety percent chance you survived Cole. Where have you been all these years?" Hood asked, leaning across the table.
Cole rubbed his forehead. "Away, sir," Cole began. "I always dreamed of settling down somewhere. After I destroyed that Covenant fleet at Psi Serpent, I jumped to a random location—following my own protocol. My crew and I came across a planet that held a climate similar to Earth's. We were hoping to land there, set up a base, and possibly locate a UNSC colony to link up with when we got our heads screwed on right, but we found the planet to be…occupied and under attack. "
"Occupied?" Hood asked.
"By the Colonials," Cole said. "The same people you harbor here—Caprica they called it. It was under siege by these machines…what did they call them..."
"Cylons I take it." Hood said, answering Preston's question.
"Yes, them," Cole said. "I had my ship engage the enemy craft, assisting the Colonial warships that were still left in the fight. The ships we fired upon were frail and easily taken out by the MAC, but by the time the Colonials could muster up a respectable defense of Caprica, the enemy warships had already done their dirty work and nuked the world, as well as let loose hundreds of fighters. There wasn't much my Longswords could do against numbers like that."
"So what happened next?"
"Caprica was on the verge of falling, so several of the Colonial warships jumped out of system in an effort to escape and form a ragtag fleet for a counterstrike. Caprica, I later learned, wasn't the only colony that was hit, and dozens of battlestars were possibly roaming around. The fleet I originally journeyed with consisted of more ships than what appeared today, but we got ambushed by more Cylons when the fleet stopped to restock up on Tylium, a substance the Colonials use to fuel their ships. There were too many, and rather than sit around and get picked off, my ship and three others retreated, leaving two others to be destroyed."
Cole had aimed to escape the harsh realities of war, but instead was thrust into a new war that was waged between a people he had never encountered before, and an enemy he had never battled before. Their war led him right back into the arms of the UNSC—right back into the jaws of the Covenant.
"However, our jumps didn't synchronize correctly, and once again I was alone. Only later would I manage to find Battlestar Bezerk and its two escorts. Several months would pass until we found Earth."
"I see," Hood said, digesting what Cole had just finished saying.
Captain Sinclair was not the first to encounter the Colonials, and this wasn't the first time he had heard stories of the Colonials being pursued by enemy forces. It was one possibility that they had led the Covenant to Earth.
It was another if the Cylons managed to find it as well.
He doubted a three-way engagement would favor anyone. Hood began wondering if the Colonials were more trouble than they were worth.
"Well, I can't have you shot for breaking the protocol, because the Covenant have more or less found Earth, and I can't throw you in the brig for deserting because you're one of our most valued captains. We need every hand we can get. Cole, we need you on the frontlines. We need you to lead."
Cole was a war-weary soul, but seeing Earth threatened by the enemy he had learned to hate for so long pressed him to rejoin the UNSC.
"I knew you'd ask me that sir," Cole said. "I managed to convince Admiral Atlas and the captains under him to surrender their vessels in an effort to reinforce what forces you had here. In exchange for their services, they'd like to nest here for a while…if we manage to get out of this alive that is."
"Then it's settled. I'll have Harper sign over half of his forces to you. He's also requested to meet with you—as well as half of the damn Navy. You'd be amazed how your presence has affected the men. At first they were scared silly, but now they're acting like they could take on the entire Covenant navy. Even the Colonials are awed, and they haven't heard of you up until now."
"Well I kind of expected that sir." Cole said, sounding unsurprised.
Sol System/ Jupiter/Io/ Io Station
Several men and women were scurrying about within Io Station's command centre. They were in a frantic state and were working hard to double-check what their scanners had picked up. They hoped what they heard wasn't what they heard, but when the readouts were checked again, the same result resurfaced.
The slipspace whispers mimicked those often seen during Covenant jump cycles. They did not belong to the ships of the UNSC and they did not belong to the ships used by the survivors of Reach.
The station went on full alert, broadcasting the dreadful news to Earth's defenders. Multiple warships began dropping out of slipspace, and were roaring towards Earth at frightening speeds.
Sol System/Earth Surface
The news spread quickly throughout the planet. Some retreated deep underground with the intent of feeling secure, while others armed themselves and prepared for war. Like an animal trapped in a corner, Humanity would become exceptionally vicious in a very short amount of time when the Covenant finally came to ravage the surface. Billions hoped and prayed that the men and women both in space and on the ground could shield them from the seemingly unstoppable tide that bubbled up from nowhere nearly twenty-eight years ago. Men protected their homes by barricading them, while business buildings were taken over by massive groups of marines with the intent of using them as bases. The Colonial Marines that were still in training on the surface in Mexico were redirected to specific locations around the world where strength was needed. While there were not many of them available, all hands were ordered to participate.
Sol System/Earth Orbit
Because of the dire situation that was beginning to unfold, Admiral Atlas was allowed to return to his ship. Cole had mentioned to Admiral Saul Tigh that the admiral was to be trusted, as he had showed great bravery at Caprica. Admiral Hood verified this with the information Preston had shared with him during their meeting. The nuclear stockpile that was stripped from Battlestar Bezerk was reissued to it, as well as its crew and its supply of marines. The ships that protected Bezerk were also reequipped.
The defense would center on protecting the MAC installations while they chipped away at the Covenant fleet. The MAC Stations, capable of downing even the most powerful of Covenant warships in a single shot, would be the greatest offensive asset the UNSC would have during its last stand.
During their redesigning, the Colonial warships had taken on new classes. The five Mercury-class battlestars had been designated as "Thor-class assaultstars", and were instructed to protect Lord Admiral Hood's MAC station from harm. The three older modelshad been redesigned to hold more Vipers and a few Longswords, and were to offer support to Hood's five guard dogs. The Marathon-class cruisers, held by Fleet Admiral Harper and Fleet Admiral Cole and several lower ranking officers were to spearhead the counterattack when the enemy forces came into range. Both Admirals combined commanded nearly ninety percent of the UNSC Home Fleet, while Hood held the MAC Stations under his wing and a handful of frigates.
Admiral Atlas was not under the command of Saul Tigh, but was instead instructed to join a force of frigates stationed near a cluster of MAC Stations drifting above Africa. Bezerk, while not armed with any MAC-based weaponry, had plundered numerous pieces of armor from destroyed battlestars and combined the pieces to its main hull, enabling it to take increased amounts of damage from enemy fire. It also held the highest nuclear stockpile, which totaled over thirty-six nuclear missiles. Bezerk's smaller sister ships, Valkyrie-class battlestars, were much smaller than even the battlestars used during the First Cylon War. Because of their lack of armor and firepower, they were to support the UNSC frigates by shooting down any Seraph fighters that were foolish enough to come within range.
As everyone drifted into their positions, the Master Chief, a battle hardened SPARTAN who had seen his fair share of warfare, was readying his assortment of weaponry. Moments ago he had been given several medals rewarding his bravery at Installation 04. Sergeant Avery Johnson and several marines under his command were also present in Cairo's armory; they were putting the finishing touches on their selection of equipment.
When all was done, Avery lit a cigar and inhaled its fumes.
"Well son, it looks like those bastards finally want their asses kicked once and for all. You ready?"
The Master Chief gave his shotgun a good pump.
"I was always ready." he said.
The group stormed out, leaving the gunnery sergeant alone to his business.