Well now that the exams are finished I can get back to writing. This chapter is the longest I've ever written but I don't think it is the best I've ever written. But you lot should be the judges of that. This chapter contain a description of Thermopylae that Ripp wanted to see. Well here it goes…
Andreas helped the massive Elite onto his feet and turned to the assembled Spartans.
"So what have you learned children?" asked Andreas. One of the youngest Delta Company Spartans was brave enough to speak.
"Elites are powerful enough to floor Staff Captain Andreas G099 sir." After some private conversation in his helmet, two of the helmeted Gamma Company Spartans slapped the kid over the head.
"Thank you Michael and Bella." Said Andreas. "Anyone else want to try?" This time it was one of the ODSTs that spoke.
"Spartans always own ass!" He shouted from the back. Andreas sighed.
"I guess that's as close as were going to get with you lot isn't it?" There was a wave of agreement from the crowd. As he was saying this, Kelly moved to the front of the crowd. Andreas noticed and snapped to attention.
"Company, company attention!" He saluted Kelly along with the other Spartans as Kelly herself stepped forward and saluted the Captain. Norvek placed his fist on his chest and bowed his head to her as a sign of respect.
"I'm sure there is some rule about live energy swords aboard a naval vessel that you have broken Captain." Said Kelly.
"Yes sir. Wouldn't be the first time." Replied Andreas in a very business like tone.
"I need you on the bridge in half an hour. We need to get this hulk moving. Dismissed." Kelly saluted and stalked off. Andreas smoothly dismissed the Spartans and went to the armoury to store his armour.
Kelly stepped into the quarters that would be her home for the foreseeable future. Typical, she thought. Just as I'm getting comfortable somewhere I get shipped off. First Onyx and now Earth. She rummaged through one of her bags and withdrew a small shard of stone. She flopped onto her bed and stared at the piece of Onyx she had taken from a planet of the same name. Her reminiscing was cut short by a chime at her door. Kelly stood and smartened her uniform before calling who ever it was in. That person turned out to be Linda with a Data pad clutched in her hands. Linda spotted the Onyx shard and spoke.
"Thinking of the past?" She asked. Kelly just nodded. Linda pulled a silver chain out of her collar and spoke.
"Remember the fallen." She said. Linda clutched a shard of Onyx on the end of the chain that hung from her neck. It had become a ritual for the survivors of Onyx. Everyone who had been rescued from that world kept a piece of the planets namesake, even Chief Mendez and Dr Halsey. It was supposed to represent everyone who had died on that world. Kelly slipped her shard into her trouser pocket and got back to business.
"What you got for me Linda?" Said Kelly as she started walking down the hall with the other Spartan at her side.
"The ODST Lieutenant who's supposed to boss those louts about has turned up. He's in the primary hangar." She said.
"Good I want everyone on the bridge in ten minutes for a briefing."
"There is one more thing Major." Said Linda as they stepped into the lift. "I did some digging. This ODST. He was on the mission where Cal was killed."
"In that case I shall be very interested in meeting him." Said Kelly.
O'Brien stepped off of the Pelican with his duffel bag in his hand and his custom sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. A few days ago he was staring at a very boring life training ODST recruits at camp Magna on Mars. Three hours later he got the call from HIGHCOM to back a bag, grab his gear and report to the UNSC Thermopylae in dry-dock above Earth. He noticed a woman in a uniform with the insignia of a Major on her shoulder. He stood at attention and smartly saluted.
"Lieutenant O'Brien reporting ma'm." The Major saluted back as did the second woman who O'Brien hadn't noticed.
"Just in time trooper. A few more minutes and this ship would be leaving without you." O'Brien had readied an excuse and was about to say it when the second woman grabbed his bag and flung it at a bewildered Spartan.
"Jonas! Make your self useful and dump this in Lieutenant O'Brien's quarters.
"Come on Linda. I'm a Spartan not a bloody concierge." Said Jonas.
"Can it trooper and do as you're told. And it's Master Chief to you in public."
"He's right though Linda." Said Kelly.
"That sneaky rat cleared me out in poker last night."
"Fair enough. O'Brien you're with me. I want senior staff on the bridge for a briefing that started a minute ago. Welcome to Thermopylae. Try and keep up." Said Kelly as she took off at a blistering pace heading for the lift at the far end of the cavernous hangar.
Five minutes later Kelly arrived at Thermopylae's bridge with O'Brien ready to collapse into a heap. Thermopylae didn't have many decks, but she was long. Andreas was stood out of the front windows of the bridge gazing over Earths North Pole. The ship was docked at Anchorage Station. The massive station doubled as a MAC/MAPP platform and dock yard for the 1st fleet. MAPP was a relatively new addition to the UNSC armoury. It stood for Magnetically Accelerated Plasma Projector. Essentially it used a smaller version of a MAC to blast a high velocity ball of Plasma. Thermopylae had two, mounted co-axially to her two MAC guns.
"Where is Captain Leyton Commander?" Said Kelly, addressing the young man sitting in the captain's chair.
"The Captain is just coming up Major. Be careful when he gets here. He's on the warpath about ONI commandeering his ship." Said the Commander. Kelly didn't know his name and had to ask.
"It's Anderson Major. Commander Michael Anderson." As he finished talking the Bridge doors hissed open and a very sour faced looking man stepped in. Captain Lawrence Leyton had gained a bad reputation throughout the UNSC for being a general git. He was rude, sarcastic and generally not nice. Unfortunately he was also the best at commanding ships of Thermopylae's weight class. The prototype desperately needed someone who knew roughly how to work her. Because the honest truth was that she was so new, not a single officer in the fleet knew exactly how she worked. The only officers that knew exactly were the ones who built her. Only a couple of those men and women were on board. The rest were overseeing the construction of Thermopylae's sister ships, Leondias and Minerva.
"So Major. Where are you steering my new ship. Oh and while we're at it, do remember that this is my ship. ONI may have put you in charge of this little field trip, but when it comes to naval affairs, I know what I'm doing and you don't." Kelly merely ignored the old man's barb and gathered them around a large holo-table at the rear of the bridge.
Artemis was already waiting on the table.
"Artemis open the ONI file "Operation Midnight Sonata". Authorisation Beta Aphelion seven six three." The AI nodded and spoke.
"Done Major. But before we begin there is one member of the senior staff that you haven't met." Artemis stepped to the side and a second AI materialised. This one wore the armour of an ancient Greek hoplite and had one of their iconic helmets under his arm. A heavy red cape rested on his shoulders.
"Greetings. My name is Leondias." Said the AI. Captain Leyton started by insulting the AI.
"Artemis, I hardly believe that a dumb AI counts as senior staff." Leondias replied to the insult.
"Actually sir I'm a class three smart AI."
"Then what are you doing aboard with all due respect. Thermopylae Can be run with one AI. Wouldn't it be better for you to be aboard another ship?" Said Andreas as he folded his arms across his broad chest.
"Leondias has only been online for three weeks." Said Artemis. "ONI have started assigning new AIs to those who already run capital ships. All Naval AIs are programmed with the knowledge they need to run a ship. But studies have shown that an AI who is trained is able to control a ship 32% more efficiently than an untrained one. Leondias will be watching everything I do as well as controlling point defence."
Kelly rested her hands on the table and looked at each of the officers around the table in turn. Andreas was to her right, looking into space. O'Brien stood beside him. The ODST was dwarfed by the massive Spartan and looked slightly child like compared to the stern officers. Commander Anderson stood opposite Kelly with the arrogant Leyton to his left. The AIs stood at opposite ends of the table. Kelly began to speak.
"Our Mission has two stages." She said. "Firstly we will head to the Epsilon Eridani system and rendezvous with battle group Eridani at the edge of the system." As Kelly spoke Artemis displayed a map of the system with the position of the fleet.
"What ships are in the battle group?" Asked Commander Anderson. Leondias answered his question as Artemis displayed holographic representations of the ships. Each on was highlighted as Leondias spoke.
"The fleet consists of the Marathon class carriers Keep what you steal and New Mombasa. The Destroyers Lord Nelson, Apache and On my mind. Five frigates all armed with MAPP batteries. As well as three ships from the Sanghelli fleet of "Burning Redemption" which are the Angel of Redemption, the Illustrious crusader and the Divine prophet.
"We are to rendezvous with the fleet at the edge of the system." Said Kelly. "We shall then aid the fleet in pushing through a Covenant blockade around Reach."
"Reach was glassed just before the end of the war. Why would the Covenant have any interest in it? Why do we for that matter?" Asked O'Brien.
"Actually Reach was only partially glassed Lieutenant. At least eighteen percent of the world is untouched." Said Andreas.
"And how would you now Spartan?" Asked Leyton.
"Because I was there, Captain." Said Andreas with no small amount of venom.
Artemis provided the explanation the group were seeking.
"During the fall of Reach. Doctor Catherine Halsey and a group of Spartan IIs, including Major Kelly, recovered a Forerunner artefact from under ONI's CASTLE base." She said.
"Most likely the Covenant will be scrounging for more." Said Anderson.
"There is another reason they could be lurking about." Said Leondias. "Scientists are using Reach as a testing ground for a Forerunner terraforming bomb recovered from Delta Halo." Said the AI.
"This is all very fascinating but we are getting side tracked." Said Leyton. Kelly resumed speaking.
"After dealing with the Covenant at Reach we are to head for the Heinan system." Said Kelly. She noted O'Brien's reaction to the planets name.
"ONI believes there is a treasure trove of Forerunner artefacts. Our job is to find Forerunner facilities and basically, make off with what ever isn't nailed down."
"So we're going grave robbing?" Asked Andreas.
"In short, yes. But we are only taking what can be transported safely. The rest will be seen to by Archeotechnologists that will be arriving when we have secured the planet."
After a further hour finalising mission details, Kelly's briefing was over.
"Is there any more questions?" Asked Kelly. Andreas cautiously raised his hand like a school boy.
"Since this mission was cooked up, not a single person has bothered to tell me about this hulk." Artemis and Leondias both frowned at the soldier's choice of word for their ship. A holographic representation of Thermopylae hovered over the table.
"UNSC Thermopylae is the prototype for the Thermopylae class carrier. She has a crew compliment of 1545 plus another 800 marines." Said Artemis. Section of the holographic ship turned red, highlighting the ship's weapon systems.
"Thermopylae has two high powered magnetic accelerator cannons mounted on either side of the hull, parallel to the bridge. She also has two magnetically accelerated plasma projectors mounted co-axially to the MAC guns." Leondias paced around the ship as he continued listing Thermopylae's weapons and defences.
"In total, the ship has twenty archer missile batteries mounted at strategic positions around the hull. Each battery has thirty missile pods that each contain twenty four missiles. This gives a total of 14400 individual devices." Concluded Leondias. Andreas was slack jawed.
"That is an insane amount of missiles. I knew Thermopylae was big but, exactly how big is she?" Asked Andreas as he tried to calculate how much damage the ship could do, even though he hadn't heard the whole list of weapon systems.
"She is around 2003 meters in length so slightly longer than a Marathon class cruiser." Said Artemis.
"Anything else? Because it sounds like you've got a small fleet forged into this thing. Along with a large compliment of kitchen sinks." Said Andreas.
"Actually yes Staff Captain. For point defence, Thermopylae has a number of non linear projection turrets. In essence, giant Spartan lasers. The Sangehelli have also provided an energy shield generator but it is not yet operational. We will have to rely on our 60cm of Titanium A grade armour." Said Artemis. Andreas muttered something along the lines of "Jesus Christ".
"If that's all, you are all dismissed." Said Kelly as Andreas walked away, muttering under his breath about the ship's destructive potential.