Captain Marcus Roberts (ret.)
Actium Spaceport
May 6th 01:00 hours
Roberts and Reginald sped down 1st avenue in what remained of downtown Real; Actiums capital city. The SUV was riddled with plasma burns and blood from running down unsuspecting ground forces. They were driving dangerously close to the glassed part of the city.
"Are you sure about this Reginald? The SUVs wheels are bullet proof, not plasma and smouldering glass proof" Roberts asked
"Yes for the 10th time; yes. 1st Avenue should take us straight to the spaceport" Reginald confirmed
"Damnit there's another one" Roberts said, adjusting the SUV's direction to hit a lonely Covenant Grunt walking down the street
"Was that truly necessary sir?" Reginald asked
"Nope, that's what makes it fun" Roberts responded
The SUV hummed as the pair continued down the war-torn street until arriving at the spaceport gate where thousands of people had gathered seeking entrance into Actium's Space Elevator. Roberts put the SUV in park and looked around; taking in his surroundings
No less than 12 hours ago these people would be lying by their pools or shopping at the local boutique. Now, they are crowded together like cattle for warmth. The rain had let up and the Covenant ship had disappeared back above the sky. It had left its toll though, no building was untouched, no street was clean of bodies or destruction. Those who weren't crying in fear where either dead or in total shock.
"Were not getting any farther in this thing, we'll do the rest on foot" Roberts stated, opening the drivers side door of the SUV
"We're going to walk sir?" Reginald asked
"Common Reginald, a little exercise won't kill you"
"No but the aliens that are roaming these streets will"
"Ahh lighten up Reginald, do these people look like aliens?"
"No sir"
"Then lets get moving"
Roberts and Reginald made their way to the main gate. A sign hung beside the gate, tattered and worn
"This complex and the Military complex are the property of UNSC. Trespassers will be shot on sight" it read
"Very welcoming" Reginald said
There were hundreds of people shaking the fence begging to leave the hell that was about to greet them. there were only two marines standing guard at the chain-link fence. The only security measure it had was barbed wire inverted at 60 degrees. The pair approached the fence where a family was pleading for help
"Please I have 3 small children, We can't stay here! Please let us in" the mother pleaded
"Im sorry ma'am but the space elevator is closed, no ones goes up or down" the Marine replied
"We're going to die out here" She continued to plead
"Im sorry ma'am; we have our orders"
The women gathered her children and walked away. She started to cry while still trying to calm her children who, in turn, were also crying. some calling for food and some calling for their father
"Excuse me ma'am, do you have a second"
"Yes, what do you need" asked the mother, wiping away some tears. Roberts handed her the Keys to the SUV
"These are the keys to my SUV, its armored and there's more then enough room for you and your children. if you need to, the GPS will lead to my home there's a emergency bunker and plenty of food for you and your children"
"Thank you but...why are you doing this?"
"Ill let you think about that when you're driving AWAY from here"
"You have my thanks sir" she replied, wiping off her face
Roberts waited for the mother and her children to get in the truck and drive away before proceeding to the gate
"Sir, before you ask the…" the Marine was cut off
"Captain Marcus Roberts- UNSC Avenger" Roberts barked, slamming his military ID onto the fence for the marine to see
"Sorry sir right this way" the marine stated
"Much appreciated" Roberts thanked as he moved through the gate, but closing it before Reginald could make it through
"Umm, sir?" Reginald stated
"Whos he?" the Marine asked
"He's with me, Marine, Thats all you need to know"
"Of course sir" The Marine said cautiously reopening the gate to allow Reginald into the base
"Where is Commander Minteith?"
"I believe he is up in the Command Center with the other officers sir"
"Thank you son, godspeed" Roberts smiled and patted the soldier on the back and made his way across the field to the buildings at the south end of the complex. The air got a lot more cold in a short of amount of time as Roberts and Reginald crossed the field. Not a few hours ago there were soldiers playing soccer and ODST's doing drills. Roberts shook his head and cleared his mind, he needed to be in the moment. The pair ran up the stairs and made their way to the base's Command Center and found Jones, Clark and Davis waiting outside
"Captain?" Davis asked
Roberts stormed by them and made his way for the door of the command center
"Whoa, cowboy!" Jones said moving in front of the door "The hell has gotten into you?"
"I need to talk to Minteith"
"They're in a meeting, now answer my question"
"They took her, the bastards took her" Roberts replied
"What? Who?" Jones replied
"Julie, the took Julie!" Roberts exclaimed
"The Covenant never take prisoners" Clark stated
"Well they did today, and I intend to get her back" Roberts replied, channeling his anger.
Roberts pushed past Jones and kicked down the door to the command room. The officers were crowded around a Holo table with a virtual map of Real displayed in light blue and a holo-projected covenant cruiser hanging above.
"Captain Roberts?" Minteith said with a confused look on his face
"You know this man?" Wright asked
"Yes sir, Captain what are you doing?" Minteith asked
"There...are thousands of civilians waiting to get off planet. People, INCLUDING my wife are getting kidnapped off the streets and you people are just sitting here with your thumbs up your asses doing, what exactly?' Roberts said as calmly as possible, fearing he might snap with his anger
"Captain, the situation is being controlled, we are planning our best options of defence measures then waiting for reinforcements from…"
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH" Roberts said, slamming his sidearm on the holotable. Wright walked to Roberts and picked up the Magnum addressing with as much respect as he could muster
"Captain, from what i understand you are no longer a military man, you have no clearance to be on this base, nor in this room. You're a civilian. This is not the moment for brash actions. Now, you can leave now with your dignity for i will have these fine gentlemen throw you off this base and in with the rabble massing outside"
Roberts snatched his sidearm back from Wright and holstered it, looking into Wright's eyes
"You might not have known the man whose position you stole, but let me tell you this boy, Your daddy can't protect you out here, his resources won't get you back from the covenant or resurrect you from the dead and I can ASSURE you your stupidity will get you into one of those situations. Or worse, it will get your men killed. If you won't help these people, then I will"
"You do that, you'll die before night's end" Wright said bluntly
"Then I'll see you in HELL!" Roberts exclaimed, streaming out of the command room
Commander Akono Menteith- 53d Armored Division, 1st Regiment
ONI/UNSC Joint Command Headquarters- Actium Spaceport
May 6th 2545 1:05 hours
Minteith agreed with Roberts, if they just sat around talking, people where going to die. But Wright and that new woman Dare were very insistent on waiting for backup. Minteith wasn't exactly ok with committing mutiny in the middle of a planet-wide invasion, not without a solid reason.
"Permission to speak freely sir?" Minteith asked
"Granted" Wright said putting his hands on his hips, looking at the broken door
"The captain had a point, we need to move those people, it's a miracle the covenant have not taken down the elevator already or at least glassed the thousands of people grouped there"
"We can't" Wright said
"The elevator is government owned how…" Minteith asked
"Its not, it was sold years ago to a private firm" Wright said slowly
"We privatised space accessibility?" Minteith asked
"the people weren't using it and the company was more than generous with their offer" Wright insisted
"Unbelievable" Minteith stated
"Sir we have a situation developing outside" A marine said, barging into the conversation
"What is it soldier?" Wright asked
"The crowd is trying to break through the fence to the elevator" The marine replied
"Commander!" Wright yelled "Mobilize the division, increase forward defences I don't want anything to get through"
"We're going to fire on our own people sir?" Minteith asked
"They made their choice. Defend the compound by all means necessary. Dare, In my office now"
Minteith clenched his fists. this was crossing the line. firing on unarmed civilians to protect corporate property. this made him sick, but orders we're orders'
"Good soldiers follow orders" Minteith told himself "Wright is in command whether I like it or not" Minteith could repeat it a million times in his head and it wouldn't feel right, if he couldn't justify this to himself, how would he convince 12,000 of his fellow soldiers to do the same? Minteith left the command room flustered and a tad scared.
"Whats the plan sir?" Jones asked?
"Mobilize the division, prep for a combat mission"
"finally some action, time for the hinge heads to get whats coming to them"
Minteith was immobilized by that last statement by Clark
"I need to head back inside, get everyone ready in the field" Minteith ordered
"Will do sir"
Minteith needed closure on this, he needed to find out what to do from someone he trusted. he head inside the command office. there where a few soldiers working on terminals and talking on headsets to other ground units
'Everybody clear out, I need to make a call" The soldiers looked puzzled by what Minteith said, why would he be making a call now? "Im sorry, did I stutter? Get moving!"
The soldiers reluctantly got up out of their seats and headed for the door
"Dallas, please connect me to the UNSC Neptune" Minteith ordered. A holographic AI showed up on the holotable. He was dressed as your typical cowboy that highly resembled John Wayne. he was chewing on a (holographic) piece of hay while spinning his six shot revolver in his hand
"Why of course commander" Dallas said, taking the piece of vegetation out of his mouth to talk clearly "This another one of 'em personal calls to the Admiral?"
"Yes please Dallas, and a secure connection this time"
"Sure thing, Pilgrim, just give me a sec. There you go. You too have fun.
"Commander Minteith, what can I help you with" Admiral Winters asked
"Nothing too big sir, your reinforcements will be enough" Minteith stated, finishing a formal salute
"My what?" Winters asked
"Your reinforcements? Colonel Wright told us you called for reinforcements when the Covenant arrived" Minteith confirmed
The Admiral sprung out of his seat with surprise
"They're there, ON Actium?" Winters questioned
"Yes sir, Wright sent out the Winter Contingency alert hours ago, you didn't receive it?" Minteith asked
"We have received no such warning, nor did I order troops to deploy onto Actium. What the hell is going on over there Commander?" Winters asked
"Good question sir, I think its time to find out" Minteith stated
Supreme Commander Alei 'Komtaree- 1st fleet of Glorious Consequence
Low orbit over Actium
9th Age of Reclamation
Alei stormed through the halls of his supercarrier his hands clenched into fists as he walked onto the bridge. He walked to his seat into the center of the bridge and took a seat, the chair automatically turned to face the dozens of elites and grunts working on the terminals below
"Commander, the hierarchs demand an audience with you"
"Put them through" Alei stated. A few seconds passed until a large holographic image of the Prophet of Truth was projected around 10x his normal size.
"Commander, my thanks for taking time from your campaign to talk with us"
"Noble Prophet of Truth I've stayed my blade long enough, let me dispose of these humans and move on"
"I have discussed the situation with the council and we have come to a decision, you are to prepare for our arrival to this world"
"I...dont understand"
"The Luminary told us this world holds a great many secrets and we wish to be there when they are discovered. You are not to harm this world again, We are concerned that the...cleansing will harm the artifacts below"
"By your word, hierarch, when will you leave for this world?"
"I already have" Truth explained "What of the female youve acquired?"
"We believe she will grant us access but we won't be sure until we arrive at the relic"
"The gods will light the path for you Commander, follow it and it will show you the way.
"I live to serve. We shall be prepared"
Truth nodded and ended the transmission, leaving Alei to his thoughts. he wondered what majesty laid below, what secrets could be told, but such things were not of his concern. he had orders, The Hierarchs would be coming; here. in order to ensure the prophets safety he had to exterminate the vermin living on the surface. An elite walked up to Alei
"What are our orders Supreme Commander"
"Prepare The dropships, it's time we eradicate this filth and finish what we started"
Agent Veronica Dare
Actium Space Elevator
May 6th 2545 01:40 hours
"I dont like this sir, the situation has gotten out of hand" Dare questioned
"This never concerned you before" Stanforth stated
"You told me they wouldn't find us here" Dare replied
"I said it was unlikely" Stanforth said bluntly
"This is my home sir, I hate to see it in ruin"
"Then why did you suggest this system? If you wanted to keep your homeworld safe, why lead them here?" Stanforth questioned. Dare sighed repeating the statement she previously told Wright
"Because its the least populated system under UNSC control which means low human casualties
"Exactly my point Dare, Actium will recover from this ordeal and the Covenant won't know what hit them. I will be arriving soon with reinforcements. Fear not Agent Dare, Actium will live to see another day"
"Of course sir, its for the greater good"
"Sir the UNSC Poseidon has 're hailing us"
"Veronica i need to go. Its good to see we are on the same page, Stanforth out"
"What was that all about?" Wright asked, taking a bite from his apple
"Just getting an update from Stanforth" Dare stated
"You're not getting cold feet are you?" Wright asked
"Of course not" Dare said with some hesitation
"Then what's wrong? Wright wondered
"My homeworld is getting assaulted by an overzealous alien race and you're wondering what's wrong?" Dare asked
"Oh please Dare, There's no going back now. What we've done, the laws we've broken you need to get a grip"
"The Cole Protocol is in use for a reason, Joseph. Its supposed to be upheld to protect people, not to break it for our own reasons"
"To win the war"
"Whatever the reason, it's still high treason"
"Thats just a threat to keep everyone in line, the UNSC doesen't have time to carry out capital punishment anymore" Wright said, taking the last bite from his apple before disposing of it on the ground
"It still feels wrong" Dare said
"You'll be singing a different tune when we capture that ship, trust me" Wright stated, lightly hitting Dare on the shoulder. Wright walked off leaving Dare alone again. She watched as skyscrapers burnt and the sound of gunfire scattered across the fallen city. She wondered if her parents were ok, if they got her warning. Perhaps they were among the crowd waiting to get up the Space Elevator. Those poor people had no idea what was coming. What plans her and ONI had set in motion.
"Its going to be a long night" she said to herself
"Your damn right it is" a voice said. Dare turned to her right to find the business end of a M6C pointed at her head. she recognized the figure holding the PDW and the three figures behind him
"Commander, I don't know what you're thinking, but it's a mistake" Dare said as she was thrown against the wall
"No, what you did was a mistake, and you're going to pay for it" Minteith stated
"Sir, we've got the Colonel in custody" Jones said
Wright came from around the corner, handcuffed and escorted by two marines
Wright laughed
"You son of a bitch Commander. My father is going to take you for everything you have and everything you will have. THIS IS MUTINY!"
"Really, because i think this arrest warrant has your father's name on it. Minteith pulled out the arrest warrant for Dare, Wright, and Stanforth, the paper had the signatures of the UNSC Security committee
UNSC Army: Major General Nicolas Strauss
Office of Naval Intelligence: Admiral Serin Osman
UNSC Marine Corps: General Hogan
UNSC Air Force: General Dellert
And there at the bottom was the most important signature; Brigadier General Allen Wright
"Take the traitors away" Minteith stated. The marines finished handcuffing Dare and marched them away. Dare and the marines started away followed by Wright who looked like he was going to cry. Minteith stopped them and addressed his former CO
"One last thing before you go Wright. Its Colonel Minteith to you now" Minteith stated, gesturing the marines to continue on. Clark, Jones and Davis watched as the marines hauled away Wright and they holstered their weapons
"What are your orders, Colonel?" Davis asked
"I thinks its time something of the covenants burned for a change" Minteith said as Aiel's Super Carrier lowered from the clouds. The four looked out to the skyline watching as the Covenant deployed forces back onto the ground
"Never thought i'd say this, but thank god the Helljumpers are here" Clark stated
"Here, here" Minteith said softly