Chapter 11

Asari Dreadnought Destiny Ascension

Serpent Nebula, Holding position around the Relay known as Relay 314,

Joining in the amassed Turian Fleets.

Matriarch Lidanya paced back and forth between her subroutines, console looking over their shoulders at the reading displayed by their holographic consoles.

"Matriarch, we are receiving coordinates from the Turian Flagship. The Dreadnought Warbringer." Reported an Asari sitting at a holographic console. "Putting it up on screen now."

The main projector of the Dreadnought's CIC shifted and projected the Tactical data of the Turian fleets, as well the five other Asari Dreadnoughts currently escorting the Destiny Ascension.

"Move us into position," Ordered Lidanya as she survey the gathering of citadel fleets. Currently there is already a total of 6 Citadel fleet amassed of them 3 provided by the Turian Hierarchy. "Sensors how many ships are there in total?"Added the Lidanya as she lost count.

"Sensors are picking up a total of 20 dreadnoughts including our own, the Turian have sent a total of 10 Dreadnoughts and the Salarian have 5 and we have the rest. I'm also picking up a total of 145 Cruisers and around 390 Frigates." Reported the sensor officer as she run through the sensor scans with the train eye of a professional.

"Detecting an incoming relay jump, sensors indicate a frigate massed object, Standby" added another Sensor operator as she try to ascertain the incoming vessel's identity. "…Identity confirmed, it's the Turian Stealth frigate."

"Hail the Frigate on an open channel, let's see what intel they have managed to gather" Ordered Lidanya as she settle into her command chair.

"Channel open, Matriarch" Reported the communication operator.

"General Spetimus Orake, It's good to see you and your crews have come back in one piece. Did the Salarian managed to gather anything?" Ask Lidanya.

"No, we were spotted before the Salarian STG managed to gather anything remotely useful. So far only pieces of armour and computer chips from destroyed ships, most are already smaller than my palm." Replied the Turian General with a snort.

"Spotted?" Frowned Lidanya" Can you elaborate?" Asked the Matriarch as she began to read the data collected by the frigate.

"One of the ships has plotted an intercept course just as we have deployed the Salarian STG teams. We were forced to withdraw because of that." Replied the General.

Suddenly the com sputtered as another person entered the conversation "Amazing…. Possible breakthrough…. in technology!" Came the distinctive fast talking speech of a Salarian.

"What the….. Professor Mordin Solus" Roared the Spetimus Orake as he traced the signal. "I'm having a debriefing with the Asari Matriarch and will appreciate it if you do not interrupt."

"Don't understand… technology far beyond… most certainly surpassed our own!" replied the Salarian in an excited voice.

Sighing loudly through the coms, General Spetimus Orake finally relented "Fine what have your team managed to find?"

The holographic projector in both ships' CIC shifted and display what looks like an outdated computer console.

"That? It's probably worth a few thousand credits as an antique!" Laughed Spetimus as he examined the hologram.

"No wait" said the Asari matriarch as she frowned as an underlying detail "There's more to it than meets the eye isn't it Mordin?"

"Yes… Crystal compound used…. Capable of supporting large data….. Estimated to increase data storage by…. 150 percent!" Yelled the Salarian excitedly as he shifted the hologram to show the inner working of the computer system. "Another interesting detail" Added the Salarian as he once again shifted the holograms of the two ships. The holograms blacked out and displayed a series of repeating 1 and 0.

"What now? You managed to convert the alien language into binary? Well done on such a feat Professor!" Remarked Septimus Orake sarcastically.

"No ….. received directly from the computer system itself." Replied Solus as he slowly calmed down. There was a hushed silence as the participant of the meeting consider the implication involved with such a find.

Breaking the silence, Lidanya said "so we can communicate using computer language. It's not the start we were hoping for …. But it's still a start."

"Now that's over I'll be returning to the Warbringer and get the fleets underway" said the Turian General before cutting the com channel. Moments later amassed Citadel fleet began their slow jump arrangement to pass through the Mass relay…..

UNSC Modified Colony ship Spirit of Fire

Sarum star system, 2563, September, 19th

Awaiting arrival of the reinforcing 5th fleet.

"Captain something is coming in through the alien artifact" reported Serina as the Spirit of Fire's sensor picked up incoming echoes. "Echo profile suggest the Alien race that had a nasty run in with the Covenant Loyalist and they brought friends lots of them!"

"Alert the fleet, charged up our MAC gun and arm archer missile silos F through G. ETA on the unknown fleet's arrival?" Asked Cutter as he settled into the command chair with a cup of the dwindling coffee supply in hand.

"Judging from data, I'll put the ETA at approximate 8 minutes. Mac guns are charge is hholding at 60% and charging at 6% per minute. Reactors power flow is dropping towards 40% critical low limit." Reported the AI as she examine the ship which was her physical body.

"Captain incoming transmission from the Shadow of Intent!" reported the com officer as he put the transmission on the tactical screen.

The Sangheili vessel's control room appeared and the massive towering Sangheili Fleetmaster Rtas Vadum appeared.

"It seems we have some uninvited guest Human, move your ship near the Keyship, I'll deal with these arrogant newcomers."

"Very well, Serina do it." Said Cutter before the com channel was cut.

The Colony ship began pulling away from the Sangheili fleet it's engines flaring blue as it move into position above the Forerunner Keyship. There was a errie silence as eight minutes ticked by on Cutter's antiqued clockwork watch.

The unknown fleets arrived with no detectable flash of light and a massive combined Citadel fleet emerged around the Mass Relay.

"Captain, I'm detecting an open com channel from the Shadow of Intent" reported Serina as she began to scan and catalog the unknown fleet.

"Put it on speaker Serina" ordered Cutter as he assessed the massive fleet. All throughout the fleet were ships of different designs, suggesting either different fractions or races.

The deep voice of Rtas Vadum emerged from the ships speakers. "This Rtas Vadum Fleetmaster of the Covenant Separatist. State your intention or we'll open fire."

There was an errie silence through the com channels as no response was emited. Suddenly, "Captain, Fleetmaster, I'm receiving a large data package from the unknown ships. It's in binary… Translating" reported Serina as she began converting the computer language.

"I see, it's a translation package of their languages. Along with some particularly well hidden viruses which have been isolated." Reported the AI microseconds later. "Replaying the Fleetmaster's transmission in their language"

The Com channel was filled with the alien's language as Serina translated and transmit Rtas's original transmission. There was a full 5 second delay before a transmission was transmitted by the unknown.

"This is Asari Matriach, Lidanya, in charge of the Dreadnought Destiny Ascension. We come in peace. We are hoping to establish relation with your race." Responded a female voice through the communication channel.

However before a reply can be transmitted, alert sensors blared throughout the bridge. "Captain detecting multiple incoming slipspace ruptures." The tactical hologram shifted and show multiple greenish white portal that open at the edge of the system.

"Awww shit….." cursed a crewman as more Covenant vessels emerged from the portals.

CSN Shadow of Intent

Sarum system

In the middle of diplomatic talks.

"Fleetmaster multiple slipspace ruptures detected. It's not the Human 5th fleet." Reported the sensor minor.

"Receiving incoming audio transmission" reported the com officer.

"This is the Covenant Loyalist Assault Carrier High Charity Renewed, we lay claim to this system and all infidels shall burn before the us." Came the unmistakable voice of a San'Syum. "The Gods' will be Done!"

Before the com channel disconnected. Rtas Vadum roared with rage and snarled into his personal com channel "All ship Charge weapons! Target those Loyalist and fire at will!"

"What! Wait I'm sure we can negotiate a peaceful solution" come the voice of the Asari Matriach.

"They will not" Snarled Rtas Vadum as he diverted his attention to the Matriach Lidanya. "They are religious fanatic that believe a superweapon on a massive scale to be a path of transcendence."

"I'm sure they can be reasoned with!" replied the Asari with a slight hesitation before determination steeled her voice. The com channel to the Asari dreadnought cut out and the kilometer long ship move itself into the middle of the two opposing fleet.

"Fleetmaster the 'Asari' is broadcasting on an open frequency." Reported the com officer as he furrow his eyes at the signal.

"Foolish" was the only comment that Rtas spat out. "Helm full power to engines, place ur between those foolish creatures and the loyalist!"

They was a nod of acknowledgement before the Shadow of Intent's massive engine assembly fired quickly catching up to the Asari dreadnought. Even as the Assault Carrier chased after the Destiny Ascension, the Asari Matriarch broadcast on an open channel.

"This is the Asari Dreadnought Destiny Ascension, please stop surely we can negotiate this without raising our weapons?" asked the Asari hopefully.

There was a minute of silence as the loyalist fleet stopped raising the hope in the Asari before they spun and presented their boardside. Bright red motes of plasma gathered as they prepare to fire.

"Evasive maneuvers!" shouted the Turian general on the secure com before a large shadow covered the Destiny Accension. The bolts of plasma splash across the shield of the massive Assault carrier Shadow of intent, causing it to flicker as it withstood the bombardment of 8 plasma torpedoes.

"Return fire!" snarled Rtas as the ops officer reported the drain in the shield system. The was moment of inactivity before bright purple molts light gathered as the fore hull of the Shadow of Intent, before the capacitors discharged the massive amount of stored energy. The beam of photon erupted from the ship's energy projector neatly slicing a Loyalist CCS battle cruiser in half.

"Confirmed kill fleet master!" reported the sensor officer even as 6 bolts of plasma torpedo detached from the ships side and hurled into the 2 destroyers in the small fleet. The destroyers' shield flashed and flicker as they repelled the first two torpedoes before the final one gutted them in the command center. Both ships' running light flicker before dying, dead in space.

Not to be out done the remaining Separatist fleet opened fire, filling the space between them and the loyalist with a wall of plasma. The CCS battlecruisers fired their energy projectors seconds later, holy white-blue streams of charged photons cutting into the ranks of the loyalist fleet as their shields died from the intense plasma bombardment.

On Rtas tactical screen, 30 of the loyalist vessels flickered out as the tactical officer marked them out of the fight. "Numbers of ship left?" growled Rtas as he examined the fight.

"420 of varying classes!" reported the sensor officer." They out number us 6 to 1"

"Then it's a fair fight" whispered Rtas as he sent orders for a few ships to reposition.

There was a sudden sensor alarm before 4 more loyalist ships detonated in balls of flame, their reactors holed by the light MAC rounds. "Contact the human shipmaster" ordered Rtas as he nodded his approval of the human's support fire.

"Fleetmaster" greeted Cutter as he examined his own tactical hologram.

"Any response from your boarding party human?" asked Rtas as he selected another loyalist ship for destruction. Suddenly the Assault carrier shook as a nearby battlecruiser detonated in the loyalist return fire.

"One message, hold them off for 10 minutes." Replied cutter as his ship took a stray pulse laser in the front.

"10 minutes? Very well human" As his mandibles split into an equivalent of a smile.

"Fleetmaster! The unknown fleet is moving to engage the Loyalist!" Shouted the sensor officer as he place the view on screen.

The hologram show hundreds of frigates charging the loyalist their small mass accelerator firing rapid bursts at the loyalist. The shields of the loyalist fleet simply shrugged off the incoming barrages from the frigates and redirected their point lasers at them. Multiple fireballs bloomed as dozens of frigates detonated as their core was breached.

The Dreadnoughts and cruisers that stayed behind opened fire, their larger round smashing into the shields but doing no damage what so ever. "Pitiful" thought Rtas as his fleet fired another barrage of plasma torpedoes.

General Septimus Orake growled as he watched dozen of Turian frigates detonated under return fire of the enemy lasers. "All capital ships fire at will!" the dreadnoughts and cruisers under his command responded band he watch with disdain as the rounds smashed into the enemy shields doing no damage to the hull.

"General I suggest we concentrate fire on one ship at a time" came the fast talking voice of a Salarian. "It may hasten the lowering of the enemies' kinetic barriers."

"Very well all capital ship target this vessel!" ordered Orake as he highlighted one of the enemy's destroyers. The concentrated fire of the Citadel fleet smashed into the destroyer, its shields flicker and died before the barrage even completed.

"Sir, the frigates are in optimum range for their Disruptor torpedoes, they are requesting permission to use them!" reported the tactical officer as he filter through the data on his console.

"Give them the go ahead. Retarget, this one." Muttered Orake even as dozens of the enemy vessels detonated under the other fleet's combined fire. "Status of the Destiny Ascension?"

"Lightly damaged, some of the plasma bleeded through her kinetic barriers when the large ship cover her!" reported the sensor officer.

The General winced as another dozen of frigate went up in spectacular fire balls. The surviving frigates launched their loaded torpedoes at the enemy vessel and turned tailed to prepare for another pass.

The torpedoes flew the distance even as accurate pulse laser picked them off. Of the 300 fired, only a disappointing 40 got through and detonated on the enemy shields. The warheads exploded, their unstable mass effect fields destabilizing and collapsing the enemy shields in seconds. A sudden Bright beam of light filled the screen before one of the Turian Dreadnoughts detonated from its holed mass effect core.

Yelling an unintelligent curse, Orake nodded to the com officer. There was a delay before thousands of citadel ships arrived enmassed through the mass relay poised for a fight.

…..

"By the Forerunners," muttered a crew member as thousands of ships from the citadel fleet poured into the system. Rtas nodded with understanding, the sheer amount of ships were stunning.

"Fleetmaster! Detecting incoming slipspace jumps!" roared a sensor officer to be heard over the cries of report flowing through the air.

"More Brutes?" Growled Rtas as he return his attention to the tactical screen.

"No, slispace signatures are not a match! Wait incoming transmission! Putting it on screen." Replied the officer.

"This is Admiral Ivan Cole of the UNSC 5th fleet to all the loyalist bastard in this system, welcome to your worst nightmare!" As the transmission ended, 900 individual slipspace portal opened, dumping the human reinforcement into the already crowded star system.

….

"This is Admiral Ivan Cole of the UNSC 5th fleet to all the loyalist bastard in this system, welcome to your worst nightmare!" said Cole over the com channel as he appraised the situation. "All ships engage at will!"

Author's note: well all party members are present and accounted for, time for the mayhem to begin!