Hey guys, Azores here.
First off, I would like to apologize for taking so long. I don't have any good excuses, other than I've just been lacking the drive lately and I've been seeking out help from other writers in the Fanfic community. (Which has been much appreciated and very helpful.)
Second, with how slowly these prologues are progressing in-story, I think my earlier assessment of how many there would be was wrong. While I don't know the exact number, I think somewhere around 20 Prologues may occur before we get to the 'Road to Genin' era. (I'm not entirely certain as it may end up being more. I want to cover the majority of the major events that occur and backstories for certain characters in this era, so we do not have to do a bunch of flashbacks and whatnot.) I want to make sure the backstory is covered properly and with relative thoroughness so that there isn't any confusion as to what's going on. I may end up making the prologue and 1st Arc two separate stories.
Also, the initial 15 years before RTG era setup has been pushed to 20 years, meaning that the RTG era will happen sometime around 2564.
One last thing, I'm also looking for a beta reader to read my chapters before I release them. (Every time I go back and read old chapters I keep noticing a few mistakes or missing words, and it's so damn irritating trying to locate them all.)
Also, RIP to both Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, who both committed suicide on 05/17/2017 and 07/20/2017 respectively. Both were fantastic and talented artists that I grew up listening to, especially Linkin Park. I was devastated to hear when both of these great singers had committed suicide.
Guys, this doesn't need to be said, but suicide isn't anything to joke about. I know you probably hear something like this all the time, but if you do know of somebody who's feeling suicidal or you are feeling suicidal, don't stay silent. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's phone number is always available to call for those who are feeling suicidal. (1-800-273-8255) Speak up and let somebody know. You may end up saving a life. Hell, give me a pm if you need someone to talk to. I can't guarantee how much help I can be, but I'm willing to listen and help as best I can.
Anyway, on to the chapter. Hope you enjoy!
11/11/17-Happy Veterans Day!
!WARNING!
This story contains content not suited for younger readers, such as Violence, Blood and Gore, Language, and Explicit Sexual Content. This Chapter's Rating will be placed at T-Rated. Future Chapters may, and most likely will switch back and forth between the T and M ratings.
Regardless, Reader Discretion for this Chapter is advised.
I don't Halo or Naruto.
Bold-My Own Words
Bold & Italic-Locations, Time & Calendar
Normal-Narrative
"Normal"-Person Speaking
'Normal'-Thoughts
"Italic"-Foreign Language
'Italic'-Radio Chatter
/Italic\-AI/Computer typing
-Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance.
J. Donald Walters
-Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
General George S. Patton
Prologue Arc-Episode 4
-Making Friends (P.2)-
(Part 4)
June 24, 2543
Sky Country
Kenhaba
The Sukaikage stared at the two Shinobi before him, hands propped up underneath his chin as his cold steel-colored eyes studied all the weapons and armor laid out before the Kage, which Sogo Kotaro had collected in his retreat. On either side of the table, 4 Iron Shadows stood motionless, observing the event and looking for the slightest sign of hostility. They wouldn't need much reason to strike, for guarding the Kage was one of their principal duties. Kenji noted a couple of the weapons and bits of armor had what looked like burns and scorch marks on them, but thought nothing else of it.
The two had already given him their recounting of what happened on Iwamoto, and just how a simple retrieval mission had failed.
Five... out of a force that numbered 120 in total. That's how many had survived the mission to Iwamoto Island. Not only that, but the Takanami, the Empire's newest, state of the art Airship Carrier that had been launched just last fall, was sunk with all hands lost. 500 crewmen. How in the hell was that possible? Granted a third of the force was made up of Genin reinforcements, the initial force of Chunin and Jounin ninja should have been more than enough to deal with a force numbering barely 200 soldiers, none of which could use chakra, according to the report. In essence, the damn report was saying that a bunch of civilian-grade foot soldiers had eliminated a company's worth of highly trained, highly skilled Shinobi and an entire state-of-the-art Aircraft Carrier with its crew.
The reasons that it hadn't caused him to throw a fit about the whole ordeal was the vast amount of good news that's come in this past month. One of which was that their industrial production of goods and weapons was 11% higher than what had been predicted, thanks to their new friend in Esura, the Kingdom of Halland, providing large amounts of material support through trade; new advances in medicine had been made, such as a functioning prosthetic that could be operated by channeling chakra through it, which could allow warriors formerly too injured to go back into service if they so desired, and lastly that the last details of the empire's new alliance, the Iron League, (An ironic name, one that didn't escape him, since Iron Country wasn't included in the coalition.) had been established and finalized. Soon, they would have Earth, Lightning, and Rain Country, as their new allies for the inevitable war with Fire, Marsh, and Demon Country, with Stone, Tea, and Moon Countries, as well as Water Country's Daimyo showing interest in joining the alliance. Everyone would officially sign it in a couple of weeks save for Lightning Country, who would sign at a later date due to them planning to invade Frost Country within the next three months and wanted to ensure that this was dealt with before signing any treaties. Rain Country had recently invaded and occupied Claw Country last year, and was looking to swallow up Grass Country, too. Earth Country, meanwhile, had conquered Bear Country 2 years earlier and was currently eyeing Waterfall Country as its next conquest.
Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke, "You know something, Sogo-san. If you hadn't provided me with this evidence, I would have had you executed for incompetence by now. Or for outright insanity."
"Seems to me that Hideo was the one who went insane, my lord. He always did have a particular weakness when it came to that girl." While no malice was meant in those words, it still earned a glare from the Kage, as Hideo was a favorite of the Kage. Not anything personal, but because he knew that Hideo, along with Kotaro, would get the job done.
"Regardless of Kiyabu's current state or your... evidence, I'm still finding this hard to believe some of the claims made in your reports. Mechanical transports and, infantry weapons of unprecedented power and destructive capability, airships more advanced and destructive than our own? You do realize how utterly absurd your reports are sounding, correct?"
"I assure you, my lord, as much as I wish it weren't, every bit of the report is true. We never stood a chance, regardless of how the first engagement played out. They had us outmatched in every field, including military strength. Their destructive powers were on par and sometimes superior to our own, even without the use of chakra." For Kotaro to admit that the Sky Shinobi couldn't have won was something within itself, as he's regarded as one of the most dedicated to the Sky Empire's cause. That and his impressive record of service were the only reasons Miura Kenji was even remotely taking the Jounin seriously.
"You swear that none of the Shinobi saw these 'black demons' using chakra or ninjutsu? Not even once?"
"Yes, Lord Kage." Kotaro answered, without hesitance, "They either chose not to use their chakra or they simply couldn't use it as we can."
"And these... weapons. I assume they are still in working order?" He asked, gesturing a hand towards the weapons laid out before him.
Kotaro nodded, "I toyed with them merely to gather an understanding of how they operate, to ensure no accidents occurred when our scientist begin testing them. But we refrained from taking them apart so that we wouldn't break them by accident."
"Good." It was a smart move. These weapons were entirely new, and they had no idea as to how they worked, let alone how they were constructed. But Kotaro had also shown initiative, a trait he had always encouraged amongst his followers, and learned at the least how to use the weapon.
Either that, or he was merely trying to make himself useful to prevent an execution. Failure of a mission, depending on what caused the mission to fail, would generally result in punishment of the team involved were they found to be at fault, but the team would usually be allowed to redeem themselves. But, for a failure of this magnitude, especially one where over a hundred Shinobi and an Aircraft Carrier were lost, the punishment was typically death or imprisonment for those in charge. However, everything in the report states that the Shinobi force had no idea the 'black demons' were there, despite extensive recon being conducted to ensure security. That implies that these black demons were either extremely good at stealth, or quite possibly they had merely just arrived and the whole encounter was by sheer chance. Kenji narrowed his eyes, wondering if this all this wasn't the fault of his Shinobi, but had been nothing more than a bad string of luck.
He glanced at the boy next to Sogo. The boy hadn't said a word the entire time. Kenji didn't need to look hard to see he was nervous and outright terrified. How many everyday Shinobi could claim they've had a personal meeting with the Sukaikage? His name escaped Kenji's mind for a few moments before he recalled it. Yasuda Tetsuo. His eyes narrowed at the boy's name. The boy flinched slightly, likely thinking he was in trouble. It was familiar for some reason, but he couldn't quite recall why.
Then it hit him.
"Young man. Yasuda Tetsuo, correct?" Tetsuo stiffened at his name being spoken by the Sukaikage. Nervously, he nodded, "Y-yes, Lord Kage."
"You're not related to Yasuda Ashira by any chance are you?"
Tetsuo blinked, surprised by the question. "He was my father, Lord Kage."
The Kage snapped his fingers as some distant memory came back to him, "That's right! I remember, now. He did have a son."
"Y-you knew him, my lord?" Tetsuo asked. He didn't know much about his father's Shinobi career. His mother had never talked about it much when she was still alive.
Miura Kenji nodded, smirking, "Of course. We were in the same squad as genin."
To find out that your father had been squadmates with the Sukaikage was a genuine surprise. Even Kotaro glanced at the boy, intrigued.
"Apologies, my lord. I wasn't aware. I didn't know him that well." Unsure of what to say or do to such a statement, Tetsuo merely bowed his head slightly.
"Mmm, that's right." Kenji mused, "You would have been maybe 2 when he died. Did your mother not tell you any stories of his?"
Tetsuo shook his head, "She died during the malaria outbreak when I was 6. My Uncle and his family raised me."
The Kage nodded in understanding, "Ah, that's right. I remember that, too. I apologize for not recognizing you at first, young man. Both your father and mother were good people, two of a handful I ever truly considered friends. I was saddened when I learned of your father's murder."
Kotaro wondered if the Kage was just being polite to the boy. His affection for children was well known. 'Children will always be the future of our nation. They must be provided with the best opportunities to succeed and excel in life for both their future and our country's future to remain strong and prosperous.' He had once said. There was also a rumor circulating that he was unable to have children of his own, but nobody would ever dare ask him if such a rumor was true.
At the same time, however, how often does someone hear a Kage reminiscing about their parents?
"T-thank you, Lord Kage."
The Kage nodded, then turned his attention back to Kotaro, "But back to the matter at hand, though. You claim you've familiarized yourself with these weapons, Kotaro."
"Yes. I tried to learn as much as I could as to how they operated and function."
"Then you will show us how they work. These weapons may be of use to us." He rose from his seat as he finished talking, nodding to the team of Iron Shadows to take the various weapons and armor, who stored up the items in scrolls without saying a word. "As for you, young man, you will be debriefed, then sent home to recover. We'll have to get you assigned to a new squad, immediately. Naturally, you should know that you're forbidden to discuss anything spoken about in this room."
The two Shinobi stood up as well, bowing in confirmation of their Kage's order. The door opened to reveal a couple of aides entering the room, awaiting the command of their lord, "Assemble the general staff and summon the industrialists. Make sure Sakuma comes, too. I don't care whatever little pet project he's working on at the moment. We'll need to conduct testing of these weapons and armor for their viability of use for us as soon as possible." The Kage ordered to his aides, who bowed then quickly disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. "Captain." One of the Iron Shadows went to attention, "Get to the telegraph station and have a message sent to Shogun Kuribayashi, tell him to report back to Kenhaba immediately and that all offensive operations in the Marsh Front are to be postponed until further notice." The agent didn't bow or reply, instead merely disappearing in a puff of smoke.
While Tetsuo may now be in the clear, Kotaro knew that the next few days would likely decide whether he would live or die. But he was reasonably confident that he would impress the general staff with these new weapons he had acquired. He and Tetsuo both stood and placed their fist over their chest, bowing as their Kage dismissed them, then followed a squad of Iron Guardsmen out of the room to leave the building, going separate ways as they left the room. Both of their futures were still uncertain, but now the odds looked much better than beforehand.
Later... Night Time
Kenhaba
Fujigata Markets going towards the Yatari Residential Area
Kenhaba's nightlife was buzzing with nearly as much activity as it had during the day. People bustled in the streets, either heading to homes or shops or advertising their wares and items for all and any to buy, with dozens of paper and stone lanterns or window lights illuminating the streets. Music filled the air from several taverns and concert halls spread out across the city, and in the distance, a steam locomotive could be heard whistling as it departed from the train station. From the northern part of the city, great billowing clouds of smoke rose up from the factories of the industrial sector, the forges always burning away, producing goods and materials for the growing city. Iron Guardsmen patrolled the streets, maintaining the peace and keeping on the lookout for any criminal activity.
It was amazing to think that just 20 years ago this very street would have looked like a ghost town, or a slum depending on what area you were talking about.
But 12-year-old Yasuda Tetsuo wasn't focusing on the nightlife. The past couple of weeks had been unforgettable and frankly hellish for him as he walked solemnly down the street to his home. With the whole mission, the weeks spent getting back to Kenhaba, giving their report in person to the Sukaikage, and lastly spending the past couple hours being debriefed, the whole chain of events had both physically and mentally exhausted him. Everyday people walked by him going about their lives, some stopping to bow and thank him for his commitment and service to the empire if they happened to noticed his headband. That was rather funny to him because he didn't feel like he had done anything special or notable for his country. His first mission outside of the empire's borders, and it ends up a complete disaster with his entire team dead. Did just surviving count as serving the empire? Surely not.
Tatsu, Chojiro, and his sensei Mino Kadiri. All of them, dead. His squad mates had died in the opening attack by the unknown attackers, the 'ODST,' whatever that said or meant, torn to bloody ribbons by the enemy's projectile weapons. His sensei, however, had survived with him and ordered him to stay back and tend to any wounded while she went forward with the rest of the unit. Her logic had made sense then since she was more experienced, she should follow the larger group and assist them if there were any more wounded. The only problem was that those 'ODST' weapons didn't wound or even maim the same way an arrow or a blade would. Instead, they left massive gaping wounds that were almost impossible to heal or stabilize unless you knew Medical Ninjutsu, which he hadn't learned yet. Kadiri-Sensei had been planning on teaching him after they came back.
Now, she was dead. One of the survivors of the attacking party, Senzo, a fellow survivor who lost his arm in the attack, claimed that she had been trying to rally a group of Shinobi he was with that were pinned down behind some cover, then seconds later her head exploded in gory fashion by one of those damned projectile weapons.
Placing his hands in his pockets, he tried to take a deep breath, trying to get the disturbing images, those gods awful images out of his head. He didn't succeed too well. He wanted to forget, but the images just wouldn't go away.
Kami, was that what war looked like? No. War isn't usually such a one-sided slaughter.
Turning a street corner, he arrived at the street his house was located on. Walking halfway down, he reached his destination, a modest-sized two story machiya-style house with a sign reading 'Yasuda Noodles' above the entrance.
When Miura seized power, he and the new regime had the building laws changed. Instead of usually allowing architects and builders to design unique homes for each individual family, which was time and resource consuming, the empire had decided upon a half dozen designs that would reduce time spent on housing projects, while also ensuring the families were still reasonably well off and not crammed into space. Tetsuo's home, in particular, was built in a traditional Edo fashion with the first floor was designed with the living room, bath and kitchens comprising the majority of the level past the shop space in front of the building, while the entire second floor was designed as the sleeping quarters of the family.
Stepping through the front door, the doorbell jingle and he was greeted by the sight of a couple men eating quietly at the table counter, and a girl barely a year older than him propped up behind the store counter, bored as she twirled with her dark auburn hair. Not glancing at him at first, the girl spoke, "Good afternoon. Welcome to Yasuda- Tetsuo?"
His cousin, Yasuda Mio, having now seen him, studied his dirtied and matted look disapprovingly. "What happened to you? Fall in some mud or something?" She teasingly asked, not noticing the rather distant and disturbed look on Tetsuo's face, before turning her head back up to the kitchen in the back, "Mom! Dad! Tetsuo's back!" He heard somebody quickly putting down some silverware and dishes, before seeing an older woman rushing out to greet him. Going around the counter, she smiled and wrapped Tetsuo in a hug, "You're home! Thank goodness. I know it's part of your job and all, but you know I can't help but worry about you."
Tetsuo tensed up slightly, but relaxed and smiled as he returned the hug, "Hi, Aunt Koyomi."
Releasing the hug, Koyomi looked him in the eyes, still smiling as she asked him, "So how did your first mission go? I'm sure it was quite the experience going out of the country for the first time."
Tetsuo started to respond, but the images and memories of what happened on Iwamoto came back full swing, making him pause and start breathing heavily as the images of his dead, and dying comrades filled his mind. The sight of Tatsu on her back, her eyes wide open in a shocked and pained expression, with her chest torn opened and her guts sprayed about after being struck by a half dozen projectiles. Chojiro, who had been torn apart by an explosion, so badly that the whole upper part of his body had been unrecognizable. Bodies are torn apart. Explosions strewing about. And that noise. The gods' awful noise. The thunderous cracks that never ceased and the projectiles that made those sounds flying through the air, which the Shinobi quickly learned promised death to anyone standing in their way.
"Are you okay?" He was snapped out of his thoughts by his aunt, who was looking at him concerned. She didn't know much about the Shinobi life with her civilian background, as her husband Kazuko had been medically discharged before the two had met, but she could tell that something was wrong with her nephew.
"Y-yeah," Tetsuo replied, scratching the back of his head nervously and avoided looking her in the eyes.
Koyomi didn't look convinced but didn't press the issue. "Alright. Well, go upstairs and get washed up, then we'll talk about it later, okay?"
She smiled softly, hugging him again, "I'm glad you're home safe." she finished before letting him go and going back behind the counter. Tetsuo watched her enter back into the kitchen, her own long auburn hair swaying slightly as she walked. Walking past the counter and up the stairs, he didn't notice his uncle eying him as he went up.
Yasuda Kazuko quietly watched as his nephew walked up the stairs as he continued working the small kamado cooking stove in front of him. He knew the look in the boy's eyes all too well. He had seen that look more than enough during war amongst genin and recruits fresh out of training after their first major fight.
'He must have partaken in a battle.' He mused as he limped back over to cut up and roll the udon noodle dough, before tossing them into the boiling soup bowl before him. For many recruits, seeing blood and death for the first time was a traumatizing event, especially if you were the one who caused it. Even after being out of the Shinobi Corps for 15 years, the 40-year-old still remembered his first kill, and how he didn't sleep for a whole day afterward.
"Dear." He was brought out of his thoughts by his wife, who was looking at him concerned. He already knew what she was going to ask.
"He must have had his first battle." He replied, throwing in some vegetables into the same bowl with the udon noodles, "He may have even killed someone. Sometimes it happens on your first mission, other times you just merely witness others doing it."
The thought of Tetsuo possibly killing someone mortified Koyomi, who was quick to then asked, "Kami, what can we do for him?"
Kazuko sighed softly, looking back up to the stairs, "The only we can do. Be there for him when he needs it and support him as best we can. The first battle for a warrior affects every one of them differently. Some crack under the stress and simply can't handle it, while others are able to steel their nerves and become stronger for it. For the most part, it'll largely be up to him to come to terms with it."
Stirring the bowl slightly to make sure the ingredients were mixed properly, he then scooped out the soup and poured it into a couple serving dishes for the customers out in front of the store. "Here, take these out to the men out there, and once they're done, we'll close early tonight and go tend to Tetsuo." Kissing his wife on the forehead, he handed the two bowls to Koyomi, who merely nodded and took the bowls out the customers, once again leaving him alone in the kitchen with his thoughts.
When Tetsuo had told him he was joining the Ninja Academy to become a medic-nin, he had initially been against it. Not only did Tetsuo had a soft heart, but he also was much older than what was generally considered the joining age for children, being 9 years old at the time. Because of this, Kazuko didn't think he had what the necessary chakra levels or mentality for the work of a Shinobi, even if it was in a support role. For several weeks, they had gone back and forth on the matter, with Kazuko trying to encourage him to instead become a doctor at one of Kenhaba's hospital, but to no avail. Tetsuo had been set on becoming a medic-nin. So, after much arguing, he had finally relented and let Tetsuo attend the academy. Now after going through his first battle, and knowing firsthand what the boy had gone through, he wondered if Tetsuo was considering changing his mind.
Pondering it for a moment, he shook his head. No. Tetsuo didn't need to quit only after his first mission. It would look bad on his record and would make it much harder for him to find work after his service in the Corps if he ever left. Whether the boy liked it or not, he was stuck with the Shinobi life for the foreseeable future, until either he was promoted to Chunin or had at least served for 2-3 years. Then he could retire from the Corps without it being frowned upon by the public.
He sighed, knowing he should have helped him more during his academy years, but that was a problem that could still be tended to. He may have been out of the Corps for several years, but he still remembered a thing or two about ninjutsu that could help Tetsuo. But first, he would need to see if Tetsuo was willing to learn from him.
July 14, 2543
Marsh Country
Roughly 7 miles outside of Hidden Marsh Village
Fireteam Whiskey/Kingpin
"OI! ARE YOU DEAF?! DROP YOUR FUCKING WEAPONS, OR WE WILL ELIMINATE YOU! NOW!" An Ashigaru Captain bellowed at the UNSC troopers. The UNSC Troopers all stood their ground, weapons aimed and unfazed. Barnes, trying to avoid another firefight, weighed his options, while Satomi was trying to ease the tension. "Captain, stand down. They're not our enemy-"
"SHUT IT!" The Ashigaru Captain barked, "You've been missing for more than a month, and suddenly you show back up with these... these... strangers carrying odd weapons and armor, and you expect us to just trust you?! Just like that?!"
"If it weren't for them, I'd either be dead or in Sky Country having kami knows what done to me."
"And how do we know they're not Sky Shinobi?"
"Have you ever seen a Sky soldier, Captain?" Barnes asked incredulously, "I doubt they carry this kind of gear. And even if we were, do you think that we'd come marching up the front gate like we did? With such a small force?"
"You could merely be a distraction!"
"True. We could be." Barnes conceded, "In which case, your ANBU is likely scouting the surrounding region for any further forces right now."
"In which case, you will die the moment we find them!"
"You can't find a hidden army that doesn't actually exist."
The Captain merely scoffed, "So you claim. Regardless, you will disarm, or we will kill you!"
"And again, we can't do that. UNS-" Barnes started to argue but stopped when he heard a soft thudding noise that was slowly getting louder. The UNSC and Satomi knew what it was, while the Ashigaru and marsh Shinobi looked around, having no idea what it was. The thudding grew louder, as birds began to squawk and flee once more.
"Was there supposed to be another team?" Satomi asked. Barnes shook his head, "No. We're it."
As he finished, four Falcon helicopters came into view above the trees, aiming their autocannons at the Shinobi and Ashigaru, who panicked and started chattering amongst one another, wondering just what the hell those were.
Barnes growled out, "What the fuck are they doing?!" He started waving his hand to get the pilots' attention. "Gundam-Actual, what the hell are you doing?! Disengage, over!"
The helicopters remained where they were. 'Negative, Kingpin. My orders are coming directly from Admiral Cole. He's ordering me to provide air support if things turn hostile. Nothing I can do, over.'
"What is this, a dick-swinging competition?! Has he lost his damn mind?" Barnes bellowed out. Was Cole trying to start a fight? He was fairly certain that he was, as he saw one of the URF's Frigates, URF Thunder Child, appear through the clouds, hovering at roughly 2,000 feet.
25,000 feet above Wolf/Marsh Country Border
UNSC Everest
Bridge
"Have you lost your damn mind?!" Lyrenne demanded, glaring at Cole just after he ordered the Falcons to turn around and provide support, along with one of the URF's frigates after seeing the standoff that was developing.
"I'm not going to have a repeat of Timur Island and put my soldiers at risk, Lyrenne. They'll either stand down, or they'll suffer the consequences." Cole explained.
"That isn't how this is supposed to work, Preston!" Lyrenne argued.
"28 of my men, people whose lives I am responsible for, died back on Timur, not merely because one marine decided he wanted to be a hero but also because we underestimated the capability of these people due to a lack of proper intelligence. I'm not making that same mistake twice, so I'm making very clear that if they try anything, they will suffer the consequences." Preston shot back.
"If you threaten them with 'do what I say, or I'll hurt you,' all that's going to is encourage them to fight you. They don't know a thing about us, and there's a good chance they may think we're one of their enemies. Give them a chance to talk things down."
Cole shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't take the risk." He turned back to the comms before Lyrenne could continue and spoke, "Gundam-Actual, your air unit is authorized for lethal force only if the situation turns into a firefight."
'Roger that, sir. Approaching the site now. Gundam-Actual, out.'
Fireteam Whiskey/Kingpin
"Son of a bitch, Cole," Barnes muttered, looking back at the marsh natives, who were getting more and more agitated and antsy by the second. Several of them were still pointing and shouting at the Falcons flying overhead or the Frigate off in the distance. They were starting to panic, and he could only imagine what was happening back in the village barely 7 miles away. He wasn't sure if they could see the Falcons, but they could plainly see the massive Frigate flying overhead. Needless to say, they needed to defuse this quickly before it turned into a battle.
"Atlas, are there any reinforcements coming to our location?"
"Not for the moment, though that could change and likely will. I do have eyes on the local area, though, via ARGUS drones they have deployed in the air. You might want to see this." A screen appeared on the side of his helmet, showing real-time footage from one of the drone's camera. He quickly realized part of the reason why the locals were so damn edgy.
Barely 50 yards from their position, there was a small convoy of civilians. He could even see a little girl being held by who he could only assume was her father or a relative.
"Jesus Christ." he groaned. No wonder they were freaking out so damn much. They're not village defenders, not at the moment. They're a bunch of fucking escorts caught in a situation they don't know how to handle. On the other hand, even if they had reached the village gates, did he honestly believe the situation would have gone any differently? They should have approached this differently.
Well, no sense worrying over now. He knew that if something wasn't done, this was going to get bloody fast.
"Sgt. Cooper." He shouted.
Said sergeant barely managed out a "Sir?" before he was catching the Colonel's BR55 in his hand. Looking back, he saw that the Colonel was setting his helmet down before getting to work removing the ODST armor on his torso and arms.
"Sir, what the hell are you doing?" Lance Corporal Parker asked as the Colonel removed his remaining slab of armor off his arm, then pulled out his sidearm and handing it to Cooper.
"Keeping a bloodbath from happening. No matter what happens, if this turns hostile, you will not fire the first shot. Am I clear?" Barnes ordered, as he then walked straight towards the Ashigaru Captain.
Said Captain was freaking out at the sight of such flying machines and immediately ordered him to halt. When Barnes didn't, three Ashigaru aimed their bows at him as the captain yelled again, "I said HALT, dammit! Or else-"
"If you want to prevent a bloodbath from happening on both of our sides, take Satomi and me to your Kage right now. Let us explain the situation to him in person."
The captain started to stammer out a retort or a threat, but Barnes grabbed him by the collar and pointed back at the Falcons, "Take a good fucking look, Captain! Those aircraft have orders to massacre your men if you attack us or even act like you're going to attack us. You have a chance to keep a fight and a bloodbath from occurring." He looked him dead in the eyes, "My men will stay right here while you take myself and your fellow ninja over there back into the village. We didn't come here to fight. Help me keep one from happening."
"Captain Hirano." Both men turned to see a man donning solid black clothing that covered the majority of his body, kunai in hand, Katana on his hip. The only part of his face that was visible was his eyes, steel blue eyes that seemed to stare into Barnes' very soul. Beside him on either flank was some half dozen Shinobi, all donning the same attire that he was.
This must be their ANBU.
"We'll handle this. The Numakage will want a full debriefing with Takashima since she's been... out of contact for so long." The Shinobi continued. He looked over at the UNSC soldiers and the Falcons hovering overhead, before looking back at Barnes. "Your men will stay here."
Barnes nodded, letting go of the Captain and walked up towards the Shinobi. Looking back to the Falcons, he waved them off, "Gundam-Actual, the situation's under control and normalizing for now. Back off and be on standby, over."
'Roger, Kingpin. We'll be on call, out.' The Falcons backed away, moving to the opposite side of the river bank, but after that held position. Clearly, they weren't going far in case things took a turn for the worse. All he could hope for now was that cooler heads would prevail and it wouldn't turn into a battle. They already had one bad first contact so they couldn't afford this one going bad, too. The Shinobi walked up and grabbed his hands, binding them tightly with what he assumed were chakra binds or chakra restraints if he remembered correctly, along with Satomi's before looking back to him.
"Follow me. Try anything funny, and you both will die." The Shinobi threatened, before walking down the road back to the hidden marsh. The other ninjas disappeared, shunshining into the trees to quietly keep watch over the other Marines.
Barnes began walking down the path with the Shinobi, surprised they hadn't tried to shunshin him away or something. Could they not do it with another person? Or maybe they just wanted to see if he would honestly cooperate. Either way, he was going to find out.
"Hope your kage's in a talkative mood." He muttered as he glanced at Satomi, who was merely staring down at her binds. She seemed distraught, likely at the very idea her own countrymen didn't trust her at the moment. He could sympathize with that. But, if things went according to plan today, she will have easily made up for it in the long run.
UNSC Everest
Bridge
"What the hell is he doing?" Cole asked as he watched Barnes allow himself to be taken into custody. The UNSC soldiers stood their ground, keeping their weapons trained on the soldiers that had surrounded them.
"Looks to me like he's preventing a fight," Lyrenne answered, glaring at Cole.
"Tell the ODST to prep for an emergency drop in case things goes south," Cole ordered to his Communications Officer, then turned to back to Lyrenne.
The Communications Officer, Lieutenant Valtteri Kapanen, sighed softly as he walked back to his desk at the Comms station. He looked over to his three noncoms, who were already relaying orders out from the Admiral. Taking a seat in his chair, he grunted in contempt, "I swear to god, it has been nothing but hectic ever since that woman came aboard. Psi Serpentis wasn't this damn hectic."
"Just be glad her... their daughter isn't aboard, sir." He smirked and glanced over to his 'Second in Command,' Ensign Elizabeth 'Liz' Demarcus, who was arching an eyebrow at him. She stood roughly 5'9", weighing approximately 130 pounds. Her jet black hair was kept short, per UNSC regulation. Her eyes, as blue as any ocean on Earth, were slightly red with fatigue from working a long night shift. A tiny mole could be seen above the left corner of her lips.
"Oh, I am. At least I can tolerate the mother. The daughter on the other hand-"
"Is a bitch." Liz finished, scowling. Said Admiral's daughter was currently aboard her own ship, the Thunder Child, assisting the Marines sent to the Hidden Marsh Village. Valtteri suppressed a snort, "To put it lightly... any news from the fleet?"
Liz shook her head, "No, sir. Everything's still quiet and normal, though I have to admit, the innies are staying a lot more alert and watchful than I would think they could be."
Good. Especially if the Covenant reared its ugly head. They now had a total of 1 Cruiser, 5 old Heavy Destroyers, Hillsborough-Class ships that belonged to Smios' Razorbacks, and 20 Frigates that made up the core of their defense fleet at Shinsei, along with some 4 dozen 'Corvettes', if you could call the URF ships that save for the dozen Mako-Class Corvettes amongst them, patrolling the system. Not much of a force, but they would at least have an early heads up if the Covenant, or UNSC, appeared in the system. The construction of a shipyard was one of their biggest priorities, with three already being under construction in the system, though they would likely take at least another year or so before they were finished.
Along with these warships, over 100 civilian ships of various design, ranging from old mining vessels to freighters and a couple dozen colony ships, were moving about the star system as well, either setting up mining facilities within the system's asteroid belt or on one of the moons of the gas giant, now called Custodes. Metal and Alloy deposits were quite plentiful, as dozens had been marked by surveyor drones, including several valuable deposits of Titanium located in the asteroid belt and on one of Custodes' moons, C-11. This wasn't even including the nearby systems that were slowly being surveyed, or already colonized. However, the only problem at the moment was that it would take time for these facilities to be built and start harvesting the precious resources.
New Tripoli was slowly but surely getting built up, with most of the initial prefabricated settlements having already been laid down. Roads and smaller towns were already planned out across Timur Island, along with two military bases that would house the majority of island's defensive garrisons. There was even talk of potentially having a Space Elevator constructed by 2560, though that was likely more wishful thinking than anything as no plans were currently in place to build one, as far as she had heard. Creating a structure that would need to be on average 64,620 km tall would be a tremendous drain on resources that could, and likely would be used elsewhere on more immediate projects. But with how fast the city was growing, maybe it wasn't so unlikely for the near future. Some 400,000 people already called New Tripoli home, many of which were helping build up the city further and faster than it was being populated thanks to some prefabricated structures or buildings from other colonies that were just taken down and packed up to be rebuilt here. Tripoli's population was expected to reach anywhere from 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 by 2545 as the city's infrastructure and residential areas were built up. Luckily, a dozen Parabolas sitting in orbit could sustain that number, with each one capable of supporting a small city populated with 1,000,000 inhabitants. Food would not be an issue for the foreseeable future.
Security, on the hand, would be. While the Navy was worse off regarding numbers, the ground forces were just as bad off if not worse. An estimated 750,000 personnel were what was available for ground operations if needed, though most were back on Mbalenhle Cove and with the majority of these units being either UNSC Army and Army Colonial Guards Regiments and Brigades, irregular Colonial Militia units, or URF militias, and a lot of these units had little to no actual combat experience. Most of their most experienced units were here on Shinsei, either defending New Tripoli and Timur Island or conducting operations in the system. Along with that, there would also most certainly be individuals either trying to set up their own little criminal enterprises, trying to exploit desperate colonists and set up their own little fiefdoms or anarchists who merely wanted to create chaos. With police units even worse off than the military in equipment and manpower, this meant that a significant number of military personnel were going to be diverted to law enforcement while they scramble to create something resembling a government that was now responsible for taking care of some 220 million people spread across 10 star systems. If you didn't include the 200 million or so Shensei natives living on Shinsei.
The UNSC had spent nearly 50 years surveying systems and building up their colonization fleet before sending them out to colonize local space around Earth back in the 24th century, and now here they were trying to accomplish the same thing within a few years.
Elizabeth leaned back in the chair as she listened in on the chatter amongst the ground forces. From what she gathered, the situation over at the Hidden Marsh had appeared to calm down somewhat, but things were still tense. The locals, unsurprisingly, didn't trust them. She frowned. Robert was on that mission, all because he had been in the disastrous first contact that had happened on Timur Island. (Honestly, what was Oliver thinking to pull a stunt like that?!) What was that local girl's name that they rescued? Satomi! She had only gotten to meet Satomi twice, so she didn't really have much of a relationship with the woman, aside from a bit of small talk they had had. She hoped he was okay, but trusted that he would know what he's doing. She wished she had gotten to see him more when he was on board, but she's been assigned to a different shift, so now the hours they were usually awake were completely separate. Not to mention they were generally on the job when awake, so there was often little time for social meetings and get-togethers.
She had met Robert back in 2539, while on leave on Meridian, in a small little bar that gave out free drinks for enlisted men and women. Robert was funny, one of the few people who could actually get her to openly laugh, though it did take him a few tries at first. Regardless, the two had hit it off almost immediately. For the next couple of years the two would see each other periodically, trying to snag shore leave to coincide with the other's so they could see one another.
While ordinarily such relationships between an enlisted and an officer were forbidden by regulation, if the two involved are of different branches of the military, such as the case of Elizabeth and Robert, these rules are very rarely enforced as long as the relationships don't interfere with either's ability to perform their respective jobs. She was honestly amazed, even after spending 5 years on her post, that she had gotten assigned to the Everest of all ships, let alone any kind of Cruiser. She didn't have an exceptional record or anything, but she was good at her job, receiving high marks at the Naval Academy on Reach.
"Comms, send a message to XO Simmons, tell him to get his ass back up here, ASAP. He'll have control of the bridge. And have a squad of marines on standby for deployment in hangar 9." They heard Admiral Cole order out, turning just in time to see him leaving the bridge with Lyrenne. The tone of his voice made it clear. The Admiral was in a very foul mood. Something he wasn't typically known for.
"Wonder where they're going?" Elizabeth mused.
"I think they're going down to the surface, or maybe having a private discussion. Who knows." Valtteri replied, having already contacted XO Simmons to report to the bridge.
Everest Hallways
Preston Cole paced down the hallway, trying to keep his breathing as calm and controlled as possible. His body felt cold again, making him shiver slightly even though the ship's temperature was maintained at a constant 70°F, his mouth was dry, and his headache was killing him. He was having trouble sleeping again, but that could be solved with some sleeping pills, even if they made his headaches worse afterward.
Things were spiraling out of control, ever since they had come to this damn system. First, the planet they were colonizing turns out to not only have humans living on it but humans with ridiculous magical powers at their disposal. And they've already been through one battle with the bastards, now in just their second contact another may break out. Not only that, but they now had to provide security and overwatch for hundreds of millions of colonists spread across a dozen systems. How the hell were they supposed to maintain secrecy with so many potential ONI sleeper agents lurking in the populace? Medical supplies all around were limited and had dwindled even further due to an outbreak of Atkins' Disease on Brandenburg 3 weeks earlier, with tens of thousands being infected in days. They weren't going to be capable of producing large amounts of medicine for another 2 months at least, with many of the factories on Mbalenhle Cove still either being built or put into full production mode. They had little to no heavy military ordinance in reserve, so whatever they had right now was all they would have for some time, and the heavier ordinance was something they would need to balance out and counter the locals' advantage of using chakra if more fights occurred on Shensei. And now, on top of all of that, his CO of the ODST just surrendered himself over to a foreign, potentially hostile nation, one whose civilization was far more technologically advanced than previously believed.
Deep breaths. Slow breaths. Don't let them see you like this. His racing heartbeat began to slowly go back to normal. His headache still throbbed painfully, though.
"Preston!" He heard Lyrenne shout from behind, making him flinch slightly, jogging to catch up to him. "Where are you going?"
"Down to Shensei. If they're anything like us, then the natives will want to see someone of more significant authority than a Colonel." Cole answered, not stopping at all as he talked. A group of servicemen walking by stopped and saluted as the two walked by and towards the elevator.
"Then you should wait until the situation has calmed down before doing so," Lyrenne argued.
"The situation will calm down. I trust that the Colonel can handle it, but he isn't rated to conduct diplomacy with a foreign power. His team was merely meant to open the door for us to come down." Cole countered, despite not entirely convinced that the situation would calm down, but they couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Lyrenne narrowed her eyes, her instincts telling her there was more going on with Preston. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he almost had a sort of distance look in his eye, like he wasn't focusing as much as he could be. But, knowing how stubborn Cole could be, she knew she wasn't going to dissuade him from going.
As they entered the elevator and descended to the hangar, she sighed, conceding, "Fine, but WE'RE both going down there. Together. The others wouldn't like the idea of just a UNSC Officer heading down to represent them."
She thought she heard him mutter something along the lines of "Former UNSC." but didn't make it out. After a couple seconds, Cole replied, "Fair enough."
The elevator ride down was mostly uneventful after that, the two remaining quiet for most of the descent.
When they reached the hangar, a Pelican and a squad of 8 ODST were already waiting for the two. The ODST all saluted, before the Sergeant spoke, "Sir, we're ready to leave when you are."
Cole nodded, "Good, let's not waste time. Take off as soon as we're aboard."
The Sergeant saluted once more before ordering the squad to embark onto the pelican. Turning back to Lyrenne, he spoke, "Are you sure you want to go down?"
"Are you?" Lyrenne retorted, arching an eyebrow. "I've been spending the past 40 years negotiating and dealing with all kinds of leaders and men in power across the Colonies. This won't be anything new to me. But what about you?"
"I'll manage." Cole answered, "I might not be from the Diplomatic Corps, but it wouldn't be the first time I've had to conduct negotiations."
Lyrenne nodded, then the two stepped onto the Pelican. They barely had taken their seats when the aircraft began to take off, the Pelican shuddering as it lifted into the air.
"This is Gamma-191, we are taking off with VIP package on board, bound for the target village 'Hidden Marsh,' over." The pilot spoke into her headset.
'Roger, Gamma-191. You've got an extra dropship, callsign Gamma-017, coming for support with a full Army complement, over.'
"Affirmative. Gamma-191, out." The pilot answered, before exiting the docking bay's airlock and entering open space, followed closely by two more Pelicans. Though he had only asked for a single squad of marines for security, XO Simmons must have decided that it wasn't enough security and increased the detail at the last minute. Not that it wasn't appreciated. If communication with the locals did break down, they would have a better chance of extracting the initial team and getting out in one piece.
Marsh Country
Hidden Marsh Village
Barnes wasn't used to being carried or flying through the air, so his current predicament was a bit weird for him. But, interestingly enough, the Shinobi carrying him didn't seem to be having any trouble moving his nearly 200-pound body, not including what remaining body armor he still had on, which Barnes couldn't help but wonder if this was common or something. Though, on the other hand, this is quicker than just walking through the village.
Not that he would know for sure if they're in the village. For some reason, they decided to blindfold him on top of restraints. They must have decided to shunshin him out of view of his men. Sunlight was glaring through the blindfold just enough for him to know that he was still outside if the warmth of his skin or the birds chirping in the distance weren't indication enough.
In their minds, it made sense. It doesn't allow him to see the layout of the village or any crucial structures or areas. Unfortunately, it was pointless, because he had spent the past week studying the design of the town via 3D holographic maps aboard Everest. He didn't have picture perfect memory, but he remembered where all the critical locations were in the village, and judging by how long they've been hopping around, he'd guessed they were heading for the Numakage Residence, probably one of the most secure locations in the village.
Though he knew she would have never agreed to, a part of Barnes' mind wished he had asked Satomi for a more detailed layout of the village.
...
...
... Okay, the fireman's carry bullshit was starting to get old.
"Good god, are we going all the way to your capital?"
"Quiet. We're here." Came the sharp reply.
"Finally. Will you put me down, then? I'd prefer to walk on my own ability instead of being carried around like a damn toddler." Barnes griped.
Being set down, albeit a bit roughly, he felt a hand grab at the back of his shirt collar and guide him forward a few feet, before hearing the Shinobi commanded, "Stop here." He felt the Shinobi tap his back, muttering "Release." before moving to remove the blindfold. The moment it was off, Barnes' senses suddenly changed, as when he looked around, he wasn't outside. He was inside a large, darkened conference room with a massive oak table in the center, able to seat at least a couple dozen people and with a slightly irritated looking man on the far end staring him down, flanked by 4 ANBU guards on either side.
What the hell?
He never once heard a door opening or any indication that they had gone indoors. He had heard birds chirping and all sorts of other various noises indicating they were outside still, right up until they had removed the blindfold. The warm sunlight he had been feeling on his skin was gone, replaced with a rather cold feeling across his exposed skin. The atmosphere around now seemed to have an almost eerie feeling to it, like the air had somehow grown dense and heavy, making it a little hard to breathe. There was no way this was normal, and he didn't like what that implied.
Could these Shinobi actually-
"So," He was brought out of his thoughts by the man at the far end of the table speaking up, his eyes narrowed and his tone menacing, "do you care to explain who you are and what that thing is flying above my village, or should I just have you sent to the interrogation unit instead."
"My lord," Satomi began, still restrained as well, "I can vouch for this man and his soldiers. They-" she was cut off almost instantly by the glare she received from the Kage.
"We will talk... in a moment." Takashima Yukinaga spoke in a low tone, before looking back to Barnes. An ANBU agent leaned over and whispered something into the Kage's ear, who merely nodded before the agent returned to their post.
Clearing his throat, Barnes began, "Well, lord Kage, my name is Leo..." he stopped, correcting himself. These native were pseudo-Japanese, so that means they gave their family name first, then personal names. "Barnes Leonard. I'm a Colonel, an officer, within my people's military that was sent here to initiate the first contact with your government."
"A Colonel?" The Kage asked. Barnes nodded, "Yes, sir. It's like a Captain, except for us depending on what military branch you're in, it's a rank of equivalent or higher status regarding authority and command."
The Kage seemed to ponder this information for a second, before replying, "Very well then... Colonel," the word sounded so foreign to him as Yukinaga spoke it, "However, that still doesn't explain who your 'people' are."
"It's going to be a bit hard to explain, so bear with me, sir." Barnes started. "Long story short, we're not from your world. The vessel you saw hovering above your village is but one of many ships that we use to travel the stars and-" He was stopped by someone scoffing.
"Travelling the stars? How foolish do you think we are? My lord, allow my men to interrogate him, properly, and I'll get the truth out-" One of the ANBU, the source of the scoff, spoke up, but Barnes was quick to counter, "You do that, and my men will storm this building to get me back."
"And now you have the nerve to threaten us?"
"No. Simply telling you what would happen if you chose that route. Trust me, they'll find out, and you'll have a fight occurring right outside your village." Barnes responded, "But we're not here for a fight. That was never the intention-"
"Then what is your intention?"
"Simply a meeting between our two governments. First contact."
"First Contact? Are you a new nation?" Yukinaga asked.
"... Sort of. It's a bit complicated and would take a while to explain." Barnes answered.
"Oh, I think we'll have all the time in the world for that. But, before we do," The Kage brought his hands together and intertwined them, narrowing his eyes before continuing, "Care to explain how you seem to lack a chakra signature?"
Ah. That. Glancing down, he noticed that the restraints he was in were, in fact, Chakra Restraints, meant for keeping someone's chakra levels low and unusable if he recalled correctly. However, they wouldn't work on him for obvious reasons. But the natives didn't know that.
"Well... the reason, to put it simply Lord Kage," Barnes brought his hands up, before snapping the restraints with relative ease and holding his hands up to show, just in time as 4 ANBU agents to spring into action and pressed kunai against various parts of Barnes' body, ready to kill, "my people don't use chakra."
"Impossible!"
"Maybe for you, but my people have never encountered, let alone used, chakra until we came to your world. Therefore, such devices you have like these chakra restraints, which works on both on the chakra and the physique of a person but requires chakra to be truly effective, simply aren't going to work on us." Barnes explained.
"Our world?" Yukinaga asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Same thing I was trying to say earlier. We're not from your planet. We've been traveling the stars looking for suitable worlds to live on." Barnes answered plainly.
Silence filled the room following that sentence, as the group stared at the Colonel. Some of the group looked at him as if he was mad, others looked like they about laughed aloud at the absurdity of his claim. The Numakage's expression, though, remained expressionless as he stared down Barnes. Barnes merely stared right back.
"If you don't believe me, then explain the massive ship floating above your village." Mihara Riko began to speak but was cut off, "And before you sit there and say something ridiculous like, 'Oh, it could be a new airship of the Empire.' Don't. Let's not go insulting one another's intelligence here. You and I both know that the empire, while they are well known for fielding aircraft, have nothing anywhere near the size or sophistication of that ship or the others we have that are just like it. They'll probably wish they did once they learn about it, but they don't, nor do they have the capacity to create a ship of that size."
"That doesn't mean you're clear of any ill intent, nor does it mean that your story is the truth. All that means at the moment is that you're a new faction that we know nothing about, who suddenly decided to show right at our doorstep!" Yukinaga countered.
"True. I guess I need to provide some evidence that I'm telling the truth, then." Barnes confessed. "Then, if you don't mind, could you please have your men go and retrieve a device, they'll know what I'm talking about. A small rectangular device about 7.5 inches by 5 inches in height and width, 1 inch thick, black" The Shinobi started looking at one another as their captive continued describing, "save for one side where the entire surface is a bright light blue coloring inside of a square, thin layer of silver coloring. Yeah, that little device that they confiscated out of my left hip pocket," Barnes tapped said pocket as he continued, "when they searched me earlier. Have them go get that back here, and I can give all the information you want to us."
The Numakage studied him for a long time, staring intently as he pondered what to do. The claims this man made were utterly absurd, he'd have to be insane to believe him. That's what he would generally say. But typically, such madmen don't have such incredible evidence to back up their claims. He couldn't imagine anybody dreaming up a ship like the one that was floating above his village, so despite him wanting to believe so, he didn't think it was just a mere illusion. Yukinaga also couldn't deny the armor these men used, as he had yet been down below to see the group's weapons. Regardless, he had never seen anything like them in his 51 years of existence.
And then there was the fact that they had brought his daughter back, handing her back over while asking for virtually nothing in return, excluding a meeting with him and the council if the Colonel's claim was valid. Plus, this man, if he genuinely couldn't use chakra, didn't have chakra like he claimed, had then basically put himself at the mercy of this village.
This man was either very confident or had a death wish. Glancing over to said daughter, he noticed her discomfort as she quietly glanced around the room at everyone. She had never been in such a situation beforehand, where she of all people was suspect of committing treason against the village. And while she may very well be innocent, as Kage, even she must be held accountable if it turns out she did, in fact, commit treason. But back to the matter at hand. What to do with this man before him...
After several moments' thought, Yukinaga finally came to a decision. Leaning over to an agent to his left, he quietly spoke, "Send a telegraph to the Daimyo. Inform him of what has happened here." The agent nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke, before the Kage turned back to Barnes, "Go. Retrieve the device he speaks of." he spoke to a couple of his ANBU Agents, who bowed and shunshin away to go retrieve the device. Turning back to Barnes, "You better hope it does exactly what you claim it will do because if this turns out to be a trick or a trap, you will die." he threatened.
Barnes merely nodded, "Understood. Thank you for at least giving me the opportunity to show evidence, Lord Kage."
After a few moments, the two ANBU agents returned, with the datapad in hand. Barnes nods in confirmation, then extends his hand out to take the device from the ninja. The agent glanced back to his Kage, who nodded for him to proceed and hand over the datapad. Muttering a thank you, Barnes turned on the pad and typed away at the screen, while being observed intently by the crowd around him, wondering what he was doing. All of the ANBU presents were ready to strike should anything go wrong, not wanting to take any chances with this newcomer.
After setting the datapad to it 3D Holographic Projector mode, he set the device flat on the table. Looking down to his right hand, he spoke, "Alright, you ready Atlas?"
"I've been ready for the past 20 minutes. You could have just started off with me, you know." Came the reply, seemingly from nowhere. This freaked out the people in the room, who start looking for the source of the voice. Two ANBU immediately moved to pull swords on Barnes but were stopped by the sudden appearance of a small blue woman, maybe standing in Barnes' palm. Everyone's attention was now on her. The woman merely crossed her arms and looked back up to Barnes, "Always got to make a commotion, huh?"
"It's not like I'm trying to start trouble. Shit just happens." He defended.
"Uh-huh. I know all too well." Atlas commented.
"Who is that? What is that? A summon?!" Mihara Riko demanded. Every Shensei native in the room were confused by the small woman standing in Barnes' palm. Atlas turned to Riko, then bowed politely to her and everyone else in the room.
"No, ma'am. My name is Atlas. I'm what's call an Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short." The AI answered, speaking in perfect Japanese.
"Artificial... Intelligence? Explain." Yukinaga asked.
"To put it simply, she's a man-made intelligence designed to assist humans in... pretty much any area. Warfare. Diplomacy. Infrastructure. Agriculture. Every environment that humans conduct jobs into."
"You made her?" Otsuka Kiko asked.
"Not me, personally. But yes, human beings made her. The simple fact is that AIs can think, perform tasks, and process information so much quicker than us, it's just more practical to have them perform jobs that would require dozens if not hundreds of humans to accomplish. Like managing a city or maintaining a farm." Barnes replied, shrugging.
Yukinaga arched an eyebrow at that, staring at the small woman before speaking, "She can do that? With such a small body?"
"Not physically, but through electronics and machines. That's where my strength truly lies is through technology. Remember, my creators here don't have chakra of their own nor can they use it as far as we know, so we can't do some of the magical things you're capable of. Instead, we have to rely on science and technology to achieve the same results, Lord Kage." Atlas answered, "For example." Snapping her fingers, the datapad laying on the table suddenly came to life, the projector showing a massive display of their star system that covered the entire table. The response was almost instantaneous. Several of the council members gasped aloud or began murmuring amongst one another.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your home star system. And this right here-" The projector zoomed in on Shensei itself until only the planet and its orbiting moon were visible, providing a very detailed map of the planet's surface, "is the planet you call home. Overhead imaging was provided and acquired thanks to something we call satellite-"
July 14, 2543
Custodes Orbit
Darkside of Moon C-19
Razorback Flagship 'Marauder'
On the dark side of one of Custodes' many moons, a ship silently floated in orbit, engines cold, its hull as black as the space around it. The ship in question was a Halberd-Class Destroyer, once known as the UNSC Cannae, but now called the Marauder by its new owners. Currently, the Marauder was delivering supplies to the Razorbacks' base of operations in the Aquarii Cluster.
The only problem was, the Razorbacks were the only ones aware of its existence, all thanks to Faolan falsifying survey reports showing C-19 as having no metal deposits or anything else of value. In the past 2 years since they arrived here, they've established a massive underground complex giving the Militia their own little world to set up shop on, far enough away from the prying eyes of UNSC and URF, but close enough to conduct business on Shensei.
Back in 2516, when Seathan Smios, Faolan's father, was still alive and in charge of the Razorbacks, he pulled off what he considered his greatest heist, where he stole 2 incomplete ONI Prowlers out of drydock on Meridian. The operation had been costly, with over 100 Razorbacks being killed in the raid, but the ships were successfully stolen. With the prowlers having their stealth ablative coating installed already, Seathan had planned on nabbing a larger UNSC Warship then outfitting it with the stealth coating of the two prowlers to create a unique flagship for his own personal use, making the Razorbacks a true terror across the Outer Colonies for the UNSC. Unfortunately, he didn't get to live long to enjoy the fruits of his labor or carry out the next stage of his plan. In Mid-2517, he was assassinated by ONI Spec Ops, along with several other high ranking members of the Razorbacks Militia. For a time following his death, the Razorbacks went underground, hiding away now that they had made themselves ONI's number one enemy. It wouldn't be until 2520 before Faolan was made the new leader of the Militia.
Almost immediately, he began living up to his father's reputation, ambushing UNSC patrols and bombing government buildings across the Outer Colonies. But, it still wasn't enough for him, so in 2522, he launched a surprise attack on the UNSC Cannae. The battle was fierce, with him losing half of the 6 Hillsborough Destroyers he had brought into the attack, but the destroyer was captured. After eliminating the crew, Faolan was quick to make Cannae, now called the Marauder, his new flagship and complete what his father had planned years earlier.
Taking the two prowlers, which had been hidden away unused since their capture, he quickly had them disassembled and had anything of use applied and installed onto the Marauder. The ship was given a good quarter meter more armor across the whole vessel and now was covered in the same stealth ablative coating used on ONI's ships, making it nearly impossible to detect, until it was too late or unless it was another ONI ship. The bridge wasn't exposed anymore, instead covered with a reliable meter of armored blast doors that could be retracted or closed if needed. It was given 10 more missile pods and 4 more point defense guns, along with four Mark 2488 Onager MACs, 2 mounted on the top of the ship, and 2 mounted on the belly. The high-tech communication systems onboard the prowlers were installed onboard, giving the destroyer both state-of-the-art and secure comms equipment. By the time they had finished with the modifications and upgrades, the Marauder was a unique one-of-a-kind Destroyer that could quite possibly defeat a Cruiser in battle if ever pitted against one. (Not that Faolan ever planned to.)
Faolan would put the ship to good use raiding UNSC convoys and ambushing UNSC patrols to stock up on supplies and military hardware. The Marauder quickly became an infamous ship throughout the Outer Colonies, raking a tally of 89 freighters and civilian vessels raided/destroyed and 38 UNSC warships destroyed by 2530, making ONI's list of the top 5 most wanted pirate ships.
Bridge
"So everythin' is functionin' perfectly? Our stocks are secure?" Faolan Smios asked his Lieutenant in charge of the base, Vanessa Campos, his head propped up against the armchair by his arm as he looked at her on the monitor display, casually sipping a bottle of bottle of bourbon as he did so. 'Yeah, boss. Everything's good. Factory's up and running fine, just always a shortage of materials that are hurting us. We're trying to expand the mines at the moment, but still a work in progress.'
When Lyrenne had asked him how much hardware and troops he had available, he might have lied some about how little he had. He had told her that the UNSC had been hitting his Militia hard, raiding several camps and facilities that his troops owned. While that was true, what he hadn't told her was that most of those camps and facilities were all empty, having been evacuated weeks or months in advance. The only thing of real value he hadn't been able to save were the nukes he had hidden in their camp on Tribute before the UNSC raided it back in '41.
Instead of the 3 Hillsborough Destroyers and 20,000 personnel, he claimed to have, in reality, he had 6 Hillsborough destroyers, 11 Corvettes, his flagship the Marauder, and about a dozen freighters of various size, with some 150,000 personnel under his command. Military hardware in their possession that the others didn't know about? Somewhere around 700,000 military firearms and 1,500,000 civilian model firearms in storage, 100 towed artillery pieces, thousands of tons of explosives of every kind from grenades to plastic explosives, 50 warthogs, 100 mongooses, 4 Scorpions, 11 Hornets, 40 Pelicans, and just as many Darters.
While Lyrenne and her bunch were trying to save the human race and all that bullshit, Faolan was merely here for opportunity. Along with the chance to kill more UNSC dogs and add a UNSC Admiral to his kill count, though that would come later. Where Lyrenne saw new worlds to colonize far away from the UNSC and the Covenant, Faolan saw new worlds and colonies to exploit. And where Lyrenne saw a planet full of primitives that could be uplifted to help them, Faolan saw business opportunities. A lot of them. The natives have now had a taste of the Terrans' technology and firepower, and they were going to want more of it to gain an edge over their neighbors. And he would be there to provide, for a price. Their little 'Council' had decided that the conversion rate for the two currencies would be 1 Credit to 1.20 Ryu, giving the locals some buying power, so they didn't feel as though they were being cheated or ripped off. Fine by him. He'd even take gold or silver as payment. Well within a profit margin to do business, provided he could sell the product, then he could turn around and buy expensive shit from them. Hell, he may end up having some prime real estate in his possession if things went right and the UNSC didn't come around and fuck things over for them.
He didn't give two shits about that whole bullshit Lyrenne was spewing out about saving humanity and creating their own government, though the idea of being in charge of a planet did sound tempting from time to time. For the most part, though, he had stopped caring the moment he found out she was bringing in those UNSC bastards along for the ride. But sooner or later, he'd deal with them, just like all the others who stood in his way.
Taking another swig of his bourbon, he ran a hand through his slick, wavy ginger hair before suddenly remembering, "Mm! Vanessa! What about our connections here? Are they still good? I don't want any fookups or fooking arseholes like Berfan Sakar's bunch trying to screw us over."
'Yep. They're still good, Fal. Business is slow but good. Are we still good with Hatfield back home or is his group no longer partners with us?'
Faolan scowled slightly but nodded. He never fully got along with Eugene Hatfield, the leader of a newly formed Insurrectionist group called the United Rebel Alliance, but the man was useful, had a large number of resources and manpower at his disposal, and had a lot of contacts and friends amongst the Inner and Outer Colonies. So despite not liking him, Faolan couldn't afford to have him as an enemy.
"Yeah, everythin's still just peachy with the cunt. So, our goods are ready to move out? Because if we're gonna be doin' business, we'll need to move quickly and likely on short notice."
'Everything's fine, boss. Quit fretting so goddamn much. We'll be ready when you need us.' Vanessa smirked on screen, which was returned by Faolan. "Good. I'll let you know when we're ready to start. First, I gotta make some new contacts amongst the cavemen."
'Got it, boss.' Vanessa took that as her cue to cut the connection, leaving Faolan staring at a black screen with his reflection on it. He noticed his eyes, normally a vibrant brown, seemed a little dulled down, though that might have been the alcohol. He looked around and observed the bridge crew, his crew, at work, operating their various stations. There was a rather relaxed mood in the air, not that there was really any reason to be anxious or nervous. They had done this type of runs multiple times now to know what they were doing, and not once had they been detected. And that's just the way he wanted it to be. Marauder may be a destroyer, but her stealth coating wasn't easy or cheap to replace, so Faolan preferred to keep it out of a fight unless he could end it quickly.
Taking one last swig from his bourbon, he set it down then got out of his chair, walking over to the holopad, which was showing a political map of Shensei's Elemental Nations. The display noted that a few conflicts were going one, mainly on the western continent and the chain of islands in the center, Water Country. While wars were good business for a smuggler, civil wars were even better, as you had multiple sides to sell shit to. But Water Country could wait. He wanted to get a feel for how the locals would reproach his business propositions. The little border clashes between Lightning and Frost Countries might be a good start, as they may go to war soon. But then again there was Sky Country, who already had acquired some UNSC weapons thanks to the helljumper retards botching things up on Timur Island. They would definitely pay good money for more of those weapons, but were also likely under the UNSC's watchful eye for anything suspicious, making a trip there risky.
Then again, risk came with being a smuggler, among other things. And Faolan had time to decide where and who he was going to conduct business with. All he needed was to just pick and choose. And stay beneath both Lyrenne and the UNSC's radar while he did so.
7 miles outside of Hidden Marsh Village
Fireteam Whiskey
"Yo, Sarge."
Sergeant Cooper looked over from the log he was sitting on to glance at the private speaking, "What's up, Bellino?"
"What the fuck are we doing right now, exactly?" PFC Bellino asked, smacking a mosquito that was trying to bite him.
Currently, the UNSC soldiers that had accompanied Colonel Barnes were presently situating themselves in a semi-perimeter, surrounded by at least a couple dozen Marsh Ashigaru. While initially, things had been tense between the two groups, in the past hour things had calmed down significantly, so much so that many of the soldiers were either talking to one another or smoking a cigarette. They still kept an eye on the locals, but for the most part were somewhat relaxed, much to the surprise of the Ashigaru.
Said Ashigaru were still on guard, keeping a watchful eye on the UNSC personnel, but had also relaxed some. Some were quietly conversing with one another regarding the newcomers, occasionally glancing at them as they talked. Most of them were somewhat curious as to why the newcomers were so relaxed despite the situation, utterly unaware that Atlas had contacted the group informing them of the, mostly, peaceful contact between Barnes and the Hidden Marsh Council the moment it had been deemed accomplished.
"We're holding fast and awaiting orders from Command. So far, Atlas has informed us that the situation has calmed down, so we're standing by until told otherwise." Sgt. Cooper answered, taking a drink from his hydration pack.
"Sooo... in other words, nothing. We're doing absolutely nothing because Command doesn't know what to do with us, now." Bellino grumbled.
"Awww, boo-hoo, he's getting sunburnt. Do you want to file a complaint, Bellino? Maybe call your mommy while you're at it?" Another private, Holmes, mocked. He received a middle finger in response, chuckling as Bellino replied, "Only thing I'll be calling later is your mother and your sister, bitch." earning a few laughs from the group as the two went back and forth with the mocking and teasing.
Meanwhile, Fireteam Whiskey had also stood down but was still keeping an eye out, namely for the ninjas. Corporal Robert Parker doubted they would actually be able to spot one unless they wanted to be seen but nevertheless tried to stay alert for any bull-shittery by the locals. He currently had his helmet off and was smoking a cigarette of his own as he watched a trio of Ashigaru, who in turn was watching him, muttering amongst one another. While the others had relaxed somewhat, he wasn't going to assume mission accomplished until he saw the Colonel in person again.
Not that he was concerned about Barnes. Both Peltier and he had known the Colonel since 2531, and he had gotten them out of far more dangerous situations than this one. Considering the missions that ODST typically are sent on, this was mild by comparison. He was confident that they would be just fine.
"Yo, Parker." Armstrong suddenly called, getting his attention, "You heard anything else from Colonel?"
Parker shook his head, "Nah. He'll probably contact us all at once if something happens. But I doubt that's gonna happen."
"Don't know, man. The locals still look pretty jumpy." Rhineford commented.
"Give 'em time." he assured, "Barnes might be a little unorthodox, but if anybody can cool a situation down, he's the man to do it."
"I can testify to that!" Peltier added, slightly muffled as he was chewing on a protein bar from his MRE, "You two are fairly new to the unit, so you don't know the Colonel like we do. Parker and I have known him since '31. That fucker's gotten us out of some really shitty situations unscathed. Just give him a little time, and he'll win them over. Or at least convince them not to kill us when we leave." he joked.
"Christ, man. Don't jinx us like that." Rhineford replied.
Peltier just waved him off, "Ah, it'll be alright. So have either of you had a chance to talk to your families?" he asked pointing at Armstrong and Parker.
"Nah, haven't heard from my mom, yet, but I know she's in-system, so I'm gonna go try again later today if possible," Armstrong answered.
"I've gotten to talk with Elizabeth a few times, but since she's on a different shift, we don't get many opportunities to cause usually one of us is asleep or working." Parker followed up, shaking his head slightly as he took another drag from his cigarette. He had gotten to see his wife a total of 5 times in the past month, only one of which lasted more than an hour. It was infuriating, but that was just a part of being married to someone in a different military branch. You just had to find a way to work around it and make time.
"Hey, just got word from HIGHCOM." Sgt. Cooper suddenly spoke up, snapping his fingers and gaining everyone's attention, "Admiral Cole and Castilla are coming down to meet the local leaders. I guess they got word of the successful contact by the Colonel. So everybody, check your gear and be ready to move, cause we probably getting put on escort duty when they arrive." All the Army soldiers stopped what they were doing and starting checking on their gear.
"Whelp, that was fun while it lasted, now back to work," Parker muttered, taking one last drag of his cigarette before smothering it out on his forearm armor and putting the butt in his pocket. He grabbed his MA5C and checked the chamber to make sure there was no dirt inside, before sliding his helmet back on.
He looked back over to Sgt. Cooper, "Hey, Sergeant. You think we should give the locals a heads up, so we don't have another freakout?"
"As a matter of fact, yes I do." Cooper nodded, making sure a couple of his soldiers had secured Colonel Barnes' gear before moving. The two walked over the Ashigaru Captain, Hirano if he remembered correctly, who had gone on alert when he saw the UNSC soldiers moving about suddenly. The Captain's men had their weapons sheathed, but a hand was on them ready to draw if anything happened.
'Not like that's gonna help 'em if we do go hostile. They'd be dead before they could get them halfway out.' Parker speculated, then glanced up to notice a Shinobi quietly watching them in the trees, 'Then again, we might just follow suit right after.'
"Captain Hirano, correct?" Sergeant Cooper asked, and when said Captain nodded, he continued, "My men and I have just received word that our superiors are coming down to conduct further talks and negotiations with your leaders."
The Captain glanced at his men on both sides, "When?"
"About 10 minutes, give or take. They'll be arriving with an escort of soldiers."
The Captain didn't seem all too pleased with the news, likely just wanting this whole ordeal to be over and done with, but nodded nonetheless and motioned for his men to follow him. As the Captain and his walked away, Parker glanced up to the trees to see if the Shinobi was still there, only to see they too had gone, likely to relay the info back to their superiors.
"It's freaky how they can move so damn quiet, and you'd probably never know they were there, too," Cooper commented, revealing he too had seen the Shinobi watching them from the tree.
Parker merely nodded, "Yeah, and only if they want you to see them. Make me realize just how lucky we were back on Timur."
"Were they really as bad as I've heard?" Cooper asked.
"Oh, hell yeah. Fucking fireballs, throwing knives, and explosions all over the place. Water, dirt, and freaking wind moving in ways they shouldn't be physically capable of. Giant stone monsters the size of a Hunter. Oh! Not to mention the fuckers are fast, too. The only reason we were so damn successful was through sheer firepower, a literal wall of lead being thrown at them to keep them pinned down long enough for the flyboys to blow them to hell."
Cooper merely shook his head and whistled, "Damn. Better hope the same thing doesn't happen here, then, or we're fucked."
"We do have a Frigate supporting us, though." Parker countered. Cooper shrugged at that, "Yeah, and we've got 16 troops and no vehicles here instead of dozens of platoons and vehicles like on Timur. They decide to fight, we'll be massacred long before any help arrives."
That he couldn't deny. They got fortunate on Timur, with firepower and technological superiority trumping the Shinobi magic and numbers, the latter of which they lost as well to UNSC reinforcements. If any of those things had gone wrong or differently, their unit would have surely lost and died as any other units would have been too far away to help at the time. Rhineford made quite a few enemies amongst his fellow ODST and marines for his stunt that day, and some still haven't forgiven him for getting 23 troopers killed unnecessarily. Even he couldn't defend his friend from what he thought had been an unnecessary risk.
'Marsh Ground Element, this is Gamma-191. We are approaching your location with Gamma-017 with VIPs aboard, over.' He suddenly heard in his headset. In the skies above, he could faintly see two Pelicans approaching their location, getting larger as they closed in. The moment of truth was here. Talks had to go perfectly here, or at the very least peaceful. This would be their first major diplomatic interaction with one of the elemental nations, and whatever happened here would affect future relations and interactions with the other nations.
July 14, 2543
URF Voyager
Bridge
"Are you sure about these scans? The images and readings? They are all correct, yes?" Azarov Korney Semenov asked his assistant as he looked over the 3D sonar images displayed on the holotank, his steel blue eyes staring intently at the man. When his assistant nodded solemnly, Semenov sighed heavily and took a swig from his flask of bourbon, or 'Comfort Cup' as he liked to call it. "Yebat' menya. How the fuck did we miss this?" He muttered, already knowing the answer. Up until a few months ago, they had only had access to a couple dozen automated submersibles for underwater exploration when they first arrived at Shinsei back in October of '41. And since sea exploration had not been a top priority; as opposed to things like the revisal of the estimated population of the Elemental Nations, which is now believed to be higher than previously thought; the vessels just simply didn't receive a lot of attention and orders. Initially, they were used to just map out the sea floor surrounding Timur Island and the islands nearest to it. They didn't finish surveying Haran Bay and Kasumi Straight until late 2542.
In March of 2543, they finally began to start mapping out the southern islands of the Uzushio Chain, but meetings and various other projects delayed the surveys since it was of low priority, they didn't reach the island known by the locals as Uzushio Island, once the home of the Hidden Whirlpool Village, until mid-June. And only a week ago, they detected an unusually massive metal anomaly on the sea floor, approximately 6.5 miles off the southeastern coast of Uzushio Island via long range scanners. Excitedly believing they had discovered an enormous metal deposit, they sent two UAVs to explore the anomaly.
But upon reaching the site a few days later, their excitement turned into shock and horror. Now, for the past 3 days, they've meticulously scanned and explored the object to make sure there was no mistake in their find, as it was densely covered in mud, algae, and exotic plant life, indicating that it had been down here for quite some time.
The object in question was massive, even if it was in two pieces, with both of the main pieces measuring a couple of kilometers in length, bulbous in design, but suffering from severe damage, whether from the crash or something else wasn't known yet. Even with all the mud and plant life covering it, its original brilliant silver coloring could still be seen here and there. It was lying in roughly 1,000 meters of water, though the object was so massive that it only requires them to dive to half that depth just to reach the top of it. The 'Bow' was slightly listing on its side and partially buried in the soft mud, while the 'stern' had somehow flipped upside down at an angle with one of the massive bulbous edges jutting out like an artificial cliff. The two main pieces were surprisingly close to one another, barely 150 meters away from one another with vast amounts of debris laid out between and around them on the seabed.
Almost everything else on Shensei just got put on the backburner, this 'shipwreck' took precedence over everything else.
"With all the other shit happening, all the mysteries and riddles surrounding this planet, now we've gotten this thrown on top of it all," Semenov muttered, rubbing his balding head as he took another swig from his comfort cup. Puckering his lips in annoyance, he looked at the images once more, going over everything they had acquired and learned over the past 3 days. After several minutes of silence, the Russian scientist finally spoke up, "Compile all the data we have into a package and get a hold of Lyrenne. She needs to see this immediately."
The mysteries of Shensei, which he had long since become determined to solve, just had one more added to its list. All he could think of now, though, was just how in the hell was he going to explain a Covenant Carrier being found at the bottom of the ocean.
Alright, before I say anything, I want to get this out of the way first. Some of you will have likely noticed that the Country Archive at the bottom of my chapters is now gone. Before anything is said, I just want you to know that I am not getting rid of them. One of the many reasons these chapters take so long is because I'm often spending a lot of time creating lore for these Country Bios, which take a lot of time. Turns out, creating lore isn't all that easy. (Shocking, I know.)
Anyway, instead of having all the bios spread out across a few chapters, I'm going to compile them into one single chapter, so that A) they're knocked out and out of the way, and B) so everyone who is into them doesn't have to go across multiple chapters to find a specific bio. When will it be posted up, I honestly have no clue. Right now, I'm maybe through like a 3rd of the Shinsei Nations that will be given bios, (There's like 30 altogether including the Esuran Countries.) and considering my other stories, it won't be given top priority. But, I'm confident I'll have it done sometime around Spring-2018. (This will likely be the most significant chapter I've ever written. I'm estimating at least 30-40k words minimum. I'm at 8 right now, and I'm already breaking nearly 9k words.)
Let me know if your thoughts on the Country Bios, whether you liked them, didn't like them, thought that they could be done better. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and as always feel free to leave a review to let me know how I did or if I need some improvement. I'm still open to suggestions and constructive criticism. Thanks again for all your support! See you next time.
-Azores
