Hey guys! Azores here with another chapter!
First thing I want to get out is that I'm going to make the Prologue their own separate story from the main story, which will be called Halo-Naruto: The Fire Within. With that, I'm debating what to rename this story or if I should rename it. So far, the only one that sounds good so far is Halo-Naruto: New Frontier. (Since this is set in a section of the Orion Arm far away from both the UNSC and the Covenant.) Until I can make a decision, though, the prologue story will be called Halo-Naruto: Prologue. (Very imaginative, I know.) If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!
Also, I know that everyone is getting tired of the slow pace this story's going right now. (We're still in the first year.) I want to go ahead and let everyone know that once the Sea Confederacy Campaign concludes, which will probably be about 3 chapters at most (Not including this chapter, and I will try to condense it to two if possible.), the story will start jumping ahead to pick up the pace some. I know I've been a little slow with the pace and dare I say, over-detailed at times, but I want to thank everyone who's been reading this story for putting up with it so far. I promise that we'll start picking up the pace now, with a larger time gap. (Though this will possibly may make the chapters longer again, no guarantees.)
-Azores
!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 M-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 own 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
-Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don't ever apologize for anything.
Harry S. Truman
-Revenge is an act of passion; Vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.
Samuel Johnson
-One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
Plato
-If I had known beforehand about the shitshow I was throwing myself into; I would have never gone to Mbalenhle Cove in September/October of 2543. At the very least, I should have waited until the cutthroat politics had quit long enough for them to form an actual government.
Preston Cole, quoted from his Autobiography, 2560.
Prologue Arc-Episode 7
-The Confederacy Campaign Pt. 1/Democracy in Action-
(Part 7)
September 23, 2543
Approx. 7.25 Light Years from the Yōsai System
Ezulwini System
Mbalenhle Cove
UNSC Everest in orbit over Capital City, Marshall
Bridge
(Begin Song at 01:35 point- 'Random Slipspace Trajectory' From Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary OST)
Preston Cole had to give the insurrectionists credit. They had achieved feats and miracles on Mbalenhle Cove that many others within the UEG would have been jealous of. In the three years since arriving in the system, the colonists of Mbalenhle Cove had turned the planet into a sprawling and thriving colony with a population of 120,000,000 and rapidly rising.
The majority of the genuine military ships within the URF's possession were in orbit around the planet, ready to defend it should the Covenant or UNSC show up. Even so, there were only 40 Mako Corvettes, which had been outdated by the time of the Insurrection, 33 Frigates, mostly the Charon and 'Bellicose-Class', 14 Destroyers of various types, including 6 Halberds, 6 old obsolete Gladiator-Class Missile Cruisers, ships that had been out of UNSC service since the 2490s, and to his surprise, a Titan-Class Heavy Carrier, a warship that hadn't been in UNSC service since the 2510s, with most of them having been scrapped by the time of the Human-Covenant War breaking out, and the remainder being largely wiped out in the early years of the war. Cole couldn't help but wonder how the URF had managed to snag one of those, as the survivors that were still in UNSC had been decommissioned and scrapped by 2537 as it became clear there smaller, most cost-effective ships could perform its role even better. He wasn't even going to include the 80 or so other 'Corvettes,' luxury yachts and civilian ships refitted with missiles and point defense guns, as part of this fleet. They'd be torn apart in seconds if an enemy fleet showed up. Still, this rag-tag 'fleet' was better than nothing. Several small stations and orbital structures could be seen drifting within the planet's gravity well. He could also see the building of a space elevator station within the planet's orbit above New Barcelona, though such a megastructure was probably years away from being completed.
Mbalenhle Cove itself was a gorgeous world. Being just slightly larger than the planet Arcadia at a diameter of 13,855 km, which itself was roughly 13,019 km in diameter, a surface pressure of 1.07 Earth atm, and a gravitational pull of just 1.03 Earth Gs, you would be hard-pressed to find a world better suited for Human colonization. The planet's surface was dominated by one supercontinent, Manyan Kasar, which dominated the western and northern hemispheres, and two smaller continents, Ciyawa, situated in the planet's eastern hemisphere, and Kasar Sanyi, down at the planet's south pole. There were many hundreds of small islands that pocketed the planet, with several clustered in the ocean between Manyan Kasar and Ciyawa. Most of the two continents were covered in either vast grasslands or dense, lush forests, though the smaller continent was comprised more of savannahs and a vast desert that made up the upper northern part of the continent.
He could see why many of the colonists had chosen to settle here.
"Sir, are you ready to depart?" Caesar, Everest's AI, asked him.
"Yes, Ceasar. Go ahead and let the escort detail know I'm on my way."
"Yes, Sir. I'll inform XO Simmons to report to the bridge." The AI answered as Cole made his way off the bridge.
Pelican Dropship
Approaching Capital City Marshall
The capital city, Marshall, was a massive, sprawling metropolis, already wielding a population of four to five million, which was expected to double within a few years. Though no skyscrapers had been built yet, most of the buildings in Marshall were either prefabricated buildings no taller than twenty-five stories or massive industrial centers, Preston was confident that would change within the next 5 to 10 years if the city were allowed to continue expanding uninterrupted. Despite the rather haphazard construction of Marshall and other cities on Mbalenhle Cove, it was clear to Cole from his bird's eye view that there had been some considerable thought and consideration put into the development of Marshall City. The city was organized, with residential, financial, and industrial zones being clearly established and defined. Several wide, spacious specs of small forests and ponds could be seen doting the interior of the city at random. No doubt these were set up to be nature parks for the citizen to enjoy and also add some more natural beauty to the city. Three spaceports could be seen built in or around the city, two large ones and a smaller third one. In the south of the city, where a large portion of the city's industry was set up, he could see the massive base of a Space Elevator being built, likely meant to connect to the station in orbit being constructed. If it could get finished, then supplies and raw materials can be shipped straight to the factories in record time. But, a space elevator will take years to finished. Provided they have the resources available to work on it nonstop, they should be able to finish it by 2550. But that was a big 'if.'
From what he could gather from the layout of the city, it was clear that the URF had used either an Infrastructural Dumb AI or several Dumb AIs to plan out the city's infrastructural layout. This wasn't unheard of or uncommon, as most UNSC colonies, especially in the Inner Colonies. It was a process that had been outright perfected over the course of nearly two hundred years of colonization outside the Sol System. With an AI, which has the ability to think, plan, and act at the speed of light, the planning and development of a city became an almost mundane affair as humanity started colonizing other worlds, as Dumb AIs would plan out the infrastructure of said cities to maximize housing and productivity, then an army of drones and automated machinery would get to work building said cities. Cities like Reach's New Alexandria or Ballast's Vallejo, with populations numbering in the tens of millions, were essentially built up and already housing massive populations numbering in millions within 15 to 20 years once preliminary colonization and scientific planetary examinations had been completed. (Which usually took less than a year.) From what he was seeing, the URF had managed to do the same, even with their limited resources. Then again... maybe they hadn't been quite so limited, as Cole pondered it deeper. The URF was using resources, equipment, and assets salvaged from dozens of UEG colonies. Colonies, like Hellas and Victoria, that hadn't been glassed and still had all of their equipment, buildings, and machinery available for use. Many of the buildings and factories being built in the Aquarii Star Cluster were in fact just pre-existing structures from the UEG Colonies. All that had been done was that said-buildings and machinery were simply broken down, shipped out to the Cluster from whatever colony they came from, then reassembled/rebuilt out here. Essentially, the URF wasn't building new cities and towns out here, rather they were simply taking pre-existing ones and just relocating them. (Or merging them, in Marshall City's case.) That probably had taken only a fraction of the time it would have had they decided to construct the buildings from scratch, which explained Marshall City and other settlements like New Tripoli's rapid development rates. At the rate Marshall City was being constructed, he wouldn't be surprised if the preliminary construction and building were finished in 5 to 7 years. And the URF had already been here for two.
He suddenly heard the pilot speak, "This is Everest Dropship Victor-022, transporting one VIP and an eight-man guard detail, requesting permission to land at Harrison Spaceport. How copy, over?"
'Victor 022, you are clear to land at landing zone 12. Please follow our escort craft in and we'll get you situated. Over.'
"Affirmative, Harrison Control. Solid confirmation. Victor-022, out." the Pilot responded, before glancing back, "If you haven't strapped in, I'd go ahead and do it. Turbulence is a little strong."
The rest of the flight down was uneventful, save for the occasional shaking as the Pelican fought wind turbulence as it descended. Cole only managed to catch a glimpse of the airfield, but Harrison Airport appeared to be one of the two bigger airports Marshall had. A couple of AV-14 Hornets, URF colors painted on their flanks, came flying in to guide the Pelican to its assigned landing zone. Cole noticed that the airport seemed to have a squadron of the AV-14 landed at the northern end of the spaceport, along with a trio of Condors that were having gear and equipment loaded off them. Numerous Darters and Albatrosses were landing and taking off from the landing pads, either loading or unloading supplies and equipment or passengers, while civilian warthogs and transports ferried supplies or fuel to and from the aircraft.
As they landed and stepped off the aircraft, Cole and his escorts were greeted by a portly Indian man with a receding reddish-brown hairline and a slight limp in his step as he walked up to the Admiral.
"Vice Admiral? It is an honor to meet you, sir." The man extended his hand, "Arun Vadekar. Politician. A member of the Technocratic Union. And a friend of Lyrenne's. A bunch of fools started bickering back at the government building, and Lyrenne had to handle it, so she had me come to meet you, instead."
Cole shook the man's hand, "I'm sure it was necessary. Is there any transport available to get us there?"
Arun nodded and motioned the group to follow him towards a couple of cars sitting on the tarmac waiting for them.
"So... I've been receiving messages from quite a few wannabe politicians, lately," Cole commented as the vehicle made its way down the road towards the Government Sector.
"Not all of them are wannabes; there are a few actual politicians from the UEG. Small-timers or no-names, of course, but they still count. Right now, though, it's just a complete mess." Arun explained, taking a drink of water before continuing, "You have all these little parasites trying to grab as much power and influence as they can, all of them squabbling for control of whatever they think will give them sway over the masses."
"Who would have thought creating a government would be such a hassle." Cole dryly commented, earning a chuckle from the Indian.
"Indeed. Still, it's a lot better than it was a couple of years ago. Most of the politicians and parties have established themselves, so the bickering only happens... now and then." Arun replied.
"You don't strike me as a politician. Where are you from?"
Arun merely smirked at this, "Tell me, Admiral. Have you ever heard of the colony of Rune?"
"I'm afraid not."
Arun shrugged, "Most people haven't. It was a young colony, barely 30 years old when the Covenant glassed it in '29. It was a small backwater world, 'bout 12 light-years from Reach with maybe 120,000 living on it. Real remote, too. A rich mining entrepreneur, Tieme Donker, thought that Rune held vast metal deposits after one of the surveys turned up a decent sized pocket of aluminum and tritium. So we're sent to colonize and harvest this resource, the only problem was that the aluminum and tritium pockets they had found were the only two worth wasting the money and equipment to mine. All the others were either under 4 miles of ocean or so deep underground that Donker would have lost tens of millions trying to harvest deposits worth maybe a couple million. Fucker was quick to cut his losses. Didn't even bother telling us we were on our own. We tried getting the UEG to help us, but they just brushed us off. Eventually, I ended up finding myself in charge and trying to maintain order until I pleaded with the URF to help us. And that's when I met Lyrenne."
"I'm sorry. Did you say, Tieme Donker? As in the current owner and director of the Liang-Dortmund Corporation, that Tieme Donker?" Cole asked, genuinely surprised by this news. Tieme Donker had always been regarded as a bit of an interstellar mining genius. After being taken in by Liang-Dortmund, a major private mining corporation, he quickly rose through its ranks and became regarded as one of the leading experts in the field of Interstellar Mining. To hear such a story was a bit of a shock.
Arun nodded grimly, clearly irritated by the man's success, "Yes. That cocksucker. You don't ever really hear about this little adventure of his because he's an egotistic megalomaniac. God forbid he does something to tarnish that reputation of his. The worst part is, this isn't the first time he's fucked up like this and swept it under the rug. Must be nice having friends in the government." The Indian sounded like he was getting furious just talking about him. Cole wisely decided not to press the subject further.
This was one of the stories that you never hear about in the UNSC. The ones quietly swept under the rug because someone had the right connections. The ones of the everyday citizen in the Outer Colonies being screwed over by some wealthy or influential member within the UEG for some quick money. And many within the UNSC wondered why the Insurrection had as much support as it did. One of the most significant problems within the UNSC and UEG was nepotism. Many talented and genuinely gifted individuals are at times entirely overshadowed by those with either the right friends or family members in positions of power. (And he'd be lying if he said he had never used his own rank and influence to help bolster other officers' careers.)
There were many issues within the UEG, but at the same time, had things really been so bad that open rebellion was the only answer? A lot of people thought yes, apparently.
"Here we are." He heard Arun say. Looking out the car window, Preston saw the building Arun was pointing at. It was six stories at it's highest, and easily one of the most extensive buildings in the area, reminding him of some of the more ancient centers of parliament for the old nations of Earth regarding design and aesthetic. The building was a silvery-grey color, with the domed roof being a rusted red color.
Government Building Interior
Senate Chamber
The Senate Chambers was a massive room in the style of an amphitheater, with room for at least 1,000 people to be seated inside. It was also clearly in use, Cole could note as he walked in and took a seat in the back, not wanting to noticed just yet. Preston really despised politics, yet here he was in the lion's den. He must be a glutton for punishment or something.
The Ezulwini System's Local Senate had been formed a year prior and had been using the Chambers, which were meant to be used by the Senate for the entire Colonial Government, to conduct their meetings and day-to-day operations of managing a colony. Today, the representatives, numbering somewhere around 100 or so if Cole had to guess, were debating on whether the formation of a Colonial Militia should be implemented.
And, god were they going at it. And, to Cole's complete lack of surprise, Lyrenne was in the thick of it arguing with the representatives, seating in the back of the representatives.
"We don't need to mobilize a Colonial Militia! Such a formation won't be necessary when our army is officially formed! It's an unnecessary waste of taxpayer Credits for a military outfit that would be dismissed in only a couple years!" One representative shouted, throwing her arm in the air as if to emphasize his point.
"We don't have an army, you moron! We have a jumbled collection of the odd UNSC Army regiment, some colonial guards who like to pretend they're the UNSC Army, and a bunch of militia platoons with barely 2 weeks of military training. What kind of army is that, Mrs. Shaw?! We'll be spending years just establishing a chain of command and officer corps, let alone a legitimate and organized military! We need to establish a Colonial Militia, one with actual decent training, to bolster our defenses until we can get our military sorted out and establish an organized police force!" Another representative from across the room shouted, his weathered and wrinkled face scowling.
"And where do you propose we get the money for such a program, Mr. Castro? Our finances are stretched to the limit as it is, and while the majority of the population isn't poor, it's not prospering either. Our economy's growth is modest and very fragile, at best. If we put this into effect, we'll need at least 25 billion Credits just to train and equip 100,000. 25 billion Credits." Another one commented, his arms crossed, "If we agree to this and then the public is told about it, then we could have a riot on our hands."
Mr. Castro shot back, "I'd rather deal with a riot than an armed insurgency or pirates trying to loot and kill, or, god forbid, the Covenant shows up and we don't have the numbers to fight back, Mr. Fraley. We already have criminals trying to take advantage of our situation. Jacking up prices on medicine and food, demanding 'protection money' for parts of the city or towns that they control, selling all manner of drugs and illicit debaucheries to our people. And our 'Army' is spread too thin to properly deal with it. Our police are too small and too disorganized to combat it. We need more men on the ground to stabilize the situation on the ground, otherwise, we'll be looking at a third-world planet in no time. I think anyone here who's familiar with the name 'Aleria' will know exactly what I'm talking about."
"That's a completely different situation on Aleria and you know it, Mr. Castro," Lyrenne shouted, standing up from her seat in the back. "Aleria is suffering and in ruin, because the UEG abandoned it, left it's people to rot just to save a few credits. We're at risk of becoming a backwater because some of us here on Mbalenhle Cove don't want to play by the rules being established and are trying to screw over honest, hard-working people."
"Which is why we need to deal with them before they lead us to ruin! Form the Militia and lets us our military forces to deal with them quickly!" Mr. Castro shouted.
Arun leaned over to whisper, "As you can see, they can get pretty passionate in their debates. Of course, everyone's on edge."
"Why?" Cole asked.
Arun made a face and shook his head, "Where do you want to start? We've got a fragile economy that could either boom or collapse in the blink of an eye. We have criminal gangs and rogue URF who are trying to stake claims on the planet and cause trouble wherever they go. We've got a broken and dysfunctional military that might as well be a militia. We're trying to form a legitimate Republic and have elections by mid-44. Oh, yeah and we're also under constant risk of complete and total annihilation by an alien empire hellbent on our extinction."
Cole let out a breath and muttered, "The more things change..." He continued observing the Senate debating and arguing a rather pointless, in his mind, subject. Of course, they needed more troops, but they also needed good ones. Ones who would do their jobs and effectively. It didn't do them any good to have a bunch of half-trained militias that can't fight worth a damn. (And if there were rogue URF involved, then they'd definitely have a fight on their hands. One the militias will lose.) What they should do is assemble a task force of Army personnel to hunt down and eliminate these rogue elements, while simultaneously reorganizing the military into something that at least looked coherent. That's what they should do.
The Senate's petty arguing went on for several more minutes before Cole mentioned his thoughts to Arun, who thought about it for a moment before smirking, "Why don't you stand up and suggest it?"
"Oh, no. I'm merely here to turn down their request to have me enter politics. I'm a soldier, not a politician. My place is on the frontlines, not behind some desk."
"Nice. Except the problem is, you have no logistics chain for your navy, while the groundhoppers have the basics of one established. Plus, for the moment, there's no frontline-"
"You can stop that line of thought right now, Mr. Vadekar. Just because we're 400 light-years from the UEG doesn't mean we're no longer at war with the Covenant. Plus, you clearly haven't been to Shensei."
"Is it really as crazy as Lyrenne put it? Humans who can use magic? Ninjas who can wield magic?" Arun's face narrowed.
Cole sucked in a breath as he shook his head, "As crazy as it all sounds, yes. It's all true. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen the helmet footages or actually met one of them."
Arun scoffed, "Sorry, not trying to call you a liar, but it still just sounds too incredible."
"Do yourself a favor, and just don't go there. You'll see things that defy logic."
"Still, back to the subject at hand, you honestly haven't thought about running? You know more often than not, soldiers end up making the best politicians and leaders." Arun suggested.
"Augustus Ceasar. Fredrick the Great. Shaka Zulu. Winston Churchill. Dwight Eisenhower. James Mattis. Mae Hee-Yun. Serebrov Mihailovich. There are thousands of examples of men and women that have served their countries both on and off the battlefield and ended up being great politicians. But I don't believe I'd be one of them." Cole explained.
"Oh, bullshit. You'd be a fantastic one and we both know it. I think what it is is that you just don't want to. Maybe you're afraid to. Either way, this isn't a case of 'I can't.' It's a case of 'I don't want to.' Look, I understand the hesitation and reluctance. It's a big job, and it comes with a lot of political BS and stress, but out of everyone here in this star cluster, you can't possibly tell me there isn't a single man or woman more qualified to lead than you."
Cole narrowed his eyes at the man sitting next to him. The man had read him like a book, and he didn't like it. Plus, he had a point. There really wasn't anyone more qualified than him. Here he was with probably the most political influence out of anyone here, and he wasn't even planning on running for office. The irony of the situation didn't elude him.
"Vice Admiral Cole! Is that you, sir?" Cole was snapped out of his musing when he noticed that everyone was now looking at him. Some of them were even saluting him. Maybe they were former soldiers, or maybe they were just trying to look good for the cameras. But said cameras were all looking at him at the moment. Lyrenne was staring at him, her eyes narrowed. Maybe she didn't think he would come here.
"Goddammit." He muttered as he rose to his feet to address the crowd, "Yes, sir. Good evening, everyone. Don't pay me any mind, I'm just here as a witness."
"Admiral Cole," Castro called, saluting as he did, "It's an honor to meet a fellow soldier, especially one so decorated and revered. Your victory at Psi Serpentis was considered the greatest one in the war so far. Over 300 Covenant ships annihilated by that brilliant move of yours. The most destroyed in the war so far!"
"You served?" Cole asked, mildly surprised. 300 ships? Damn.
"Anthony Castro, sir. First Lieutenant in the 21st Marine Division. Took part in TREBUCHET, before some lucky Innie shit blew my leg off on Elysium with an IED and forced me out of service in '19." Representative Anthony Castro replied proudly.
Cole nodded. Operation TREBUCHET had been... a clusterfuck of an operation when it started in 2513. While the UNSC achieved many stellar victories against the URF in the op, at the same time they alienated many in the civilian sector as the casualties mounted. By 2524, there had been over a million civilian casualties caused by the operation, leading to a lot of resentment towards the UNSC. And the rebels, despite suffering defeats and setbacks, kept fighting throughout the whole event. Ironically, the only thing that had ended the operation, which had been 12 years old by that point, was the arrival of the Covenant in 2525.
"Well, Mr. Castro, from one soldier to another, thank you for your service." Cole complimented.
Castro nodded and responded, "And you as well, Admiral. And though you've stated you're merely here to observe, from one soldier to another, perhaps a man of your level of military expertise can offer a suggestion or two to our current problem."
There it was. The bait. The bait meant to lure him in and get him embroiled in the very politics he didn't want to be a part of. Cole knew exactly what Castro was trying to do. And he could see the look on every Representatives' face as they awaited his response. Every one of them wanted Cole in their circle because having a war hero showing support for their party would almost certainly guarantee their victory in the elections. He could see Lyrenne trying to signal him, shaking her head. Mouthing 'No!' at him.
And despite knowing what they were trying to do, despite Cole swearing he had come here to decline any offers of political office, he couldn't help himself. He was a career soldier. He saw a military problem and immediately ransacked his mind to look for a solution. He answered, "Well... You're attempting to solve a problem, a significant one, with what is at best a short-term solution. Bolstering the military's numbers with a bunch of militias will give you more room to maneuver, but augmenting your military with militia units is only going to work for so long. These militias and colonial guards are often poorly trained, equipped, and lead. While I mean no disrespect to anyone who has served in a Colonial Militia or Guard Unit, there is a reason they're known as 'weekend warriors.' The only sure solution is to bolster the size of our armed forces by either rescuing more military assets back home that wish to come here or recruit from the local population here. That's why we've begun retraining some Guard units into legitimate Army formations, as I understand."
"A fair assessment, Admiral, but where do you expect us to find the capital for such grand rearmament? In case you haven't noticed, our spending purse is a bit light at the moment." One representative, the same one from early that had referred to the cost of the militia program, inquired.
"Simple. With the amount of large-scale mining both on and off-world being conducted, we're starting to gain access to vast amounts of precious metals and resources desperately needed to fuel our industry and expand our infrastructure. Not to even mention the net worth of these vast deposits. Amongst the refugees settling here are also entire corporations and companies who have brought as much of their assets as possible, with tens or hundreds of billions in credits in both company net worth and value of assets, not to mention have vast amounts of knowledge in manufacturing, marketing, and commerce. Some of these companies have already set up shop and begun contributing to the economy's growth, providing millions with desperately needed jobs and sources of income, which in turn will turn around and spend that income on various goods and services. And as to your remark about our economy being 'fragile,' I agree to an extent but I don't think it's quite an accurate statement. I'd say it's more 'uncertain' than fragile. In all honesty, though, from all the reports I've read and studied concerning the current state and steady rise in our industrial capacity and growth, agricultural production, colonial commerce, population growth, and immigration of skilled labor, I'd have to argue that we're likely about to see an economic boom within the next couple of years. One that's only going to improve as more skilled labor arrives and our industrial basin expands." Cole explained, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing, "So with three of our biggest issues, production, food, and trade, now dealt with, we can now focus on the problem of defense. We can now start focusing on a rapid expansion of both our Army, Navy, and Police to bolster our defensive capabilities. Factories can begin producing arms and equipment to equip our men and women whom we will entrust with the safety of our little dominion. As our military and police expand in size and quality, these problems we face now will eventually be dealt with. Maybe not overnight, but eventually."
"So you're suggesting that we just ignore these criminals and rogues until we're strong enough to deal with them? That's your plan?!" Someone shouted.
"No, I never said don't do anything about them. Establish a small task force, maybe a Brigade-sized element, to go out and keep them in check or with any luck, take them out. But until we can increase the size and capabilities of our armed forces, we're going to be limited on just what all we can do at the given moment." Cole explained.
"Is this," Someone spoke, a burly man with a dark skin complexion and black hair, standing up as he spoke, "the opinion of Vice Admiral Cole or of President Cole?" the man sneered out the 'president' part. His glare at Preston showed how much contempt he had for the UNSC Admiral. The cameras in the room were now solely focused on Cole following that remark.
Cole heard Arun curse beside him, leaning in to whisper, "That's Lisandro Coronel, leader of the Social Populist Party. One of the three leading parties on the planet. Word of advice, stay away from them. You have no friends amongst them."
Cole merely nodded. He was familiar with Lisandro Coronel. The man was a known insurrectionist and a radical one. He'd eluded the UNSC during TREBUCHET, leading his band of anarchists to harass and terrorize UNSC worlds for many years, even into the 2530s when humanity found itself under attack by the Covenant. The man had been determined to win independence for his homeworld of Eridanus II, right up to the point to when it was glassed by the Covenant in 2530. Afterward, he blamed the UNSC for abandoning his world and condemning it to death. (Which was a load of shit, to Cole. Eridanus was probably one of the few battles that he lost. Even if he wasn't physically at the battle or even in the system, he felt that his coordination of the defenses and deployment of additional ships to bolster the defense had meant he had played a significant role in the battle. The UNSC had known for months in advance that the Covenant was coming for Eridanus II, and did all it could to prepare. But the loss of 61 Warships and hundreds of thousands of UNSC soldiers sure as hell didn't sound like abandonment to him.) Afterward, Coronel continued to be a thorn in UNSC's operations within the surrounding space for many years until he disappeared in '37.
Apparently, he had decided to come here, likely seeing this as an opportunity to obtain lots of power and use it to strike back at the UNSC.
He was also somewhat familiar with the Social Populist Party. A Left-Wing organization with a lot of Insurrectionist supporters, including the more radical sects of the URF. This immediately would put them at odds, since Cole considered himself a Centrist.
Cole narrowed his eyes and responded, "I'd like to reiterate that I have no intentions of serving the office of any sort, whether it be Secretary of Defense or President since some of you apparently think that I'd be perfect for the position. I'm a soldier, not a politician. Give me an enemy to fight and I will fight him with whatever resources I have at my disposal."
"You're not as popular and beloved as some would like you to think, Admiral." Lisandro shot back, mocking addressing him as admiral, "There are plenty within this region that would just as much like to see you hang from a streetlight. Many are convinced, myself included, that you are nothing more than an attack dog for an oppressive and murderous regime that wants nothing more than to place its boot on the neck of every man, woman, and child within Human Space! I honestly wonder if you truly have defected from the UNSC and instead just not using your status to let ONI spy on us all!"
Cole made a face at this accusation, "If ONI has sent anyone to spy and monitor the situation over here, the last person they're going to send is a Vice Admiral whose recognized by almost the entirety of Humanity. Besides, I think we're getting off subject of why we're here debating this."
"The point of this debate is now meaningless now that you're here. Now, the only thing everyone wants to know is whether or not you plan of running for office! And I will have it said, here and now, that as long as the Social Populist Party is here, we will never allow a UNSC attack dog to come to power in this new, young republic of ours. We will not trade one tyrannical government for another!"
"Good. I'm not a fan of tyrants, either. And as I've said before, I have no plans of running for office. So you don't have to worry about me, Butcher of Cascade, I've got no plans of entering politics. I think I've stayed long enough. Thank you for your time, ladies and gentlemen." Cole retorted, using Coronel's infamous nickname to rile him up. The Social Populist leader went red in the face with anger at the nickname, glaring at the Admiral. Coronel had earned that nickname from a stream of terrorist bombings and kidnappings he conducted in the early '20s on the Colony Cascade.
Following this remark, the gathering of representatives began arguing and debating amongst one another again, some of them trying to get the Admiral's attention while others went back to arguing over the Militia program, though Cole noticed that some were arguing in support of a full-fledged recruitment campaign instead of a mere Militia program. He began making his way out, leaning over to Arun and saying, "I'll be waiting outside. Let Lyrenne know. She and I need to have a talk, anyway."
Making his way to the doors, he was stopped by someone grabbing his arm, "You have friends here. A word, Admiral?" He turned around and came face to face with a woman in her late 40s with fair, slightly tanned skin, vibrant brunette hair, and steel grey eyes. She stood maybe 5'9". She shook his hand as she introduced herself, "Maria Muszynska. Candidate for the Federalist Union Party. We need to talk."
"Congratulations, 'mam. I'm sorry, but I'm not-"
"We may have a problem. I know you said you weren't looking to enter into politics, but we seriously need to have a talk. It's concerning both you and your ex-wife over there." She cut him off, "We think some elements in the URF are planning a coup if the election doesn't go their way."
This stopped Cole dead in his tracks. What?
"What do you mean?"
"Storm clouds are brewing within the URF here. Lyrenne Castilla isn't as in control of the URF faction here as she would like you to think, and now it might lead to a civil war when that's the last thing we need right now. We need to discuss how best to deal with this. Meet me at our Party Headquarters at 2 o'clock. 192 Westbrook Avenue. Look for a four-story building with a navy blue finish. We'll talk more there." Maria explained, before quickly disappearing into the crowd of representatives. Cole considered what she had said to him. A civil war? URF planning a coup? How bad was the situation here on Mbalenhle Cove?
What all had Lyrenne been keeping from him?
1055 AM
September 23, 2543
Uzushio Island Chain
Uzushio Island
Ruins of Uzushiogakure
UNSC Outpost
Azarov Semenov cataloged the artifacts, careful to make sure that none of them were damaged by his handling. Currently, he was going over a few antique vases and scrolls that had been recovered in the northern part of the city. The scrolls would take time to catalog whatever useful information was on them, but they had some time. Over the past several months, they've managed to recover a treasure trove of artifacts and relics from the ruins, giving them a vast amount of insight into the lives and culture of the native population that once lived here. Every small detail of information they managed to find might as well be a treasure trove of knowledge.
Despite all the useful information discovered, there still hadn't been anything found even mentioning the Covenant Assault Carrier nearby on the bottom of the ocean.
So far, none of the scrolls or books found, the ones that weren't burnt to a crisp and were still legible, said nothing about a starship crashing into the ocean. A lot of the history books regarding Whirlpool's history was from several different time periods, some even going as far back as the early 2000s in Terran years, if the year comparisons were accurate. It astonished him that this country, when it was still around, was older than the UEG and the UNSC by almost 200 years and according to the records, had been the oldest country of the current Elemental Nations.
There was one mention that caught his eye. There had been one painting, believed to originate from the early 2490s that had been found only 3 days prior, that had shown what he assumed were Whirlpool Shinobi and Samurai fighting a group of Lightning Shinobi and Samurai (The painting was damaged slightly, but the description claims that these are Lightning Forces.). But 4 other individuals were fighting alongside the Whirlpool forces, at least that's what it looked like. It mortified and confused him at the same time.
Elites. The painting showed four Elites fighting alongside, not against, humans, albeit it was against other humans.
The 4 beings towered over the humans around them, each maybe around 8 or so feet tall, all of them save for one adorned in the armor of a Special Operations Elite. The last one, though, wore the armor of an Elite dreaded by all UNSC forces; being among the most fearsome and dangerous Elites within all the Covenant.
Silvery-bronze armor. A plasma sword, bright orange in color, in hand as it lifted a Lightning Samurai in its other.
Arbiter.
Not to mention the eerie description (To him.) of the individual written in Edo below the painting, right underneath the Elites fighting.
'The Warriors of the Stars battling Lightning Forces with Whirlpool Shinobi and Samurai. They who helped deliver us from defeat during the War of Mournful Roses. Led by their fearless commander, who is bestowed the titled The Reaper. May their Comradery, Nobility, and Honor never be forgotten by the Land of Whirlpool.'
The Reaper. That name alone gave Azarov chills. The fact that these natives had given this Arbiter such an ominous title spoke volumes, in both how much they feared and respected this Elite. Clearly, there was a reason for this.
But why would Elites even fight alongside humans at all, especially an Arbiter? Granted, this seemed to have happened long before the Covenant waged war with the UEG, so likely this was their first contact with humans period, but it still baffled him as to what would compel Elites to even fight alongside humans. No doubt these Elites were probably survivors from the crashed Carrier. Did the Whirlpool inhabitants save them, and in return the Elites offered to help them? Maybe they just realized they were trapped and decided to continue doing what they did best, fighting and waging war.
The answer would allude him for now, but he was confident that with time, they could find out more of the secrets of this odd little world. But, at the moment, they needed to figure out if this 'Reaper' was still alive, along with any other Elites or Covenant troops. There was no telling just how many survived the crash, and what's worse was the possibility that this chakra substance on Shensei could affect other sentient species. He didn't want to imagine what exposure to this chakra would do to an Elite if what he had seen from fellow humans was any indication.
If it did anything similar to them as it did to humanity, then god help them.
Meanwhile...
Nagi Island
56 miles North-Northwest of Modoroki Shrine
The man before him tried to crawl away, panting and whimpering as he tried to flee. The robes he wore, solid black with red clouds on them, were a tattered mess, made only dirtier by his feeble attempts to crawl away. One of the Shinobi's legs was lying severed some ten feet from him. A hand was even further away, both appendages cleanly cut and cauterized from intense heat.
And that said nothing of his three dead compatriots lying nearby, one of which was disemboweled and another beheaded. All of them wearing the same robes he did.
The towering warrior snarled in contempt. This coward was no warrior. A parasite or pest was a more accurate description. Tanuma Arisane. He knew all he needed to know about him. 31 years old in human years, 6'3", and roughly 200 pounds. Slightly tanned skin with sandy blonde hair and light brown eyes. A former A-ranked Shinobi of the Hidden Valley Village wanted for numerous crimes, including selling of village secrets, murdering 10 fellow Valley Shinobi, 5 accounts of rape, that were known, and treason, of course. And these were just the crimes he committed against the Hidden Valley. Fled his home village and became a rogue after being exposed raping an 11-year-old academy student approximately 5 years ago. Then he was recruited by the Akatsuki 2 years ago and came here, terrorizing the local inhabitants of this island whenever he was in town and not hunting down Jinchuuriki. His specialty in Genjutsu was probably why the Akatsuki sought him out.
As the giant warrior watched his prey crawl feebly, he snorted in amusement at the thought that Arisane was probably regretting that particular decision, right now. Clearly, he was never told who the Akatsuki's greatest foe was. Even worse for him, thanks to a series of special seals placed on his body, only the most powerful of Genjutsu would work on him, and in this day and age, there were very few Shinobi willing to devote so much time and effort in such a specialized skill set. This fool hadn't pursued it hard enough, hence why he now lay in such a humiliating state.
The swordsman calmly followed after the injured Shinobi, his black robes blowing gently in the wind as he moved, making almost no sound. Arisane's movements became more desperate, more erratic as he tried to avoid his inevitable doom. He growled in disgust. The Akatsuki bastard could at the very least try to die with some dignity. But, what else should one expect from a coward?
"L-look! Wait! Wait! We can work out a deal here! I have info," Arisane paused as he tried to bargain, his face turning back to face him. His sandy blonde hair was matted and dirty with blood and grim, the aftermath of a long battle. His eyes were wide with terror. Good. "I have some good information on the others you can-"
"You have nothing of value to me, wretch, except for your head." The monstrous warrior spat out, his voice deep and menacing. While Arisane was a rather impressive size for a shinobi, the cloaked warrior towered over him with his 8-foot-frame, at least 330 pounds of pure muscle without his armor on underneath, which pushed it even further, towards 410 pounds. His entire body was invisible underneath the robes, hiding his features from prying eyes. Looking up at his hood only showed a black void with glowing amber-colored reptilian eyes staring back as if one were staring into the face of death itself.
But there was a reason he was known as the Reaper.
The Reaper advanced again, pulling out a small device as he did, wrapping his hand around the handle. Within a second of igniting it, a massive sword of what Arisane could of only thought of as pure, almost transparent light flashed into existence, glowing an ominous orange and cyan color, and split down the middle to form twin blades that seemed to mirror one another. The sword seemed to cackle as it came to life, ready to claim another victim.
"W-wait! Wait! I can tell you where the others are at! I-"
"A treasonous coward to the end!" He snarled out, "I expected as much, given what know of you. Don't bother trying to bribe me, Nishum. I will learn of their location soon enough. You've desecrated this world long enough with your presence. Now, die and join your brethren IN HELL!" The Reaper lunged forward with tremendous speed, striking the blade down into the screaming Akatsuki member's chest, his scream fading into the wind as the Reaper slashed upward and split his head in two.
Four more Akatsuki slain. A satisfying and successful hunt. He sighed softly, knowing that the bastard Madara would replace them within a couple years. As long as Madara lived, so too would the Akatsuki. His vengeance was never quenched, and never would be until all who dared called themselves Akatsuki, or Madara's Whores as he preferred to call them, laid dead before him and Uchiha Madara's head was on a plate. Even if no one believed the Uchiha Elder was still alive, he knew the truth and knew that madman must be stopped.
He let out a deep breath, slowly checking his surroundings. He stretched out, his body sore and tired. The years were finally catching up with the 159-year-old Sangheili Swordsman, even if his kind could potentially live to upwards of 230 in human years. The Reaper lift the plasma sword to his face, his amber-colored eyes scrutinizing it. 72% Battery left. He should recharge it when he returned to his camp, to be safe. This custom designed blade had served him for a lifetime, now, and he could proudly say it was the first of a long lineage of fine swords that copied its design. And its name was known well amongst his kinsmen.
(Begin Song 'Unsullied Memory' - From Halo 2 Anniversary OST.)
Vorpal Talon.
He had forged this blade himself when he was barely 30 years old. And it had served him ever since, a faithful and reliable companion across many worlds, in many battles, and against many foes. Now, it served him well on this strange world, one he had been trapped on for the past 75 years since he crashed landed on this world. Had it not been for the charity and chivalry of the Uzumaki Clan, of the Land of Whirlpools, he would have likely died. An honorable clan, if he had ever seen one. A shame that they were gone.
No... Not all of them... She was still in Konoha. If the heir-princess stayed there and him out here hunting those responsible for the destruction of her clan and her home then she would be safe. The Uzumaki would have a future. He would find those responsible and bring vengeance. On all of them.
It had been several years now since he had even seen her or another Uzumaki. When was the last time they had laid eyes on one another?
Ah yes. 3 years ago. In the dying months of the 3rd Shinobi World War. The Battle of Toutori, up in Lightning Country.
He remembered that day almost as if it had happened just now.
*Memory Flashback*
November 19, 2539
Lightning Country
Roughly 50 miles west of Hidden Cloud Village
The final hours of the Battle of Toutori
Thunder and Lightning in the sky, the rain pouring down. The battlefield was torn and warped from hundreds of jutsu being used. There were dozens of dead Shinobi lying around him, Cloud, Leaf, and even the Leaf's Allies Frost, Hotsprings, and Valley. The Reaper had come here looking for his foe, having just battled and decimated a force of some 100 Cloud Shinobi that had been retreating, some sort of rearguard if he had to guess and all but 11 of their number falling to his blade before fleeing in terror. In the middle of all this carnage and death, there were two individuals. One was a giant of a human, a muscular brute standing 6'8", with dark skin, long white hair, and green irises with no pupil. His uniform was torn, and there was a small bit of blood on them, but aside from that, A, the Third Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village, was unharmed.
The same could not be said for his opponent.
She was on the ground, defeated and at the mercy of a killer. Compared to the Raikage, she was a small thing. Standing 5'4", with vibrant red hair and violet eyes. Her battle uniform was tattered with covered in numerous cuts and bruises on her body. Blood bled from several wounds. And standing over her was the Raikage, a lightning Jutsu ready to end her life. This was what he had arrived to. And upon seeing one of the only people left in his life, one of the only ones he could even consider... family, on the verge of death... Rage. Rage had consumed him.
The Pits of Hell has no fury like that of an Arbiter.
"Get. Away. From her." His deep voice commanded, filled with menace and fury. The Raikage stopped and looked up ahead of him to see the towering figure of the Reaper standing before him not 20 feet away.
The woman, upon hearing his voice and not believing what she heard, turned her head around. It had been nearly 6 years since they had seen one another at the time. Her violet eyes stared directly in his own, barely managing to whisper out, "De... Dekar? Is that you?
Dekar nodded, "It is alright, Kushina. I am here."
The Kage's reaction was to merely scoff, stepping over and kicking Kushina in the head, causing her to collapse into the muddy ground as he walked forward. Dekar snarled at the action, but the Raikage merely smirked, "Such an honor to be in the presence of the Reaper. Did you travel all this way just for me? I'm flattered."
"I came here to kill you, Raikage. The spilled blood of my brothers, the spilled blood of thousands of Uzumaki, and of an entire nation demands it. And your blood will pay the toll." Dekar snarled.
A's smirk merely got fuller, "A bold claim, even from someone as infamous as you but unlike those other weaklings, you go around hunting. I won't be so easy to take down." At this point, the Raikage didn't care. He had accomplished what he set out to do. He had bought the rest of the Hidden Cloud forces time to regroup and pull back and they had bloodied the Coalition forces in the process.
"If your Cloud Shinobi I just decimated were anything to base off of, then I doubt it."
The smirk disappeared from his face, his eyes narrowing, "Careful, Reaper. Your next words can be your last."
"Today is the last day you will even breathe, wretch. I would be more concerned with your own life." Dekar shot back, slowly removing his cloak. The thunder and lightning raged in the skies behind him, almost as if in protest as if refusing to see the terror that lay underneath the cloak. He looked over to Uzumaki Kushina, quite possibly the last Uzumaki left alive, before returning his gaze back to the Raikage, "You should be honored, Raikage. Not only will you have the chance to battle me, but you will also see what I truly look like under this cloth. I want you to see and know who your killer was."
The cloak fell off to the ground, revealing the massive 8-foot tall figure. Towering and imposing, wearing a set of silvery-bronze armor. His body was burly and muscular, his amber eyes glowing in the dark evening. He grasped Vorpal Talon in his hand, an unnatural, inhuman hand with two fingers and two thumbs. The blade ignited, its orange-cyan color glowing brightly in the darkened evening. Lightning flashed behind him as Dekar 'Nythrus, former Sangheili Arbiter of the Covenant and the first since Fal 'Chavamee to rebel against the Covenant, roared at his foe, his four mandibles flaring out, his warcry as thunderous and violent as the powerful storm above him.
*Flashback ends*
The battle had been long and complicated and by the end of it Dekar would be unable to fight for several months, but the victory was ultimately his. The Raikage lay dead at his feet and the Hidden Cloud forces in full route when word of their Kage's death reached them. They would claim afterward that their Kage had died fending off 10,000 Shinobi for 3 days, not that he cared. Let them fool themselves into believing their Kage had fallen heroically. Dekar and Kushina knew the truth. He had died alone and on his knees, just before his head was severed from his body.
And once more, as soon as Konoha medics and reinforcements had arrived, he had left Kushina. Not that he had wanted to... Her pleads for him to come back, to not leave her again, on that night as he disappeared into the woods still tore at him to this day. He was just too recognizable. Made her a target. If he was always out here hunting the Akatsuki, the real masterminds behind Uzushiogakure's destruction, then she would be safe from further attacks by them. He... He could not stay. Not with her. He was a threat to her safety...
Dekar looked up to the skies above him, watching the clouds slowly rolling in. Yes... He could not stay with her... For her own sake, he must stay out here. Ever on the hunt. Ever in exile for his failures.
His honor would allow no less of a punishment...
0418 AM
October 9, 2543
Sea Island
119 miles from Capital, Asanobe
Port Jinhar
UNSC Army Rangers,
1st Squad, 4th Platoon, Fox Company, 121st Ranger Regiment
Sergeant Damian Cooper
The night air was thick with the sound of insects and amphibians calling out into the night, a gentle breeze causing the trees and brush around them to sway softly. The 8-man squad laid patiently in their position as they observed the port that had labeled as a landing zone for the mainline invasion force, their night-vision devices emitting a deep green hue in front of their eyes.
'Port, my ass.' Cooper thought, 'More like a tiny-ass fishing village.' Damian Cooper was a 29-year-old African-American originally from the colony Jericho VII. He joined the Army Rangers at 20, and his first tour of combat would be witnessing his homeworld glassed by the Covenant in 2535 just a year later. The horrific event embittered him as Cooper watched his home destroyed from orbit. In the eight years following that terrible baptism by fire, he had seen a dozen worlds fall to the Covenant's seemingly unstoppable advance, growing more and more disillusioned with the UNSC with each bitter defeat. By 2542, after fighting and ultimately having to retreat from Alluvion, he had believed the war to be a lost cause by then, and like most in his platoon, were looking for a way out to try and save his family from what seems like inevitable extinction. In a surprising twist of fate, the very ship his platoon had managed to evac on was a ship controlled by Castilla's URF faction, making its way to Hellas where his platoon had been offered a choice.
Come with them and try to save something of the human race, or they could die right there. The choice had been obvious, and he hadn't looked back since.
He kept his MA37 SOCOM trained on the road leading to the small village. This SOCOM variant was different from the mainline MA37 variant, being heavily customized as it had a suppressor, an underslung M301 40mm Grenade Launcher, and the ammo counter/compass being replaced with a scope capable of zooming from 2x-4x, for mid-range target acquisition. Most of his squad were outfitted with the weapon setup, save for his two Designated Markmen, who were equipped with M392 SOCOM, with a suppressor and collapsible bipod, and a lone M739 SAW gunner.
The 'port' was exactly as Cooper has described it. It was a tiny fishing/farming village, with maybe a thousand souls living in it. It was apparently a 'slave' village, where the slaves of the pirates were housed and forced to work the opium fields nearby. The reason it was chosen as the landing zone for the Expeditionary Brigade, though, was pretty smart, for once. The actual ports around the island would be attacked by the Air Force, destroying any vessels that could ferry troops off the island, decimate the harbors to prevent any sort of escape, and make it look as if an invasion was coming from the ports. With the pirates so focused on what was happening at the mainline ports, they would likely not notice that the actual landing was happening here and by the time they realized it, it would be too late. The small garrison here would be quickly dealt with.
'Probably already is. How the hell a bunch of raggedy-ass pirates with swords and bows gonna stand up to us?' Cooper thought. It wasn't a foolish question. For once, Intel had been pretty solid on the disposition of their enemy. In the past couple of weeks, the UNSC Expeditionary Brigades had seized all the minor islands in record time and with minimal casualties, the highest being when a Darter full of munitions had suffered a malfunction in its thrusters and crashed next to the airfield, killing about 30 people from what he heard. Crimson State Island, some island that was going to be given to one of the UNSC's newfound allies, was still putting up some resistance, but the pirates hiding out in the mountains have maybe a week at best before they're flushed out. The pirates that were maintaining control on the other tiny islands... hadn't stood a chance. They were killed by the dozens or hundreds as they tried to resist or flee on their boats, as the UNSC introduced them to the concept of Shock and Awe. Already some 4,000 prisoners had been taken, with some five times that many in casualties. So far, the UNSC had suffered maybe 90 dead, about as many wounded.
Talk about a one-sided slaughter. Then again... the UNSC still hadn't come across any of the enemy's supposed enemy Shinobi, at least any that could be identified. Intel wasn't sure where they were at but was concluding that they were on the two main islands.
'4-Papa, this is 4-Papa-Actual, come in, over.' His NCO, Sergeant First Class Malcolm, came in over the comms.
"4-Papa-Actual, this is 4-1-Actual. Send it, over." Cooper replied. He shifted in his prone spot a bit to try and get a little more comfortable.
'This is 4-2-Actual. Send it, over.'
'4-Papa-Actual, 4-3-Actual. Ready to receive, over.'
'4-Papa-Actual, 4-4-Actual. Go ahead with your transmission, over.'
'Uh, Roger, 4-Papa. Be advised, Command is commencing with the air assault on the major ports. Break. In approximately 15 minutes, 4-Papa is to move in and secure the town. Over.'
"Solid copy, 4-Papa-Actual. Break. 4-Papa-Actual, what is our Romeo-Oscar-Echo, over?" Cooper answered, followed by confirmations from the rest of the platoon.
'4-1, current Romeo-Oscar-Echo is as follows. Break. Point 1, all combatants are to be identified before firing on. Break. Point 2, Civilian Casualties are to be kept to a minimum. Check your targets in there and make sure it's hostile. Break. Point 3, any identified officers are to be secured if possible, if not then eliminated. How copy, over?'
"Solid copy, 4-Papa-Actual. 4-1-Actual, out." Cooper looked over to his squad on his right, "You all hear that?"
He got a chorus of 'Roger, Sarge.' and 'Yes, Sergeant.' from the seven other men and women in his squad. He heard another voice to his left, one that had been irritating the hell out of him for the past couple of hours.
"So are you finally gonna do something instead of just sitting here? I'm dying from boredom." A young voice asked rather lazily.
Cooper grunted and rolled to his left to face the owner of that voice, a young male genin from Moon Country, their new ally in the region. About 80 of them were spread throughout the two UNSC Expeditionary Brigades helping them secure the island, while another 20 were helping mop up the resistance on Crimson State Island. And for some reason, HIGHCOM had decided that his Ranger Platoon needed a Shinobi team to assist it.
Would it have killed them to choose some other team, or even better select another platoon to assign these kids to? And why the fuck was Moon Country sending fucking children to do their fighting? Were they nuts?!
"Yeah, we about to 'do something,' as you put it. In about 15 minutes, we're going into town and securing it." Cooper answered, trying to stay civil. But this little shit, in particular, had been irritating him. The other two were... okay, he guesses. The other little boy on their team was more polite, if reserved, while the girl had been pretty hesitant to talk to them, only if necessary. They apparently were withheld and uncertain about the UNSC, and that was understandable. He still wasn't comfortable about the idea of a bunch of kids fighting alongside him.
But this boy right here had been downright disrespectful and almost arrogant. Apparently, being able to use magic gave you a bit of an ego, especially compared to someone like him who has relied on good old running and gunning, with an occasional curb stomp to the neck. But apparently, not being able to use magic made this 9-year-veteran of a dozen campaigns inferior to some 13-year-old brat who's been running around playing soldier for maybe the past year or so.
What kind of bullshit was that?
The kid's name was... how the hell do you pronounce it? Momoi Shinobu? Yeah, close enough. Anyway, Shinobu here was supposedly the 'Rookie of the Year' in his graduating class (Which means he's apparently hot stuff... for some reason.) and was highly regarded back in his village. If that was the case, then that Ninja Village had low fucking standards. The kid had a massive attitude problem, and not just him, but his soldiers were getting tired of it, too.
Shinobu sighed, "Finally. About time we did something. My squad could have been in there and cleared it out, by now."
"Well when you're in charge of your own mission, you can do it however you want and order everyone however you want. In the meantime, my NCO is in charge, which means you listen to his orders. Clear? Or do I need to take this up with your 'sensei'?" Cooper shot back.
Shinobu just rolled his eyes, "Tch. Whatever. I'll be back." and disappeared without another word.
"Wait-" Cooper tried to stop him, but he was gone before he could get it out. (Or the little shit had ignored him.) Cooper shook his head and sighed.
"You know, I'm not one for beating a kid, but that little schmuck is making me reconsider." Private Bellino, a couple of soldiers down from where the Sergeant was, commented.
"You and me both." Another Private, Holmes, agreed.
"Hey Sarge, what do you say? When this mission's over, we go teach that kid some manners?" Bellino asked him. Cooper was tempted to say 'Hell, yeah.', but relented.
He shook his head, "Believe me, I would love to see him getting a little humbled, but we go around beating up our new ally's soldiers, and a kid on top of that, it's going to look really bad on our fellow Army brothers and us. We get enough shit as it is from the Jarheads and Navy Punks."
"Now, now. Hold on, Sarge. Nobody said we had to beat him, just rough him up a little. Give 'im a wet willie, some titty twisters. Dunk his head in a toilet and wedgie his skinny ass. Maybe threaten to make him lick a dog turd, while we're at it. You know. Classic elementary school bullying tactics." Bellino replied, earning a few chuckles and snickers from the squad.
"What the hell's wrong with you, Bellino?" Cooper tried to ask in a serious tone but failed as he joined in on the laughing, too.
"What can I say, I was a little shithead in school." Bellino grinned mischievously.
'All 4-Papa Elements, this is 4-Papa-Actual. Be advised we are a go in 5 mikes, out.'
"Alright, everyone. Time to earn our pay. 5 mikes and we're moving in. Copy?" Cooper asked, receiving several acknowledgments in response.
(Begin Song - 'Covenant Dance' from Halo: Combat Evolved OST)
In the distance, some 15 miles out to the west, several massive explosions could be heard. The port city of Saigai, which had been identified as a significant base for the pirate fleets, was being attacked by 10 Wombat Drones and a flight of 4 Longswords, who dropped their payloads on the docks and strafing every identified pirate vessel in the harbor. Along the entirety of the island, every major port was being attacked as well, their harbors and warships being annihilated by the might of the UNSC Air Force. Over 200 Wombats, Longswords, and Vultures were attacking each island, decimating everything in their path and making as much of a ruckus as possible to lure the enemy forces away from the actual landing sites. And it was working like a charm.
Cooper's HUD showed a live feed from an ARGUS drone over their position, showing several pirates running about shouting as they woke up their comrades. They must have been the ones on guard duty. Now, they were getting their companions up and trying to arm themselves. They didn't see many civilians, likely either being ordered to stay in their homes or not wanting to get caught up in whatever was happening.
'All 4-Papa Elements, 4-Papa-Actual. Green Light. Green Light. We are clear to move in, out!'
"Let's go!" Cooper ordered as the Ranger Squad got up and started moving forward. The village was maybe 150 meters from their location, with a large opium field that they had to cross before making it into the town proper. Cooper kept his MA37 SOCOM trained on the village, scanning for any opposition coming out to engage them, but it seemed that the Pirates still weren't aware of their presence.
"Hey."
Cooper swore as he nearly swung his rifle around and fired, only to realize it was Shinobu again, walking next to the Rangers as they pushed up.
"Jesus, kid! Could you not do that?!" Cooper hissed.
The Moon Village Genin merely rolled his eyes, "So, we're clearing out this crummy little town finally?"
"If you had stayed over there with us, I could have told you instead of you having to come to find us."
"Pfft. Like you nobodies could ever manage to lose me."
Cooper started to growl out, coming close to taking a swing at the brat but restrained himself. He was really starting to reconsider Bellino's offer from early. Maybe this kid did need to get his ass kicked.
"Whatever. Look, go tell your teammates to keep an eye out for any enemy ninjas. We'll handle the pirates, it shouldn't take us more than 10 minutes to do." Cooper said. Just as he finished saying that, one of his marksmen reported contacts moving towards them. He looked back to see a squad-sized element of Pirates, some of them pointing in their direction, moving out towards them. He saw that each of them was carrying something in their hands, but it was hard to make out from a distance of 100 meters.
"Shit! Holmes. Torrens. Start dropping the-" He began to order, then the one thing they weren't expecting happened.
The Pirates opened fire, with firearms.
"SHIT! GET DOWN!" Cooper shouted as bullets tore up the ground around the Rangers, grabbing Shinobu and throwing him to the ground. The bullets being fired at them were sporadic and inaccurate at best, kicking up a lot of dirt around the Rangers as they returned fire.
Ignoring the shouts of protest from the child soldier beneath him, Cooper aimed his MA37 SOCOM at one of the pirates and fired a burst, each round making a coughing sound as it fired. The rounds struck home, dropping the man as if he were a puppet with his strings cut. The Rangers began methodically picking off the pirates one by one as it became evident that these pirates weren't familiar with how to properly use whatever firearm they had. The only problem was that more of the pirates were coming to back up their comrades. And the pirates were quick learners, using whatever cover they could find to offer some protection from the Soon enough, there were a couple dozen pirates firing on them. Fortunately, the pirates didn't seem to know exactly where the Rangers were at, firing widely into the opium field. None of his Rangers had been hit yet, but that wouldn't last forever.
"4-PAPA-ACTUAL! THIS IS 4-1-ACTUAL! WE'VE COME UNDER SMALL ARMS FIRE FROM WITHIN THE VILLAGE! BREAK! I REPEAT! ENEMY FORCES HAVE ACCESS TO SMALL ARMS! HOW COPY, OVER?" Cooper shouted into his comms.
'4-Papa-Actual, this is 4-4-Actual. We, too, have come under small arms fire from a trio of huts to the East of the settlement! Break! The enemy is using what we think are Sierra Mike Gammas, but uncertain at this time. How copy, over?'
'All 4-Papa-Elements, 4-Papa-Actual here. We read loud and clear. Command had been made aware of this from several other teams reporting the same thing. Break. 4-1 and 4-4, at this time, there's nothing we can do about it. Push on through and complete your mission. Break. 4-2 and 4-3, push into the village and try to see if we can catch the bastards in their rears. 4-Papa-Actual, out.'
Shinobu managed to slip out from under him, getting back up as he did some handsigns and shouted, "Clone Jutsu!" with a carbon copy clone of him appearing right next to him. The clone charged forward, taking fire from several of the pirates while Shinobu went through another set of handsigns, shouting "Boufuu Bakuhatsu Bunshin no Jutsu!". Wind Explosion Clone Jutsu. The clone launched itself right in the midst of the pirate, before disappearing in a brilliant explosion that illuminated the whole field. Several of the pirates were thrown into the air by the explosion, while others simply disappeared in a haze of red mist. The rest of the pirates scattered, spreading themselves out to avoid a similar fate while they continued to fire on the Rangers.
A smoldering crater was all that remained to indicate that the suicidal clone had been there. One that the pirates were quick to take advantage of and use for cover.
Cooper snarled and charged the young ninja just as he was getting ready to cast another jutsu, tackling him to the ground and making sure to pin one of his arms so he couldn't cause any more trouble. Bullets kicked up all around them, one of which pinged off of Cooper's shoulder guard as it bounced off, causing him to yelp and duck down as low as he could manage while returning fire. He ignored the shouts of protest from the ninja underneath him. The Army Sergeant had bigger things to worry about at the moment.
"Dammit!" Cooper cursed, before ordering, "GAINES! TAKE YOUR FIRETEAM AND WORK YOUR WAY RIGHT! SEE IF WE CAN GET 'EM IN A CROSSFIRE! ALVAREZ, START THROWING LEAD DOWNRANGE! EVERYONE ELSE, COVER SMOKE! POP SOME SMOKE IN THEIR FACES! GO!" the sergeant loaded a smoke grenade round into his grenade launcher, angling the weapon up slightly before firing it followed by three more rounds. The rounds detonated, creating a massive blanket of smoke that obscured the enemy's fire, which lessened as they could no longer see what they were hitting.
Corporal Gaines and her fireteam took the opportunity and started sprinting, covering some 30 meters before the fire began picking up again and forcing them back into crawling. The rest of the Rangers held their fire, trying to get as low as possible to avoid getting hit.
"GET OFF ME, YOU WORTHLESS BASTARD! I GOT THIS HANDLED! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Shinobu, who Cooper had completely forgotten about, shouted at him. He was punching the man's leg with his free hand at this point.
"Shut up and listen, you dumb fucking brat!" Cooper snapped, "I don't know how the fuck they got 'em, but the Pirates got the same damn weapons we do and know how to use 'em! I don't give a fuck if you think you need us or not! YOU ARE UNDER OUR ORDERS HERE! NOT YOURS! Get that through your thick skull and quit being a pain in my ass! You need to go find your teacher or whatever the hell you call him and warn your team!" The Ranger Sergeant was cursing the fact the shinobi team hadn't taken a set of headsets with them to communicate. It made coordinating with them all the damn harder.
"Like they wouldn't have heard all of that commotion you idiots made?! Are you retarded and weaklings?! Who cares what a bunch of chakra-less weaklings think-"
Cooper snapped, grabbing the boy by the collar and to everyone's surprise, headbutted him. Hard. The resounding crack could be heard loudly, the boy's eyes rolling in the back of his head as he slumped unconscious. He grimaced and shook his head. He didn't like doing that one bit. He might catch hell for doing that later, but the kid was putting his men in danger by being insubordinate. They couldn't afford to be pinned down and arguing with each other.
Laying the kid in a sunken row of the opium poppies, then got back down just as the smoke started clearing away. The Pirates were hesitantly advancing, firing sporadically as they did. He got a message, signifying that Holmes' Fireteam was in position and waiting on his word.
"RANGERS! Advance and fire! Drop these motherfuckers!" The sergeant ordered, and almost simultaneously, the UNSC Rangers rose as one and resumed firing on the pirates, who were out in the open and exposed. Half their number dropped within the first few seconds, the sound of the squad's lone SAW blaring out everything else as it fired, with the pirates returning fire but quickly followed their comrades into oblivion, not aware of Holmes' Fireteam on their flank. A few still stubbornly held out inside the crater, but as the Rangers poured on the fire and forced them back into cover, a trio of grenade launcher rounds fired would quickly finish them off.
With the last of their enemy now, deceased, Cooper asked if anyone was hit. When everyone replied they were fine, he radioed in, "4-Papa-Actual. 4-1-Actual. We have eliminated the enemy presence in our section and are moving up. Be advised, our ninja ally has been WIA. Non-threatening but unresponsive. Requesting MEDEVAC for him. No further casualties at this time and will mark his location, over."
'Roger that, 4-1. We see your beacon and have a medical squad moving in to pick him up. Continue on mission for now. All other 4-Papa-Elements have reported eliminating or routing their opposition further into the village. Out.'
PFC Bellino gave the sergeant a knowing look, to which Cooper replied, "Hey if anybody asks, we'll say he tripped and hit his head on a rock. A really dense rock." The Rangers moved up to where the pirates lay dead, looking to identify what the hell they were shooting them with.
"Hey, Sarge. Here." Bellino held up one of the firearms, a submachine gun from the looks of it. Cooper didn't recognize it himself, but Bellino suddenly said, "Sevine Arms. SAMP-11s. Chambered in... 9 millimeter. I remember law enforcement from my homeworld using these since it was a fucking backwater that couldn't afford the quality Misriah stuff like those M7s. They'd use these instead. Pretty decent SMGs, too, if you don't mind the shitty recoil."
"Where the fuck did they get UEG Weaponry?" Gaines asked.
"Where else? Some Innie Shitbags sold them for a quick buck!" One of the marksmen, Torrens, accused.
"We don't know for certain." Cooper quickly said, "Plus, there's nothing we can do about it for now. Just stay alert and treat this like any Innie firefight. Hooah?"
"Hooah!" The Rangers replied as they moved out, using the buildings as cover as they moved through the village. Occasionally, they would come across a scared family or the odd pirate straggler, but aside from that, the Rangers of 1st Squad, 4th Platoon managed to clear their sector of the small village without suffering a casualty.
'All 4-Papa-Elements, be advised. Invasion forces are making their approach. ETA is 10 mikes. Need to go ahead and mop up the last of the resistance and lock down the town. How copy, over?'
"4-1 copies all, 4-Papa-Actual. We've finished the sweep of our sector and are moving to 4-2's location. Over"
'This is 4-3! We have a few stragglers hold up in a large two-story building. Break. Believed to be about twenty or so combative inside and we cannot push closer. We have three WIA and are pinned down. How copy, over?' 4-3's NCO, Harris, reported over the comms, showing their location on the map of Cooper's HUD.
"Standby, 4-3! We're on our way! We'll approach from the south and see if we can't draw some of their fire. Over."
'4-3, this is 4-2. We're linking up with 4-1 and will follow suit. Try to hang in there, out.' 4-2's NCO, Spoler, replied.
'Roger that, 4-3 and 4-2. Solid Copy. 4-3, out!' 4-3 replied before cutting off comms.
"Come on we got Rangers who need us. Let's roll!"
"SON OF A BITCH! THIS IS MORE THAN 20 MOTHERFUCKERS!" Cooper heard Gaines shout as he launched a grenade from his M301, the round sailing into the air before slamming into the side of the building. The explosion kicks off several chunks of the building and Cooper thought he heard a few screams. The Pirates retaliated by firing several bursts back, forcing the Corporal back into cover. The sergeant fired a burst at a head that popped out from the second story window, before disappearing. He wasn't sure if he hit him, but at the very least he made that fool keep his head down.
"Where the hell the goddamn ninjas at?" Cooper asked 2nd Squad's Sergeant, Spoler.
Spoler shrugged her shoulders, "No clue. Last I heard, they were clearing out the docks of the few pirates still there with 4-4."
"Go figure," Cooper muttered, firing another burst as another idiot popped his head out to look. This time he knew he got the bastard as his head burst open into red paste. The Pirates were surrounded and quickly running out of cover. Eventually, they would have to either A, give up, or B, wait for the house to collapse on top of them. The Rangers kept up the fire, chewing the wooden building to pieces as the combined fire of nearly 24 soldiers devastated the house, with gunfire and grenades gutting the structure. After several minutes of this, somebody heard someone shouting at them from within the building at the Rangers, causing all the sergeants to order their respective squads to cease fire. The building was quiet. Nobody was returning fire, but the Rangers held their weapons at the ready, some reloading to be sure.
One of the sergeants, 4-3's Sergeant Harris shouted out, "You fuckers ready to give up?! Or do we need to do a little more persuading?!"
"FOR KAMI'S SAKE, YES! WE SURRENDER, ALRIGHT! JUST STOP FUCKING SHOOTING! PLEASE!" Someone inside, scared shitless out of their mind from the sound of it, replied.
"Come out, slowly and with your hands up! And no little schemes, either. Or we'll fill your ass with so much lead you'll be shiting brass for a month!"
"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! WE'LL DO IT! JUST DON'T SHOOT AT US ANYMORE!"
"How many of you are there?" Cooper shouted, "If I go in there and find out you have a few buddies hiding in there, then I guarantee you a dead motherfucker!"
"T-There's... 9 of us left standing. There's a couple more on the ground, but I don't think they're gonna make it. If we come out, you promise not to kill us?"
"You drag their asses out with you. If I find a single living asshole lurking in there, then you're all getting a bullet to the back of the head. That I can promise!"
"ALRIGHT! KAMI FUCK!" The Rangers could hear several people inside shuffling about, speaking in hushed tones. The Rangers kept their weapons at the ready, in case the Pirates tried anything funny or changed their minds. While this was happening, each of the squad medics went to check on each of the wounded, a total of five, to see how bad their injuries were. Thankfully, none of their injuries were life-threatening, the worst of them being a couple broken ribs and a fractured femur.
After a couple of minutes, the first of the pirates slowly came out the door, his hands shakily up in the air and his body covered in dust and dried blood. Slowly, the rest of the pirates trickled out, a couple of which were helping their comrades out of the building. Cooper noticed that around them, several of the residents who had been hiding in there homes were slowly peeking out to see what had happened, their faces full of shock that someone had beaten and decimated the pirates.
Several Rangers slowly moved up, weapons trained on the ragged collection before them.
"Is that all of you?" Sergeant Harris asked.
"Y-yes." One of the pirates answered.
"Where're your weapons?"
"W-we dropped them inside!"
"You better have." Sergeant Harris turned to a couple of his soldiers, "Search 'em."
The Rangers searched, then detained each of the pirates, confiscating anything they found while tying their hands behind their back. The medics looked over the two injured pirates. One of them may make it, but the other one had a collapsed lung and a ruptured spleen, losing a lot of blood. The medics called it, and then administered a lethal dose of morphine to ease the man's passing. They then carefully searched the house, making sure to identify every weapon in the house, which it turned out to be about thirty corpses inside for a total of 41 pirates that had been held up in the building. Still, they hadn't lost a single soldier thankfully. Only a few injured this time. That was one small blessing.
Cooper could hear the sound of several aircraft approaching. Looking up to the sky, he saw several Pelicans, Albatrosses, and Heron Pods descending towards the village, preparing to deploy additional UNSC troops and start establishing a base. He could see a couple frigates slowly breaking through the cloud cover, lowering their altitude to provide fire support if needed. The residents still confused at what was going on became very panicked at the sight of the strange large machines descending down, many of which went back into their homes to hide.
Damian Cooper noticed movement to his left and saw a scrawny little boy, clothes ragged and dirty, picking up a piece of rubble and tried to chuck it at the pirates, an hate-filled look on his face. After a couple failed attempts, he finally noticed Cooper looking at him and tensed up, expecting the strangely dark man to either start yelling at him or hurt him.
Cooper, however, just merely waved at the kid, who ran away, before he walked off to regroup with his squad. 'Yeah, that's right kid. You get yourself a little payback. We'll handle the rest from here.'
*I just want to point out and say that the age being portrayed for the Reaper, a Sangheili, is in Earth Years. If we were going off Sanghelios Years, which last 583.3 days with a 29.5 hour day cycle (The hours weren't added into the equation. I can only do so much math without going braindead. If someone else wants a crack at it, be my guest. Here's the equation I've gotten so far for figuring out the difference. 583.3/365 days = 159.80%; X divided by 159.80%= y.), the Reaper who is 159-years old in Earth years would actually be 99.49 years old in Sanghelios years. (Still, pretty old to be running around and fighting.)
And that's if for this chapter. As stated up top, after the Sea Confederacy Campaign, I'm going to start jumping ahead in time more to get the story rolling. Sea Confederacy should take no more than 3 chapters to conclude, as it's an important arc within the story due to it being the UNSC's first major engagement against shinobi forces since Timur Island. Don't want to spoil anything, but they're about to get a taste of just what shinobi can actually do to an army.
Another note I would like to mention is that the chapter for one of my other stories, Halo-Mass Effect: Salvation's Light, is about a third done with 7,000 words written. I know a lot of my readers have been waiting patiently for me to finish it so I can begin work on Halo-Mass Effect, and I apologize that it's taking so long. Some days, I just simply don't have the motivation to write it like I do some of my other stories and I end up getting nothing done with it. I hope you can bear with me in the meantime while I continue working on it. I promise it's on its way!
Along with Salvation's Light, since this chapter is now out, I'm going to go and get a couple of chapters done for Doom-Dead Space, since it's been a while since I've updated it.
Another announcement I'd like to make is that I've begun writing 'Storyboards' (Kinda like what movies and TV shows do.) for my stories to provide them with a direction and a general idea of the plot of the story. So I'm not making it up as much as I write and I actually have an idea of where I want to go with it. (Probably should have done this a long time ago, but c'est la vie.) I've already got Halo-Naruto partially done and I'm going to work on one for Halo-Mass Effect and Doom-Dead Space in the next couple of weeks or so.
Lastly, I've been working on Halo-Naruto: The Fire Within (the story that will focus on Naruto and gang.) and have gotten the first 4 chapters either complete or nearly complete, and planning on doing the 5th chapter before stopping. I'm doing this in tandem with my 'storyboard' idea so that instead of working on it and taking time away from my other stories, I'll already have them ready to post when the time comes. Fair warning, I'm not releasing it anytime soon, like won't be until sometime in 2019 when they're actually posted. But, I've had a friend of mine and an amazing reviewer, Goldspark1 (Some of you have probably seen the name in the review boards of my stories.), beta-reading over them and so far he's told me he loved what he's read.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave a review and/or constructive critic, I always welcome it. Also feel free to pm me if you want, I am still looking a couple of beta-readers for my stories (Goldspark1 can't always be doing it. Life and such.), and I'll see you next time!
-Azores
