!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, 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


-Diplomacy- The art of saying 'Nice Doggie' until you can find a rock.

Will Rogers

-Diplomacy means the art of nearly deceiving all your friends, but not quite deceiving all your enemies.

Kofi Busia


Prologue Arc-Episode 12
-Preparations-
(Part 12)


October 1, 2543
Approx. 415 Light Years From the Sol System
Approx. 7.25 Light Years from the Yōsai System
Ezulwini System
Mbalenhle Cove
Capital City Marshall
Undisclosed Location

The outskirts of Marshall City gave one hell of a view. That was something Preston Cole couldn't deny. The land outside the city limits was mostly large grasslands with vibrant golden colors, with a sparse amount of trees dotting the landscape. Hundreds of flying reptile-like creatures, called kongamatos* by the locals, dotted the sky, calling out and filling the sky with bioluminescent light that danced across their wings as the sunset. Vast numbers of insectoid and amphibian-like fauna could all be heard, filling the air with their calls across the plains.

"You know, this is only my third time coming to this colony, but every time I'm here, I just have to come to this particular spot. Once you've seen it one time, the view is just simply too beautiful not to come to see." His companion commented, taking a swig from his flask, the smell of brandy invading Preston's nostrils as he did so.

Of all the people and parties of interest he had expected to meet here in the beating heart of whatever new nation was about to form here, he hadn't expected to be already meeting a foreign dignitary. Even though he had made no mention or even hinted at the idea of him running for office, a diplomat from the Federal Republic of Falkirk had requested to meet him, stating that it would be both in his and his 'government's' interest to meet with him if Cole didn't want the SPP seizing power come May.

"It is a nice view," Preston agreed, watching as one of the kongamato came screeching by, a blur of red, gold, and black with bluish-white bioluminescent light sailing by him at breakneck speed. Watching the creature for a second before looking back to his companion, he followed up, "But we're not here to discuss pleasant views. Are we, Major Emmanuel Hart of the Free Commonwealth of Falkirk?"

Emmanuel "The Brave" Hart, better known by the public as "Brave-Hart," smirked at the Vice Admiral, "The FCF has been defunct for some time, Vice-Admiral. Especially after we've lost our homeland and had to relocate, it's now the Federal Defense Force of New Falkirk, or FDF if you want to keep it short. But yes, we did come here to discuss something of importance to both respective parties. Therefore, I've been given authority from both the Republic and the Confederacy of Colonial Systems to speak to you on their behalf."

Emmanuel Hart wouldn't seem like a fierce man or a cunning tactician, standing 5'9" and almost scrawny in build. Still, behind his raven-colored hair and emerald green eyes hid the mind of a brilliant strategist infamous within the UNSC, having been one of the top leaders of the Gaelic Rebellion in the 2530s, as the rebellion entered its third decade. Having grown up assisting the Falkirk Rebellion almost his entire life, the 32-year-old was a renowned and resourceful tactician who had managed to keep the more significant UNSC force sent to quell the rebellion occupied and repelled for years. He managed to avoid every capture or assassination attempt by the UNSC on his life, even an assassination attempt involving Spartans. And unlike many of the other insurrectionist cells, the FCF refused to resort to terrorist tactics like indiscriminate bombings, kidnappings, or hostage-taking, maintaining a firm distance from and even denouncing the other various Insurrection factions from time to time as nothing more than 'terrorists exploiting the hopes and desires of freedom-loving people everywhere.' (They even had had their own judicial branch, trying criminals in the UNSC, Insurrection, and even their own. He remembered a video they had released of them trying a dozen captured UNSC Officers for violations of human rights and illegal seizures of private property, only to find all but three of them innocent.) Instead, they fought like a legitimate army, only striking at military targets and raiding UNSC bases or convoys. This refusal to fight like terrorists, and the striking of only military targets, earned them widespread support and admiration from the civilian populace across the Gaelic System, who detested the largely Corporate-run Council in charge of their worlds.

Then, on February 14, 2535, the Covenant invaded the Gaelic System, forcing the FCF and UNSC to fight together against a common enemy. Four weeks later, all human presence in the system had been chased off or annihilated, with the survivors fleeing known space altogether.

"So what does the Federal Republic and the Confederacy want with me, Major?"

"Something that will benefit our respective parties, with any luck." Emmanuel replied, pulling out his datapad before continuing, "Tell me, Vice Admiral. How familiar are you with the Visok System?"

Preston blinked for a moment, scrambling about his memories for relevant information for a few moments before answering, "The Visok System. Originally called 61 Ursae Majoris before it was colonized. Single Star System located just slightly over 31 Light-years from the Sol System. Five planets and a few dwarf planets orbiting the star, two of which are habitable if memory serves correctly. There's one major colony, Ludogorie, the minor colony of Nova Moldova, and a dozen mining colonies in the system. Was one of the first Outer Colonies, colonized in 2407, and quickly became one of the most vital and prosperous in the Outer Colonies. The majority of settlers were of Balkan descent, primarily Bulgarian, Romanian, and Serbian ethnicities. Nov-Bulgar is the largest spoken primary language, followed by Romanian and English. A bit of a sour note within the UEG colonies due to the populace's strong desire for independence from UEG, and a CMA stronghold. The CMA stronghold. The only place where the CMA managed to hold on to power and stay out of the UNSC's authority, albeit barely." Cole paused for a moment, furrowing his brow, "But contact was lost with the system in 2538. They were so deep behind enemy lines by then, that the UNSC assumed the system had been discovered and wiped out by the Covenant."

"Correct on all accounts, Vice-Admiral. Impressive. I always heard you were an intelligent and knowledgeable fellow." Emmanuel complimented but then held up a finger, "Except for one thing. The Covenant never discovered the Visok System."

The Vice-Admiral perked up at this, "Really now?"

The FDF Officer shook his head, "Indeed. As of this moment, the Covenant has never set foot in the system."

"How? I know Victoria, Hellas, and a few other minor Outer Colonies have managed to stay under the radar by cutting off interstellar communications, this is how Lyrenne explained it to me, but those are colonies with maybe 50 or so million at most, usually much less. Much less comm-chatter there that can be picked up. Visok had some 325 million people living in it last time a census was done, and that was back in... what? 2525? How do you hide that much traffic and people?"

"A little more than 430 million living there now, a matter of fact. Thanks to many refugees from the Outer Colonies being dumped there after their worlds were glassed. But, do you remember the GHOST incident back in '38? What am I saying, of course, you do."

"Who doesn't? He assassinated the majority of ONI's leadership, then installed viruses throughout their network to cripple them and expose nearly every one of their secrets and personnel, and then went on a rampage, hunting various ONI assets before he was finally stopped, which required the deployment of a Spartan-II team just to do so. It was a disaster that could have cost us the war. It almost did." Cole answered bitterly.

"Yes, thank god the Covenant was so focused on and panicked over your whole Raider Counteroffensive that they didn't realize just how precarious humanity's position had been at the time. Though I can't say our situation has improved any." Emmanuel commented grimly, "Anyhow, during the chaos of those infamous seven months, the civilian and military leaders of the Visok System, realizing the golden opportunity they had to save their hides, cut interstellar communications off and locked down the system, sending out a few conspicuous reports to make it seem as if the Covenant had found the system and wiped out the human presence there. And for the past five years now, they've managed to stay hidden and survive. Since then, the CMA has used the colony's massive industrial basin to build up a formidable military force to defend their two main colonies in-system, comprised mostly of their own personal army led by CMA General Kupen Cherganski and remnants of UNSC formations that were too battered in the Outer Colonies Campaign and left behind on the planet to reform before the planet cut communications."

"Cherganski's name rings a bell. I worked with him a few times in the early years of the war. He served with distinction throughout the Outer Colonies Campaign, but the last I had heard of him was him taking charge of ground operations during the Jericho VII Campaign before being reassigned in late '34. Something about possible Insurrectionist ties or sympathies." Cole responded.

"He was sent back home to Visok to oversee command of the CMA ground forces by HIGHCOM. Too many suspicious incidents and interactions with known Insurrectionist cells, but nothing that could be proven as outright treason. However, as far as I'm aware, the man hates the Insurrection and everything it's done to his beloved CMA. But it hasn't stopped him from using Innie assets to help out in his campaigns against the Covenant. And now he's the senior commanding officer in the entire system and has more or less seized power in the system. He has an entire military council composed of CMA and UNSC officers that handle military affairs and build up in-system. So far, they've managed to form a defense fleet of over 250 warships, albeit mostly older CMA warships. They've also managed to get some wreck hulls back into working order and have 11 ODPs operational. And they've managed to build up an impressive ground and air force for ground operations. Still, they're holding no illusions about their prospects if the Covenant discovered them, and recently, there's been cause for concern."

"Whispers in Slipspace?"

"Yes. They maintain three RSOs* at the edges of their heliosphere, and there have been many whispers emanating from the nearby systems for the past few months." Emmanuel explained, "Now, there hasn't been anything heavy or on the fleet scale, but the colonial government is concerned that an invasion is imminent. They want to get their people out of there and need help doing so. Initially, when she was informed about it, your ex-wife was adamant about it. She seemed excited at the prospect of acquiring a large number of potential Insurrectionist sympathizers under her thumb. But then, barely a couple of weeks ago, Lyrenne seemed to have a sudden change of heart and shut down the whole deal, much to the dismay and fury of the Visok leadership."

"Why?" Cole asked, dumbfounded about how Lyrenne could turn away such a golden opportunity. What the hell was she thinking?

A mischievous smirk appeared on the former rebel's face, "Someone may have let slip to the Visok Government that a certain Vice-Admiral was not only still alive, but helping out here and possibly even looking to take control out here as well. Not to mention, she also found out there were a lot of UNSC forces trapped in-system, who also wanted out." Cole's eyes narrowed in annoyance at this as the Major continued, "Either way, low and behold, some 80% of the military officers in the Visok system, some of whom have known ties to the Innies, have sworn that if they, their families, and their soldiers' families can be safely evacuated, they'll swear personal loyalty to Vice-Admiral Cole. Surprisingly, even within the CMA, you're quite the popular man. Much to the dismay of your Ex. From its looks, she doesn't want you or your peers to have much influence here." Hart took a swig from the glass of gin in his hand, sarcastically remarking, "I can't fathom why she wouldn't."

"And yet she also wants to use me to boost her own faction's position of power, currying leverage and favor over colonies looking to jump ship and save themselves. But simultaneously, she doesn't want to hand me my own private army of loyal soldiers. She and I both know if that were to happen, I could easily rebuild a loyal and formidable Armed Forces out here without some of the deadweight bureaucracy and nepotism bloating it. If that happens, she knows neither the SPP nor her own URF faction would stand a chance against us in the polls and the battlefield. But this... we can't afford to turn this away. We need those assets if we want a solid chance of survival. It looks like someone's gonna have to take charge... again." Cole couldn't help but scowl at this. He'd been forced to sacrifice colonies to save more important ones. But Ludogorie and the entire Visok system were a treasure trove of nearly everything they needed to give them a fighting chance at survival. Was Lyrenne really willing to let four hundred million people die just, so the UNSC forces and their sympathizers in the Aquarii Cluster stayed weak?

Apparently, the answer was yes; she was.

"All hail Caesar, huh?" Emmanuel jokingly said, "They always told me you were too smart for your own good. Maybe you will make a good politician after all. You seem clever enough to maneuver your way through it. Then again, considering your career and personal record, that shouldn't be surprising."

The Vice-Admiral grunted at the half-joking remark, "How many soldiers are we talking about here, Major?"

"53.04 million personnel. Including staff from military academies, training camps, and logistical sites on Ludogorie. That's also not including the vast number of Colonial Guardsmen that could be called up in an emergency. I think that number was around 30 million or so. As I said, General Cherganski's heavily militarized his planet over the years, and he's taking no chances. If the Covenant shows up, he wants to be ready for them or, at the very least... give them a bloody nose."

There was an awkward pause between the pair as Cole stared blankly at his companion, processing the number in his head. Fifty. Three. Million. Fifty-three million soldiers, and the majority of them wanted to come here and swear loyalty to him, personally. Whatever gods control this universe must favor him, to give him such a tremendous gift when he needed it most. He had trouble believing it. He couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it. There was no way his luck was this damn good.

As if the Major could read his mind, he smirked while holding up a datapad and saying, "Don't believe me? Here. An official report on all military assets in Visok available from General Cherganski as of August."

Taking the datapad, Cole looked over the men and materials listed as available in the Visok system.


/Military Assets in the Visok System\
/Dated: 8.20.2543 UNSC Military Calendar\
/Personnel:
6,982,289 Law Enforcement Personnel (Police; SWAT)
38,842,504 Colonial Military Administration Army Personnel
7,000,098 UNSC Army Personnel
901,903 UNSC/CMA Marine Corps Personnel
2,807,003 UNSC/CMA Air Force Personnel
3,479,634 UNSC/CMA Navy Personnel
10,411 ODST Corps Personnel
33,523,908 Colonial Militia/Guards available to call to service (7,345,219 Activated)
53,040,553 Active Personnel Total
(Note: Law Enforcement and Colonial Guards are not included in the final tally of active personnel.)\

/Ground*:
403,254 M274 'Mongoose' ULATV
52,007 M121 Jackrabbit LSV
596,239 M12 'Warthog' FAV and Variants
317,352 M18 'Saddleback' ITV/APC and Variants
2,934 M312/M313 'Elephant' HRV
199,534 M88 'Bison' APC
151,984 M561 'Springbok' APC
9,512 M650 'Mastodon' APC
34,345 M478 'Oryx' IFV
2,143 M9 'Wolverine' MAAT
431 SP42 'Cobra' MBT
63 M145 'Rhino' SPG
700 M400 'Kodiak' SPG
1,332 M390 'Javelin; SPG
2,233 M380 'Paladin' SPG
7,343 M808 'Scorpion' MBT and Variants (4,099 M808B Variant; 733 M808B2 AA Variant; 1,322 M808C Variant; 400 M808C2 AA Variant; 789 M808D Variant)
472 M850 'Grizzly' MBT
81,452 HRUNTING Mark III 'Cyclops' Exoskeleton (All Variants)
58,245 UAVs of various design/function
1,535,023,455 Infantry Firearms, Launchers, and Artillery/Mortar Systems (Includes Civilian Market Military-Grade Firearms)
Est. 4,294,000,000,000+ rounds of munitions, explosives, shells, and missiles
(Note: This list also includes vehicles undergoing overhauls, refits, and maintenance.)\

/Air*:
5,245 'Pelican' Troop Carrier (3,211 D75 Variant; 1,391 D75C Variant (Requisitioned for military use); 643 D77 Variant)
3,454 MV-29 'Wyvern' Gunship/Troop Carrier
202 D80 'Condor'

821 D82-EST 'Darter'
500 D96-TCE 'Albatross'
71 D20 'Heron'
2,530 UH-144 'Falcon'
692 EV-44 'Nightingale'
2,204 JOV-99 Kestrel
1,722 AV-14 'Hornet' Attack VTOL
613 AV-22 'Sparrowhawk' Attack VTOL
177 AC-220 'Vulture' Gunship
1,192 F99 'Wombat' Drone Fighter
572 F/A-22 Kaskara Strike-Fighter
117 F-41 'Broadsword' EMSF (91 F-41 Variant; 26 F-41A Variant)
644 GA-TL1 'Longsword' I/SF (477 C709 Variant; 167 C712 Variant)
722 F-29C 'Nandao' Strike Fighter/Interceptor
496 S-14B 'Baselard' Space Striker
62 B-65C 'Shortsword' SLRB
10,200 UAVs of various design/function
22,036 Aircraft Total (Note: Does not include UAVs)
Est. 4,900,000,000+ rounds of explosives, shells, and missiles
*(Note: This list also includes aircraft undergoing overhauls, refits, and maintenance.)\

/Navy:
20 Mako-Class Corvettes
19 Gladius-Class Heavy Corvettes
24 Scholte-Class Missile Corvettes
32 Lancer-Class Fast Attack Corvette
37 Charon-Class Frigates
21 Stalwart-Class Frigates
34 Paris-Class Frigates
23 Hillsborough-Class Destroyers
31 Halberd-Class Destroyers
3 Asculum-Class Cruisers
6 Tours-Class Cruisers
2 Epoch-Class Carriers
3 Titan-Class Carriers
1 Orion-Class Carrier
3 Phoenix-Class Support Ships (Military Refits)
259 Combat Capable Warships
*(Note: This list also includes naval vessels undergoing overhauls, refits, and maintenance.)
2 Cradle-Class Repair Ships
47 Vulcan-Class Repair/Construction Ships
34 Svarog-Class Wrecker Ships (Vulcan-Subclass)
51 Springhill-Class Mining Ships
42 Cincinnati-Class Mining Ships
5 Taulanti-Class Munitions Ships
7 Anchor-Class R&R Stations
26 SinoViet Orbital Construction Platforms
11 Monterrey-Class Orbital Defense Platforms
11 Marathon-Class wrecks (undergoing repair and overhaul)
10 Asculum-Class wrecks (undergoing repair and overhaul)
3 Halcyon-Class wrecks (being scrapped for parts and materials)
4 Orion-Class wrecks (undergoing repair and overhaul)
5 Epoch-Class wrecks (undergoing repair and overhaul)
3 Titan-Class wrecks (undergoing inspection regarding feasibility for repair and refit)
2 Punic-Class wrecks (UNSC Yamato, UNSC Suleiman; undergoing salvaging and inspection regarding feasibility for repair and refit)
19 Halberd-Class wrecks (undergoing repair and overhaul or being scrapped depending on condition)
35 Hillsborough-Class wrecks (undergoing repair and overhaul or being scrapped depending on condition)
96 Frigate wrecks (undergoing repairs and overhaul or being scrapped depending on condition)
102 Corvette wrecks (undergoing repairs or being scrapped for parts and materials)
29 Parabola-Class Hydroponic Agricultural Ships
1,953 Civilian Freighters and Carriers over 500 meters (For transportation/evacuation purposes)
1,140 Civilian Freighters and Carriers over 1000 meters (For transportation/evacuation purposes)
Est. 1,850,000,000 rounds of munitions, shells, and missiles\

/Nuclear Ordinance
44 FENRIS Nuclear Ordinance
25 FURY Tactical Nuclear Ordinance
17 HAVOK Nuclear Ordinance
14 HORNET Nuclear Space Mine
5 SHIVA Nuclear Ordinance
52 11-B1 ICBM Silos\


"How do they have so many civilian freighters and carriers?" Cole inquired, knowing full well that there was no way they could have had so many vessels just outright available to them.

"At least half of those ships are refugee ships from various Outer Colonies since the war broke out, though their shipyards and drydocks have built another quarter or so over the past five years. Have to give it to their engineers and construction teams; they've worked nonstop to try and make as many vessels as possible on the off chance they'd have to evacuate their homes. With this many and the thousands of transport and cargo vessels they have that can carry at least a thousand souls apiece, they could evacuate as many as a fifths of the population in one go. Possibly as many as a quarter if we prioritize civvies over equipment."

It all seemed too good to be true, but if it was the truth...

'No wonder Lyrenne had such a sudden change of heart.' He thought. But there was still one thing that was irking him, "Why are you telling me this? What are you hoping to gain?"

"Because you're not the only one in the Aquarii Cluster desperate for fresh troops, colonists, or industry. While your... Dominion has the space and manpower to handle such an endeavor. You have what? 14 star systems under your supposed control, each having at least one habitable planet on it? New Falkirk, the Confederacy, and all the other independent colonies on the other hand aren't as fortunate as you. We simply don't have the resources or manpower to handle such a massive number of people fleeing UEG Space. We barely had enough as it was for the initial exodus that came out here, and we still ended up struggling with starvation and a shortage of medical supplies for years afterward. But, with that being said, we don't want to abandon hundreds of millions of people that could be extremely useful. Think of how many doctors, chemists, robotics engineers, civil engineering experts, and scientists you think are on that planet? Those are all fields of expertise we're all in short supply of, and some of these resources could be used to curry favor or influence the other smaller colonies out here to join us. Maybe even finally convince a few of them to join up in a defensive coalition of sorts, instead of having everyone just fend for themselves."

"Ah, I see. I scratched your back, now scratch mine."

"Precisely."

"How much were your governments hoping to acquire?"

"About 15% of the population, 25% of the military assets, including manpower, and 25% of the material assets for the Republic. Food, medicine, machinery, and industry. You know, 'the works,' so to say. And the Confederacy wants 10% respectively in all areas. As I said, we don't have the resources to handle a massive influx of people. But, use part of what's already available in the Visok System and build it up on our own... We can then mitigate that problem to allow us to handle more people. The rest is yours to do with as you please. Though there are some minor colonies around that may willing to trade with you for some more colonists to their world." Emmanuel responded firmly.

25% of the system's population equaled a little more than 107 million people. And losing 35% of both the military and material assets would hurt, but at the same time would still give him roughly thirty-five million servicemen and who knows how many vehicles, aircraft, vessels, and equipment to bolster the UNSC's position within the Aquarii Cluster. Something that, if their little... scheme was going to work, then they would need lots of. As much as they could get ahold of. And this was only what was there as of August this year. How much more did they have now, or would have in two or three months when the exodus fleet arrived? Plus, if memory served correctly, Ludogorie also housed some of the best orbital drydock repair facilities outside of the Inner Colonies, as well as some fantastic Navy logistical centers. Acquiring those along with the personnel of the academies there would be a godsend for the Navy, which desperately needed both of these.

"I take it that this will be a joint effort? I could assemble a task force of warships to send on this mission, but I don't think I'll have enough pull in the civilian sector to make a request of this scale."

"My government and the CCS can help handle transporting of civilians and materials," Emmanuel answered, "We each still have hundreds of freighters, mining, and colony ships we can use to transport, not to mention the thousands of ships the Visok has as well. Both my government and the Confederates have mustered a flotilla of 120 high-passenger capacity freighters to help transport civilians, escorted by 30 warships and a dozen parabolas to help keep them fed for the trip. If you could assemble some 60 more freighters and at least an equal number of warships to escort them, we should be able to transport a few million passengers from Visok with just that fleet alone."

60 freighters and almost 30 warships were a tall order, even for him given their current predicament. What he wouldn't give to have some Orion Carriers or even a Punic right now. He could offset some of the freighters by sending 14 of their precious Phoenix-class warships, but he would have to move heaven and earth to get 30 warships available. If he sent too much away, it could and likely would weaken the UNSC and UNSC-sympathetic groups' position in the Star Cluster. 'Dammit, I may have to get some URF elements involved to help out, but I have no damn clue as to who I can trust for it.'

Worst still, Everest herself would have to go to Visok, to prove to Cherganski that Cole was still alive, but without her commanding officer. Cole simply couldn't afford to be sent away from Mbalenhle Cove or even the local cluster while he was busy solidifying their political standings. (And making sure a certain party didn't seize power.)

And there was still the question of what to do with the Spartan-IIs on board Everest...

Regardless of the obstacles in the way, and whatever his Ex-wife thought on the matter, he had a duty to perform, and they couldn't turn away such a gift from whatever gods were smiling down on them. (If any still were. Lately, it seemed like God or whoever was up there had forsaken Humanity) Looks like retirement was going to have to wait, after all. He extended a hand towards the Falkirk Officer, "I'm going to need about a month to get everything organized, and the people I want on it gathered up, but I think you've got yourself a deal, Major Hart."

Considering the hand for but a moment, Emmanuel Hart quickly grasped it and gave a firm shake, "Glad to hear, Vice-Admiral Cole. Hopefully, this will be the start of a very productive relationship between our three governments."

Good. They had a game plan, at least. Now Cole just needed some help mustering ships for their planned exodus of Ludogorie. As much as he hated to admit it, it looks like the URF may very well be their only hope. And there was only one person he could even think of turning to within the URF to help them in their predicament.


November 1, 2543
Yōsai System
In Low Orbit over Marsh Country, Shinsei
UNSC Everest, on approach to Camp Dumont

What had started off as a very optimistic month of October, following his dealings and negotiations with various parties on the Cove, upstart companies looking to get ahead of their competition, and people of interest and influence within this new upstart nation, had quickly ended on a sour note as November arrived.

The Sea Confederacy Campaign had just been declared just 5 days prior. Almost immediately following the conclusion of the Battle of Qushan, Asanobe, the Confederacy capital, had surrendered with hardly a fight after a 48-hour air campaign that annihilated the majority of the remaining pirate forces inside the city. Shao Peng, the warlord of the pirate forces, and most of his lieutenants had reportedly been killed in the early hours of the strikes following a strike on Peng's main compound. As news of this spread, infighting began amongst the pirates inside the capital and the surrounding countryside, with a dozen petty leaders trying to take control. By the time the first elements of the 33rd Mechanized had reached the outskirts of the city, its civilian leaders were practically throwing themselves at the feet of the UNSC troopers, begging them to take control of the town and restore order. Once the UNSC started making its way into Asanobe and securing it, most of the surviving pirates lost any further will to resist. They began surrendering in droves or tried to blend in amongst the civilian populace. (Not that that had done any good, as most were quickly pointed out to UNSC forces or simply hunted down and killed by vengeful populaces who had suffered for years under their rule.) Mopping up the last of the pirates was declared complete by the 27th. Mining corporations had already set up shop and prepped to begin mining operations by November 10th. The islands had been secured, and with it, another vast deposit of precious metals the UNSC desperately needed to construct warships and various other weapons of war that were required for the war effort against the Covenant.

But the price in securing them had been staggering. Far more than anyone had dared to believe. 3,124 UNSC Personnel and 19 Moon Village Shinobi had been killed in the campaign. The shinobi had proven to be a far more dangerous enemy than the UNSC had previously given them credit for. And even worse, 21 UNSC troopers were now unaccounted for. Apparently, they had been kidnapped by some individuals working for the Shinobi Village called 'Konoha,' one of the 'Five Great Villages' that were widely acknowledged as the strongest in the lands. Shame, too. A diplomatic envoy by the local government had been scheduled to establish the first contact with both Konoha and their parent nation, Fire Country, tomorrow on November 2nd. But once news reached out that UNSC soldiers had been kidnapped by said village, it was called off indefinitely until a decision was made regarding how or if getting these prisoners back was doable. And what to do about the ninja village that had suddenly decided to play kidnapper.

Cole sighed. This planet was becoming more trouble than it was worth. The handful of cities and towns established on the continent of Esura seemed to be the only place on this planet that wasn't giving the UNSC/URF any trouble; If you excluded the massive irradiated zone in the center of the continent that was entirely unsuitable for human habitation. But at the same time, it provided an impenetrable buffer zone, which was at minimum five hundred miles wide between the UNSC colonies and the various kingdoms that inhabited Esura, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise. The only native populace inhabiting the area were small, isolated tribes and villages, virtually nothing more than barbarians that shared nothing more than a common language and cultural background, typically comprising of no more than a few thousand in each settlement.

And the worst part about it was that his ex-wife may have had this done intentionally. It was becoming more and more apparent to him that for all of Lyrenne's talks about humanity uniting and working together in the name of survival seemed to be nothing more than lip service at best, as she and the rest of the URF really didn't seem to want the UNSC remnants having any kind of significant influence, regardless of the fact when it comes to military strategy and defense spending, they were no doubt the best option for this new little... 'Dominion' that they were forming to establish a large and sufficient military force quickly. Many of the URF naval commanders were exceptional at hit-and-run tactics that work well for insurgents and pirates. But such tactics would do little good protecting colonies against a fanatical and technologically-superior juggernaut like the Covenant if, gods forbid, they do manage to discover them out here in the Aquarii Cluster. Worse still, after doing some investigating with the help of Maria and some of her colleagues in the Federalist Party, as well as asking for reports on troop dispositions from what few high-ranking UNSC Officers there were, he had discovered that almost all of the UNSC forces in the Aquarii Cluster Colonies were spread far and thin, with no true concentration anywhere. And this was done deliberately by the Mbalenhle Cove Government, which was made up of mostly URF sympathizers and associates of Lyrenne's. This meant that if there were a crisis, the UNSC would be slow to react as it would have to spend precious time converging and organizing. Something that would be detrimental if an uprising or the Covenant were to show up.

But Lyrenne... just didn't seem to care. She'd rather risk all of humanity than give the UNSC elements any influence in a new upstart government.

So now, he was being forced to take matters into his own hands once again. So much for working together. But just as Lyrenne had hoped, the UNSC didn't have much it could send to assist Ludogorie in evacuating, so he was going to have to ask for help from... 'other' assets. Something he wasn't looking forward to, nor was he sure would work.

"Sir, I have URF Thunder Child on approach to the rendezvous. We should arrive at about the same time we do. Do you want me to open a channel?" One of the deckhands asked.

"No need, I'll explain to her in person what's going on. Fewer people who know right now, the better." Cole assured, before turning to his XO, "Simmons."

"Yes, sir?" Commander Alexander Simmons replied stiffly.

"I want you to come with me down to the meeting."

Simmons frowned at this, "Are you sure, sir? It seems a bit unorthodox for both the senior ranking officers on the ship to be absent."

"I'm confident the ship won't blow up with both of us being gone for a few hours. Besides, this is important, and you'll need to be there." Cole responded. Though curious as to what the Admiral was up to, Simmons nevertheless accepted it and prepared to disembark the ship with his CO.

When they got to Camp Dumont, they were surprised to see the base was alive with activity, with everyone seemingly in a hurry and on alert. Falcons were patrolling the air with intent, scanning for anything that was looking to cause trouble. The whole base seemed to be gearing up for war, which bothered Cole deeply since there had been no reports of an attack. An entire company of Army Infantry was standing guard around the Camp Headquarters, backed up by a platoon of ODST.

"Any idea what's happening?" Cole asked the pilot as they descended towards the landing pad.

"No clue, sir." The Pelican's pilot answered, "Everybody seems on edge. Best I've managed to make out over comms is that Somebody got infected, and the base is worried about an outbreak."

"Infected? With what?" Cole asked wearily.

"Somebody ate some food with chakra in it. But that's not all, sir." Great. Just what they needed, another outbreak of chakra infections, and on a military facility to boot. "What else was it?"

"There's been some kind of battle up north. Some Marsh castle was attacked by an army of pirates and mercenary ninjas. Marsh Country boys took a beating, from the sound of it. It looks like the pirates have more cannon fodder than we thought."

Cole leaned back slightly, squinting his eyes shut as he pinched his nose. "Shit." Opening the ramp-up, the Vice-Admiral could see a platoon of ODST, kitted out and fully armed. And standing in from of them all, with his helmet off and a scowl on his face, was Colonel Leonard Barnes.

As Cole stepped out of the Pelican and approached the Helljumper, he called out, "Colonel. What the hell happened?"

The Colonel was silent for a second, chewing on the tip of an unlit cigar, "Well. Where do you want me to start, sir?"


1322 Hours
Camp Dumont Hospital, 11 minutes after Cole's Pelican landed
ED room #218

Cole, Simmons, Rebecca, and Leonard quickly entered the observation room, greeted by a couple of guards and 1st Lieutenant Bradford. The group stood silently as they observed the soldier in question through the one-way mirror, lying on the table while surrounded by doctors in Hazmat gear. From what they knew so far about 'Chakra Infection,' as it was becoming known, it wasn't contagious or even capable of spreading to others. Still, neither Barnes nor HIGHCOM wanted to take any chances, so the HazMats were to stay on.

Specialist Adriaan Waanders, a UNSC Army Infantryman belonging to the 305th Infantry Brigade from the UNSC Alluvion Army, cried out in agony while clutching his stomach. His clothing had been removed, and he was now in His face was red from pain, and his whole body was covered in a layer of sweat. Doctors swarmed him as they took samples and monitored the poor soldier's vitals. The man looked like he was coming down with a severe illness that might kill him if it persisted. And what had caused this?

A banana. A fucking banana, of all things.

About four hours ago, Waanders had been on leave inside of Marsh Village with four of his comrades, looking to see the local sights and get away from the base for a while. The group had taken a small about of food with them to snack on while they were out, with Waanders bringing with him a couple of bananas and some water bottles. While in the village and separated from his group momentarily, Waanders had accidentally bumped into one of the locals, who was also carrying some bananas and had dropped a couple of their respective fruit. Picking up the food and wiping them off, Waanders thought nothing of the incident and went back to his group, eating the two fruits he had brought with him on the way. Barely 10 minutes later, the man started complaining of abdominal pains and cramps, thinking maybe he ate something at breakfast that had upset his stomach then, within seconds, was on the ground screaming in agony and clutching his stomach as he did, claiming that his whole body felt like it was on fire. The soldier's companion immediately rushed him back to base, and the five soldiers were immediately placed in quarantine, per SOP.*

As this had been happening, Barnes had been busy hunting down another group of soldiers who had decided to celebrate one of their younger soldier's 19th birthday by taking him to one of the brothels in Marsh Village's 'Red Light District' to lose his V-Card, despite the fact Camp Dumont's soldiers had been barred from going to any of the brothels due to fears of Chakra Infection. Not that this had deterred any soldiers horny or desperate enough to try. (It turned out there was even a black market deal of sorts going on between the Camp Dumont soldiers and the brothels. The soldiers would sneak in a few boxes of condoms and pregnancy pills for the prostitutes to use, and in return, they paid only half the price for the sex workers' 'services.' This had been going on for weeks now, apparently, despite senior staff's best attempts to clamp down on it. Weirdly enough, contact with the... 'bodily fluids' of a Shinsei native doesn't seem to cause Chakra Infection. Why this is the case, no one has figured out yet.) It took a half-hour for him to even learn about the incident while he was dealing with the fiasco at the 'Blissful Flower' brothel. By the time he learned about it, the situation was under control. Still, any troops that even remotely had contact with the five soldiers after Waanders' 'infection' were being screened, tested, and put on temporary lockdown.

"A couple of fucking bananas caused this much panic inside a UNSC base. Can only imagine how bad it was in New Tripoli when the outbreak happened." Rebecca Cole softly exclaimed, dumbfounded by the whole thing, but did her best not to sound as if she was ridiculing them. Even with her own prejudice against them, the UNSC's overreactive response made perfect sense, considering how little they knew about chakra, let alone how it even worked. As far as they knew, it could end up being a pandemic as bad as the bubonic plague or Spanish flu of old. "It's insane how much trouble this one planet is causing."

"Jesus, you know it's serious when the Insurrectionist in the room is admitting that." Barnes retorted, half-jokingly, which earned a glare from Rebecca. It was quickly followed by a sigh as he turned to the Vice-Admiral, "If this plays out like the last few times we've had outbreaks of Chakra Infection, then he should recover and be back to normal after two or three days. Still, considering the circumstances, sir, I'd like to have one of Marsh Village's doctors come take a look at him if possible."

"You think they're going to know any better?" Rebecca inquired. The Colonel merely shrugged, "Don't see why they wouldn't. They're way more familiar with chakra than we are, so I'd say let 'em take a look at him and see what they can figure out. Ain't gonna hurt to try."

"Do it. I want one here as quick as humanly possible." Cole ordered. Turning back to the quarantine room, he spoke into the intercom to the doctors in the room, "What's been the symptoms so far?"

A doctor in the room turned to the mirror, "Heavy sweating. Muscle cramps and spasms. Severe tension-headache. Slight fever. Inflammation of the skin and severe abdominal and chest pain. Pretty much exactly like previous cases that have been reported."

"But aside from that, physically, he's fine?"

"Yes, sir. There's nothing physically wrong with him that should be eliciting such a response from the immune system. Whatever this Chakra stuff is, it's causing his immune system to go haywire and lash out in any way it can to try and fight whatever this chakra is. His nervous system seems to be going nuts, too, causing the spasms and contractions his muscles are doing. Either way, there's little my colleagues and I can do aside from providing him some painkillers and keep him hydrated." The doctor explained.

"Understood, doctor. Carry on and do what you can." Cole turned his attention back to the group at hand, motioning for them to return to the Headquarters' War Room, where the Numakage, his daughter, and an entourage of the Marsh Daimyo were waiting for them.


Camp Dumont Headquarters
War Room

"Absolutely not." Takashima Yukinaga, 2nd Numakage of the Hidden Marsh, said sternly.

"Why?" Cole asked instantly, arching an eyebrow.

"What you are asking for is ludicrous!" The Numakage thundered, causing several of the Daimyo's entourage to wince at the outburst. His daughter, Satomi, merely closed her eyes, shaking her head in frustration at her father's stubbornness.

"I'd hardly call it that. A long-term investment, maybe, and a somewhat risky one at that-"

"You want us to send ambassadors and several of our shinobi, some of our best at that, on some wild six-month-long adventure that may or may not even pay off! During a time that we need them more than ever!"

"We're asking for twenty shinobi, preferably of Jounin-rank considering the endeavor they'd be going on. Five squads. Not half your entire shinobi army, Lord Numakage." Cole quickly corrected it. Barnes tried his best not to sigh aloud as the argument dragged on. Even though they really weren't needed, Cole wanted to have Marsh and Moon Countries each send a 'delegation' of sorts to Ludogorie to show the people of Shinsei firsthand the reality of their situation. (And, unofficially, maybe help out in case the Covenant were actually invading Ludogorie.) Barnes thought it was a waste of time and completely unnecessary. Still, Cole pointed out that they, the UNSC, needed to maintain some allies on Shinsei, as well as maintain firm control over a section of the colonies in the case of an emergency. A system or two to fall back on should, as the Vice Admiral put it, things take a turn for the worse. (And he wasn't talking about the Covenant.) So far, they had three systems, Omega Polaris, Gemini Beta, and the Kaiser Systems, that they could firmly rely on to back them up should the worst-case scenario (outside a Covenant invasion) take place on the Cove. Still, Cole felt that Shinsei would be another strategic asset that the UNSC-faction needed to have firmly in its control, less the Insurrectionist supporters taking control. God forbid if a civil war breaks out that the Innies start fielding shinobi on military targets and civilian populaces.

But, with any luck, if the expedition to Ludogorie pays off... They may avoid a civil war just yet. (Though a coup or counter-coup may be more than likely.)

"And we just lost thousands of men at Isshiki Castle to Shao Peng's remnant whores, plus over a hundred skilled shinobi to those mongrels Hidden Mist Mercenaries. We'll need those shinobi to retake Isshiki Castle! Kami help us if Sky Country decides to use this opportunity to invade!" One of the entourage, Nishi Morihisa, exclaimed.

Barnes was quick to wave off these concerns, "Sky Country ain't gonna invade. They have to know by now that we're assisting you. That alone will make them think twice before attacking. They've seen what we're capable of and how easily we can annihilate their armies. Either that or they're a helluva lot dumber than I thought."

"Those capabilities of yours didn't stop a bunch of mercenaries from devastating your forces in Qushan!" Yukinaga quickly retorted.

"We're powerful, but we're not immune to making mistakes or screwing up, Numakage." 1st Lieutenant Peyton Bradford shot back, "And I'd also like to remind you that even with that setback, we still won Qushan and took total control over the Sea Islands barely a week later, with Shao Peng's army completely annihilated. How many pirates do you think died compared to how many troopers died in Sea Confederacy?"

"But now you want to send away twenty of my best shinobi, off to assist you with some rescue mission!"

"No, no. Not assist. By all accounts, they shouldn't have to do anything other than observe. We merely wish for them to observe and report back to you what they've seen with their own eyes. To show you both our plight and the reality of humanity's situation in the galaxy. And why we've been fleeing out here, to begin with. With what we're offering in compensation and reward, not to mention the fact we've been giving you direct military assistance over the past couple of months, I really don't see how you could be against this." Cole replied.

"Yes, yes." Morihisa waved off, "Your gift of 100 million Ryu has been generous, along with your road improvements, the building of clinics, and delivery of medicine. But even your newest offer, at the expense of some of our finest shinobi, when we need them more than ever, is simply too much!"

"I agree. Twelve of our shinobi Jounin is simply not feasible." Another member of the entourage said, with the rest voicing their agreement.

"So, you would turn away an additional 400 million Ryu and further investments into your economy?" Bradford retorted incredulously.

Both sides started arguing, trying to make their point, with the only three people staying quiet being Cole, Satomi, who had said nothing the whole meeting, and a Marsh delegate that looked older than dirt itself. Finally, after several moments of this, Cole had enough and silenced the group with a loud whistle, causing everyone to stop. As everybody stared at him, he finally spoke, "Now that everyone has stopped yelling, perhaps the esteemed gentlemen from Marsh Country would be kind enough to explain why a mere twelve shinobi is too much to ask."

The Numakage was about to respond, but an old, hoarse voice cut him off, "Lord Numakage, perhaps it would be best if I explained the matter to our allies." All eyes turned to the elderly Marsh Delegate, who had been quiet up to this point. The elder in question must have been in his seventies, completely bald and with wrinkles and liver spots visible all across his frail body. The man wore on his arm a forehead protector with the emblem of the Hidden Marsh Village on it, indicating he was a member of the village's ninja council. The man took a sip of water from his cup as he awaited the Kage's reply.

"Councilor Fujioka Nobunari…" Yukinaga said slowly, pausing for a moment before relenting, "If you desire to do so, then please go ahead."

Nodding in thanks, Nobunari slowly rose from his seat then addressed the Vice-Admiral, "Vice Admiral, to answer your question, I must provide a little context and explanation if you would be so kind as to allow me to do so."

Cole merely nodded, "Proceed, Councilor."

"Thank you, Vice Admiral Cole. To answer your question, one must understand how exactly a shinobi village not only functions but thrives as well." Nobunari started, "A shinobi is not something that just happens overnight or something that anyone may become. It's a precarious skill that not everyone has the ability or stomach for, and it takes many years to foster and develop those skills into something useful. That's why almost every village in existence starts training shinobi at such young ages, six or seven. Because more often than not, it takes upwards of six or seven years to train them and get them ready for the life of a shinobi."

Cole nodded in understanding, staying silent as the elder continued.

"So when considering how long it takes for a shinobi to be developed, it's understandable that a village would be hesitant to waste such a long-term investment. This is why genin are rarely sent off on anything higher than a C-ranked Mission until they have some experience under their belt, preferably a year or so." Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, Nobunari continued, "Our village is not a large village, with less than 30,000 people and maybe 3,000 shinobi at best. Of those 3,000 shinobi, barely 400 are of Jounin-rank or higher, roughly 700 are Chunin-rank, and almost 2,000 of our shinobi are Genin, not suitable for combat aside from serving as canon-fodder, especially if it is against other shinobi. This is why they are typically kept on assignments of low importance, such as E and D-ranked missions."

"I see." Cole said, "So instead of 3,000 shinobi available for combat, in reality, you have a little more than a thousand shinobi that are truly available for combat operations. The genin, being children, would actually be more of a hindrance than a help in a fight. So you can really only rely on the higher ranking shinobi for anything involving heavy combat or espionage."

"Not even this is true, for now, you must then take into consideration how many of those Chunin or Jounin are taking administrative positions, such as teachers at the academy, advisors, or even researchers studying history and new techniques for our shinobi to wield. This drops the number of skilled shinobi available for us even lower, making it even harder for us to replace them should something horrid happen, as did at Isshiki Castle. This brings us to the most important part of the functions of a shinobi village. The shinobi academy."

"Shinobi Academies are the lifeblood of any shinobi village. Without them, a village cannot replace any losses or train new, loyal elements in its shinobi ranks. An academy is as important as a Kage or a clan for a shinobi village. At Ishikki Castle, we lost 144 of some 200 shinobi that were posted there. Of those lost, we lost 11 Jounin and 48 Chunin, skilled shinobi with years of experience that for us will take years to replace." Nobunari took another sip of water before continuing, "Do you know how many new genin our Ninja Academy graduates every year?"

"I imagine it's not many," Cole confessed. "What is it? A hundred?"

"About twenty or thirty a year."

The Vice-Admiral blinked in surprise, "That few?"

"Our academy isn't large like Konoha or even the Sky Village, which can train and graduate hundreds of students a year. Our village is small, our number of shinobi-capable inhabitants even smaller." The elder shinobi smiled sadly, "We can't train as many students because of this. And these newly-minted genins, if they survive their first year or two as a shinobi, will take years to become Chunin and Jounin, respectively. So even if we were to drop our standards to allow upwards of forty, the most we could possibly manage at this moment, to graduate a year it would still take us at least 3 years to replace the numbers lost at Ishikki Castle, and even longer, possibly upwards of 10 years, to replace all the Chunin and Jounin lost there. Sky Village, by comparison, can graduate upwards of 140 per year, though they used to be able to produce far more, something closer to 300 prior to the Destruction of Kenhaba in the final year of the Second Great War. They used to have the largest and one of the most powerful shinobi armies in the world, with some 17,000 shinobi in their ranks prior to the outbreak of the Second Great War. Even in their weakened state, they could still outproduce us in both quantity and quality of shinobi should war ever break out. They have legendary warriors such as Kuribayashi Nakazo, the Lightning God, while we have nothing even remotely close to such a skilled and powerful shinobi." Nobunari finished, with Cole and Barnes couldn't help noticing the Numakage suppressing a scowl at the mention of Kuribayashi. "In hindsight, Vice-Admiral, it isn't that we don't want to deny your request, it's merely the fact that given our predicament and what measly resources and manpower we have available, it's simply impossible for us to agree to your request at this time."

Cole was silent for a moment as he digests this information, "I see. I wasn't aware that the loss of 150 shinobi would be seen as such a crisis. Pardon my ignorance." He stopped for a moment, considering the situation presented to him and pulling up a list on his datapad before he spoke again, "Very well. Let me adjust my previous offer, then. I'll offer the same deal as before, 400 million Ryu directly invested into the state and village economies, with a split of 70/30 favoring Marsh Country. This includes 1,000 one kilogram gold bars, each worth 56,994.83 Credits, altogether valued at roughly 57 million Credits or 68.4 million Ryu. Also offered is over the next four years, the continued development of your road networks, now to push 200 miles inland once the coastal regions have finished. The removal of some 7,000 acres in total of marsh and jungle, in various locations within Marsh Country to provide new farmland; the establishment of three new mines to access precious metals previously inaccessible to your people due to terrain, budget, and distance from any existing road networks; two desalination and purifier plants to help provide more fresh drinking water for the country; and lastly, two state-of-the-art hospitals, outfitted with the latest in UEG medical technology and staff, with one to be built in Hashimaki and another in the Hidden Marsh. All in all, we're looking at close to 2.5 billion Credits, or rather 3 billion Ryu, being invested in your country's development over a four-year period." Cole finished listing off the deal, before continuing, "In exchange, you will assist the UNSC, when asked, in future operations on Shinsei that may or may not involve hostile shinobi, which you and the shinobi involved will be paid for each mission, and Marsh Country will also allow the basing of 30,000 UNSC troops in a new military base, Fort Mikawa, built some 25 miles northeast of the Hidden Marsh, with Camp Dumont being scaled down in size to house a couple of Army Infantry Battalions and an ODST Company once Fort Mikawa is completed. Fort Mikawa and the troops stationed there will be used to protect both Marsh and UNSC interests within the Eastern Continent. From both internal and external threats. You will also send a trio of ambassadors, guarded by one Jounin and three Chunin, along with a delegation from Moon Country with us to Ludogorie to provide you a first-hand account of what our people are enduring and hopefully show you why our two people need to start working together. How does this deal sound?"

The Marsh representatives discussed it amongst themselves for a while, clearly stalling as Cole was certain there was no way they would turn down such a deal that gave them so much for so little in return. The Numakage and a couple of the delegates seemed extremely hesitant and suspicious, but that was likely more just personal stubbornness and pride than anything else. Even if they never fully trusted them, there was no way they could turn down such a massive blessing being sent to them. Plus, with such resources being devoted to them, they would have no choice but to develop closer ties with the UNSC/URF here, seeing as the alternative was to go it alone against hostile neighbors.

"If I could add one more thing, honorable delegates?" Barnes suddenly spoke up, catching the attention of the Marsh delegates as they turned to him. "I think Takashima Satomi should be the Jounin sent with us to Ludogorie."

Satomi blinked in surprise, while Yukinaga leaped from his seat and was about to shout down the proposal, not wanting to send his daughter on a months-long trek after she was kidnapped and almost raped the last time she was sent out of the country. However, Nobunari cut him off before he could explode, "Might we ask why her in particular?"

"Simple answer is that she's already familiar with us and how we do things, given that she's lived amongst us and interacted with our people more so than anyone else in Marsh Country. So she could be used to help get the Marsh team sent accustomed to our way of doing things. Plus, she's a skilled kunoichi who can hold her own in a fight. I should know, considering I've seen her in action. So if the ambassadors needed protection, we could count on her to keep them safe and secure while we deal with whatever threat there is."

"I'm in."

Before anyone, particularly the Numakage, could speak or deny the request, Satomi spoke for the first time in the entire meeting. Her father seemed scandalized, clearly not approving, while the rest of the delegates were silent as they waited for the inevitable argument between father and daughter to play out.

Satomi was on board with this for a number of reasons. Firstly, while the month she had spent living onboard their ship had been very insightful, she wanted to gain a better understanding of these newcomers that weren't military in nature. The only thing the Marsh had been dealing with in regards to the Terrans was more or less their military forces. She wanted to learn how their civilians lived and thought, gain a better insight on the Terran people overall so her village and her nation could better understand and counter them in the political spectrum better. (Which they had been dominating in, with their massive military, economy, and political influence.) Her other reasons were less... patriotic and selfless if she was honest.

Simply put, the 29-year-old kunoichi wanted to get out of the village, and away from her overprotective father, so she could actually do her job as a kunoichi. Ever since her mother and older sister were kidnapped and killed by Sky Shinobi when she was just 9, her father has become overprotective of his last-child, almost pulling her out of the ninja academy had she not raised a fuss about it. But even with her graduating from the village, she was almost always confined to either within the country or worse, her village when it came to missions. She was a kunoichi, not a child anymore. While she wasn't keen on the idea of being kidnapped, killed, or... well, raped, she had understood long ago that such risks came with the job of an assassin/spy. She was afraid to die just like anyone else, but she wasn't scared to put her life on the line for her home and her people. But dammit, she was a kunoichi, and she would be damned before she didn't do her duty just like everyone else in the village. So, if it meant playing devil's advocate for a group of star-traveling humans to ensure the safety of her home, so be it.

She ignored the glares her father was giving her as she waited for the Terrans' response to this.

Cole nodded in approval, "I see no problem in this, provided the Marsh Delegation are as well."

The delegates were in approval of the request, from the looks on their faces. With him being the odd man out, the Numakage reluctantly agreed as he nodded and allowed the request, despite clearly not happy with it. "I guess this will settle it, then. Have your team picked and packed, with most weapons and equipment as we'll provide clothing and food by tomorrow at midday. They'll be picked up and brought aboard Everest. Then we'll make the best speed to Mbalenhle Cove, where the fleet is being organized. If everything goes according to plan, then in five or six months, we'll be receiving some hopefully good news."

As the group finished up their talks and the delegate started leaving, Barnes motioned for Cole and his XO to follow Bradford and himself into a private room. Cole caught a questioning glance from his daughter, an eyebrow arched as she watched them enter the room. Cole met her gaze for a moment as if trying to signal to her to trust him. That was easier said than done.

To say their relationship was abysmal was putting it politely. His daughter, who he had believed dead for decades, had initially been curious about the man who sired her. Having only heard the stories of his exploits and a rather bias-viewpoint from largely insurrectionist sympathizers, she had wanted to meet him herself if nothing more than to appease her own curiosity more than anything. But after finally meeting him, this curiosity had quickly died out, and now he was just nothing more than another UNSC Officer she had to now deal with consistently. There was no connection. No Intimacy. No desire for a daughter to know her father. For Cole, this was heartbreaking. He'd lost one family, gained a new one, lost that one too, and now that he finally had a chance for him to be together with his former love and their daughter, he'd come to slowly learn that despite everything that's happened, Lyrenne was still up to her old schemes to undermind the UNSC, and Rebecca wanted little to do with him. At this point in his life, he simply didn't know what to do anymore regarding his personal life. All he really had left anymore was the soldiers and sailors of the very service he had deserted not seven months prior.

But there was still a silver lining. He had managed to persuade Rebecca to assemble a group of trustworthy URF captains and their ships to assist the UNSC in evacuating Ludogorie. (Apparently, he hadn't been the only person Lyrenne has been lying to.) It wasn't easy getting them on board to help, but thanks to his bank account, some favors pulled, and some persuading by Rebecca, who regardless of her feelings on the UNSC wasn't keen on the idea of leaving nearly half a billion people to die, he'd managed to assemble some twenty URF warships to assist the ten UNSC warships going to Visok. With any luck, all of this would work out.

Provided he could ever get Rebecca to come around to trusting him. She had too much faith in her mother, and it took hours to finally convince her that no, the Visok Government hadn't cut off diplomacy, but had in fact been left high and dry by Lyrenne who didn't want a massive UNSC-sympathetic presence in the Cluster. He honestly wondered if Rebecca could ever come to trust him. But for now, he'd take what he could get.

'We'll talk later.' Was the silent message sent to Rebecca as Cole made his way into the room with the others. Rebecca watched him leave, silently contemplating if she should tell her mother what her ex-husband was planning. Her initial thought was yes, but after learning about what her own mother had done, she suddenly had second thoughts. Surely her mother had good reasoning for that? Right?

But weren't they also supposed to be saving people, especially those of the outer colonies?

After a few moments, she decided that she'd play along for now. Get a better read on what her father's ultimate goal was. That would require her staying silent about this planned mission, but she was confident her mother would get over it. Taking one more glance at her father's disappearing form, she silently left the room to return to her ship.


"What is it you needed to speak about, Colonel?" Cole asked as the ODST Colonel offered the three men in the room each a glass of Tennessee Whiskey, which was turned down by Bradford while Cole and Simmons took a glass.

"Couple of things, actually," Barnes said as he took a sip while sitting down, pulling up a holographic display of a UEG freighter from his datapad. "First off. Not sure if you're aware yet, but about a week ago, our boys in the navy seized an unmarked freighter. An old Laden-Class. Refused to answer hails and open fire when a couple of frigates moved to intercept. The ship was disabled, both the engines and bridge knocked out, boarded by marines, and seized with no casualties on our end. Here's the weird bit. The ship turns out to be a former UNSC munitions transport, called the uuhhhh-" Barnes snapped his fingers repeatedly as he tried to remember the name, "The Mojave! Anyway, the Mojave turned out to be an old munitions transport belonging to NavLogCom* before it was captured by its new crew."

"Insurrectionists?" Simmons inquired, cradling the drink in his hand before sipping it.

"Who else?" Bradford retorted while Barnes finished off his glass before continuing, "Yeah, it was Innie-controlled. Here's the weird bit, though. Ships under Innie control are normally stockpiled to the brim with food, provisions, and meds since they can't always drydock in a colony without raising some suspicions by local law enforcement. Instead, this ship was jammed packed with enough firearms, munitions, and equipment to outfit an entire infantry division, with change left over."

"Weapons?" Cole asked.

"Ehh, older gear, mostly. Stuff we ain't using, anymore. Mostly. Let's see here... A shitload of MA4s, like 10,000 or so, with thousands of other firearms, too. Explosives, pre-Insurrection UNSC body armor, the M32 sets not the Insurrection-era M34s that the jarheads like to use, and even a few hundred old SIG-43 machine guns. And enough fucking ammunition for all of these weapons to last a division almost a whole month." The colonel snorted for a moment as he poured himself another glass of whiskey, "Oh, and get this. They also had this big-ole' 3D printer manufactory, the size of a two-story house or damn close, set up inside the hangar of this ship, with the blueprints for all of these little weapons and equipment stored inside the manufactory's databanks. Big bastard could probably produce a thousand rifles a day as long as it was being fed the proper resources. And a couple of ammunition manufacturies, either one the size of a damn truck trailer, that they could use to produce thousands of rounds of ammo a day."

"Well, damn, they're quite the little hoarders, aren't they? Ambitious, too, with all this damn hardware. But, where the hell did they get SIG-43s? The MA4s, I can understand. We were still using those rifles all the way up to the 2450s before the last ones were phased out by the MA5. There are probably still hundreds of thousands or millions of those weapons still in circulation on the civilian and black markets. But SIG-43s? That's a weapons system from the late-23rd century. Nobody's produced any, let alone used them, since... what? 2300?" Cole said, surprised at the array of weapons, many of them outdated UNSC or law enforcement equipment.

"Well, they got 'em, somehow. Plus the schematics and machinery to produce more of them if needed. Interestingly enough, they were on course for Shinsei. Straight for New Tripoli, but there's no information in the databanks on who the buyer of all this illicit hardware is or where exactly it was going to be stored." Bradford chimed in.

This caught Cole's attention; taking a sip of his drink as he leaned forward, "Our mystery gun smugglers, perhaps?"

"Maybe. We're still not sure. Interrogations haven't really been much use. Apparently, even they don't know who was buying them. Just somebody going under the alias of 'Mr. Jones.' There isn't really anything close to organized crime formed on Shinsei or even the Yōsai System as a whole. Yet. So more than likely, yes. Unless the local fucking government is up to some shenanigans." Bradford smirked bitterly.

"Regardless, I think we've been presented a unique opportunity." Barnes cut in, "Even if the weapons and gear are outdated by our standards, they're still centuries ahead of anything the Shinsei locals have. I've been discussing this with both Mr. Bradford here, a few staff, and a couple of Army COs on the base about the matter. Kept it small for now, just getting a feel of the idea and what everyone else thinks about it before we decided to bring the idea up with you. But, anyway, I think we gotta unique opportunity to even further tie Marsh Country to our faction."

The two naval officers were silent for a moment as the severity of what the ODST colonel was suggesting sunk in. Finally, Simmons exclaimed, "Jesus Christ, man. You want the UNSC to arm Marsh Country with our own weapons and equipment."

"Ah, outdated and obsolete equipment!" Barnes quickly corrected, "But for the most part, yes. Now look, just hear me out on this-"

"For god's sake, Colonel, we've already got who knows how many firearms in the hands of pirates and warlords loose on the planet, and you want to add more into the equation? Have you lost it?!"

"No, these are weapons that we would control the distribution of. We decide which nations are trustworthy and politically reliable enough to get these weapons." Bradford interrupted, "Make them further dependent on us since we're the only supplier of these goods, like a lot of things we're selling them. Between us and these smugglers, how much money do you wanna bet they have better weapons than us? Not to mention, even if the locals do figure out how to make them by some chance, how long do think it would take the natives to establish an efficient production line, or actually produce their own versions of our weapons that aren't of questionable reliability? Years? Decades?" He asked to further their point.

Cole had to admit, the two had a point there. Their chances of keeping firearms out of the hands of the locals were pretty much dead the moment this secret meeting happened in August, as there were at least tens of thousands of weapons sold in that exchange alone, according to intel provided by some prisoners of the Sea Confederacy Campaign. Worse yet, Sky Country had been one of the countries present at the gathering as well as being one of the largest purchasers at the event. Through intensive interrogations, it was confirmed by the prisoners that Sky Country purchased somewhere around 10,000 firearms, give or take. This includes some 7,000 CDR4* rifles, civilian-grade semi-automatic rifles typically used for hunting or frontier defense, and possibly as much as 5 million rounds of ammunition. and they were just the biggest buyer of arms. Even worse, now that there were tens of thousands of firearms loose on Shinsei, this had made the whole op into Sky Country, which resulted in all three of their Spartans getting injured in order to keep firearms out of the hands of the locals, completely pointless and would very quickly upset the balance of power across the planet. (Even if the UNSC/URF forces would still be way up on top, they still had spread themselves dangerously thin.)

"They may not be able to replicate UNSC firearms for a while, but the same can't be said for weapons like the CDR series." Cole countered, which was quickly brushed off by Bradford, "And again sir, it'll be years before they have the capability to do so. They'd have to set up facilities and train skilled labor before they could even think about starting a production run, which would take years to accomplish."

Again, a fair point. Cole eventually decided to cede the point altogether and focus back on the Colonel's idea. "I see... Do we have any stockades of older UNSC or even CMA equipment on hand?" He inquired, contemplating an idea that he wasn't 100% behind just yet.

"Some, yes. I don't know how much across the entire cluster, but I do know there's a small surplus of older firearms and equipment being kept in storage in New Tripoli courtesy of General Solomon." Barnes answered, "Largely stuff from either the CMA prior to its absorption or 23rd and 24th-century UNSC hardware. More or less a few thousand rifles, pistols, and BDUs* that none of us will be using, especially if our trip to Ludo bears fruit. Don't know about any stocks outside the cluster, so we should probably start asking around about what kind of older surpluses we've got lying about." Suddenly, a thought popped up into Barnes' head, "You know, we could also use these surpluses of older gear to curry favor and influence with the smaller colonies up and about 'round here in the Cluster. Even if we're handing them older equipment, I bet a lot of these smaller colonies will be mighty thankful for such a gift."

"Good idea. I'll make sure to start asking my colleagues within our domain of the cluster about what kind of older gear they've got stored away." Cole agreed. "With any luck, this may actually turn into something. As for your... idea, we'll put it on hold for now. At least until the mission to Ludogorie is concluded. I don't want to exasperate the situation on Shinsei even further. For now, we need to tread lightly and try to maintain a defensive stance here for the foreseeable future. Also, try to rein in the local government before they do something stupid."

"I think it's been pretty well established that the New Tripoli government isn't fond of us or anyone with UNSC ties, sir. They've been trying to order around military formations, in blatant violation of our deal with Lyrenne and the URF regarding the handling of military matters. Maybe it's time a little house cleaning was done. Most of them are just a bunch of Innies, anyhow." Bradford smirked.

There was some truth in that. Many within the Yosai Republic were either Insurrectionist sympathizers or some of Lyrenne's stooges from her days when the United Rebel Front was more... united. Either way, the UNSC wasn't very popular with them, and they were more often than not interfering or trying to dictate the UNSC forces into doing their bidding, mostly in the form of using military intervention against targets or enemies they (Not the UNSC) considered a threat. In other words, Lyrenne's goons were trying to tie down the UNSC Armed Forces in an endless number of bushfire wars to keep them distracted and weakened until the upcoming election took place. Something Cole couldn't allow. Maybe it was time to have a talk with them regarding their authority over UNSC forces.

"Noted," Cole said, "And as for this other thing you wanted to talk about, Colonel?"

"Ah, yeah." Barnes slowly said, taking a swig from his drink, "That."

"Colonel, I understand that being a base commander isn't the most fun job in the world, but I can't have one of my best officers hundreds of light-years away. I need you back now on the Cove to help deal with the SPP-"

"No. You need me to go to Ludogorie to show Cherganski that you're not bullshitting him. Even if you're sending Everest, that's not going to necessarily prove to him that you're alive." Barnes countered.

"But I can't go to Ludogorie, myself. I have to stay here and maintain what position and influence we still hold." Cole stated firmly.

"I know that, and no offense to Commander Simmons over here, but he'll be a nobody in Cherganski's eyes. Won't matter if you're Cole's XO. You need somebody he knows rather well."

"And that's you?" Simmons asked incredulously.

Barnes nodded, "He and I have... a history with one another."

"Good history? Bad?" Simmons inquired, then shuddered at a thought, "Good god, please tell me it wasn't romantic. With that age-gap?"

"Professional, asshole." The ODST answered, somewhat irritably, "He doesn't swing that way and neither do I. I served under him on and off for a few years in the twenties to early thirties before he got sacked. He doesn't know Simmons over here and, no offense intended Commander, he won't really take the word of some random XO to heart, even if that XO is serving directly under Cole. But he does know me. He knows I won't bullshit him, and he will take me seriously. I've got a better chance of vouching for you and convincing him to haul ass out here to the Cluster."

Cole was silent as he pondered this new info. Barnes was one of his best commanders, even if his drinking was a bit... problematic, and he'd need him to help organize a task force to go after the SPP. But at the same time, if what Barnes said was true, then they may end up needing him to help with the Visok Exodus.

'Dammit.' Cole thought bitterly. He hated having to make decisions like this, especially when the results would take months to show themselves. Can they afford to have their senior spec ops commander gone for almost six months? If Cole was going to assemble a task force to take on and take out the SPP as a threat, then Barnes would be needed. But...

"Is there someone who could take your place as senior spec ops CO if I were to have you go to Ludogorie?"

"Captain Solbakken, Ann." Barnes answered after a few moments of pondering, "She's in command of Bravo Company. Got a solid record, and she has lots of experience leading counter-insurgency ops against Innie forces. She'd be my choice as CO."

"And are you absolutely certain that you need to go to Ludogorie?"

"If you want a better chance of this working and us getting the UNSC forces needed? Yes. I'll go with Charlie Company to help persuade Cherganski to come with us, while you handle the SPP and make sure they don't kill all of us." The Colonel responded.

After a few more moments of deliberation, Cole finally relented, "Fine. But you're not taking a whole company. Just a couple of platoons of ODST. This rag-tag battlegroup we're sending is going to be short on ground forces since I'm going to need every trooper I can get to help deal with both the SPP and whatever bullshit happens next on Shinsei. Especially ODST."

"Doesn't help that considering the forces we're sending, the supposed commander of this fleet is only a commander," Bradford remarked, before raising his hands up at Simmons, "No offense, sir."

"Funny you mention that Lieutenant, because I was just about to resolve it," Cole replied as he stood up and motioned for Simmons to do the same. Confused, the XO hesitantly rose to attention before his CO. His confusion intensified as he watched the Vice-Admiral pull out a small box from his pocket before opening up the box. When Alexander Simmons looked to see what was inside, his confusion turned into shock.

A pair of insignias, with a solid white star in the center of either one. The UNSC rank of a Rear Admiral (lower half).

"Commander Alexander Francis Simmons. In recognition of your contributions to both the Navy and UNSC with both your leadership and organizational skills, as well as the many years of selfless service you have dedicated to preserving the human race in the wake of insurmountable odds, you are hereby jump-promoted under my authority as a Vice-Admiral to the rank of Rear Admiral, Lower Half." Cole stated as if he were giving this promotion before the entire crew of the Everest, "And in recognition of those skills, your first duty station for the foreseeable future will be to serve as the Commanding Officer of the UNSC Everest and Senior Commanding Officer of Battlegroup Exodus, which will be sent to assist the evacuations of the Visok System. I have full faith in your abilities and full confidence that you will succeed in your mission, regardless of the opposition faced."

Commander- or rather, Rear Admiral Simmons, was stunned. Speechless. For almost twenty years in service with the UNSC Navy since he had made the rank of Commander, he was passed over repeatedly on promotions or chances to command his own vessel by others, usually due to them having the right connections, while he had to work his way through the ranks, being from a small backwater settlement on Ballast and not having the money to go to a prestigious naval academy. By the time he had become Cole's XO in 2534, he had all but given up the idea of ever commanding his own vessel. (Not that serving under Cole had been bad or anything. Quite the contrary.) And now here he was, being given command of not only one of the single most valuable warships in humanity but the command of an entire battlegroup of 30 warships. Despite his shock at the sudden promotion, he didn't miss the underlying message in Cole's last sentence and the implications behind it.

'We're all counting on you. Failure is not an option.'

Come hell or high water, Simmons was adamant that he would succeed. No matter what.

After shaking the newly appointed Admiral's hand in congratulations, he glanced over to the ODST Colonel, "What do you think, Barnes? Will Cherganski take someone with the rank of Admiral a little more seriously?"

Silently studying the situation, the Colonel slowly nodded, "I think so. A little bit, at least."

"Then, I think we have this settled," Cole concluded as everyone began to get up and vacate the room, "Colonel, pick out your two platoons and be ready to board Everest by 1200 hours tomorrow. A team from Moon Country should be here by tomorrow, so all we'll be waiting on is the Numakage to pick out a team. Hopefully, Everest will be ready to move towards the Cove by tomorrow afternoon. I'll be paying a visit to the parliament in New Tripoli before returning to the Cove." He paused for a moment, withholding a sigh as his thoughts drifted to another

As the newly promoted Admiral and Lieutenant vacated the room, Barnes felt his arm caught by the Vice Admiral, "A couple more things, Colonel, before we depart now that the other two have left."

"Sir?"

"One. Get your drinking under control." Barnes was about to respond, but Cole quickly cut him off, "I've heard more than enough about your excessive drinking from other officers. I know you've been through some shit over the years. We all have. But I can't have you passed out drunk on the job when I need you most. So no heavy drinking. Period. Am I clear?"

Barnes opened his mouth to retort but ultimately closed it into a scowl as he merely nodded.

"Good. As for the second thing," Cole glanced back outside to where the two had departed to, "That lieutenant of yours. Bradford. He's the ex-spook you were talking about?"

Looking back to where the said person had left, Barnes nodded, "Yeah. Formerly Commander Peyton Bradford. Section One. Led a small team of six that had been evacuated from a colony. Either they'd been ditched by ONI or just weren't able to escape on a UNSC transport and ended up out here. Atlas picked them out real quick and processed them to see if they could be worked with. When we tracked them down, we gave 'em a choice. Work for us, or die." Barnes snorted, "It didn't take them long to decide."

"Who else knew about them?"

"Aside from Toussaint? Solomon and a small number of his staff officers. They're the only ones aside from you two in-system that knows about us using former ONI operatives." Barnes answered, but then backtracked, "Well, not just them, anymore. After we split up their team and had them sent to all four corners of the system, one of Bradford's former partners got captured in Qushan with a bunch of others by someone named..." Barnes paused for a moment, "Jiriya? Jiraiya? Something like that. Either way, it was apparently a ninja from the ninja village called Konoha that nabbed them. Anyway, before he was captured, he used his ONI neural implant and bypassed the entire Battlenet's security system to send a message directly to General Osada. Given her history with ONI, she wasn't too pleased to find out she'd had a former spook in her rank and file."

"Jesus." Cole groaned, knowing he was now in for a long talk with Osada as well. "Well then. What's your assessment of them?"

"Honestly," Barnes sighed, "I think it might have been a mistake to split them all up. Our intelligence branch has been pure shit for the past few months since we got here. Perhaps we should consider-"

"Absolutely not. The last thing we need is ONI establishing a presence here and discovering all of this." Cole quickly cut him off, but the Colonel continued, "Let me finish. Let's reassemble the ONI teams from their original units. Whoever they were paired up with initially before we bagged them. We'll have them act out their previous jobs and roles, but with massive decentralization and oversight from the military to make sure they behave themselves. Either way, we need something better than what we've got right now."

"Building an intelligence organization doesn't just happen overnight."

"Neither do nation-building, but we've gotta start somewhere. Not to mention, we already have some key pieces to help jumpstart our intelligence division."

"What?"

"Talent." Barnes replied sternly, "Only problem is, we ain't using them as we should."

The two stared at one another in silence for a moment, almost as if a silent conversation was happening between them. It seemed like minutes passed before Cole finally spoke up, "I'll consider it. For now, let's focus on rescuing Ludogorie. Then we'll discuss the other matters."

"Sounds good." Barnes said, following up with a smirk, "Reckon I'll see you in five to six months, then."


*Kongamato is a flying creature of African mythology.

*RSO is short for Remote Scanning Outpost.

*SOP stands for Standard Operating Procedure.

*NavLogCom or is an acronym the UNSC uses for its Logistical Operations Command, otherwise known as the UNSC Logistical Corps.

*The CDR4 or Chalybs Defense Rifle is an original creation of mine, meant to display some of the more civilian style weaponry typically available to the civilian market outside of military-grade or style firearms. It's primarily used for either hunting or defense on the frontier. Aesthetically, it is based on the FN M1949 in appearance, albeit with a rail system on the top and underside of the rifle to add attachments such as a scope or a bipod, and like the FN is chambered in several different rounds. There are six different weapons classified as CDR, with only the CDR1 not making an appearance in this story.

*BDU stands for Battle Dress Uniform.

Anyway, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and let me know what you thought in the reviews.
See you next time.

-Azores