Disclaimer: I don't own either of the Halo or Star wars franchises. They belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. It is not for sale or rent.
Chapter 7
=RF=
Part 5
=RF=
3 AIF (After Imperial Founding)/
15.08.2552 UNSC Military Calendar/
Lounge
Imperial Cruiser Vindicator, Palpatine Class
Reach
Epsilon Eridiani System
Milky Way Galaxy
The first new reinforcements Admiral Coburn dispatched arrived shortly after the Covenant carrier crashed. They brought news; promises of more reinforcements, complete with more ground forces to capture the enemy vessel and speed up the evacuation of the Senate.
They also brought a decent picture of what had happened to Coruscant in his absence. Obi-Wan stared at a holographic window, showing a crystal clear recording of Coruscant burning. Lakes of molten metal formed where stray turbo laser bolts shot at full power struck the top level of the planet's surface and melted countless tons of metal. Even if those lakes were mainly drained, they were still visible and liquid when the Star Destroyers entered the portal chasing their prey. That at least happened in an area of Coruscant that had been partially evacuated, with many who would have died due to 'friendly' fire already slaughtered by the Covenant. The damage of the super carrier shooting what was powerful enough capital-scale weaponry in the atmosphere had ravaged distant parts of the planet. Plasma beams had cut through buildings and melted long trenches in the top levels of Coruscant. The Covenant's damned torpedoes made whole buildings burn like candles and left infernos where they struck.
A very optimistic and unlikely conservative estimate put the casualties at hundreds of millions, many of them in the lower levels. In practice, they might never know the exact number or even a close approximation due to all the unregistered people living on deeper levels. While the orbital strikes couldn't reach them directly, the molten metal produced from striking the upper levels had to go somewhere, and it went down and to the side, like the water of a broken dam.
Realistically Obi-Wan expected hundreds of millions, perhaps over a billion casualties, and only because the portal opened at the heart of Galactic City. That place was the heart of the government and the location of many costly residences for the wealthy and powerful of the galaxy. Most regular people who came to that area of the planet did so to work or as tourists. The population density was lower only in and under the planet's industrial areas, which was a small mercy.
What the Covenant couldn't do by murdering innocent people, they more than made up in disrupting the functions of the Imperial Government. The mere presence of the portal meant that Coruscant couldn't remain the capital. It was too vulnerable now. That by itself was going to be a major headache for everyone involved.
Speaking about the Covenant, they had to be dealt with as a military threat. To do so, Obi-Wan and Imperial High Command needed to know where to find them.
That, sadly unsurprisingly, was easier said than done. What Obi-Wan didn't expect was the answer he got from the Imperial ships in orbit. Contrary to his logical assumption, they appeared not to be stuck deep in the Unknown Regions.
"My navigator is sure, and the navigational computers agree, both the primary and the backups, Sir! The Judicator's Captain explained. The middle-aged officer couldn't hide the disbelief he felt. "When it became clear we couldn't recognize our location or any definite stellar objects to help triangulate it, they began looking at dwarf galaxies and familiar near galactic objects. We've tentatively noted our location as the Tyrene Galaxy, the closest galaxy to ours beyond the Rishi Maze, at two million light years from us, well from home, given our likely position. We will need a proper science ship out there rigged for astrogation to confirm our position."
"I'll make sure we deploy one when it is safe to do so," Obi-Wan nodded slowly. However, what the Captain just told him felt right. Was the Force giving him hints? If so, the technology needed to open a portal between the galaxies was like nothing he had seen or imagined. Not just because of the distance the portal could connect but also the speed. Days, weeks, or even months would be considered impossibly fast for such a voyage. A mere hour, on the other hand? That was often as long, if not longer, than you had to spend in transit through a system on a hyperlane, moving to the next point you needed to enter hyperspace on your journey.
If true, then this greatly complicated the strategic situation. It was one thing to deploy a significant amount of assets to the other side of the galaxy, even if it meant the far end of the Unknown Regions. They could eventually find their way back, and routes to resupply them could be located and braved.
Attempting to maintain a presence in a different galaxy when the only way home could suddenly close behind you? That was a different proposition. Yet… Obi-Wan glared at the ravaged piece of hell that was now Galactic City. Allowing the Covenant to reach Coruscant again was unacceptable. The Federated Empire would need to maintain enough of a military presence here to stop future incursions. Doing so would be potentially extraordinarily costly and more dangerous than Obi-Wan ever imagined.
=RF=
CSO Long Night of Solace
Reach
Epsilon Eridiani System
Milky Way Galaxy
Jogging through the corridors of a Covenant ship was a routine exercise by now. It was odd not to carry nuclear munitions to make the vessel disappear. However, that would be counter-productive this time around, Joshua decided. After all, their job was to capture the ships, valuable data, prisoners, and technology. Blowing it up would not do to Grace's eternal frustration. The company they kept and the lack of Covenant trying to kill them was odd. Squads of soldiers clad in heavier and bulkier power armor who effortlessly kept up with the Spartans' jog were a surprise. Their pace would have hardened ODST grumble by now.
The pallets with supplies that floated behind them on antigravity platforms were another unusual occurrence. Under most circumstances, Spartans tended to move fast and reasonably light, even when loading heavy on ammo. Resupplying forward elements was rarely part of their job description. Now, opening the way for reinforcements and resupply runs was something different altogether.
At least Naomi had fun – the subtle signs in her movements were there for those few who knew her well. How she subtly tilted her helmet to get a better look at the weapons and equipment of the Imperials was telling. None of the Spartans missed how the Imperial armor had more in common with theirs than anything the marines, ODST, or the regular army had access to. Some were almost identical in appearance – armor plates attached to black body glove. However, the shapes and thickness were somewhat different. The material appeared to be another alloy compared to the titanium composite keeping the Spartans alive. However, appearances can be deceiving.
If the Imperials were bantering like regular soldiers, they used their suits' communications. Yet, if that was the case, Joshua's state-of-the-art electronic's warfare suite couldn't pick up a thing coming from the foreign troopers beside him. He got regular pings on familiar and suspected Covenant frequencies and what might be highly encrypted Imperial chatter.
One detached a data pad from their harness and typed a few words into it before showing it to Joshua.
"We are near the front. Forward elements are holding," the message said.
"We are about to reach the front," Joshua informed his team, even if he knew it would be redundant. Naomi and Kelly should have been able to read the message. However, one thing he learned the hard way back in training was never to make assumptions if you could help it. You had to avoid the habit of doing so about small, obvious things to avoid making reflexive mistakes and assumptions about essential things that could kill people.
They soon passed a junction secured by barricades and heavy weapons held by Imperial troops. One of the fire teams with them stopped there, to distribute supplies. The rest of them pushed forward towards the sounds of distant battle. Soon enough, they got to another junction barricaded with Covenant supply crates and more Imperial heavy weapons.
It was obvious that a not particularly tall being in dark red armor was in charge. They had an odd panel sticking out from the back plate of the armor. They turned, revealing a blue-skinned woman who didn't wear a helmet. There was no trace of hair on her head, but instead, she had two thick tentacles growing from the back of her skull. She wore them like a scarf, with the bulk of them bundled at the back of her neck. That explained the odd feature of her armor.
A glance around revealed a possible combat engineer spraying a melted gash on the side of a helmet similar to those worn by most Imperials. It was larger, with space to accommodate the woman's tentacles.
The same soldier shoved a data pad at Joshua again.
"That's General Aalya Secura, Imperial Knight. She's in charge of getting the job done," He read.
It was time to accomplish their secondary mission – observe how the Imperials fought and evaluate their equipment.
"General, we are at your disposal," Joshua wrote on his own data pad, lamenting the lack of proper communication. This operation would be hard enough even if they could talk with each other. Sadly, the UNSC didn't have enough AIs to spare for the Spartans to deploy into action. Besides, doing so would be too much of a risk for the AIs and any data they might hold.
=RF=
Part 6
=RF=
3 AIF (After Imperial Founding)/
15.08.2552 UNSC Military Calendar/
CSO Long Night of Solace
Reach
Epsilon Eridiani System
Milky Way Galaxy
Generals weren't supposed to lead from the front these days. They were too easy to kill. They also weren't supposed to be the tip of the spear, so to speak.
It was obvious someone had forgotten to tell the alien woman. After the Imperials resupplied and confirmed that they had reinforcements on the way, they got moving. The plan, quickly coordinated through typing on data pads, was simple – now that there was enough ammo at hand and medical evacuation was back in the game, directly assault the Covenant positions ahead, breakthrough, and secure the transit corridor, disrupting enemy logistics.
Joshua was sure a few Spartan teams might be able to do it, depending on the opposition. It wasn't like the Covenant could properly utilize saturation bombardment this deep within the ship. The army or the marines would need to throw a lot of bodies at the problem. Without air support or artillery, it would be a brutal slog of close combat for them.
The Imperials didn't appear daunted by the prospect. Then again, they've been steadily pushing the Covenant for as long as they got regularly resupplied with ammo. Joshua wasn't about to disparage an unwillingness to charge blindly ahead. That was for emergency cases, after all.
Nevertheless, it felt odd not to lead such an operation. The alien General moved ahead, followed by squads of Imperial infantry, with the Spartans trailing behind the vanguard. As anticipated, the Imperials deployed smoke grenades that proved surprisingly effective against all sensors built into the Spartans' armor. Joshua noted there were flakes of metal in the smoke, which among other things, would make it useful against cloaked enemies. The downside was that entering the cloud disrupted radio communications as well. Whatever was in it, he was glad he had a sealed armor going through. It was potent stuff.
Besides the Imperials themselves, the biggest surprise was that the Covenant failed to open fire as they advanced. Joshua heard a snap-hiss sound that vaguely reminded him of an energy sword activating. Moments later, he made it through the smoke, rifle on the ready. The Imperials were charging a Covenant strong point. General Secura was in the front, wielding a glowing green energy sword that looked nothing similar to the ones used by the Covenant.
Still, no one shot at her. Instead, several Zealots decloaked among the Covenant defenders and activated their energy blades. The other Covenant forces pulled back as if expecting an honorable duel or something.
The General wasn't in the mood to oblige them. Her left hand shot forward in a pushing motion, and the stacks of crates the Covenant used as cover flew away as if blasted by explosive charges. Alien screams and growls echoed in the corridor. Metal crates and whatever shoved them threw the Zealots off their feet. Grunts got flattered against the deck and walls. Jackals tried to use their shields to protect themselves. However, they were no match for the flying containers. A Zealot got his head smashed by a hard edge and didn't get up after falling.
The Imperials kept advancing as if this was perfectly normal and finally opened fire at close to point-blank range. Red energy bolts burned through Covenant armor, searing flesh. Shields flashed yellow and then broke. Golden armor boiled, followed by the meat below.
A few Covenant Elites in the back of the group opened fire, only for Secura to move as fast as a Spartan and deflect their plasma shots. Some of them hit the walls and ceiling, yet a disturbing amount flew back at the Covenant, splashing over their shields.
That seemingly impossible stunt explained why the Covenant didn't dare shoot at them at range. They had probably learned the hard way it wasn't a good idea. This was indeed a better use of an energy blade than flailing around and trying to run at people shooting at you, so credit where credit was due. Joshua decided, if nothing else, the alien General was saner than the average Zealot.
One of the soldiers at the back of the vanguard gestured at the Spartans and then to the left. They were to cover the left side of the junction. Joshua nodded and gestured to the rest of his team. They picked up speed and caught up with the vanguard just as the General jumped through the junction to land among the Elites farther down the corridor. She sliced at one of them, letting her shields tank a few shots, then raised her left hand. One of the Elites slammed into the ceiling as if the artificial gravity had a fatal spot failure.
After that, Joshua had no more time to watch the alien do what was supposed to be impossible. He leaned forward and slammed his feet into the deck, sliding to bleed off inertia and aimed as he entered the junction. A few Grunts were fleeing, flailing their short heads in panic, while two Jackals were retreating, using energy shields for cover. Joshua opened fire before he stopped sliding. A three-round burst caught the shield of the closest Jackal near the top. The sheer kinetic energy pushed it aside, briefly revealing a leg. The Spartan's second burst shattered light armor. It bit into the flesh below, forcing the alien to stumble and reveal itself. The third burst splattered its brain all over the deck. Naomi and Grace arrived a moment later and took care of the second Jackal with precise shots.
Meanwhile, Joshua switched to semi-auto and shot the fleeing Grunts in the methane backpacks allowing them to breathe in a standard atmosphere. Pressurized gas hissed from damaged equipment making the tiny aliens stumble. The following bullets ignited it, blowing them up.
"Left, clear!" Joshua declared and looked around. An Imperial fire team deployed to hold the junction. Their presumed leader pointed at the Spartans and down the corridor leading to their target. A glance back at the way they came revealed approaching armored figures in the distance. More Imperials. Good. Otherwise, they wouldn't have the numbers to take the transit shaft.
Joshua ran after the General and her backup, followed by Grace and Naomi. Their brief gestures and the flashing lights on their helmets told him all he needed to know. Both of them were surprised by what the General could do and wanted to learn more—especially Naomi, perhaps the most curious among the Spartans.
=RF=
John and three Spartan teams redeployed to the closest Imperial-held hangar to the reactors, where they were stuck in a waiting pattern. At the same time, Imperial transports brought in supplies and reinforcements. When they finally landed and disembarked the Pelicans, they found two fresh Companies of Imperial troopers ready to push forward, led by so-called Imperial Knights. One of them appeared to be human, however, the other was anything but. He was a large, four-armed creature clad in what might be standard-issue Imperial power armor.
"So you are the special forces Admiral Stanforth promised," One of the Knights looked at John and his team as if evaluating them. "You'll have to do. Make sure you keep up."
"Skywalker, just don't do your usual thing," The four-armed alien grumbled. "I'm General Pong Krell, Imperial Knight," He introduced himself in a deep voice. "My colleague here often tends to rush head-first into trouble, and then we have to go pull him out."
"I am consistently getting results!" Skywalker shot back.
"You tend to forget that most other people aren't as powerful and capable as you are," Krell grumbled. "The mission is simple; we are to get your… AI to the ship's reactors to make sure these Covenant don't blow us all up because their gods demanded it or something…." Krell shrugged his upper shoulders while Cortana dutifully translated.
"Why is everyone picking up on me today?" She asked John.
"Your sparkling personality? You love poking at people, Cortana."
"Enough barter! We've got a job to do," Skywalker grumbled and marched towards a nearby exit.