Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo/BattleTech crossover redux.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support. I deeply appreciate it.
Now we've come to the first of many major events in the story. I won't spoil it for anyone, but let's just say that we finally have a meeting of cultures. Things are only gonna get more interesting from here on out.
As always, leave a review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs, WizKids, Piranha Games Inc., etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Sanctuary City
Installation 04, Soell System
December 3rd, 2785, 0530 Hrs (August 15th, 2515, 0530 Hrs)
Admiral Belleau walked confidently to the door He'd just been called to the Commanding General's office, and he'd heard rumors that the Protector of the Star League was present at this meeting too. Now, he stood at the door, ready to head inside.
They wouldn't have bothered to ask for me to come if they felt I didn't have the necessary skills and competence to get things done, he thought. Time to see what General Kerensky requires of me. He took a deep breath, then knocked on the door.
"Come in!" a voice said. Belleau walked inside, the guards closing the door behind him. True enough, the Protector of the Star League, and General Kerensky, were inside. "There you are!" Torrance said, a smile on his face. "Welcome. I take it you want to know what the purpose of this meeting is, yes?"
"I'd very much like to," Belleau confessed.
"Then you will get an answer. I'll have General Kerensky here give you the details. General?"
"I will," Kerensky said. He strode over to the holotable that occupied the room. "As you no doubt know, Admiral Belleau, we're currently in close proximity to the Terra system, around fifty six light years to be exact. This means that we're in close proximity to any humans that survived the activation of the Halo Array.
"Your orders are as follows, Admiral. You are to investigate some of the stars within a 50 light year radius of the Soell System for any signs of human life. If there are none, however, your secondary objective takes priority."
"That being?"
"To escort a pair of exploratory divisions surveying these worlds," Kerensky said. "They'll be using navigational data on our home universe's version of those worlds to make a series of jumps around the circumference of a 80-100 light year radius around Terra. Given the nature of the supplies you carry, however, this will likely be a multi-month long mission without significant maintenance. As such, the ships chosen for this mission have undergone the full maintenance overhaul needed for this mission." Kerensky looked Belleau in the eyes. "If you have any questions, now's the time to ask them."
"Do we have any evidence that there's human life near Soell?" Belleau asked. "Aside from the usual that is?"
"Our scientists and engineers have commenced the search for artificial radio signals," Kerensky said. "However, they have to sift through background radio noise, prove it's man-made, then trace the signal back to it's source. That will take weeks, if not months to complete."
"So we're using all possible means to determine if we really are the only space faring faction of humanity out here," Belleau guessed.
"Basically."
Belleau pursed his lips, then nodded. "Makes sense given what we know so far. How long do you believe this scouting mission might take to complete?"
"Based on our estimates and our star charts, it could last anywhere from two and half months to three months. My best guess is that it'll fall somewhere between those two estimates, given what we know."
"Then it's a good thing you've got an overhaul done for the ships," Belleau said. "Long distance travel without maintenance can be brutal on them. That being said, what will the fleet be comprised of?"
Kerensky adjusted a control. The hologram winked out, then was replaced by a list. "You'll be assigned to the Sevastapol, one of eighteen McKenna-class battleships we have. The heavy division will comprise of two such ships, yours included, along with two Avatar and Sovetskii-Soyuz class Heavy Cruisers."
Belleau studied the hologram carefully. So two Battleships, and four of the heavy cruisers. He smiled. "Good sized fleet. Do we have any other divisions in this fleet?"
"Yes. You'll be in command of two scouting divisions, each one composed of a pair of Carracks, Vincents and Whirlwinds. They'll scout out the systems, while your division follows along closely behind them."
Sounds like we'll be QRF for the other divisions in case they get into trouble, correct?"
"That's correct," Kerensky said. "All of the ships in these divisions, save for the Carracks and Vincents are equipped with Lithium-Fusion Batteries. You are only to use the LF Batteries in the event the scouting divisions get in trouble and are a system away from where you are, if your drive hasn't fully recharged yet. For the majority of the journey, you'll use standard KF jumps. Understood?"
"Yes sir," Belleau said. "I can work with that." He turned a pointed eye towards Torrance. "I have a feeling that this is more than just the standard escort duty, however."
Torrance smiled. "Good guess. This is also a démonstration de force in case we make First Contact with a space borne civilization. As such, your ships are to follow First Contact protocols that Kerensky and I drew up with Guilty Spark's input." He handed Belleau a manila folder.
Belleau took the folder and slipped it into a pocket inside his jacket. "Thank you, sir. I'll study it once I'm aboard my ship."
"See that you do," General Kerensky said. "We got lucky when we made First Contact with Guilty Spark. I won't take any chances if we encounter another civilization, hence the protocols we drew up."
"Solid plan. Explore the nearby systems, hunt for any sign of human life, report back if we find any."
"Very good, Admiral," General Kerensky said. "You have your orders now. You will depart at 0700 hours today. Go forth, and do the Star League-in-Exile proud."
"Yes sir!" Belleau said. With a salute, he marched out of the room.
. . .
SLS Sevastapol
Deep Space
One Week Later
Been around a week since we started on this endeavor at the Commanding General's orders, Belleau thought. Since then, he'd noticed a common pattern that'd emerged over the course of those two weeks. So far, no sign of human habitation. I have a feeling that might change soon.
"Sir, drive recharge is complete," his XO, Rear Admiral James Morley, said. "We're ready to jump at your command."
"Very good," Belleau said. "What's the status of the exploratory ships?"
"Green so far. They've just sent a report via M-HPG."
Belleau nodded. "Good. I'll check my message board." He turned to a console on his command chair. A press of a button brought up the message board.
On it was a simple message: "No signs of human habitation in-system. Will conduct non-standard jump from outside proximity limit. Destination: 23 Librae."
That's not too far away, Belleau thought. The star charts say it's only ten light years from our position and thirty light years from Soell. He typed back a single response. "Understood. K-F Drive recharged. Will hold position unless you require aid. Contact us if you need help." He turned to the Comm Officer. "Contact the Duke of York. Inform them the scouting division is about to make the jump to 23 Librae."
"Aye, sir," Lieutenant Fornell Reed, the Comms Officer, said. He quickly hammered out a response, then sent it via laser to the Duke of York. Before long, he got an answer. "Admiral Strauss acknowledges and says he'll be ready to jump should trouble occur."
Belleau smiled. Good. Strauss is our newest Admiral, but if all indicators are good, he's gonna be one of our finest. "Very good. Maintain M-HPG connection to the William Adams. I want to be the first to know if they run into trouble."
"Aye, sir."
. . .
Onboard the William Adams, one of the Whirlwind-class Destroyers in the scouting divisions, Richard Holmes was surrounded by organized chaos. Enlisted crewmen were busy completing the final preparations for their non-standard jump. "Attention, Attention!" the PA sounded off. "K-F Jump In T-Minus One Minute."
Here we go, Richard thought. We're about to jump deeper into the big empty. He rolled his neck, a smile as he heard quiet pops and cracks.
"Another jump into the big empty," his XO, Arnold Wright, said. "And three months of nothing to do but survey and jump." He cleared his throat. "I've finished final checks of the nav coordinates."
"Good," Richard said. "I'd rather not have a misjump if I can help it."
"Same. I just don't want us to end up being fused to the ship, or driven mad. You know how it is with these non-standard jumps."
Richard nodded. "I know."
The PA sounded off again. "Attention, Attention! K-F Jump In Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Now!"
In an instant, the ship's K-F Drive activated, sundering the fabric of space-time. In a flash of white light and electromagnetic radiation, the ship, and the others that surrounded it, vanished into nothingness. Richard felt a sensation, like a rolling pin had mashed him. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the sensation stopped. Not bad, he thought. We didn't have a misjump, at least I don't think we did. "Status?" he asked.
Eric, his Nav Officer, frowned. "Sensors overloaded. Commencing reboot."
"Very well. Engineering?"
"Doing OK here," Chief Engineer Thatcher said. "All systems green. K-F Drive's spooled down. Once she's cool, we'll begin recharge procedures."
"Sir," Eric said. "We've got a problem."
Richard frowned. "Wait, don't tell me, let me guess. We misjumped, didn't we?"
Eric nodded. "Affirmative. Fleetwide misjump confirmed."
"Got a visual on a nearby planet," another Navigator said.
"Send it to me," Richard ordered. A computer screen mounted to his chair winked to life. On it was the image of a blue and green planet. Large patches of brown covered its surface, and a single moon orbited nearby.
Richard frowned. "Well, I guess we can count ourselves lucky. Better to arrive closer to a planet to survey than -"
At that moment, Packard, the ship's Comms Officer, let out a terrific shout. The man grabbed at his earphones and threw them away. They hit the ground with a loud clatter, while Packard held his hands to his ears. "OUCH!" he bellowed. "MY EARS!" A medic came over and took him away, while his secondary took over. She frowned, then turned down a small dial before she put the headphones back on.
In between those moments, however, Richard heard what he realized was a unmistakable sign of habitation. I need to be sure, though, he thought. Gotta follow protocol here. "Have you got anything?"
"Wait one," the new Comm Officer said. She turned a few controls, frowned at a set of numbers came up. "Sir, you're not gonna believe this, but I've got comm signals coming from the planet!"
The silence that followed was deafening. Comm signals? a part of Richard's mind wondered. That's impossible! It must be! "Are you sure, Lieutenant Tricia?"
"Checking now." Tricia ran a few commands through the system, then looked at a readout. "Confirmed, sir. I've got comm signals from the planet, all in Star League English, sir."
So not just comm signals, but ones we can understand, Richard realized. It then occurred to him what this meant. "Set up an M-HPG link immediately! We need to let Admiral Belleau know what we've found!"
"Aye, sir!" The stunned silence was quickly replaced by frantic activity. "M-HPG channel is open, sir!"
"Thank you!" Richard said. "I want it to be an A/V channel."
"Already done, sir."
"Thank you." Richard stabbed the transmit button. "Captain Townsend to Admiral Belleau. Do you read me? We've got an urgent situation here!"
Belleu's response was practically instant. "This is Admiral Belleau to the William Adams, We read you. What's your situation?"
"We misjumped to our next destination, sir. Comms says that there's radio signals in Star League English coming from a nearby planet. Please advise. Over." He released the transmit button; his heart hammered in his chest.
He didn't have to wait long for a response. "Captain Townsend, this is Admiral Belleau. We've received your transmission. We're contacting SLDF HQ right now. Your orders are to hold position and begin a preliminary scan of the immediate area around your ship. Have your Comm Officer scan all comm frequencies for military activity. If you are contacted, identify yourself and transmit your First Contact package. Admiral Belleau over and out."
"What now?" Tricia asked.
Richard frowned. "Well, they haven't made any moves yet, so we're to hold position and scan the immediate area. Compton, scan a one light second radius around the entire ship, and have the other ships do the same. Transmit Admiral Belleau's orders to them as well."
"Aye, sir," Tricia said.
"Commencing scan," Compton ordered, his voice level and calm. "Scan complete, sir. Scans have identified a small space station roughly 40,000 kilometers from our position. Beyond that, no other contacts."
"Any near the gas giant our star charts show in-system?" Richard asked.
"Negative. Gas giant's too far out of sensor range. We'd need to get closer to get a scan."
Richard leaned back, mulled over what he'd heard. Assuming the unknowns have the same sensor acuity, the space station's close enough to detect our thermal signature in addition to our emergence signature. "Very well. Comm, have a message ready when we're contacted by that space station. My gut tells me that it's not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Also, launch all fighters. We'll need a defensive screen in case we get in trouble."
"Yes, sir," Tricia said. While she worked at her station, Richard gazed at the planet that dominated one of his screens. Who are you people? he wondered.
. . .
UNSC Icarus IV
Lagrange Point L4, Madrigal
I'm bored, Lieutenant Corey thought. Though not bored enough to slack off on my duties. I'd rather not be court-martialed for gross incompetence and dereliction of duty. He sighed, then sat up in his chair. Despite the monotony of the job, Corey actually enjoyed the silence. "It's not much," his superior, Captain Cassandra, had said, "but we're the first line of defense against Insurrectionists. Without us, they'd run around hog wild, with no one to stop them."
Corey had to admit, the Captain had a point. I know I've got a role to play, but I still want to see some action before I transfer out of here. He sighed. Oh well… I guess this is my lot in life. A pretty shitty lot, but better this than the front lines.
A quiet series of beeps drew his attention to a nearby console. When he checked the contents of the COM signal, he frowned, then rejected the signal. Some civilian just called the station. Could be an accidental one. Could also be they got boozed up to the point where they hit it anyways.
That drew his attention to the current political climate of Madrigal. Lot of Innie sympathizers here. I don't understand why anyone would support those terrorists. You'd think they'd get the message by now that the UEG and UNSC are the only thing that stands between anarchy and order. He sighed. I guess it's too much to hope that everyone'll be as understanding as I am.
"Is all well?" a synthesized voice asked.
Corey nooded. "Yes. Just thinking over why anyone would support the Innies, Persephone. You'd think people would get the message by now. My only question is why don't they?
The holographic image of the AI in question appeared over a nearby pedestal. Dressed in Ancient Greek robes, she looked every bit her namesake. "I wouldn't know," she admitted. "My specialty lies in station management and data analysis, not psychology or psychoanalysis. Perhaps Captain Cassandra might know more."
"Yeah, she might." Corey frowned, changed the topic of conversation. "Status update?"
"All systems green, sir. This might turn out to be a -"
Corey cut her off."That's enough, Persephone. I don't want you to spoil my quiet day."
"Why not?"
"Murphy's law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong When you say 'it might be a quiet day' or something like that, the Universe is gonna up and say, 'Oh really? I'll bet you didn't expect this!' and before you know it, we're neck deep in Innies. If there's a lesson I've learned since I joined the UNSC Navy, it's that you do not, under any circumstances, invoke Murphy's law. Understood?"
"I see," Persphone said. "My apologies, sir. I will endeavor to avoid such remarks in the future. Still, given Madrigal's remote location, I believe -" She suddenly stopped.
Corey's heart sank. "What is it?"
"Sensors have picked up a strong electromagnetic burst near our position," Persephone reported. "Initiating scans now…"
Corey's heart thumped in his chest. Possible Slipspace ruptures. Time to see who's come to visit. He braced himself for the inevitable report.
What Persephone said instead both reassured and terrified him. "Odd. That's… very odd."
Corey frowned. "Be specific, Persephone. 'That's odd' doesn't cut it. What have we got?"
"My sensors have picked up a series of sensor contacts where the electromagnetic bloom originated from."
Now Corey was curious. "What kind of contacts?"
"Unknown. RADAR scans indicate that we have around twelve sensor contacts holding position at 40,000 kilometers. LiDAR scans indicate the ships do not match any known UNSC hull profiles. Shall I initiate protocols for unknown contacts?"
"Affirmative," Corey said. "Set up a COM channel with the unknowns and inquire as to their intentions. Also, set up a COM channel with Captain Cassandra and inform her of our present situation."
"Aye, sir. COM channel established."
Corey cleared his throat. "Unidentified starships, this is Lieutenant James Corey of the UNSC Icarus IV. You have arrived in restricted space. Identify yourselves and state your intentions. Failure to comply will be seen as a hostile act, and will be dealt with accordingly. You have three minutes to comply." He glanced at Persephone. "What's the status with Captain Cassandra?"
"COM channel open now, sir."
A moment later, the face of a woman with blond hair and brown eyes appeared. "Captain Cassandra here. Persephone says you've got company up there. Can you confirm?"
"Yes," Corey said. "I've got sixteen unidentified contacts holding position at Madrigal's L4 Lagrange Point. Persephone, send the LiDAR and RADAR scans now."
"RADAR and LiDAR scans sent," Persephone said.
Cassandra read through the brief report. Her eyes widened fractionally as she reached the end. "Just how many rouge factions do we have out there?!" she asked, frustration in her voice. "I'll contact Admiral Castaneda and inform her of our situation."
"Admiral Castenada's in-system?"
"Yes," Cassandra said. "She's here to perform a routine inspection of the local garrison. She's in command of the Dawn Under Heaven, one of the new Halcyon-class Light Cruisers. If there's someone that'll sort these newcomers out, its her."
"I hope she does," Corey said. "I'll remain on standby in case you need me."
"Keep the COM channel ready," Cassandra said. "Captain Cassandra over and out." With the call done, all Corey could do was wait…
On the other end of the COM call, Cassandra rubbed her face. Just when things had settled down from last time. She sighed. Oh well… I have a duty to perform. She keyed another COM channel.
"Yes?" a man's voice asked.
"I need to speak with Admiral Castaneda immediately," Cassandra said.
"One moment please," the voice said. After a few seconds, he said, "Admiral Castenada is ready for your call."
"Thank you," Cassandra said. She keyed the transmit button. "Admiral Castenada, this is Captain Cassandra. I need to speak with you urgently."
On her computer screen, the holographic image of a woman with black hair and green eyes appeared. "Captain Cassandra, this is Admiral Castendada. What is it?"
"One of our stations picked up unusual activity, Madrigal L4 Monitoring Station to be exact. I'm sending you what they've picked up now." She typed in a few commands, then sent the sensor data to Castenada.
The Admiral looked over the information, then back at Cassandra. "Are you sure this is the case?"
"Yes, Admiral. Either this is something ONI's or HIGHCOM's cooked up as a test, or the Innies have got a new trick. Either way, this is outside of my authority."
"An interesting conundrum," Castenada agreed. "I'll begin a burn towards the Lagrange Point. It'll be around two hours before I get there. In the meantime, your orders are to contact the unknown warships and ask them to identify themselves and state their intentions. The sooner we find out who they are, the sooner we can determine what to do next. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am. I've got Lieutenant Corey on that already. We'll know soon enough what we've got on our hands."
"Good. Let's hope this isn't an Insurrectionist attack. Admiral Castenada over and out." Castenada's face winked out of existence.
Cassandra changed COM frequencies. "Lieutenant, any change in their bearing?"
"Negative," Corey said. "We're about one minute away from the deadline. I'll contact them again. Could be they're having COM trouble."
"Understood. If they do respond, stall them as long as possible. Admiral Castenada is two hours away from your position."
"Understood. Lieutenant Corey over and out."
. . .
While Corey and Cassandra were busy with their affairs, Richard was busy with his own. All ships are present and accounted for, and we've got no stragglers. He sighed. Time to find out what the locals intend to do.
He got his answer when Tricia said, "Captain! I've got an incoming transmission! Looks like its a radio signal!"
"Is it compatible with our systems?"
Lieutenant Tricia performed a check. "Affirmative. It appears to be a basic radio transmission, which our systems are designed to pick up."
"Very good. Send it through."
Tricia flicked a switch, then adjusted a control. A young man's voice cam in loud and clear over the bridge speakers. "Unidentified starships, this is Lieutenant James Corey of the UNSC Icarus IV. You have arrived in restricted space. Identify yourselves and state your intentions. Failure to comply will be seen as a hostile act, and will be dealt with accordingly. You have one minus to comply. Over."
The bridge crew fell silent. "Sound like we've got an audience already," Commander Wright said. "Orders?"
Richard looked at Tricia. "Well, First Contact protocol states that we're to initiate contact if contacted, and those are our standing orders. Open a radio comm channel to the station. Use the frequency the signal's on."
"Yes sir," Tricia said. She keyed in a few commands, then turned to Richard. "Comm channel's open!"
Richard cleared his throat, then thumbed the transmit button. "This is Captain Richard Townsend of the SLS William Adams. We were performing a routine survey mission for the Star League-in-Exile when our ships misjumped. We apologize for any alarm that we caused; I can assure you that we mean no harm to you or your people. We come in peace." He released the transmit button. Time to see what happens next…
There was silence, presumably while Lieutenant Corey processed what he'd just heard. "Roger that," he said hesitantly. "We are not aware of any faction known as the Star League-in-Exile, nor are we familiar with your ships and you in particular. Can you please clarify?"
"We are more than ready to. Please standby for data transmission." He turned to Tricia. "Lieutenant, send the First Contact package."
"Yes sir," Tricia said. She keyed a few commands into her computer. "Package transmitted. Let's hope they receive the message with little difficulty."
Me too, Townsend thought…
On the other end of the transmission, Corey's mind was a whirl as he processed what he'd just heard. Star League-in-Exile? He shook his head. Is this a joke? I hope it is, otherwise someone owes me an explanation.
"Sir, I'm receiving a data transmission from the William Adams," Persephone said. "I've translated it into a format our computers can understand."
"Run a scan of the entire package. I don't want this to be the start of any trouble."
"Yes sir," Persephone said. "…Scan complete, sir. No trojan horses or worms detected. Shall I transmit to Captain Cassandra and Admiral Castenada?"
"Yes. Send this information to them. Also, let me take a look at it too. Something tells me I need to know who I'm dealing with."
Persephone nodded. "Yes, sir."
For the next hour or so, Corey paged through the contents of the transmission. When he reached the end, he let out a long, low whistle and sat up. "Damn… and I thought we had it rough. Still, I don't think they're being entirely honest. Persephone, when you scanned the package, did you ensure it was genuine?"
"Unknown," Persephone said. "I do not have a template to check the information against. As such, I cannot determine if the information is genuine, or if it is a clever fake."
Lieutenant Corey frowned. "Damn. That's rough. Has Admiral Castenada received the package?
"That I have," came Castenada's voice. Her face appeared on a nearby console. "I've just finished my examination of the information in the package the unknowns sent us. If what they say is true, and if this information is accurate, then we are faced with a genuine First Contact situation. I'll speak with these unknowns in person. If they really are here as part of a survey team, then their logs will -"
"ALERT!" Persephone shouted. "Slipspace ruptures detected! Scanning… IFF scans have detected unknown contacts!"
"Just when we thought it was gonna be easy," Castenada said. "Lieutenant, contact this 'Captain Townsend.' Inform him of the situation and have him move away from the unknown contacts. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Corey said. "Persephone, open a COM channel to them immediately!" What he didn't tell her was that his gut instinct told him something was very wrong…
On the other side of the exchange, Richard waited patiently for a response. "I wonder what's going through their minds right now," Wright said.
"If I were them, I'd be quite surprised," Richard said. "It's not everyday that you encounter another faction from a universe far different from your own. I wouldn't be surprised if they thought we were a rouge faction that -"
"Sir!" Patricia shouted. "Incoming transmission from Icarus IV!"
"Got some strange shit on my sensors; bearing 2-4-0 mark 0-5-0," Compton added. "I've got what appear to be localized space-time tears nearby. Six ships are coming out of those tears. Ship database has no records of them."
"Send the transmission through!" Richard ordered.
"Captain Townsend, this is Lieutenant Corey. You've got unknown vessels off your aft starboard."
"We see them," Richard said. "Who are they'"
"Unknown at this point. Please relocate to a distance of 60,000 kilometers from the station.
"Understood," Richard said. "We'll warm up engines and be on our way. We'll contact you when -"
"Sir, unknown vessels are moving away from the station and towards us!" Tricia reported
Richard frowned. Something's not right. "OK. Lieutenant Duncan, I want firing solutions on the ships coming towards us, but no munitions loaded."
"Aye, sir!" Lieutenant Duncan, the ship's Fire Control Officer, said. He keyed an intercom. "Gunners, prepare to receive firing solutions. Do not load munitions until ordered." He closed the 'com, then compiled the firing solutions. On the hull of the William Adams, the various weapons came to life. Those on the starboard broadside and starboard aft sections of the ship turned towads the target. "Guns locked on," Lieutenant Duncan reported. "Firing solutions ready, but all weapons empty."
"Sir, I've got an incoming radio comm transmission," Tricia said. "I think they noticed us locking onto their ship."
"Put them through," Richard said.
A moment later, another man's voice, this one deeper and rougher, came through. "Unknown warships, this is Captain Ricardo Enrique of the Freedom Fighter speaking. You've locked weapons onto us. Please explain your reasoning for doing so."
Townsend keyed his transmitter. "This is Captain Richard Townley of the SLS William Adams and of the Star League Defense Force. The UNSC Madrigal IV identified you as unknown contacts. Given the current situation, I'm simply taking the necessary precautions to preserve the lives of my crew. If you could kindly explain who you are, I'm certain we can come to a mutual understanding.
Ricardo seemed stunned. "You don't know who we are?
"Affirmative. We are unaware of your affiliation."
"So it would seem," Ricardo said. "I take that this 'Star League Defense Force' is not affiliated with the UNSC in any way. Correct?"
"That's correct. We're a neutral party."
Ricardo seemed to relax. "I see. Is there anything you can send us to validate your claims?"
"Standby for transmission. Tricia, send them the First Contact package as well."
"Aye sir," Tricia said. She typed in a few commands. "First Contact package is underway."
"Captain Townsend, this is Lieutenant Corey, we've picked up a transmission between you and the new unknown ships. Can you confirm?"
"Affirmative," Townsend said. "They requested information to verify if we are from the Star League Defense Force. As per my standing orders, I complied and send them our First Contact package."
"Understood. Please inform us of any data transmissions before you send them. Please expedite our relocation request."
"Understood," Townsend said. "Expediting." He keyed a 'com. "Engineering, bring us up to 1.5g acceleration. Navigation, plot a course to the requested relocation distance."
"Aye sir," Eric said. The ship slowly turned, presenting its port side to the Freedom Fighter, then it began to burn towards it's intended destination.
"Sir, we've got a problem," Tricia said.
"What is it?" Townsend asked.
"I've got a pair of unknown ships trying to sneak past the monitoring station. Should we inform Corey?"
"Wouldn't hurt to do so," Townsend decided. "William Adams to Icarus IV, you've got a pair of ships attempting to sneak by. Can you confirm? Over."
"Confirmed," Lieutenant Corey said. "Unidentified ships, this is Lieutenant Corey speaking. You are about to cross within 35,000 kilometers of Icarus IV. Please turn back and move to a standoff distance of 60,000 kilometers." Corey hoped they'd heed his advice.
On another screen, Richard watched as the two unknown contacts ignored Lieutenant Corey and continued on their course. In fact, they seemed to accelerate. "Captain Townsend to Lieutenant Corey. They've just begun to accelerate. I think they -"
At that moment, one of the smaller ships opened fire on the Icarus IV. Titanium-A battleplate vaporized as the hypervelocity slugs smashed into the station with tremendous force.
"Shots fired!" Comtpon shouted. "Icarus IV's taking fire!"
Townsend winced. Aw, shit! This is bad!
Lieutenant Corey agreed. "UNSC Icarus IV to all UNSC ships. We are under attack by unknown contacts, presumed Insurrectionist at this time. Any and all UNSC ships in the immediate vicinity, please provide assistance ASAP!"
Now Townsend was faced with a conundrum. On the one hand, if I leave, the Icarus IV might get destroyed. On the other, if I attack, the UNSC might see that as an act of war. He frowned. Then a third decision made itself known. He thumbed the transmit. "Lieutenant Corey, this is Captain Townsend. We've received your distress call. We're willing to offer aid if you ask for it."
On the station Corey considered Townsend's offer while alarms blared around him. On the one hand, refusing it would see the station likely boarded and captured. If I do accept, I might end up in a worse situation, or they might help me out. I'm faced with a Hobson's Choice, maybe even a Morton's Fork.
Still, he was in a tight situation, and he knew it. OK... let's roll the dice. "Understood, Captain Townsend. I accept your offer of aid. Our ships are too far away to provide assistance. If you attempt any hostile activity against our station, we will open fire."
"Understood. We'll begin a burn towards your position at max acceleration. ETA: 5 mikes."
"Understood. Lieutenant Corey over and out." He turned to Persephone. "Are all defenses online!"
"Affirmative," Persephone said. "They came online the moment we were attacked. All Marines onboard have been scrambled to repel potential boarders. Enemy ships have been identified as Mako-class corvettes. I can also confirm that their registries match those of ships stolen by Insurrectionists two months ago."
"What about the larger ship?" Corey asked.
"Scans indicate it is a stolen Charon-class frigate. Scans have identified it as the Freedom Fighter, formerly the Argent Dawn."
Corey frowned. That's the flagship of one former UNSC Captain Ricardo Enrique, one of that bastard's lackeys! "That's a powerful ship. Think the William Adams can take it on?"
"Unknown at point."
Corey sighed. "Then let's hope they can hold out until Admiral Castenada can get here. Continue to defend the station as best as you can. I'll see if I can find anyone closer." He began to work feverishly to find any other help that could come...
Onboard the William Adams, Richard felt his stomach lurch as the WarShip flipped, then rolled. The 1.5g present earlier vanished, then was replaced by a full 3g burn. He grunted as his weight increased dramatically. He keyed the ship-wide 'com. "All hands, this is the captain speaking! General quarters, general quarters! All hands, man battle stations! This is not a drill! Repeat: this is not a drill!" He flicked a switch on his chair.
Alarms immediately rang out across the entire ship. Gunners and crew immediately dashed to their stations if they weren't already there to begin with. Within literal seconds, everyone inside of the ship was at combat stations.
"Sir!" Tricia shouted. "The Freedom Fighter's moved into an intercept course!"
"Thermal flares detected on the Freedom Fighter," Compton shouted. "They're powering up weapons!"
Cold sweat broke out onto Townsend's forehead. "That settles it. Send an M-HPG message to the heavy division immediately! Send them our coordinates and have them jump ASAP! We -"
"INCOMING!" Compton shouted.
At that moment, all hell broke loose.
The Freedom Fighter, having turned on an intercept course, fired its broadside weapons at the William Adams. Hypervelocity slugs smashed into the side of the ship and vaporized upon impact. Loud, gong-like sounds rang out in the interior of the William Adams. Thankfully, her armor worked exactly as intended; each area hit sheared off, preventing catastrophic damage to the internal structure and ship.
The interior of the bridge shook with each hit. "We're hit!" Compton shouted. "We're hit! No penetration!"
"Fire up all engines and get us to max acceleration!" Townsend shouted. "Duncan, get firing solutions on the Freedom Fighter and send them to the gunners! Whoever these Insurrectionists are, they just fucked up big time!"
"Sir!" Compton shouted, his voice strained from the acceleration the ship was put through. "I'm reading numerous emergence signatures!"
"It's Admiral Belleau! He got our message! Continue to burn and engage! Order the other ships to do the same!"
"They've already done so, sir," Lieutenant Tricia said. "All of the ships have turned to engage. The Vincents are moving out of range to avoid being destroyed!"
"Excellent!" Townsend said…
Onboard Icarus IV station, Corey watched as the Insurrectionist vessel moved to engage the William Adams. When the ship had fired, the station sensors had picked up EM flares as the slugs fired by the Freedom Fighter vaporized on impact. First blood, he thought.
"Impressive," Persephone said.
"What is?" Corey asked.
"Scans of the William Adams' armor plating has revealed the presence of numerous elements and materials. My scans indicate that the armor is designed to behave in the manner that it did."
Corey frowned. "What do you mean?"
Corey didn't get an answer, as something else caught Persephone's attention. "ALERT! More anomalous signatures detected!"
Corey's eyes shot towards the console. On it, he could see six more contacts appear on the sensors. He looked back up to see the William Adams, only this time, he could see large fusion plumes extending from the rear. The entire ship seemed to slide to the right, bringing its starboard side to the fore.
Then a strong, male voice came in over the omni-directional pickup. "This is Admiral Thomas Belleau of the SLS Sevastapol speaking. To the ship that fired on the William Adams, you have attacked a member of the SLDF without due provocation, and we shall respond accordingly. All ships, target the Freedom Fighter. Disable its engines and prepare boarding parties." There was a click as the COM channel fell silent.
"Admiral," Corey asked, "did you?"
"I heard it loud and clear," Castenada said. "I saw the opening salvo on my sensors. I'm just fifteen minutes away from the fight. I won't be in time to stop it, but I do believe this is a good time for this 'Star League Defense Force' to show their intentions."
"What about the ships about to board the station?!"
"We've got that handled," a voice said. "Fighter Wing Bravo at your service. Townsend launched all fighters when we arrived in system. We'll clean these assholes up for you!"
Corey hit a switch. A control panel flickered, then switched to a view from one of the station's many cameras. On it, he could see two Mako-class corvettes that were moving towards his station. What he also saw were a series of small fighters that were moving on an intercept course. A few more SLDF warships winked into existence, then began to burn towards the station.
That wasn't what had his attention, however. What had his attention were the bright red, green and blue flashes of light that radiated off the ship's hulls. When he zoomed in some more, he was shocked to find large cuts and gashes in the armor on each of the Insurrectionist vessels.
"Fascinating," Persephone said. "My scans are picking up what appear to be high yield lasers cutting into the hulls of the Insurrectionist ships."
Corey whistled. "We've got lasers, but none as powerful as those. These are literally tearing holes into the armor plating."
"So it would seem."
Corey sat down, overwhelmed by the day's events. "Just who the hell are we dealing with?" he asked aloud.
. . .
Onboard the Freedom Fighter, Ricardo was wondering the same question himself. Once the Dumb AI of his ship had analyzed the contents of the package, he'd decided that it was best to engage the Star League ships before him. For all I know, they could've been working for the UNSC, and would've been different ship designs. The info they sent could've also been a cover story.
Now, he was starting to see that he'd likely made a error in judgment. The entire ship was now sliding to enter a broadside attack, "Fire the broadside weapons!" Ricardo thundered. "If they want a broadside fight, we'll give 'em one!" The gunners nodded, then began locking onto the William Adams.
"Shit!" one gunner shouted. "The William Adams' is in position! We're gonna get hit! Brace for impact!"
Ricardo was about to order a salvo when the entire ship shook. A loud CLANG echoed in the ship as high speed projectiles smashed into the Titanium-A battleplate. A screen showed armor plating being torn off the ship. "What are they hitting us with?!" he shouted.
"No idea!" his XO shouted. "Whatever it is, it's powerful! We -"
At that moment, Ricardo saw something rarely seen in space combat. Before he could blink, a a red beam of light cut through the space between both ships and impacted the Freedom Fighter. Titanium-A plating designed to withstand kinetic strikes simply melted as the laser beam heated it beyond its protective capabilities.
"Shit!" one gunner shouted. "They're firing lasers at us!"
"Target their weapons and destroy them!" Ricardo shouted. "Bring the reactor to 100% now! We -"
Suddenly, the entire Freedom Fighter shook with a renewed intensity. "We're under attack from multiple angles!" a Sensors Officer shouted. "I've got six more enemy signatures engaging us at close range!"
Shit! Ricardo thought. The sensor screens only confirmed what the Sensors Officer had told him; the Freedom Fighter was under attack from both her port and starboard sections. "Fire up the Slipspace Drive!" he shouted. "We're getting the hell out!"
"What about the others!" his XO shouted.
"They're on their own! We're cutting our losses. We -!"
At that moment, the ship shook as though a giant had slapped it. A nearby console exploded and showered the bridge with sparks as it overloaded. "Shit!" the crewman that manned the station shouted. "Primary power distribution's gone! Auxillary's online, but our engines are disabled as well!"
"Port engine pod's gone!" another crewman shouted. "Main and starboard engine pods are offline! We're a sitting duck!"
Ricardo kicked his command console. "Fuck!" He glanced around. "I don't intend on them taking us alive! Is the self-destruct disabled?"
"Affirmative!" his XO said. "Self-destruct codes were scrambled when the original AI deleted them. We're stuck!"
"That settles it then." Ricardo slapped the intercom button. "All hands, prepare to repel boarders! Load up on weapons and get your asses to the airlocks!" He closed the 'com, then he moved towards a nearby locker.
. . .
Onboard the Dawn Under Heaven, Castenada watched as the SLDF ships quickly picked apart the Freedom Fighter and its escorts. "Charlemagne, you finish that analysis of their ships yes?"
The AI appeared over the holo-pedestal. "Affirmative, ma'am. It would appear that SLDF warships employ a combination of ballistic and energy weapons. I also detected missiles being launched by the smaller ships at the Mako-class corvettes. They've been disabled and one has been destroyed."
Castenada smiled grimly. A predictable outcome.
Charlemagne interrupted her thoughts. "Ma'am, we have an incoming transmission from the Sevastapol."
"Put it through."
The COM crackled, then Belleau's voice came through. "Admiral Belleau to Admiral Castenada. I trust you're here for more than just a show?"
"Yes, though it appears that you have the fight well in hand. I must admit, your ships are very well armed and armored."
"So it would seem," Belleau said. "That being said, I do apologize for the debacle we are faced with. We came here to survey the star system and to see if there was anyone else out here. I never believed we'd get involved in a firefight between your government and these pirates."
"Did this happen often back where you come from?"
"Very much so," Belleau agreed. "I take it that means you looked through the First Contact package?"
Castenada nodded. "I did. I must admit, it seems like something out of one of those sci-fi novels written by 20th century authors. Normally, I'd be suspicious, and to be frank, I am. However, the fact that you've shown us courtesy and didn't fire on the station tells me that there's some truth to your story."
"Indeed. I would also like to ask permission to board the Freedom Fighter and take its crew into custody."
"Why?" Castenada asked.
"This is your region of space, Admiral. That means I'm merely a guest, and it would be poor form of me to simply swoop in and deal with troublemakers, however well-intentioned my actions were."
"That is a fair point," Castenada agreed. "However, you're right to take those people into custody. They fired on your ships and your personnel,. That being said, I appreciate your desire to respect our laws. As such, I think we can come to a compromise."
"Please do. I was about to suggest we do the same. Tell me what you have in mind."
Castenada looked at the remaining Insurrectionist ships. "Tell you what, given that I've got a few Charon-class frigates with me, along with some Able and Hillsborough-class Destroyers with me, we'll handle the Mako-class corvettes. For the Freedom Fighter, however, I propose a joint boarding action. Our boarding teams work together to take the Insurrectionists into custody. I get the CO and you get his subordinates. Everyone's happy."
There was silence for a few seconds. "That's acceptable," Belleau said. "Given the current circumstances, I was about to suggest the same compromise. I already have a few DropShips en route to the Freedom Fighter. I don't know how you send troops in for this sort of thing, but I'll have them rendezvous with your DropShips or whatever you use around fifteen kilometers from the Freedom Fighter. You fine with that?"
"Yes," Castenada said. "I'll be on standby in case you need assistance. Perhaps when this is over, we can have a proper vis-à-vis meeting."
"Perhaps. For now, I must tend to my duties. Admiral Belleau over and out."
"Understood. Admiral Castenada over and out." She turned to Charlemagne. "Inform Lieutenant Colonels Mehaffey and Lasky to get their ODST teams together. They'll be on the boarding teams."
"Affirmative, ma'am."
. . .
Down in one of the hangar bays, Mehaffey and her team of ODST quickly loaded up onto the Pelican. "What's happening, sir?" one of her men asked. "I hear we're taking on Innies and making friends with new folks."
"Pretty much," she said. "Listen up everyone!" Once she had everyone's attention, she continued. "Admiral Castenada's informed me that we've made contact with some newcomers claiming to be part of an organization called the 'Star League-in-Exile.' Unfortunately, the Innies chose this time to rear their ugly heads."
A few ODSTs cursed under their breaths. "However, it would seem that our new friends dislike them as much as we do. They've disabled the Innie ship Freedom Fighter and have sent a team to board the ship. Our orders are to rendezvous with their 'Achilles'-class DropShips and conduct a joint operation to take the ship and bring the Innies in. Any questions?"
"Are we gonna be the only team in this joint operation?" one ODST asked.
"Negative. Lieutenant Colonel Audrey Lasky and her team will join us in this op. Any other questions?" None presented themselves. "No…? Good." She keyed her COM. "We're ready to go!"
"Affirmative. Whiskey 1-9-6 moving out!" The Pelican rumbled to life as it lifted off. The hangar doors opened, and the Pelican flew out into the cold vacuum of space.
Mehaffey moved into the cockpit and peered outside. "So, any idea where they are?"
"About thirty klicks that away," the pilot, known affectionately as Nails, pointed right. "We'll catch sight of 'em soon." Mehaffey nodded, then sat down in the copilot seat.
Before long, the DropShip they were going to meet came in sight. To Mehaffey's surprise, it wasn't a small thing like the Pelican. It was huge, almost as large as a Mako-class corvette. "Damn, that's a pretty big ship!" Nails said. "That's more of a corvette than a dropship!"
"Seems like it," Mehaffey agreed.
Once they were close enough, the COM crackled. "Whiskey 1-9-6, this is Captain Jones of the DropShip Spearhead. Good to see you. We're about to make our burn towards the enemy ship. Follow us to the Freedom Fighter."
"Roger that," Nails said. He glanced at Mehaffey. "They sound like a friendly bunch."
"Let's hope they are," Mehaffey said. Outside, she watched the engines on the Spearhead flare to life. "Follow them. Once we reach the Freedom Fighter, we'll see how good they are in a fight." She reached for her combat knife and patted it.
Before long, the Freedom Fighter came into sight. Damn… Mehaffey thought as she gazed at the Freedom Fighter's hull was crisscrossed with ugly gashes and cuts in her armor. Near the rear, Mehaffey noted that the port engine pod had been blown completely off. Where it attached to the ship, metal glowed white-hot. I know our own ships can do the same, but this seems like overkill.
Even Nails was struck by the sight. "Damn, now that's impressive. How they blew off an engine pod, I have no idea. I'm glad these SLDF folks are on our side for the time being."
"Me too." Mehaffey agreed. That ship got fucked up. Just what do these SLDF guys use for warship weapons?
The Spearhead, having reversed to slow it's burn, slowly and carefully came closer to the ship. Keying her COM, Mehaffey asked, "How do you guys intend to board?"
"We've got a few Ares Mk. V Landing Craft that we'll use to get inside one of their hangars," Captain Jones said. "I take it you intend to do the same?"
"Affirmative. Before we left, our AI Charlemagne informed us that he hacked into the ship systems. Once we're onboard, we'll make our way to you and clean out house while we're at it."
"Sounds like a plan. Just send us the schematics and we'll be with you ASAP. Captain Jones over and out."
"Charlemagne?"
"I've sent the schematics to them," Charlemagne said. "Their ship systems were a bit odd, but I managed to work around that."
"Good." Mehaffey stepped inside of the troop bay. "All right, buys! Time to earn our pay! You read to kill some Innies?!"
"Hell yeah!" the others shouted.
"Good! Who do they call us?!"
"The Helljumpers!" the others replied.
"Why?"
"Because we jump feet first into Hell, ma'am!"
Mehaffey smiled. "Damn straight we do! Get ready to breach!"
"Red light, standby!" one ODST shouted. The interior was flooded with a red light. Weapons were primed, and the ODSTs got ready for war. Both Pelicans split up, with Lasky's moving towards the starboard side of the ship, while Mehaffey's approached the port airlock.
"Got hostiles at the airlocks!" Nails said.
"Affirmative. Get ready for a fight!"
The Pelican rotated, then gently eased itself over the hatch. There was a CLUNK, then a beep from Nail's console. "We-re docked. Got a soft seal!
The Pelican's interior turned green. The troop bay door slowly opened to reveal the airlock door on the other side. Through the panes of aluminum dioxide, Mehaffey saw no one, though she knew there were Innies on either side, ready to ambush them. "Open the door, then toss a nine-banger inside!" An ODST nodded. He reached for his belt, then pulled out a small, cylindrical item. "Charlemagne, open the door we're at."
The door opened, with no response from the defenders. Taking that as his cue, the ODST threw the grenade through the door. Ducking away, Mehaffey could hear the loud, concussive bangs of the flashbang, even through the helmet's ear protection systems. Once the banging had stopped, the ODSTs barreled into the corridor. Finding stunned Innies, they gunned each of them down. "Move out!" Mehaffey shouted. "Don't let 'em breath!"
The ODSTs moved inside, weapons aimed and ready. An Innie came around the corner of a hallway, raised his weapon and fired. The two shots he fired impacted an ODST's chest armor with negligible effect. The ODST's shots, however, were lethal. The man fell to the ground, armor-piercing rounds tearing through his body armor. "Contact down!" an ODST reported. "Moving up!"
The ODSTs continued to move through the hallways of the ship. Looks like most of the Innies are guarding key areas, Mehaffey thought as she gunned down a pair of gun-toting Innies. We're gonna be facing stiffer resistance as we move through the ship. "Charlemagne, seal off any Innies that aren't in our path towards the bridge. We don't want them to run around."
"Aye, ma'am," Charlemagne said. "I've sealed off most of the Innies inside of various areas. More boarding teams are on the way to arrest and detain them."
"Good."
Coming to a corner, Mehaffey thought she spotted movement. Immediately, her HUD highlighted the target in green. "Check fire!" a voice shouted. "Blue! Blue!"
"Check fire!" Mehaffey shouted. She rounded the corner, saw a squad of ODSTs on the other side. "Lieutenant Colonel Lasky. Good to see you're doing well
One of the ODST's helmets depolarized, showing a familiar face behind the visor. "Good to see you too, Mehaffey. What's the plan?"
"We'll rendezvous with the SLDF guys near one of the cafeterias. Once we've linked up, we'll move to the bridge and take it. You ready?"
"Always," Mehaffey said.
"Then let's go!" Both ODST squad formed up, then moved deeper into the ship.
As she rounded a corner, gunfire erupted, forcing Mehaffey back behind the corner. A quick glance revealed four Innies armed with assault rifles. She brought her rifle to bear and fired a few rounds down range. One of the Innies fell, his body riddled with bullet holes. The other one fell, but returned fire. Lasky fired a few shots of her own, killing that Innie as well.
Before long, both squads were involved in heavy combat. One ODST grunted as a bullet bounced off his body armor. He returned fire, with a scream of agony marking a clean kill. Another ODST fired, his own bullets cutting down a few more innies.
By now, Mehaffey had gotten close and personal with the enemy, which was where she liked it. Her knife flashed in the confines of the hallway, then she charged forwards. Before her target could react, she had sliced open his belly. His guts spilled onto the ground. Before he could scream, Mehaffey's knife buried itself in his skill and ended his torment.
Before long, the firefight ended. Lasky frowned as Mehaffey cleaned her knife. "You know I don't like to get that close to the enemy."
"I don't mind," Mehaffey countered. "Besides, we're ODSTs. We're meant to get in close and gut the enemy." Lasky merely shrugged.
They continued down the hallways of the ship. For every innite they cut down, two more took his place. Fortunately, most don't seem to know their way around a gun, Mehaffey thought. Most of these assholes are using shit weapons.
"Watch it!" Lasky shouted. She grabbed Mehaffey and pulled backwards. The moment Mehaffey had come back around the corner, gunfire erupted. When she leaned out, she snarled. "Damn! They've got an MG nest in the hallway! We can't get past that!" Lasky was about to look for another way around when the Innie MG nest suddenly went silent with loud, wet POP-BANGs.
When they leaned around the corner again, they saw what had happened. Both Innies were dead, though it was the manner of their deaths that caught their attention. The Innies looked as though tier bodies had exploded, like someone had stuffed C-12 into them and pressed the detonator. One Innie's head had actually blown apart, the only thing left being his lower jaw and neck.
Their killer showed himself moments later. Dressed in a large, bulky suit, the figure's face was hidden by a helmet that had three panes of silver polarized glass. He hefted a large, bulky rifle in his hands. "You folks the ODSTs?" he asked.
"Yes," Mehaffey said. "Lieutenant Colonel Mehaffey. You?"
"Colonel Oswald Michael, SLDF Marines." He extended a hand.
Mehaffey didn't shake it. Lasky, however, did. "Nice gun," she said. "It did all that to those Innies?"
"Yep," Michael said. "Mauser 960 Assault System. Pulse laser rifle with integral vibroblade bayonet and grenade launcher."
Lasky whistled. "Sounds advanced."
"Indeed," Michael agreed. "We've got most of the attackers in our area cleaned out. Follow me. I'll escort you to the cafeteria."
As they moved to the cafeteria, Mehaffey looked at Michael's gun. "That's a pulse laser rifle?"
"Yep," Michael said. "Standard issue SLDF long arm. It's heavy as fuck thanks to the survival kit, but beyond that, it's a good gun."
"How heavy is it?" Lasky asked.
"Ten and a half kilograms with the survival kit in the stock."
Even Mehaffey winced at that. "That's a bit too heavy for a pew-pew gun. Our MA5Bs are significantly lighter at four kilograms."
"True, but that's with the survival kit. It's common practice for SLDF soldiers to remove the survival kit to save weight. I removed mine and placed it in my armored back. Without it, it's roughly three and a half kilograms in weight, which is much better. Still, I guess you'll believe it's a pulse laser rifle when you see it."
"I guess," Mehaffey agreed. "What's the armor?"
"Marine Combat Environmental Suit. It's basically like an armored space suit, but much better. We use this all the time for deep space combat."
Lasky raised her eyebrows. "Impressive."
"That it is. Anyways, we're about to arrive."
Around another corner was the ship's cafeteria. More soldiers dressed in MCES were present, each one wielding the same weapon that Michael did. "All right boys!" Michael shouted. "These here are the ODSTs that were sent to help us out. I'd advise that we mingle, but we're short on time as it is. We need to advance to the bridge and capture our target. Mehaffey?"
"Right." Mehaffey handed out a small datapad. "Our target is one Ricardo Maldez, an Innie smuggler and former UNSC Navy Captain. Intel suggests that he supplies the Innies with the materials and weapons they need to conduct operations in this part of the Outer Colonies. We're to bring him in alive, so we can see if he'll rat out any of his buddies. Any questions?"
"Nope," one of the SLDF Marines said. "Just tell us where to go and we'll go there."
"Good," Mehaffey said. "Let's get to the bridge."
"Copy that!" Michael said. The three teams quickly made their way out of the cafeteria. Two Innies rounded a corner, weapons aimed and ready. Mehaffey was about to fire when Michael beat her to the punch.
Both Mehaffey and Lasky watched as a brilliant ruby beam of light shot out of the muzzle of Michael's rifle. When the beam hit an unarmored Innie, the man's chest exploded outwards with a wet POP-BANG. The man screamed once, then fell dead.
The other man tried to get away, only for one of the other SLDF Marines to bull rush him. A loud, high-pitched whine emanated from the blade of the man's bayonet. Despite the Innie being well armored, the blade cut through his armor like it was tissue paper. With a thrust and a swing, the Marine sliced the man's head clean off. "Yeah!" he shouted. "Damn I'm good!"
Mehaffey shook her head. "Well, Lasky, you wanted to see someone that likes CQC more than me. You just saw that someone."
"I take back what I said," Lasky said. "Let's just get to the damn bridge."
Before long, the three teams had reached the bridge. "Put a blasting block on the door!" Michael ordered. Two Marines advanced to the door, a large block of plastic explosives in their hands.
"C-8?" Lasky asked.
"Yeah," Michael said. "Expensive, but boy does it get the job done." Once the Marines finished, everyone backed away. "Blasting it in three… two… one… now!" Michael then mashed the detonator.
There was a loud BOOM as the blasting block detonated. The doors to the bridge crumpled, then were blasted apart by the force of the explosion. At the same time, Mehaffey threw a stun grenade through the now-open door. Shouts of surprise filled the air, then the flashbang detonated.
Once the flash had ended, all of the Marines and ODSTs charged the room. Mehaffey felt her rifle shudder as it spat lethal doses of lead and copper, while laser beams flashed through the air. Against a combined assault of this intensity, the Innies stood little chance. Only a few returned fire, and those that did were cut down in short order.
Michael quickly spotted their target: a man with brown hair and green eyes. "You won't take me alive!" he shouted, pressing a pistol to his head. Michael, unable to aim in time, fired from the hip.
It was an extraordinarily lucky shot. Ricardo screamed as his forearm exploded; his weapon and hand fell to the floor. Ricardo fell down as well, howling as he gripped what was left of his forearm. "YOU SONOVABITCH!" he screeched. "I -"
Before he could finish, Michael, having switched to his sidearm, 'tapped' Ricardo in the throat. The man yelped, then began gasping for air. "Hold him down," Michael ordered. "Gotta search him. Helmet: Emissions Overlay Mode."
He bent down, then looked around Ricardo's body while a pair of ODSTs kept him in place. Searching around, Michael pulled out what looked like a revolver. "Yeah, for a guy like you. I'll bet you've got an ankle holster too." He pulled a small, snub nose pistol from said holster. "Roll him onto his chest."
The soldiers complied, despite Ricardo's screams and protests. Standing up, Michael found himself looking at a massive pistol. "Wow. Now that is impressive. So many guns, I don't know which one to confiscate." He quickly unloaded the large one, then offered it to Mehaffey. "You want this one?"
"Yeah." Mehaffey took the pistol. "And for the record, it's an M6D Magnum. Fires a 12.7x40mm SAPHE round."
Michael nodded. "Not bad. Not bad at all." He keyed his COM. "Admiral Belleu, this is Colonel Michael. HVT is secure. What are your orders?"
"He goes to Mehaffey," Belleau said. "He's wanted by the United Earth Government and the UNSC for multiple terrorist acts. I just looked through the rap sheet Castenada shared. A despicable man, if I do say so myself."
"Understood," Michael said. He shoved Ricardo over to Mehaffey and Lasky. "He's all yours."
"Thanks," Mehaffey said. "Boys, tie up the Innie." She looked at Michael. "Nice work. Hope we get to work together some more. Plus like your vibro-bayonets now. I want one."
"Hopefully, things go well between your boss and mine. If they do, then you'll have one soon as you please."
. . .
"This is Lieutenant Colonel Lasky. We've got Ricardo in custody."
Castenada smiled. "Excellent work! How did things go with the SLDF?"
"Very well, ma'am. They've got laser weapons as small arms and vibroblades that can cut through body armor. The Innies didn't stand a chance against them. That being said, they're also quite friendly too. If all goes well, we might become friends with them."
"Indeed," Castenada said. "All right. Bring him back to the ship. We'll treat him for any injuries and get his ass into a prison cell. Nice work. Admiral Castenada over and out."
"Wilco. Leutenant Colonel Lasky over and out."
Castenada smiled. We met some potential new friends and we caught an Innie. I'd say that clears their ledger. She changed frequencies, then thumbed the transmitter. "Your boys did good work, Admiral Belleau."
"All our boys do good work," Belleau said. "The SLDF prides itself on being the best military force out there. When we capture a target, they stay captured. That being said, you said you wanted a vis-à-vis meeting, yes?"
"That's right."
"Good. I've been in contact with my superiors at SLDF HQ. They've agreed to allow me to handle the initial negotiations. I'd like you to come onboard the Sevastapol sometime around 1030 hours local time to have that vis-à-vis meeting. How does that sound to you?"
Castenada smiled. "I think we can work with that. I'll be over at about that time. See you there. I hope this meeting goes well. Admiral Castenada over and out."
"Understood. I also hope the meeting goes well. Admiral Belleau over and out."