*UEG May 8,2552*

*Alt October 25,2001*

Yokohama Base

Takeru had just recently came from Yuuko-sensei's office. As he walked toward the PX to meet up with his squad, the particulars of their conversation weren't lost on him. No, Cadet Shirogane Takeru thought as he stopped walking and reflected further.

This timeline... just what is going on? He could still vividly remember when Operation Babylon commenced or Alternative V. And yet now... just what the hell?

He could vividly recall the migrants fleeing Earth, the accursed brutal fighting, and # #ov#n a#rval.

What?

Was there ever a UNSC? No, even back home, the only thing he knew was that...

Urghhhh.

Right, back before he was transported to this chaotic timeline where mankind was desperate. He knew he remembered that name, yet he never really took it seriously. No, he even forgot it. It wasn't like he was always interested in first-person shooters.

It was called Halo: Combat Evolved, if he was right. Something Mikoto introduced him to.

Someone called out...

"Shirogane!" He knew that voice...

It was Meiya's voice. He turned to see her, concern vivid on her face.

"Are you alright, Shirogane?" she voiced her worry.

Snapped back to reality from his musings, he was taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"W-, Meiya, I'm perfectly fine."

She scrutinized him for a moment before finally giving up. By now, she was used to him constantly calling her Meiya instead of Mitsurugi.

"Then let's go to the PX. Everyone's waiting, Shirogane."

Nodding to her response, Takeru followed, passing by UNSC Marines. Their presence still surprised him and the others since Instructor Marimo-san first introduced them, along with the Sergeant Major. It took time for everyone to get accustomed to it.

He particularly remembered the brawls that brewed in the PX, often between hot-headed UNSC Marines and Japanese UN personnel, who shamefully argued about whose war was more brutal, claiming theirs was just a child's game.

"There you go again, Shirogane. You've been thinking quite a lot recently, haven't you?"

He heaved a heavy sigh.

"Come on, what's been bothering you recently?"

"It's... the recent brawl."

Meiya seemed to ponder that. "Is it when he said 'we have it easy'?"

Takeru froze for a moment, uncertain, before he spoke again. "Well, not just that. It's when he said there's something out there far, far more dangerous than the Beta. It just got me thinking."

Even Meiya seemed to freeze when she thought about it. What exactly did the UNSC face that was far more dangerous than the Beta?

It was then they both heard Mikoto calling them.

"Takeru! Mitsurugi-san!"

They turned to face Mikoto, wondering what it was.

"Yeah, Mikoto, what is it?"

"Where have you two been? We've been waiting there for nearly an hour!"

That seemed to surprise Meiya, and Takeru as well.

"Come on, stop pondering and let's go!" Mikoto urged.

Nodding, Takeru and Meiya followed Mikoto, their thoughts still lingering on the unsettling implications of the UNSC Marine's words.

--

Arriving at the PX, they swiftly got in line. It was unusually busy, a fact that became evident when they saw Tamase also ordering her food.

Takeru, seemingly back to normal, remarked, "With all the variety shown here, added with the UNSC's own variety of food, I can't help but feel especially hungry. Ready to chow down!"

Tama complimented, "Huh, that's true. Even with all the other training, you're incredible, you know, Shirogane-san."

Mikoto chimed in, "Tama's right, you have incredible endurance, Shirogane!"

Takeru appreciated their compliments. "Well, don't praise me too much, both of you, or it might just go to my head."

Hearing those words, a certain girl sitting nearby quietly murmured, "You're overreaching."

Takeru turned to face the girl. "Hey Ayamine, did you say something?"

"Because I won't be letting you break the record anytime soon."

The voice of Sasaki Chizuru, or Class Rep to Takeru, interrupted. "We can't exactly have that, can we, Shirogane? Even I won't let you win so easily next time, you know?"

Taking advantage of this, Ayamine murmured loud enough to trigger Class Rep, "...For you, it's quite literally impossible."

Class Rep was silenced for a moment before shouting at Ayamine, practically disturbing the other people eating nearby.

"What was that!?"

Disturbed UNSC personnel, along with some UN personnel currently eating, looked at them and their antics.

Class Rep was unable to do anything but be silent, seeing Ayamine chuckling as Tama tried to calm Class Rep down.

"Hey, I want to ask you all something." Takeru took the squad's entire attention as they listened closely to him. "What do you think of the UNSC?"

That sent them into silence, as not many of them had thought about it deeply until now.

Meiya spoke first. "Well, Shirogane, as of now there's nothing explicitly bad about them, considering they have given many people hope."

Class Rep was next. "To be honest with you, Shirogane, while there are negatives and positives, ultimately their arrival has given many hope that we can actually win this."

Mikoto responded after Class Rep. "With all they brought, I'm excited to see more of their equipment!"

Tama shared her opinion. "There's not much to say besides that they have given us hope, Shirogane-san."

Noticing something, Shirogane asked why Ayamine hadn't replied. "How about you, Ayamine?"

"What Sasaki and Meiya said."

Ayamine agreed with Sasaki and Meiya, which slightly confused him. But then Tama asked him, "How about you, Shirogane-san?"

Shirogane contemplated his answer before replying. "Well, like you all said, there's the positive of giving many hope, but there are also a lot of questions I'm interested in. I mean, why would they have cut over twenty-eight years from their own history? Besides that, well, I'm in the same boat as your opinions."

Mikoto asked Class Rep, who seemed confused at first, "Sasaki-san, what was the thing that Instructor Jinguuji was going to announce?"

That suddenly brought everyone's attention to a whole different topic yet still related to the UNSC.

Class Rep seemed uncertain. "That's not certain, Mikoto. The instructor only said that there would be changes tomorrow."

They were already interested, and now their curiosity was piqued.

"So you don't know about it then, Sasaki?" Meiya asked.

"Well, yes. It was something to do with our schedule."

That suddenly made both Mikoto and Tama excited, mostly about the possibility of touching and seeing UNSC equipment up close.

"That might be it; however, there's yet to be any confirmation."

--

*UEG May 8,2552*

*Alt October 25,2001*

*UNSC Yamato*

*2000*

"Fleet Admiral, the UNSC Azure Sky and Eagle Strike have arrived after resupplying the UNSC McArthur." The voice of Lieutenant Pier echoed through the bridge. Fleet Admiral Shinano Nanami's position was nothing short of hectic.

Establishing the proper supply chain was paramount, and fortunately, the four different ships capable of fabricating materials greatly aided this effort. Next on the agenda was ordering the Phoenix-class support ships UNSC Kashgar and UNSC Sadograshima to begin mining operations, which would further bolster their production capabilities.

"Lieutenant Pier, what's the status of our supplies?" the Fleet Admiral asked.

Lieutenant Pier quickly replied, "Fleet Admiral, our supplies are all good, ma'am."

She then turned to another subordinate. "Professor Naoko, have you received the samples from Rear Admiral Kristoff?"

The professor nodded swiftly. "Yes, ma'am."

"Give me your current results later on."

Turning to Major Xiu, she inquired with urgency, "Major Xiu, why hasn't the Rear Admiral withdrawn yet? Tell him to begin withdrawal; we're commencing a devastating planetary bombardment. We need to secure the lunar surface as our base of operations!"

Major Xiu responded quietly but swiftly, "Well, ma'am, the reason is that he sent all of his ODSTs to capture the hive—or at least attempt to."

Her eyes went bloodshot with anger. "Goddammit, Kristoff! Tell him my orders are absolute. We need to start establishing that goddamn lunar base. Withdraw his forces, even if all his damn ODSTs are still inside that hive."

The Major saluted and left with haste. "Right away, ma'am."

"I hope for some good news that the Vice Admiral hasn't gone rogue too. Lieutenant Pier?"

The Lieutenant was quick to report, "Fleet Admiral, the Vice Admiral has successfully established relationships with the UN and Japan, even going so far as to set up a joint base of operations. They're currently remaining within Earth's orbit."

With this good news, the Fleet Admiral was enthusiastic. "Fantastic. Captain Le Molf, send out orders to the entire main body formation to form up with us."

To the commander, hearing the orders given by the Fleet Admiral, began coordinating with the other captains.

"Captain Masahi, send word to all our Longswords to prepare to be dispatched with Shiva nukes."

Captain Masahi, confused, asked for clarification, "T-H, all of the Longswords to be armed with Shiva nukes?"

"Shall I make myself clear?"

"No, ma'am. Heard you loud and clear!"

--

*UNSC Shang hai*

*Paris Class Heavy Frigate*

*2012*

Commander Qiao Song continuously stared into the abyss of space, contemplating their current situation aboard the gigantic carrier. There wasn't much to do but wait for orders. It was then that Ensign Luo Yanling entered.

"Commander Song, we've received orders from Captain Le Molf to form up with the Yamato and prepare for long-range planetary bombardment of the lunar surface."

He was taken aback. Bombarding the lunar surface? As difficult as it was to accept their transportation to another universe, this new order seemed even more surreal.

"Say what, Ensign Yanling? Preparing for planetary bombardment?"

"Yes, Commander Song," she repeated.

"I see."

He immediately announced into the ship's comms, "All hands, to battle stations!"

With the alert sounded, the bridge crew sprang into action.

"Helmsman, stand by for orders. Chief Engineer Ren Yua, I want the status of our fusion drives and weapons!"

Turning to his subordinates, they both confirmed the ship's readiness.

Chief Engineer Yua reported, "All fusion drives, both primary and secondary, are good, Commander!"

"Our MAC is all green, all Shiva nukes are green, all Archer missile pods are green, and all Harpoon nuclear missiles are green. Finally, all twelve M870 Rampart point defense guns are in proper working condition."

Commander Song then turned to Chief Petty Officer Jamari. "Any new news from Captain Le Molf?"

Chief Petty Officer Jamari paused before replying, "Commander Song, new orders direct from the Fleet Admiral: prepare for lunar bombardment at designation Plato One."

Nodding to this new information, Commander Song immediately issued a new order. "Helmsman, maneuver the ship to our designated firing radius. Once we're in range, Ensign Yanling, set firing solutions for our MAC."

"Yes, Commander!" she responded.

As the ship adjusted its course and prepared for the operation, Commander Song couldn't help but feel the weight of their mission. The surreal nature of their situation was overshadowed by the responsibility to execute their orders efficiently and accurately.

--

*UNSC Defender*

*Marathon Class Heavy Cruiser*

*2020*

Rear Admiral Kristoff stood defeated. The Betas' abilities within the hive were far more formidable than he had anticipated. The moment they took away any air support from the firebase, it was overrun. Then there were his own ODSTs.

At first, he thought it would be easy, but they had only scratched the surface. They managed to explore the first chamber, but nearly 50% of the platoons suffered casualties. The only ODSTs that came back were from Foxtrot and Alpha. The rest were KIA, and that hurt. The fury tactical nukes had all been detonated at the entrance along with any ODSTs that might have survived.

This information came from Alpha Platoon. Then they lost an entire firebase, which was completely and utterly annihilated when the Beta somehow appeared behind them.

After detonating a Shiva nuke that successfully destroyed the Beta elements, the evacuation was swift, with orders for the unilateral annihilation of all detected lunar hives.

"Rear Admiral, all remaining Marine detachments have successfully evacuated from the lunar surface. As for the insertion team, out of the 150 ODSTs, we recovered only 29. The rest have been confirmed KIA, with over 21 MIA."

"And the Marine losses?"

The major was silent before speaking again. "Well, Rear Admiral, Landing Zone India lost the entire Marine company. Adding the losses from Hotel and Gamma Companies, the tally is over 307 KIA out of the 780 deployed Marines."

Hearing that, he grimaced. "Looks like our lunar adventure ends here. Commander Orlov, have all our ships begin withdrawing from lunar orbit."

Commander Orlov saluted as his hologram faded. The UNSC Lunar Task Force began withdrawing in defeat. They had underestimated the Beta and paid the price in blood. However, now the main fleet would ensure the hives' destruction was absolute.

--

*UNSC Kamchatka*

*Halbert Class Light Destroyer*

*2113*

""Captain Petrov, all Lunar Task Force ships have successfully withdrawn from lunar orbit!" SCO Delo Santos announced.

"Chief Engineer Rostya, is our Magnetic Acceleration Gun ready to fire?" Captain Petrov inquired.

She looked confused for a moment before replying, "Why ask? It's perfectly alright."

Petrov's eyes narrowed as he shot back, "Last time you said it was perfectly alright, the Shaw-Fujikawa Trans Light Engine sent us *here*!"

Rostya quickly assured him, "It's perfectly fine. We've already tested it!"

"Good," he said, turning to another subordinate. "Ensign Lidiya, input firing solutions for our designated target."

"Da, Captain Petrov. Firing solutions have been inputted. The ship is redirecting to prepare to fire."

After a brief wait, the ship shook as the Magnetic Accelerator Gun fired its slug.

The projectile traveled at high speed, marking the Kamchatka's initiation of the first wave of attacks aimed at leveling the lunar hives to kingdom come.

--

*UNSC Yamato*

*Punic Class Super Carrier*

*2150*

"Fleet Admiral Nanami, all ships have begun firing towards their designated targets!" an SCO shouted as the holographic table displayed the constant volleys from the UNSC ships. Over nine vessels unleashed relentless firepower, leveling the hives and subjecting the Beta to a hail of death.

"Captain Le Molf, order the bombardment to continue for another day!" Fleet Admiral Nanami commanded.

Captain Le Molf voiced his concern, "Are you sure, Fleet Admiral? What about our ammunition supplies?"

She reassured him, "We can cover the amount used with the stockpiles we've accumulated. Besides, the Kashgar and Sadogarashima have been fabricating and producing the necessary supplies over the past days."

"Understood, Ma'am," the Captain saluted and disappeared off-screen.

"Bunko, what's the overall result of this day-long orbital bombardment against the Beta?" Fleet Admiral Nanami asked.

The A.I. blinked into existence before answering, "It's estimated that we will destroy 99.9% of the hives and deal a devastating blow to the Beta. However, there's a possibility that one or two hives might remain unscathed."

"Why is that? Should I bring the Yamato's MAC to 50% power?" she inquired, watching the hologram of UNSC ships firing their MACs.

"Negative, Fleet Admiral," Bunko replied quickly. "That might just destroy the lunar surface. Due to the intensifying lunar dust, the possibility of one or two hives surviving is purely out of luck."

Fleet Admiral Nanami then questioned the A.I. further, "Then how can we ensure their total destruction?"

Bunko provided a swift, refined plan, "After bombarding the hives for over an hour, we will give them a break. We'll send out Longswords to survey the amount of destruction for thirty minutes, then resume for another hour, rinse and repeat."

"I see. Send this to Captain Le Molf," Fleet Admiral Nanami instructed.

"Understood," Bunko responded.

--

*UNSC Mc Arthur*

*Orion Class Assault Carrier*

*2239*

"I'm surprised you're still up, Lieutenant. Do you have something to report?" The Vice Admiral's voice echoed through his office.

The Lieutenant immediately saluted before reporting, "Yes, sir. It's about the RLF and the Allegiance—they're moving more rapidly, with the Allegiance being the primary force."

This sent the Vice Admiral into deep thought. "I see. Send Fire Team Vector to Africa to keep an eye on things. And send a message to Major Serrano to stay vigilant. We can't afford any infiltrations here. How about our agents tapping into Soviet and American communications and databases? Anything interesting?"

Silent for a moment, the Lieutenant nodded. "Vice Admiral, Special Officer Arisawa successfully tapped into the Soviet database." He handed over the documents.

Taking them, the Vice Admiral seemed surprised. "This is far more advanced than we have... mind-reading capabilities. Damn. What about the Americans?"

The Lieutenant answered again, "Agent Dawn compromised the U.S. database without alerting their intelligence, gaining access to the requested data."

Handing over another folder, the Vice Admiral swiftly examined it. "Their plans are quite something. So, that's how they make those G-Bombs. And the Japanese?"

The Lieutenant paused before responding. "It took a bit more time and resources. It's no wonder both the Soviets and Americans were unable to breach their database."

Handing over the third and final folder, the Vice Admiral took it. "For a small nation with an ever-worsening situation, the Takemikazuchi is an impressive weapon. But I'm surprised at the sheer amount of political shenanigans they have. Using A-45 was quite impressive."

He turned to his desk. "Lieutenant, we need to get that hearts and minds campaign going. But I have a question."

The Lieutenant waited, interested.

"Why on earth is Sergeant Major Serrano both our liaison and virtually in command of our upcoming campaign for assisting refugees?"

The Lieutenant paused. "Well, Vice Admiral, you were the one who handled it."

The Vice Admiral paused before issuing another order. "Huh, just keep him there but send in Major Ishikawa Chie. She should be able to handle that kind of responsibility."

"Is there anything else, Vice Admiral?"

"Yes, one last thing. Wasn't Lieutenant Brewer one of the instructors chosen to assist the cadets?"

"Yes, Vice Admiral."

"I see. Then you're dismissed, Lieutenant Ayaka."

The Lieutenant saluted and left, leaving the Vice Admiral to his thoughts.

--

AN: New Chapters release folks, So whats your opinion on it maybe so revealed too much, or too little as for the Side story Lunar adventure I will comply it two one big single chapter probably will be out next week or month.

Love to here your suggestion this chapter was quite the challenge for me mostly on me, since I kept questioning whether or im able to capture writing them properly nexts chapters are almost certain to revolved around them.

Thanks for reading, this is Erdian_Tales see you next chapter!

Answering Your Replies:

Qrious writ3r

Okay, got a few things to say here.

First off, kinda surprised to see that a battalion sized marine regiment can stand up to, if barely, to a battalion sized BETA brigade. Then again that would depend on what strains there are. If it's mainly Destroyer-class strains then that'd be almost next to impossible for UNSC ground forces unless they have extensive armor and TSF support.

2nd, I see your point now in them giving the Alternative Plan, well Yuuko really, access to Smart Al. Resources and the like will be a premium for them. Pretty sure the Phoenix Support Vessels can make them what they need via the on-board fabricators but compared to the fabricator inside, say, an Infinity super carrier they would be more limited(?).

Finally, what are the chances of other UNSC forces making their way to this verse? Not a steady stream but just a fresh battlegroup that'd be able to give them some closure on the UNSC-Covenant war.

Don't reply to this review if it spoils

AN: Well First of I doubt a battalion size marine regimment can take on the beta on even terrian, most of the simulations were the UNSC Forces using uneven terrian as their was no way the Marines could survive without any support, most of which were reliant on Air superiority like you said.

Next is your second question, Technically its more like trading favors, im not exactly sure how to describe it, its them giving something in return for the progress if you read under Muv luv fics thats how that works, Well the only thing really premium for the UNSC is personel since alost of one can't easily be replaced.

With them Having a punic, Orion, and Phoenix class ships their fabricating like crazy, they should needed to organize themselves.

Last question is spoiler so I cant really comment on it.