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Shadows of Archon II (part 30) - Payback
Posted By: Wado<wyamauchi@msn.com>
Date: 3 December 2002, 6:07 am
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Aboard the captured Forerunner cruiser, Nahanglia, in the Covenant Sactum system:
John, Cortana, and Master Noc Covenstein are frantically trying to reach the XX1, their only chance of escape. After the group destroyed the Forerunner called Xeth, the Forerunner Margoth remotely took control of their ship. Soon after that, a legion of Immortals (Imperial Elites) boarded.
"Get the lead out Noc, only 200 meters to go," remarked John. "Cortana, get those doors open."
"I'm working on it Chief," replied Cortana. "The Forerunners have this ship locked down tighter than..."
"No time, Cortana, they are coming," interrupted Covenstein. "Spartan, I recommend using these."
John takes the small device and overshield from Covenstein, "Is this what I think it is? Alright, take cover." The device is stuck to the door and encased in the custom made overshield.
Kaboooooom!
Explosions rattle, but in space no one can hear you scream. John finds himself drifting in space, the Forerunner cruiser a distant outline against the stars.
"Chief, wake up," rattled Cortana's voice.
"I'm up, a little shaken but I'm up," said John. "What's the status?"
"According to my calculations the blast should have put Noc over here and the XX1 over there," replied Cortana. "Here are the Nav points. Chief, it's too risky to use the comm, but I've tried to signal Noc using the light from my holo projector. So far no reply. I hope he's okay."
"Don't worry about him, I've never seen a Grunt so tough or lucky," remarked John. "Cortana, we're moving in the same direction as the XX1, is that right?"
"That is correct Chief, the anti-matter explosion only managed to blow a small portion out of the Forerunner vessel," explained Cortana, "so we all traveled out the same hole. Noc is moving further away from us but we are gaining on the XX1 due to its much greater mass and energy absorption properties. I recommend firing your Battle Rifle to make adjustments in our trajectory."
"So we'll get the XX1 and then go pick up Noc," remarked John.
John grasps his rifle and holds it near his center of mass. It's a wonder that the rifle stayed attached through the explosion, it almost didn't -- only a small thread remained of its strap. What really counts though is that this reliable UNSC issue weapon did stay attached. Ever so precisely, John fires it making minute adjustments until he is almost within grasping distance of the XX1.
Click. Out of ammo. "Good old Battle Rifle, reliable to the end," said John as he tosses the rifle away giving him just enough acceleration to reach the XX1.
Inside the XX1, John becomes the ship. John almost feels like he is one of the Old Ones -- one of that mysterious space-faring race from millions and billions of years ago, the creators of the XX1 and untold other wonders.
"There he is," said John. Noc was easy to spot from the XX1, the little Grunt stuck out in the vacuum of space like a solar flare. Much harder to detect, however, was a cloaked Forerunner ship, lying in wait it scooped up Noc before anything could be done about it.
"Chief, they got Noc," gasped Cortana, "and their engines are powering up for a jump."
"Here goes nothing..." Quickly John pilots the XX1 right under the main engines of the Forerunner vessel. Literally hovering inside its warp field, the XX1 is pulled into slip space with it.
"Well that was impulsive. Chief, we have never tested the XX1 in the dynamics of slip space," uttered Cortana. "We're in for a bumpy ride. Listen Chief; follow the Nav point carefully, one miss and we'll be flung out of slip space. This whole procedure is highly unorthodox. Sometimes I wonder if you do this on purpose."
"Got it Cortana. I've got a new policy of my own -- don't leave friends behind."
-----------------------------------------------
Payback
Aboard Installation 5150, a secret ONI listening station in the middle of nowhere, 4.3 Light Years from the Covenant Sactum system:
"Abra, abra," said the broken middle aged man. A single light shone quite brightly on his figure. He once was a mighty man, commanding great power and respect, but that was then, and this is now.
"Give him some water, he is thirsty," ordered the ONI doctor as she turned the viewer off. Turning to the dimly lit and sterile room, she addressed the audience. "As you can see sirs and esteemed colleagues, the mental probe has left the former Governor Balisco a mental vegetable."
"Did we get what we wanted?" asked Admiral Keyes.
"Yes, the information we pulled from his brain confirms the intelligence reports given to us by the Covenant," said the doctor, "and we now have the location of the new Forerunner super weapon."
An incoming transmission cuts the conversation short. "Go ahead Decker."
"Admiral sir, first congratulations on your promotion," said Decker, "second I've finally tracked down the Covenant Supreme Fleet Commander Tarkon, he's on the comm link."
"Put him through on a secure channel," said Keyes as he excused himself from the room and entered an adjacent office.
"Greeting Admiral Keyes, sometimes I wonder how we keep all of this together, we have remnants of over 42 Covenant fleets, Gundarian mercenaries, Human Earth defense and colonial fleets, and now your ONI special-forces ships and a cadre of the Elite Imperial 13th Fleet. How would humans put it? Yes, a rag tag fleet," said Tarkon over the private comm link. "By the way, what was it that you wanted?"
"Commander, we have confirmed your intelligence reports," replied Keyes, "and we have the location of the new Alpha Halo. Our report is being sent to you now."
Tarkon looks over the report. "This doesn't look good, not only is the new Forerunner Alpha Halo more powerful than ever, but as we anticipated, the Nomdian that they captured known as the Grace, has provided them with stargate technology. This new Halo can fire a concentrated pulse that can destroy entire star systems in a single shot. By firing the weapon through the stargate, it can reach anywhere in the galaxy nearly instantaneously. Nothing is safe."
"They pretty much are unstoppable already," remarked Keyes. "Who would they use this weapon on?"
"I believe they would use it on three of their greatest nemeses: The Archons, the Nomdians, and the Praetor," said Tarkon. "While all three nations are small and pose little threat to the Forerunner expansion, their home systems are well defended and probably could never be taken. The Archon worlds are protected by technology from a long lost culture known as the Old Ones, only a weapon such as this new Alpha Halo might be able to defeat them. The Nomdians have advanced technology that could even surpass the Forerunners. They too cannot be defeated easily. The Praetor and his forces are the descendants of the original Forerunners; they themselves are Forerunners."
"Do you really think they will help us?" asked Keyes in a quiet voice.
"They must, we have no other hope," replied Tarkon. "Is there something else bothering you Jarad? Is it the loss of your Spartan?"
"Yes, you know me better than I thought," remarked Keyes. "This is perhaps the most ambitious and complex plan we will ever undertake -- to capture the new Alpha Halo and use its stargate to transport us to the home systems of the Archons, Nomdians, and the Praetor. Destroying a super weapon is one thing, but capturing a fortified and fully operational Halo is another story. Yes I miss my old friend, if anyone could accomplish this mission, it would be him and Cortana."
"I understand," said Tarkon. "We Elites have a saying, it roughly translates to: The harsh road still lies ahead, farewell to your friends, this is only the beginning."
"Thanks, we humans have a saying too... it's payback time."
Preparations are made, time passes. Admiral Jarad Keyes stands on the bridge of the UNSC cruiser, the Moon of Orion. "All ships now in slip space," the comm blasted.
All ships indeed Keyes thought. A powerful fleet, only seven thousand ships strong, but the courage and experience possessed by the crews was unsurpassed. Elites, Grunts, Jackals, Hunters, Prophets, Humans, Bobs, AIs -- you name it, they were here. Brothers and sisters in arms, nothing was going to stop them.
Veteran and elite crews, even the youngest of them, like Ensign Conner Black, newly assigned to the Moon of Orion, had seen more combat in a few years that most regulars in a life time.
They were our last and greatest hope -- failure was not an option.
The trip in slip space was a bonding experience; humans and Covenant alike attempted to learn each other's languages and customs, often ending up in bitter misunderstandings only later becoming lasting friendships. Even the young Conner Black grew up some, he grew quite a nice young man's beard before shaving if off and rumors have it that he became quite popular with the ladies too.
Our destination was on the far reaches of former Covenant territories. A system called Juken. This was the location where the Forerunners chose to assemble their new super weapon.
The day before arriving, a moving memorial service was given across the armada in honor of those that have fallen, and under the advice of the Covenant, in honor of those about to die.
Things moved quite quickly after that as if the burden of saying good-byes was lifted, now people worked efficiently without even having to utter a word.
"Where are the scouting reports?" shouted Keyes.
"Admiral sir, we lost contact with them," replied the comm.
"With or without those reports, we all know this is a one-way trip," remarked Keyes. "Lieutenant get me..."
"He's on the comm now sir."
"Admiral, we have lost contact with our scouts," said Supreme Fleet Commander Tarkon. "Our plan to slip right next to the target might be compromised. We're jumping in blind; we need to prepare for the worst. There's no turning back now."
"Yes Commander," smiled Keyes. "Damn the intelligence reports, full speed ahead." But as he speaks, Keyes is rocked from side to side. "Are we hit, damage report."
"Sir, it's too big an effect to be weapon's fire. No damage but scanners are going crazy, we can't stay in slip space."
"Admiral, did you...[static]" uttered Tarkon.
"Yes, we felt it too," replied Keyes, "and we need to leave slip space."
"Right [static]"
As the order is given, the combined fleets exit slip space. Quite a sight for the crews, seven thousand ships exiting slip space at the same time. Too bad that they never could actually have seen it.
"Battle stations," the call was heard across the fleet. Just before the enemy disappeared under the veil of cloak, more than twenty thousand enemy ships were spotted around one ring-shaped station, the super weapon.
"Sir, the enemy fleet was waiting for us," said the ship AI. "According to the Covenant reports, these are some of the same ships that attacked their home worlds. Sir, it is all of them, the entire Forerunner fleet."
"Oldest trick in the book," remarked Keyes. "What about our Covenant allies?"
"They are on full battle alert and charging into the fray. They're blasting a hole for us."
"Very good," said Keyes. "All ships, full ahead, protect the ONI troop transport ships, they must reach the ring."
-- Next, Revelations --
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