They should have been more careful, should have been more careful because it never occurred to him they would run into a UNSC ship in a universe so vast, the odds were.... More than a trillion to one, at least that was what his mind said.
But if he really thought about it the odds were far smaller than that. His moon was, in fact on an established trade rout, which was patrolled by UNSC ships quite regularly, which brought the chances of running into an enemy ship higher than he had been willing to admit, and now they were about to pay the price for that.
It wasn't a ship he recognized, at least not one he had seen in person. Whoever captained this ship had been established after he became fleet commander. The name on the side read UNSC La liberte \, and it was just as surprised to see them as they were surprised to see it, and unlike captain Koslov, whoever captained this ship had no quals about leveling their guns at him., and he watched the ship go into a defensive posture almost seconds after they acknowledged one another.
"Shield s UP!" he demanded, but his crew, well trained and uncomfortably familiar with conflict, were already working to prepare the ship for battle.
Across the remaining distance, Adam watched as the enemy ship's hull sealed over the distant glittering windows.
Clearly someone had paid attention to how he had taken Koslov's ship, and they weren't willing to let it happen again.
That was unfortunate, though he hadn't really expected that strange and, mildly psychotic plan to work twice. They were going to be fighting him blind, using their outer hull cameras and their radar to detect where he was.
That was fine enough, he knew that his ship was better equipped and better defended. Even if the shields went down, which was unlikely to happen, they could always put up a flack wall. Though he didn't like the sound of that either.
All of his options were defense related.
"Arming railguns." Sunny was saying, though she had to know that he wasn't likely to use them.
That was the problem with this picture. Adam didn't want to become a killer, not of his own people. He understood why they were doing what they were doing, even though they were wrong, but killing them just wasn't an option.
Even the thought of it now repulsed him and he ground his fingernails into his seat.
This was stupid.
"Captain, we are being hailed."
"Put them up." He ordered, watching as a holoprojection appeared before his face, glittering in blue. He saw a woman sitting there now, dark skin matching her dark eyes, full lips pressed together in an expression of contempt/ he didn't know this woman, so the expression was to be expected.
She didn't know him like the others did.
He didn't know her, but he did know OF her, that had been part of his job when he was fleet admiral.
"Captain Sene, I wish I could say it is a pleasure to meet you."
She lifted her chin, expression tight, "I cannot say the same. I do not find it a pleasure to speak to traitors."
He had to admit the words stung a bit, despite how not true they were.
"If you are looking for traitors, you should look at your own commander and chief. He got Kelly killed and is now working with the void to give them over to-"
"No! I was told not to listen to you and your snake tongue. Surrender now, and this will not have to come to violence."
He raised an eyebrow at her, "I could turn your ship into a memory with one shot ." He watched her lips tighten knowing she knew just how outgunned she was, "Take a look to the stern, not quite to the engines just in the middle positioned over where our fusion core would be." He watched her eyes looking at something rather distantly, probably a ship schematic or a scan.
He watched her eyes, watched them narrow
"That is what we call a C-MIC, A Celzex multiphase ignition Cannon. I've never had the opportunity to use it, but the general idea is that the cannon will pull all our energy from the fusion core. Our shields will be down for a minute which will allow you to hit us with all the power you've got, but our jull is thick, built to withstand rounds the old fashioned way. Your ship is to o small to be carrying nukes or warheads, so standard explosives, which might take two or three rounds I the right place to go through, either way during that time my gun will charge up, and just right when you are getting somewhere the Cannon will fire. Like a nuclear blast there will be a flash of light so bright you'd be permanently blinded if you saw it." h did not smile as he looked at her, "Your ship will be turned into a micro black hole, which will consume itself and vanish within the next few seconds, no one will survive."
There was silence between them for a moment, and then she raised her head defiantly.
"You paint a vivid picture Adam Vir, but though I think you are a traitor, misguided, manipulated perhaps, I know that you are not a killer."
Adam sighed at that thought, she was right of course he was just bluffing.
He shrugged, "It was worth a shot I suppose." He felt it as the elly who had been following him around floated gently down to attach to his arm pulsing gently with happiness.
Captain Sene pulled back in surprise, "What is that!"
He patted the jelly, "Space jellyfish." IT was as he said this that an idea began to form in his head.
It was a crazy idea, completely nuts, but......
"It seems our conversation is over, unless you wish to surrender." She was saying
He smiled, and he watched the look on her face slowly grow to be less sure.
"Oh I don't think it will be me who is surrendering." And then he cut the cameras before she could think any further onto his words. The crew turned to look at him, and the slow grin that was beginning to spread across his face.
Sunny did the Drev equivalent of raising an eyebrow, "Care to share with us?"
He grinned.
"Now now, my love, that would be ruin the surprise."
She seemed only partially amused as he turned towards McCaster and ordered him to turn the ship at an angle parallel to the enemy ship starboard side facing them.
"Ah yes, lets just show them our broadside." Sunny muttered
"Do I need to remind you who captain's this ship, dearest." He said trying to sound annoyed with her even though he wasn't.
She just rolled her eyes.
"What now?" Someone asked.
"Drop shields."
They looked at him funny, but they did as asked.
He grinned, "Vent airlock D."
The room turned to look at him in surprise, and he raised his hands dramatically into the air.
"Release the Jellies!"
It was only just beginning to dawn on them what his plan was, and it gave him no small measure of glee as he watched the airlock open, and hundreds of space jellies come pouring out. Captain Sene's ship did nothing, and they weren't likely to do anything as the space jellies were not substantial enough to appear on radar, their windows were closed, and the cameras would have difficulty making them out from the blackness of space.
His victory was almost laughable as the jellies did exactly what they were expected to do.
They floated through the intervening space, and attached themselves one by one to the ship, attracted to the warmth of its engines and the radio signals pulsing from its transmitters.
Captain Sene was dead in the water before she even begun.
He almost felt bad for her as he took a lazy shuttle to their airlock, using an uncomplex h hacking AI to open one of their airlocks and step inside. He was wearing the SE armor again, much to Fealty's delight, and his presence broached no argument as he made his way aboard the ship and up to the bridge, where captain Sene was sitting in indignation and frustrated outrage as he smiled at her.
Her chin quivered with rage as he walked in and smiled at her.
"How!" She demanded
He simply gave her a wan smile, "A magician never reveals his trade secrets. Now are you going to give up your chair, or am I going to have to remove you."
She sat there for a long moment as if thinking about putting up a fight before finally deciding to keep her dignity, standing slowly and allowing herself to be detained.
He looked around at the crew and sighed. None of them knew him or had worked with anyone that knew him.
"Don't worry, you will all be returned to the UNSC in one piece, your ship, however, is a spoil of war and come with me."
McCaster was going to get the surprise of his life.
Captain Sene was brought across to the Omen where she was locked I the brig, and Adam set out to recollect all of his Jellies who he continually congratulated with many pats as he gently pealed them from the enemy ship's hull.
It had been a very good day for him all things considered.
And he returned home with a sense of triumph. They left the jellies in a holding pen at one of the docking stations, while Dr. Wilson and the other scientists determined how to integrate them into their small, but growing ecosystem.
That was the nice thing about making your own planet.
You could control whatever went on, though, as it turned out, just throwing whatever animals you wanted at a planet wasn't exactly feasible, you had to think about ecological niches and food chain and a bunch of other annoying stuff that, but at least he could leave that to the scientists.
He cradled the helmet of his suit under one arm as he and Sunny walked through the docking bay. She was just a bit shorter than him now, and he took a satisfying moment to lean down and kiss her, an event he didn't get to experience often.
She didn't like it as much as he did, as she preferred being the tall one, but she would survive for the next few minutes at least.
"HOW COULD YOU!"
The shouting startled him, and the weapons ports on his suit flared open as Fealty reacted to the sudden sound, engaging combat mode.
"I didn't, I wouldn't you know I...." The pleading voice grew muffled and confused with anguish as it echoed through the docking bay.
"How can you even say that! How can you say that!"
Fealty was sending real time updates to his mechanical eye, since he wasn't wearing his helmet.
Two voices.
One human
One finnari.
He put a hand on Sunny's arm but she was already heading in that direction.
"Was I not enough for you! I thought.... I thought you said...."
Adam recognized the voice, not because he was personal friends with it, but because this person had, at one point lived on his ship. He couldn't remember their name or what place they had positioned during that time, but he was sure he recognized them.
They turned a corner, to find themselves in the port atrium.
The floor they stood on was polished black marble engraved with the golden sigil of his moon.
Standing atop the sigil, the human man squared off against the small Finnari female, his hands balled into fists.
Despite the look of anger and betrayal on his face, the hot tears glistening in his eyes, and his defensive posture, Fealty detected no sign he intended to hurt her. Adam could guess why.
The man had a digital tattoo on one arm, a glowing circle with two hands in the process of reaching for each other, one hand alien the other hand human.
The LFIL logo.
They were a couple
He looked at the small Finnari. They didn't cry like humans could, but her frills were pressed down and she chirped softly between breaths, their version of crying.
The human angrily wiped at his eyes, "How could you?" His voice was quieter now, almost pleading rather than accusatory.
Adam tried to figure out what was wrong and then, he saw it.
The slight color shift on her body.
The Finnari homeworld was primarily red in color, the dirt the plants, the rocks, though Finnari generally tended to come in shades of blue and green. However, when a Finnari female became pregnant, her body released a chemical that allowed her outer skin to match the visible tone of the world around them, simultaneously dropping her heat signature. The side effect was a visible reddening of the skin and a reduced output on heat sensitive thermal imaging.
The Finnari was
Pregnant
And since her companions was human.
As agitated as the human was, Adam worried that he might do something stupid.
Hot tears were beginning to leak down his face, and Adam made a decision, walking over to where the two were standing , resting a gentle hand on the man's shoulder, "IS everything alright here."
The man's head jerked up, catching sight of him and sunny, eyes flashing in recognition before returning toward despair, "You already know what's wrong."
Adam squeezed the man's shoulder as he dropped his head into his hands.
Below him the Finnari lurched forward, grabbing onto the leg of his armor with a pleading expression. The chirping was growing more pronounced now, "Please I..... tell him I didn't, I would never! Not with anyone else."
Adam felt sorry for her despite what he knew she had done. He could imagine how he would feel if Sunny....
He shuddered to think of it.
But there was only one option. They all knew what had happened, but she wasn't going to let go unless they were undeniable proof. He looked at Sunny who watched him curiously.
He sighed, "If you didn't do it, you would be willing to prove that you didn't?"
The Finnari was nodding, "of course I am !"
The human laughed bitterly.
Adam squeezed his shoulder again, "The only option then is a paternity test."
The human gave him an incredulous look, "Are you serious!, but clearly she..... its not possible!" he was angry now
Adam nodded leaning over to whisper, "She needs to admit it, and this is the only way."
The human wiped furiously at his eyes before, "I can't believe she would.... Do this to me, I... I was sure that she...."
He still didn't want to believe it was possible and was willing to hold onto the fantasy for a little while longer.
Adam accompanied the man, while Sunny walked with the Finnari, Adam using the amplification modules on his implant to listen to the finnai as she spoke haltingly, still insisting that she would never do such a thing, and that she hadn't even been around anyone else.
It was strange.
She seemed sincere.
When they found Krill at the hospital, he was in a fowl temper. Not because of his normal annoyance with humans, but because of the three small Vrul that clamored around his feet chasing each other around the room and nearly knocking him off balance.
"You three I swear!"
Adam smiled and their tiny voices as they taunted their father, running through his legs and touching everything in sight.
Turns out Vrul are supposed to be naturally curious, but the council tended to squash that out of them at an early age.
These three were monsters.
Adam picked them up with the sweep of his massive hand, "Gotcha." They squealed, happy to see him.
He looked at Krill who gave a long suffering sort of look, "Can I borrow you for a minute."
"As long as you watch the monsters, you can have me for whatever you need."
He quieted his voice, "A paternity test."
Krill looked between the distraught human and the clearly pregnant Finnari and understood, "Ah, yes I see."
Adam stepped out of the room with the Vrul babies, and sat in the waiting room with Sunny playing with the little ones and trying to contain them from getting into too much trouble.
It was a losing battle.
It was the commotion that drew their attention some minutes later.
A shouted exclamation and some thin falling to the ground.
Worried, adam took to his feet to peer down the hallway.
He saw the human and the finnari standing quietly in one of the end rooms. He was kneeling In front of her and had his hands to her face, apologizing profusely.
The man looked shell shocked.
Adam frowned.
He backed back into the waiting room and took a seat, catching Sunny's questioning look but shaking his head . it was only a few minute slater when Krill stepped slowly into the room that Adam dared to look up, watching as Krill stopped in the doorway oscillated for a few seconds then walked over with more resolve.
He walked over pausing before them with a strange look on his face.
Adam raised an eyebrow, "What is going on?"
Krill looked between them, "As your primary care physician, it is my duty to...... speak with you about birth control options."