(sorry, online classes suck. Enjoy the new chapter)
November, 12 2551
Planet Reach
Admiral Jason ivanov was currently going over the report of the unknown ship that Slipspace jumped into system. And needless to say he wasn't happy.
But that didn't mean he was angry either. He was worried that if this random ship found humanities fortress. Then the Covenant couldn't be that far behind.
"Hopefully that day isn't today." He said to himself. He then deactivated his datapad and set it back down on the ships command console. After all, he had somewhere else to be.
Jason turned around to slam out of the large bridge of the Trafalgar. The large Titanium bulkheads parting to reveal a squad of ODST's and two Spartan 2's as his escort. He thought it was a bit overkill. But with him being one of the last Admirals left that had a decent chunk of combat experience, he was apparently priceless.
"Ready to go sir?" Asked the ODST leader.
He simply nodded and the group took off. With the helljumpers in front and the side. With the Spartans taking up the rear. Their rifles ready for a moments notice.
They walked the long hallway to the people moved tram. It opened with a hiss and they stepped onto the platform.
As soon as they were on it took off. Sliding align the length of the 4 kilometer vessel. Passing by dozens upon dozens of fighters, bombers and Pelicans.
Jason always liked this ship. The legendary class of Supercarrier. One of the few ships able to go for to toe with a Covenant assault carrier. And he was damn proud of it and it's crew.
After a few seconds they came to a stop at their destination. It was the primary hangar bag of the legendary ship. Stretching over 400 meters long and 200 wide. It was the single largest room on the ship. With nearly a hundred aircraft stowed in separate levels align the walls.
The Admiral soaked off the platform and descended the elevator to the floor with his gaurds.
He walked out of it moments later and stepped onto the floor of the hangar bay.
They made their way to a Pelican that had it's engines primed already. Waiting for them to takeoff.
They walked into the troop bay of the Pelican. Strapping themselves into the seats quickly.
The pilot then closed the bay doors and they took off out the hangar. Thankfully the Trafalgar was one of the few ships to have an oxygen barrier over its hangar hays. Negating the need for them to vent the entire room.
They quickly sped away from it and down toward the planet. It wasn't like he was going to be using it for much right now. It was going to receive a prototype shield generator. The first of it's kind and modeled after the Spartans own.
But the ship would be in one of the orbital dockyards for at least two months. Receiving the shields as well as an upgraded reactor and state of the art systems and hardware updates. As well as a new Shaw Fujikawa Slipspace engine. Making it the fastest ship in the fleet at 100 light-years a day. And finally repair the damaged armor sections from previous battles.
He was taken out of his thoughts when they started to approach the ground. The dropship rocking slightly as it descended through the thick part of the atmosphere. But he trusted the reliable transport. It had served well for decades, and it would in variations for many more if they survived this war.
"We're approaching the landing site." Came a distinctly feminine voice from the crimson armored Spartan sitting across from him.
He was filled slightly with doubt join seeing the supersoldier. As one of the few top ranking military owners left, he was privy to the Spartan Program. He didn't get everything, but he got an overview of what's been done. And it broke his heart to say the least. To know that they were this desperate to win.
He was interrupted from his thoughts again when the bay doors opened to the landing platform outside of New Alexandria. The capitol city of Reach looking beautiful in the background.
He was then sorrounded once again by his gaurds. He chose to forgo his Admiral hat for this mission. Letting his brown hair that was turning grey to blow freely in the wind. He would need it cut soon to keep with regulation. But he would keep it like this for as long as he could. He liked having longer hair.
They made their way past the alien ship docked in the Aszod shipyards. It was being meticulously gone over by excited technicians. Taking it apart and fixing it where they could. But the material was as advanced as the Nano-laminate armor on Covenant ships.
Some strange amalgamation of Crystal and metal. Highly heat and energy resistant, but somewhat brittle. Which made it more susceptible to kinetic attacks. Seems it has an energy shield projector as well. But it doesn't appear to have been activated before it took damage.
But one thing was clear, it was a stealth ship. With the same thought into it as ONI put into their prowlers. With a radar and scanner absorbing hull. Jet black in color to blend in. And small but powerful engines that are hard to detect and sure to hit. The whole thing was only the size of a Longsword though. But that was the weirdest part. The inside is bigger than the outside. Which means that the race that made this has a vast understanding of spatial and quantum mechanics.
Now that scared him, he could only imagine what their larger ships were like. Because this one appeared to only have 2 plasma turrets of some kind.
But the scientists and techs could figure out the rest. What consigned him was the one alien aboard the ship that required his attention. The reason he had so many gaurds.
The large doors in the main complex of the shipyards opened. He immediately soaked forward with his unnaturally quiet group.
'Must be nervous about the new type of alien. Hell, it terrifies me.' He thought to himself.
They then descended the stairs that took them underground. The stairs were heavily reinforced to take heavy loads. Something needed with the weight of Spartans. Their armor unnaturally quiet as they walked down. The only indication of them being their besides visual being the slight groan of metal as it held their weight.
After what seemed like hundreds of steps they finally got to the bottom level of the shipyards. With the walls made of concrete and heavy steel. With Titanium reinforcements everywhere.
The hallway there was filled with hastily constructed cover points. A machine gun nest. Several dozen soldiers holding their guns to tightly. And the large armored door that locked their guest up.
The one that took 2 Spartan 3's holding them in a deathgrip to move. With a third Spartan to push them forward.
The bulkhead opened to show their guest behind several feet of Transparent Aluminum. Sitting on the bench in the cell. The Aluminum was made to be one way at the moment. With it being able to go clear with a simple command.
Then from the size stairway came the most famous scientist in the UNSC. The Doctor Catherine Halsey.
She walked up an unspoken authority up next to him. All the soldiers knowing how she was as well. The Spartans were most likely staring at her behind their visors. While the ODST's were not even hiding it.
"Hello doctor, what can you tell me about our guest." He asked politely. He knew that it you pissed the doctor off, she would make you feel like a simpleton.
"Well, needs to start." She said as she brought up her datapad. Which then had several holograms appear on the transparent metal. Showing various charts of the captive.
"Well, for one it's a she. At least as far as scans show. The strange thing is that her anatomy is almost exactly that of a human female. But her body is made up of hardlight. Which is projected from the gemstone where her nose would be." Halsey said.
That made his eyes widen. The likelyhood that an aline would have almost the same exact anatomy is astonishingly high. And the thought of being made of hardlight was weird.
"So she's not made of flesh and bone?" He asked.
"Technically yes, she has flesh, bone, blood, muscle, organs and a Brain. But their all mad dog hardlight that acts like it's human counterpart. But to a much higher level. Making her as strong and durable as a Spartan II in armor." She explained. To hear the fact that this new being was as strong as the greatest soldiers ever mad why humanity is concerning. He didn't know if she was the weakest or strongest of her species. Because depending on the answer, he hated to think of what the latter would spell.
"And while I can't say anything about her proficiency with weapons, or her hand to hand combat skills. A Spartan in armor with a weapon is equivalent to her. But a few ODST with rifles and heavy weapons could take her down pretty easily from simulations." She told him.
She was then cut off as a technician came down the stairs.
"Sir, ma'am. We've cracked the encryption on the alien vessel. All the data was put into this data chip." She said nervously as she handed it to Halsey.
Halsey smiled a bit at that. "Good work, your dismissed." She said simply.
She then plugged the datachips into her tablet. Letting the information transfer to it. Thankfully the datachips gave it enough storage to load all the files.
Halsey then seemed to scroll through the tablet for a minute. Before she the turned to Jason.
"You have access to some of the most classified files in the UNSC. Have you read the full file of Spartan Sierra-009?" She asked the Fleet Admiral.
He raised an eyebrow at that. What does a Spartan II have to do with their new alien prisoner?
He then turned to the ODST's gaurding him. "Sorry helljumpers. You'll have to move to the back of the room. This is beyond your clearance."
The ODST'S reluctantly complied and moved to reinforce him at the back of the room. With a few of them most likely cursing at the Spartans under their breath.
Jason then turned to the two Spartan III'S next to him. The two females were 2 of the best Spartans on his ship. Both exceptionally fast and deadly.
"Whatever your about to hear, stays with yourselves. Any word of this and both of you will be court martialed. Am I clear."
"Crystal, sir." Size the red D-473.
He then turned to D-474. Her dark azure Armor and silver visor staring at him. "Yes, sir."
Good, the sisters were in agreement. He then turned back to Halsey.
"Alright, what does this have to do with a Spartan II doctor?"
Halsey simply pulled up something on her datapad and slid it onto the transparent Aluminum wall. A small screen pulling up an image of Spartan-009. Halsey then pulled up an image of another being next to him. The being was obviously a female with the bust size and body shape. But she was around 7 feet tall. Had light green skin and dark green, spikey hair. He also noted how her left arm was missing judging by the empty hole in her black t shirt.
"Wait! You knew this race already, didn't you!" Jason said with irritation.
"Yes I did, it was actually my first assignment for ONI. I helped analyze a crashed alien ship as well as it's inhabitant." She said.
Jason then sighed and pulled out his own datapad. Having the data transfer to it instantly. He then scrolled through the report of this Gem.
File: 00_9
Classified Top Secret by the Office of Naval Intelligence
Subject: 0
Codename: Emilia
Age: 2,337 Earth years
Height: 6 foot, 11 1/2 inches
Weight: 260 pounds
Gem placement: right shoulder
Gem type: Emerald
Notes: subject 0, formally known as Emerald alpha prefers now to be known as Emilia. To further distance herself from her kind. She appears to suffer from PTSD from either a recent or long since passed experience. We do not know whether this is why she left since she refuses to talk about it. She also can't seem to reform her left arm like her species can reform their bodies when their damaged. Whenever asked about this she exhibits signs of distress and anger. It is speculated that whatever caused her to lose it are a likely factor in her PTSD.
Powers: Emilia has a power that feels like it is out of an old fantasy movie. She has very powerful and accurate Pyrokenesis. Able to manipulate and generate fire.
Strength: Emilia is shown to be at around ten times stronger then a regular human. Able to easily lift hundred pound weights like they were feathers. As well as take beatings that would kill most people and keep going.
Weaknesses: One thing she has told us is that all Gem's project their forms from their gems. So damaging one's gem would be the quickest way of knocking one out of commission.
Analysis: Subject 0, has been proven to not be hostile unless provoked. She will be released on watch and allowed to live and roam New Alexandria. If she continues to be non hostile she will be given citizenship into the UEG.
Jason couldn't believe what he was reading. Allowing an alien to live in New Alexandria. It just seemed crazy to him. But unlike the Covenant, she actually looked almost identical to a human. So he could understand that part. But letting an extraterrestrial live alongside humans didn't sit well with him.
"How could they allow this! She could still be a massive breach of security. Not to mention the amount of public hatred she must be facing right now with the Covenant." He told Halsey.
"She's dead. She gave her life to give birth to her son around 45 years ago." Halsey said simply. Which even shocked the Spartans standing behind them. Although they his it a lot better than the Admiral.
"Wait, gave her life?" He said after he shook off the confusion. Not it somewhat made sense that he didn't hear about it before now. This was before everyone became xenophobic from the war. But that begged some more questions.
"Gems are a peculiar species, given that they actually project their forms out form the gem. Which means that unless the gem was a male, then the female would have to give up her gemstone to their child. Not to mention that if they had twins then only one would be born." She said without skipping a beat.
"How do you know all this?"
She then turned to the Admiral."I was there when the child was born. I ran tests from a safe distance so they didn't know I was there. And it helped that her husband was one of my former colleagues."
Jason nodded at that. That would explain why she knew so much. Despite that it was a massive breach of privacy. But one thing about what she was showing him didn't add up.
"Alright, privacy rights aside. That doesn't explain why this concerns a missing Spartan."
Halsey then slid another file onto the screen. A picture of a young man that must be in his fifties or sixties by now if the time stamp was any indication.
"Notice any similarities between the three Admiral." Halsey said.
He peered more closely at the three figures he was being shown. He did notice area similarities now that she mentioned it. The man and 009 had the same basic hair color as well as the same general face structure. But he had Emilia's eyes and bits of her dark green hair as well as the most damning piece of evidence. A dark green emerald sticking out from his shoulder.
"Emilia and this young man are 009's parents." He said in shock.
"Took you a bit longer than expected, but yes. They are his biological parents. But when he turned six, he was shown to be an amazing vindicate for the Spartan II program. It was simply an opportunity we couldn't pass up." Halsey said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
He knew that ONI was heartless. But to hear Halsey kidnapped a child of their first alien encounter was just a whole new level of stupid. But he'd seen 009's combat record. After his original team died in Spartan training he was taken in by the members of Gold Team. Where most of them were killed in 2526. Causing him to go into a violent rage and destroyed the entire CCS battlecruiser they were tasked with capturing. Then there was the time on Chi Ceti where he incinerated an elite Zealot and several rangers. Before he then went on to incinerate and utterly destroy dozens more elites before being picked up by Naomi after he collapsed.
In fact, Naomi herself had gone missing after an unknown accident in 2550. It is unknown whether she deserted, died or dissapeared like the one that he heard was basically her brother.
He read that Naomi was the only one he really socialized with. Often going on missions with just the two of them.
"Well, I'll go through the rest of the alien data later and forward it to Highcom. But right now I have a few of what appear to be video files. Want to see them?" She may have phrased it like a question, but she already knew his answer.
"Yes." He said simply.
Halsey swiped her pad and the three files dissapeared. Only to have a loading videos green replace it. The video then started with what looked like a drone view. It was painted toward a planet that looked identical to earth. Down to the continent.
This one revelation surprised even the stoic Spartans and the often emotionless doctor.
The drone then read that one of it's brothers was taken out. It then turned it's camera toward it and they saw what looked like four meteorites get blown apart by what is obviously a 50 mm coilgun battery. But it was attatched to a modified space elevator platform. The thing was larger than the ones they knew, with a larger shaft to bring more materials. As well as having an Onager coilgun on the center of the doomed top.
"That's not possible." Halsey muttered under her breath.
The corner then switched back and it's camera shut down as it looked to heat up outside as they descended through the atmosphere.
It then shifted to an image of what looked like the same drone crawling on the ground toward a large crystal pad colored cyan. It's floor was made of what looked like a lighter blue crystal. The central pad then glowed a bright beam of white and blue light. Where a green woman with mechanical limbs appeared and began to town to herself. But it seemed the audio was corrupted on the video so they couldn't figure out what she was saying.
Her expression then changed to surprise as she looked in shock to the sky. After a few moments she changed one of her fingers into some kind of gun. Which then charged a ball of plasma. The drone then looked upward to see what was most definately a UNSC Pelican dodge out of the way of the shot.
The drone then looked back down to see more of what we're kept likely gems as well as a small human boy start to destroy them.
The drone then panned around one last time, only to come face to face with the unmistakable Mjolnir mk IV armor. It was then shot and knocked away. When it stopped rolling it was looking at the pad. Which glowed brightly and the green Gem dissapeared. The screen then went to static as a blast hit it.
It then changed one more time to a pair of ODSTs as well as a woman in what were most likely some sort of alien room. One of the ODST's blew something up with a SPNKR and the woman threw some small device at a....giant hand? Which then deactivated it. The screen then showed the first ODST raise their shotgun and fire into it. Making it shatter to pieces.
It finally changed for the last time to an internal and external camera feed. It showed a UNSC frigate launching an archer. It impacted near the ship and jostled it around, it's shields taking the damage. But then several harpoons made for ship recovery launched out and grabbed onto the ship. It's weakened shields only deflecting one of them. But the other three hit and held on tight.
It then showed a bright green light fly through the void. The camera sooner in on it and what they saw shocked them all.
Spartan-009
The numbers on the chestplate as well as the flames all but confirmed it. He then crashed into the ship, denting it. He then ignited an emerald green energy sword and carved into the hull before leaping inside.
The next few minutes consisted of him finding and breaking out the Gems that were trapped inside. They then found and fought three of the what looks like four hostile gems on the ship. With their resident being one of them.
It looked like they finally beat them back and made their way to the exit.
A few ODST's had a scuffle with the fourth gem. But she wasn't to much trouble. With only one ODST takijg armrl damage and having first degree burns. But the fourth gem escaped.
Then when they left one of the gems pulled the Spartan back inside and pulled away from the ship in a barrage of plasma that damaged the frigates side. B fore dissapearing into a Slipspace portal.
It then went to not so high quality footage of what could be seen as an all out battle between Spartan-009 and the three gems. But they couldn't tell what happened since at was over 10,000 kilometers away.
The footage then cut off to a scene where the UNSC Tokyo over Reach.
"Well, that was interesting." D-473 said.
"Interesting is one way of putting it." Said D-474.
Jason then looked to the gem they had in their custody. He stared at her ornate form, he needed answers.
"Open the cell, I'm going in." Said the admiral. Causing Halsey to look at him like a stupid third grader.
"That's a stupid idea and you know it. You saw what she was capable of." Said Halsey in a mocking tone.
The red Spartan then stepped forward. "With all due respect sir, I think I should do it. I can take her down if something goes wrong." D-473 said.
Jason then turned to her. Staring into her dull gold visor. She was a good 6 inches taller than his 6 foot 2 height. He gazed at her form, taking in the dual combat knives on her torso. As well as the shotgun she held in her hands and the SPNKr rocket on her back. She had enough ordinance to take on a small army of covenant, she could handle one alien.
"Alright, but if anything goes south, don't hesitate to shatter that gem on her face to a million pieces." Said Jason.
"Aye sir." She said as she racked her shotgun. She then walked inside the heavy titanium doors of the cell to see the gem inside.
"Now, from what were able to scan. Her gem is a Jasper. She will most likely respond to that." Halsey said over the comms in her helmet. She turned to the glass and nodded.
She then turned to the ornate gem and turned on her helmet speakers again.
"So, your Jasper? Correct? Why are you here." She told the orange gem.
The large gem simply looked up at her. She almost appeared to be sizing her up. Something an elite major has done on occasion before she killed them in a firefight.
She received no answer other than the stare. It might've unnerved a few marines. But she was a Spartan. It would take a hell of a lot more than that to intimidate her.
"Tell me more about your race. Maybe something about yourself?" She said.
Again nothing but a stare.
Now Jackie-473 was getting a bit annoyed. The least this alien could do was talk to her. But she was stubborn.
She was about to ask another question when the orange gem finally spoke.
"Your a warrior like that green armored man, aren't you. He had the same color visor. But his armor was heavier." She said in a calm but gruff voice.
Now Jackie was a bit surprised. She didn't expect this alien to ask about Sierra-009. But then again, this gem did battle with one of the legendary Spartan II's.
"Yeah, I'm one of the same type. We're Spartans, and that's all I'll say about it. Anything else is classified at the highest level."
This seemed to put a small smirk on the the Gem's face.
"Then why are you here." Jasper asked.
"Well, because an almost unheard of alien species appears over our fortress world. You can imagine why we'd be worried."
That just made Jasper cross her arms over her stomach. Putting them directly under her toned bust.
"How could you not know of us. Last time I checked humans fought alongside gems in the rebellion. Despite the fact that you were facing down far superior oppenants those five thousand years ago. But I do command your bravery, I faced a few of them myself. One even managed to cut my arm before they got crushed."
Halsey's voice then played inside her helmet. "That's impossible, there are no record of any such battle on earth. Nevermind any alien technology just laying around."
Jackie then spoke to Japser again. "There was no battle on Earth five millennia ago. We would have found evidence of that by now." Jackie said.
This made Jasper narrow her eyes. "Well, I was just there. And I could see several Gem structures on it even form orbit."
"Wait, you wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the planet. There are hundreds of defenses that would have shot your ship out of the sky."
Jasper's eyes then widened. She then focused them in the floor. Like she just realized something. But she was going to keep it to herself.
"Spartan, I think our prisoner is going to keep quiet for the rest of the day. You can come out now." Came the voice of the Fleet Admiral in her helmet.
Jackie then soaked out of the cell and the titanium doors closed behind her. She then walked over to her sister.
"Why did it sound like she's seen earth before. I know what I saw in the video but....there's a lot of things that don't line up." Jackie said to Halsey.
Halsey typed a few things on he datapad before turning to the other three.
"Well, with all the evidence I've just seen. As well as the story from our new prisoner. I think have a hypothesis. There's a second earth out there in the Galaxy."