The planet came in sight. But in the distance, blue pinpricks of light began to appear, leaving the small group to steel themselves. Already Jeremy was barking orders, his troops going too and fro as the battle would soon rage. So far the Onuris Scouts had confirmed no Marduk-Class warships were present, which lined up with their usage. All of the hostiles were of Irra-Class, but none were of the known ones. Taking a moment, Jeremy admired the amount before him. Like always, he was horrible outnumbered, terribly outgunned and ridiculously undermanned.
Just like the first time. Except, back then, they had one battleship. Now he had two. He could do it, no worries. Totally no worries.
What was he saying, he always was flying into hell. It seemed like he missed he fine print when he signed up - Must be able to dive into absolute hell at least once a year, twice if the Grand Admiral needs. It seemed he never could have a milk run. He merely chuckled. Some of his crew looked at him with confusion, but Jeremy only was thinking at how, no matter the numbers, the Order pulled through. In the Fall of Minor, outnumbered and outgunned, they survived. In the First Nomad War, they had three wings of fighters. Now, he could only chuckle as the Nomads came forth. It was in adversity that the Nomads fostered unity. it was in unity, that they found strength.
This is Oathkeeper Actual to Provisional Battlegroup Saviour. Hostile vessels marked by RWACS Unit - Capital assets, enter Castle formation.".
The two Osirises would draw abreast, with enough space for the cruisers to stagger between. The Battleships would take the brunt of all fire, allowing the cruisers some breathing room as they fired back. This was known as Castle Formation. It would work as a spearhead. They'd be surrounded, but that was quite fine with Jeremy.
Just meant they could fire in an direction.
True suspense. This is something the young Amber McCray had not felt in a long time as she jumped to Drake with the support fleet. 'We are ready for this at last. We could be outnumbered, but we're ready...', she thought to herself. Losing the Vice Admiral to the Nomads would be an unrecoverable failure. Accompanying a bomber wing, she along with the other snubcraft would scout forward for the capital ships, so they did not put themselves in too much risk. Wandering close enough to the target, Vilshofen, with the Oathkeeper, Amenhotep, and the Ghost Eye following behind, didn't seem to trigger anything at first. But as the bomber and snub support wings closed on the planet with the battleships...there they were. Uncloaking from nowhere, their usual tactic. Dozens of Irras guarded the planet, with gunship support as well as snubcraft. It was time.
"Bomber wings, focus on the gunships first, snubcraft wings, focus on engaging the enemy snubcraft, gunships, provide cover fire for the fighters!" The wing commander would say, which all followed. As the Order capitals moved to engage the Irras, the others fought below the capital vessels.
"Alright, let's take these baddies down," Amber said, pinpointing a Nomad gunship and firing antimatter at it. She hit, breaking down most of the gunship's shields, and softening it up for an Order gunship to punch it and take it down. With support of the gunship, one Nomad ship was now down, repeating the same tactic of softening the shields of a Nomad and luring them. It worked quite well, and the Nomad gunships ended up being fried calamari. To Amber's right, a wing of Bastets was in a dangerous dance of death with some Sascyas, leaving them at the mercy of the few Hathors there. And as an Irra drew abreast and opened fire, she wondered if she'd get out of this. Already the Nomads had them completely surrounded, and despite them still heading straight, they were going to get pinned.
Then the Crayterian cruiser Phobos took a hit to the side, and began to lose speed. For a split second, it looked like the rest of the group would slow down...but instead, they kept going. The Phobos turned and concentrated fire on a single Irra, the nearby bombers following suite. Together it began to break apart, and then they switched targets...but the Nomads were pouncing. The Thanatos was not going to last long, but the Captain knew it. The objective was Alexis Hunter...and all that mattered was making it through. The Phobos had chosen to not slow down the group, and instead drew fire, it's cannons erupting with it's final act. It took two Irras in it's final minutes, before a heavy shot gutted the bridge. The gunnery positions went dead for a brief moment, but the automated systems came on and it began firing again. The crew worked furiously, trying to keep the attention on them. The others were nearing the edge of the battleground, and soon they would be at the Lyoko.
Behind them, the Phobos was torn asunder, no escape pods detected as the Thanatos fell.
The Phobos was a great loss, but together the battlegroup forged on, the sacrifice of all not to be in vain. And it would not be. With the rest of his small fleet he forged on, cutting a path through the Nomads with the rage of a sun. And there, straight in front of him, was the Lyoko. Their target...and the location of his mother. His hands danced across the command console, already directing his troops. The Hathor was small but his cruiser could pin it.
"McCray, take your squadron in." Jeremy's voice was taut, before he turned to Isais Cross. The man was Captain of the Atum, but today he was Jeremy's XO. And the man who'd command the venerable Oathkeeper whilst Jeremy was off-ship, like the insane Admiral he was. And as he sprinted down to the Marine Barrack Deck, Cross took over. The man was a veteran of Toledo, been with the Order even before Jeremy himself found his way to the Eye. He would command his vessel well.
In the Barrack Deck, Jeremy found himself thrown the rifle he had spent hours tweaking with Ellie. Like all the Hunters, they preferred personalized weaponry and firearms, ones that would be useful to them more than anything. Jeremy's gift, Ellie's smarts, Seth's aggression...Rika's nanites. It was a delicate art, gunsmithing, one the Hunters did not master but still worked. He checked over the gun, which Ellie had designated the AR-136 Heartlight. He checked the mag before slinging it on his back. All around him, the best he had were preparing. He had to as well. Grabbing one man's shoulder, he pulled him back.
"I need your armor."
A salute, a step back. Jeremy had not been given his new set of armor before leaving Akabat, but that was fine. This man was close enough to his size, and no one argued with an Admiral. Not one who fought at Toledo. He switched boots before sliding on each piece of armor, then picked up the Helmet. He sighed, setting it on.
"Command override - 13611742-JH. Override Authorization Code: Rika's Lullaby." The HUD flashed, then settled.
-COMMAND OVERRIDE ACCEPTED-
Jeremy picked up his rifle once more, then turned to the Marine. "Thank you." Was all he said to the man, before following the men into the briefing room. They sat silently, before Jeremy took the stage and removed the helmet. A few looked surprised, not expecting the Admiral himself to show up. He looked at every man and woman there was. His piercing blue eyes seemed to see their very souls...that long stare of soldiers who saw more than they ever should, but still kept going.
"In ten minutes SWACS Ghost Eye will lock airlock tube. you all have fifteen seconds to transfer. From the SWACS we will be brought alongside our target, the Lyoko. We will commence a EVA assault and land on the outside. We will split into three teams. Team One, led by myself, will land and breach the bridge. From there we download everything we can, starting with the day the Vice Admiral was taken. It is crucial we see if the Vice Admiral managed to extract any information from her captors while incarcerated. Team Two, led by Lieutenant Derinski, will sweep the cargo hold for anything of value, then blow the hold and be picked up by the SWACS. Team Three, you're all-female. Captain Song, take your troops to the cellblock. Find and rescue Vice Admiral Alexis Hunter, and head to the lower escape pods. the SWACS will be waiting to retrieve you." He paused. "Team Three, your job is the only one that cannot fail. You must evacuate the Vice Admiral. if we fail, she will be infected. Milly Stone is a calculated woman who knows how to get under someone's skin. She knows how to use hope and fear to control and destroy. We must remove her leverage. We move in three. Good luck."
The airlock tube was shredded under nomadic fire. Four Marines were sucked out, of which two got hit with stray fire and stopped moving. The other two kicked off debris for the Osiris, but one was hit by a passing Sascya. Jeremy cursed. Already a bad start.
"SWACS is moving from Castle Doctrine, prepare to jump!" He shouted. "If you miss, trigger your beacon for SAR flights. If your beacon does not work and your pack does not either, you are dead. Don't miss." He looked over as the Hathor got closer. "Ten seconds!" he shouted. Their HUDs detailed the time they'd have to jump, to catch the Hathor at the right velocity. The timer began to go down, and as it hit zero the men and women jumped.
Most made it. Four overshot and turned around, managing to make it. Two slammed into the hathor and began to drift, both knocked out. One Marine had to take them back. Finally, one person missed. He would have made it, but the Hathor tracked. he disappeared in a cloud of red. But they were on the ship, and already the teams were moving apart. He found his entry point. "Here is the first airlock. We enter this and head down. Once breached, we get what we can." Nods of affirmative. He set the breaching charges with his team, then clicked his comm.
"Sync detonations...synced. Three second countdown to engage."
Three seconds...it felt like an eternity. But as the three detonations happened the Order Marines dropped in, already taking hits from the Ghost teams. Jeremy though, was in first, gunning down the rogue Ghost units before him.
"Team One is in."
"Team Two here, we're pinned..." There was an explosion. "We're clear, heading in."
"Team Three has made it, two casualties. Tags recovered."
"Recover bodies if able." Jeremy checked his corners. "Go radio silent." He used hand signals now, and they moved out. It was quiet for a few seconds, before they took a corner. Jeremy dived down as gunfire erupted, rolling to the side. He nodded to his team, who swung out and engaged, suppressing the Ghosts. jeremy turned, switching Heartlight to single shot and firing. The big one went down. Everyone's HUD updated.
Basic Remaining: 13 Heavies Remaining: 3
Jeremy motioned his team forward. They kept running into basic patrols, nothing really major...then the bridge. He quickly signaled his team. Breach and Clear. The Charges were quickly set as the men took up positions. One held up the detonator. Three...two...one.
The door disintegrated, the Order swarming in. Gunfire traded, it was a quick fight. The counters updated.
Wratihs Remaining: 0 Heavies Remaining: 0
"Casualties?"
"Five down sir!"
That was most of his team. He had three men with him, two KIAs and three WIAs. Already their suits were being patched. Jeremy looked around. "Take them to the cargo hold. Link with Team Two. Inform Two leader to recover our bodies." He checked his rifle. "I have to check the emergency command center. Milly is probably there and she's way too dangerous for you all." He held a hand up. "Get our people." he then tapped his helmet. "Team three, break silence. Report."
"We have the Vice Admiral...and another."
Captain Song had entered fast and hard. She lost two of her girls during the initial, having run into a Wraith and a Heavy with three basics. She gunned them down with what remained, then set two of her remaining to guard the bodies. Down to a handful, they moved fast, the layout of the Hathor playing across their HUDs. They moved fast, but as they entered the Brig, something appeared.
"Silver Angel! D'Angela, get that EMPR up!"
D'Angela was carrying a Kemwer EMP Rifle, made to fight nanite enemies. With Rika Hunter and her sister, Ellie, already having made working types, Kemwer Munitions had begun working on counters. It was clear the Silver Angel was one of the Order's Black Projects, as well as something Aelita Stone had a hand in. And as it charged, the EMP rifle cut it down, the floor covered in what appeared to be sand.
"Torch."
Incendiary grenades were primed and left, the team making haste as what remained of the Silver Angel was burned and ruined. Captain Song brought up the Bio-tracker. The Vice Admiral was just a few doors down, and they took up positions.
"This is probably a trap." She said. "So be ready."
The charges detonated, ripping the tore asunder as they went in...and they all stood there, frozen.
"...that's not the trap I expected." A Private said. What they saw did not leave that room. What was said did not leave that room. The only gunfire was the stun settings, and two bodies were wrapped in blankets. "Head for the escape pod." Song tapped her helmet as Jeremy demanded a report. "We have the Vice Admiral...and another."
"Another?"
"Yes. The Vice Admiral begged for her to be brought. Scans show the second is infected, undetermined timeframe."
"Bring her, the hospital suite can see if we can save more." Jeremy tapped his comm. "Lieutenant Hanlen, status on download."
"Going smoothly. We have all the needed data you wanted."
"Pull out, don't risk it."
The only team that failed was Two. With nothing of real value in the cargo hold, they just held the line as what seemed like the rest of the enemies swarmed them.
"Admiral, we're pinned down in the cargo hold. It seems like the rest of them are here." He checked around the corner. "They're using high-output heavy weapons. We're losing cover."
"Blow the hold, Two Lead. Team Three is at the escape pod and Team One is nearly to exfil."
The man looked to his Exo. He held up the detonator and nodded.
"All units, we're blowing the hold."
meanwhile
The Pod Room, as it was called...the cryogenic suspension pods that many people were kept in during longer flights or bad wounds. It served as an Emergency Command Center of sorts, if all else failed...and right now, as he bust the door open, he found her.
Milly Stone.
He immediately snapped the gun up to open fire, but stopped. There was a shimmer. He frowned. "...tricky *****." He growled. She had a field up, leaving him unable to get through with small arms. Lowering his rifle, Jeremy looked at Milly. She knew everything. She was there, and he could hear her laugh. So, he shot everything he could.
"Keep laughing, Milly. But one day you're gonna run out of places to hide, and when you do, I will find you. And I will get revenge for what you did to my mother." He turned and left her to her rotting Hathor, but knew he'd not make it to either RV. He turned and headed towards the nearest airlock, and set his last charge. Taking cover around the corner, he detonated it, and held on. He let the explosive decomp go, then exited as the suction died. Exiting, he spotted his cruiser and headed over, seeing the twinkling lights of his team. But he held his breath, until he finally caught hold of the return line, and with those that survived and those that they recovered, were pulled in.
"This is Admiral Hunter. Mission accomplished, let's get out of here."
The flight back was as hard and deadly as the way in. They passed the wreckage of Phobos, but no salutes could be spared. They had to make it, and if they had even just one more ship...if the Razgriz had not cowardly left to Kansas to help enemies, if Tantalus had been a man and faced Drake instead of running to a dead system, there'd have been less casualties. The Crayterians would not be mourning a cruiser, and as the Gate came in view, the Order might not be mourning the two crusiers that now lay in debris fields, their last acts giving the Fedayeen's fighters cover. But Irra's were close, they were blocking their escape...and even with two Osirises and a handful of cruisers now arriving, they were cut off from the gate. They had no one else to call, no one else to believe in. And as Jeremy gripped the command chair of the Ghost Eye, he teared up. So close to getting his mother home, so close to proving there always was hope.
He could see Milly laughing, he could see her having the final word...but the universe does not always let the heroes die. Good guys win every once in awhile, and what appeared to be utter defeat was turned around by the star's aligned mercy. It was as if fate had guided the paths of them all, making sure what had to happen, happen.
An trio of Irras was coming in, flanking the Grand Admiral's flagship. Their cover was nought, and with communications between Drake and Coronado jammed by now, they had no way to call for help...they were finished.
"Admiral! New contact exiting the jump Horizon...oh my god."
One of the Irras was smashed, torn asunder as the newcomer exited the event horizon. Guns barked blue fire and the main gun erupted into the howling dark. Three Irras torn apart by the new vessel, a battleship of the class of the enemy. A white vessel, a one that should have tarnished the idea of innocent white, a snow white, pure, unblemished by blood and sorrow. But that shape and color now meant salvation, as the brute-force warship turned it's guns on the next of the Irra-class cruisers, tearing it asunder as it moved, clearing a path as it went to the incoming forces.
"Admiral?"
Jeremy didn't know how to react. He didn't know what to say. All he could do was stare as the massive white battleship tore through the confused enemy.
The screen snapped on, showing a thin man of black hair and violet eyes. Beside him was a woman of rose-pink hair and two others - a man in a dirty CR Military Uniform, and a woman with an Order flightsuit, one that showed an insignia long gone.
"My name is Tabitha Morris, Order Task Force 141. Serial number 11983701. Assigned to Task Force Unit Five...assigned to Operation: FALLEN GRACE."
"I am Commander Cheren Abate, Former CO of the Colonial Republic's Ceres-422."
Jeremy looked at his Intel officer, who nodded. They checked out. "All units, that Valor is a friendly. I repeat. The Valor is a friendly." Jeremy Hunter stood. "Who commands that vessel?" He demanded, as his forces fanned out. From the Valor flew ships - older Nyxes, Nephthys. A few Pythos and a pair of Sekhmets. Ships that predated even the Fedayeen.
The violet-eyed man turned. "My name is Lelouch D'Aramis. And as much as I'd love to sit down, have a smoke and discuss the finer points of arriving in such a manner, let us...leave." The Valor already was turning, using it's size to cover Jeremy's group. Nodding, he sat down. "Full burn. We're getting out of here."
The table was silent. At the head sat Jeremy Hunter, hands clasped as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his knuckles. To his left was Lelouch and Eclaire Tonnerre, one of his last loyal men and women. To Jeremy's right, was Aqua, Isais Cross, as well as Doctor Becker, the Chief Medical Officer of the Oathkeeper. It had been two months since the Eglantine had arrived, in the last possible moments. Two months since Jeremy had rescued Alexis Hunter, his mother, and her lover, Lizzy Lyons. Lizzy had been infected mere week before the operation, and it had been quite easy to do the necessary procedure. But with how Alexis would have been infected, with how she could have been...Jeremy had ordered her to be put into a medically induced coma. He'd have Becker let her wake up and move around with a blindfold, but otherwise they kept her under. But it was almost November, and Becker slid the medical report forward.
"She's fine." He said, his Molly accent thick. "Nothing. We already cleared Lyons and got all the information we could, and even kept the Vice Admiral over two months. I have found nothing. Every test, every trick. She's clean."
"Thank you, Doctor. Have her transferred to the Ghost Eye. Mrs. Harper." He turned. Downtable was a hologram of a woman. "My ship will meet your vessel in Cortez for the transfer. Once you arrive on Manhattan, Docking Bay EE-23. There will be a military transport waiting, with ESRD identification tags."
"How did you get those?" Ashley frowned.
"I have my ways." Jeremy smiled. "After that, do whatever you want. The rest of the job will be carried out by Edge and her cell. And as always, Mrs. Harper, I appreciate your help." He cut the feed, before Aqua leaned forward.
"Jeremy, two months is far beyond the maximum...what are you playing at?"
"While our enemies believe that the Order drags our feet and then runs, as the Auxesian redeployment to the Omicrons following the Fedayeen's departure showed - with the loss of Kebok - they have forgotten my battlegroup. So now, all I must worry about is staying out of Commonewealth space and doing my job, while arrogant men and their toy fleets fly around thinking I've been waiting and waiting and losing my mind..." He chuckled. "For months we've had her. No comms, nothing public...they think she's been lost...and now, she's home. And now, the Order has a debt it can collect from one Fleet Admiral Alan Jones."
Jeremy finally turned to Lelouch. "So. Tell me...how do we get your ship to Epsilon?"
October 27th, 823 A.S - Planet Manhattan
Edge brushed her hair back. She was not just a Captain within the Liberty Navy, but had been at Alexis' side for most of her rise. A fact everyone seemed to overlook. Yes, since the days she was in the Joint Navy-LSF training program, Edge had been loyal to the Eye, since before Toledo, since before Jeremy rose to the Primary Fleet. She now was in the passenger seat of the transport, the medical suit in the back small and hidden behind munitions and other...highly classified things. Alexis merely needed a bed, IV, and the sedatives at the right times. Something that was quite easy with the space provided.
"ID."
Edge looked over at the Marine, and handed over the necessary credentials. The man looked them over, before handing them back.
"Welcome back to Fort Bragg, Captain Nagase."
Kei Nagase, otherwise known as Edge, nodded. "Thank you, Corporal."
The truck rolled on through, and as they got out of sight, Kei looked at the driver. "Left."
It had been night when Edge had arrived with the ESRD shipment. As the special cargo was slid out, Edge looked at the time. "Do not be seen."
"We won't."
Kei watched them in the mirror. They'd meet up near the gate...but for now, as the gurney was rolled into the rear elevator, Kei looked over her shoulder. The Techie was on a laptop, currently monitoring. They had chosen the floor and room...mostly to be cocky, but also due to the lack of people on the particular floor. There was a handful of nurses, to which their Techie easily guided around using fake radio calls and the cameras. Kei stopped watching as they stopped near the armor, and she watched as the driver and a few workers began unloading. She checked her PDA for the time, then glanced back.
"Two minutes."
The sun was rising as Nurse Michelle Desiree checked on patients. Her shift was almost over for the day, and as she was about to check the last room on the floor, she stopped. From what she was sure an hour or so ago was an empty room now had faint beeping. Stepping inside, she froze. The red haired woman lying there, a file marked ADMIRAL ALAN JONES - EYES ONLY on her chest, and a full medical clipboard hung on her bed, was Alexis Hunter. Desiree moved closer and checked the screens. She was confused, utterly confused...but as she turned, the woman screamed. Her fellow nurse rushed in, and when she saw it, she slammed the emergency button.
"Security to floor seventeen, room 1-17!"
As Security Guards arrived, guns drawn, they could only look at what the two nurses were staring at in a mixture of fear, awe, and mortal terror. One guard held his comm up.
"Manny...y...you need to call the Navy."
"What? Why?"
"...the Order."