Chapter 295: Chapter 293 — The Opening Move
Chapter 293 — The Opening Move
Twelve minutes after the initial warning, the unknown slipspace signal was no longer merely a possibility.
It was confirmed.
Across Cascade, three separate sensor stations independently verified the contact. Every new scan matched the previous one. The probability of a false alarm continued dropping until it fell below one percent.
There was no longer any room for doubt.
The Covenant had entered the system.
Inside Cascade’s primary command center, the atmosphere changed immediately.
Personnel moved quickly between stations, voices carrying across the room as reports arrived one after another. Despite the urgency, there was no panic. Years of war against the Covenant had taught everyone exactly what was expected of them when an enemy fleet appeared.
Sensor data flowed across holographic displays.
Trajectory calculations updated every few seconds.
Fleet composition estimates continued refining themselves as more information became available.
Communication traffic poured into the command network from every military installation across the colony.
Every piece of information was directed toward a single point.
Gaius.
He stood at the center of the command room, silently watching the reports appear before him.
The emergency authorization granted by Admiral Parangosky had effectively removed every bureaucratic obstacle.
Military commanders answered to him.
Civilian authorities answered to him.
Industrial administrators answered to him.
There were no lengthy approval chains.
No committees.
No delays.
Every major decision now flowed through a single chain of command.
As additional sensor information arrived, the displays changed.
The Covenant fleet was no longer represented by simple icons or estimated positions.
Visual confirmation had begun.
Massive warships appeared on the tactical displays.
Cruisers.
Carriers.
Escort vessels.
One by one, the enemy fleet revealed itself.
No longer sensor contacts.
No longer mathematical projections.
The Covenant had arrived.
Every screen inside the command center now displayed some portion of the approaching fleet.
Marcus studied the latest calculations before looking toward Gaius.
"Estimated arrival at engagement range."
Several new projections appeared above the central holotable.
The numbers shifted rapidly before settling.
A moment later, the result was displayed.
"Four hours."
The room became noticeably quieter.
Only four hours remained.
Tony folded his arms while studying the approaching fleet.
Then he looked toward Gaius.
"We activate the lasers?"
Several nearby officers glanced toward the two men.
It was a reasonable question.
The Planetary Defense Lasers were operational.
The Covenant fleet was approaching.
Waiting carried obvious risks.
Earlier, after informing Tanya, Mindy, Diana, and Saeko that the Covenant had arrived, Gaius and Tony had gathered in an office. Several senior officers joined them as well, ensuring they understood the situation and could relay orders to the personnel under their command.
A holographic projection of the enemy fleet floated between them.
Gaius studied it in silence.
Then slowly shook his head.
"No."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
Gaius lifted one hand and pointed toward the approaching fleet.
"They do not know the weapons exist."
His voice remained calm.
"That ignorance is currently more valuable than the weapons themselves."
Tony frowned slightly as he considered the statement.
His eyes drifted back toward the fleet projection.
Then understanding slowly spread across his face.
The first volley.
Of course.
If the Covenant discovered the Planetary Defense Lasers before entering effective range, they would immediately adapt.
They could spread their formation farther apart.
Increase engagement distance.
Prioritize orbital bombardment.
Or target the laser installations themselves before they ever fired.
Keeping the weapons hidden preserved the greatest advantage they possessed.
Marcus reached the same conclusion almost immediately.
"The first attack must hurt."
Gaius nodded once.
"It must shock them."
His gaze never left the holographic fleet.
"It must convince them that remaining in orbit is dangerous."
Tony looked back toward the projection.
A slow smile appeared.
"Then we let them walk into it."
"Exactly."
Gaius’s expression remained unchanged.
"The lasers fire only when the fleet has fully committed."
Halsey, who had been quietly listening to the discussion, folded her arms.
"And after that?"
Gaius answered without hesitation.
"Then the Covenant will do exactly what we want them to do."
Tony already knew where he was going.
"They’ll come after the lasers."
"Yes."
Silence settled over the room.
Everyone understood the implication.
The Planetary Defense Lasers were not merely weapons.
They were bait.
Very expensive bait.
Very deadly bait.
Very effective bait.
Once the Covenant committed itself to destroying those installations, the battle would naturally shift away from orbit.
It would move to the ground.
Exactly where Gaius wanted it.
Far beyond Cascade, the Covenant fleet continued advancing through the system.
At the center of the primary tactical display floated the image of the human colony.
Cascade.
Standing before the massive hololith was the Fleetmaster.
He was Sangheili.
Even among his own species, he was enormous, standing well over eight feet tall.
Dark blue armor covered his powerful frame, decorated with intricate silver markings denoting rank earned through decades of military service. Layers of personal energy shielding shimmered faintly across its surface.
A ceremonial cloak hung from one shoulder, trailing behind him as he stood motionless.
The four mandibles surrounding his mouth remained perfectly still.
Only his eyes moved.
Cold.
Focused.
Predatory.
The eyes of a warrior who had spent most of his life fighting humanity.
Around him, the command bridge operated with disciplined precision.
Several Sangheili officers monitored fleet operations from their stations. Their armor lacked the elaborate decorations worn by their Fleetmaster but still reflected their status.
Unggoy attendants hurried between consoles carrying data tablets and relaying information wherever it was needed.
Nearby, a pair of Kig-Yar technicians carefully observed long-range sensor data.
At the rear of the bridge stood two towering Jiralhanae bodyguards.
Each carried a gravity hammer.
Neither spoke.
They simply watched the room with barely restrained aggression.
The bridge itself dwarfed anything humanity possessed.
Vaulted ceilings stretched high overhead.
Gold and violet alloy covered nearly every visible surface.
Massive holographic displays floated throughout the chamber, displaying fleet formations, navigation data, planetary scans, and tactical information.
Everything revolved around Cascade.
The Fleetmaster quietly studied the world.
Initial scans revealed exactly what he expected.
Population centers.
Industrial districts.
Military facilities.
Orbital traffic.
One detail, however, drew his attention.
The evacuation.
Human transport vessels were leaving the system in significant numbers.
One of the nearby Sangheili officers lowered his head respectfully.
"Human vessels are departing the system."
The Fleetmaster’s mandibles shifted slightly.
"They know."
"Yes, Excellency."
The Fleetmaster returned his attention to Cascade.
The knowledge changed very little.
Human colonies frequently attempted evacuation after Covenant fleets were detected.
Very few succeeded.
Most simply ran out of time.
His gaze drifted upward toward the orbital defense platforms surrounding the planet.
Large magnetic accelerator cannon installations.
Visible.
Predictable.
He had encountered similar defenses countless times.
Reach possessed them.
Many human colonies possessed them.
Dangerous.
But not decisive.
Certainly not against a fleet of this size.
His attention moved elsewhere.
Hidden fleets.
Possible reinforcements.
Unexpected defensive preparations.
Those concerned him far more.
The orbital guns had already been marked for destruction.
One of the officers finally spoke.
"Shall we begin, Excellency?"
The Fleetmaster watched Cascade for several more seconds.
Then gave a single nod.
"Proceed."
The order spread throughout the fleet instantly.
Across dozens of Covenant warships, weapon systems awakened.
Energy projectors began charging.
Plasma torpedo launchers rotated into position.
Targeting systems locked onto the orbital defense platforms surrounding Cascade.
The attack began.
Not as an uncontrolled barrage.
Not as indiscriminate bombardment.
It was perfectly coordinated.
The first wave of plasma torpedoes crossed the void.
Seconds later, the nearest orbital defense platform vanished beneath overwhelming fire.
Its magnetic accelerator cannon never had the opportunity to fire.
The second platform managed one shot.
Its massive slug crossed space and struck the shields of a Covenant cruiser.
Blue energy flared brightly across the cruiser’s shielding.
Then stabilized.
Moments later, concentrated plasma fire engulfed the platform.
It disintegrated into expanding debris.
The third platform survived for less than a minute.
The fourth came under simultaneous attack from multiple Covenant vessels.
Its shields collapsed almost immediately.
Its reactor detonated shortly afterward.
One after another, the orbital defense platforms disappeared from the tactical display.
Human resistance in orbit collapsed.
The Covenant fleet continued advancing.
Unopposed.
Reports immediately followed.
"Orbital defense platform destroyed."
"Target eliminated."
"Sector clear."
"Human orbital defenses neutralized."
The Fleetmaster listened quietly.
Exactly as expected.
Human orbital defenses had never been capable of stopping a fleet like his.
At best, they delayed the inevitable.
At worst, they merely gave their crews a few additional minutes to live.
The final platform disappeared from the tactical display.
One of the officers bowed slightly.
"All identified orbital defenses destroyed, Excellency."
The Fleetmaster nodded once.
"Begin orbital positioning."
Inside Cascade’s command center, reports arrived almost immediately.
One officer calmly announced the result.
"The orbital guns have been destroyed."
There was surprisingly little emotion in his voice.
Everyone had expected this outcome.
Tony looked up.
"The orbital guns?"
He paused before asking another question.
"What about the people stationed on them?"
The officer answered without hesitation.
"Sir Gaius ordered their evacuation several days ago."
"All personnel were brought safely back to the surface."
Tony turned toward Gaius.
Gaius simply nodded.
"There was no value in leaving them there."
"The platforms couldn’t withstand a Covenant attack, so it was better to evacuate them."
"Keeping experienced soldiers, technicians, and engineers aboard would only waste lives."
His expression remained calm.
"Alive specialists can still contribute to the colony."
Tony slowly nodded.
That made perfect sense.
Before anyone else could speak, another officer turned toward Gaius.
"Sir Gaius."
"Commander Osman is calling."
Gaius made a small gesture.
"Answer."
A hologram appeared above the command table.
Commander Osman looked more serious than usual.
"I heard the Covenant has arrived."
"They have," Gaius replied.
"They entered the system several minutes ago."
Osman nodded.
"I’ve also received Admiral Parangosky’s orders."
She briefly looked around the command center.
"I will remain here to assist."
"And to observe."
Nobody failed to understand what she meant.
Parangosky still trusted Gaius.
But she also wanted someone present to watch him.
Gaius showed no reaction whatsoever.
"Understood."
The conversation ended there.
Before anyone could continue, Jarvis’s voice echoed throughout the command center.
"Sir."
"The Covenant fleet has entered the full-power engagement envelope of the Planetary Defense Lasers."
Every head immediately turned toward the tactical display.
Unlike the orbital defense platforms...
These were the real weapons.
During construction, Jarvis had been integrated into much of Cascade’s defense network.
Sensor arrays.
Targeting systems.
Communications.
Fire-control networks.
Together, those systems allowed the AI to coordinate all thirteen Planetary Defense Lasers simultaneously.
No human crew could perform the task with equal precision.
The tactical display continued updating.
More Covenant ships crossed into engagement range.
The enemy commander clearly believed Cascade’s defenses had already been neutralized.
Exactly as Gaius intended.
He watched the display quietly.
Then spoke.
"Wait."
Nobody questioned the order.
Jarvis immediately responded.
"Please clarify."
"Allow more vessels to enter engagement range."
"The closer they move," Gaius continued, "the more ships we can engage."
"The more damage the opening volley will inflict."
Jarvis processed the command for less than a second.
"Understood."
"Delaying engagement."
Silence returned.
Everyone watched the enemy fleet continue advancing.
Completely unaware of what waited beneath Cascade’s surface.
Then Jarvis spoke again.
"Additional update."
"The launch pods have been completed."
Several people turned toward Gaius.
Jarvis continued.
"Multiple launch pods were fabricated."
Gaius looked toward Tony.
"Multiple?"
Tony nodded.
"That was my idea."
Gaius waited for him to continue.
Tony folded his arms.
"If you’re crazy enough to launch yourself into a Covenant warship..."
"...I’d like to give you a way back."
Several nearby officers exchanged confused glances.
Tony pointed toward the tactical display.
"If your first pod gets you onto a ship, great."
"If you need to leave that ship..."
"If you need to jump to another one..."
"If your original extraction plan becomes impossible..."
"You’ll have options."
Gaius considered the explanation for several moments.
Then gave a small nod.
"I see."
It was a logical improvement.
Redundancy increased the chances of survival.
Tony looked upward.
"Jarvis."
"Have the Iron Legion deliver them."
"Yes, Sir."
On another display, several Iron Legion units immediately altered course.
Each carried one of the newly completed launch pods suspended beneath it.
The pods resembled oversized drop pods.
But they had been reinforced far beyond ordinary specifications.
Their armor was significantly thicker.
Their impact systems had been strengthened.
Additional maneuvering thrusters had been installed.
Every modification existed for one purpose.
Delivering Gaius directly into the heart of the Covenant fleet.
Tony watched them disappear from the display.
Then sighed.
"I still think this is a terrible plan."
Gaius looked toward him.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
"Then it is fortunate you are not the one being launched."
For a brief moment, several officers snorted with laughter.
The unexpected remark cut through some of the tension hanging over the room.
Commander Osman, however, looked genuinely confused.
She glanced between Tony and Gaius.
Launching Gaius into a Covenant warship?
Was that actually their plan?
From her perspective, it sounded less like a strategy and more like suicide.
She clearly hadn’t heard the earlier discussions that explained the reasoning behind it.
Tony simply stared at Gaius for a long moment.
Then he shook his head.
"...I liked you better when you were less funny."
~~~
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