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    Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab]

    Poll

    Does this sound interesting?

    [ 2 ]
    Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] I_vote_lcap100%Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] I_vote_rcap [100%] 
    [ 0 ]
    Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] I_vote_lcap0%Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] I_vote_rcap [0%] 
    [ 0 ]
    Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] I_vote_lcap0%Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] I_vote_rcap [0%] 

    Total Votes: 2
    Manny
    Manny
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    Post  Manny June 17th 2013, 11:43 pm

    Alright gentlemen, I've had an idea kicking around in my head, and I think it might liven up some activity here.

    I'm proposing a "semi-Collab". What do I mean by this?

    It's primarily my story to tell, but readers get to have a direct influence as well. Somewhat like those "choose your own adventure" books except you make up the options as opposed to being given them. Occasionally, if a reader feels like it, they can write up a part as well after checking in with me.

    This way, if someone feels like contributing but can't write a full out post they can drop a comment saying, "hm, so and so would probably do/feel this".

    If I ask for ideas or even what a response from your character(s) would be, feel free to speak your mind. As said, readers aren't obliged to type up story posts which is what makes this a semi-Collab. Since Heroes and Demons, I feel more comfortable using other people's characters now so I'll be doing the heavy lifting here.

    This will be a Halo story (it's been a while), and it will feature much of the shared canon we've come up with. This will however take place in an alternate universe, simply because it features quite a radical change.

    The story begins in 2557, four years after the last UEG President was sworn in. A Presidential campaign has come and gone. The newcomers won it.

    The Legion of War started it's own political party, centred around its Xenophobic beliefs. The event in New Pheonix only adding more fuel to their fire. Apart from being Xenophobic, they were able to provide a platform that provided a good economic plan, and an excellent foreign policy given the circumstances. Needless to say, Walter A Law was the Presidential candidate.

    And much like the people of Germany turned to the Nazis in desperation, so did Humanity turn to the Legion. They won the elections by a landslide, thus legitimately voting War into power. Here he begins his reign as ruler of Humanity.

    Legion sympathizers have infiltrated the UNSC, even ONI. They hold high ranking positions, some five star generals and lower ranking admirals. These were agents with years worth of patience.

    Veterans of the Great War aren't too sympathetic towards the former Covenant either. The average Marine that served anywhere from 2525 -2553 is apathetic to the changes the government is bringing about. Increased militarism is always good for the military.

    Humanity grows and expands, war against Alien terrorists and the Insurrectionists kick starting the economy in much the same way WWII kickstarted the Canadian economy after the Great Depression.

    Eventually Humanity's overall condition improves, giving War the most valuable asset of all: the support of the people. Seen as a true champion of Humanity, the citizens of the UEG are willing to sacrifice freedom for safety.

    Gradually, the UEG changes from a Democractic nation to an Authortarian dictatorship. In the many of the same ways Hitler gathered power, so does War.

    Of course, there are always those who are unhappy with a regime. Those who cling onto their ideals, and rebel when they are not shared by the government. 

    But in this universe, people chose safety and security over the right to vote. This decisions gave War his greatest achievement yet: ruler of Humanity.

    This is the tale of another universe, where despite the efforts of freedom fighters, they don't win. Evil triumphs, because sometimes it does.

    But the struggles of those whom fought what they believed to be right is never forgotten. No matter what War says or does, they left their mark. A psychological imprint on those whom live in Legion's Empire.

    This is the tale of how a few left a massive wound into an enormous empire, one that could never be healed. A story that would circulate for eons.

    A story that is as much yours as mine.

    This is the Dawn of the New Era.

    Hope you enjoy folks, because I know I will. Can't hold this story in anymore, but I thought I'd let you help tell it.
    Bad John
    Bad John
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    Post  Bad John June 18th 2013, 12:11 am

    Good to see you're up to no good, as per usual, Manny. Very Happy

    In this reality, what happened to the Freelancers? Did they just get kicked to the curb, or did they never form? In our typical continuity, the Freelancers are smaller than the Legion, but hold a pretty firm standing as an agency. I'd assume in a world where the Legion is top dog, Agent Nine and friends would either be in secret as a rebellious entity , living under Walter's foot as an unwilling subordinate strike force, or long gone after making a failed stand and being shattered by Walter's superior forces. Another strong possibility is that they never existed, either because of Bailey's untimely death for some reason or another, her lack of funding due to War's rise to power, or her just taking a different path in life.
    Manny
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    Post  Manny June 18th 2013, 12:31 am

    The Freelancers never formed a political party. The Legion did.

    The Legion got elected, making them the government. As 2553, the UEG became the government again, meaning that they have control over the military (as is the case in most nations).

    Therefore the UNSC, and all affiliated agencies, are under the control of the government. Which means, technically, the Freelancers are subordinates to the Legion now.

    No "if"s, "but"s, or "and"s, unfortunately for them. The Legion gained power through legitimate means and there isn't much they can do argue that.

    To keep things interesting, in this story there WILL be a group of "freedom fighters". Reason I say that is because they'll be painted as terrorists by the government. ANYWAYS, whether the Freelancers choose to abide by the law and stay with the Legion, or rebel and join these freedom fighters is up to you really. This is what I meant by semi-Collab.

    Do bear in mind that Walter's pretty smart. He could use the Freelancers as good PR, because they actually like helping people. All the Freelancers have to do is turn a blind eye to the other shady aspects of the Legion's government. Kinda like Milton in Woodbury.

    Ironically, should the Freelancers chose to join the freedom fighters, this would probably put them in the same boat as the other "freedom fighters", the Insurrectionists who will eventually have a much more legitimate claim to their cause.

    TL;DR The Legion is the government now, so the Freelancer report to them. Whether they stay or rebel is up to you.
    Bad John
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    Post  Bad John June 18th 2013, 12:56 am

    Hmmm...They should stay legal. Maybe there will be a breaking point where they decide to revolt, but that should happen IN the story. It'd be more interesting.
    Shad0wChas3r
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    Post  Shad0wChas3r June 18th 2013, 12:36 pm

    What of Blaine, I believe that Darryl, Blaine, and many of his Spartan IVs would oppose this? Do you view them as members of the 'Freedom Fighters'?

    Just curious.
    Manny
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    Post  Manny June 18th 2013, 2:58 pm

    They'll do whatever you want them to do.

    If Blaine and his IVs rebels, I think Walter would send in the Freelancers to bring them to "justice". 

    It would be something he'd take great pleasure in.

    In my point of view, I think Blaine would do it. If he's willing to betray the very government he's supposed to protect.
    Shad0wChas3r
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    Post  Shad0wChas3r June 18th 2013, 3:56 pm

    That's where the conflict lies. Blaine is sworn to protect Earth and all her Colonies. But he is also a huge anti xeno-phobe. Just because they burned out planets doesn't mean ALL of them are bad.

    This would definitely be a change in roles. My characters are generally the 'Paragons', while your typically are the 'Renegades'. While those traits may still be present, perhaps this might be a good chance for me to try my hand at the 'do what it takes' approach with my characters. Blaine always stood by his morales, and perhaps rebelling against the UNSC, even while still hating the Innies, would help maintain that sense of morality.

    This would be an interesting concept, thoughts?
    Manny
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    Post  Manny June 18th 2013, 4:15 pm

    Depends what Blaine believes suits his morals. The people have spoken, they want War to lead them.

    Is Blaine willing to topple a democratically elected leader simply because he doesn't like Walter? Is he willing to destabilize Humanity even further to put in a leader he likes, or doesn't mind at the very least?

    It all depends how strongly Blaine is attached to his morals of freedom and liberty. 

    I think it'd be a great inner conflict for him to have, and a nice touch to the other side. Manuel will be doing what he does best, becoming more and more desensitized but always wondering if he's doing the right thing. Wiping out alien settlements with little mercy, turning the UNSC into another Covenant.

    Blaine will "know" he's doing to right thing, but become more and more aware of the damage he is costing his former nation. Pitting human against human, becoming another Insurrectionists movement with the exception of civilian massacres.

    It's a nice contrast I think.
    Manny
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    Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] Empty Prologue: The Inauguration

    Post  Manny June 19th 2013, 12:06 am

    "Hello, this is Jennifer Knight coming to you LIVE from Switzerland, Earth on this historic day!

    Today marks the second president to be elected since the end of 'the Great War', where the UNSC military became the emergency government.

    Now we celebrate the return of Democracy and the symbolism behind having another President elected. As our second President, Walter A Law is the first in a long line of successors who will no doubt keep Democracy alive. Oh look there he is!" The reporter and her camera crew turned to see Walter stepping out of a limousine, dressed in a suit and tie, and clean shaven. He was dressed for the occasion; no MJOLNIR, no military uniform. There was a time and place for everything.

    Walter strode across the red carpet, making his way to the podium where he would say his speech, take the oath, and then become the new head of state and government. Walter stopped for a second to smile and wave for the cameras as they took hundreds of photos a second.

    He began moving again, reaching the podium in no time with his large steps. As he ascended the steps he nodded towards his most trusted soldier: Manuel-324. Clad in his black armour, which he was rarely seen out of these days, he looked quite out of place among the various secret service agents on the stage. Agents that would be replaced soon enough, War smiled as he thought back to his Spartan guards. 

    Walter stepped up to the podium, adjusted the microphone, and looked out into the crowd. The spectators all began to quiet down and hush each other. Finally War spoke.

    "My fellow men and women, we are gathered here today to honour something. Some would say that you are here to honour me, or to honour the continuation of democracy.

    I say that is not the case." War paused. There was an uneasy silence in the crowd. That didn't sound very democratic at all.

    "We are today to honour ourselves. Our perseverance. Our determination. Our strength. We are here today because of us. Despite our constant conflicts among ourselves, we stood strong. We reached into the STARS, and formed an interplanetary nation for ourselves. 

    When this was threatened by inner conflict, we rose to the challenge. We said, 'enough is enough' and innovated newer and better ways to deal with conflicts beyond the cradle of Earth. When these problems rose again, we faced the conflict head on once again.

    But alas, we did not see what was to come: the arrival of the Covenant," War said, looking out into the crowd. He could see small children looking up at their parents, wondering why their faces were so grim. The newer generations would only hear stories of the Covenant, an alien boogeyman. What had been all too real for their parents would be nothing more than a history lesson for them. War intended it stayed that way. With his rule, the Human-Covenant war would not repeat itself ever again.

    "I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the horror of the Great War, but know this people of the UEG. I, Walter A Law, vow to lead Humanity to the best of my ability. I vow to never allow such an atrocity occur ever again. We are humans, and we ARE strong," Walter clenched his hand into a fist to get his point across.

    "We learn and we adapt, and we shall continue to do so to meet the challenges ahead. Do not be afraid of the various aliens whom would want to see us crushed. We won the war , did we not? We will persevere, and Humanity shall survive!" War said, the crowd cheering him on. He wasn't quite done yet, but he let them go on until they were done.

    "But survival is not enough. What good is survival if it is merely existing? No, Humanity shall THRIVE. Like the Phoenix, we will rise from the ashes, resurrected better than before. 

    I envision a universe where Humans are free from foreign oppression, hate, and violence. Where we do not have to fear another Great War. A world where humans are prosperous, and safe. So let our enemies know that should they try and strike us down again, we will be ready," War took another pause.

    "But this is a shared responsibility we have. The government is merely the organizational tool of the people. YOU, the PEOPLE have the power for change. We CAN turn our situation around! Help me to help you," Walter moved his hand from his chest to gesture towards the crowd, "and together we can achieve great things!"

    Walter took in another short breath.

    "We will work together to provide employment for all! We will work together to turn all people into productive members of society! We will work together to provide peace and security for all people! If not in our lifetime, then at least leave this world knowing you have set the foundation for a better world. It is in this way that we will grow, for by working together Humanity is stronger!" Walter stepped back from the podium, signalling the end of his speech.

    The crowd cheered, and War bowed. They were energized by War's sense of nationalism, courage, bravery, and perseverance despite the challenges ahead. He was a man with a plan, unafraid to take the bull by the horns. With a man like him as leader, surely they could progress?

    A group of people walked onto the stage, carrying a copy the UEG constitution. They walked in front of Walter, as he placed his left hand on the condition and his right hand over his heart.

    "Do you, Walter A Law, accept the responsibility of leading the United Earth Government?"

    "I do,"

    "And do you solemnly affirm that you will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United Earth Government, and to the best of your ability, preserve, protect and defend the United Earth Government Constitution,"

    "I do," Walter replied.

    "The let it be known to the people of the United Earth Government that Walter A Law is the new President!" The speaker announced as the crowds began cheering. Walter waved to the crowds, red eyes glinting and white teeth shining.

    Manuel watched all this from the stage, perfectly aware of what Walter planned to do. Everything he had said in his speech was true, he simply hadn't said how.

    So if you guys want, you can type up a character response, or not. Either way, I'll be moving onto Walter's first order of business, setting things straight in the UNSC.

    OPEN TO RESPONSES


    Last edited by Manny on June 21st 2013, 7:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
    Shad0wChas3r
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    Post  Shad0wChas3r June 19th 2013, 1:07 pm

    Captain Lasky, Autumn Stroud, Commander Palmer, and Admiral Blaine Harlowe stood in front of the computer monitor. Palmer and Lasky cheered, while Blaine and Autumn held their stares of disbelief. The two pairs turned to each other, holding quizzical stares.

    "You can't honestly think this is a bad thing?" Lasky asked. "A Spartan in office? After the Great War, after all that he's been through, he'll know how to keep the UNSC out of conflict."

    "By slaughtering all the innocent masses of the extraterrestrials we have, up to this point, called our allies?" Blaine spat. "While the Elites were the fists of iron during the Great War for the Covenant, they realized the severity of their mistakes, and aimed to rectify it by helping us end the War once and for all. I should know, I was there when it happened!"

    "Blaine is right, Captain." Autumn replied. "Even after the Sanghieili civil war, the Arbiter's faction has always been willing to lend us a helping hand. All those against Humanity are also the Arbiter's enemies as well. Even the Jiralhanae have come to terms with their mistakes, and live on Dosaic, secluded from the rest of the Universe. I can't speak for the San' Sayuum, or the Kig' Yar. But the Unggoy, despite being unhappy with the harsh conditions of Bahalo, are content with staying AWAY from the war-zone."

    "Having Walter A. Law as President, another Spartan, like you or me, might I add, is going to be beneficial to the UNSC. Admiral, you've sworn to protect Earth and all of her Colonies. War aims to prevent the Great War from rekindling."

    The door behind them slid open, as Darryl, David, Naomi, and Isabella stomped in.

    "You guys see that horse shit?!" Darryl spat. "They're putting that Fascist as Head of State!"

    "You're preaching to the choir." Blaine hissed, glancing over at Lasky and Palmer.

    "I always thought you were more sensible than that, Admiral." Lasky growled. "Don't you see what this man plans to bring to us?"

    "I do, clearly." Blaine spat. "I've worked with him before, and I know it's something I don't want ANY part of."

    "So you would succeed from the UNSC, abandon your Oath to preserve Humanity?" Commander Palmer balled her fists.

    "Yeah, I guess I would." Blaine turned to his Spartans. "Prepare the Aura, gather me and Bailey's Spartan IVs, we cast off in five."

    Palmer wrapped a fist around Blaine's wrist.

    "You have no jurisdiction anymore, you rebel piece of shit. You're coming with me."

    "Don't touch me." Blaine grit his teeth, as Lasky sighed.

    "Take ex-Admiral Harlowe to the brig, Commander."

    "With pleasure." Palmer growled.

    Big mistake Blaine sighed.

    Throwing a mean right hook to Palmer's face, Blaine's massive fist shattered the visor of her Scout helmet, as she released her grip on his wrist. Bringing his knee up into her chest, he watched as she fell onto her back, Darryl and the others, including Autumn, fleeing from the room.

    Stomping a boot down on her, he crouched low, glaring into her light blue eyes.

    "-And you call yourself a Spartan." Blaine grinned. "As a pro tip, don't touch me, if you're my enemy."

    Swinging his right boot, it slammed into the side of her helmet, knocking her out cold. Turning, Lasky pointed a pistol at his helmet, his grip not faultering.

    "I have no quarrel with you. Lower your weapon, and let me and my men leave the Infinity in peace."

    "As an enemy of the UNSC, you know I can't let you do that. I have Crimson, Castle, and Majestic on the way to detain you."

    "My apologies, Captain." Blaine snickered, grasping the pistol, bending the metal of the weapon with his vice grip.

    Ripping it from the Captain's hands, he tossed the piece to the left and bolted for the door, charging his way down to the vehicle bay. Behind him, the three fire-teams bolted after him, their weapons flaring. Pulling a frag from his pouch, Blaine pulled the pin and threw it at his feet, running faster than he ever thought he could towards the elevator. The ensuing explosion kept the Spartans at bay momentarily, until the Elevator doors closed, and he was halfway down the tube.

    The lights in the elevator went out, however, as Spartan Miller, wherever he was, pressed a button. Growling with annoyance, Blaine opened the top hatch, jumping at the cable beneath him. Sliding down the length of the rope, Blaine hopped over to the other side. Climbing onto the cat walk, Blaine ripped the doors open and stepped out into the hall.

    Continuing his break-neck run towards the vehicle bay, the biggest member of Crimson, clad in FOTUS armor, stood in front of him, a shotgun in his hand. Blaine had fought this soldier, painted in a similar scheme as Blaine, the black visor of his menacing helmet glared into his.

    "Admiral Harlowe, I respectfully request that you surrender yourself."

    "As I respectfully request that you go fuck yourself, you useless twat." Darryl's voice called behind the FOTUS clad Spartan.

    A fist shot out, punching the Crimson Spartan onto his stomach, as Blaine and Darryl ran into the vehicle bay, claimed a Albatross, and took off to the recently released Aura of Armaggedon.

    Once inside, Blaine immediately ordered Ensign Reznov to use slip-space, while Nav was to erase all tethers to the UNSC. Blaine, his Spartan IVs, Darryl, and Isabella, were now rebels to the UNSC.

    Is this alright? Feel free to make any modifications as you see fit, as this is your story.
    Manny
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    Post  Manny June 19th 2013, 5:11 pm

    Checks out a-ok with me. 

    Perhaps their decision to rebel right there and then seems a little rash but, hey who am I to judge.
    Shad0wChas3r
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    Post  Shad0wChas3r June 19th 2013, 7:38 pm

    I would imagine so as well, but Commander Palmer has a rash personality as well, and Lasky has lost a lot of people he's known and loved to the 'Great War'. It would be obvious how they would react to Blaine's 'heresy'.
    Manny
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    Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] Empty Chapter 1: Insurrectionists

    Post  Manny June 20th 2013, 11:21 pm

    War sat behind the desk of his new office, sipping some whiskey as per usual. Across from his stood Manuel, giving War a status report on the UNSC. Everything from the quality of new recruits to the UNSC's budget was being looked at and throughly reviewed.

    "And the Air Force is asking for more funds?" War asked, looking at the holographic screen projected by Manuel's TACPAD.

    "Yes, they have plans to weaponize their unmanned surveillance drones, giving us an unmanned fighting force," Manuel paused before continuing.

    "Permission to speak freely sir?"

    "Granted," War said, leaning back in his chair.

    "I think this would be a good advantage for us. So far, the only aircraft we've seen by the former Covenant are all manned. If we could have unmanned fighters, it would reduce casualties on our side. The computers are probably more accurate pilots anyways, and recruitment for the Air Force isn't as high as it is for the Navy or the Army," Manuel said.

    "You raise a good point general. I'll convene a meeting with Air Force brass and see what it is they have in mind. Weaponized surveillance drones may not be quite enough to compete with Banshees," War said, bringing up the next issue at hand with a swipe of his hand.

    "Army Brass is discussing a revival of Project JAVELIN, which I believe was a another super solider program designed to be the Army's equivalent to the SPARTAN program. I highly suggest you stay with the Spartans," Manuel said.

    War grinned, before taking another sip of his drink.
    "And why is that?"

    "We have a program that works, and these rivalries between branches is, quite frankly, immature. If the army needs super soldiers they can request Spartans, as they did with Noble Team. No need to waste more money on a redundant program," Manuel said, straight to the point. War grinned, pleased with the progress of his chosen successor. Although Manuel didn't know it, War had been subtly sculpting him into a suitable successor to his soon to be empire.

    "Excellent points General. I'll be sure to keep those in mind when I meet with Army officials. Now that we've finished discussing the situation of the UNSC, and the various requests, let us move onto more pressing matters... What of the Insurrection?"

    "In hiding. Activity has been kept to a minimum, except for Venezia. The place is an rebel stronghold only becoming stronger as their economy slowly grows due to alien trade. Their arsenal of weaponry grows everyday, supplied by Kig Yar merchants. If we don't do something, the place could become a rebel capital world should the Insurrectionists convince other planets to succeed. UNSC ships can't even get near the place without cloaking; we need to do something" Manuel replied, the holographic projection switching to a globe of Venezia.

    "I believe ONI was handling the situation?"

    "They sent in a team to annihilate the leader. The results were unsuccessful, giving the rebels a cause to rally behind. They have an iron grip over Venezia," A picture of the rebel leader appeared next to the globe.

    "And what do your propose we do?" War asked, curious to see what his General considered the best course of action.

    "Normally I'd send in teams to destabilize the region, but everyone there seems to be an Insurrectionist. We won't find anybody readily willing to side with the UEG. The way I see it, we can do three thing; one on the home front and one of two on Venezia,"

    "Gather the support of the people here, and launch a full scale military invasion of Venezia?" War asked, already familiar with the thinking patterns of Manuel.

    "...Well yes, but I also had another idea. Something we can do now, instead of waiting for an overwhelming amount of support from the civilian populace," Manuel suggested.

    "And what is that?" War asked.

    "As I said, we can't divide the rebels... But we can divide them and their alien allies. They live in close proximity, so if we were to frame the aliens for a major crime I'm sure that would weaken relations with the Insurrectionists," Manuel replied, pointing out alien settlements closest to human populations.

    "Devious, " War said, raising his glass of whiskey to Manuel. The Spartan simply nodded, not sure what else to do. War downed his drink before speaking.

    "If we could 'show' the Insurrectionists that the aliens are untrustworthy, they may be more willing to side with us. Better to chose the devil you do know,"

    "Side with us? That would take a major crime..."

    "Like a crime against Humanity..." War started, not finishing his sentence. He didn't need to. He knew that Manuel knew exactly what he was asking for: a slaughter.

    "Consider it done sir," Manuel said. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. If it would unite Humanity... It HAD to be done. Besides, if he DID turn away from War now, where would he go? There was no defying War now, there was no where to run.

    A buzzing noise brought Manuel's attention away from his moral dilemma and back to the situation at hand. War answered the phone on his desk. It was a hotline to the brass of every branch of the UNSC. War sat there and listened as whoever was on the phone spoke. Manuel turned off his TACPAD's projector while he waited.

    "Yes, of course. I'll be there right away," Walter said hanging the phone up.

    "What happened?" Manuel asked.

    "Navy Brass is requesting to meet with me. They say it's urgent," War said, getting up.

    "What happened?" Manuel asked, a little more forcefully this time. Walter looked at Manuel, before answering his question.

    "It would seem we have more rebels on our hands, some high ranking officials, an admiral even. Unlike the Insurrection however, they have a very poor reason to 'rebel'." War explained.

    "Which is?" Manuel hated being left out of the loop.

    "They don't like me. I'm sure your familiar with Admiral 115's dislike of my methods of warfare. He used to be worthy of the title 'Spartan', but somewhere along the line he grew soft.

    Now he betrays his species, making him no better than the Insurrectionists. He is, as of now, our enemy," War said. Manuel frowned behind his visor. Surely Blaine would have thought it through? His oath as one of the original Spartan IIs binded him to Earth and her colonies. What was he thinking?

    "Any news of how much of a rift this has caused in the Navy?" Manuel asked. It would seem that the Legion's elite, previously the Legion's only soldiers, would have step to step in to fill in the gap.

    "Pathetically small. A handful of Spartan IVs, another Spartan II, and one frigate. Where they plan on heading is a mystery, but there isn't much. Venezia is the only colony that may harbour them, giving us more reason to head there, and I doubt they would have headed towards Covenant space" War explained.

    "Let's go," Manuel said heading for the door. War was clearly testing where his loyalties lied. Last time he checked, most rebels had good reasons for rebelling. Blaine just didn't like War, and he hasn't even given him a chance in office. If he had been voted into power, then War was doing something right. War's voice broke his chain of thought.

    "No, you will return to Legion headquarters and discuss some things with Pestilence. He knows one of the rebels, Isabella-315, personally. See if he knows anything of use," War finished.

    "Anything else sir?" Manuel asked.

    "Check up on his A.I project. He told me it would be a major asset, but I have yet to find out the details. Go do so, and report back to me when I return. I intend to nip this rebellion in the bud" War replied before walking out of the doors.

    Manuel stood there alone, unsure of what to think. A close friend of him had chosen to leave the very government he was sworn to protect, effectively making the two enemies. Manuel wished he could somewhat justify Blaine's decision in his mind but the truth... He couldn't.

    One does not simply start rebellions because they do not like the outcome of an election. Sure, Blaine knew what War was really like, and so did Manuel, but there was no proof. War eliminated anything that could be traced back to him, and if it couldn't be eliminated then he hid it so well no one would notice.

    So without any proof, Blaine's rebellion was less justified than the Insurrection. If Manuel ended it now, before Blaine did something, perhaps he could minimize Blaine's punishment.

    Because if Blaine went to war with a Legion controlled UNSC, there was no guarantee he'd come out alive.

    OPEN TO RESPONSES


    Last edited by Manny on June 21st 2013, 7:51 pm; edited 1 time in total
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    Post  Shad0wChas3r June 20th 2013, 11:41 pm

    And Blaine would gladly die before he saw a Fascist Anti-Xeno campaign do exactly what Manuel had suggested, Genocide on our own people. He is binded to saving and preserving the life of the UEG's people. If the Government is ordering the controlled slaughter of innocent civilians, Blaine and his men want nothing to do with it.

    He's smarter than he let's on, mind you. All I ask is, if you do finish him off in this, make it actually worth something. I'm not saying he should win, all I'm asking is that his death was meaningful.
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    Post  Manny June 20th 2013, 11:45 pm

    That little thought process of the end is just Manuel's thinking process.

    Despite everything, he wants Blaine to come out ok. Which is why he wants to end it as soon as possible.

    He'd rather see Blaine imprisoned for a few years than dead.

    "Tough love" I suppose.

    And Manuel suggested worsening relations between the two. War took it a step further.
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    Post  Shad0wChas3r June 20th 2013, 11:48 pm

    Well at least Manuel finally shows that he cares about his ol' buddies.

    Take him wherever you will, I'll post here and there with his occasional reaction to something, but I trust you can do him some justice.
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    Post  Manny June 20th 2013, 11:51 pm

    Oh I will. The ending will be something I don't think people will expect.

    To win a war, you have to accomplish the objectives you set out to achieve.

    In that sense the Legion doesn't lose.

    If you want, depending on your schedule, you could type up where Blaine went. If not, that's cool. I got the whole Pesty & Manuel meeting, and then the Navy Brass meeting.
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    Post  Shad0wChas3r June 21st 2013, 12:18 am

    "Frigate popping outta Slip-Space, doesn't register as one of ours." Two men sat side by side, gazing at their computer monitors. The one on the right chewed the end off of a stogie, as he glared at the younger man.

    The young boy gazed up into the veteran's right eye, the left one covered by an eye-patch.

    "You're damned right it isn't one of ours, and how do we treat unwanted visitors?" He growled.

    "W-we shoot it down, sir?" The rookie stammered, as the veteran smirked and nodded, rustling his hand through the boy's hair.

    "Thatta boy." Lighting his stogie, the man prepared to press the button. "Damn UNSC never knows when to give up."

    "This is Ex-Admiral Blaine 115, former Spartan of the UNSC." The veteran stopped as he heard the transmission, clenching his fists in anger. Now he was leaving the UNSC too?! "This message is for all Venezians, the UEG has elected yet another President. A man that, while I'm not sure you are familiar with, is the head of an Organization that calls themselves the 'Legion'. They have not only absolved most of the UNSC military, but I have no doubt in my mind they are on their way to take over this stronghold."

    "You have the audacity to come to my people, threatening them with an offensive, when you have been marked by our ranks as a Priority Number One target, and you expect us to aid you, let alone believe your words?"

    "This is Isabella-315, Clay, I recognize your voice from a mile away."

    "Isabella?" The veteran scoffed. "You have some nerve, after killing my father in cold blood."

    "Clay, eh? You mean that linguine eating fuck that nearly killed us all by releasing all of the prisoners from nearly all of the prisons in the Galaxy. Yeah no, Isabella didn't kill your dad, dude. It was Manuel, the motherfucking GENERAL of War's Legion."

    "Of course you'd bring Mr. Americano too. Eat a cheeseburger today, you capitalist scum."

    "Obviously you didn't hear my warning properly." Blaine's voice was blunt. "THE LEGION IS ON IT'S WAY HERE!"


    "Oh I heard you, idiota." Clayton spat. "But I refuse to help those of which killed what was my own."

    "So you would sacrifice everyone in this stronghold, just because you won't listen to us?" Isabella asked.

    "Of course not!" Clayton roared with laughter. "We'll just shoot down your Frigate, scrap it, and prepare for our victory against them."

    "Boy you meatball brained motha-fuckers are denser than a crown of gold in a bath-tub." Darryl hissed. "THERE IS NO VICTORY!"


    "So why bother wasting my time?"

    "Their plan of attacks to assassinate your leader have failed." Another voice entered the comm. "If you let us help you, we can establish a strong, resilient resistance."

    "Yeah, and how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

    "We rally the Sanghieli, Kig 'Yar, Jiralhanae, and maybe even find some Forerunner tools." Blaine replied "Our first goal, however, is to rally the troops. I've dropped you this warning, so you can make all the necessary fortifications. They'll be attacking soon, if I know them, and they'll be attacking hard."

    Make changes where necessary, bringing an old friend into the game, if you don't mind.
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    Post  Manny June 21st 2013, 7:44 pm

    Hm... if by old friend you mean Clayton then sure.

    However, this is still pretty early into War's term as President. Why would the alien species even bother?

    Anyways, expect a new part, maybe two, sometimes tomorrow.

    Oh, I want to clarify something. At the end of a new part, I'll post this:
    OPEN TO RESPONSES
    So people know when it's alright to post a reply. So far, I've just been doing it in external posts.

    If I don't put anything at the end, then assume it's "closed".
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    Post  Manny June 24th 2013, 1:11 am

    Manuel strode through the hallways of the Legion's new headquarters, located on Heian. After establishing a sizeable military presence there and subduing some of the "natives", Heian became the perfect playground for research and development.

    After the battle of Heian, it was decided that the Black Guard weren't enough to maintain the Legion's numbers. Not only that, but obtaining the bodies of the battlefield had been harder with the increasing amount of Legion-ONI ops. He doubted they wanted their soldiers being turned into undead drones. Now that the Legion was the government, it wouldn't be too hard to obtain bodies but there was on other thing to consider: public reaction.

    The Black Guard could not be fielded publicly in large amount for extended periods of time. While made to look like Spartans, an incident was bound to occur where their nature would be called into question. Therefore an alternative was needed for War's personal army.

    Apparently Pestilence had the answer to this dilemma. Manuel entered an elevator and pressed B9. The Legion liked to build underground, where all R&D would survive if the planet was glassed. Stepping out of the elevator he walked past various doors that lead to the various projects Pestilence had. 

    Manuel had them all memorized, as did most Legion employees that worked here. If you didn't have them memorized, or weren't with someone that did, you probably weren't supposed to be there anyways.

    Manuel walked by the Black Guard lab, then the holding cells for the four prisoners, and finally he reached the door that led to the newest wing of the ninth basement floor.

    Manuel removed his helmet, revealing weary eyes, some stubble, and hair slightly longer than regulation. He'd been working quite a bit in the days during War's election campaign, chalking up victories for Humanity against Covenant forces as propaganda for the Legion's political party. Hopefully whatever Pestilence had planned would be helpful in fighting off the remaining threats of their nation.

    The scanner scanned his face, eyes, fingerprints, and then asked Manuel to speak. After recognizing all these features that belonged to him a card slot appeared, which prompted Manuel pulled out his golden pass card and insert it. After verifying that the card was indeed authentic and registering whose it was, the door finally slid open. Manuel walked in to a strange sight.

    On the walls surrounding Manuel were various diagrams that portrayed the anatomy of the Human brain. In the middle there was a hologram detailing the specifics of A.I., which was odd for Pestilence. He rarely dabbled in technology that wasn't involved in biology. Manuel walked passed it and descended a lone stair case.

    In the room below an even odder sight greeted him. Pestilence was tinkering with what appeared to be a robotic skeleton.

    "Pestilence?" Manuel asked, unsure if this WAS him. He had never seen him dabble with machinery if it wasn't medical equipment. Pestilence looked behind him and stood up, taking off his magnifying googles.

    "Ah, 324! What brings you here today?" He asked.

    "War sent me to check up on your latest... project," Manuel said, gesturing to the skeletal figure.  Pestilence looked at it, and then back to a confused Spartan.

    "You seem confused 324?" He asked.

    "I am. You don't work with anything not biologically related," Manuel responded.

    "Oh but there IS biology here. By attempting to replicate the human body, I've learned so much more about its intricate workings! Of course, my latest creations are more simplified versions of the human body, but they'll fulfill their function well enough," he replied.

    "What creations?" Manuel asked.

    "The project that you spoke of! Unit 1, enter!" Pestilence said. From the right side of the room a door slid open and out walked out 0000]https://s1120.photobucket.com/user/randomguy30/media/The%20Legion/AI%20Infantry/RobotTemplate_zps2a26034a.png.html?sort=3&o=0]a figure clad in what appeared to be black and red MJOLNIR armour.[/url]

    "What is that?" Manuel asked.

    "Unit 1, at your service general!" The figure replied, saluting Manuel.

    "What is it?"

    "The more publicly acceptable replacement for the Black Guard! Not as gruesome on the inside because... There aren't any insides," Pestilence replied, smiling at his latest creation. He motioned for Manuel to follow him through the same room the odd figure had walked out of.

    In the back lab was an assortment of jars with human brains in them. Most people would have been disturbed by the scene but Manuel had seen much worse before. Looking around, he saw a dissected black guard on the table, bolted down to it.

    "Why is that guard here?" Manuel asked.

    "It was a feral. They serve no real purpose anymore, being little more than overly expensive attack dogs. We keep some to satisfy the desire of operatives such as Famine or Agent Ten, but we have no need for their large scale deployment. Instead, we take their brains and put them to a better use. We create A.I.s from them," 

    "Artificial intelligence? Why?" Manuel asked. He wished Pestilence would get to the point.

    "Without a brain, my robotic bodies have nothing to control them. We considered having a regular computer inside them, but the programming soon became far too complex with far too many variables. So we turned to A.I. to produce soldiers rather than drones," Pestilence opened yet another door which lead into a very large room; larger than the rooms used to manufacture the Black Guard.

    "I present to you General 324, the world's first robotic warriors! Designed to be on par with Spartans, they use mechanical strength to match augmented muscle," Manuel looked down as the words exited the Horseman's mouth. Below he saw a small army of figures just like the one next to him.

    "Pestilence this... is... amazing!" Manuel said, bewildered. Not only did the Legion have the Black Guard, but now they had these! 

    "Yes, they are. Their MJOLNIR armour IS them, and they lack the requirements of sleep, food, and water making them cheaper to maintain on the field. All are experts at infiltrating computer systems, connecting via their TACPADs. They're EMP resistant as well, so they won't all 'die' if one does go off," Pestilence crossed his arms and leaned against a wall, content with his handy work. 

    "How do they think?" Manuel asked.

    "All are given a smart A.I. to function, and all are loyal to the Legion since their previous feral guard minds were indoctrinated to obey Legion officials. They firmly believe in our fight against the aliens and are willing to do anything to serve their masters."

    "What of rampancy?" 

    "Well, given the state of the brains we used they have much more 'thinking space', prolonging the onset of rampancy. It is also worth noting that these A.I. will be confined to their robotic bodies most of the time, allowing them to focus on a limited number of things at a time. This also helps prolong an A.I.'s healthy lifespan, and when you put these two factors together I'd say they have about... nine to ten years?" He predicted and Manuel nodded. Quite the improvement indeed.

    "How many are there?" Manuel asked, a little excited. They could use more numbers.

    "A thousand in the first batch alone, and more to come. They're ready for deployment if you choose to take them," Pestilence replied. Manuel nodded before turning to 'Unit 1'.

    "Unit 1, please prepare your fellow soldiers for deployment. You're in charge of them," 

    "Sir yes sir!" The robot said before walking away. Manuel simply shook his head, amazed at how human like they were. They could easily masquerade as Spartans. 

    "What do I call them?" Manuel asked. The augmented super soldiers were Spartans, the undead soldiers were the Black Guard, but these robotic soldiers had no name.

    "Walter told me to give them a very specific name, one that will reflect their duties. They are, the Enforcers," Pestilence said gesturing towards them.

    "Anything else I should know?" Manuel asked absentmindedly, watching his new soldiers.

    "Ah yes, there's a new batch of Black Guard ready. A big one, considering I had enough ferals to produce these many Enforcers, about 2000. It was a bad batch," Pestilence added.

    "So the rest are in the organized stage?" Manuel asked.

    "Indeed," Pestilence said, turning away. Manuel could see Unit 1 ordering his comrades into the deployment elevator, not unlike those used to mass deliver large amounts of Black Guard to the surface of whichever planet they were created on.

    Manuel followed Pestilence back through his brain lab, and back to the room with the mechanical skeleton. It was here that Manuel broke the silence, away from the Enforcers.

    "What do you know of Isabella-315?" Manuel asked. Pestilence stopped in his tracks and turned around.

    "What do I know? She's a human female, augmented in a project somewhat similar to the Spartan IV project. The goal was meant to produce Spartans that could more easily blend into civilian populations, for infiltration reasons," 

    "We both know that, what do you know?" Manuel repeated.

    "Alright, alright. I'll tell you what Peter knows," Pestilence replied.

    "She's legally my step-daughter, due to a marriage I had that-"

    "You know the policies we have on marriage Pestilence. No secrets; duty to the Legion comes first," Manuel interrupted.

    "Of course I know! As I was saying, it is a marriage I no longer care about. I don't even know the whereabouts of my spouse, or even her name for that matter," Pestilence replied.

    "Is that a side effect of the cloning procedure?" Manuel asked. When Pestilence had been killed, he failed to choose a successor. So War had all the Legion's best scientists clone his body and transplant his brain in the new body. Thankfully it worked, since Pestilence was soon alive again.

    "I believe so, but it doesn't really matter. As the government, we can't kidnap her mother and use her against Isabella. All I know is that she's probably with that imbecile Darryl," Pestilence practically spat out the last word.

    "And Darryl is probably with Blaine. So we're right back where we started, looking for Blaine. Wonderful," Manuel replied sarcastically. He began to walk away, before Pestilence called out.

    "Manuel! What do you plan to do?!" He asked. The Spartan turned around, raising an eyebrow.

    "Imprison Isabella, seeing as how she's brought shame to the Legion. I don't know why she was given the number 315, considering she didn't even train with us, but I do know that people will start believe we are fracturing. We can't have that. As for the UNSC Spartans, they have wonderful combat records. I'd be more than willing to spare them if the pledge allegiance to our nation," Manuel said, punching in War's number on his TACPAD. It seemed that he was busy.

    "No you fool, what do you plan to do with the Enforcers so soon? I could care less about those rebels," Pestilence asked.

    "You'll find out soon enough, but it's classified for now. Military eyes only, sorry," Manuel replied, walking out of the room and into the hallway. He put on his helmet again as he walked by the Black Guard lab. He could hear them mobilizing, the sound of their steps amplified by their sheer numbers. Manuel shook his head and continued towards the elevator. As he ascended he attempted to call War once more, with no success. Hopefully the Navy had more info on the whereabouts of ex-admiral Blaine.
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    Post  Manny June 24th 2013, 1:54 am

    Manny wrote:Hm... if by old friend you mean Clayton then sure.

    However, this is still pretty early into War's term as President. Why would the alien species even bother?

    Anyways, expect a new part, maybe two, sometimes tomorrow.

    Oh, I want to clarify something. At the end of a new part, I'll post this:
    OPEN TO RESPONSES
    So people know when it's alright to post a reply. So far, I've just been doing it in external posts.

    If I don't put anything at the end, then assume it's "closed".
    SOOOORRRRYY John Sad

    But the last line kinda puts your post outta whack. My next scene was War meeting with Navy Brass to discuss the whereabouts of Blaine's ship.

    Which would yield an answer. Chronologically, if this scene of your WAS to play out it'd be after War's meeting with Navy Brass. And Headhunter One (the John I knew Agent Nine always could be!) would have a slightly different mission... Since they'd know what planet Blaine is on, but not exactly where he is.

    For what it's worth... I liked your part.
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    Post  Bad John June 24th 2013, 2:21 am

    Drat.

    I'll purge the part and post when appropriate. Sorry to upset your deal, Manny.

    I'm going back to bed. Peace.
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    Post  Manny July 10th 2013, 7:25 pm

    "And where is he now?" War asked. The Admirals in the room looked at each other, somewhat uncertain about who would answer. Finally Admiral Hood answered his question.

    "Look Walter-"

    "Mr. President, thank you very much. You do not refer to me on a fist name basis anymore, Terrance," War replied, his red eyes gazing into the Admiral's. Hood held the Horseman's gaze, unwilling to be intimidated, but knowing he had to respect the President's power.

    "As I was saying Mr. President, we are not entirely sure but we believe they would have fled to Venezia. Although the ex-Admiral is not on good terms with them, I believe they may be willing to comprise to bring down a common enemy. They both have limited resources, so it would be logical for them to pool them together," Hood replied.

    "I want facts Admirals, not speculation. I deduced that myself without any equipment. You have the entire fleet at your disposal and you can't tell me where they are?"

    "I can" a voice said from behind them. War turned and looked to see Margaret Paragnosky, head of ONI. War smiled, perhaps she would have some information.

    "Margaret," War said, nodding his head.

    "Walter," she responded with her nod. They two had become increasingly close allies, ONI and the Legion sharing the same mistrust of the former Covenant species. In their time together, ONI had been more of a shield for Humanity, and the Legion had been the sword.

    "Margaret this meeting began half an hour ago. I'd like to know why you're late," Lord Hood asked.

    "I was out gathering information Terrance, which I'm sure some people here will appreciate," she replied, turning to War.

    "Well then? Go on. I care not for your absence as long as I have results," War said.

    "Yes well, the UNSC Port Stanley has been cloaked around Venezia, giving us status updates on the situation at hand. They've reported seeing the Aura of Armageddon exit slip space in orbit above the planet. They've docked, and satellite imaging from Port Stanley has a positive ID on ex-admiral Blaine. They've defected over to the Insurrectionists' side," Paragnosky replied.

    War smiled, before looking at the other Admirals.

    "Exemplary work Margaret. Admirals, prepare your best crewmen to be ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. We will see how the situation develops, but should anything get off Venezia and head towards UNSC territory, keep an eye on it.

    Now if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to," War said walking out of the room and into the hall way. His tablet showed that he had missed a few calls from his general. He'd have to take it in private, but now was not the time. Lord Hood was approaching him from behind.

    "You told us to mobilize our best crewmen, but you failed to mention any ships. What are you planning?" He asked. Walter turned to looked at Admiral. Despite disagreeing with him about the value of democracy, he had a fair amount of respect from War. He had plenty of experience against the enemy, and the Arbiter seemed to trust him more than any other human. Hood was still useful, but his usefulness would run its course soon. In time, War would appoint one of his supporters to replace Terrance Hood, but not now.

    "We will be fielding prototype ships," War saw the Admiral's mouth form into a tight line.

    "They are more than combat ready Admiral. In fact I think you will favour the results, assuming everything goes well,"

    "With all due respect, I don't think testing them against the Insurrection is the smartest idea,"

    "Then what do you propose? The Sangheili? The Jiralhanae? No Admiral, we must use it against our own, to avoid giving those aliens a cause to rally behind. In time we will be stronger, but we must take, as they say, 'baby steps'." War explained.

    "I just hope these new ships of your don't cost any of my men their lives," The Admiral conceded.

    "Our men, Admiral. Our men. I am concerned for their lives as much as you are," War said, looking behind his back. They were now in the hangar, and War left to board his personal Pelican.

    "Right," Admiral Hood replied, before turning around to go organize a small strike force for War.

    "How many?" War asked, viewing Manuel's hologram through his tablet. He was back in his personal office, where everything was secure.

    "1000 Enforcers, and 1000 Black Guard as well. I have them in a frigate, and I am heading to our rendezvous point. Is the new super carrier ready?"

    "Of course, I plan to use Venezia as the test bed for our new line of warships" War replied.

    "How did it go with the Admirals?" Manuel asked.

    "Bah, only Margaret provided any solid results... As usual. I failed to mention the deployment of our new ships to most of them, only speaking with Hood about the topic. He seemed hesitant, but I'm sure the results of our new warships should be more than enough to put any doubts to rest." Walter replied.

    "When do we strike sir?" Manuel asked.

    "Your strike force will be deployed in 24 hours, in the outskirts of the capital city,"

    "Yes sir," Manuel replied grimly, steeling himself for what needed to be done. It would all be over soon. They were trading in a few lives for the sake of millions, surely no one could protest once the results were seen?


    24 hours later, in orbit above Venezia

    "All right, we're going to hit these farms here, here, and there," Manuel said, pointing out three areas on a 3D holographic map. His assembled group of Enforcers and Black Guard merely nodded.

    "Alphas one, two, three, and four; take your squads to the Eastern farms and eliminate the rebels. Leave none alive, and make some noise. Feel free to bark and shout," Manuel ordered. The less human the Black Guard acted, the more likely people would believe aliens were the aggressors.

    "Units 1, 7, 13, and 18, take your squads through the Western end and eliminate all occupants. We can't have eye witnesses. Be sure to play your recordings as you go through" Manuel said, the Enforcers nodding as well. The would blare alien howls and yells through their "mouths' to add to the illusion of alien aggressors.

    "I'll go through the middle with Alpha squad here," Manuel said gesturing to his squad. Miguel, Claude, Jakob, and Andrew acknowledged the Enforcers, giving them a brief wave. The Enforcers nodded in return, not being overly social yet.

    "We set to go mang?" Miguel stepped forward. Manuel nodded before turning back to the assembled guards and robots.

    "Yes. Take your positions!" Manuel shouted as the Guard howled in glee and the Enforcers merely saluted. Then they were off, leaping into stealth transports and plunging into orbit.

    As the transports descended into orbit, they purred along their path ever so quietly, scanning for any anti air support. Fortunately ONI intel had been correct in stating the rural areas of Venezia were poorly guarded. Landing about a kilometre away, they landed and dropped off their cargo before flying away and around the farms to the extraction point.

    Manuel hit the ground running, his soldiers following suite. Within half an hour, the strike force was there and splitting into three groups as planned.

    Alpha squad ran up to the first farmhouse, crouching beneath the window. Miguel was crouched across from Manuel, pulling out a spike grenade. Manuel shook his head, signalling that now was not the time.

    Claude gazed through the building using his Promethean vision , detecting no movements except for the sleeping bodies upstairs. He kicked in the door and led the way in, the rest of Alpha squad following. They stormed up the stairs, the noise awakening a man. The sound of a shotgun being pumped could be heard.

    "I'm giving y'all ONE chance to-" The farmer's warning was cut short as Miguel fired his spikers, ending his life instantly.

    "Honey?!" Came a shout from inside the bedroom. Manuel stormed the bedroom, pulling out a mauler and opening fire, blasting the women's face off. He motioned for his squad to clear the rest of the house.

    Manuel walked over to the women's body to make sure she was dead. He rolled her over with his foot, to make he didn't get a response. Satisfied, Manuel walked out of the room to meet his squad.

    "Have all the occupants been taken care of?" He asked Claude, whom was walking out the next bedroom.

    "Two children were found and disposed of in the adjacent room, and Miguel took care of their dog," Claude reported. At the precise moment, a twisting wet noise could be heard and out appeared Miguel with a tooth.

    "Just a little souvenir," he said, depositing it into his hard case. Manuel just headed downstairs.

    "What?" Miguel asked, turning to Claude.

    "Take your job a bit more seriously," he replied, heading downstairs. Miguel followed suite, heading for the door.

    As Manuel's squad exited the house, another two stealth transports landed, giving Manuel the most crucial part of this mission: Jiralhanae Black Guard.

    "Bring the bodies to the rendezvous point, and then eat them," Manuel ordered, speaking into his coms. The undead Brutes merely nodded as they lumbered off into the houses, coming back out and carrying the corpses as if they weighed nothing.

    From here he could hear the faint sounds of Jiralhanae barks and howls, despite the fact there were no live Jiralhanae in the immediate area. The screams and cries of humans mixed in with the cry signalling to Manuel that the others were doing their jobs perfectly.

    Manuel motioned for his squad to move forward onto the next house and repeat the same procedure. After all, the massacre had only begun.
    Manny
    Manny
    Freelancer Operative


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    Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab] Empty Re: Dawn of a New Era [SEMI-Collab]

    Post  Manny July 24th 2013, 12:31 pm

    Venezia Capital City

    "Welcome to Venezia National News, here with your news anchor David Lee. Today we will be taking a look at the tradgedy that has befallen our local farmers.

    Earlier this morning, local cyclist contacted police after discovering what appears to be a pile of bodies next to a giant fire.

    Police say that identification of the victims is hard due to their corpses being burned and chewed. Initial speculations included wild animals feeding on campers after a camp fire gone wrong, but no signs of a camp fire have been found.

    Further analysis of the bite marks have shown that they match the anatomy of Jiralhanae, or Brute, mouths. These raise suspicions that they are behind this crime, since a Jiralhanae encampment is only a few kilometres away.

    "When interviewed the Chief of Venezian police had this to say" David reported as the crew switched the emission to a recording of the interview.

    "We find this to be very disturbing and will most definitely be asking our neighbours for any information they have," the newscast cut back to the new anchor.

    "So far authorities won't say much else, but the our leader himself has had something to say in the matter," The newscast cut to the interview with the rebel leader.

    "While we find this to be a crime against Humanity, we must realize that our neighbours are not quite so knowledgable in this area. I would like to believe this is a cultural misunderstanding, but things do look grim. I will be speaking to whomever is in charge of the Jiralhanae and get to the bottom of this," the newscast cut back to David.

    "Well there you have it. Authorities and our leader himself are looking for answers, as I'm sure we all are.

    A less grim story about a boy-" the broadcast was cut short by the powering off a computer monitor. War chuckled to himself as he poured himself a celebratory glass of brandy.

    "With all due respect sir, I don't believe now is the time to celebrate," Manuel said from across War's table. He had heard the newscast and that was enough. He didn't need to see, he WAS there when it happened.

    "And why is that?" War asked, taking a drink from his glass regardless.

    "We have more missions and the eventual invasion to plan. The Insurrectionists may start collecting weapons at a faster rate now that they have something to fear," Manuel replied.

    "Ah, there are many ways to begin our invasion. We must make the population of Venezia side with us. To do that, we must appear as friends. I will meet with the Venezian leader and-"

    "You would recognize them as a sovreign state?!" Manuel asked in surprise.

    "If only for a while. We let them invite us into their home, and turn their people against them by making them side with us.

    When we give them results, and safety, they will see we have done more for them than the Insurrectionist cause ever did. All the while our undercover spies will work to undermine the government and start an annexation movement. When enough political support is given to us, we shall make the official announcement and hold a referendum. Then our 'invasion' will be complete,

    Wars rely on more than brute strength General," War replied.

    "And if we still encounter resistance after all that?" Manuel replied.

    "Then we crush them, as a show of power and a warning to any other would be rebels. THEN, we can accomplish our goal of Human supremacy!" War said raising his glass and drinking it.

    "What shall I do in the meantime?" Manuel asked.

    "Ah yes, I almost forgot. I want you to convene a meeting with the Brass from ever branch of the armed forces. We're about to radically change the organizational structure by thoroughly streamlining it. I find too many redundancies for my liking in the current system. There should be a file on your TACPAD labelled 'Legionary Military' with all the information you need. I would recommend you read it today, because the meeting is tomorrow morning," War said as Manuel nodded and left War's personal office.


    Just as War had said, Manuel found himself in front of the Brass of branch of the UNSC military. Needless to say, he did feel a little nervous. Presentations weren't his strong point, much less to people he barely knew. At least when he spoke to Legionnaires, he was giving or receiving orders.

    "Well just think of this like orders. That's all there is to it," Manuel thought before clearing his throat to speak.

    "Alright, now as you are aware the Navy, Army, and Air Force are supposed to serve very different purposes... But it has come to our attention that there is some overlap," Manuel began. He could see some officials begin to frown, no doubt they were expecting budget cuts.

    "So, it has been our decision to streamline the armed forces to prevent such... Redundancies," Manuel pasued again, giving the Admirals and Generals time to assimilate his words.

    "Upon much consideration the government has decided to reorganize the armed forces into three very simple branches.

    All infantry shall be grouped into the new Army. This includes Marines, ODSTs, and even Spartans. All naval crews and equipment shall be grouped into the new Navy, and all aircraft, space fighters, and other related equipment shall be grouped into the new Air Force.

    Finally the Office of Naval Intelligence shall be brought out of the Navy's jurisdiction and into its own national level; the National Intelligence Agency. " Manuel announced. The gathered Army and Navy Brass merely looked at the Spartan as if he was insane. Only the Air Force and Paragnosky looked pleased. Not much would change in the Air Force, except for the loss of a few spec ops teams, but they had gained more than they had lost. Paragnokdy was pleased because her organization was now, at the very least, on equal footing with the UNSC.

    "Are you insane?!" Spoke Vice Admiral Harper, voicing the concerns of most of the gathered people.

    "You can't expect Army Troopers and Marines to get along. We got certain ways of doing things, the Army won't be able to handle it!" Exclaimed a Navy official.

    "Excuse me? I didn't see too many Marines when Reach went down?" A general replied in annoyance.

    "Probably because we were busy winning battles," the Vice Admiral replied.

    "Tell that to the millions that died in the Great War," the Army General retorted.

    "When's the last time the Army actually-"

    "ENOUGH," ordered Manuel.

    "This rivalry between the Navy's Marines and the Army's Troopers is idiotic, childish, and immature at best! You both serve Humanity, and you both fight for the same cause, so put your petty differences aside! This is not about superiority of one branch over the other, it's about US as a whole. If you can't understand that then perhaps you don't deserve your ranks," Manuel said crossing his arms. The Brass looked at him cautiously; an angry Spartan was a dangerous Spartan. All but one Navy official remained silent.

    "And how did you gain the rank, or title I should say, of General?" The man smirked, clearly aware that Manuel's official rank within the Navy was but a Captain.

    "With all due respect Admiral I actually fight on the field with my troops on a regular basis. I actually deserve the rank I've been given because I don't sit on my ass all day, unlike yourself," Manuel replied, quickly losing his patience.

    "Where do you get off acting like that? Who do you think you are?!" This admiral was clearly going to have to be eliminated sometime soon.

    "Supreme General Manuel-324, commander of all the armed forces of the UNSC, by order of President Walter A. Law and the Interplanetary Senate. I answer solely to the President and on behalf of the governrment I proclaim this reorganization effective immediately. All squads are to remain as they are, to avoid infighting amongst squad members due to this childish rivalry.

    Ranks are to be changed within the new armed forces eventually, but for now current personnel will be given an approximate equivalent rank in their new branch. Marines and Army Troopers will now be issued the Legionnary BDU, as it has been thoroughly tested by the PMC the Legion of War.

    ODSTs and Spartans shall remain as they are, with only a rank change. All space fighter pilots are to be transferred into the Air Force with the equivalent rank of their Navy rank.

    The former Office of Naval Intelligence will also undergo a change in structure, to indicate it is no longer under UNSC jurisdiction but rather UEG jurisdiction.

    Now go and relay this information to your subordinates, and have them pass it on until all personnel are aware. A public announcement shall be taking place in a few days. Choose your next actions and words carefully, as any open resistance will be considered treason" Manuel said as he walked out of the room, having little more to discuss. Not only was Walter President but the vast majority of the Senators were of the Legion's political party. The Legion could essentially pass any laws they wanted, and the opposition would have little power to oppose these laws. Being the Supreme General also made even the highest ranking officials of each branch subordinate to him, so to defy orders was not a good idea.

    While walking away, Manuel couldn't help but think of the various changes that were about to take place. He could imagine them all so very clearly in his head, but in the back of his mind one question kept repeating itself.

    "So this is how the UNSC falls?"

    OPEN TO RESPONSES.

    Perhaps you caught the Venezian news cast somehow? Or are you a member of the UNSC that is subject to the changes made by War?

    Do recall, War has seen empires rise and fall. Way back when the Navy was just ships and the army was all the dudes fighting with swords and shields. War sets out to fashion the greatest Empire in the history of mankind, and he'd like to distance himself from the creation of a democratic nation.

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