Sins Never Die

by CodenameOne

Two. Seventeen: New Model War

Two. Seventeen
New Model War

-=-=-=-=-

“I guess it was inevitable that they’d find us again” Princess Celestia said to her sister as they stood in the deep underhalls of Canterlot Tower, the halls not allowed to be seen by anypony or anyone else other than the Princesses. “I just hoped it would’ve been a lot longer than it has been.”

“We couldn’t stop it. No one could. But we can end it; we just need help” Princess Luna replied, idly staring at the mural on her side of the hall. The mural of all Equestria’s dark times throughout the ages. Starting long before Discord’s rule, on to the campaign of De’mah ‘Tokam, and from Nightmare Moon to the present, where the transpiring events were being painted by memories cast from the Princesses’ minds.

“De’mah... What was he like, Celestia?” Princess Twilight asked, tracing a hoof over the simple painting of the legendary Sangheili. He had blood-red armor with orange lights in the usual places, and his shoulder pauldrons and helmet were heavily spiked. His knee and thigh covers ended in a tapered point, and sharp points on the end of his gauntlets curled into the spaces between his fingers. In his part of the mural he was standing in the rain, staring at the stones between his feet and energy sword in his right hand.

“Different...from what I’ve seen of N’por. De’mah was a monster. A violent, uncontrollable demon. He subjugated the dragons and proceeded to smash us into pieces. He lost, despite the cost...” Celestia answered.

Proceeding down the dark hall the three Princesses soon reached the end, which contained a door sealed shut. Celestia stopped at the door and stared at it, lost in deep thought. Her world was troubled, in the throes of a violent war between two mighty alien races, and here she was showing those closest to her her dark secrets.

“There’s...something else. De’mah was Sangheili, yes, but he was a strong warrior. I had no choice but to kill him to end the war between us and the dragons. But I kept the details of his death hidden from the dragons all this time. They believe he was a martyr, that he fell in fair combat against me... It did not happen this way” Celestia explained, trailing off.

Twilight looked to Luna, who nodded solemnly. "Those were dark days, child."

“What does this have to do with humanity and the war?” Twilight inquired.

Celestia shook her head. “Nothing... I just wished I had done things differently in the past. Maybe then we wouldn’t have this war” the Princess of the sun replied. The door started to glow, a blood-red light emanating in the shape of an energy sword’s blade. It bathed the Princesses in its light, reflecting strongest off Celestia’s pure white coat.

“Is something wrong, my sister?” Luna said, cocking her head to the side. Celestia looked at the floor out of her corner of her eye, unable to look the others in the face.

“We are doomed. My sins will never die. And indeed they have caused the death of all on this earth... Huh... I guess De’mah was right; he would have his revenge, even if it was only in his name.”

-=-=-=-=-

“Mai fea taiyō wa, watashitachi ni anata no atataka-sa to hikari o motarasu. Soshite kondo no tatakai o mimamoru” Captain Adam Kuyaki whispered in Japanese, staring at the digital representation of Sol; earth’s sun.

He was alone on the Kabato’s bridge, though with Excalibur present he was technically never alone. The Covenant battlecruiser was on its way to find and destroy them, but it would encounter a healthy surprise.

“Is everyone in position? I want to make sure we’re ready to duke it out with the Covenant cruiser” Adam said, turning his head to look at Excal’s plinth. The AI appeared, nodding. “Good. I imagine that they’ll be here soon.”

Flicking a pen in the air Kuyaki waited as the bridge crew arrived, taking their places at their stations and readying the Kabato for battle. MACs were armed, the Archers primed, and the cannons loaded. Griffon airships took place near the Kabato, armed only with antiquated 40mm cannons for use against Covenant Seraphs. The airships could not bear the weight of anything more without significant redesign, though Adam was informed of all Griffon military projects, and knew they were working on improved aircraft.

With everyone in their place all they could do now was arguably the hardest part; wait.

Before too long the Covenant battlecruiser appeared, popping into place after making an in-atmosphere Slipspace jump, the wake of its arrival sending waves through the air.

“Excalibur, get a firing solution for the MACs on that cruiser and make sure our ‘presents’ are armed. Evade any and all attacks the Covies send our way” Adam declared, flipping the radio on. “Admiral Strongclaw, get your ships into position to keep the Covenant fighters away from us. They’re tear-drop shaped.”

“On this day, the only tears you will see will be in the eyes of our enemies. Admiral Strongclaw out.”

As expected Covenant dragons soon arrived, flocking toward the UNSC Kabato. Many dragons had defected from the Covenant and their pony allies to join the UNSC, due to their ancient beliefs. Adam had them being pressed for any prudent information, so they would would not be joining the war against the Covenant for a little while.

The battlecruiser moved, turning directly to face the Kabato. The lateral lines on her hull began to charge as the fore plasma projector armed, preparing to fire on the human ship. Excalibur was prepared to take evasive maneuvers when a Griffon airship glided into position in front of the destroyer just as the plasma projector discharged, the energy blasting the helium-filled aircraft apart.

“What the hell?!” Adam said, gripping his chair and leaning forward. He had not expected the Griffons to sacrifice themselves.

“We fight with honor, and go with glory. We’ll keep you safe one way or another, Captain” Admiral Strongclaw declared over the radio.

“Sir, the Covenant battlecruiser is within acceptable range of the HAVOK tactical nuclear mines we planted. Would you like to detonate?” Excalibur piped up. Adam looked at the display and saw that the Covenant were several thousand feet from the nukes.

“No, wait until that ship is right on top of the HAVOKs” Adam replied.

Covenant Seraphs and dragons began to approach the Kabato and the Griffon airships opened fire, performing well against the dragons but only downing a few Seraphs here and there. However, the Seraphs were distracted by the airships, leaving the Kabato to only focus on the battlecruiser.

The Kabato fired a Hyperion missile at the Covenant ship, forcing the enemy to move. The battlecruiser closed the distance to the HAVOKs and lasered the Hyperion mid-air, destroying it completely.

“Let ‘em have it, Excal!” Adam yelled. The viewports darkened as the HAVOKs detonated, creating two bright miniature suns in the sky. A lance of Archer missiles launched after the nukes detonated, impacting on the hull of the ship and leaving scorch marks.

The shields were down.

“Fire the MACs!”

The guns discharged, sending two massive slugs downrange at the cruiser. The first slammed into the ship, barreling through before exiting completely. The second one, however, ricocheted off the smooth top of the battlecruiser, gouging out part of the hull but not penetrating. The slug spun into the sky before falling to earth.

Crippled, the Covenant cruiser turned on the Kabato, firing the plasma projector. The laser hit the destroyer and began to smoothly carve into the titanium-A hull, easily punching through it.

“Hey! HEY! GET US THE FUCK OUT OF THE PATH OF THAT LASER!”

The Kabato jumped to the side as the emergency boosters fired; the enemy plasma projector ceased firing and the ship began to turn. Archers were fired from the ship and rained into the battlecruiser, leaving pockmarks and scorch marks.

“MACs reloaded” Excalibur announced.

“FIRE!”

The guns BANGED, sending another two rounds to the ship in fractions of seconds. The first round shaved off part of the the bulbous midship, and the second bored headfirst into the prow of the vessel.

“HAHA! Take that you split-chin freaks!” Kuyaki declared, gripping his armrests.

“Now, let’s fire another HAVOK at that bastard and break them--”

Adam was cut off as the enemy ship fired, a needle-thin spear of white-hot energy hitting the Kabato like a MAC round, blasting through her like she wasn’t even there, let alone fitted with titanium armor plating and filled with multiple decks. The beam began to cut through the destroyer as the Covenant ship turned.

“EMERGENCY BOOSTERS!” Adam commanded, the Kabato jumped back in the opposite direction. While the destroyer sailed to the left Excal launched another HAVOK mine, which soared to the front of the alien ship and detonated.

When the second sun died out Adam saw that the battlecruiser’s prow had been cleanly cut into. Like a perfect sphere of plasma had pressed into its end. The plasma laser had apparently been damaged, as it stopped firing when the nuke detonated.

“MACs at 75% load.”

With the MACs still reloading, and the Covenant ship’s main weapons damaged the two vessels could only stare at each other, waiting to attack again.

“Sir, the Griffon airships are all nearly gone. Admiral Strongclaw is still operational in his flagship” Excalibur piped up.

Without Griffon support the Kabato would be harassed by Seraphs and dragons within minutes, and the Kabato wouldn’t be able to continue its attack before the battlecruiser opened fire.

“Tell Strongclaw to pull back with us” the Captain responded.

“Sir, his airships will not be able to keep up with us without leading the Covenant to our destination” the AI stated.

“Then tell him to keep the enemy off us before bugging out and abandoning ship. They won’t survive if they stay in the air.”

“Understood.”

I may have to pull out a few wildcards to fight this war Adam thought, thinking of ideas. He had one Hyperion left, two HAVOKs, and plenty of MAC rounds and Archers to go around. But he needed something more powerful.

I need the Equestrians.

Author's Note:

I apologize for the late update; I wasn't feeling the writing vibe. But this story IS going to continue.

Legal disclaimer: Adam Kuyaki, Admiral Strongclaw, and all related characters belong to me. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and all related characters are copyright to Hasbro. My Little Pony is copyright to Hasbro. Halo is copyright to Microsoft Studios.

Comments

[Padwan]

glad you're back mate I have been wondering where you were

also good chapter, but I don't understand why he needs the equestrians, in that entire conflict the problems they ever came across was unicorns shooting down pelicans and dragons damaging the kabato, and the dragons have already teamed up (kind of) with the humans. The only thing the equestrians have proven themselves worthy of is being down range of a MA5C ... Unless he wants the equestrians as cannon fodder because he ran out of griffins to throw in front of his ship

[Cakebomb]

3771577 This author has some overpowered ponies...They probably can't take down a pelican, but i think it has happened in this story.

[Shadow-Dancer]

3772076 Probably wants them due to the two princesses projected power