Echo of Choice (A Destiny Plan Quest)

Okay, so as part of a gift for me; a buddy made a new omake for this quest.
In this case, it changes something in the past in the way that BM for once did something.

Storytime: The Last Stand and the Guiding of Hope

The faint hum of the Ketch reverberated through the walls, a soothing rhythm for those who had called this vessel home for a century. Within one of the ship's quieter quarters, a group of orphaned Eliksni children giggled and chattered in a makeshift bedroom, their laughter a rare sound in the void of space.

"Enough." Came a firm yet soft voice from the doorway.

The children turned, their four eyes gleaming as they saw Eramis, the Shipmistress and Kell of House of Dancers, framed by the dim light of the corridor. She stepped into the room, her presence commanding but maternal. "It is time to rest. Tomorrow brings more work, more survival."

"But Shipmistress," One of the smallest children protested, tugging at her arm. "we cannot sleep without a story! Please, tell us a tale!"

Eramis sighed, her mandibles clicking thoughtfully. Her hard exterior softened as she saw the eager faces staring up at her. "Very well. Gather around, little hatchlings."

The children scrambled to form a semi-circle around her, their excitement palpable. Eramis sat cross-legged on the floor, her posture relaxed yet dignified.

"I will tell you the story of Chelchis, the first and to this day, the Kell of Kells." She began. The children hushed instantly, their eyes wide as they listened.

Long ago, before the Long Drift, before we were scattered across the stars; when our homeworld was besieged by all manner of evil from the stars, there was a Kell unlike any other. His name was Chelchis, Kell of Stone. He stood tall and strong, his wisdom uniting the Houses during our darkest hour.

On the day the Hive came to Riis, they brought their god-king, Oryx. His armies were endless, his strength beyond comprehension. Many fell to his blade, their ether consumed by his hunger. Yet Chelchis stood defiant, his sword alight with the will of the Eliksni.

The battle raged for days. Chelchis, empowered by the greatest tonics his house ever produced; faced Oryx himself, their clash shaking the very ground beneath them. But Oryx was cunning, his power overwhelming. As Chelchis faltered on the ground, his strength waning, he made one final gamble and called out to the Great Machine.

Eramis paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. The children leaned closer, their breaths held.

The Great Machine answered. She said, her voice rising with reverence. In that moment, its Light surged into Chelchis' sword, igniting it with a power no Eliksni had ever wielded. With a mighty roar, Chelchis struck. His blade cleaved through Oryx's defenses, severing the Hive King's head from his body.

Oryx fell, his death shaking the Hive's forces. In their confusion, we fought back, driving them from Riis. A brave group of Captains from the House of Judgement saved Chelchis, though the combination of his wounds and taking so many tonics made his life was forfeit, something he knew from the start.

Before he passed, he spoke these words: 'This sword will guide you to the Great Machine. Follow its Light, and we will be one people again.'

Eramis paused again, her voice softening. And so, the Eliksni took to the stars, unified by his sacrifice, seeking the Great Machine in the endless void.

The room was silent. The children sat enraptured, their eyes heavy with both wonder and sleep. One by one, they curled into their beds, their breathing slowing as dreams of heroism and unity filled their minds.

Eramis stood, her heart conflicted. She gazed at the peaceful faces of the children, the future of her people. She lingered a moment before turning and leaving the room.

A few minutes later...

The bridge of the Ketch hummed with quiet efficiency, a symphony of clicks, low murmurs, and the soft thrum of the ship's systems. Eliksni crew members moved about their stations with focused diligence, their mandibles twitching in communication as they carried out their tasks. The stars stretched endlessly beyond the viewport.

At the heart of the bridge, seated atop a raised platform of machinery and cables, loomed Yamiks Prime, the Ketch's Prime Servitor. The massive spherical construct floated silently, its polished chassis adorned with etchings of House Dancers and Judgement alike. A soft, pulsing glow radiated from its central eye, illuminating the space around it with calming light.

Eramis entered, her boots clanging softly against the grated floor. Conversations among the crew quieted, heads bowing in deference as she passed. Yamiks Prime turned slightly, its glowing eye narrowing as it registered her approach, a silent acknowledgment of its Kell.

The artifact at the center of the bridge drew Eramis' attention, the sword of Chelchis. Floating within a sealed containment field, the blade gleamed faintly with Light, an eternal glow that seemed to resist the shadows encroaching from the void. Two Archons of the House of Judgement stood sentinel beside it, their staffs grounded in solemn reverence, their movements precise and disciplined.

Eramis stopped before the sword, her reflection distorted in the containment field's glow. The weight of its presence—its history—pressed against her like the weight of a thousand years. The blade that felled Oryx. The blade that saved the Eliksni and guides them.

As she stood in silence, Yamiks Prime emitted a low, melodic tone, its voice carrying through the bridge with a deep resonance. "The Light still shines, my Kell. The blade remembers. As must we."

Eramis turned her gaze upward toward the Prime Servitor, her mandibles clicking softly in agreement. "Yes, Yamiks. The blade remembers, and so do we. For a hundred years, it has guided us. And it will guide us still."

The Prime hummed again, a sound like an ancient choir in mourning. "We drift on the will of Chelchis. Soon, the Great Machine will answer."

Eramis stepped closer to the container, placing a hand just above the field that surrounded the sword. Its glow pulsed, as though responding to her presence. "Guide us still." She murmured, her voice low and reverent. "Let your Light show us the path."

She turned back to the crew, her stance strong and commanding. "Maintain the course. Let no drift pull us from our path. We will find the Great Machine. We will fulfill Chelchis' vision."

Yamiks Prime's light brightened in agreement, its tone echoing through the bridge like a benediction. The Eliksni crew bent back to their work with renewed vigor, the hum of the ship rising like the heartbeat of a people unified.

Eramis looked one final time at the sword, its glow steady, its promise eternal. The Ketch sailed onward into the void, and above it all, Yamiks Prime watched, silent, vigilant, and unyielding.

The Sum of All Fears

"And what could be created from the sum of all our Fears": Roll- 69

(Hood POV)

The Report was classified eyes only, and the fact you had this report was liable to kill nearly anyone who besides yourself who saw it.

The Pictures…the Army, the monsters, and more.

All of it was nothing more than the great summation of nearly everything you had hoped to plan against.

I should feel vindicated, and smug in the fact my paranoia on this matter has been proven…correct.

Even if he didn't want to be correct.

Mars and with it this…the Traveller would soon enough be in the crosshairs of the might of Earth, even if it is decades away at this point with so much to theorize and plan for.

So much would be gained in struggle and soon so much to be lost. The Species was barely able to leave its cradle and now it was off to live in a sense of paranoia for the rest of its days, of life on other planets, on if the universe was nothing more then a jungle and we had left our clearing and watering hole for the dark shadowed unknown.

If Hood were a more pessimistic man, he would have given into his darker instincts, use his friends in Five-Eyes and other intelligence agencies and slowly use them to subvert and and guide humanity into a more unified and highly regimented society to best combat this unspeakable horror from beyond the stars.

And you knew that such a plan would grow tremendously within the generation, with the combined force of the Military-Intelligence networks, their connection to the Media sphere and culture you'd be able to shape policy within five years.

You'd be able to pick and choose leaders and parties across the earth with impunity.
Within the decade it would grow out of control, like an untamed leviathan of legend looking to the stars with hunger and despair. Maybe in its paranoia, would war with the Traveller, and well, a part of you knew that the species would lose.

And then whatever else was out there, would come and feast upon your kind's corpse like a carrion bird on a corpse. And then there would be nothing left but a broken world and a shattered species.

And that was the best-case scenario that you could consider for this operation.

That…is a terrible idea. You considered calmly.

So you turned to the second option.

Forming a Unified Military Apparatus, using preexisting military and political alliance structures to at least prepare for a common, and mutual defense of the species.

Now it would take forever and last a lifetime once it was in place but even so…even so, it would never reach equilibrium and form into exactly what you'd need to defend humanity from itself and the monsters that were soon to come for us from Mars.

Your phone rang. "Yes."

"Operation Shattered Moon has been deemed insufficient for the task of such a magnitude in light of recent events and intelligence." The voice on the other end said calmly.

"I should have guessed that." You said.

"We're going to bring together a military conclave, to plan for such an eventuality." The Voice said.

"I considered as much to be a prudent measure…is security going to be an issue?" You asked.

"Not exactly…but I'd recommend keeping the meeting quiet until phase 2." He said.

So they were taking this seriously. Good.

[]A United Nations Space Command? (????/????): What the reality of the Situation is now…is that we are not only proven that life exists in space but also that it's very much a hostile environment. A Unified Military Command Structure would be needed in order to make any unified defence or offence a reality.

It was time to work on the project that would define the rest of your life.

Guess it's time to get working.

AN: Well, Chad Hood has not chosen the path of ONI, and will now dedicate himself to forming what will become the UNSC.

Hopefully they can get something started quickly, because Mars is looking pretty hostile.