Chapter 271: Packed Up and Taken Away! Consolidation in Progress! The Plundering Squad!
As the UNSC officials inside the cabin saw the Astartes warriors outside the viewport seemingly preparing to simultaneously unleash their energy blasts and annihilate the entire dropship, they were already in complete despair.
Regardless of whether it was Terrence or Margaret, at the end of the day, they were still just ordinary humans. Supreme authority didn't change the fundamental fact that they were fragile beings of flesh and blood.
At this moment, the high-ranking officials in the cabin were gasping for breath, cold sweat pouring down their foreheads, terrified that the next second they would be consumed by those merciless orbs of light.
Fortunately, Adam " Smasher" didn't launch a massacre. Instead, he accessed the Hornet's internal comms via the ICE intrusion protocol.
Then, with his signature heavy-metal voice, Adam " Smasher" spoke to those inside:
> "As of now, you are prisoners of the Galactic Megacorp. If you want to live, behave yourselves. Otherwise, you know very well what awaits you."
After that, he issued an order to the crew in the cockpit:
> "Proceed immediately to the space station in low Earth orbit. Don't try anything stupid. You have thirty seconds to make your decision."
With that, Adam " Smasher" began the countdown.
In an instant, all eyes in the cabin turned to Terrence.
They weren't seeking advice or a discussion—they were silently telling him to hurry up and agree to Adam's demands!
If Terrence dared to stubbornly resist and put their lives in danger, they wouldn't hesitate to kill this so-called admiral themselves before the enemy had the chance.
> "General, give the order—now!"
Even the pilot's voice came through the comms, urging a response.
At this point, everyone's fate hinged on Terrence's decision. Of course, whether it was the flight crew or the officials in the cabin, they all wanted to live.
What they were thinking was simple: surrender and become prisoners of the Megacorp—no more grandstanding or martyrdom.
The Megacorp's ground and air forces had completely crushed UNSC's combat units. Even their agents infiltrated Earth's HQ as if they were walking into their own living rooms.
Their once meticulous and massive defense networks, and their supposedly infallible intelligence departments, turned out to be little more than decoration—completely useless against the Megacorp's operatives!
What was the point in resisting any longer?
Especially when the Megacorp even had flying super-agents. Who knew when they'd whip out some underground phase-shifting type? Continuing to resist was just plain foolish.
> "General, for the greater good… for the future of humanity… please follow their instructions."
Even Margaret, who had been contemplating resistance, now gently urged Admiral Terrence to comply. They had been utterly defeated—better to live as a prisoner than be blown to pieces.
Terrence clenched his jaw, not answering immediately. It wasn't until Adam " Smasher" counted down to the ten-second mark that he finally shook his head and said to the pilot:
> "Do as they say."
Terrence wasn't suddenly enlightened or resigned. He had simply noticed several ONI officials subtly moving toward him.
Clearly, if he didn't agree to surrender right away, his colleagues would make sure he died first.
> "Yes, sir!"
Relieved to receive the command, the pilot let out a deep breath, then piloted the Hornet dropship toward the space station in low Earth orbit.
Only then did Adam " Smasher" signal the other Astartes to disengage their charged blasts and escort the Hornet on its course.
Under the "escort" of the Astartes warriors, the Hornet gradually approached the orbital space station.
Upon hearing that the Navy Admiral and ONI Director had been "packaged and taken away" by the Megacorp, other high-ranking officials at UNSC headquarters immediately dispatched a fleet of escort ships and destroyers to the area.
At that moment, more than a dozen UNSC frigates and destroyers had converged near the station, their main and secondary guns all locked onto Adam " Smasher."
Of course, this was all for show—it wasn't going to accomplish anything. But regardless of its effectiveness, they had to make some kind of move.
After all, when your leaders have been kidnapped, doing nothing would be a PR disaster.
Inside the dropship's cabin…
Adam " Smasher" and the other Megacorp agents were now standing on the metal deck, escorting the captured UNSC higher-ups off the vessel.
Terrence, Margaret, Andrew, and the rest looked like defeated strays as they were herded onto another dropship.
Soon, under Megacorp agent control, the dropship departed the docking bay and headed toward a swirling vortex emitting an eerie blue glow.
Under the watchful eyes of the UNSC warships, their top brass and supreme commanders were taken away by Adam Smasher the dropship disappearing into the route toward the Megacorp-controlled Eridanus II star system.
…
Meanwhile, 4,000 light-years away, deep in Covenant space—
BOOM—!
In the third orbital ring of an unknown star system, a fierce space battle was raging.
Thousands of Covenant ships were engaged in continuous, all-out combat with the forces of the Galactic Coalition.
Despite the intensity of the battle and the rising losses on both sides, the Megacorp contingent had deployed fewer than 200 ships—mostly standard Paris-class frigates and Valiant-class cruisers.
Their main duties were logistical: transporting supplies, weapons, and troops—including Elites and Jiralhanae soldiers. As rear-line support, they had no need to risk their lives on the front lines against Brute hordes.
The flagship of this fleet was an Endless-class carrier commanded by Asuka Mori and Raleigh, who oversaw coordination between the Elite forces and their own fleet.
The Elites alone had committed 539 ships to the battle, the vast majority of them CRS-class cruisers. Among them, three CSO-class carriers served as their primary warfighting vessels.
One had to admit—the Elites really threw themselves into warfare with zeal.
Asuka and Raleigh were more than happy to let them. After all, the Megacorp had brought the Elites under its banner precisely to have them fight other Covenant factions on their behalf.
It wasn't their own people dying on the front lines, so why not use the Elites to the fullest?
And truth be told, the Elites were more than willing—this kind of war was exactly what they lived for. "Fight! Glory!" It was in their blood. Facing off against the Brutes was just their kind of thrill.
Although the forces of the Old Covenant—made up of Prophets and Brutes—outnumbered the Coalition fleet by more than two to one, their formation was being steadily driven back.
The main reason, aside from the superior combat expertise of the Megacorp commanders and seasoned Elite warriors, was this:
The Coalition fleet had a trump card.
BOOM——!!
At that moment, a brilliant beam of blue light blasted forth, instantly obliterating dozens of CCS-class battlecruisers. Countless Covenant warships were struck by the beam, shattered into pieces.
Immediately after, another wave of gravitational attacks twisted another group of warships like pretzels. The Prophets and Sangheili onboard were crushed into pulp and mangled flesh.
A sea of warships erupted in dazzling explosions, ultimately reduced to blackened wreckage. Pulled by the gravity of nearby planets, they began plummeting into the atmosphere.
That's right—the devastating weapon was none other than a Forerunner Dreadnought!
To accelerate the unification of the Covenant, LA Universal Megacorp had specifically dispatched large numbers of Forerunner Dreadnoughts to various Covenant territories to launch an all-out expedition.
It was precisely the inclusion of these Dreadnoughts that allowed the Universal Conglomerate's assault to charge forward like a juggernaut, gradually tipping the scales of victory in its favor.
After all, the Forerunners were once the undisputed overlords of the Halo universe. Their Dreadnoughts, when used against their wayward descendants in the Covenant, were akin to a father beating his rebellious sons—an utterly one-sided slaughter.
Under normal circumstances, a single Forerunner Dreadnought could easily annihilate over a hundred Covenant warships on its own.
This was exactly why, upon entering the Halo universe, Li Ang had prioritized searching for Forerunner relics and seizing control of Shield Worlds.
Only by first obtaining the Forerunner Dreadnoughts, their vast technological legacy, and a legitimate identity as a Reclaimer...
...could he acquire more advanced weapons and equipment, and win over the Covenant's Sangheili faction.
It was no different from a player gearing up before fighting the ultimate boss—first you have to level up, collect epic loot, form alliances, and build your strength.
Only with top-tier gear and a righteous mob to back you up can you defeat the final boss efficiently and achieve total victory.
Thanks to Li Ang 's strategic foresight, the soldiers of the Universal Conglomerate were able to dominate the battlefield with overwhelming firepower, achieving a low death rate and an impressive kill-death ratio.
This Halo campaign directly reduced the difficulty of the conglomerate's galactic warfare—from hard mode to normal mode.
And if they could obtain the full knowledge of [Neurophysics] and understand its scientific content, the Universal Conglomerate's power could ascend another ten tiers...
...becoming the number-one force in the entire Halo universe!
In fact, ever since Li Ang 's successful gambit on the Shield World and in the City of Charity, the countdown to the conglomerate's complete takeover of the Covenant and human worlds had already begun.
———
While fierce naval warfare raged in the third orbital layer, a quiet valley beneath the fourth orbital path had become a temporary base for a mixed force of Brutes, Jackals, Unggoy, and Hunters.
This location had originally been a luxurious palace complex for the Prophets' personal enjoyment, but now served as a frontline shelter.
With the sudden integration strike by the Universal Conglomerate and the ongoing battle in the third orbit, the Covenant troops had no choice but to hide here, awaiting reinforcements.
Of course, this place also functioned as the frontline command center for the third orbit. The Prophets issued orders from here, and the frontline troops followed through with coordinated military actions.
With the Sangheili no longer present to keep them in check, the Prophets had finally seized full control of the Covenant. However, the Sangheili's departure significantly weakened both the Covenant's combat effectiveness and its internal authority.
There was no doubt about the Sangheili's battlefield prowess.
More importantly, the Sangheili were one of the major shareholders of the Covenant. They had earned prestige by conquering many Covenant members through sheer martial strength, earning them considerable respect within the alliance.
Now that the Prophets and Sangheili had split, other Covenant races began choosing sides. Some Unggoy supported the Sangheili, while others remained loyal to the Prophets.
As for the Brutes, under orders from their chieftains, they continued to serve the Prophets loyally.
They had chosen their masters, and by now, the Brutes and the Prophets had become a shared community of interests.
It was far too late to switch sides now—they had no choice but to go all-in on this path.
So, whether humans were truly Reclaimers or whether the Forerunners still existed—none of that mattered.
What mattered was that the Brutes could only support the Prophets in leading the Covenant and do everything in their power to crush the Sangheili and the conglomerate, restoring the Covenant's march toward galactic unification!
As for the Jackals, they were classic opportunists. As space pirates, their only principle was selling their strength to the highest bidder.
Whoever paid more won their allegiance.
That's why Jackal troops were present on both sides—among the Prophets' forces and within the conglomerate's ranks.
The Unggoy, the most numerous species in the Covenant, split their bets down the middle. Supporting both sides was their way of minimizing risk—a safe investment.
Species with lower intelligence like theirs couldn't afford to back only one side; otherwise, they risked being completely wiped out. Dividing their support was the smartest strategy.
Whoosh—!!
At that moment, dozens of Banshee-class fighters and other transport and carrier-based aircraft from the Old Covenant swept over the valley.
With the ongoing battle, the conglomerate's forces were rapidly approaching the planet's near-orbit zone.
Although the planet's orbital layer hadn't been fully captured yet, the conglomerate's carrier strike group had already locked onto the Prophet command shelter!
They were now locked in a fierce contest with Covenant aircraft for control of the skies above the planet.
Boom—!
Bang!
Right then, a formation of Stormhawk gunships, Thunderhawk shuttles, and Dragonfly ornithopters used sensor data from a nearby aircraft carrier to pinpoint the Prophet base's location.
To intercept the impending strike, the Brutes had no choice but to dispatch a large number of aircraft in an attempt to lure the enemy formation away.
Of course, their goal wasn't to engage in a head-on dogfight with the conglomerate's aerial units, but to draw them into a prolonged skirmish, depleting their ammunition.
This would buy time for the Prophets to relocate their base.
Once the conglomerate's forces ran out of ammo, the humans would either have to return to their carrier for resupply—or land and engage in brutal ground combat with the Brutes.
Thus, a fierce and dazzling air battle erupted above the valley.
A relentless barrage of missiles and autocannon fire filled the sky, with spent brass casings raining down like a rare metal storm.
Meanwhile, on the ground, hearing the nonstop explosions and the roar of gunfire above, the Brutes and Jackals could only respond with low growls.
Facing uncertainty about the battle's outcome and their own future, they could only use these primal war cries to drive away their inner fear and confusion.
At that moment, their assigned task was to patrol along pre-set routes, searching for any suspicious figures who might attempt a decapitation strike.
At the same time, dozens of Jackals were spread throughout the area as sentries, using their natural abilities to scout for intruders.
Having clashed with the conglomerate's troops for a while now, the Covenant soldiers had come to realize that the humans favored high-efficiency decapitation tactics—taking out the command center in one surgical blow.
So they were extra cautious during patrols, leaving no room for error.
Just then, a group of Jackal sentries on the southern front suddenly picked up the sound of rhythmic footsteps—multiple large entities approaching.
From the cadence of the steps, it sounded like there were quite a few of them!
Before they could send a warning to nearby patrol units, a squad of Astartes in blue power armor suddenly appeared before them.
Upon seeing the blue armor—distinct from the previously seen red—the Jackals froze for a second.
Clearly, they hadn't expected the humans to have different armor variants!
Before they could react, the Astartes were already upon them. In a blink, the armored warriors grabbed them and literally tore the Jackals limb from limb.
Indeed, this squad in blue Mark X power armor was a Reaver-type assassin unit.
They moved with extreme speed and agility, equipped with advanced optical camouflage systems built into their armor—allowing them to blend seamlessly into the environment.
If they wished, they could activate their stealth "Phantom Mode" at any time and silently approach their targets.
The one leading this ghost squad was none other than Mann, freshly redeployed from the rear.
After less than a month of serving as a planetary governor under Li Ang 's orders, Mann was urgently reassigned to the front lines—clearly more suited for hands-on combat missions than administrative tasks.
Versatile talents like V were still in short supply.
As such, the former planetary governor of Universe 001 had already been replaced by Lucius Lane.
Once the mayor of Night City, Lucius now served as the Governor of Ideal City within the Universal Conglomerate. Under Li Ang 's arrangement, he was temporarily reassigned as the governor of Universe 001.
It marked the beginning of his rise to greatness.
Meanwhile, the planetary governor of Universe 002 (Pacific Rim) was now the cabinet AI, Cipherdelo—a highly intelligent artificial intelligence currently performing well.
It had long-term potential as a planetary governor.
As for Johnny Silverhand, he was still assigned to the front lines, serving as a battle commander in various operations.
After eliminating the Jackal sentries, Mann and his Reaver-type Astartes reactivated Phantom Mode and silently continued their infiltration.
Thanks to the anti-grav devices built into their boots, even their massive armor made no sound as they moved at full speed.
Even the wild animals nearby remained unaware, continuing to forage in peace, completely oblivious to the ghostly death squad moving among them.
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