S4-TCS

Chapter 1
5/30/2015

Date: 6.4.2095

Director:  Josh Grumble

Cast:  CPT Raymond "Pepe" Le Peu, CPL "Grace", LCPL Takuboku "Tek" Sakai, CPL Danylo "Faceplant" Zahorsky

Synopsis: It has been nearly two months since the conclusion of the events of Season 4. During this time, LaPlant has been conducting an interrogation of the Trabe/Karu'Naga POWs aboard Space Station Freedom. The team has been brought up to speed: the Karu'Naga (KN) launched their surprise offensive in Gran space in Andromeda. The conflict thus far has been contained within their local space. All ADF attempts to to land on the new "Earth" have been repelled. The fighting is now at a stalemate - the ADF can't push in, and the KN can't push out. Leading the ADF forces at the front is the UAS Pioneer (SDF-4) under command of ADM Hunter.

On the real Earth, Spooks has several discussions with mayor Wyatt King and CMDR Tramille, attempting to gain more insight into the situation and quietly bring him up to speed, respectively. Tony and Doc also remain: 2 Bags' recovery is assisted by Tony and a local medical team, while Doc studies more of Stonehenge in the field to attempt to unlock the mysteries of the Glyph.

At Freedom, LePeu and his team await the refit completion to the Redacted. The team takes time to review all available intel on the Karu'Naga, Trabe, the Gran, and Andromeda, as well as familiarize themselves on the operation of the Redacted, their equipment, and ANNIE.

Now, two months later, their ship's refit is complete. LaPlant gives the order to rendezvous with Pioneer at the front lines. Dark Unit's new orders at this time are simple: act as the tip of the spear to take back a key ADF outpost. Backed by a small fleet led by Pioneer, LePeu and the Redacted slip ahead undetected by the Trabe vessels, concentrating on a single "Wraith" carrier nearby. The carrier reacts to the remaining ships, launching its fighters. Grace and Tek waste no time expertly engaging the enemy fighters while LePeu and Faceplant provide support fire. With ANNIE's Synchro Cannons charged, LePeu orders consecutive blasts at the carrier's engines (with a little aiming guidance from Grace). Scoring direct hits, the carrier is soon a debris field from chain-reaction internal explosions. Now, the team quickly makes their way to the surface...

Chapter 2
7/25/2015

Date: 6.4.2095

Director:  Josh Grumble

Cast:  CPT Raymond "Pepe" Le Peu, 1LT Jose "Spooks" Sang, CPL "Grace", LCPL Takuboku "Tek" Sakai, CPL Danylo "Faceplant" Zahorsky; ADM Richard Hunter, Tony Lewis, Dr. Ken Nobuyoshi, CMDR Tramille (7th ADSEF CO), Wyatt King, Dr. Anders, Nurse LeClair

Synopsis: 

Chapter 3
8/29/2015

Date: 6.4.2095

Director:  Josh Grumble; Special Guest - Ethan Dicks as Doc

Cast:  CPT Raymond "Pepe" Le Peu, 1LT Jose "Spooks" Sang, CPL "Grace", LCPL Takuboku "Tek" Sakai, CPL Danylo "Faceplant" Zahorsky; ADM Richard Hunter, Tony "Awesome" Lewis, "Old" Dr. Lang, Dr. Ken "Doc" Nobuyoshi

Synopsis:

Chapter 4
10/17/2015

Date: 6.4.2095

Director:  Josh Grumble

Cast: CPT Raymond "Pepe" Le Peu, 1LT Jose "Spooks" Sang, CPL "Grace", LCPL Takuboku "Tek" Sakai, CPL Danylo "Faceplant" Zahorsky; ADM Richard Hunter, Tony "Awesome" Lewis

Synopsis: On Pepe's orders, Faceplant takes the shot. At that moment, Awesome disappears as the bullet passes through the space he once occupied - he has used the Personal Fold Device, disappearing from team's radar.

Pepe makes the call back to Hunter, giving him the sitrep. The team's orders for now are to stay on the defensive and get eyes into that cavern while Hunter contacts Adonnia on Optera, something he hopes can stop any unnecessary action. Unknown to Hunter, Pepe and Faceplant have already discussed sending down a "greeting party" of some 480 Spider Mines - using the same sonar tactic as before - to get an idea of what is down in the hole; Faceplant also takes this opportunity to take a few potshots at the unknown Invid "mecha" zipping around below him, downing one in the process and causing the others to flee the immediate area.

Not more than a minute later, Hunter comes back, relaying to Pepe that Optera Command says they have had no luck reaching out to the Invid Brains in this Pit, and that they should be treated as enemy combatants. This is all Pepe needs to hear: the order is given to enter the Pit, with the three Spartan operators (Pepe, Spooks, Faceplant) entering HALO-style, and the two pilots (Grace, Tek), dropping down in their VFs in Guardian mode.

Chapter 5 - Season Finale
12/5/2015

Date: 6.4.2095

Director:  Josh Grumble, Tim Foster

Cast: CPT Raymond "Pepe" Le Peu, 1LT Jose "Spooks" Sang, CPL "Grace", LCPL Takuboku "Tek" Sakai, CPL Danylo "Faceplant" Zahorsky, COL William "Titan" Rowe III, Jessian "Ronin" Wetal, Nufae "Bastet" Podoppy, Dr. Ken "Doc" Nobuyoshi, MAJ (Father) Simon "Reaper" O"Neill; SMAJ Ernie "Wrecker" Mazziferri; ADM Richard Hunter

Synopsis: With the blazing energy blasts of the Redacted's synchro cannons barely clearing, Pepe picks up something very odd on his radar - the IFF signals of four friendly units:  Titan, Ronin, Reaper, and Wrecker. Appearing in the open corridor just in front of the Glpyh below, he contacts them via TacNet, confirming their identities.

After a brief and tense moment of verification, they come aboard and join the active Dark Unit members as well as Tony and Doc, attached as special assets. Upon seeing Tony, Wetal quickly approaches him and gives him a passionate kiss, expressing how happy she is to see him and rendering him (mostly) speechless. Pepe quickly fills them in on the current situation and the Redacted's mission to secure the listening outpost. During this, the Redacted receives a communication from the Pioneer. Admiral Hunter, with a mixture of joy and confusion at seeing the Brokko team members on board, finalizes the mission parameters - he is assembling for a major offensive to make planetfall on the "Future Earth" occupied by the Karu'Naga, and the listening post where Rowe and company are assembled MUST be secured. The teams engage in a brief discussion on this and also on the now-mutated Trabe virus and the danger of any smart weapons, including the pallet of spider mines aboard. Tony relays his own intel that he gained during his short visit inside the stilt hive: that while both Invid Brains were destroyed from Annie's bombardment, he was able to glean that after the Regent was destroyed, it wasn't Loki/Barlow controlling the Dhivnei Union forces...it was 'something else.' The exact nature of this is unclear to him.

Not wanting to waste more time on the discussion, Pepe asks Titan for his order, making acknowledgment of the former as mission commander. The decision is passed back to LePue quickly, with Rowe stating that it is his ship and if he does not feel safe with that level of ordnance aboard he is well within his rights to jettison the cargo. Pepe decides to do so, though not before both Faceplant and Rowe re-arm themselves with a full loadout.

Pepe and Rowe then quickly form the plan. With the former Brokko crew (now designated "Light Unit") needing to focus on the Glyph and Dark Unit tasked with securing the listening post, it is decided that they would make a joint effort to take the post. After it is secured, Dark Unit will take up a perimeter defense as Wrecker and Ronin provide overwatch for Reaper and Titan to approach the Glyph. Tek and Grace man their VFs as the rest of the forces make final preparations. It is in this moment that the assembled NUA forces receive an all-channel broadcast...from Tassadar:"Peoples of the New Unity Alliance, please, hear me now and heed my words.""I am called First Dahon Tassadar, of the True Covenant of Aiur, in respectful service to the Path of the Khala.""It is now that I address you, on this most terrible of days and tragic of circumstances. It is with great sadness that events have come to pass such as this, but the profound truth of this reality must be told: you, free peoples of this Alliance, have been deceived.""You have been deceived by an ancient and invisible foe, and one for which you can seek no representation, no call to responsibility. I speak of the Xel'Naga.""For you are not free. We have all been slaves to the Xel'Naga and their universal machinations and delusions. Ours has never been our own destiny - simply another design by the 'wise' Xel'Naga.""In ancient times, the followers of the Karu rightly rebelled against the cruel practices of the Xel Doctrine and the zealous drive of their leader, Odin. It was these Na'Ga that were driven away from their shared paradise, to the darkest and deepest planes of existence. And it was there that the Karu'Naga slowly grew strong, to one day reclaim that which was denied to them - freedom. The true freedom to act upon your own dreams and desires, to create your own destiny - not endlessly fulfill the objectives of the Xel'Nagan paradigm.""Heed my words! Join us in this fight against the architects of the greatest deception ever conceived.""We, the member-nations of the Karu'Nagan Confederacy, seek to make our reemergence into this world, to carve out our own paradise which was summarily denied to us for time eternal. And our place in creation shall no longer be ignored."As the message ends and the Light and Dark teams begin to launch their mission, the Hive beneath them becomes abuzz with activity, with around 120 inbound Dhivnei forces approaching them. Pepe commands Annie to stagger fire the synchro cannons, wiping out a large amount of the forces and opening a new hole further into the ground. The combined team springs into action, a joint effort that gives the appearance more of a team that has been together for years rather than minutes. Suddenly, Light and Dark Units are joined by an unknown mech, rather angelic in its appearance, complete with wings and armament. It is quickly resolved on their tacnet as Nufae, and again the team makes a quick assurance it is her (with a bit more demand of Rowe to ensure that she is in fact safe.)

Spooks, Ronin, and Pepe connect to the hull of the Redacted, using their sniper rifles to act as makeshift Destroids, each showing their prowess of the craft. Breaking off from Annie, Tek and Grace join in Legios configuration, using the superior missile capability to engage as many enemies as possible. Nufae takes to the air, followed closely by Titan who is in turn followed closely by Reaper, engaging aerial targets. Faceplant leads Wrecker, Doc, and Awesome to ground level where the Spartans begin to engage hostiles at they emerge from the new tunnel formed by synchro cannon fire. Faceplant himself dives into the abyss, firing rockets at stragglers as he descends.

The Dhivnei units do not fire weapons at the team; they only fly at them in a kamikaze-style attack. The combat is quick and fierce, the members of Dark and Light unit deftly outmaneuvering their foes and using the fire superiority of the Alpha-Beta combination of Tek and Grace to eliminate the foes. Without wasting time, the team sweeps the listening post while Faceplant investigate the tunnels under the hive. He discovers the empty "birthing" shells of countless Dhivnei forces, including massive shells that most likely released the forces engaged by the Alliance Fleet recently.

With the post taken and Dark Unit falling into a wide perimeter to include the Glyph, Titan and Reaper make their approach. Once there, they receive communications from Admiral Hunter letting them know that the entire Karu'naga force seems to have retreated back through the massive Glyph portal on the "future Earth" planet, leaving the sector. This good news is short lived, as mere seconds later, Hunter transmits footage of Earth from Luna orbit. In a scene that seems to go on for ages, a blast of energy is visible from the planet - from the Glyph at Stonehenge - washing over the entire surface in an instant, burning away the atmosphere. And then, a massive implosion followed by an explosive energy wave propagating outward.

Earth is gone.

Rowe lashes out at the Glyph and to his surprise, a part of it breaks off. They quickly realize this Glyph is beyond inactive; it shows signs of aging, as if it were a simple stone sculpture.

If this was indeed a trap, then they had taken the bait. But one thing seems certain: Tassadar has made it clear that this new Karu'Nagan Confederacy is not going to disappear for long, putting them in direct opposition to the New Unity Alliance, and the fate of the Three Galaxies in question.