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The Final Transmission of the UNSC Dante
Posted By: Matt Mills<mattisawesome96@hotmail.com>
Date: 3 December 2011, 2:55 am


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ATTENTION!
FOR NAVCOM EYES ONLY!

       THE FOLLOWING DATA WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RECENTLY DESTROYED NAVAL BATTLEGROUP DIVINE COMEDY, COMPRISED OF THE HALCYON CLASS CRUISER DANTE, AND THE FRIGATES INFERNO, PURGATORIO, AND PARADISO. A COVENANT CCS-BATTLEGROUP INTERCEPTED THEM AS THEY ATTEMPTED TO HOT-DROP ORBITAL SHOCK TROOPS INTO THE RECENT BATTLE AT NEW JERUSALEM. THE DANTE'S SHIPBOARD AI, ALIGHERI, WAS CONFIRMED TO HAVE BEEN PURGED OF ALL CRITICAL INFORMATION BEFORE THE SHIP WAS BOARDED BY THE COVENANT. THE AI SENT THIS TRANSCRIPT TO A CLOAKED ONI PROWLER IN THE VICINITY SECONDS BEFORE PURGING HIMSELF, WITH THE MESSAGE REMEMBER HIS BRAVERY. THE PROWLER THEN TRANSMITTED IT TO ME SO I COULD RECOMMEND THE CAPTAIN OF THE DANTE FOR A POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION OF SOME SORT. HOWEVER THIS DECISION IS UP TO YOU, BUT I BELIEVE ANY INDIVIDUAL WITH A BRAIN STEM COULD SEE THAT HIS ACTIONS MERIT SOME SORT OF MEDAL. PROOF LIES BELOW:

UNITED NATIONS SPACE COMMAND, NAVAL WARFARE, BATTLEGROUP DIVINE COMEDY, SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2552.

DANTE: ADMIRAL, THIS IS BATTLEGROUP DIVINE COMEDY REPORTING. ALL SHIPS ARE NEARING FINAL DESTINATION, ALL ODSTS ARE READY FOR HOT-DROP. ESTIMATED DISTANCE, 200 KILOMETERS AND CLOSING, WITH AN ETA OF 5 MINS.

INFERNO: DANTE, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL COVY SHIPS MOVING TO ATTACK. SHOULD WE TAKE EVASIVE ACTION?

DANTE: NO, WERE NEARLY THERE.

INFERNO: ROGER. GUNNERY, GIVE ME A FIRING SOLUTION FOR ARCHER MISSILES. FIRE AT WILL. {ARCHER MISSILES FIRE} IMPACT CONFIRMED, NO VISIBLE DAMAGE, AS USUAL. PERMISSION TO WHEEL AROUND AND USE THE MAC CANNON?

DANTE: NEGATIVE, INFERNO, STAY WITH THE GROUP.

INFERNO: ROGER THAT, BELAY THAT FIRING SOLUTION, GUNNERY.

DANTE: HOLD YOUR GROUND, WE'RE ALMOST THERE. ALL SHIPS, FULL SPEED AHEAD, MAYBE WE CAN OUTRUN THESE COVIES.

ALIGHERI: I WOULDN'T COUNT ON IT, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN
FASTER.


PURG.: DANTE, SERAPH AND BANSHEE FORMATIONS ARE ESCORTING PHANTOM GUNBOATS, THEIR HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!

DANTE: ROGER, PURGATORIO, MOBILIZE LONGSWORDS. THAT ORDER GOES TO ALL SHIPS. HORNETS AND FALCONS, YOU GO TOO. I DON'T SUPOSSE ONI DROPPED OF ANY OF THOSE SABRE FIGHTERS AFTER REACH, DID THEY? DROP ZONE 120 KILOMETERS AND CLOSING.

PURG.: DAMAGE CONTROL TEAMS, MOVE TO ALL STARBOARD DECKS. LONGSWORD PILOTS, YOU ARE CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF. ALL ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNERS ARE ORDERED TO REPORT TO THEIR ASSIGNED POSITIONS.

PARADISO: WE'VE TAKEN HITS FROM THOSE GUNBOATS. WE NEED TO DROP NOW AND GET THE [EXPLETIVE] OUT OF HERE!

DANTE: NEGATIVE, WE'RE JUST ABOUT THERE.

INFERNO: [EXPLETIVE], THOSE SERAPHS ARE TEARING US UP! COMMANDER, PLEASE! GIVE THE ORDER TO DROP! WE WON'T LAST ANOTHER 100 KILOMETERS, DEAR MOTHER, PLASMA TORPEDOES!

DANTE: I GAVE YOU AN ORDER, NOW YOU'LL WAIT TILL I'M READY TO GIVE THE [EXPLETIVE] COMMAND!

PURG.: SIR, HALF OF OUR DECKS ARE MELTING AWAY AS WE SPEAK. IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE THE ORDER SOON, I'LL GIVE IT MYSELF.

DANTE: IF YOU GIVE THAT ORDER, I'LL WHEEL THIS SHIP AROUND AND TURN MY MAC CANNON ON YOU!

PURG.: I DON'T GIVE A [EXPLETIVE]! ALL ODSTS, YOU HAVE THE ORDER TO DRO... {STATIC}

DANTE: PURGATORIO... DO YOU READ? PURGATORIO... [EXPLETIVE] ! INFERNO, PARADISO, YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO DROP. REPEAT, YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO DROP!

INFERNO: ROGER.

PARADISO: ROGER.

INFERNO: [EXPLETIVE]! COVIES USED THIER BIG [EXPLETIVE] LASER ON US! WE'RE GOING DOWN.

PARADISO: SERAPHS AND BANSHEES TORE OUR HELLJUMPERS APART. I DON'T THINK ANY OF 'EM MADE IT. AH, CRAP... THEY BOARDED US.
START EVACUATING. HEAT UP THE BUMBLEBEES AND HEAD FOR THE ESCAPE POD DECKS.

DANTE: PARADISO, YOU HAVE THE ORDER TO RETREAT WAIT... N...{STATIC}... [EXPLETIVE], ALIGHERI, DELETE ALL KNWOLEDGE FROM MEMORY BANKS, COVY ANTIMATTER CHARGES RIPPED US APART. TELL THE GUNNERY CREW TO SET OFF ALL OF THE SHIVAS IN THE SHIP. WE'LL TAKE THESE COVENANT [EXPLETIVE] WITH US! PARADISO, ARE YOU AT A SAFE DISTANCE, PARADISO... {STATIC}

END TRANSCRIPT. DESPITE THEIR EFFORTS, NEW JERUSALEM WAS GLASSED AND BURNED TO THE GROUND, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THEM. IT IS KNOWN THAT THIS PARTICULAR COVENANT BATTLEGROUP WAS OBLITERATED BY THE NUKES THAT WERE SET OFF. ONE OF THE COVENANT SHIPS WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE CRIPPLED PARADISO CRASHED INTO IT, HOWEVER, WE WILL NEVER NO WHETHER OR NOT THE CAPTAIN INTENTIONALLY DID THIS BEFORE HE EVACUATED HIS SHIP OR NOT. THE DANTE WAS CAPTAINED BY CPT. CLAUDE E. THOMPSON, AND IT WAS CONFIRMED ALIGHERI WAS DEVELOPED FROM HIS MIND. IT WAS ALSO CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD A PARTICULAR LIKING FOR THE WORKS OF DANTE ALIGHERI. HIS BRAVERY TO THE POINT OF DEATH MERITS THE HIGHEST OF UNSC HONORS. I'M SUGGESTING THE EARTH MEDAL OF DISTINGUISHMENT.

- VICE ADMIRAL COLE DAVIDSON





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