Chapter 32

The following morning Axel, and Halsey had returned to their duties. Halsey didn't forget the night she spent with Axel and she was glad that it finally happened. And from now on she would look to take advantage of their time alone and utilize as much as possible.

And since most of the Spartans were gone, Halsey had been studying the Energy shielding that Axel came up with. While the concept to her was easy to understand she wanted to see if she could replicate the process and create a different type of Energy Shielding.

She would have loved to test it out using the mini core reactor but the cost of creating one was too much so she had to make do without it until they could make one without worrying about resource management.

Axel on the other hand had returned to his work of creating and testing out new technology. He had mostly finished and planned to present it to the UNSC security council within the next two weeks.

And while he was finishing up the last bit of work two weeks had passed and it was time to travel to Earth to meet with the UNSC security council.

He stored all the data on a data chip and stored in a special case which he carried around with him, also within this special case was the data on energy shielding which he was sure that the security council will ask about. Once he was done packing up all of the things he needed he boarded a Pelican and left for the UNSC Leviathan his command ship.

Since he was traveling to Earth he didn't bring the entire battlegroup since it was not needed so just brought the cruiser as an escort vessel.

As soon as Axel stepped foot onto the USSC Leviathan, he was met with the familiar hum of its engines and the sharp salutes from his crew. He nodded his acknowledgements, making his way through the vessel towards his quarters. Once inside, he placed the special case containing the data chip on his desk.

With the invention of his Warp drive the trip to earth took about 45 min. As Earth's blue-green orb came into view, Axel grabbed the brief case and headed towards the hanger. Once the Leviathan docked with the space station he took a Pelican to the Surface of the planet where he would meet the members of the security council at the UNSC headquarters located in Sydney, Australia and introduce the new technology.

The Pelican gracefully descended onto one of the landing pads strategically placed in the area. Axel exited the craft with his briefcase, squinting against the intense Australian sunlight. His escorting Marines stayed on board as he made his way to his destination.

He was guided by two serious-looking Marines through a maze of hallways, their armor making a soft clinking noise against the polished marble floors.

At last, they stopped outside an imposing wooden door, adorned with the UNSC emblem. One of the marines knocked thrice before opening it for Axel who entered into a vast conference room with a large circular table at its center. Around it were seated some of the most influential men and women in human space - Admirals, Generals, and the Chairman.

As soon as everyone settled down, Axel began to present his new technology. He walked them through his data and findings, showing off simulated projections and potential applications of his inventions. The council members watched intently, occasionally asking probing questions which Axel answered with ease.

At the end of the presentation most of the Officers were highly impressed especially with the new standard armor that could be introduced at the same cost of their current armor. The benefits were also great and it would offer the infantry more adaptability on the battlefield.

The new Knightfall Multipurpose rifle was also something that caught their attention because of it's multipurpose use and it's increase in damage, stabilization, and range. The rifle was a result of meticulous engineering, designed to be lightweight and versatile. Its adaptive systems allowed for seamless transition between various ammunition types and firing modes, dexterously meeting the shifting demands of fluid combat scenarios.

He also showcased the new Orbital defense platform which could be used for planetary defense especially within the colonial systems.

The platform featured a series of powerful MAC cannons, missile pods, and advanced shielding systems. It had been designed to operate as a stand-alone unit or integrate seamlessly with a planet's existing defense grid. To demonstrate its capabilities, Axel played a simulated invasion scenario, showing the council how the platform could effectively track, engage, and neutralize targets at an unprecedented scale.

And this discussion brought up the obvious question that everybody had on their minds.

General Black was the first person to ask the question "How did you manage to create energy shielding Admiral"

When this question was asked everybody focused their attention on Axel waiting for his response.

He wasn't keeping energy shielding a secret especially with the Spartans having them in their own armor, so he explained it to the security council.

"I'd been studying energy manipulation for years," Axel began to make up a story, leaning against the table. "I wanted to see if I could harness that raw power and use it to create a barrier. So, I started research on force field theories and began a series of trials."

He placed the data chip into the table's integrated reader, bringing up numerous schematics on a holographic display. There was a moment of quiet as the security council members absorbed the models and data.

Axel explained as his fingers traced over the projected diagrams. "I utilized a highly advanced energy emitter to power the Shield Generator," he said, pointing to the designated component. "The generator works by channeling energy through a sophisticated network of superconductive cables, creating an electrified barrier around the wearer or any structure it is installed on."

"And while i say electrified it's not actually electrified but it protects the structure from direct fire for a limited amount of time depending on the weapons used and how powerful they are, in addition they can also recharge after they are depleted but recharging will take time depending on the size of the item that the energy shield is protecting" Added Axel.

Axel let his words sink in, giving them a moment to chew on his explanation before continuing.

"The beauty of it is in its adaptability; we can scale up the generators for larger applications like our orbital platforms or scale down for personal armors like our Spartans. As for resources," he paused, looking at each member around the table. "The cost is high when compared to traditional armor, but the benefits? Soldier survivability increases dramatically. The shield takes the hit, leaving our men and women unscathed."

"But because of the potential cost of applying an energy shield to each soldier, I would just use the new infantry armor instead if you actually go through with the implementation of it and leave the energy shielding to the Spartans because of their small numbers" Explained Axel.

There was a pause as the council members mulled over Axel's presentation, exchanging glances and scribbling down their own thoughts. Admiral Gardner was the first to speak "Admiral woods" He started, his voice cutting clearly through the quiet room.

"these are indeed remarkable advancements. However, you know as well as I do that implementing these changes on a large scale will require significant resources. Not just financial, but operational too. Converting our existing systems will take time and manpower." Said Admiral Gardner. He was originally angry that Axel had dared to present them with new designs for infantry armor when he strictly told him to focus on space warfare, but seeing these designs they were innovative but also a waste of resources if they were to be implemented since the current armor is already great and while the new armor has more benefits and costs the same as the previous armor he was still hesitant to initiate an complete revamp of their forces because of the new armor's capabilities.

But he could see the utilization of the ODST armor because it wouldn't change much, as for the infantry armor it was just too much tech that the infantry would have to learn how to use. And it already takes time to train a single soldier and implementing this would increase that time.

"I fully understand, Admiral Gardner," Axel replied with a respectful nod. "However, I believe the long-term benefits - increased survivability, combat efficiency and a stronger defensive network - outweigh the initial costs and challenges."

The other members attending nodded in agreement.

Seeing this Admiral Gardner looked at Admiral Parangosky to get her opinion.

Admiral Parangosky was a seasoned officer, her pragmatic approach often providing the perfect counterbalance to Axel's innovative but sometimes overambitious ideas. "We'll need to run thorough field tests and simulations before we can even consider large-scale implementation," she suggested, adjusting her glasses. "We need a proof of concept, Admiral Woods. Something more than just simulations. If your designs do hold up under real-world conditions, it will be substantial evidence in your favor."

"Of course, Admiral Parangosky," Axel acknowledged with a nod. "Every innovation requires rigorous testing before it is deemed combat-ready."

Gardner's gaze shifted back to Axel. "Then you will perform the necessary field tests and if they prove successful then we will consider a more wide scale implementation of them. As for the other technology I want to see field tests with them as well"

All the attending members nodded agreeing to the proposition. And with that final decision the meeting had ended and Axel left the room. Though as he left Admiral Parangosky was staring at him wondering how she could use him in the future. While she didn't like his influence he was a good tool for her to use within ONI.

Meanwhile Axel returned to his the Leviathan and left for Algolis to prepare the necessary tests for all the new technology. He didn't bring up the new designs for the MCU's since he wasn't supposed to be working on them anymore.

(New MCU Image Here)