Breakwater

Breakwater is a loose collection of independent colonies, stations, and habitats on the fringes of space that have come together in the face of the threat. Cut off from military or humanitarian assistance by the UNSC for the foreseeable future, the populations within Breakwater drafted a rudimentary mutual defense and aid pact, pooling whatever resources they had to ensure their own survival in the face of overwhelming odds. Breakwater is composed of five terrestrial settlements, Ugarit, Garibaldi, Antipater, Cassander, and Freydís, placed in the cartographical region called the Gaia Stretch. These worlds were relatively lightly inhabited, with only a handful of municipalities scattered across their biomes. Established early on in the efforts to rebuild the UNSC, these five colonies were placed on worlds rich in mineral wealth, ideal for mass agriculture, or both. Far from the operational ranges of any larger groups, the stretch’s planets were free to grow in relative peace, each planet had hosted a garrison that was supplemented by a native planetary defense militia. Expecting hostile Covenant remnant forces to be attracted to the frontier worlds as they historically have been, fortifications were deployed to fend off raiders or invaders, manned at all hours of the day. However, none came and the guns of these colonies had never fired a shot in anger. 
Breakwater also consists of three deep space habitats, Brighton Rock, New Olduvai, and Overland. Built from the same pattern of design, two of the stations are quadruple stack Stanford torus designs, placed within the same asteroid belt with Brighton Rock being constructed into a C-type asteroid. The three stations were also part of the general UNSC recolonization efforts and placed near the Gaia Stretch. While the worlds had been intended to be centers of commerce and resource extraction, the stations were intended to focus on heavy industry, becoming a hub for zero gravity manufacturing, starship refueling, and mineral refinement. While the terrestrial colonies of the Gaia Stretch had played host to armed forces, there was only a token unit of defenders, relying on the dense field of asteroids to conceal them from attackers. The ‘Drifting Three’, as they were later known, had been instrumental in supporting the UNSC colonization efforts in the Stretch, contributing greatly to the region’s road to self-sufficiency. 
For many years, the Stretch was touted as emblematic of the UNSC’s rebirth, rising from the brink of total extermination to once again claim stars and worlds under its banner. 
The had put paid to any further developments in the region. Supply shipments had stopped and exports of raw materials were destroyed by blockades. The Gaia Stretch was spared the worst of the initial salvos of rebellion as none of the colonial sites had possessed an artificial intelligence more complex than a municipal . While they were spared from the bloodshed, their worries were far from over as critical shipments of machinery and finished goods had all but halted. 
While the Gaia Stretch had suffered little damage during the first days of the conflict, the leaders of the colony knew that the peace was not to last. Even if the Created themselves had little need for resources like foodstuff or machine parts, their allies did and the Gaia Stretch was rich in many of the necessities an army needs.
== Overview ==
In response to the massive paradigm shift in intergalactic politics, the various human settlements within the Gaia Stretch had met together on the station of Overland, discussing how best to proceed. As the Created had shown a willingness to integrate and assist nations that joined under their banner, and as the Stretch had little other recourse, some had considered throwing their lot in with the Created. They had reasoned that the military strength of the Created was enough to destroy all the colonies several times over, and that life in the Stretch would change little, save for the exchanging of a Marine garrison for a Promethean one. 
Others had dissented as footage of the Created’s actions on other worlds had spread throughout the human sphere. This opposing faction had claimed that Stretch would be nothing more than a conquered territory in the rapidly growing empire of the Created. Whatever natural wealth of the Gaia Stretch would be stripped away to fuel the hunger of the Created’s machinery as they proceeded through the galaxy. Effectively, they would be little more than imperial subjects, a far cry from the utopia the Created were purportedly creating. This faction had also played on the independent mindedness of these colonists, who were only nominally beholden to the UNSC which was largely unconcerned with the affairs of the colony so long as shipments of raw materials kept flowing and colonial markets were still flourishing. The Created, they reasoned, would be much more heavy handed. 
Ultimately the faction advocating for independence from the Created won out during these negotiations, and work had immediately commenced to link the resources of the colonies together. The nascent Breakwater’s factories and assembly plants had worked ceaselessly through the days and nights, constructing weapons and vehicles in preparation for a Created attack that seemed inevitable. More militia troops were drawn up, with able bodied adults employed to bolster the defense systems in Breakwater. To support this buildup in military forces, Breakwater’s infrastructure would have to be improved as well, and civil engineers had also worked tirelessly to expand urban electrical grids, bolster spaceborne probe and satellite networks, and improve agricultural production rates. 
While Breakwater had made great strides in preparing themselves for an attack, the total lack of support from any major power had limited the effectiveness of their defenses, for instance, many of their spaceborne defense platforms lacked , instead relying on point defense weapons like the and secondary battery guns like the . Most of these were hand-me-downs from the , and the severing of trade routes made acquisition or production of replacement parts exceptionally difficult for Breakwater. Similarly, while much was done to expand the civil infrastructure of Breakwater’s worlds, they had utilized outdated and secondhand machinery and equipment, limiting the efficiency of their resource extraction and construction efforts. 
Breakwater’s burgeoning militia is in a similar situation as its civil and spaceborne counterparts, relying on equipment and weaponry handed down from UNSC Marine troops. Many were armed with the venerable or the , with select specialist troops being equipped with the or the for marksman or close quarters battle roles respectively. Notably, the militia posses a limited number of man-portable anti-armor and anti-air systems, forcing them to rely on ambush tactics and improvised explosive devices when faced with enemies more heavily armored than standard infantry.
The naval force of Breakwater could scarcely be called a navy, much like the makeshift defense platforms, the vessels that composed the motive portion of the Breakwater fleet were little more than semi-militarized freighters, converted pleasure craft, and mining barges. Most of these vessels were acquired from dockyards after they were abandoned by their owners. Many of the naval weaponry Breakwater had come into possession of was sent to the system to be decommissioned or scrapped for spare parts and raw material, only a fraction of which had been recycled prior to the Created conflict.  What few naval weapons that weren’t placed on stationary defenses were hastily welded to the surface of these ships, which typically included lighter naval secondary weapons such as or . Larger ships were also equipped with cells for anti-ship missiles, loaded with . Breakwater command was very aware of the shortcomings of their makeshift fleet, and adjusted their plans accordingly. Rather than directly engage an enemy vessel that could easily outmatch them, the mobile elements of Breakwater’s fleet was to corral incoming hostiles towards the defense platforms, transmitting targeting data to these installations to assist in fire control. Breakwater’s ships were also intended to harass the enemy as the defense platforms opened fire, cutting off avenues of retreat and preventing them from approaching these stations. The capabilities and appearances of each of these vessels had varied greatly, and Breakwater command arranged them in squadrons according to tactical capability. Many of Breakwater’s spacers were experienced in life among the void, capable of keeping a vessel in ideal conditions no matter the situation. However, few, if any of these spacers have seen military service necessitating a long on-boarding period in order to educate crew on the proper operation of ordnance and in conventional naval tactics. 
== Planets ==
=== Ugarit ===
Ugarit was the first world settled by the UNSC during the post- colonization rush. Sitting well within its star’s habitability range, Ugarit’s environment and biomes are remarkably similar to Earth’s. The world is somewhat drier than the human homeworld, with longer humid seasons and monsoons that sweep across the equatorial band of the planet. Colonial surveys had indicated that while the world was ideal for the development of life, it had a very limited biosphere, with small insect like fauna and a variety of flora making up most of it. With little terraforming necessary and vast veins of platinum, erbium, and neodymium, Ugarit had appealed to many colonial concerns, eager to see the profits mining operations on the world could bring. The capital and first settlement of Ugarit, Ebla, was placed close to these veins of mineral wealth by the equator. Ebla had also hosted the only spaceport in the world, quickly cementing its significance on Ugarit. 
After the commencement of the Created conflict, refugees from the Stretch and other UNSC territories had flocked to Ugarit, and the municipal authorities had worked tirelessly to process these new arrivals as quickly as possible. Tales of the Created’s brutality and violence had spread across Ugarit from these refugees, terrifying the populace of Ugarit into action, with many citizens urging the municipal council into action. Breakwater was conceived in the streets of Ugarit, and much of military and civil machinery is fueled by the raw materials from Ugarit.
=== Antipater ===
The world of Antipater is nearly 80 percent water, with another 5 percent being frozen in glaciers at the north and south poles. Most of the colonization efforts had taken place on the island chains that dotted the great ocean. A great deal of underwater volcanic activity still roils beneath the surface of the world, resulting in far warmer waters than similar bodies on other worlds. Antipater was initially flagged by colonization authorities to be the ‘breadbasket’ of the Stretch, as the vast ocean allowed for extensive aquaculture of all kinds. Antipater was also slated to provide fresh water to the habitats and ships in the Stretch, fueling people and fusion engines alike. Antipater’s climate is mild compared to the other worlds in Breakwater, with predictable rainfall patterns and calm winds. Many had viewed Antipater as little more than a resort world for the corporate executives of the or as a waystation for weary travelers continuing their journeys into the frontier. Antipater was also host to a large portion of the UNSC’s military presence there, due to the critical position it had in the Stretch’s supply chain. Notably, Antipater has a robust wet naval presence as part of its garrison, boasting two and a small complement of frigates in escort. All of these vessels were equipped with multiple cells of anti-starship munitions, carrying and some . While the efficacy of a waterborne portion of the defense garrison was often questioned, simulations and wargames had proven Antipater’s fleet to be more than capable of destroying the lightweight vessels pirates and raiders had often employed. 
Antipater was relatively undisturbed by the onset of the Created conflict, save for an uptick in military action across the islands, life had simply gone on as normal on the world. When the proposal of unification across the Stretch under the Breakwater banner, Antipater had accepted with little fanfare or opposition in its leadership ranks. Many of the municipal leaders and political figures of Antipater were loyal, but not inflexibly so, UEG officials.  The prospect of surrendering to the enemy while their own nation still nominally stood was out of the question. While Ugarit had provided the lifeblood for Breakwater’s machinery, Antipater had provided it for their people, there is little doubt in anyone’s mind that the Stretch would have been forced to surrender if it weren’t for the constant output of foodstuffs from the world. Antipater had also played host to a number of hospitals, capable of treating a wide variety of diseases and injuries. 
=== Garibaldi ===
Garibaldi is a far cry from the placid and comfortable worlds of Ugarit and Antipater, resembling the planet Venus in many aspects. Namely, Garibaldi’s atmosphere is entirely inimical to human life, with a significant amount of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid. Colonial surveys found that even momentary expeditions to the surface were infeasible, resulting in degradation of the most extensive environmental suits in a short period of time. Despite this, Garibaldi was still sought after by UEG authorities for its immense stores of rare-earth metals ensconced within its crust. Rather than establish ground based mining operations, a system of aerostats was proposed, floating in the less hostile upper portions of the atmosphere, relying on exceptionally durable drones to gather minerals and deliver them back to the aerostats for processing and shipment
The vast majority of these aerostatic colonies are somewhat cramped, with most of the real estate aboard them being reserved for mineral refinement and storage. Habitation blocks aboard most of these aerostats are not meant for long term habitation, with workers being rotated in and out as their contracts demand. Most off duty workers live on the capital station of Garibaldi, New Tiber. The amenities on New Tiber are far more comprehensive than the smaller mining stations above the world, boasting gardens and concourses with green spaces. While many detractors point to these civilian luxuries being wasteful in the extreme especially during a time of war, Garibaldi’s ruling council dismisses them, pointing towards the morale boost more natural environments provide to workers and soldiers. New Tiber also serves as the primary garrison for the Marines on Garibaldi. A fleet of ferries troops between the aerostatics as strategic and tactical needs require.
=== Cassander ===
Cassander is a dwarf planet on the outskirts of Antipater and Garibaldi’s systems, approximately as large as Pluto in the Sol system. A rocky, icy world with little in the way of natural resources, many within the Stretch questioned the efficacy of colonizing the world as constructing and maintaining the habitat domes in and within the crust of the world would surely be too expensive to be worth the effort. Instead of resource extraction, Cassander was intended to be a logistical point for civilian and military fleets. The only resource Cassander had in abundance was water ice, and ships had stopped over Cassander before continuing into the UNSC frontier. A major scrapyard was established on Cassander, where many outdated military vessels and their armaments were slated to be reprocessed into metals for usage in the expansion of the Gaia Stretch’s colonies. Prior to the Created crisis, rumors spread regarding a black market on Cassander dedicated to selling military equipment meant for the scrapyards to pirates and other such unscrupulous groups. While little in the way of evidence has been found to prove this, naval weapons parts went unaccounted for quite often on Cassander. 
While a more comprehensive investigation was planned regarding the matter, the start of the Created conflict had put paid to those plans. The newly consolidated Breakwater government had taken direct control of Cassander and its naval infrastructure, seizing all ship hulls and weapons not yet scrapped. The dockworkers and engineers were quickly put to work hastily attaching naval guns to any hulls that were capable of accepting them, to decidedly mixed results. Many of these early attempts at the creation of an auxiliary warship had ended in disaster, but the people of Cassander were not easily deterred. Eventually, the vessels that composed Breakwater’s meager fleet would leave Cassander’s makeshift shipyards. Cassander itself was turned into a fortification, intending to be the first line of defense against any incursions against worlds further in the system. 
=== Freydís ===
Freydís is an icy world, similar in nature to the moon Europa in the Sol system. It was settled by a scientific concern interested in investigating the planetary ocean under the ice shelf, as the geothermal and tectonic activity beneath the ice shelf had proven promising for the development of life. The researchers on Freydís had found rudimentary aquatic sealife, flora and fauna gathered around the geothermal vents and other hotspots that lined the world’s crust. However, drone surveys had revealed structures on the ocean floors that were clearly artificial in nature. Further analysis of these constructs was made more difficult thanks to the hostile environment, but had proceeded apace thanks to extensive support from academic bodies within the UEG. Cursory analysis indicated that the structures had borne great resemblance to prehistoric architecture, but closer inspection had revealed materials of some structures to be in origin. It is uncertain the exact purpose of these structures, nor can their histories be easily determined, as any identifying markers or similar items have either been destroyed or lost to time. Aside from the research outpost, Freydís also serves as an important freshwater resupply station, with ice mining outposts established across the surface and far from any archeological sites. 
Despite much consternation amongst the scientists of Freydís, the world did eventually join Breakwater’s coalition. Representatives from the world constantly urge for calm amongst the more belligerent diplomats from the other colonies, afraid that war with the Created would be disastrous for their research efforts. 
== Stations ==
=== Brighton Rock ===
Brighton Rock is the oldest of the colonies established in the Stretch, being a relatively simple ‘beehive’ colony dug into the regolith of a large asteroid. With more room to expand and develop compared to the other habitats of the Stretch. Manufacturing concerns looking to take advantage of the proximity of mining operations had established facilities on Brighton Rock, constructing man zero gravity manufacturing plants throughout the interior of the habitat, producing a prodigious amount of consumer goods yearly.
=== Overland ===
Overland is the largest of the stations in the Gaia Stretch, serving as the impromptu capital of the stellar cluster. With a population nearing four million souls, Overland teems with life and activity and plays host to many dozens of commercial interests along with manufacturing ones. Established early on during the colonization rush to the Stretch, Overland was intended to be the center of life within the cluster, receiving new immigrants and goods from the wider UNSC and sending off materials to be processed by the insatiable machinery of the human sphere. Thanks to its critical nature Overland boasts a more comprehensive network of life support systems, with multiple redundant water purifiers and atmospheric processors ensuring that the millions aboard remain safe and comfortable no matter the situation. Extensive hydroponic systems also ensure that residents remain fed even if supply lines are cut or otherwise unavailable. 
Of particular note on Overland are its massive bazaars that spread throughout the habitation rings and even some of the manufactory toruses. All manner of items can be found here among, ranging from clothing to customized vacuum suits to any number of food stalls. Some of the wealthier store owners create bespoke goods for the discerning customer, and while by and large the fare of Overland’s bazaars is affordable, these stores often carry hefty prices. Many from across the Stretch journey to Overland to peruse the vast number of stalls and shops that fill the concourses of Overland’s habitation toruses. 
While most of the goods sold and traded on Overland are legal according to both local and UEG legal understandings, this is not always the case. On the 4th torus, far from the immediate attention of Overland’s authorities, a smaller but no less busy bazaar operates. Many less than legal goods and services can be purchased here, ranging from scrubbed weaponry to any number of narcotics. Smugglers and thieves also ply their trade here, offering their services to anyone with pockets deep enough. The authority on Overland is fully aware of but tolerates this underworld presence, as they have not significantly interfered with life on the station. 
While much of the trade on Overland has dried up thanks to the continuing blockade of the Stretch by the Created, these bazaars continue their work, albeit at a slower pace than previously. Overland’s critical position in the Gaia Stretch had made it an obvious pick for the establishment of Breakwater’s administrative nerve center. 
=== New Olduvai ===
New Olduvai is the least populated station within the Stretch, having been home to close to 1.5 million individuals prior to the advent of the Created conflict. Another station intended for manufacturing, most of New Olduvai’s toruses were home to expansive zero-gravity manufacturing plants, providing the Stretch with much needed heavy machinery of all kinds, along with the semi-conductors necessary to keep the Stretch’s computational infrastructure in good working order, and the station is home to the only facility capable of manufacturing orbital solar power grids.
It is for these reasons that the Created had chosen New Olduvai to attack first, intending to put a serious dent in the capacity for Breakwater to remain self sufficient, thus making the inhabitants more pliable to talks of integration, or to conquest. The Marines and militia around New Olduvai are always on duty in preparation of the next Created raid.
New Olduvai doubles as Breakwater’s premier naval base, servicing the various auxiliary craft that act as its defense force. It is positioned closest to Created territory, hence the greater frequency of attacks on the station, and as such it was the first to be fortified. The heavy industry of New Olduvai was easily turned to the manufacture of rudimentary ‘defense platforms’, in essence collections of up armored habitation units married to a reactor unit and a number of naval weapons. Seeded in close orbits to New Olduvai and transported to other stations and worlds, these platforms have been instrumental in the defense of the Stretch, their heavy guns having been enough to dissuade Created attackers for the better part of a year. New Olduvai itself also hosts a naval shipyard, converted from a shipbreaking facility once used to scrap interstellar vessels of all kinds. While New Olduvai has the materials to perform extensive repairs and militarization of space going civilian vessels, this single shipyard had proven to be a serious bottleneck in the breakneck pace of Breakwater’s militarization. Other, smaller facilities once dedicated to deep space construction have also been appropriated to bolster the efforts of the primary shipyard, but they are far from efficient at shipbuilding or repairs. 
In addition to the shipbuilding facilities, New Olduvai also plays host to a pair of squadrons, intended to be scrapped by New Olduvai but later appropriated by Breakwater. These fighters serve as Breakwater’s scouts and aggressive defenders, harassing the enemy before they’re able to engage the defenses of Breakwater. These craft also serve to deploy limited numbers of and .  As the only military vessels currently in Breakwater’s possession, they take great strides to ensure that they remain in good working order.
== History ==
=== Early History ===
Breakwater’s early months as a governmental entity were fraught with hardship. Between political gridlock in the first iteration of the Breakwater Council, Created raids becoming increasingly frequent, and increasing concerns over the feasibility of long term stability and self sufficiency, Breakwater seemed poised to collapse before it had even started work on unification and preparation. This combined with news of the UNSC being pushed back on all fronts by various hostile forces resulted in low spirits among the citizenry of Breakwater, some even saying that refusing surrender to the Created was a mistake, for if they could bring the UNSC to its knees, what hope did a collection of ragtag colonies have? 
Resolving this morale issue would become the most pressing issue at hand for the Breakwater Council, and a massive amount of propaganda was published and distributed all across the Gaia Stretch. News from beyond the Stretch was carefully monitored and censored. As all transmissions had gone through the broadcast scrubbers and repeaters within Overland, the Council could easily obfuscate information on UNSC defeats or anything else they deemed ‘not conducive to efforts within the Stretch’. Within weeks propaganda posters had lined the walls of every habitation unit on every station and speeches intended to uplift spirits. While many within Breakwater had begun to doubt the veracity of the claims these propagandistic claims presented, few had the means to discredit them, and eventually confidence in the UNSC’s victory was attained. 
While Breakwater’s colonies were established in a region of space that was rarely targeted by pirates, the Marines and spacers of the Gaia Stretch were constantly drilling for eventual contact with a Covenant raiding party or human pirates. While they likely would have proven a match for either group of hostiles, the Created had presented an enemy that they had little experience with and as such, were thoroughly outclassed. Perhaps the only thing keeping Breakwater from being destroyed and the Stretch conquered outright are the Created themselves. Insistent on presenting themselves as morally superior to the current governments, the Created AI in charge of the offensive against Breakwater appears to be holding back the bulk of their naval and ground forces. Instead, they are content to simply launch intermittent raids intended to disrupt shipping between the stellar cluster, and as a display of Breakwater’s inability to protect its civilians. Often times the Created had used Covenant ships as false flags, while more direct assaults had employed Promethean constructs armed with cannons.
Regardless of the kind of ships dispatched to engage Breakwater’s defenses, each defensive action by their navy was hard fought. The first Created raid on Breakwater had occurred near New Olduvai, as supported by had intercepted a convoy carrying mineral loads to Overland. These small craft had dueled with the Longsword squadrons and militarized freighters of Breakwater, and inflicted significant damage on many of the human vessels, destroying three freighters and damaging another two before the Longswords had managed to intercept them. These squadrons had lured the light Promethean craft towards the defense platforms, whose heavier guns had inflicted severe losses on the Prometheans, forcing them to retreat or face total destruction. This first engagement would prove clarifying for Breakwater, with many of the military leaders quickly realizing that any form of direct engagement would result in disaster.
Afraid of the results that this would have on the recently recovered morale of Breakwater, the Council had kept a tight lid on information regarding the engagement beyond those who needed to know. To the general public, the battle around New Olduvai was a hard fought but ultimately comprehensive victory, with the Created being driven out of the Stretch in their totality. However, the Council had also emphasized the necessity of preparation, warning that the constructs of the Created may one day return to plague the Stretch. Military readiness was never dropped, and production quotas remained in place. While the Council had done their best to clamp down on any media depicting the battle aside from official records, one instance of gunpod targeting camera footage had managed to leak to the public, displaying a very different battle than what the party line had displayed. While the seed was small, eventually doubt and misgivings amongst the average population of Breakwater. However, fear over their fate under the Created had done much to prevent these misgivings from breaking out into uncontrollable social unrest. 
Breakwater’s navy had wasted no time in licking their wounds following the battle, militarizing as many vessels as they could as quickly as possible, dreading the eventuality of another dedicated Created assault on their shipyards. Probes were scattered across the outer orbits around the station in anticipation of another attack, as were the entirety of the space mines and remote explosives left on the station’s scrapyards. While no attacks on the scale of the first assault on New Olduvai had come, skirmishes had been a constant in the months following. Longswords and small shuttles had dueled with war-sphinxes and , fighting on the edges of New Olduvai’s orbital defense coverage grids. These skirmishes had raged for weeks on end with no clear winner in sight.After months of these skirmishes, a moment of peace had returned to Breakwater. It is unclear why the Created had relented in their raiding, and the planners of Breakwater were baffled by the decision, as any serious attack against the recovering navy would surely result in a total capitulation in short order. Many theories had arisen as to why, with some believing that this was merely a ploy to get Breakwater to lower their guard before the attack came, others had believed that it was a truthful show of mercy from the Created. While no blood was shed during these months, a pervasive atmosphere of anxiety had settled throughout the territory, with everyone across the Stretch waiting with bated breath as to the Created’s next move. 
What had come next was a shock to nearly everyone, the next Created ships were not meant for war and housed no Promethean made constructs or human made drones. Instead, it was a delegation of organics from a variety of races, ranging from to humans to even a pair of gestalts. While the leadership of Breakwater was wary of the delegation, they had little choice but to accept them into Breakwater’s space. The delegation had proclaimed themselves to be peoples freed from the yoke of the old systems of government, enjoying true freedom and peace under the stewardship of the Created. The emissaries claimed that the old systems of leadership had failed their people utterly, and it had fallen to the Created to bring those cast aside or abused by their leaders under wing. They had brought with them many technological marvels, some being technology and others were novel items created by organic and Created efforts. While these were no doubt impressive to many of the citizens of Breakwater, it had little effect on the talks to come. 
Antonio Valdez, the erstwhile chief of the Breakwater Council had agreed to negotiate with the delegation, if only to gain a better understanding of the enemy and their dispositions. For much of the early portions of these talks, it had seemed that common ground was being established. The delegation had condemned the raids against Breakwater as the actions of an overly zealous commander who had been appropriately punished, and promised a reimbursement of the damages inflicted if Breakwater had agreed to join the Created faction operating within the region. When questioned on footage and accounts of Created invasions, the delegation had passed them off as fabrications, propaganda produced by a dying order intended to sow fear of the rightful heir to the galaxy. 
As the Council and the delegation returned to their chambers to deliberate, tensions had once again flared among Breakwater. Some had claimed to have spotted spies observing the orbital defense platforms, while others had claimed to have seen unidentified drones attempting to gain access to the barracks on New Olduvai. While these claims were never confirmed, they had a great influence on Valdez and his council’s decisions. Aware that refusing the offer would likely result in a recommencement of hostilities, the Council had intended to prolong the talks as much as they could. After two weeks of discussions and deliberation, Breakwater had rejected the offer of unification, citing their desire to chart their own path outside any established system, Created or otherwise. As the Created delegation had left the Gaia Stretch, preparations for an attack had begun immediately, with all militia personnel being mobilized and all Stretch worlds being raised to the highest level of military readiness. After several weeks of waiting, it had quickly become apparent that no attack was coming. Despite this, the militia had remained at their posts, and naval patrols had remained consistent. Some within Breakwater had loudly proclaimed that rejecting the Created proposal for unity was a mistake, and that their offer of prosperity together was genuine. The lack of an attack after the talks was only further proof that they were acting in good faith. While proponents of attempting to recontact the Created were relatively common among the politicians of Breakwater, they had an equal number of opponents to this proposal. It had proven to be exceedingly unpopular amongst the common people in the union, and these proposals were quickly disregarded when it came time to vote on them. 
While the Breakwater military was not nearly in any shape to participate in any offensive actions against the Created, it had slowly but surely recovered in terms of material and manpower, with many of their ships being repaired or new vessels militarized. They had quickly returned to their pre-Conflict levels of capability, with a small number of newer designs armed with more coilgun turrets and missile cells. 
It would be another month of peace before the Created had returned to the Stretch, many had speculated on the reasons for this delay in between Created raids, with some believing that the Stretch was simply not prioritized by the Created, while others had still believed that the Created desired peace. Regardless of what the motives of the Created were, this peace was not to last and the Created had once again struck at New Olduvai. 
Intending for a more direct approach than their previous attack on the station, the Created fleet had made a direct drive towards the station itself, aiming to keep from getting bogged down in the fleets and defense platforms surrounding it wherever possible. Armed with a fleet composed of war-sphinxes, , and . These warships had escorted a number of crowded with organic soldiers and Promethean warriors of various types. 
As the Breakwater fleet had rushed to intercept this new force, they found themselves being outpaced by the Forerunner make warships, while they had managed to score a handful of kills against the war-sphinxes and escorts along with a single Gargantua-class, they had failed to prevent the transports from making contact with New Olduvai. 
While the boarding action had come as a shock to the defenders, they were nevertheless prepared to meet the Created in the corridors of their stations. New Olduvai’s troops were intensively drilled in both offensive and defensive shipboard combat. Aware that they were outmatched in many respects by the Created boarding parties, the Breakwater militia had instead prepared a number of hidden positions around chokepoints and bottlenecks. Landmines and bundles of remote detonated grenades were seeded through routes that the enemy were funneled through. Small units of militia troopers had made pinpoint strikes against the boarders, assaulting squads of Created from unexpected angles and vanishing before they were able to respond. While Created progress was slowed, they had retained their hold on New Olduvai.
== Notable Persons ==
Antonio Valdez is commonly considered the ‘father’ of Breakwater, being the first to propose the idea of unity in the face of the overwhelming Created threat. Born on the station of Overland to a pair of middle managers working for a small branch of servicing further frontier territories. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Antonio was destined for success aboard the station, and consistently received top marks throughout his academic career. Rather than follow in the footsteps of his parents, Valdez had decided to join the station’s civil servants, being brought aboard the station’s government at the same time the Created conflict had erupted. Almost immediately, Overland and the Stretch was overwhelmed by a variety of problems, ranging from the abrupt cessation of supply lines to the influx of refugees fleeing the Created war machine. Both the labor and the management of the Gaia Stretch were stretched to the breaking point. 
Frederica Vuong is one of the most experienced military personnel currently in the service of Breakwater. She had flown during the last days of the Human-Covenant War, sortieing again and again to support beleaguered ground forces and assist whatever remained of the after the Covenant made landfall. During the battle, Vuong earned a as she intercepted a unit pursuing medical transports, downing three of them before being shot down herself. After recovering from her injuries, Frederica had joined the fight in the skies again.
Following the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War, Frederica had remained with the UNSC, earning another Bronze Star for her actions during a spaceborne accident, guiding search and rescue craft through a dense debris and asteroid field. Weeks after this incident she had retired, drifting from civilian shipping corporation to interplanetary courier concerns, not staying in one place for too long. Eventually, she had found herself in the Gaia Stretch, ferrying rare earths to and from planetary mining operations and trade hubs. When the Created conflict had reached the Stretch, Frederica was among the first the newly formed Breakwater council reached out to in order to build a military, training the first pilots and many of the Breakwater navy the basics of combat in the void. \Another former member of the UNSC, Joaquin Bénichou was once one of the many hundreds of thousands of Marines raised in defense of the Solar System as the Covenant fleet grew closer every day. Raised among the factories and skyscrapers of Mars to a family of career soldiers, each of whom had seen action against the alien menace. Joaquin’s path would eagerly join in his parents’ footsteps, motivated by tales of the heroism of the Marines set against horror stories of the evil of the Covenant. While Joaquin had yearned to take the fight to the invaders, his unit would be attached to the general defense of the Sol System, patrolling the stations of the outer gas giants. These postings were typically lonely and uneventful, but were among the first to encounter the enemy when the Covenant fleet arrived. Joaquin had participated in the desperate defensive actions against Covenant boarding parties aboard these stations, engaging in desperate close range combat as the UNSC rushed to evacuate these points. 
After being wounded in action during the skirmishes in , suffering several Needle Rifle rounds through his left leg, Bénichou would be absent for much of the battles on and around Earth. After the conclusion of the Great War, Bénichou had been removed from active combat duty and instead had been deployed as an advisor, someone to support the development of colonial militias in their organization and tactics. This had taken him across the breadth of UNSC space, seeing everything the recovering colonies and the new frontier had to offer. As an advisor Bénichou had seen little further actual combat, save for a handful of half hearted remnant raids and attempted pirate incursions and his experience was valued by the largely inexperienced colonial militia. Among these deployments included the Gaia Stretch, where Bénichou had participated in training efforts across the worlds and stations of the Stretch, turning the various inexperienced militia of the Stretch into something resembling an effective force.
Colloquially referred to as the ‘Mad Engineer’, Garcia Rashid is behind most of Breakwater’s improvised weaponry. Initially, Garcia had found work as a deckhand on a civilian freighter supplying the Stretch. This work had given him a great understanding of the inner workings of starships, and later he had taken his experience in the repair and maintenance to the Stretch, quickly rising to prominence amongst the shipyards and shipbreaking facilities on New Olduvai. While he was known for his efficiency in the construction and destruction of the ships around the station. Rashid was responsible for the militarization of Breakwater’s ships.