I don't own Halo, the characters that appear in Halo, the books, the games, all are property of Bungie, 343 industries and Microsoft games. Enjoy.

ODSTs always said the current fight was the hardest, well, so far that was how I was feeling after my drop into the city with the infamous 319th squad of ODSTs known as the dog pack. Our CO, Lieutenant Mark "Wolf" Memphis was the first one to hit the ground, I hit the ground, correction, I hit the side of a mountain and then got lodged in a crevice after being bounced from the main cliff. I pressed the open button and the door flew off. I looked down at the ten foot drop, and then looked at the weapons and picked them up. I heard the radio for the squad come alive, Wolf said, "Dog Pack, sound off."

I said, "Coyote, sounding off."

I heard the other three shock troopers sound off, "Bernard here."

Followed by "Shepherd alive and well"

Then the last guy said, "Rook, my head feels like split wood."

I laughed and jumped down. I held my shotgun at a downward position and walked to the edge of the tree line. Wolf said, "Meet up at the rendezvous point. Coyote, you seem to be within half a click of Rook, wait for Rook to get to you." I clicked the comm in acknowledgment and pulled my helmet off. I looked at my red and charcoal-gray helmet and looked at the pattern that I painted on it. On the lower portion of the face mask, I scratched out a smile with two eyes that looked demented. Our previous guy, the guy Rook replaced put on the back of my helmet, "Boobs make the covenant loose wars." I had the polarization changed from the standard gray to a dark red. Rook walked up and nodded, I pulled my helmet on and trotted to the rendezvous point with Rook.

Rook asked, "When did you join the Hell Jumpers?"

I shrugged and said, "I've been in for about three years, and an extra year for basic in the UNMC, and ODST training."

Rook nodded and we kept up the jog. We got to the rest of the squad and Wolf was sitting with his helmet off. The yellow and red stripes showed how much he gave a damn about being spotted, our sniper, Shepherd had a less easy to find design, he had different shades of gray for his colors along with darker blues. As Rook and I walked into the clearing with the Lieutenant and the rest of the squad, we started to see the phantoms. Wolf grabbed his helmet and said, "Get out of the open, now!" I back pedaled for a few moments keeping the rear guard, and as Bernard ran passed with his light machine gun and rocket launcher for heavier weapons. I ran beside him to the building we were getting to.

I looked up and spotted multiple seraphs, phantom drop ships, and banshee light fighters. I watched as multiple long sword fighters and sparrow hawk gunships streaked into the fight firing their main guns into the covenant ships. Three of the seraphs streaked after the long swords and the hawks were engaging the drop ships and the banshees.

I looked back to where I was going and ran behind the tree line and dropped to a knee with my back to the a tree that the squad was near. As I stopped Wolf placed his hand on his helmet near his ear and activated the long range radio, he said, "This is Dog pack, Scar face, you receiving?"

There was a pause and Scar face replied, "Lieutenant, I found you on the infrared scans, you are five clicks from your objective."

Wolf said, "Copy that Scar face, I was calling saying we found the covenant near our location."

Scar face said, "I understand that Lieutenant, but we are a little busy up here. Dog pack, head to the objective, Scar face out."

Wolf dropped his hand and said, "You heard him, lets move, Coyo, you're up front, Rook, your rear security. Keep it cold boys."

I nodded and crouched holding my shotgun up watching the air and ground for contacts. We continued about one click like that when wolf said, "Double time it, we need to get to that objective and secure all the Intel that the covies can get their hands on."

I started moving quicker to get there. I saw three Brutes on the next path, I held my hand up and said, "Three brutes, twelve o'clock."

Wolf said, "Rook, Coyo, and Bernard, take out the apes so we can get past, quietly."

I nodded and pulled out my knife from under my shoulder pauldron. Rook and Bernard did the same apart from the placement of their knives. We walked at a slow crouch to be silent so the brutes wouldn't know we were coming. I said, "Bernard, you are going right, Rook, you take the one on the left, I got the one in the middle."

I heard one of them growl, and another sniff. I knew what that meant, they had our scent. I said, "Take them out, now." I jumped on the back of the center one and plunged by knife through the gap in his spine at the base of his neck. I saw rook throw his knife into the one he was taking out and Bernard I saw pulling his knife out of the temple of the brute's head. Wolf and Shepard came to us when I pressed the comm sending a short burst of static. We jogged to the objective and saw it was clear, for now, of hostiles.

Wolf keyed the door to open and we entered to destroy the data. I went in first securing the complex. When that was done, Rook and I were on door security. I placed my shotgun across my back and pulled out the DMR and threaded the silencer to the barrel and watched the clearing for hostiles and made sure it was clear. I heard all of the objections from the computer as Wolf ran the command codes to delete all travel data and locations. I looked to the sky and saw brilliant light shows, New Alexandria was still a crown jewel even though there was heavy fighting in the space above her. I looked closer to where we were and saw the civilian transports move civilians to the nearest safe zone.

I vaguely remembered being carried onto one as the planet that was my home was glassed and burned to the ground by the Covenant. I was about eight and at that time I was shocked out of my mind that aliens were coming to kill us all.

I gripped back to reality, to the present which is where I needed to be. Friends that died can't save the living once they die. I caught a glimpse of a Brute, I sighted it and fired two rounds in quick succession to the skull, turning it into fragments. I heard the startled screams of grunts as their commander perished. I switched to the squad comm channel and said, "Wolf, we have incoming covies, how copy?"

Wolf sighed and said, "I read you, hold them off, we only need thirty more seconds and we will blow this place."

I pressed my chin to the button to send a burst of static for acknowledgment. And sighted the next target. Rook was watching them, hoping for one to get into his effective range with the assault rifle. I fired a round into one of the grunts and its head turned to fragments, Rook switched to his pistol and fired at the grunts. Within seconds they were all killed. I reloaded my rifle placing my near spent clip in an ammunition pouch. Rook slid a fresh clip into his pistol and placed it back in the magnetic holster. I clicked the squad comm and said, "All clear sir."

Wolf said, "Good, we're clear, and now we have to get to the power facility and hitch a ride to the next objective." I nodded and he said, "Bernard, you and Coyo are up in the lead. Shepard, you have the rear." Bernard moved out the door, I rolled out behind him and looked up again, watching the magnificent display of blues, reds, purples, oranges and yellows from the space battle. Wolf said, "Coyote, get your ass planted on the ground, not in space, we are not here to fight covenant space craft, we are hear to make sure we kill them once they touch their feet to the ground."

I dropped my head level and said, "Yes sir." I continued to follow Bernard, we ran straight into a Covenant patrol and Bernard unknowingly tackled the Brute to the ground, I fired two rounds through its screaming face. The Grunts squealed with their high pitched screams and the Jackals clicks and snarls of surprise of seeing us were heard. We lit up the rest of the patrol with the mix of fire from our arsenal. I picked Bernard up from the Brute, and we took off again.

We made it the three clicks to the command tower of the facility and attempted to enter. The marine standing guard pointed his rifle at us as we emerged, he lowered the rifle as soon as he noticed the helmet design. Wolf said to the marine, "We need to get in the tower." the marine nodded and moved out of our way. We placed our rifles on our backs and jumped on the open elevator. Wolf opened his thigh pouch and pulled out the card to work the elevators. He pressed it into the slot and it shot us up to the landing pad for movement to our next target.

As we got out of the elevator I saw the Falcon and Wolf yelled, "Shepherd, Bernard, on the guns, everyone else, move your asses to the seats. As we trotted to the gunship, the props began turning and the thrust vectoring of the craft moved to test if it was prepared for lift off. I was the first one to the bird, and pressed my back to it watching the air and our six as the rest of the team got in the bird.

I sat on the seat beside Bernard and took my helmet off feeling the sweat from the exercise. Wolf said, "We'll have worse than that by the days end Coyote." I nodded and felt the weight of the bird shift as she lifted off the platform. Rook took off his helmet, and almost dropped it out of the bird. I laughed and Wolf said, "That would have came out of your pay check."

Wolf said, "We got some Intel that SPARTANS found out where the Covenant are hiding their little army. We are dropping in with the rest of the seventy second and helping take out key fueling stations for their craft, also, we will be running the attack on their main force. Lets show them why we are famous boys." The ride was quiet after that, we landed at an outpost that the ODSTs procured to get ready for their city excursion. When the Falcon dropped down the team and I started to get off, the pilot powered down the bird and came out.

I followed Wolf and the rest of the team to the armory where we loaded up on bullets and grenades. I clipped my helmet to my thigh while we were in the armory. I looked at Rook and watched him eyeball the Grendel Galilean. I placed my hand on his shoulder and said, "Not your forte."

He smiled and said, "The big guns are never my specialty." I laughed quietly and watched place one of the LifeScan scanners on his assault rifle. I grabbed a CQB scope and placed it on my shotgun, as I was adjusting it, Shepherd walked over and watched me.

He said, "That is different, a scope on a close quarters weapon." I nodded and finished tuning.

I looked at him and said, "Well, the shotgun has a bad rap for being close range, yet I have found it extremely useful at intermediate ranges." He nodded and sat on one of the crates tuning his sniper rifle. I placed the shotgun on the back holster and checked my pistol, still one hundred percent.

Wolf said, "Get everything packed, you have thirty seconds." I walked to him and he shot a glance at me and said, "ODSTs for a infantry job, this isn't making any sense. We're going to loose some shock troopers."

I nodded and said, "Most of the infantry divisions are en-route to fight toe covenant army, so, we are their only other available resource. We will have back up from some armor while we're down there, so we should be fine, right lieutenant?"

He shook his head, took off his helmet and said, "All we have are the guys we are going in with, the rest is a couple of hogs."

I was almost speechless, and I asked, "How the hell are we going to kill those fuel depots without support?" He shook his head and looked off at the rest of the company that was in the armory.

He walked to the rest of the squad and said, "Lets get to the pelican." Bernard pushed himself off the wall, and Shepherd pulled his bucket on. Rook walked with Bernard to the Pelican.

Shepherd walked up behind me and asked, "Is your little lady off Reach yet?"

I shrugged and said, "I haven't been able to talk to her, been on mission for the last week or so. How's your wife and son?"

He said, " Last time I spoke to them, they were doing well. My son is mad at me because he can't see me very often." I smiled at him and he continued, "My wife is having a hard time adjusting to military life." I nodded and he said, "In my minds eye, they are alive, well, and not getting attacked by the Covenant."

I said, "My fiance and daughter are living in New Alexandria and I hope they can get out as quick as possible."

Shepherd nodded and stepped onto the Pelican. I stepped onto the Pelican and strapped in to the seats near my squad. Wolf sat on his helmet in front of us and said, "We're jumping in with 212th squad and 134th squad for attacking our designated target."

I was thinking of my fiance now that Shepherd asked me about her, I was hoping that she was off planet and with our daughter.

I looked out the troop bay and saw the other squads loading on and placing the equipment on the racks over their heads. I had my satchel loaded with extra ammunition, explosives, med-kits, and water. I pulled my helmet from its clip and placed it on my lap. I felt the Pelican lift up and lean forward. I looked out the back and saw the warthog hanging from the clips on the rear of the fuselage.

The wait was almost too much to bear, we heard the low thuds of light plasma hitting the Pelican. I pulled out the DMR and pulled my helmet on and polarized the visor. Other than the clicks from armor plates hitting or the armor hitting the frame of the seats of the troop bay. I heard over the loud speaker, "You'll be touching hot, thirty seconds." I did a final check of my weapons and flipped the safety on the DMR.I felt the bird slow and the nose pick up as we started to land. The safety harnesses were thrown up and we all stood waiting for the ramp to touch the ground.

As it did our contingent of ODSTs sprinted out the back I ran out looking for my first target. Rook, Shepherd and Bernard were firing at the covenant immediately in front of us, the other squads were taking out the ones near the Pelican as the Warthog dropped. I jumped behind a rock and peaked out the side and fired rounds into the covie troops. Wolf was yelling at the other squads leaders, I felt the recoil of my rifle hit my arm, making me twitch as the bullets left the barrel spinning for their targets. I saw Rook toss a grenade, and it being shock activated, he tossed it and two seconds after it hit the ground, it exploded sending an Elite and three Grunts through the air. I was glad not to see any brutes, Brutes and Elites in the same fight against humans was a bad combo for us.

Bernard was loading a fresh box into his rifle. Shepard fired rounds into the Elites and Skirmishers that were leading the grunts. As the plasma fire lowered in intensity, we started moving to the nav-point. I loaded a new clip into the DMR and slung it over my back pulling out my shotgun.

I looked back and saw one of the other ODSTs jump into the driver seat, one of his squad mates jump in as well, and Bernard jump on the gun. Wolf said, "Coyo, Rook, you are guarding the hog." I nodded and trotted in front of the hog. I stopped to wait for Rook to get up front where he was supposed to be. Wolf yelled at Rook and Rook took off to the front and tripped over one of the grunt's bodies, his helmet sliding off his head.

I shook my head and he got to his feet grabbing his helmet and pulling it over his head. I looked back and Wolf nodded, time to move. I started walking forward at a brisk pace and heard the warthog's motor lighten in pitch as it started to follow. I looked around making sure that there were no threats around. I heard the unmistakeable hum of a Spirit drop ship, I looked toward the cliff and sure enough there it was. I pointed it out to Bernard so he could take it down. He sighted the Gauss cannon and fired knocking a fist sized hole in the pilot chamber. The thing fell out of the sky like a rock, I said over the squad comm channel, "Good hit Bernard." He looked at me and put his thumb in the air.

I faced forward and continued the pace. I heard the sounds of the fighting going on near-by, explosions, and gunfire. The only upside to the covenant weapons is that they were quiet, I hated them because I could dodge the slower moving plasma fired from the standard weapons. I focused on the road ahead and saw one of the scout towers that the covenant put up, this one looked to be partially broken apart. I pointed it out, and again, Bernard hit the target sending it falling to the ground. When we turned the corner, I noted the distance of the way-point and it was in the double digits.

I pulled my rifle to my shoulder sighting what walked out, I saw one elite, which turned to ten uncloaking spec ops elites. Bernard Rook and I opened fire, Bernard's rounds ripping straight through the shields armor and flesh of the elites. Rook's assault rifle was giving its loud blare of fire, five more ODSTs dropped to their knees after running to the front to help take down the elites. I loaded a fresh batch of shells and pulled the sliding lever back to load a shell into the chamber. I tossed a fragmentation grenade into the group of remaining elites, I watched one kick it back at us and it blow up n the face of one of the ODSTs that were from the 212th squad went down from the blast, and his buddy was hit by some shrapnel. I heard his screams as he held his side, trying to block the blood. I looked back at the elites, only three left, all uncloaked and firing. I saw another ODST go down and Rook reload beside me. I moved forward and Rook was beside me doing the same. One of the elites rushed me and I put him down with a eight gauge round to the upper torso.

The other ODSTs who weren't tending to the wounded followed me and kept up the fire. The last tow elites dropped and we made sure they were dead by firing a round into each of their skulls.

We placed the two dead Helljumpers in the truck in front of the gun. I looked at Rook and he nodded his head once. We started walking to the fuel canisters and I pulled off my satchel and grabbed a half pound of c7 plastic explosive. I planted it on one cluster of them, Rook and several others did the same. Bernard was scanning for targets, and so far it was all clear. I programmed the detonator to go off on the same frequency as the rest of the charges. As the last charges were placed, Wolf held up a detonator to blow the charges and we moved out of the blast zone. As soon as that happened, Wolf squeezed the detonator and the charges went off. I felt the vibration of the explosions in my boots.

We had to sit and wait for the next objective, and most of the Hell jumpers don't care for waiting. I sat with my back against the rear passenger side tire, Shepherd knelled in front of the warthog and Wolf paced around waiting for the call. I watched him touch his hand to his helmet and nod a few times and he dropped his hand and said, "Gather round boys and girls." I pushed myself off the ground and walked to him, followed by the rest of the force. He waited until everyone was around him and said, "ONI wants some of us for an op, and the rest are going to be going to be working with a team of SPARTANs and finding a way to get through to Shield base. 212Th and 134th are going with the SPARTAN team and 319th will be ONI's play toys. Any questions?"

The group was silent and Wolf continued, "Dog pack, we're going by falcon, The rest of you are going by Pelican to the SPARTANs." I pulled off my helmet and felt sweat drip down from my forehead and hair. One of the ODSTs were eyeballing my tattoo that identified me on my cheek. It had a coyote bearing it's teeth.

He said, "Nice ink, what is your call sign?"

I smiled and said, "Coyote."

He nodded and asked, "Does the rest of your squad have tatts like that?"

I shrugged and said, "All but Rook, lieutenant has a wolf howling, Bernard has a St. Bernard, and Shepherd has a German Shepherd eyeballing and stalking forward."

He nodded and walked off. I walked to the rest of the squad and Rook was screwing around with his assault rifle. Bernard was sitting down and eating an apple. I looked at him and said, "You should find one of the covenant weapons and shoot the apple to have a roasted apple." He smiled with half the apple in his mouth and pulled part of it out and bit down and began to chew again.

He said, "I'd have a burnt ass apple, not a roasted apple you dumb shit." I smiled and he chucked the rest of the apple at me. I stepped out of it's flight path and Wolf shook his head. I heard the Falcon and the Pelican that were our pick ups. Bernard stood up and pulled his rifle off his back, and held it over his chest. Wolf pulled off his helmet and walked to the Falcon. Rook jumped on the machine gun and Bernard jumped on the other, Shepherd stepped in and sat on the side Rook was on, I sat on the side of Bernard and the bird lifted up. Bernard pulled his helmet on and Shepard clipped his rifle to the hand hold. I brushed off some of the soot from near misses from the plasma rounds and looked at the rest of my suit and saw that my right pauldron was hit almost directly boiling away portions of the armor.

I checked my grenades and counted three frags. Wolf pulled his helmet on and I did the same, we heard the ONI operator start by saying, "Lieutenant Memphis, we need you and your team space side on-board the destroyer Excalibur you will have three hours of rest, then you will be briefed and fitted for a mission."

Wolf said, "Copy that."

The Falcon landed at a space port and we transferred to a Pelican. We strapped in and flew to the destroyer Excalibur.