Hello all, this is a sequel to my sequel. What. Exactly, Enjoy it, if you have not read my previous two stories, I highly recommend you do just that, Halo: Helljumper and Halo: Alliance. This story will be less about the touchy feely and more like what war is like for Karl. Just like Helljumper.
Karl and the platoon he was in were moving along a thick jungle. To him it wasn't a big deal, but he couldn't stop hearing the complaints coming in at a constant rate, it was hot and humid sure, but that doesn't mean verbally complain in his book. They had been doing operations for months now, usually patrolling on once glassed UNSC planets, making sure they were safe for recolonization, this was a special occasion. They had found a new planet and were currently patrolling it to see if they could find any possible Covenant activity, especially since it has been too long since Karl had some purple blood all over his uniform.
"Fuck man, it's so hot out here." Karl stopped and turned and looked at the person who had said it. "Parker, for the last time shut your mouth before I gag you with my boot." Karl said quietly but fiercely. He just heard a sigh from Parker as they kept walking. Karl ran into a couple of bushes, all of them ending up just some leaves on the ground after he tore them apart with his bare hands. Most of the platoon thought he acted tough, but they have not seen him fight in combat yet. The 'act he was putting up was 100% real, and he would not deny himself he did seem like a stereotypical sergeant.
Karl momentarily stopped and looked around letting the rest of the platoon pass him. His armor letting off a slight glint as the sunlight passed through the think jungle canopy. He chambered his Battle rifle, he was getting a funny feeling in his stomach, and he never liked when that happened. He looked around the jungle only seeing more green, maybe some yellow and a bit of red, some blue. 'Wait blue?' Karl thought as he got on comms. "L.T. Stop the platoon. We are being followed." Karl said through the radio. He looked back and saw the platoon stop and all take a knee. He soon followed suit and kept a close eye on the blue color.
Soon he heard quiet footsteps behind him, "What is it Sergeant?" He heard the Lieutenant's voice come from the helmet. "Yellow, red, and blue." Karl said putting the emphasis on the blue, "Not once have I seen blue in this shitty jungle." Karl ended pointing at the blue color so Lieutenant Stevenson could see it. "Yah, I see it, let me take a looksy." Stevenson then took out some rangefinders from his side pouch and looked toward the blue object. "Well, well, well... I am glad you shut Parker up or they would have seen us." Stevenson said as he put it up.
"It is a brute and probably his squad. I am going to tell command this isn't a safe planet and needs to be prepped for full military action. Good spotting Kuhn." Stevenson said as he patted his shoulder and ran off down the column towards the front where his radio operator was at.
Karl kept an eye on them and saw himself they didn't even know they were there. But what would the covenant want with this shitty planet? Karl didn't know but he had a feeling it was for deeper intentions, but he was ready for anything.
After a few minutes he got a transmission through his com. "Kuhn take a team and eliminate those hostiles. Be ready to fight a Guerrilla war against these bastards, I have been waiting a while to finally operate." He heard Stevenson say, "Yes sir, I agree completely." Karl said as he patched himself into the normal troop frequency not higher ups.
"Sherry, Laroche, Clark, and Garrison, to the rear and come to me, we have a mission." Karl said into the com. He got an affirmative from 4 different voices. He heard the footsteps and turned to face them as they approached.
"Alright, covenant team, probably the same size as us which means easy win. Form a line on me, combat spacing." Karl said as he began moving, he looked to his left and right and saw that they had formed up as he said and were now about 10 meters apart from each other. All moving slowly and carefully but also almost in step with him. This is why they were his favorite to be around, they were proper soldiers.
They moved through the jungle and got closer to the blue, then he could see a figure coming into shape. It was clearly a brute, easy to take down if you focus fire on them or if you hit them in the face with a 50 caliber round. Then more figures came into shape and soon it was an entire squad, or maybe even something larger. There was the 1 brute about 8 grunts and even a couple jackals with needle rifles. this fight was easy for Karl but he had to see what these people were capable of. He noticed they were in clearing in the jungle, perfect for a landing zone, to land troops and supplies onto planet, similar to the one they landed at to get where they were. It was circle in shape and was about 50 meters across, that meant this landing zone was perfect for a phantom to land and resupply. Karl got an idea.
"Laroche I know you have a launcher, come to my pos." Karl said as he sat and waited patiently. He heard the footsteps to his left and he looked as Laroche approached. There might be a phantom landing soon, as soon as it does you better have that thing ready to nail it." Karl said as he searched through the backpack on Laroche's back. "What are you doin sarge?" Laroche asked in his calm french accent voice. "I am loading AA missiles, to make sure you don't miss." Karl said as he grabbed the rocket pack. He opened the latch to load and launcher and quickly loaded the Anti- Air missiles into the launcher. "Be prepped and ready, on my signal." Karl said. He watched as Laroche grabbed the launcher and put it on his shoulder, leaning against the tree for extra support.
Karl sat patiently on the other side of the tree his hand on it as he leaned in for a closer look. Then he could see the beacon on the ground letting a light purple light off of it. 'Perfect timing' Karl thought as he stopped leaning on the tree and put his hand back on his rifle. He moved over to the side of Laroche and waited. After a few minutes of silence they heard the engines of the phantom approaching the landing zone. Karl looked up to see it was hovering right over the squad of covenant. "Prep it Laroche." Karl said Laroche nodded and put his hands on the grips, ready to fire at any moment.
Karl put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait for it..." He said quietly. The phantom was now about 5 meters off the ground. "Now!" Karl quietly yelled and laroche let the two missiles fly quickly they both hit the target spot on with the guidance system. One hit the cockpit and sent the phantom flying backward, the other hit the direct side. Plasma flames and purple scraps of metal went flying all over the place. Karl then witnessed the phantom smash into the ground near the squad. not a second after it slid across the ground and swooped the squad off their feet.
"Now we move in, get your SMG ready Laroche." Karl said as he moved forward and got on comms. "Begin assault, move carefully, but quickly." Karl said as he broke the jungle into the clearing and moved towards the wreckage. He moved along the side of the phantom and saw the blue and purple blood smeared along the ground, it had littered the short grass and dirt. He looked at the skidmarks and could see some covenant bodies under the dirt trail. Exactly his plan.
He moved to the door of the phantom and took a charge he carried in his backpack. He put it on the door and ran towards the large dip in the ground where he could take cover. He noticed something catch his eye as he went prone, to see the terrified face of a dead Jackal, tongue hanging out the side and half the skull crushed. Karl let a disgusted look creep onto his face but calmed down as he saw his squad approaching.
"Good work Laroche, I am impressed." Sherry said as he took cover next to the Karl. All of the others did the same. "Alright since Garrison has the MG he will stay here and cover us as we move in." Karl said as he unholstered his energy sword and prepped it. "Alright, be ready."Remember, Laroche, Clark, and Sherry with me." Karl said.
He put his hand on the detonator and clicked the button. The explosive let loose it's giant flame ball and Karl watched as purple metal went flying hundreds of feet away. "Move!" Karl shouted as they ran forward. He could hear their footsteps with his as they ran forward. Karl hopped up into the phantom and he could hear the others doing the same. As he looked around he could see the ragdoll like bodies of the dead covenant. Two brutes, about 10 grunts, and two jackals. Also he saw the large crates that slid to the opposite side of the phantom. As he neared one of the bodies it moved. It was a jackal, it appeared to open it's eyes and begin to panic. Saying things in it's language that Karl couldn't understand.
"Get that crate off him." Karl ordered, they all looked at him for a second. "Did I fuckin' stutter?" Karl said as he stared at them. They quickly lifted the crate that was holding down it's leg. Karl quickly walked forward and picked it up by the throat. It's attempts at escape being scratching his armor, but it could do nothing with claws. Karl turned and walked out of the Phantom. Jumping down to the ground from the high up door. "Prep explosives, I want this thing in flames." Karl said as he kept walking back to their position in the dirt crater from the impact of the phantom.
"Looks like you got us a prisoner." Garrison said and chuckled a bit. "Not for long." Karl stated plainly as he threw it to the ground. He could tell it looked scared. "You just lettin it go?" Garrison asked. "No it can't move, broken leg." Karl said as he crouched next to Garrison and watched as the team exited. "Explosives prepped Sarge!" Sherry yelled. Karl nodded, "Get back over here." He said as he turned on his energy sword. Garrison looked over, but looked away as Karl made eye contact with him. The team made it back over to them and all took cover.
"Blow it." Karl said as he went prone. "Fire in the hole, boom, boom, boom." Sherry said as he clicked the button and the giant explosion engulfed the entire vehicle. Only scraps flying all over the place and flames could be seen. shrapnel landed nearby but didn't enter the crater.
"Alright, now I am going to have a little chat with our friend here." Karl said as he walked over with his activated energy sword. "I know you understand english, so don't play dumb with me. It seems all you bastards know english." Karl said as he crouched in front of the terrified jackal. "Don't worry, I know you little guys have feelings too. All I know you are fighting for the wrong side." Karl said as he deactivated his sword. "The covenant destroyed our race. What we built. They probably did the same exact thing to assimilate you guys. For this so called 'Journey'." "You thought we were a weak and insignificant species. Well your shitty prophets were wrong. Look who won." Karl said harshly, so do you still believe in this 'journey'? Or will you join the side that will let you guys be free. Free your planet and allow you to do what you want." Karl said more softly.
The next moment he saw the jackal spit on his visor. After briefly wiping it off he looked back over to it. "Absolutely mindless. No wonder the sangheili are much smarter to join the human side then you are." Karl said. He picked it up by it's throat again. "Sorry buddy, nothing personal." Karl said softly as he activated his energy sword and stabbed it into the chest of the jackal. The brief screech being cut off by the sound of burning flesh. Karl pulled the sword out and deactivated it, reattaching it to his belt.
"Alright let's rejoin the platoon. Our mission here is complete." Karl said as he started walking towards the way they came. "Form column." He said.
This is short because it is the prologue, not because I am lazy, there will be much longer chapters in the future.