November 1st 2552 Covenant Planet Code Named Paradia
Rain mixed the blood and dirt into a dark brown mess, the sound of thunder almost drowned the drumming of Covenant artillery. Behind a small hill outside a large Covenant city, five ghostly figure stood unmoving. There is one laid out in front of the five.
"Threes, how is she?"A deep emotionless voice called out, almost shouting to be heard over the rain. One of the ghostly figures kneels next to the prone body.
"…Gone," A small voice barely audible. One of the Ghosts yells out and slams his fist into the ground.
"X, can it." The deep voice still lacking emotion, "We still have to take out that Arty. Take your anger and unleash it on the Covenant."
-
The Ghosts are a group of UNSC super soldiers, known as Spartans. In their case they are Spartan IIIs from Gamma Company. Designed to be expandable heroes, to trade lives for time, sent on missions to stall The Covenants endless advance.
Gammas are special even within the Spartan Program, thanks to illegal augmentations given to them, it does have it draw backs however. In exchange for even greater strength, speed, and endurance during extreme situations, they are prone to aggressive behavior. And with out a drug to counter-out the augmentation, the Spartans exhibit paranoid behavior, making them a danger to themselves and others.
To cut cost the UNSC equipped the IIIs with Semi Powered Infiltration armor, or SPI armor. SPI has state of the art cloaking but doesn't hold up to MJOLNIR. With no energy shielding and less armor plating, Spartan IIIs, ,must rely on stealth and speed to achieve their objectives. This team known as Fireteam Claymore, was sent out on their first real mission. Operation Thanatos, land 6 Fireteams of Spartan IIIs on a Covenant Planet that was responsible for providing metals for Covenant starships. Thirty six Spartans ,between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, were to land without detection at different key locations around the planet and destroy factories needed to treat the finished product.
Fireteam Claymore, is comprised of six members, Fireteam leader Kelvin-G008, was the oldest of the group at fifteen He was orphaned at a young age like every Spartan III, and he has a no nonsense style of leadership. Under his direction Fireteam Claymore just missed out on top honors consideration in the Gamma Company Graduation. His right hand man or woman in this case is Kristi-G145, a very skilled marksman serves as the fireteam's sniper. Tara-033, the sqaud's medic. Often its remarked that she is almost to compassionate for a Spartan. Clay-G010, the pointman of the group, his reaction time is fast even among Spartans. Rickor-G214, explosive ordinance specialist, he makes an art out of explosions. Rounding out the fireteam is Mel-G057 heavy machine gunner. Armed with a M739 SAW she packs one hell of a punch.
Fireteam Claymore's drop was spotted almost right after they broke orbit, the Winter-class prowler, they were attached to was spotted thanks to a malfunction, in its cloaking. The Spartans were able to jump roughly at the drop zone and missed the LZ by only 5 klicks. However, it wasn't quiet and they had a welcoming party ready for them.
-
Clay hits the ground hard and has to roll to prevent himself falling over. He raises his BR55 rifle and scans his environment the darkness of the night had no effect on his view. He had landed in a small wooded area with out much activity near by it. With no threats emerging to engage he stands and moves to the way point in his HUD. He maintains radio silence and can only hope the rest of the Fireteam got as lucky as him.
With SPI he slides in to the shadow of the trees almost completely invisible, with a trained step he moves silently out of the woods. At the edge and he drops to a knee and lifts his rifle. A Covenant patrol comprised of three Unggoy, two Kig-Yar, and a Sangheili Commander. Clay reaches to a grenade on his hip thumbing the priming trigger, he watches without moving a muscle as the patrol walks right to the woods. The Sangheili barks out a short burst of words, that Clay cant understand, and the Unggoy run out first. Clay presses himself against the closest tree making himself a smaller target.
The Unggoy run past Clay, followed by the Kig-Yar. Just the Sangheili stood on the edge of the woods, only meters from Clay. Silently but fast a lightning Clay closes the gap, a flash of sliver from a knife being drawn is all the Sangheili saw. Clay jabs the knife right up into the neck of the Sangheili, blue blood distorting his cloaking as it falls on to him.
Spinning Clay drops to a knee and before the Sangheili hits the ground, Clay fires threes burst of the BR55. Both Kig-Yar drop and one of the Unggoy as well falls dead. The two remaining Unggoy, turning in panic, just in time for two more bursts of the rifle sending them sprawling. Clay drags to body of the Sangheili into the woods with the rest of his patrol, Once near the Kig-Yar he reaches down and yanks off the shield gauntlet from its arm. He fastens the device to his arm after some time tinkering with it. During their training Spartan IIIs were trained with how to utilize Covenant tech.
Clay again left the woods but this time he was able to get a more clear view of his surrounds. The way point in his HUD pointed east, towards what he made out to be a large city. The City Code named Blessed Groan, was the location of the factory they were sent to destroy. From his wooded area to the city was almost barren plains. He sighed softly, there would be no cover for most of his approach. The rendezvous spot for the Fireteam was over a klick away. Clay waits for a moment but it turns into minutes as he waits to see if any other patrols had heard the fighting.
After half an hour of waiting he pulls himself to his feet and starts to the rendezvous. He moves fast, forsaking sheath for speed. With no cover around he would last long he if was caught in the open. He froze as he heard a groaning in the distant, it quickly grew louder and louder. The sound of a Covenant dropship, Clay threw himself to the ground and laid very still. The blast of noise got louder and louder, it was coming right for him. Clay reaches for his grenade again, but he wasn't sure it would have any effect against the phantoms armor. He would have to lob inside the back and hope it disabled the pilot.
But his fears were unfounded as the ship passed over him going in the direction he had came from. But still they must be checking on the patrol, Clay shot up to his feet and started running. He has to put distance between them, or else he'd be blown apart out in the open from the phantom's front cannon.
The rendezvous is a small cave built in the side of a tall hill, Clay slowed up as he reached the spot. He looked at his motion tracker, nothing. Not surprising if his team was there they wouldn't be moving anyways. He crosses the last bit of distance without trouble. Inside the cave he was greeted to five ghostly figures.
"Took you long enough X." Mel-G057 said, but in her voice was a hint of relief.
"Oh I stopped and meet with some locals, 57. I wanted to make sure it was a nice neighborhood."
"And was it?" Rickor-G214 spoke up.
"It was, well at least until I got there. 2-14, you still got the havoc?" Rickor nods, and taps his back. On it was a large package with a havoc class nuclear weapon inside of it.
"Now that everyone is here," Kelvin-G008 spoke with an air of command. "We can get this show on the road." The Spartans stood in formation waiting for their orders. "We missed the LZ, but that's not the problem. The problem is the Coveys know we are planetside. Everything just got so much harder, and with the prowler malfunctioning I doubt they will rush back in when we call in for extraction." Kelvin rubs the front of his visor, a nervous habit that did little to easy the tension in the air.
"Tough first mission, but with you at the helm Oh-8, we can do this." Kristi-G145 trying to up the morale.
"I know, here is the plan. We move to the city as a group but once inside. Hopefully quietly," He pauses and looks at Mel. Mel rubs the back of her SAW. "Once inside, we will split, X you'll take Threes, 57, and 2-14 head to the factory. I'll go with 14-5 commandeer a Covey ship of some sort and meet you there at the factory. Understood?"
"Understood." The group says in unison.
-
Rain hammered their helmets until that's all Clay thought he'd ever hear again. The weather had turned on them only an hour after they had left the cave. The City now raised up and into the sky in front of them. They are close now, only a few more hours at their current pace. The terrain had changed from plains to hilly, slowing their progress. The morning sun is hidden behind the dark rain clouds, not that it bothers the Spartans.
Clay walked next to Mel in the rear of the formation, glancing around for any glimpse of the Covenant. They walk perfectly in synced, years of shared training evident in strides.
"You're too worried." Mel states quietly so only Clay hears. Clay lets out a soft laugh.
"Maybe you aren't worried enough. Until we can get inside the city we are just sitting ducks out here. And the rain makes it easier to spot us." The rain made the SPI cloaking abilities around 20% less effective.
"Hills provide decent cover at least." Mel has always been the more positive of the two. Clay doesn't respond and keeps looking from right to left and back again. His thoughts wander to the other fireteams, and he hopes they are having a better time the Claymore.
Fireteam Claymore walks on in silence the City getting closer and closer. Clay hadn't noticed until now, but the city has a wall around it. At least 20 meters tall. He sighs softly, climbing was part of the deal. Claymore was only around 500 meters from the city when, the silence shatters all at once. Plasma bolts fill the sky and larger plasma balls fired from Covenant artillery followed.
"Move! Towards the wall!" Kelvin shouts. The Spartans take off. At this range the plasma bolts were not striking close. But the artillery blasts shakes the ground as the hit and knocks down a spartan. Kelvin stops and turn for Kristi, she pulls her self up and draws her SRS99 sniper rifle. All four shots from the magazine ring out within two seconds. In the distance four bodies fall from the wall. Reloading and being dragged forward by Kelvin, she gets her feet under her again and starts running. The artillery fire is locking in and each blast is closer and closer.
Four more shots and four more kills, even while running. Kristi reloads, gets two more rounds off when a beam of plasma streaks through her. It enters right under her helmet and through her and out the other side. Kelvin grabs her as she falls and drags her behind a small hill. The other Spartans slow a stop and take cover as well.
"They have a sniper," Kelvin comments as he slowly drops her to the ground. Tara looks down at the fallen Spartan. The rain and blood mixes and Tara stomach knots tightly.
"Threes, how is she?" Kelvin asks in his usual monotone. Tara kneels but she already knows.
"...Gone." Clay looks down eyes wide behind his visor. Anger bubbling to the surface. He lets out a yell and strikes the hill. How could a friend be taken away so quickly? Those thoughts and other consumed him.
"X, can it." Kelvin calls out, "We still have to take out that Arty. Take your anger and unleash it on the Covenant."