Written by Andrew Faulkner, AKA Ken Raves

October 21'st, 2552 (UNSC Military Calendar)

The Covenant has found Earth and is beginning to deploy troops. Every few hours, the Covenant sends reinforcements through slipspace from the holy orbital city "High Charity". A slipspace rupture caused by an in-atmospheric jump by the Prophet of Regret's carrier has glassed the city of New Mombasa, and some parts of Old Mombasa. Out of four or so ships that attempted to follow, one was carrying our last hope: John-117, the Master Chief. Now that the last available SPARTAN-II has left Earth, humanity depends on all soldiers, new and old.

This is the story of one of them, Daniel Trent, a marine just out of boot.

--

The sounds of the war were getting louder and louder. Communication with all other human forces was vital, and even that was being lost. As the fleets above Earth warred to keep the planet safe, a few ships, managed to get by every so often. Sometimes long enough to drop waves of drop pods, sometimes long enough to deploy armor, soldiers and artillery to the field. And sometimes, the ships just managed to stay. Chatter seemed to suggest the Covenant was looking for something, the "Ark". Whatever that was, it wasn't good. The noise was getting louder to Daniel. Twenty-eight year old Private Daniel Trent was leaning back against the hull of the Pelican with his eyes closed, trying to think clearly and drown out the sounds of war.

He was wearing a standard issue helmet complete with a HUD displaying visor over his eyes, and a radio microphone. He was his squad's radio operator. He wasn't wearing the radio pack on his back however (To damn heavy.) and was trying to think of how he was supposed to do this. He had been drafted into the war about a month ago. He completed basic training with average scores and was assigned to a random infantry squad. It was lead by Staff Sergeant Barsky. A marine in his late thirties who seemed rather tired of this war. Daniel made a mental note to not piss him off.

There was a hiss of static over the radio, "Alright boys, there is some Covenant activity nearby, we should be fine, but just in case, you better do a weapons check!

The Staff Sergeant stood up and starred down on his marines, this is it. This may be your finest hour, or your darkest failure. You decide. When we make touch down, we secure a safe zone for a small base of operations. We'll then try to move civilians, and personal to the base. This depends on you." Trent looked away from his C.O and slid a clip home into his MA5C assault rifle. A shallow clip, yes, but bullets were bullets, and last time he checked: bullets hurt.

"Trent, when we make landfall, I want you on point."

"Yes sir!"

"Look marine, I understand you're fresh out of boot, but don't worry. Whatever happens, just keep in mind that this is our home, Earth. View every single human as an ally."

"I will sir."

"Make sure you do."

Daniel checked his spare clips, five, all tucked on his belt. Twenty-five shots each. Daniel reached down for his COM pack when there was a frightening glow coming from the small view window of the Pelican's troop bay door. Everything suddenly glowed green as boiling plasma blasted through the window and melted the door. Wind blew around in the troop bay as the plasma burned away at his fellow marines armor and skin like paper. A marine beside the used to be door screamed as his burns caused him to roll of his seat and out the back of the bay. The sergeant climbed through the small door into the cockpit and began demanding offensive action. Too late. A banshee flier flew up in front of the dropship and blasted it with plasma. The Pelican leaned forward and slammed into the flier, fire and metal blasted through the door out into the bay. Two more marines fell out, another one was burned badly, and the marine beside Daniel closest to the door groaned as shrapnel pierced his heart. Only Daniel and another marine who was in shock remained in the rapidly falling craft. Daniel tried to hang on and watched his COM pack fly out the back.

Daniel blacked out just before the crash.

-

Daniel opened his eyes slowly and groaned. His head was throbbing and he felt blood trickling down his forehead, and saw the emergency lights blinking in the bay. He wasn't dead, but he was not so sure whether or not he was alive. It was now late afternoon outside, and the marine that had been in shock was laying strung out in the dirt just a few yards away. Daniel was sure he was dead. His training kicked in and he began groping around for his rifle. He found it and hefted it up, placing it on the magnetic pads on his back. He stood low in the bent and dented troop bay and slowly walked out. His still intact helmet polarized a little to dampen the harsh light that shined down on him. He was in shock at what he saw. He had thought he was still over a savannah but he now saw he was on the edges of a large city. He could see part of a Covenant ship in the distance, above the now burning cityscape. He could hear rifle and plasma fire echoing. Suddenly he remembered his mission. He was to link up with UNSC forces in the city if something went wrong. When the Covenant had found Earth, Daniel was made aware only a few ships had made it through the line and down to Earth. He took in a deep breath of gratitude that the ship hadn't come down above Cleveland, where his family lived. There was a UNSC base somewhere in Australia: he guessed that was nearby.

(Any alien would attack their enemy's bases of operation…right?)

Daniel shook away the thought.

He took it in and decided to get moving. Regardless of his position, he had to keep mobile and find survivors.

(Find help.)

He sighed and took a last look at the wrecked Pelican. The training took over again. Do your duty to humanity, STAND AND FIGHT. As he ran towards the city at a jog he considered whether it was his training that was taking hold of him, or propaganda.

-

Evan Clark, a thirty-five year old member of the United Rebel Front, was lighting a Sweet-William Cigar when it came through his door. At first the monster bastard just glared at him and how calm he was about it being in his house but it realized why he was so calm when it tried to come at him and discovered the nearly invisible plate of glass separating the front half of the office to the back half. It snarled and barked as it raised its fist to break the barrier. Evan took a deep draw from his cigar and blew the smoke out with a laugh as his men sprung out from two closed doors on opposite sides of the beast and brought it down with combined rifle fire. He looked down at his feet laughing as the automatic door closed and his men dragged it away behind the door to his left. "You boys got cocky, if that thing's shields hadn't been drained earlier by the boys in green, you'd have had a tough fight", He said warily, "Burkes! Status?"

"It was carrying a side arm like the other one we got earlier sir, it was only holstered. There is only on clip left on him though, and it was the one in the gun. Green is taking it back there to you now sir."

"Dispose of the corpse in the garage with his buddy. We'll use need them later."

"Yes boss."

Clark was not a moron. He had signed up to do special operations for the Front about ten years ago. He made an argument stating he could establish a secret safe house on Earth for Rebel activity. From recruiting to providing a place for "Officers" to relax and grab some down time on the Home-world. Clark had succeeded and had been rewarded with some luxuries and his own group of soldiers to hold down the fort with him. There was a decent security system installed in the office in the front of the building. An office disguised as a "transportation services". The disguise was actually a bit right. They transported refugees and other rebels away from Earth. Green came in through a door behind Clark and held out a heavy sidearm used by the Covenant gorillas. They would use the corpses of the damn apes to attract more. When they came sniffing, they'd be killed and their weapons policed, giving the Rebels a hopeful advantage over local UNSC forces and Covenant. However Clark had no intention of engaging the UNSC now, he'd rather side with them. They both needed each other, especially now that those ugly sons of bitches had found their home world. They were human, and every human was now an asset. Even the rebels had to acknowledge that the war, of all times, was now worth fighting. While surly the higher ups in the Rebel Front knew about the attack on Earth, they were probably waiting on the situation to really get bad before they moved in to do anything. Though that was mostly because the Great War was also affecting non-UNSC affiliated humans. (Covenant only view necessary POW's as worth being left alive.)

He saw one of his men looking afraid after checking out a window.

"Report!"

"Sir, Covenant dropship comin' in low. I think it's searching for our new friends."

"Agreed. Lets pack up shop, move into the back of the building with the armory and vehicles."

"Yes boss, and the bodies?"

"Leave 'em. Not worth the effort. These dumb apes can smell pretty good, if they come in here they'd know one of them died here not long ago. We're ago on contingency plan two, load up all weapons and gas up all vehicles."

"Boss?"

"I'm going to give our friends a warm welcome."

--End Chapter One--