Hudson system- planet Hammer, UNSC Colony. Date 2532 July 5th.
UNSC Marathon-class heavy Cruiser Mark 1- Praetorian Guard.
The beautiful blue and greens planet can be seen from the bridge of the Praetorian Guard, this ship is one of the first mark 1s of the Marathon-class heavy Cruiser, the new mark 2s are being held at Pearl Harbor 2 and the Citadel colonies. The ships named after the Roman Empire Elite guards for their leaders, the ship lived up its name during the Alliance-UNSC war and now in the Covenant War for the last 7 years with 84 kills on the Alien ships. The ship was part of the Border Campaign against the Covenant onslaught, 29 skirmishes, 6 evacuations, 7 raids, 2 defensive battles, and 1 Counter Attack. The Counterattack left the ships with nearly 200 crew members and 75% of its Amour and hull missing, no Ammo for all weapons and 98% of its weapon employments destroyed, and all longswords fighters are gone. The Dockworkers where in shock from the damage and surprise it came back in at all, the dock master gave orders to repair her at once. She was fully repaired, rearmed and recrewed within 3 and 1/2 months.
Now the Praetorian is protecting the colony Hammer with Hammer Defense Force and a large UNSC fleet for 7 month's now, this system had 2 planets but the 2nd colony fell 2 months ago along with all the other bases throughout the star system. The now UNSC fleet is down too 109 ships and the militia fleet down 374 ships against the Covenant 198 ships and the One behemoth warship that is 27 kilometers long the ship arrived 3 week's ago destroying the remains outer Defenses stations and asteroids bases. Right now the remain dreadnought we have left is the Challenger Class light Dreadnought the Sentinel Admiral Marcus Gravis flagship with the whole fleet of ships ranging from the light Frigates too Heavy Destroyers to all Cruiser and up to the heavy Carrier's.
Captain Jason May, was in his mid 40s, with dark brown hair, very tan skin and hazel eyes, with a large scar across the forehead down to the jaw standing at 6'5, was looking at his Personal Digital Assistance or PDA, the readout of the fleet is bad, the Civil fleet just finished jumping out along with 32 militia ships and 7 damage UNSC ships. Luckily enough the Praetorian was at the colony of Hammer with her escorts of 1 Halcyon Cruiser, 4 Paris frigates, and 1 Hillsborough destroyer. We have ordered to protect the military Evacuation fleet with only 2 vassals left the fleet can pull out the 2 ships are Orion assault Carrier's the Valkyrie and Sulphur with their escorts of 4 Stalwart frigates and 2 Charon frigates. The militia sent 1 Paris frigate and 5 corvettes.
"Sir! 3 Covenant warships incoming 2 frigates and 1 destroyer. They will be in weapons range 45 seconds. "Ensign Julie Mason. The mid-20s too late 20s women, with black hair, fair white skin, and deep blue eyes, she stands at 5'8.
"Helm brings in to engage the enemy, bring the MAC cannons too full charge, fire forward batteries and fire Archer missile pods A1 through F10 pods. Comms tell are escorts to join us, I went the destroyer Gillian to take frigate's Sherman and Horten, and have the Cruiser Belfast and frigate Thunderbolt and have frigate Dawn before dust join us NOW." Said Captain May.
"Sir what ship do we engage" the ships A.I. said, his name Caldwell from the movie Stargate Atlantis. A tall bold man with a dark green jumpsuit.
Captain May didn't even think. "Will engage the destroyer, have Gillian's group engage frigate 1 and have the Cruiser Belfast engage frigate 2, tell the Evacuation group to stay alert." Captain May said.
At the end of the 45 seconds, UNSC ships fired their MAC's cannon and their forward batteries. The Covenant shields on the frigate held for a few seconds after the MAC strike and the batteries started to hurt the hull. The destroyer fired its Pulse lasers and 2 Plasmas torpedoes at the Praetorian and the Dust. The ships Electric magnetic shield it hurts the plasma shields by lessening the effects. As the Plasma torpedo hits the ships hull. Boiling away 2.5 meters of titanium A plate amour and stopped. The pulse laser hit the ships good frontal armor and cutting its self into 1 meter.
"Damage report now?" said Captain May.
" minimum damage in the forward amour and side amour." Said Caldwell.
" Sir, enemy frigates are destroyed they don't get a shot off!"
"Good let's regroup with the Valkyrie and Sulphur." Said Captain May.
Planet Hammer, the city of New Orleans 2 UNSC army 3rd battalion, Echo company 2nd Platoon.
"TAKE COVER," someone said.
I ducked be hide the wall I was hiding and heard an explosion and looked back in time to see several Grant's rush me. I opened fire killing 4.
" Sarge where's Evacuation at?" I yelled. Corporal Jack O'Reilly.
"25 mikes out the had to pick up some Classified information and personal." Yelled back Sergeant Makarov Demetr in a Russian account.
"Shit, you have to be fucking kidding me." Said, Private Mack Brussel.
"People calm down, how many are left," said Sergeant Demetr.
" 17 militia, 4 security officers, 2 Police officers, 9 Marines, and 32 Army Troopers. All low on ammo sir." I said.
"Ok there's one way in and that's the main gate and according to the command we have 10 minutes to get ready and I have reports said back will be here in 5 minutes so let's get ready people." Sais Sergeant Demetr.
For 5 minutes they set up cover and few MG placements. Will the officers salvaged ammo, weapons and some Convent weapons. The militia set up some booby traps outside the gate, the Marines cleared the Courtyard. The Army troopers placed the MGs and extra weapons and ammo around the area.
They hired a vehicle engine and got into position when a PUMA APC and 7 Warthogs pulled in. Once the vehicles stopped a Dark skinned man got out of the APC in his late 50s in a dirty digital camouflage BDUs with militia hat on with a cigar in his mouth. He looked around into his sight was on us and walked up to us.
We saluted him and he salutes back asked who was in command I told him too fellow me.
I toke him to Sergeant Demetr. Sergeant Demetr salutes him and the Militia commander introduces himself.
"I am commander Alex Ross in command of 37th Hammer mechanized regiment, or what's left of it. I need to sit rip now please." Said the commander. The Sergeant nodded and started to explains the situation.
"Will sir I the plan is too fortified are position intel Evac gets here, right now the militia set up some traps outside the gate, the officers salvaged what we could, the Marines cleared the area and fixed up some cover and the Army troopers put the MG guns into positions and done some more work to give us advantage. With your puma sir, we could hold the gate more with it along with the 2 LAAV and one gauss cannon. How many people do you have sir?" Said Sergeant Demetr.
" I got 7 Troopers, 1 ODST, 1 marine, and 29 militia, 3 armed Warthogs, 4 troop transport's with 2 caring trailers with ammo that I could carry and the puma has about 700 rounds 25mm ammo and 3 AT rockets and 1 AA rocket, the ODST has a Gauss rifle with a few shots I ordered him to save for the Elite majors or field masters." Said commander Ross.
"Sir we should keep the PUMA in reserve and use the hog's from what recon said we looking at close too 400 grunts, 100 jackals and around 30 Elites. Vehicle wise they have 2 wreaths and 5 ghosts. We have enough firepower just not enough man." I said the Sergeant and the commander looked at me.
"That's not a bad idea on the puma, will spread out the militia with the Marines, Troopers will hold the MG nests with the officers and the hogs. The Puma crew will stay hidden into it's needed. Now, how much time do we have left?" Said commander Ross. The sergeant looked at his head ups in his helmet.
"Less than 5 mikes sir. I say we double it what we need to finish now sir." Said Sergeant Demetr.
"Do it!" said commander Ross.
Within 5 minutes we were ready for them. We heard the humming sound and someone said their here. We ran too are positions and got ready.
I lifted the duel rocket Launcher and take aim, the other 2 troopers loaded their MA5Bs. I looked backed and seen 3 militia and 1 marine next to an MG nest and looked to my far left at the Warthog with a trooper on the gun and an office in the drivers set, I looked back at the main gate.
A few seconds later a wraith tank came around the corner and came through the gate, I take aim and haired FIRE and fired the rocket Launchers both rocket's and hit the tank, the tank exploded and killed a dozen or more grunts around the wraith. Then 3 ghosts went around the destroyed wraith, they opened fire on my position,I and the other 2 ducked just in time when a hail of blue Plasma shot overheads.
The 3 MG nests fired on the ghosts and the last MG nest fired on the grunts coming through the gate. 2 MGs constraint their fire on 1 ghost and hit blow up, then they started to shot the 2nd ghost, the 3rd ghost shot on the 4th MG nest killing 1 trooper and wounding another. A group of militia opened fire on the 3rd ghost and killing the driver, 2nd ghost blew up a few seconds after.
All the militia, Marines and troopers constrainted their fire on the gate killing several dozen of grunts and a few jackals. Then 5 Elites came through 4 minors and 1 major, the 4 minors shot at the MG nests and the major shot a grand Launcher like a weapon at MG nest 3 killing 2 out of 3 soldiers and MG.
My group and another group take aim with are MA5Bs and opened fire on them, then a loud crack and another one ringed out and the major's Elites head exploded. Shortly after the 4 elite minors along with the remaining grunts and jackals died from MGs and other groups.
We lost an MG nest, along with a militia group was killed. We gathered some ammo and got ready. A Warthog moved up help replace the MG we lost.
A large group of grunts and jackals along with 10 Elites came in along with 2 ghosts and attack us. I picked up the Rocket Launcher and fired 1 of the 2 rocket's, the rocket hit and killed 4 elites, 3 dozen grunts, and several jackals, I fired the last rocket and killed a ghost and a dozen grunts.
The last ghost was destroyed by the MGs nest, and s group of militia with a marine was killed by a group of grunts and jackals. Another MG was destroyed by the combined fire the 6 Elites and a large group of grunts. A group of jackals shot at and killed 1 trooper with me and grazed the other and me. The Warthog opened on them killing them from be hide. I looked back at the gate and another wave of grunts and jackals come through with another 4 elite minors and 1 major with a fuel ride cannon. The elite major shot at the MG nest and killing everyone there. I got up and fired 3 long bursts of bullets at them and harmless off his shields, he looked at me and rose his gun getting ready to fire then I hired chagrin nose and seen a silver and gold strike hit the elite major in the chest, from the waist up was turned into mess, blood and gore.
I ducked be hide the cover and looked upon the 3rd floor of the building and seen the ODST with his gauss rifle, then he put it down and picked up his SR2 Sniper Rifle and take aim at the elite minors and fired 2 rounds into 2 of them killing them. Then reloaded and fires 1 round in each elite minor taking down there shields. The militia group's got up and shot the Elites killing them and take pop shots at the grunts killing them the remaining Convent force's retreated back through the gate.
2 militiamen ran up to me and take positions and got ready and loaded the Rocket Launcher with my last 2 rocket's. I have seen the other 2 Warthogs come out and take positions aiming at the gate. I looked and seen over a 150 plus grunt's charge with jackals be hide them. We opened fired and within minutes we killed the grunts, the jackals made a wall of shields to protect themselves. Someone yelled grenade out and throw one over the wall of one group killing them. Then the last Elites came in with a field master came in with a Wraith tank, the tank fired at the last MG nest killing those who were around it.
I picked up the Rocket Launcher and take aim, the Elites seeing this opened fired on me. I got back into cover, one militiamen were not lucky. I got on the radio to get help.
" I need some help here the Elites have me pin I can't take out the tanks. Someone get their attention NOW." I said. The PUMA came out and opened fire on the Elites killing several of them and fired its few remaining missiles destroying the Wraith tank and killing more Elites. The Elite field master pulled out 2 energy swords and jumped over a metal wall into the middle militia group killing all 4 of them. I got up and fired the last 2 rocket's and killing the last remaining jackal group's. The Elite field master charged at us after killing another group militia and Marines. I take aim with my MA5B and the other toke aim with there M7's and opened fire on him. The PUMA finished off the Elite minors, but now it's out of ammo.
The field master reached our position and killed the militia and wounded the other trooper, I had my sidearm out and unloaded the whole clip into him and dropped his shields, then a Silver and gold shot hit him the back killing him.
I picked up my MA5B and reloaded, I take aim and killed several grunts. The battle lasted a few minutes picking off the stragglers. We gathered what was left of our ammo and gather what survivors.
"Evac. Is 7 mikes out every one gathers what you can and prepare for dust off." said the Commander, in 7 minutes the dropships arrived and we loaded them up with what's left of our equipment and the survivors got on and the dropships toke off for the Valkyrie.
"Sir we lost 22 militia, 2 Marines and 7 troopers." Sergeant Demetr told the commander.
"Thank you, Sergeant, I just got word the militia toke 70% casualties, the Army, air force and Marines along with what's left of the militia was evacuated we and a few groups are what's left and we can get out of here." Said commander Ross.
Hudson system, planet Hammer, UNSC Paertorian Guard.
"Sir Valkyrie said they are ready to leave we should tell the Admiral." Said Caldwell. Captain May nodded and said do it.
"Sir the Praetorian Guard said they are evacuating now they will escort the battle group out of the system and meet up the Redwood system at Pearl Harbor 2." Said Spyglass the Sentinels AI.
"well tell fleet to power up there FTL drives and initial COLE PROTOCOL lets fire 1 more Alpha strike then will leave." Said Admiral Marcus Gravis, an Average height Australian black man, with short hair and battle harder eye's, his experience from the Alliance-UNSC war helped a lot against the Convent onslaught.
Surrounding the Sentinel was the last of the UNSC and militia fleet around 500 plus ships. The lined up their MAC cannons, Deck guns, and Archer missile pods ready to fire on the Covenant fleet. The Covenant fleet was preparing to fire as will there bright blue Plasma torpedoes and pulse lasers ready to fire.
" all ships half reverse speed, I went all Cruisers and Carrier's to fire the Battle Cruisers, will fire on the Assault Carrier and finish it off." Said Admiral Gravis.
The human ships lined up there MAC's will firing away with their forward batteries, weakling the Covenants shields. 30 seconds felt like hours and the UNSC fleet fired there MAC cannons, destroying 40 plus Covenant ships add crippling another 38 ships, the missiles hit killing another 29 ships and crippling 15 ships. The Sentinels MAC cannons and missiles killed the Assault Carrier by triggering a secondary explosion on the ships. The ship was killed by pure luck the crew thought, then a white pincer beam passed by hitting an Epoch Carrie killing the ship and its crew.
"Order all fighters to get ships were leaving." Admiral Gravis.
The remaining Covenant fleet fired the Plasma torpedoes and pulse lasers at the UNSC fleet. The UNSC fleet dropped from 500 plus ships to less than 410 ships.
A few minutes later the fleet jumped out, battle group Valkyrie and Praetorian were at the end of the system fighting 7 Convent warships, 6 frigates, and an Armored Battle Cruiser.
" Sir we just lost the 2 corvettes." Said Caldwell. Captain May swore mentally.
"Ok, we engage the Cruiser to have the Belfast join us, Gillian with the frigates and the Valkyrie and Sulphur's group's to engage and destroy to frigates. Fire a nuke at the Cruiser with a missile volley to take out its shields." Said Captain May.
The UNSC ships fired their deck guns to take out the shields. The Gillian along with 2 frigates fired the MAC cannons killing a frigate 1, frigate 2 and 3 fired 1 Plasma torpedo each at the Militia frigate, 1 torpedo grazed the ships port side, the 2nd one hit the ships main gun taking it out. The 2 remaining corvettes covered the wounded ships. The Valkyrie and Sulphur fired the MAC Cannons taking out the frigate 2 and crippling frigate 3, then finished it off with a broadside. Frigates 4,5 and 6 stayed together and fired on the frigate, Sherman and Horton. The Horton heavily damaged and dyeing rammed frigate 5, then the new star was born, when the flash was gone nothing was left of both ships. Thunderbolt seen this along with the 2 Charon frigate Kronval and La Fayette, fired there MAC's killing frigate 6 and crippling frigate 4, then Sherman finished it off with 1 round.
The Praetorian Guard and Belfast were heading to the Battle Cruiser to engage the ship, the UNSC ships fired a massive volley of missiles at the ships along with a nuke. A flash of light appeared then gone in a second later. The Covenant Cruiser lost its shields fired at the ship Praetorian with its Pulse lasers taking out 3 forward batteries and 2 PDGs. The UNSC Cruisers fired there MAC's at the the ship, Paertorian taking out its shields and the Belfast knocking it out with its MAC cannon. Then a few seconds later the Belfast and Praetorian fired its broadside at the ship killing fully seeing it ripped apart from the inside.
"Sir FTL drives are powered up and ready to go." Helmsman said.
"Well get us outer here now!" Captain May.
The ships entered slip space, but not noting a Purple device attacking too Sherman's hull.
Once the ships were gone a ship appeared out of nowhere. A small Covenant stealth ship the around 400 meters long.
" shipmaster the Probe made it." Said a grunt Nav.
"Good, comm. Get me the Fleet master." Said red-armored Elite. A few minutes later the screen turned on showing and Gold and silver Elite.
"Report shipmaster," the fleet master said.
"Sir we tagged a human ship with a probe before they left." Said shipmaster.
"Good I will tell the Prophets lets hope this time we get another human world." And the screen turned off.
Authors note: sorry if this chapter was to short I was trying to finish it quickly. Any way next chapter is first contact, now for names I made up, toke from other stories, looked up actually warships names and from movies as while.
But thank you and I will the Chapter 2 soon.