Halo Generation 2
Prologue
0206 hours, December 15, 2525 (Military Calendar)
New Mombassa, Earth, Shadow Glen
Andrew stared into the open field as his friends chased after a gravball the sun shined in his eyes as he scored goal after goal.
To Andrew life was all play, games he could play over and over again till he got bored and would decide to play with his holofigures. Life was always the same with no new challenges… it was always boring as well.
So when a black car pulled up and men in army uniforms pulled him and his friends into the car Andrew would soon find out life wasn't as easy as it seemed…
Chapter 1
0946 hours, December 16, 2525 (Military Calendar)
Onboard Destroyer Socrates/ Enubus System/ Transiting out of Slipspace
Andrew awoke with a start and he leapt out of his bed yelling. He vaguely remembered being injected with something. He checked his watch and found out it had been over seven hours since he had been kidnapped. Andrew looked around the room he was in and was shocked to see that the room was filled with beds… and in each bed was a kid who was unconscious. Andrew quickly counted the kids on each bed. Ninety-nine Andrew thought. What the heck is happening? Andrew heard some noise coming from the other side of a door inside the room so he quickly jumped onto his bed and closed his eyes. Andrew opened his eyes a bit and vaguely saw two men in camouflage uniforms carry in another kid who, of course, was unconscious.
"Is that the last one?" One of the men asked.
"Yeah, that's the last one, I'm thirsty, let's get to the bar." The other guy growled.
When the two men left Andrew jumped out of his bed and looked outside the only window in the room.
He was in a ship. A rather small one, he could see the ship's armored hull which had words on it reading: UNSC Socrates. So I'm on a navy ship Andrew thought. He felt the ship slowly transit out of slipspace when he felt two hands grab his neck and pull him down. Andrew reached up, grabbed the assailant's neck and flipped the assailant over.
"What the crap are you doing!" Andrew yelled. His assailant, a dirty blond fellow seven year old girl, jumped to her feet.
"That's what I'm gonna ask you!" She replied.
"Well you don't just attack me! Haven't you watched Larny the cybosaur! Just ask me!" Andrew snapped.
"You are not my mother!" The girl snapped back. Andrew sighed angrily and sat down.
"Let's stop arguing, we are all in the same position anyways. I'm Andrew."
The girl pushed her hair away from her face.
"Right, I'm Monica." She replied.
"So…. Let's see if we can wake anyone else up." Andrew said.
"You're not the boss of me!" Monica roared….
1040 hours, December 16, 2525 (Military Calendar)
Onboard Destroyer Socrates/ Enubus System/ Landing on planet CintoIV / 2nd military planet
"This is starting to really piss me off!" Monica roared angrily.
"Take a chill pill." Said a newly awoken Kyle.
"Don't…ever…say…that...again." Andrew said.
"Okay…let's try to wake up everyone again." Evan said.
Suddenly the ship started vibrating, and then there was a large thump.
"Hell, the ship just docked." Evan said nervously.
"Crap! Everyone get to your beds!" Andrew yelled. Quickly everyone ran to their beds and pretended to be unconscious. The two army men entered the room holding one box each which was filled with injectors.
"So you jab these into each kid's neck?" One guy asked walking over to Kyle who looked pleadingly at the others.
"Yeah, jab it anywhere if you feel like it." The other guy replied. After this statement Kyle jumped up and ran screaming and yelling to the others.
"Hmph, well that saves us some wake up stims." One guy growled. "Anyone else who's pretending to be unconscious get up here and help us inject these things." It was no use to pretend still so the other three got up and spent a long half an hour injecting.
"Hey Andrew," Kyle whispered. "Look." Kyle pointed to one kid who hadn't been injected with a wake-up stimulant.
"That idiot Aaron? This is gonna be fun." Andrew replied. He walked over to Aaron and started jabbing his needle randomly over Aaron's face, who abruptly opened his eyes as red welts started peppering his face and started running around screaming "AAAAIIIIIIIeeeeeeee!"
"Hey you!" One of the army guys said. "Stop messing around!"
After everyone was awake the two guards herded the children into another room filled with chairs and a single stage. Andrew sat down next to Monica and looked up to the stage as a man walked up.
"My name is Chief Petty Officer Mendez, "The guy said. "But you kids will address me as sir from here on out… the reason? You all will be trained, in order to become the greatest soldiers in the UNSC… Spartans."
Spartans? Andrew thought heart pounding; he looked around the room and saw that most of the one-hundred kids were sitting up higher.
"Guards," Mendez said. "Take these trainees to their bunks; they have a long day ahead of them…"
Chapter 2
0300 hours, December 16, 2525 (Military Calendar)
Camp Kirkbride/ Planet CintoIV/ Training
"Wake up trainee!" A voice yelled. Andrew yelled out in surprise waking from his deep slumber and saw a guy, who was one of the 100 spartan's trainers, standing there nostrils flaring.
"One second till compliance eh? Give me 20 trainee!" The trainer roared. After the 20 push-ups
the trainer roared, "Showers are aft, after you're done return here, get into these clothes," He motioned to a pair of matching grey sweats with Andrew-249 roughly stenciled on it. "And wait for further instructions, now get movin' double time!"
Andrew and the other 99 kids stumbled towards the showers and when everyone was done they slipped on their grey uniforms. Mendez walked in when everyone was ready and he herded the trainees onto a green patch of grass.
"First," Mendez said glaring at everyone. "You all will do 100 push-ups followed by 200 sit-ups then 100 more push-ups followed by 300 jumpin' jacks and anyone who doesn't comply will do 100 laps around this camp followed by double of what the others are goin' to do… is that clear trainees?" After a few seconds of non-compliance the trainers took out their tasers and mildly shocked each trainee who all yelped out and yelled, "Sir, yes sir!"
"Yeah, now follow my lead! And anyone who barfs makes everyone else do 100 more of everything each time!" Mendez chuckled…
After hours of kids barfing, the trainees finally finished their workout and everyone got a bottle of water which everyone drank ravenously. Soon after a few minutes rest Mendez roared, "Follow my lead! We're going to the classroom and it's a pretty short jog."
The "short" jog turned out to be almost 7 miles and by the time they made it to the classroom everyone was exhausted.
"You trainees get inside double-time! Or do you want 100 push-ups?" Mendez said with a glint in his eyes. When Andrew entered the classroom he saw Monica, Kyle, and Evan waving him to join them. The room was slightly dim and blissfully cool and was filled with tables and on each was a plate of salted crackers and a glass of milk in which everyone gobbled up in seconds. Andrew saw a holo-tank at the front of the room and wondered what it was for.
"So where's the friggin' teach?" Kyle muttered. Suddenly the holo-tank powered up and a holographic figure appeared on the top.
"Hello students, my name is Deja II and I am your teacher. "Whoa, an AI." Monica whispered.
"Look closely at this vid I'm about to show you please." Deja II said pleasantly.
The area in front of the holo-tank lighted up and little figures appeared. Andrew observed 300 soldiers guarding a bridge as over 1000 Persian troops rushed to the 300 soldier's positions. A tremendous battle took place; shields splintered, swords drew blood, and spears flew but in the end the remaining Persian infantry scattered and ran leaving the lone 300 victorious. The kids cheered and raved to see more. "Those 300 were the greatest soldiers of that time… they were called Spartans. Trained from age seven they were fast and powerful, even so they could defeat twice their amount of enemies. You all will become Spartans, and you will win every battle…" With that Deja II disappeared and the trainees were herded back out.
Mendez was waiting patiently outside and the moment he saw Andrew and the others he said, "O.k. trainees! It's a short jog back; let's move out… double time!"
Chapter 3
0800 hours, June 24, 2530 (Military Calendar)
Onboard the Socrates orbiting around CintoIV
The augmentation process was a big success… each Spartan now had enhanced speed, strength, and their minds worked faster than ever, yet the lives of 20 spartans were lost… and CPO Mendez. The deaths had nothing to do with the augmentation process because ONI section three had worked out the bugs. A military camera captured a rebel soldier setting a detonation device on augmentation lab no. 5 five minutes before the explosion on vid. Chief Mendez was simply walking by with a cup of coffee when he was caught in the explosion…. So many lives had been wasted. Andrew had always thought of Aaron and his friend's downfall but he hadn't anticipated this. Maybe they could've been killed by a covenant grunt… that certainly would've been hilarious.
"And so we commit the bodies of our fallen brothers to space…"
"That isn't necessarily true…" Kyle whispered. "I checked the Aaron's coffin to see if I could draw on his face but it was empty, only the Chief's coffin was occupied."
"Strange… we should check it out later." Monica replied. Andrew nodded in agreement and was about to say something when Evan ran up.
"Guess what? The Chief's will was found and every surviving spartan is to be promoted!" Evan said satisfaction thick in his voice. "Look…" Evan pointed to a man walking up the stage.
"CPO Mendez's will was found… and all the SPARTAN participants are to be promoted, Andrew-249… you now have tactical command of the spartan team, congratulations." The man said.
Andrew saluted as he was appointed Master Chief.
Soon after everyone had gotten their new ranks the spartans left the assembly hall.
"Lt. is still better than that sissy Master Chief rank." Evan crowed jealously. Andrew, Kyle, and Monica looked at him in disgust.
"You can never admit when you lose, and your stupid idea of how you can take out us three is also quite ridiculous." Monica nagged looking rather annoyed.
Andrew, getting annoyed by all the fighting broke in through Evan's retort saying…"C'mon, let's stop fighting so we can get to the gym, I bet a lot of things are gonna happen later…"
0800 hours, January 17, 2552 (Military Calendar)
En route to Mjolnir facility/ Planet CintoIV/ under attack by enemy forces
"Evan! Spray those grunts with lead, Kyle… where the heck are those rockets?" Andrew yelled over his COM. 27 Warthog ATVs rolled through a dirt road on their way to a Mjolnir facility to pick up their new Mjolnir armor.
"Hell yes sir!" Evan cried out, who was manning the LAG mounted on the warthog, and abruptly started spraying hails of bullets at a cluster of elites and grunts.
"What the… Kyle… HUNTERS!" Andrew yelled. Kyle quickly reloaded his M41 SSR rocket launcher and fired two 102mm shaped charges at the hunters. The fleet of warthogs drove through the plumes of smoke and pillars of fire for what seemed like hours when they finally made it to the Mjolnir facility.
A marine guarding the gate that led to the facility checked the spartan's IDs.
"Spartans…" He muttered. "Hurry, we don't have much time, the moment you get your armor we're evacuating so hurry!"
The spartans parked their warthogs outside a huge domed building and hurried inside. The technicians who were anxiously waiting for the spartans looked up and immediately saluted.
"At ease." Andrew said noticing they looked like everything but at ease. "So where's our armor?"
The technician took out a remote and pushed the single button on it. Behind him a door large enough to easily fit a scorpion tank opened revealing 80 suits of shining armor each customized to each spartan's liking.
"These new Mjolnir armor systems can temporarily create an overshield which triples the shielding of the armor. We have also made a few minor adjustments like faster shield generation, enhanced speed and strength, and of course a better motion tracker. Any questions?" The tech said. The spartans shuffled uneasily yet nobody said anything.
"O.k., Spartan-200, please take off your clothes and put on this gown, then follow me so we can install your armor." The tech said.
Soon everyone had their armor on and were busy testing them. Andrew, in his teal colored armor, ordered the spartans to line up. Andrew then walked over to the captain of the Socrates who was nervously pacing back and forth as a rumble was heard above.
"Sir!" Andrew saluted. "My team is now 110 percent ready, sir!"
"Good," he said "It's best we leave now. All personnel please board the Socrates… we are now evacuating."
Andrew entered his room onboard the Socrates and went to the view screen. A covenant fleet orbited the whole planet of CintoIV and abruptly they all opened fire. CintoIV's lush green forests and beautiful mountain ranges were turned to molten slag. The once peaceful planet was now only hell…
"Boarding craft inbound… all units please go to station, this is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill." The ship's AI said over the loudspeaker.
Andrew immediately contacted his team leaders over the COM. "Kyle, Evan, Monica, Cameron, Philip, Cody, Smith." Andrew said. "Get down to my place, its party time…"
Chapter 4
1200 hours, January 18, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Onboard Socrates/ Under attack by enemy forces
"Aye sir! I'll bring the gin, 283 out." Kyle said over the COM. Andrew then opened another channel to the rest of the spartans.
"Spartan-248, you're in charge of everyone else… get everyone to armory-C25 and hold your positions there. We'll come for you." He said. 248's acknowledgement light blinked twice as the team leaders filed in.
"Okay, we need to get to the main computer room, there's a special package waiting for us. So… what weapons have we got?" Andrew inquired. The spartans uncovered a series of M6C and M6D pistols, two battle rifles, two assault rifles and three SMGs. Andrew grabbed an assault rifle and a M6C magnum then he led the team leaders out the door.
"Let's stop by the armory on our way to the computer room, we might need the firepower." Andrew said. Seven acknowledgement lights blinked when the ship started to shake.
"Boarding craft are latched. I repeat. Boarding craft are latched." Said the Captain's voice over the loudspeakers.
"C'mon! We don't have much time!" Monica said. The team of spartans then made their way to the computer room…
1200 hours, January 18, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Onboard Socrates/ Under attack by enemy forces
"Boarding craft are latched. I repeat. Boarding craft are latched." The captain said over the loudspeakers.
"Lieutenant, get any other UNSC ship on the COM now!" The captain ordered.
"Sir! Our communications dish was destroyed when the first wave of seraphs attacked us." The lieutenant said.
"Damn! If we keep this up we're gonna' get overrun!" The captain replied. "How many alien bastards made it onboard?"
"Out of the 21 boarding craft and all the UNSC personnel's reports I say about 60 percent." The lieutenant replied.
"Okay…" The captain said. "Incoming boarding craft?"
"About 30 sir, our anti-air rotary cannons should take care of about half."
"I'm not taking any chances, in half an hour get all personnel in pelicans, and tell them to fly to the nearest UNSC ship."
"Aye sir…"
1210 hours, January 18, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Onboard Socrates/ Under attack by enemy forces
The dead hulks of three brutes slammed to the ground as the team of spartans made their way to the Central Computer Room. (CCR)
"This is your captain speaking, in 30 minutes we're gonna' blow this top, head to the nearest escape craft when the next wave of boarding craft lands, good luck people…" A loudspeaker blared.
"Hell, we better get movin'." Cody said as they rounded a corridor.
"Right, we're almost there, wait, here's the armory!" Andrew said. Inside the armory were M90 shotguns, MA5B assault rifles, BR55 rifles, SMGs, a series of pistols, M41 SSR rocket launchers, S2 AM sniper rifles and crates of fragmentation grenades.
"I call shotgun." Someone murmured.
Minutes later eight heavily armed spartans were once again making their way to the CCR.
"Okay, we round this corner and…" What Andrew and the other spartans saw puzzled them all. The elites, grunts and hunters were fighting against the brutes, drones, and jackals.
"How the hell are we going to get past that?" Cody inquired.
"We do this…"Andrew said. "CHARGE!" He roared as the Spartans ran through fray spraying everything with lead.
"Hey! Why'd you do that?" Smith yelled.
"Oops, sorry…" Apologized Philip who, most likely did it on purpose. After the spartans had charged through the fray they started to pile up at the CCR door.
"Any UNSC personnel beyond this door please open this door! This is the Master Chief spartan-249 service number: Sprtn- 482942568. Please open this door!" Andrew yelled angrily over the COM. Suddenly the door opened and the spartans spilled in the CCR.
"Whoa." Evan said standing up as the door closed behind the spartans. Andrew stood up and looked around. There was no sign of a human anywhere except two dead techs.
"Hello spartans…" Said a disembodied voice behind them. Andrew spun around and saw that an AI appeared over a holo panel.
"AI-249000 Bastila?" Andrew asked.
"Yes Spartan-249, you've come for me I suppose?" Bastila replied.
"Yeah, load yourself into this computer chip and let's get movin'. I don't think we have much time."
"All UNSC personnel please get into an escape craft. It's time to self destruct…"
Chapter 5
1200 hours, January 18, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Onboard Socrates/ En route to armory C25/ Under attack by enemy forces
"All UNSC personnel please get into an escape craft. It's time to self destruct." The captain's voice said over the intercom. "Fail safe code in, countdown time to self destruction… ten minutes."
"Hell, it's best we get to a pelican." Monica said.
"That's command thinking, let's go. Bastila, find us the fastest route to armory C25, and hurry." Andrew said.
"Processing…. Done! Follow the nav point and it'll lead you to the armory." Bastila replied. "Nine minutes till countdown."
"Acknowledged, let's go everyone!" Andrew said leading the team of Spartans to the armory. Suddenly two hunters led by a white elite, who was clutching an energy sword, turned the corner.
"Wort wort wort!" The elite roared and it immediately activated its energy sword.
"Overshields everyone!" Andrew yelled. "Grenades, on my mark… MARK!" The spartans lobbed fragmentation grenades at the aliens and immediately started spraying them with bullets. The frags detonated and started to spray shrapnel all over the corridor yet the aliens still stood.
"WORT!" The elite roared as it's shields recharged and it started to charge. Behind the elite, the hunters fired their fuel rod cannons and two overlapping beams of plasma impacted on the spartans.
Monica, Cameron, Smith, and Cody jumped out of the way just in time narrowly dodging the beams just in time, Andrew and the others, however, got a full blast and were blasted down the corridor.
"Damnit! Kyle, Smith, fall back and cover us. Evan, Philip, Monica, spray those hunters with lead. Cody, Cameron, try to flank them. I'll take care of mister swordy." Andrew yelled over the COM channel. "GO! GO! GO!" Andrew sprinted forward as fast as he could closely followed by Cameron and Cody narrowly avoiding the fuel rods the hunters fired. A trio of bullets impacted on the brownish area of one hunter which howled in pain. Kyle and Smith had them covered. The three spartans jumped over the hunters, and in unison Monica, Philip, and Evan started to spray the hunters with overlapping fields of fire. Cody and Cameron turned and started to spray lead with their assault rifles on the hunter's unprotected backs who turned around and got hit again on their backs except this time the bullets came from the other spartans. Both hunters finally started to charge raising their shields and roaring their battle cries but were intermediately put down by a hail of bullets.
"Yeah! Now let's go help Andrew." Kyle said, but suddenly a large group of grunts rounded a corridor.
The spartans looked at each other in surprise and raised their weapons….
"Eat this!" Andrew roared as he lobbed a plasma grenade at the white elite. The moment the grenade latched onto the elite it howled and started to sprint towards the Spartan, who was most likely trying to give the "Hug of death." Luckily the grenade detonated and the elite flew to the other side of the corridor. Yet its shields still held.
"Damn!" Andrew cursed when he saw that the elite was still alive. The elite's energy sword had discharged an enormous amount of energy and failed so it brandished a weapon not encountered by the UNSC. It looked roughly like a beam rifle mixed with a carbine and a plasma rifle yet it seemed to have a distinct air of power around it… a rather nasty surprise. The weapon started to whine and spat out three defined beams of concentrated plasma. The first beam hit Andrew strait on and the beam exploded, which knocked out Andrew's overshield. Andrew leapt to the side narrowly avoiding the other two beams.
"Bastila… how the hell do those beams concentrate that much firepower?" Andrew said squeezing off full auto with his assault rifle.
"Jump to the side! Okay… it seems so that the plasma charges up at the tip of the beam which seems to store up energy the way a plasma pistol can overcharge. If it can knock out your overshield that easily it should be able to slice through one meter of titanium alloy." Bastila replied through Andrew's helmet speakers. Energy started to build up at the tip of the gun and it discharged narrowly slicing the air behind Andrew. The elite wanted to take Andrew out from afar, so Andrew did what it didn't expect… he charged towards the elite. Andrew grabbed a convenient plasma pistol nearby and charged it. Normally plasma pistols were rather weak, yet when you charge it, it could knock out any infantry shield, including overshields.
"Prepare to DIE!" Andrew yelled, and he fired the plasma pistol which knocked out the elite's shield instantly. Andrew then landed overlapping blows of punches and kicks on the elite… which finally slumped down to the deck… turned into mush. Behind Andrew the other spartans, holding a group of grunts prisoners, arrived to inspect Andrew's work.
"Very nice…" Evan said slowly as he stuck his middle finger up at the dead elite. A couple of grunts behind them tried to stick their middle fingers up too.
"Three minutes till countdown…" A voice said on a loudspeaker.
"Holy shit! We better get moving!" Kyle yelled. Once again the spartans made their long journey to armory SPRTN….
Chapter 6
1212 hours, January 18, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Onboard Socrates/ Armory SPRTN (A.K.A Armory C25)
As Andrew, the other spartans, and the grunt prisoners entered the armory he noticed that it was rather crowded, wounded were leaning on the walls and cloning fluid covered the floor. Andrew spotted Spartan-248 among a crowd of spartans and immediately called her over.
"Everyone here?" Andrew asked her quietly. The Spartan looked at Andrew visor to visor and said.
"We got about four wounded and…" 248 paused. "Three KIA." Andrew looked away, shocked at the idea that three of his spartans were dead, and they had barely worn their new armor for more than a day. He pulled up his team roster and listed Spartans 201, 298, and 276 KIA.
"Spartan-249? Get everybody down to the hangar bay ASAP, the captain out." Said the captain over the COM.
"Okay, everybody, follow my lead!" Andrew yelled motioning to the hangar bay doors. The humans entered the hangar and lined up in a single file line.
"Captain on deck!" Andrew saluted noticing five huge pelicans among the other four smaller pelicans.
Catching Andrew's gaze the captain said. "Like em'? These babies are called pelican 2s, first one out in their class, but that's not why all of you are here. As soon all you guys leave I'm gonna' blow this ship… stopping the covenant onboard. The UNSC cruiser called the Olympus is holding their position about 1000 miles from here. In these pelicans you must get on that ship no matter what. I'm… the fail safe for the operation, we need someone to stay behind and activate the self destruct sequence and I'm the guy." Just then a huge explosion shook the decks below them.
"Bastila… report." Andrew said.
"The covenant has broken the doors protecting the navigation room. They might be able to retrieve the nav data. Advise immediate self destruction." Bastila replied.
"That's it, Master Chief… good luck..." The captain said as he shook Andrew's hand. With that he strode off to an elevator…
0400 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
On Earth's orbital defense platform: The Pyroshark/ Earth/ Sol system
Andrew and the other spartans entered the hangar bay as a crowd of marines waited to great them.
"Sir, I'm Commander Corbec, please follow me." Said a Latino dressed in a navy uniform, Andrew had seen him onboard the Socrates, he was motioning to a huge elevator, guarded by two marines. Andrew and the other 77 spartans followed obediently and the elevator elevated up for a couple of seconds. Outside, another crowd of humans awaited them, all wearing naval brass uniforms and looking like they just got a new fountain of beer.
"Hello Master Chief, I'm Admiral Clark, the awards ceremony is about to begin. Make yourself at home." A tall American said. Andrew saw that the Admiral had almost every medal made except the prisoner of war award.
"Uh… with all due respect, what award ceremony are we talking about sir?" Andrew said after his spartans all gave him a quizzical tilt of their helmets.
"Well… now that you have your armor you are now official spartans, therefore, as well as everyone's bravery at the battle on the Socrates, you all are to be awarded. All except… you!" Clark said pointing accusingly at Evan. "On your mission vid we caught you drinking alcohol in the armory! You are hereby downgraded to corporal!"
"What!" Evan yelled in shock. "It was only one gallon!"
"You want me to downgrade you again?" Clark said. Evan jerked angrily and walked to the back of the crowd. Monica chuckled.
Soon the spartans each had many medals awarded to them and finally Commander Corbec stepped up.
"For saving the lives of 24 spartans… you are hereby ranked Captain." The admiral said. "Please meet me in the debriefing room." Andrew and the others applauded and went to the debriefing room.
"Admiral," Bastila said appearing on a holotank. "You better see this."
Andrew vaguely heard the admiral say: "What the hell… a dozen ships? That's not even an eighth of the fleet that attacked Reach."
"Sir, boarding craft inbound." Bastila said.
"Damnit! All fighter personnel please get to battle stations. Spartan-249… we need you to send half your team to the neighboring orbital station Mechwar20. The fight for Earth has just begun…"
Section II: The Rare Spartan
Chapter 7
0410 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
On Earth's orbital defense platform: Cairo Station / Earth/ Sol system
Humanity's reaction to the first battle of Earth was surprisingly quick, thanks to Spartan-117 Master Chief, who had warned Earth right before the covenant would come.
"Steady… they're latched!" Said a crewman, onboard the Cairo. "They're in standard formation, little bastards in front big ones in back, good luck Cairo." The Master Chief aimed his dual wielded SMGs at a blast door.
"Feel the fire on that door!" Sergeant Johnson said, "The moment they come through, let em' have it!" Soon the door exploded and a team of grunts and two elites entered the room. The Master Chief opened fire with his SMGs and cut the grunts down like butter. The sergeant, who was manning a turret above a stairway, easily knocked out the elite's shields. Afterwards two marines converged on them.
"Now I really should start counting." A marine chirped. Soon two identical waves of covenant came… after dealing with those, two elites dual wielding plasma pistols came down from a walkway above the door. Now dual wielding a plasma rifle and an SMG, the Master Chief fired his weapons simultaneously finally bringing both of the aliens down.
"Move move move!" Johnson yelled, and he waved the humans forward. Shouldering a battle rifle the Master Chief followed obediently and came across another group of Covenant who were being besieged by a hail of bullets coming from a marine's portable turret.. The Master Chief fired a flurry of three round bursts from his BR55 taking down three grunts and a single red elite… the rest were cleaned off by the marines.
"Chief, we'll hold our positions here and wait for reinforcements. Get on to the hangar bays… and quickly!" Johnson said grinning. The Chief nodded and proceeded up a staircase behind the turret and entered a room overlooking another room with potted plants dotted around it. Two marines, fighting and cursing, were being besieged by a huge team of elites and grunts. The Master Chief immediately aimed his battle rifle and started picking off the grunts. The marines, seeing that someone had came to save them, started to work on the elites.
"Chief, thanks for the assistance!" One marine piped up. The Chief nodded went on ahead…
As the last grunt dropped dead in the first hangar the marines walked over to the windows.
"Hey! They're leaving the Malta!" A marine yelled rather surprisingly.
"Malta, what's your status?" Cortana said.
"I don't believe it! They're retreating, we won!" Yelled a rather happy marine. Just then the Malta exploded.
"This is bad…" An Australian marine started when the other door leading to the hangar bay blew up.
"Chief! Grab those bagpipes and play "The love train!" A marine screamed. The Chief ran to the bagpipes but just before he reached them a bunny popped up and…
"This is bad…" An Australian marine started when the other door leading to the hangar bay blew up.
Soon a crowd of Covenant made their way into the hangar bay through the broken door and immediately started to open fire.
"Grenade!" A marine private yelled and he tossed it into the fray killing off about 4 grunts and one elite.
"Watch out!" The Master Chief yelled as a grunt threw a plasma grenade. The private ran towards the covenant screaming, "I'm too pretty to die!" as the grenade latched on to him and demolished the rest of the covenant with his final act. The Chief went through a short hallway littered with dead marines and entered the next hangar. Two marines were cowering behind a box as two grunts on the walkway above manning plasma turrets rained plasma down at them. The Master Chief aimed his battle rifle and shot both grunts in the head.
One marine saw the Chief and said, "Chief, could you kill all those things? That would really be awesome." Further in the hangar a dropship was latched in a window and black ops elites and grunts were filing out.
"You two, throw as many grenades as you have, then give them everything you got." The spartan said.
"Yes sir!" The marines saluted. The Master Chief immediately sprinted forward lobbing all his grenades combined with the marine's grenades at the crowd. Overlapping explosions filled that area of the hangar, soon out of the haze, two white elites emerged. Their shields were slowly recharging and in their three fingered hands were energy swords. One elite lunged at the Chief roaring it's battle cry. The Chief ducked narrowly dodging the sword, then he primed two plasma grenades and stuck them both on the elite's chest.
"IiiiiiEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeee!" The elite screamed and was cut off when the grenades detonated. The Master Chief looked around and saw that the second elite had been sneaking around when the Master Chief was occupied… the two marines lay dead, their throats slit. The elite lunged at the Chief and sliced through the Chief's energy shielding with the energy sword. The Chief cursed as his shields overloaded and failed narrowly dodging another slash from the energy sword. The Master Chief looked down and saw two plasma grenades at the elite's feet… perfect. The Chief leapt into the air and chucked a fragmentation grenade at the elite's feet… and it disappeared behind a huge blue-white explosion.
"Uh oh… they're leaving the Athens!" Cortana said, shortly after the station blew up.
"Cortana, assessment." Admiral Hood said through the COM.
"That explosion came from inside the Athens, as well as the Malta, the covenant must have brought something with them… a bomb."
"If they did they sure as well have brought one here… Chief, find it…"
The Master Chief and Cortana rode an elevator up to the area where a he crowd of elites were… and the bomb.
"There are quite a few elites guarding the bomb, you might need to get creative." Cortana said. The Chief raised his two SMGs and entered the bomb room and saw about six high ranking elites guarding a huge spiky black thing… which was the bomb. The Master Chief snuck around the crowd and lashed out from the shadows using the butt of his gun to break the spine of one elite. Shortly after the mangled corpse hit the ground the other elites opened fire and spread out. The spartan jumped out of the way of the hail of boiling plasma and started to spray the elites with bullets. Three of the elites fell down, dead, while the two surviving elites ran for cover. One elite had crouched behind a box yet its head was still visible… a huge tactical mistake. The Master Chief stuck the elite's head with a plasma grenade and ran out of the grenade's blast radius as the elite blew up. The other elite charged out from its hiding spot and started to charge forward, roaring for the Chief's blood.
"Oh no you don't!" The Chief grunted. He quickly sidestepped, elbowed the elite's back and started to land overlapping punches. Soon the elite's mangled body slammed to the ground… dead.
"Chief, me, inside your head, now!" Cortana demanded appearing on a holo-tank nearby. The Chief reached out, placed his hand on the tank, and sprinted to the bomb. Cortana reappeared on the bomb, her arms crossed.
"How much time was left?" The Chief asked.
"You don't want to know." Cortana replied.
Just then the COM channel opened, "Chief, have you got to the bomb yet?" Admiral Hood said anxiously.
"We have." Cortana said casually.
"Sir, permission to leave the station." The Chief said.
"For what reason?"
"To give something back to the Covenant." The Chief replied.
The admiral sighed and, after a moment pause, said, "Granted…"
Chapter 8
0500 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Crash landed in Old Mombassa/ Earth/ Sol system
"If you can hear me, please blink twice." Cortana said worriedly through the Master Chief's helmet speakers.
"Yes I can hear you, you talk too much." The Chief replied.
Cortana started to make an angry retort when Sergeant Johnson yelled, "Shake it off marines! Clear the crash site, go go go!" The Chief looked around and immediately remembered that a huge, bug-like, covenant ground vehicle had attacked the squad of three pelicans. Behind the Chief was the crash site, the pelican had crashed right through an old, war torn building. The spartan found an SMG lying near a dead marine, took the time to close the marine's eyes, and entered a doorway in which three marines and Sergeant Johnson were waiting.
"You go in first, we'll cover you." Johnson grunted to the Chief and motioned him in.
Everything was quiet in the short hallway when a lone grunt entered the opposite door, with one look at the great spartan the grunt squeaked in fright and tried to run back when the Chief's SMG landed at the back of the grunt's head.
"Let's tango you alien bastards!" A Mexican marine cheered and immediately ran through the door in which the grunt came through. There was a light amount of opposition in the large courtyard, a couple of jackals and a trio of grunts, but as the Master Chief entered an inner courtyard a large standard squad of two elites and a handful of grunts rushed down the stairs to meet him.
"Marines! Grenades on my mark! MARK!" The Master Chief bellowed.
"Aye sir!" A marine yelled back as he tossed two fragmentation grenades into the inner courtyard. The grenades detonated and the screams of the grunts and the elites filled the area.
"If they didn't know that we are here, they sure do now!" Johnson grinned. The Master Chief nodded, it was the time for war…
0500 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Orbital Defense platform: The Pyroshark/ Earth/ Sol system
Andrew and his team stood victorious inside the Pyroshark. The bomb was safely disarmed and used to destroy a covenant carrier… as for the boarders, they were either slaughtered or held prisoner, the vast majority of them however, had fled. They hadn't, however, had any word from Cameron, Philip Kyle and Cody, who led the defense of the Mechwar20.
"Bastila, what's your status?" Admiral Corbec said over the COM.
"55 percent of the boarders have been either neutralized or captured… we're still picking off stragglers, as for the Mechwar20-" Bastila said but was abruptly cut off when a large covenant carrier rammed straight into the neighboring station… the Mechwar20. Andrew's COM channel opened and screams of pain could be heard… then there was silence.
"CAMERON! KYLE! PHILIP! CODY! What's your status?" Andrew screamed over the COM but there was only static. Monica, Smith, and Evan walked over to the spartan on the bloodstained hangar bay, apparently recovering through there shock.
"C'mon Andrew… we need to get moving." Monica said, her voice cold and bitter.
"Half the number of spartans had been on that platform… but some spartans should've survived… processing… life signs detected! But that carrier is rebooting, there's a ten minute duration till it's once again fully functional… but once it's functional it'll blast right through the Mechwar20's remains, killing off any survivor." Bastila murmured coldly. "You could board the remains of the orbital platform… but that would be very risky."
"Then that's a risk I'm willing to take. Admiral… permission to leave the station." Andrew said slowly.
Admiral Clark sighed over the COM and finally said, "Permission granted."
Monica's hand placed itself on Andrew's shoulder and she finally said strongly, "Hey, Andrew. We're coming too." They were going to rescue some spartans…
Kyle, Cameron, Philip, and Cody and 17 other spartans slowly emerged from the wreckage of the Mechwar20 after the covenant carrier crashed straight into the station. Kyle observed the area and immediately found out that no human, except the spartans, could've survived. Even though some of the station was still intact the atmosphere would've vented already, and with no supply of oxygen…
"Sir! Ranger elites are coming this way… maybe they're checking for survivors." A spartan said, pointing to a swarm of irregular shaped dots in the distance.
"We better get moving then, Cody, you lead ten others, do your best to defend the area. Everybody else check for supplies, survivors, anything that would help." Kyle barked.
Philip drifted over to Kyle and said, "No survivors, I've checked… neither human nor alien."
Kyle started to reply when he noticed that the carrier's engines flickered for a split second.
"Uh oh… they're rebooting! New objective spartans! Find as much explosions as possible so we can blast through this carrier's hull! Let's go spartans!"
"Sir… we got company..." Cody whispered as about 50 ranger elites drifted closer.
"Give em' hell." Kyle said. With that Cody grabbed a rocket launcher and loaded a SPACE 102mm rocket into it. He then expertly fired it into the mass of elites and took out about half their number, the other ten spartans then sprayed the rangers with lead.
"Watch out! More covenant, and they've got energy swords!" A spartan screamed.
Meanwhile Cameron and Philip had encased an area of the carrier's hull with explosives, flammable objects, and archer missile pods.
"All spartans fall back! I repeat, fall BACK!" Kyle yelled over the COM. Obediently the spartans regrouped and took cover.
"Let's take you all down to hell." Kyle said and he then detonated the explosives.
0506 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Orbital Defense platform remains/ Earth/ Sol system
"What the hell was that?" Evan yelled as a huge fiery explosion overtook an area of the carrier.
"Bastila… let's get into that carrier." Andrew said. "Through the hangar bay let's go!"
"That's suicidal! The hangar's shields will knock us back!" Bastila exclaimed incredulously.
"Fire all the pelican's missiles, and then follow with a salvo of WASP heavy bullets."
"Aye, I sure hope you know what you're doing…"
A plume of fiery explosions dotted the hangar bay shields followed by a hail of sniper-like WASP heavy bullets… then the hangar's shields faded.
"Full speed ahead Bastila." Andrew said calmly and then exchanged high fives with the others.
"Get ready, this is gonna be a rough landing…"
Chapter 9
0508 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Orbital Defense platform remains/ Earth/ Sol system
Ando Mormoslee emerged from the embers of the human station's remains. The last he remembered was a huge fiery explosion and then the elite had blacked out.
"By the prophets…" The elite murmured as he looked around. The burnt remains of his brethren lay all around him; his best friend; Osama Binladen lay dead next to him, there was no sign of the Demons… suddenly Ando saw movement not far from his position.
"Owie!" A voice coughed and a grunt, a single grunt, emerged from the ashes.
"By the prophets… a single grunt?" Ando asked questionably.
"That's Yim Yam to you big gold superior elite!" The grunt snapped. The grunt then activated its jetpack and it floated into space, "Yim Yam sees that big elite aren't so tough after all!"
"Silence!" Ando commanded. "These demons have killed my brothers… and for that they must DIE!" Yim Yam cocked his head in puzzlement.
"Um… I shall kill every demon I can find." Ando said.
"Ooooh!" Yim Yam said finally understanding, "But first big elite and Yim Yam must get inside big carrier so elite and Yim Yam won't get cooked by big scary engines." Ando nodded in agreement and opened a secret entrance in the ship's hull not knowing that he was going to be stuck with the grunt for a very long time…
0510 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / Earth/ Sol system
Kyle and the surviving spartans ran through the mazelike halls killing anything in their path after punching a hole into the carrier's hull.
"Philip, locate the ship's armory and their detention block." Kyle commanded. Philip, who was the team's computer specialist, took out his portable datapad and hacked into the ship's system.
"There, the ship's detention block is not too far from here, the armory is not far from there." Philip replied after ten seconds.
"Good job, Cody, Cameron, go on ahead and clear a path to the detention block, take 5 spartans with you." Kyle said.
"Aye sir! You lot! Follow me!" Cody muttered. After Cody and his 5 spartans left Kyle sent everybody else to find a good place to set up an HQ.
"Sir? Why don't we just raid the hangar bay and steal a dropship?" A spartan asked followed by mutters of agreement.
"I'll show you, Philip, show them the hangar bay camera." Kyle said. Philip nodded and a projection popped up from the datapad; the projection showed an army of grunts, elites, drones, jackals, and brutes.
"Nevermind…"
Cody and Cameron lead their team of five en route to the detention block. They only ran into a few stray grunts and jackals and on one encounter; a pair of brutes.
"Um… is this way to easy or what?" Cameron said as he swept the hallway with his assault rifle.
"Yeah… to-" Cody replied but was cut off as the ran into a group of ten brutes guarding the detention block… including a captain.
"WROARRRR!" The brute captain roared and they immediately opened fire.
"Assault rifles up first battle rifles back them up! Alpha formation… move move move!" Cameron roared over the COM. The spartans obeyed and formed two lines… first line were kneeled down the second line was standing up and soon the area was filled with exchange fire. Cody vaulted high up in the air and jabbed a combat knife into a brute's neck; he then pushed the dead brute into another brute… Cameron then shoved a fragmentation grenade into the brute's protesting mouth and the aliens, after three seconds, blew up taking two other brutes with them.
"Sir! The brute captain is beserking!" A spartan screamed. It was true; being the last of its team the captain forgot all means of defense and went on a rampage.
"Gorph!" A spartan moaned after getting thrashed by the brute, then he fell down… dead.
"Open fire!" Cody yelled desperately. All spartans opened fire but the brute still didn't die… until Cameron threw two combat knifes into the brute's leg and finally finished off when Cody jammed another knife into the brute's forehead. Dead bodies littered the area… two spartans amongst them.
"C'mon… we gotta get inside the detention block…"
0510 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / Earth/ Sol system
"Oooggg…" Andrew groaned rubbing the back of his helmet.
"Everyone alright?" Monica said anxiously.
"Yeah, and what the…" Evan said as he looked around. Blue, purple, and brown blood smeared the hangar floor… and dead Covenant littered the area. The pelican's remains were everywhere, and the spartans were on the other side of the hangar Smith was looking out the hangar window.
"Bastila what-" Andrew started.
"Happened? The hangar's shields closed on us… when the pelican landed you and the others exited the pelican… when it blew up. You all have been unconscious since."
"Great… our weapons are melted as well… and we only have our pistols, I guess we have to use Covenant junk then." Andrew muttered. After the four spartans had scooped up the weapons of their liking the hangar suddenly started to vibrate.
"We're MOVING!" Smith shouted. "Wait a sec…" Suddenly the window showed pitch black space.
"Guys… we're in slipspace…"
Chapter 10
0510 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / Slipspace
The elite commander in his majestic gold armor turned around as Ando Mormoslee, in his new silver armor, entered the Fabled Prophecy's bridge.
"Commander… you have returned, what happened to your squad?" The elite commander asked anxiously.
"Murdered… by the Demons." Ando replied looking down. "They have managed to board this ship by the way."
"Yes… I have heard of resistance in the lower levels… and a human dropship had exploded in the main hangar bay." The commander replied.
"Were there any-"
"No survivors were reported."
"By the prophets…" Ando was burdened by the idea that at least 100 of his brothers had been killed… because of the demons…
"I shall rid this carrier of those human filths at this very instant!" Ando suddenly replied slamming his fist down on a control panel.
The commander nodded and said, "Yes, we shall see… I shall assign a squad of golden ops elites grunts, and jackals to your command. Do not fail again… who knows what the Hierarchs would do to you…"
Yim Yam paced nervously back and forth as he waited to be introduced to his new commander.
"Pi Pi can't stand Yim Yam walking around like jackal any longer!" A grunt said after fifteen minutes.
"Eh?" A jackal said nearby.
"Sorry! Yim Yam nervous after Yim Yam's last mission… what if it's the same honor proud elite Yim Yam ran into that's going to be our new commander?" Replied Yim Yam anxiously.
"All elites are stupidly honor proud silly!" Pi Pi laughed.
"Eh?" A nearby elite said. Suddenly the opposite door made a beeping sound and all the grunts, jackals, and elites immediately stood in a row. The door finally opened and two elites emerged. One was the commander of the Fabled Prophecy, the other…
"Eeep! Hide Yim Yam!" Yim Yam squeaked as he hid his face with his arms as all cowardly grunts did when faced against a superior enemy.
"20 grunts, 10 jackals, and five elites, all trained in High Charity itself, you wouldn't be able to find any finer squad. As for transportation, we have two customized dropships in the spec hangar awaiting your approval." The commander said proudly.
"Hmmm… and the grunts?" Ando asked thoughtfully.
"All golden ops grunt members are trained not to grunt out when faced against a superior enemy."
"Hehe… we shall see." Ando sneered sinisterly; he then lashed out his energy sword. Yim Yam gulped; he didn't fully complete his golden ops training, because of the war against the humans he graduated early, and right now he was rather jumpy. Yim Yam wanted to pass this initialization so he could make his deceased grandpa proud. Ando Mormoslee walked over to the first grunt in line and asked, "What is your name?"
"Li Lie… sir!" The grunt squeaked and saluted like a midget commando. Suddenly Ando lashed his energy sword out and… stopped the blade from making contact to the grunt… centimeters from its face, yet the grunt didn't even blink.
"Hmmm… very good… let's hope the others will do just as well." Ando nodded approvingly. Yim Yam made a silent squeal of fright and started to sway in one spot.
After 19 more grunts passed the test Yim Yam was the last to go up.
"You!" Ando snarled. "We'll see if you're so tough now! Haw haw!" Ando started to pace back and forth, back and forth; suddenly he slashed his energy sword and stopped it a millimeter away from Yim Yam's neck.
"Hmmm excellent, I expect to see a lot from you." Ando said. He then walked off.
"WE DID IT!" Pi Pi cheered, he then slapped Yim Yam on the back. Yim Yam fell down and from that Pi Pi concluded that Yim Yam had fainted….
Chapter 11
0550 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / Slipspace
Kyle and his team of spartans cautiously entered the detention block and aimed their weapons… there was nothing in the large room.
"Spartans?" A voice said from one of the cells, "Thank god! I though we were doomed!" The marine's F.O.F. tag registered him as Corporal Manglerez.
"No problem, where's your squad leader?" Kyle asked.
"Er… I am. Sergeant Samuel had led us on mission to guard an entry tunnel in New Mombassa, then an army of covenant arrived and we started fighting." Many emotions were shown on his face, pain, anger, confusion… "We were captured… the sarge tried to make a break for it but a sniper got to him."
"Sir! We've got 24 marines ready to fight!" Cameron shouted.
"What about those other prison cells?" Kyle asked curiously.
"They're those covenant Jackals… and by the looks of it, they've gone insane."
"Shoot them… they're makin' too much noise, as well they're damn ugly."
Cameron grinned, "Yes sir!"
"Sir… I've searched for the nearest room to set up an HQ… and this is the best place to make a stand." Philip said.
"Perfect. O.K…. are those jackals dead?" Kyle shouted.
"Yes sir!" Cameron replied.
"Good… open those cells and get those bodies outta here, they don't add too much to the décor."
"Right! You guys! Help me get them outta here." Three marines stumbled over to Cameron and hastily picked up the dead bodies.
"O.K…. now we need to get to the armory and get some ammunition, Cameron! Cody! You, the marines, and four other spartans are on base defense, everyone else… you're with me!" Kyle ordered.
"Yes sir!" Everyone shouted.
"Damn right! Now let's move out!"
0555 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / Slipspace
After several minutes Kyle, Philip, and the team of spartans had finally arrived at the armory where they found not only Covenant weapons and portable turrets, but also human weapons and two portable turrets.
"This must be those brute's armory…" Philip muttered.
"Well that explains why they have UNSC weapons. Well? What are you guys waiting for? Let's bring this stuff back to HQ!" Kyle said. The spartans hastily obeyed and started to grab the nearest weapon they could find.
"Sir, I found some Lotus anti-infantry type mines!" A spartan shouted.
"Great! We'll put them to great use… and be sure to bring those marine helmets and that military type tape back while you are at it." The spartan tilted his head quizzically but nonetheless obeyed.
Soon the human's HQ was heavily protected. The entrance had makeshift barriers, covenant and human, covering every area around it. If the covenant makeshift barriers overloaded then the humans would be able to fall back behind the human barriers… and just to add a little extra firepower Kyle had ordered some marines to set up four plasma turrets and one of the two human turrets in between the barriers. They also had a portion of the human's plentiful ammunition taped to the back of the human makeshift barriers.
Inside the HQ plasma turrets had been set up at the front of each prison cell… the second human turret had been set up near the end of the room, if the covenant were to enter the room they were going to enter a meat grinder. In each prison cell there were tables, on top of each table was ammunition and weapons, covenant and human alike. Makeshift barriers, of course, were carefully placed throughout the room so they wouldn't get in the way of the turrets.
"Sir, I think we are loaded and are ready to go!" Corporal Manglerez reported.
"Good… because I think we'll need to be…" Kyle said. Meanwhile Ando Mormoslee and his team had run into Andrew and the others…
0600 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / Slipspace
Andrew gazed hopelessly as one of golden elites drew out its energy sword, the other gold elites aimed their dual-wielded plasma rifles, the gold armored grunts aimed their plasma rifles and pistols, and as the golden shielded jackals aimed their carbines. Andrew accessed the idea that locked in a close quarters corridor armed with only human and covenant pistols, plasma rifles, covenant carbines, and a couple of grenades. The only good news was that the corridor was small… so small that all the enemies wouldn't be able to open fire at the same time.
"Monica… run!" Andrew whispered.
Monica looked at him incredulously and said, "What?"
"We won't be able to win this battle… find Kyle and the others. QUICKLY!"
"What? No… no… I won-"
"That's an order." Andrew finally said.
"Right… I will." Monica stammered, and with that, she ran down the corridor.
"Wort wort wort!" The first golden elite cried, and then it led the other elites forward.
"Open fire!" Andrew yelled and his long charged up plasma pistol discharged knocking out one of the elite's shields. The first elite however had ran right in front of the spartans.
"I got him…" Evan grunted and he landed a blow… right next to the elite… where there was nothing but air. Andrew was distracted for a split second at the incredulous idea of Evan missing a punch at point blank when a plasma rifle slammed onto his head knocking out his shield… moments later, after two more blows, Andrew slumped to the ground… unconscious.
"Huh… ANDREW!" Evan yelled. He then stuck a plasma grenade on the assailant and straight punched the elite… this time he didn't miss. However, the elite leading the gold armored team used its energy sword to knock out Evan's shields followed by two quick blows by another elite… and Evan also fell to the ground unconscious. Meanwhile Smith was being restrained by two elites and couldn't do anything as he and his teammates were taken away…
Chapter 12
0630 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Bridge/ Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / Exiting Slipspace
Ando Mormoslee entered the Command Center obviously outraged.
"Commander, why was I to capture the demons instead of slaughtering them all? They have shed our brother's blood an-"
"Yes, yes… I had received new orders to capture the demon filth instead of slaughtering them from the prophets themselves." Interrupted the Commander, who was nodding in agreement, "Apparently they want to learn more about the demons, and copy their shield system."
"Wait… but our shield system came from the Forerunners themselves, the humans cannot have-"
"Created a better shield system? Apparently so…"
"Well, at least the Golden operations team performed quite well. Although not everyone had a role, in the capture of the demons."
"Commander, exiting slipspace…" Squeaked a grunt in the command crew. The ship started to rumble and the next thing everyone saw was a sight to behold…
"By the prophets… can it be?" The commander murmured, awestruck.
Ando Mormoslee was just dumbfounded… he had fought against the humans on the ring world before… "Halo…" Ando whispered.
0500 hours, July 22 (Military Calendar)
Control Room canyon, Installation 04, Halo
Three human dropships flew over the snowy canyon and finally landed just under an old bridge supported by some unknown energy beams. A covenant mortar tank was launching blue comet-like mortar bombs as the pelicans unloaded its passengers. One pelican had a single scorpion tank attached to its tail and the other two pelicans had two warthogs attached to them, one on its belly one on its tail. Together an army of 36 marines dropped out of the ships and got inside their vehicles. The seven marines left without a vehicle, however, opened fire on small group of covenant that had come seeing the enemy dropships. The four warthogs and the single scorpion drove further down the canyon spraying lead and cannon fire everywhere. Soon they were out of sight.
Ando Mormoslee saw the human vehicles rush past him and ordered two banshees and a trio of ghosts to engage. He knew quite well that they wouldn't last long but they would hopefully knock out the tank, or buy them time. The grunts, jackals and elites surrounding Ando started to cheer as a wraith scored a direct hit on one of the retreating human dropships, which plummeted further down the canyon.
"Watch out!" A grunt squealed and soon later a rocket flashed by killing a jackal and five grunts.
"Stand down!" Ando thundered as the grunts started to run in circles, the elite then aimed his beam rifle at the humans. A human sniper bullet cut past the elite but he didn't flinch. Ando pulled the trigger and soon the sniper went down… followed by two other marines wielding a rocket launcher and an assault rifle.
"Commander, the human vehicles have broken through our defense line… they have now joined up with four other human warthogs and are now on their way to the cavern room. The good news is that their tank was neutralized." Said an elite.
"Excellent… and the dropship? Was there any survivors?" Ando replied.
"Yes your Excellency… our forces are dealing with them this very moment." Above them an explosion was heard on the bridge.
"Ready my dropship sergeant."
"Yes your Excellency." The elite murmured.
In the large canyon not far from where the humans had landed, the humans were making a break for it.
"Aaaaaahhhhhh!" Three marines screamed as their warthog took a direct hit from a mortar.
"Holy shit! Get us outta here corporal!" The company leader shouted.
"Hell yes, sir!" The corporal agreed, he then pushed on the gas and told the rest of the team to follow him. Down a tunnel there was a very big surprise waiting for the humans…
"Hunters!" The corporal screamed.
"Run 'em over NOW!" Screamed the company leader looking grim. But the hunters jumped out of the way as the surviving seven warthogs drove through. After going through a long tunnel they soon entered a cavern-like room where two warthogs got hit by some fuel rods. Their inhabitants, however, survived. But the other warthogs drove on and exited through the opposite door, completely abandoning the six marines.
"Hunters!" A marine cried hopelessly as two more hunters emerged from the shadows. The marines hopelessly opened fire on the hunters… and their fate was sealed.
Ando's dropship landed in the large valley in which the control room was concealed and… after finishing his cup of tea… he-
Ando's dropship landed in the large valley in which the control room was concealed just as three marines entered the valley as well. The valley's defense hadn't been set up yet so the construction grunts were no matched for the battle hardened marines.
Ando snarled as the marines made their way to the pyramid-like structure where the control room rested and told the pilot to land the dropship right in front of the three marines. The marines stopped walking and looked on hopelessly as the dropship landed. It could've killed them right then and there. But the hatch opened up and a single gold armored elite exited bearing a plasma rifle.
"Open fire!" The corporal shouted… obviously wanting dear revenge for the company leader's death. The assault rifle armor piercing rounds barely glanced off Ando's shields as he primed a plasma grenade and threw it… right at the three marines. Having no time to run, the grenade detonated and the marines were thrown back.
"Marines!" The corporal cried, "Open your eyes, snap outta it!" After a couple of seconds of sobbing the human looked up and stared at the elite like he was never there. The human then said something, crying as he got up he picked up his assault rifle and… got killed moments later…
0615 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Inside the carrier: The Fabled Prophecy / In Orbit above Halo
Monica snaked her fiber optic probe around the corner and saw Andrew, Smith, and Evan being dragged away. The gold elite who led the squad squatted down and placed the single dead elite's arms on its chest. Then it walked away. Monica got up from her hiding spot and found a covenant carbine lying on the ground. She then took an M6C magnum pistol and sidearmed it along with four plasma grenades. After getting as much ammo she could find for her carbine she ran to the part of the ship where she saw an explosion. The area was filled with covenant engineers who were sealing the hole. The engineers ignored her as she walked through to examine the hole. It was definitely a Cameron-Philip explosion because there was a smiley face near blast hole… a mark they always left when the exploded something. Walking forward she saw signs that the team of spartans had went through the corridor on her left… purple blood was faintly smeared on the floor and there was ash allover the place. Monica smile to herself… being the frontline scout of the team, her tracking abilities were the best. She soon went onward.
Kyle was sitting behind the makeshift barriers sleeping when Cody woke him up.
"Huh? What is it?" Kyle asked. Cody pointed to the corridor they had came from and made walking motions with his fingers. Kyle nodded and aimed his shotgun as his COM channel opened.
"You like bread, so don't shoot me." Monica said. It was a secret code they always said whenever they approached another spartan who was unaware of the others presence. Kyle lowered his shotgun and saw Monica emerge from the corridor.
"Uh… hi, um… how'd you get here?" Kyle asked.
"Andrew, Evan, Smith and I came here on a pelican to find you… Andrew and the others have been captured! We need to rescue them!" Monica said quickly.
"Right… Cameron, Cody, Philip… let's go…"
Section III: Installation 05
Chapter 13
1200 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
High Charity/ Council Chamber
The Master Chief reappeared in the council chamber onboard the High Charity. The wavering bands of golden light disappeared and the Master Chief observed his surroundings. For a moment the two remaining Prophets, the brute honor guards, and the grunts just stared dumbstruck at the Master Chief.
"Boo." The Master Chief said shortly at a nearby grunt. Throwing its needler into the air, the grunt cried out and ran towards a nearby door.
"Where's your friend going?" The Chief mocked catching the needler and aimed it at the prophets.
"Slay the demon!" The prophet of Regret ordered. He then went down on a lift.
The honor guards and the grunts however, stayed, and aimed their weapons at the Master Chief.
The Master Chief stepped back and picked up another needler. Now dual wielding needlers, the Master Chief ran straight forward and fired a flurry of exploding needles at his enemies. Brutes and grunts exploded, boiling energy filled the air, and after finishing off a brute using his newly acquired covenant carbine Cortana finally said, "Put me inside one of the pedestals near the door, it'll be easier if I stay in the Covenant network and track the Prophet of Regret."
The Master Chief obeyed and entered the door aiming his carbine. Two brutes and four grunts, one manning a plasma turret, opened fire the moment they saw the Chief. Shields flaring, the Master Chief threw a plasma grenade at the plasma turret and fired wildly at the brutes. The grenade exploded.
A single brute emerged from the explosion and it started to berserk. Knowingly, the Master Chief leapt into the air and fired his Covenant carbine at the brute. After successive headshots the beast finally slammed to the ground… dead. After taking a moment to rest and find ammo, the spartan headed through the door and ran face to face with a brute honor guard.
"Graaawwl!" It roared. The beast then fired its brute plasma rifle at the Master Chief, behind them two jackals and three grunts were taking their positions…
One grunt lobbed a plasma grenade at the Chief but he ducked… and the plasma grenade landed on the brute. Ignoring the brute's scream of pain and the huge explosion, the Master Chief landed many carbine rounds on the jackals and grunts… right before two gunner grunts holding portable plasma turrets arrived, and a brute captain.
"Watch out! That brute captain is holding a brute shot!" Cortana warned. The Master Chief had encountered that weapon before… and it had caused the death of one of is teammates. The ballistic weapon spat out a grenade and it detonated near the Chief. Even so, the Master Chief's shields drained to half. Emerging from his cover, the spartan lobbed a plasma grenade at the grunts and aimed his carbine at the brute captain's head. Moments later, the dead hulk of the captain slammed down to the ground.
"Get that brute shot…" Cortana said. "You might need it."
"Right." The Master Chief agreed. He then kneeled down and picked up the powerful weapon.
"O.K., I've activated this gravity lift. All you need to do is jump in." Cortana said. The Master Chief hesitated.
"It's harmless really, just hop in." Cortana encouraged bracingly.
0500 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
En Route to installation 05/ Onboard "The Sparta"
Captain Corbec watched angrily onboard the UNSC destroyer: "The Sparta" as slipspace ruptures started to form around the covenant carrier. If the carrier managed to enter slipspace inside New Mombassa, then New Mombassa would be utterly destroyed. But the captain couldn't do anything when New Mombassa was enveloped in a bright white dome… and destroyed.
"LeRiche!" Corbec said addressing a bridge officer. "Get the coordinates of where the carrier is heading… and quickly!"
"Done." LeRiche replied wiping his forehead. "Just in time too."
"Great job LeRiche, now get me Admiral Clark, priority Alpha." Corbec ordered.
"Aye sir… okay, here he is."
"Corbec? This better be quick." The Admiral said.
"Request permission to tail that carrier."
"Denied, In Amber Clad is already tailing that ship, and I've got some spartans on a carrier-"The Admiral paused. "What? The carrier just jumped also? Are you sure? Damn! Okay… permission granted. Just get back safely."
"Thank you Admiral. Nieger, get ready to jump at these coordinates."
"Aye sir." Nieger said.
"Corbec, send me those coordinates. We'll send the cavalry after you guys later. Good luck." The Admiral then saluted and disappeared off the transmission screen.
Just then, a spartan accessed the COM.
"Permission to enter the bridge Captain." The spartan said.
Remembering that the rest of the spartans were onboard the ship Corbec granted the spartan permission. The bridge's door opened and a spartan in red armor walked in.
"Spartan- 248 Heather on bridge, sir!" She said saluting.
"At ease." Captain Corbec said. "So what is it?"
"Is it true that Spartan-249 and the others are currently onboard a covenant carrier, sir?" The spartan asked.
Corbec shifted uneasily and said, "Yes spartan. We are currently in pursuit and… What in god's name…" The Sparta had just exited slipspace and the forward cameras showed a sight to behold.
Under a huge covenant fleet, which appeared to be fighting amongst themselves, was a magnificent ring…
0630 hours, January 24, 2552 (Military Calendar)
En route to High Charity/Currently inside a dropship/ Inside prison cell
Andrew slowly regained consciousness and his eyes opened. The back of his head throbbed in pain inside his helmet as he observed his surroundings. He was inside a prison cell inhabited with Evan and Smith, who were unconscious. Outside the energy shield keeping the spartans captured was a brute looking outside the dropship's window. Andrew could see a huge ship coming closer and closer as they approached it.
"I've hacked into the covenant religious network and the Covenant seem to christen that ship: High Charity, the holy city. Seems like were going in." Bastila whispered through Andrew's inner helmet speakers.
Totally forgetting that Bastila was with him Andrew asked, "Bastila, can you lower these prison shields?"
"Maybe we should wait till the others regain consciousness…"
"That'll take too long, just cover me." Andrew said.
"Okay… if you say so." Bastila sounded rather worried. The prison shields flickered and failed… and Andrew lashed out. The brute that was looking out the window fell down from the spine cracking blow and Andrew retrieved its dropped brute shot.
"Damn, it's empty." Andrew thought. Coming to investigate, two brutes that were on the other side of the prison cell spotted Andrew and roared. They both berserked and rammed into Andrew easily knocking out his shields… but Andrew used the bayonet attached to the brute shot and stabbed one brute through the head. The other brute roared in anger and tried to ram into Andrew again when the spartan sliced its neck open. Both brutes slammed to the ground.
Suddenly two strong hands appeared and grabbed Andrew's neck. The hands, which were attached to the brute piloting the dropship, slammed Andrew against the dropship's wall. Red flashes played against Andrew's vision, his windpipe swelled, and the spartan began to black out…
Suddenly the grip slackened and Andrew and the brute fell to the ground. Evan and Smith stood above Andrew and helped him up.
"Didn't miss this time eh?" Andrew rasped.
"Nope, I'm too good!" Evan bragged.
Smith, who was walking toward the dropship's controls, said, "Hey, looks like we're landing…"