Chapter 3

Shortly after his resurrection, the new Guardian had returned to Old Russia to aid in the Reclamation of Earth alongside the Swords of Sangheilios. He and his Ghost were tasked in leading a small team of Elite Ultras to the Lunar Complex scout a location for a forward operation base. During their journey through the corridors of the complex, they encountered a force known as the Hive, a zombie-like species of alien who sole purpose was to spread the Darkness to other worlds. While Hive Thrall were not much of a threat, the Hive Wizard that was leading the charge into the complex against the Fallen inside was the true threat. In the main area of the complex, a large group of Hive Acolytes and a Wizard were engaged in combat with Fallen.

The Ghost of the new Guardian spoke as the team watched the two enemies fight. "We have to destroy that Wizard if we wish to get a foothold of the area. It's best to wait for them to wipe each other out before attacking."

"Nonsense, Ghost!" Said one of the Ultras, who drew his Plasma Rifles. "We will lay waste to all of them at once!" A steady roar of eagerness arose from the group of Elites.

"But the Wizard is…" The Ghost was cut short by the six white Elites rushing at the clashing aliens, firing off shots of their weapons at them. "…strong. Eh…I hope their aggression won't become a liability in the future."

The Guardian and Ghost stood by and watched as the Fallen and Hive lesser were decimated by the Elites. Although the Fallen Captain fell before the sword of the Sangheili, the Wizard was proving to be a true annoyance. She strafed fire from their weapons, floating around covers in the area while firing her Void blasts back at them with just as much success. What hits were made were only absorbed by the shielding of both sides. The squad eventually managed to surround her, and destroyed her with a heavy rainstorm of plasma fire. The Guardian and his Ghost came up to the crowd of rejoicing Ultras standing over the pile of ash and cloth.

"I honestly expected her to put in more of a fight. Regardless, we must clear the rest of the facility before more show up." The Ghost said. With another howl, the team set off to purge the remaining Hive from the Lunar Complex.

Near the Forgotten Shore, another large battle was brewing. Sangheili Rangers had encountered a hefty number of Fallen enrooted around the destroyed boats. The squads of Rangers, along with a Titan Guardian were tasked with clearing the Fallen from the area as part of the mission to set up a forward base. Ranger snipers made short work of the dug in Vandals that attempted to fire back at the Elites, while the main forces armed with Plasma Rifles and Repeaters stormed the rusted watercraft.

"Hold up here. I am detecting Fallen transmissions nearby." Said the Titan's Ghost, who began searching for the source of the signals. It scanned a large device in the upper deck of the first ship. "This is it. Or one of them, that is. Strange…The transmission is not entirely Fallen. Something else. There might be more of these nearby." The Rangers had already moved on to the next ship, laying waste to the Fallen inside. The Titan and Ghost ran over to the next transmitter. "Oh yeah. This is definitely something else. "The Ghost said as it scanned. "The next one should be in that facility on the ridge. At least, I'm assuming."

"Forward, brothers. Wipe these vermin from the fields!" Said a Ranger, who began the charge to the hilltop. Behind him came the rest of the Rangers, and all at once they used their Jetpacks to soar above the Fallen who had taken cover among the trash piles in front of the building, and they came down in a rain of Plasma fire. Those who did not perish from the rainstorm of hot energy soon encountered the strength of the Elites' hand to hand combat. Dregs armed with Shock Daggers attempted to stab one of the Rangers, but with finesse, the Ranger managed to block one swing and retaliate with a harsh kick to the Dreg's gut, and then the other Dreg got a Plasma wrist dagger jammed in his gut before being thrown off the edge of the ridge. The other Rangers had finished off the other Dregs and Vandals that valiantly fought against them, though they were repaid only in death. The Captain once again proved his vigor to the Elites. Armed with twin Shock Swords and a personal energy shield, this warrior rushed at the four Rangers, and through the volley of fire, swung at whoever he came close to. His efforts were fruitless as the Rangers simply jumped around him repeatedly. However, in a howling rage, the Captain dropped his swords, grabbed a Ranger by the foot as he went airborne, and slammed him into the cold dirt. The grounded Ranger struggled to crawl while regaining his breathe and the Captain kicked him over and began to wildly pound his fists into the Rangers face and body. While the Captain assaulted the Ranger, the Titan dropped down from a crate with the Fists of Havoc and crushed the Captain with the sheer force, which also resulted in the death of the Ranger.

The team of Rangers regrouped at the building, setting up a defense while the Ghost scanned for the next transmitter. Before a proper one was established, the Ghost had informed the team that there were no transmitters in the facility, but there was a major grouping of Fallen in the Skywatch.

"Sorry about your teammate there. I saw an opportunity and I took it." Said the Titan to one of the Elites.

"His death was an aid to the defeat of an enemy. It was a noble death." The Elite replied. "All who fall in this great battle will be honored in the end."

The Ranger squad leader sent out a message across the radio of all the surface forces that the Forgotten Shores were liberated. Soon, several other confirmations of control from other units had come over the radio. The Lunar Complex, the Mothyards, Rocketyard, and a few other areas were under the control of the Swords of Sangheilios.

Back on the Illuminating Blade, the shipmaster issued new orders to set up a perimeter around the areas under their control, and to ensure that no Fallen or Hive break through their lines. A Guardian Warlock had come aboard the CCS-class cruiser to aid in points of interest and to give information on the enemy. A Zealot, clad in maroon armor, stood beside the Guardian as the shipmaster gave him new orders.

"The lair of the House of Devils is here, in the Rocketyard. Though we've managed to form a defensive line, there is still Fallen within the structures to the East." Said the shipmaster.

"We believe there is a Prime Servitor inside the lair, giving strength to the Fallen who guard it. We destroy it, and then the Fallen will lose hold on Old Russia. At least, the Devils will. We still have the House of Kings, but they're elusive." Said the Guardian to the Zealot. "They have a Walker Tank in stock, and might deploy it to stop an assault, which is why you are going in alone. They wouldn't expect a lone assassin." She looks to the shipmaster, and brings up a holographic image of the target.

"Is your objective clear?" He asked. The Zealot nodded, and repeated his mission parameters. "Good. It'd be best to remain stealthy for this mission. Get to the Servitor, destroy it, and get out. A final assault will be made against the remaining Fallen afterwards."

"How will I destroy this Prime Servitor quickly? The size of it would make a single swift move difficult." The Zealot asked the shipmaster. "Perhaps if a few more warriors came along, it'd be an easier task."

"Very well. A Zealot strike team will be deployed, and you will destroy this Sepiks Prime. Assemble your team, and begin your mission." The Elite general said to his subordinate.

Chapter 4

The Zealot strike team of three flew in the darkness of night to the far edge of the Rocketyard, and set down in a clearing behind the perimeter made up of thirty Elites. The three Zealots received the known statistics of enemy forces within the Devil's Lair before proceeding. From what scouts and Skirmishers have reported, there was a fight between the Fallen and a Hive sect within the structure that led to the Servitor. Fallen had suffered casualties, but managed to defeat the Hive. Reports said that there were seven Dregs, eighteen Vandals, fifteen Captains, twelve Servitors, and fifteen Shank drones remaining. Now, they hold firm within their fortress. The Zealots activated their camouflage, and made their way into the Lair.

Right before the main entrance, a group of no more than twenty Fallen were dug in behind makeshift covers. Among them were two Captains, all seven Dregs, nine Vandals, ten Servitors, and thirteen Shanks. The Zealots all looked to each other in bewilderment.

"Should we call for support? Surely it would be a harsh task to sneak past that many hostiles. Wraith fire could soften them up." Said one of the Zealots.

"Or a Banshee strafe." Suggested the second. The leader simply shook his head and growled lightly.

"We are the highest skilled warriors of our ship. Does your life mean more than your honor? Do you wish to be mocked for cowering behind our weapons?" The leader questioned, and with no hesitation, the others retracted their words of concern and the team continued to sneak to the doorway.

As they crept, a Dreg turned to scan the area to his left, and his gaze locked towards the Zealots, who froze as when he turned to them. The Dreg then blinked, yawned, and looked away. The Zealots slowly snuck closer, and then a Servitor hovered towards them and stopped near their position. It scanned the surrounding area slowly and carefully before turning around and hovering away. Again, the Elites crept closer to the entrance. Before entering, they needed to get by the two Captains standing out front. One by one, the Zealots slowly walked past the Captains. The Leader managed to slip by and now waited near the doorway for his team. The second Zealot attempted, but accidently stepped on a piece of broken glass which crunched under his heavy foot. The nearby Captain turned towards the sound and let out a light growl, and walked over to where the sound emitted. Looking closer, the Captain chuckles at the small shard of glass that he assumed fell from a window above him. Once the Captain turned away, the Zealot managed to enter the building. The third Zealot started making his way over to the door, but he bumped into something. Whatever it was let out loud roar and jolted back towards the now alerted Captains. The Zealot then ran to the door and entered, catching up with his team.

"They have stealth units. There must have been one investigating the broken glass under your feet." The third Zealot said when he got inside. Luckily, the Fallen did not see the cloaked Elite enter the facility, and did not pursue. Once inside the main structure, the remaining Fallen had taken up defensive positions, now on alert from the howl of the Stealth Captain. The remaining Captains, twelve of them, were spread out amongst smaller groups of Vandals, nine in total, while a Servitor-Shank duo roved around the inside. All were focused on the one doorway that entered the Refinery. Due to the dispersal of enemies, the likelihood of stealth was low but the Zealots all tried again.

The leader started first and managed to carefully sneak past the Fallen in through the quickest route he could find. The second Zealot was not as lucky. His foot once against shuffled around a small pile of debris in plain view of the agitated Fallen soldiers. He froze in place. Now, the alert level elevated and the Fallen watched even more carefully for anymore disturbances. Very slowly, the second Zealot shuffled his feet and kept an eye on his path through the defensive line. He made it eventually. Now, the third Zealot managed to slip by without incident.

Now, all that was left was the Servitor, Sepkis Prime. The Zealots made their way through the throne room and into the rusted Launchpad that housed Sepkis. A Captain dawned in unique armor, bearing the banners of the house stood with the Servitor, absorbing the energy it emitted. The time was now to strike. The leader of the Zealots went for the Captain, charging with his Energy Sword active and glowing in the moonlight. With a sudden roar, the Zealot leader lunged and impales the Captain, who let out a howl of pain before dying. The other two Zealots attempt to stick Plasma Charges on the Servitor, but both miss the target. The second Zealot tried to leap at Sepkis, who evaded the jump, and the third Zealot threw his charge and missed. The Servitor then let out a loud garble of noise, calling for help. The Zealot leader tried to attack with is Energy Sword, but comes short of the target. Sepkis fired a blast of purple energy at the third Zealot, who was hit by the radial blast, taking damage to his shields. One Zealot managed to grab hold of the great eyeball, but got thrown off when Sepkis rammed a nearby wall. The battle that ensued was long. Sepkis Prime proved his worth, but the Zealots emerged victorious. One of the Elites threw his Plasma Charge, and stuck it in between two of Sepkis's outer plates. Once it was confirmed to have attached to the target, the Zealot detonated the charge. In a bright explosion, Sepkis Prime, the Prime Servitor to the House of Devils, was destroyed. Unfortunately, the Zealots were not quick enough to complete their objective before reinforcements arrived. A ketch of Fallen arrived and began to drop pf a swarm of Dregs and Vandals. The Zealots took cover and called in for extraction and air support, and soon a Phantom dropship came in guns blazing. The Dregs were suppressed by the heavy Plasma turret while the Grunts on the Plasma guns rained fire down on enemy positions. The three Zealots made for the gravity lift, and the Phantom embarked for the cruiser.

With the House of Devils without their Servitor, the Fallen forces in Old Russia were soon uprooted from their holdings. The Swords of Sangheilios managed to set up a ground base to begin what many, both Guardian and Elite alike, call the Reclamation of Earth. The Illuminating Light now fought a defensive battle until they could call for help. Periodically, the Fallen House of Kings made guerilla maneuvers against outposts with significant effects, and the Hive would also attempt more invasions with little success. If no support could be received, all efforts would be for not.

Part I Completed