6-5-2549, Unknown System, Planet Baleasha
An explosion rattled the UNSC Sword and Shield, as Ensign Hasler frantically ran to his station.
The Marathon Class Heavy Cruiser bled fire. The Sword and Shield, along with five other ships, named, Gladius, Spear of Sorrow, Washington, Mace and Dagger, and, Trumpet of War, were in orbit above Baleasha, as several civilian evacuation craft ferried civilians from the planet.
The Covenant fleet had shown up hours before, tactfully taking out the UNSC Flourish in Rain, the UNSC Flagship.
The UNSC Battle groups orders were to defend the planet as the evacuation is in process.
So far, the battle was like a game, a sick, unforgiving, game. The Covenant ships could have easily torn them apart, like lions with a gazelle, but were only toying with them.
Hasler looked at the viewport, to see a plasma lance rake across the UNSC Gladius, the plasma burning through fourteen decks, as the Marathon Class Heavy Cruiser tried to evade it. He watched as it cut the ship almost completely in half.
Hasler was in charge of the navigation, and he made sure his friends stayed alive as long as possible.
A CCS-class battlecruiser rained plasma upon the Spear of Sorrow, plasma lances and torpedoes striking the ship, and he watched as the Paris Class Heavy Frigate was obliterated.
The Cole protocol had been enacted the second they had arrived to the planet, but that didn't stop the Covenant from boarding the Mace and Dagger, a Charon Class Ship, and fought its defenders.
His teeth rattled when the MAC gun, a superb weapon against this foe, shot a round at an unshielded CRS-class light cruiser, it punching clean through the entire length of the ship.
He smiled, as the Covenant Ship didn't move, but it faded when he saw boarding craft, along with Seraphs, nearing the Sword and Shield.
He made a move to prevent them from boarding, but to no avail.
Several boarding class, namely Phantoms, landed in the Hangar, unloading troops.
He knew that the ODSTS and Marines would fight them off, but if they got to their destination, to the bridge, he was screwed.
On internal cameras, several marines, and ODSTS desperately tried to hold the enemy back, but were utterly destroyed.
He moved the Sword and Shield around for a position to fire at another he did so, he heard an explosion, as several Elites had made it to the bridge.
He looked at the Captain, who nodded.
He sent the Cruiser flying toward the Covenant capital ship, the MAC gun firing aswell.
He felt something hot strike his shoulder, and he lost feeling everywhere.
He turned, to see the Captain, firing his M7 Sub-Machine Gun.
He saw bumblebee pods ejecting from the ship, flying towards the planet.
He saw the light of a Type-1 Energy Sword nearing him, and for once, in a long time, he felt bliss. He saw a flash of light, as the Ships Reactor overloaded, as per request from the Captain, , and smiled.
He was going to be with his family once more. . . . .