Disclaimer: I don't own Halo, all OCs are mine

chapter 7: glassing

March 10, 2526

location: planet Biko- Durban

Private Stacker raced for the last pelican preparing to evacuate the city of Durban, the largest on the outer colony of Biko. The Covenant launched a full assault on the planet and the marines got their first taste in combat with them. Mostly against these vulture headed creatures and some small squat ones with pointy harnesses. But some reports indicated that an entire marine squad was killed when they encountered another alien, directing the smaller ones. The space battle wasn't fairing any better, that's when command ordered a full retreat. After they'd made sure as many civilians as possible were evacuated. Stacker's squad had been ambushed by dozens of the squat aliens, he watched in horror as they literally tore the other marines to pieces. Then he bolted on foot for the pelican their Sergeant was taking them to. He could see it in sight but didn't get close enough as one of the vulture aliens jumped him and sliced his arm with a pink crystal shard it was holding. The pain was too much and Stacker dropped his weapon, the pink shard was embedded in his forearm, then it exploded spraying Stacker's face with his own blood. He doubled over and the alien jumped on top of him, it looked like it was preparing to bite off his head. Suddenly, the creature's head exploded and a large shadow was cast over Stacker. He saw who it belonged to, a large person dressed in green armor that looked more like a cross between an EVA and an ODST body suit, armed with an M7. It reached out a hand and Stacker took it.

"Lets go, marine" it said in a human voice.

The soldier helped Stacker all the way to the pelican and helped him aboard. The two of them were all that made it aboard before the pelican pilot was forced to lift off and return to orbit.

"Hold still" the armored soldier said as he began examining the arm. The energy cutlass had caused a lot of damage to his arm, he'd need several weeks of reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation before he'd gain full functionality back.

"I never wanted to do this" the marine said "I just joined for college money, thought I'd probably fight a bunch of insurrectionists, not this. What's your story, you some kind of ODST?"

He didn't reply as he finished filling his arm with biofoam and injected him with a sedative so he wouldn't see what happened next. As he eyelids drooped, Stacker saw the armored figure walk to the back of the dropship and start to look out the small window built into the aft ramp of the pelican. He reached up and removed his helmet, Stacker was surprised, it was a teenager in that armor. Younger than himself. Stacker didn't have time to ponder as the sedative took hold and he lost consciousness.

18 year old Kyle-091 stared out the window at the planet below as it slowly grew smaller. It was one year to the day that he ended up in the Halo universe. One year since he'd became a Spartan. One year since Harvest. This was Kyle's first official ground operation, the first battle the Misciasci tried to get to had already been lost before they emerged from slipspace. They changed course for Biko figuring it was going to be hit next. A full battle was in progress by the time Kyle was yanked from cryo and sent down. But didn't arrive in time to help, instead had to protect evacuating troops from jackals and grunts, neither alien had earned their monikers yet. The pelican docked with the Misciasci and a med team arrived for the marine he'd rescued. After snapping his helmet back on, Kyle was then ordered to report to the bridge. Upon arriving he found Captain Morrison taking a long look out the viewport as the Covenant ships sped past the dead hulks of UNSC ships. Swarming around Biko like a school of fish.

"Spartan, we're not leaving yet" said Morrison "we've been ordered to remain behind as long as possible to document this. No one has seen the process the Covenant use to destroy a planet".

Kyle hadn't either, so he stayed and watched as the Covenant ships began sweeping across the planet in lines, starting from the poles and moving south with each pass. Every pass, the Covenant ships spewed fiery plasma across the surface of Biko, incinerating and melting plains of grass, forests, oceans and people. Innocent civilians the UNSC failed to evacuate in time. Feeds from remote probes on the surface were patched into bridge monitors and Kyle got a first hand look of the conditions on the surface. Fire raged everywhere and soot from the plasma impacts was starting to block out the sun. fierce winds raged, rock and sand bubbled into molten glass. Then there were the cites that hadn't been hit by the Covenant, cities that hadn't been evacuated, cities that still held people. Kyle could only watch for a few seconds before looking away. He couldn't take it any longer so he left the bridge. As he stood in the corridor he felt the ship accelerate into slipspace, having gathered enough valuable data on the Covenant glassing process.

"Valuable" Kyle muttered. It wasn't right for them to have to stay behind and watch. All the UNSC needed was to look at the other colonies that had been hit to know that glassing worked. No one survived. Kyle saw a look in the captain's eyes, he was impressed by the covenant's ability to destroy an entire planet. It sickened Kyle to think he once thought that way. This wasn't a world in videogames or books anymore, it was real and Kyle got his first true taste of it. Swallowing up all the bad feelings inside, he willed them away and continued toward the cryo chamber. To sleep until they needed them for the next battle, wherever that was.