Chapter Two: Nova

July 1, 2563 (Estimated Military Time) \ Spira, Paradigm System.

Open your eyes, Jack.

My brain sparked to life again, causing my eyes to open instantly. An intense wave of pain rushed over me, and I coughed violently as blood shot from my mouth and splashed against my visor.

I struggled to breathe, my lungs stinging with every gasp of air. My entire body ached, and my bones felt like they had been set on fire.

I looked at my surroundings, gazing at the dark forest around me. Shadows and figures were moving through the trees, their weapons ablaze as they sent bolts of plasma flying through the air.

I lowered my head, being overcome by the sudden rush of dizziness and pain.

"Oh no you don't; you're not dying on us yet!" I heard a familiar voice shout, his voice rising above the constant ringing in my ears.

I felt a large hand grip the chestplate of my armor, and start dragging me backwards. I groaned in pain as Hercules dragged me, the pain increasing every second.

I turned my head to the right, spotting Boss and Gizmo as they traded fire with the covenant troops behind us.

"Hang on, Van." I heard Zeke say through my helmet COMM, concern in his voice.

Hercules grunted as he picked up his pace, causing small trails of debris to fly into the air as my legs dragged through the leaves.

I gritted my teeth, pissed off at my current predicament. I spotted a covenant Elite sprinting towards us, his Plasma Rifle peppering the ground around us with plasma fire.

Cursing, I quickly withdrew my M6D and took aim at the Elite, emptying an entire clip into the Alien's shields as they flared and failed. I reloaded, quickly firing another shot through its eyes, blood flying through the air.

I moved my hand to the left, spotting a trio of grunts running out of a bush, one of them preparing to throw a plasma grenade. I felt the pistol kick as I fired at the grunt, hearing the alien yelp as the bullet tore through its chest and knocked it backwards. The plasma grenade fell to the ground, detonating on impact and incinerating the other two grunts.

"Help me up!" I shouted to Hercules as I grabbed his arm. The giant Spartan lifted my chest and I clambered to my feet, giving Hercules a nod in thanks.

"You sure you're okay?" I heard Boss ask, the barrel of her rifle red with heat.

"Yeah, let's go!" I answered before breaking off into a sprint. The others followed close behind, their boots stomping on the ground as they pushed on.

We continued sprinting through the forest for twenty minutes, gunfire and explosions constantly filling the air with debris. We managed to keep up a fast pace, unwilling to stop and be blown to oblivion.

"Keep moving Honor! The Outpost is less than a mile away!" shouted Boss beside me, her legs a blur as she continued to run.

I looked ahead, spotting the line where the forest came to an end and a grass field took its place. The silhouette of a cluster of buildings sat on the horizon, growing clearer as we got closer.

We broke through the forest and into the vast plains of grass beyond, the Outpost standing a kilometer ahead. The soldiers stationed there had given no signs of alert, obviously oblivious to the coming Covenant Battalion.

We reached the Outpost in minutes, passing a metal sign that read 'UNSC Defensive Operations Outpost: Echo.'

The Outpost was very similar to the one we had been in a few hours ago, except for the trenches that had been dug into the ground around the base. Metal barricades were placed along the buildings, and .50 caliber chainguns were mounted every few yards.

"Zeke; get on top of that building and provide sniper fire. Vanguard, Hercules; you're going to be with me on the frontlines. Gizmo; head for the Command Center and alert the Commanding Officer." ordered Boss as she stopped to catch her breath. "We're in for one hell of a fight.


It had taken ten minutes for Nova Company Third Division Echo to rally its troops and mount a formidable defensive position. Fifty soldiers, including Hercules, Boss, and I, stood in the trenches surrounding the front of the outpost, while seventy five troops covered our rears and sat behind the barricades. Two soldiers manned the chainguns on the second line, while Zeke sat on the roof of the Command Center, overlooking the entire area.

"Watch your fields of fire! Watch out for snipers and remember to keep your heads down! This is not a drill, marines; if you are hit, you WILL die!" barked Lieutenant Deseron as he patrolled the trench lines, warning the soldiers of Nova Company and preparing them for the coming battle.

Deseron was an excellent Lieutenant. He was fairly built, with short, dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His combat armor was worn and scarred, a testament to his years of service. A white skull with three long, red scars on its forehead was tattooed on his left shoulder; the insignia of Nova Company.

Deseron crouched in front of Boss and me, his BR55 gripped in his hands, "we've got some trouble, Spartans. We were unable to contact Command; meaning we can't request evac, air support, or reinforcements until the Battle-Net is back online. We're on our own out here."

"Here they come!" I heard a soldier shout from my right as we watched the forest ahead.

I quickly turned my attention to the forest, spotting a large group of covenant troops as they ran towards the outpost. I raised my MA5B and slapped a fresh mag into its frame, calming my breathing.

"Alright, Nova; let's show the Spartans what we can do!" shouted Deseron as he jumped down into the trench next to me, bloodlust in his eyes.

"HOOAH!" over a hundred and twenty soldiers shouted in unison.

We opened fire, mowing down at least thirty grunts and jackals as they tried to reach the trenches. Once again my ears were filled with the constant roar of gunfire, and oddly I felt at peace.

I fired on a trio of jackal snipers trying to take cover behind a boulder, taking one of them down and cursing when the others ducked behind cover. They immediately laid down cover fire, forcing me to duck down into the trench in order to keep my head.

"Zeke; Two jackal snipers behind a boulder on your ten!" I shouted through my COMM as another sniper shot flew over the trench, passing clean through a soldier on the second line.

I heard the crack of a sniper rifle behind me as one of the jackals slumped against the rock, blood oozing from its chest.

The last jackal began to panic and retreated, yelping loudly and fleeing back into the forest.

"Van, take out those grunts!" I heard Boss warn as she pointed to the right. I turned, spotting ten grunts setting up a plasma turret, an Elite barking orders to them. I pulled the trigger and fired off a few bursts, taking down four of the grunts with headshots.

A soldier to my right noticed the grunts as well and combined his fire with mine, effectively slaughtering the rest of the grunts.

The Elite roared and picked up the plasma turret, pulling the trigger and hammering our position with heavy fire.

"Shit!" I cursed as I ducked, pinned down by the Elite.

"Grenade!" I heard the soldier beside me shout as he threw the object. I risked a glance at the Elite, watching as the grenade exploded at its feet. The Elite was launched into the air, its limbs flying in all direction.

I turned to the soldier beside me, giving him a nod. He nodded in return, before popping out of cover and firing on a group of jackal skirmishers.

I felt a pat on my shoulder and turned to see Boss and Hercules crouched behind me.

"We're moving down the line. Come on." said Boss.

I nodded before following the two Spartans through the trench line.

We passed through the dirt trench, spent ammo cases crunching under our boots. The soldiers on the line continued to fire at the Covenant, completely oblivious to us as we passed by.

A plasma grenade detonated a few yards ahead of us, tossing the limp bodies of soldiers through the air and creating a smoking crater in the side of the trench. I covered my head as a mist of blood and guts rained down on us.

We reached the far left edge of the trench, just in time to spot a group of grunts run across the field towards the outpost.

"Covenant flanking party! Stop them!" shouted Boss as she opened fire, tearing the head off of a grunt. Hercules and I obeyed, the Covenant troops being cut down by the hail of 7.62 rounds. In seconds the flanking party was massacred, their bodies leaking blood into the grass.

"They're retreating!" yelled a soldier nearby, watching as the Covenant fled back into the forest. Their Elite commanders slowly walked back into the trees, glaring back at the outpost with ferocious eyes.

I spotted a red armored Elite turn back and stare at me, its demonic eyes seeming to stare straight into mine. The Elite gave a loud roar, before stepping into the forest and out of sight.


"We got extremely lucky. The Covenant attack was amateurish and unorganized; probably because they weren't expecting us to mount an effective defense." reported Deseron, his armor covered in alien blood.

The battle had lasted a mere ten minutes, before the Covenant had gotten smart and retreated to the forest to regroup and come up with an actual battle strategy. We had only lost three soldiers, while over forty Covenant soldiers lay dead in streams of blood across the grass plains. Deseron was right; we had been lucky.

"They'll regroup and mount a proper offensive next time. Wraiths, Ghosts, Shades, Turrets; the whole shi-bang. That last attack was only the beginning." warned Boss as she leaned against the table. The rest of us remained silent.

Deseron had immediately called for a meeting in the Command Center after the battle, to discuss casualties, damage, and our next move. Hercules and Gizmo had decided to help themselves to dinner in the cafeteria, while Boss, Zeke, and I decided to meet with Deseron.

"Were you able to contact Command?" I asked Deseron.

"Afraid not." He answered, frowning. "The BattleNet is still down and we can't reach High Command or the other divisions of Nova Company. The Covenant must have hit the COMMs Relay."

"We need to be evacuated as soon as possible; we're up against an entire Covenant Battalion with roughly two hundred marines!" I replied.

"Echo Base isn't the best place to mount an effective line of defense; too many positions to cover and not enough men or ammo to go around." added Zeke.

"We'll need to do the best we can with what we have and hold out until we can contact Command. Lieutenant; gather weapons and ammo and tell your men to hunker down in the trenches and barricade lines. Assign sentries to watch the forest 24/7, and alert the Company of any Covenant activity.

Honor-Four will lead a sniper squad positioned on the roofs, providing cover fire and reconnaissance." ordered Boss.

"Aye aye." replied Zeke as he stood, grabbing his sniper rifle.

"Honor-Two will be in charge of the barricade line, and Honor-Five will help repair communications in the Command Center." continued Boss.

She turned to me, "Vanguard; you'll be with me on the frontlines. If the Covenant manages to break through the line, we'll retreat back to the barricades."

"Yes sir." I nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll join you on the frontlines." agreed Deseron.

Boss grabbed her MA5B and shouldered the rifle, "alright people, you know your orders; now get it done!"


I sat on a mound of dirt, watching two soldiers carry a large crate of ammo through the trench line.

It had been two hours since the Covenant last retreated into the forest after their first failed attempt to siege Echo Outpost. The massive Cruise overlooking the land had flown away towards the east, escorted by several Covenant frigates and Seraphs. The good news for us was that the Covenant Fleet was on the move; leaving us with only the Covenant Battalion in the forest to worry about. The bad news for the UNSC army stationed all over Spira was that the Covenant Fleet was on the move…in a few hours the Fleet would clash with the UNSC army and spark a second Human-Covenant War and the Battle for Spira.

Deseron walked up to me, sitting down on the dirt mound with a sigh. He reached behind his back and retrieved a large Bowie Knife, using it to pick at an oozing scab on his forearm.

"Where'd you get that?" I asked him, admiring the weapon.

He glanced up at me, "it was a gift from my father. He had scavenged it off the corpse of an Innie during the Rebel War. It's saved my life countless times."

I grew quiet, watching as the soldiers carrying the ammo crate spilled bullets all over the ground.

"So what's your story? How'd you get chosen to become a Spartan?" asked Deseron. I was expecting someone to ask me that question, sooner or later.

"I didn't have a choice. Becoming a Spartan was the only way to survive." I answered, my voice grim.

"You guys are fucking war heroes! When we saw the cruiser over the forest, we were about to lose hope until you Spartans arrived." exclaimed Deseron.

"We're not heroes; we were scared too." I replied.

We both grew silent.

"Lieutenant! Lieutenant!" came a shout from behind us. A few seconds later a soldier ran up to us, out of breath and sweating.

The soldier was tall and skinny, with ice blue eyes and short blonde hair that stuck out of his helmet. He was green as grass, the last attack probably being the first time he had experienced combat.

"What is it, Clancy?" Deseron asked, putting away his knife.

"The black armored Spartan says that he's spotted movement in the forest!" Clancy reported between gasps of breath.

"We need more time." spoke Boss as she walked towards us, her rifle in her hands. Clancy gasped in complete shock at the sight of her.

"CONTACT!" I heard someone shout along the trench line. I immediately stood and turned towards the forest, raising my rifle as I spotted a lone grunt running through the plains. A distant sniper shot rang through my ears as the grunt's head exploded, its body falling to join the other corpses on the ground.


It was an hour later when the Covenant finally launched their second attack.

We had stood at the ready for sixty minutes; slowly awaiting the battle that we knew would come at any second. Soldiers around me began to shake and mumble, trying their hardest to drown the fear inside them.

I glanced to my left, seeing Clancy standing beside me. His entire body was shaking, causing his rifle to shake in response. He was scared shitless; his heart racing.

"Relax." I said to him calmly. He turned to me, his eyes gazing at my visor.

"Y-yes sir!" he nodded, before turning back towards the forest.

We were standing in the very middle of the trench line, with Boss positioned on the far left and Deseron barking orders on the far right. Hercules was waiting behind the barricades with the other soldiers that made up the second line, no doubt gripping his MA5B firmly. Zeke was lying on his stomach on a building inside the Outpost, his Sniper Rifle set on a tripod in front of him and a squad of snipers around him.

We were ready.

"Here they come!"

Covenant Grunts rushed out of the forest en masse, plasma pistol flaring as they shot wildly. Their numbers totaled around fifty, as they ran towards the outpost.

Over a hundred soldiers in the trench line opened fire, their rifles creating a roar of thunder across the plains. The grunts were slaughtered by the barrage, their blood raining over the grass. Bodies fell to the ground every second, as more and more grunts ran out of the forest.

I reloaded and continued to push down the trigger of my MA5B, knocking a grunt backwards a few feet as the bullets slammed into its chest.

I heard the crack of Zeke's sniper rifle as he fired, his .50 caliber bullet passing through the chest of a grunt, slicing through the head of the grunt behind it, and then finally digging itself into the brain of the grunt BEHIND that grunt. Three kills with one bullet!

We fired at the never ending horde of grunts for five minutes, their bodies beginning to stack up on the plains.

A group of grunts ran out of the forest, carrying Portable Shield Generators, used to create Stationary Energy Shields. Packs of grunts carrying Portable Cover began to run out of the forest, mixing with the normal grunts troops.

"Take out those shield grunts!" I heard Boss shout through my COMM.

I took her advice, firing a burst at two grunts as they hefted the Energy Shield between them. The grunts fell in a shower of blood, the shield fizzing out.

I spread the word down the line, ordering the soldiers around me to target the shield grunts.

When the shield grunts reached half a kilometer away from our trenches, they dropped the shields onto the ground, protecting them from our bullets. Soon more and more grunts were able to deploy their shield next to the others, creating a rag-tag line of shields.

"What are they up to?" I heard Hercules ask over the COMM.

"I don't know…" I replied, watching as my bullets deflected harmlessly off one of the energy shields.

I switched targets, cutting down a trio of grunts that were getting dangerously close to reaching the safety of the energy shields.

A handful of soldiers threw grenades at the shield line, the explosives detonating and managing to destroy several of the energy shields.

"Look!" Clancy shouted, pointing at the forest. I looked and saw a pack of thirty Jackals sprint towards the safety of the shields. The Jackals kept their heads down as they ran, careful not to get hit by any stray shots.

We immediately turned our fire towards the Jackals, only managing to drop three of them.

The Jackals reached the shield line, pushing the grunts out of the way as they began to dig. The grunts were immediately sliced to ribbons by 7.62 rounds, no longer protected by the shields.

"Stop them! Stop the Jackals before they can finish digging those trenches!" Deseron shouted to us as he walked down the front lines, occasionally raising his rifle and killing a grunt or two.

His request was impossible; there was no way we could reach the Jackals without using an air strike to destroy the shield line. Rushing the line was an option, but we would only get slaughtered by the Covenant troops hiding behind it.

The Jackals finished digging their trenches thirty minutes into the battle, dropping into them when they finished.

Now two trenches were constructed in front Echo Base, one ours and one theirs. The trenches sat parallel to each other, half a kilometer apart, with the covenant trench being twice as long as ours.

"Elites!" someone shouted, and I immediately glanced at the forest to confirm the report.

Fifty Elite Minors and Majors began to walk out of the forest and towards the trench lines, a Jackal equipped with an energy shield protecting each Sangheili. The Elites stared at us, their eyes seeming to burn pure fear into our hearts. I gulped at the sight of the demons, a chill racing up my spine.

"CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE! Don't waste your ammo!" shouted Deseron as he watched the Elites walk, knowing that our bullets would be useless against their shields. The constant ring of gunfire ceased, with only the hiss of plasma shots filling the air.

We watched in defeat as the Elites dropped into the trenches, barking orders as the rest of the Covenant troops nearby did the same.

"SON OF A BITCH!" I shouted as I threw down my rifle, walking back towards the Command Center as more and more Covenant troops began to fill their trench line.

Welcome to Trench Warfare, Vanguard. Welcome to Hell.


We remained on the alert for hours, fearing for our lives as we stared at the Covenant battalion gazing back at us from the safety of their trench. Every now and then someone would open fire, causing a shoot-out between both lines and the death of a few of our soldiers.

The Covenant Energy Shields guarding their trenches had failed and deactivated hours ago, but it made no difference; they were still protected by their line.

The sun had fallen over the horizon a while ago, clouding the battlefield in darkness. The light of the moon lit the plains, casting the entire area in a dim glow.

I removed my helmet and set it on the ground beside me, my hair drenched in sweat and sticking to my forehead. I swallowed in a massive gulp of air, savoring the fresh air for the first time in years. I couldn't remember the last time I had taken off my helmet.

"Here. Eat up." called Zeke as he passed a helmet towards me, soup sloshing around inside it. I took the make-shift bowl and thanked him, before wrecking havoc on the soup.

Zeke lifted his head towards the sky, his visor reflecting the moons light as he stared at the ominous Halo above.

Zeke was actually the only member of Honor Team whose face I hadn't seen since we first got our armor ten years ago. Never once had I seen him without his helmet on, causing me to regretfully forget what his face actually looked like. He was almost like a ghost now; his armor being his enigma.

"Kinda reminds me of when we were on the frontlines of Vessius City, all those years ago." He commented.

"Yeah." I murmured between mouthfuls of soup.

"I feel at home here; on the battlefield. The constant threat of dying is…exhilarating." he spoke, his gaze still upon the ring.

"Me too." I agreed.

"Spartans." greeted Deseron as he sat beside me, holding his own helmet-bowl of soup. He stared at me for a full minute, awe struck as he gazed at my face.

"Sorry." He apologized as he turned his head, realizing what he had been doing, "I didn't know that Spartans looked so…normal…"

"We're human too," I replied coldly.

Deseron grew silent, aware that Zeke's visor was turned towards him.

"Anything to report?" I asked the lieutenant.

"Uh, no. The Covenant line has been pretty quiet; save for the packs of troops that have joined the line in the past hours. We'll have sentries watching all through the night, while the rest of us get some sleep. If the Covenant makes a move, we'll know immediately." replied Deseron.

"That's as good a plan as any." I mumbled, finishing my soup.

"They're toying with us," remarked Zeke. "They could easily charge our lines and take the outpost; they have the man power. There's only one reason why they're being cautious, and you know what that reason is, Van."

I thought about it.

"Us." I answered, referring to Honor Team.

"They're afraid of us. They're not stupid; they've heard stories about the Spartan 'Demons' and what they can do on the battlefield." replied Zeke.

"Then we need to use that fear to our advantage." I remarked.

"Exactly."


I couldn't sleep at all that night; the thought of the enemy waiting so close to us overwhelmed my exhaustion. Most of the other soldiers, including Zeke, Boss, and Hercules had managed to drift to sleep, with only a couple of sentries and me awake and alert.

It was well into the night, and the plains were dead silent. There was no movement coming from the Covenant trench line, a sign that they were resting as well.

I grabbed my MA5B Assault Rifle and began to disassemble it, taking out a rag and cleaning the parts. It was more of a hobby for me instead of tedious work; it relaxed me.

"You still awake, sir?" I heard Clancy ask as he walked up to me, careful not to wake Deseron who lay asleep a few feet away.

"Yeah." I answered as I continued to clean the frame of my rifle.

"I couldn't sleep either; my bodies still in shock from that last battle." He admitted, scratching his hair. He sat beside me, taking out a small book and a pencil. I watched him as he began to draw, etching a drawing of a Spartan on the paper.

"I've always wanted to be a Spartan," he said as he saw me staring at the drawing. "It was my dream as a kid. You guys are like role models to me."

"That's a really good drawing." I told him.

"Thanks. My mum always said I had a talent for art, but I never believed her. I guess I was just modest; I don't know." He replied.

"How old are you?" I asked him; a question that had bothered me since I had first seen him. He seemed…young for a marine.

"Uh…18, sir." He replied quickly.

"Bullshit. What's your real age, soldier?" I pressed on.

He grew silent for a few seconds, before deciding it was best not to lie to a Spartan.

"16." He finally answered.

"That would explain your rookie behavior." I concluded, grinning.

He remained silent.

"You have a lot more life ahead of you, kid; learn what you can from your superiors and you'll grow up to be a fine soldier." I said to him, meaning every word.

"T-thanks, sir." He replied, a smile on his face as he finished his picture. I stared at the Spartan drawn on the page, a rifle held in his hands. It was pretty damn good.

I glanced up at Clancy, noticing a blinding spear of light appear above his head. The flash of light temporarily blinded me, catching me off guard and causing me to shield my eyes with my hands.

The spear of light swung down, passing clean through Clancy's left shoulder and cutting straight through to his right pelvis. Clancy's eyes opened wide with shock, his pupils glassy as he dropped in two on the ground, lifeless.

"NO!" I shouted as I saw the severed body of the boy, blood soaking my boots. He was just a kid…

The active camouflage deactivated and a large Elite Major garbed in black armor appeared in front of me, the spear of light making up the energy sword in his hand.

The Assassin roared and charged me, grabbing my neck with his hand and slamming me to the ground. I tightened my neck, trying my hardest to keep from being strangled by the beast.

The Elite brought down its sword hand towards my head, and I quickly grabbed its wrist with my left hand. The sword halted a few inches away from my visor, causing me to feel the intense heat emanating from the weapon.

The Assassin opened its jaws and roared, showering my visor with saliva. Suddenly the tip of a knife appeared in the center of the Elite's mouth, killing it instantly and causing the alien to slump onto my body.

I pushed the corpse off my body and stood, staring at Deseron as he withdrew his Bowie Knife from the Elite's head.

"Thanks." I said to him, still catching my breath. He nodded, before running down the line to check and see if any other assassins had managed to infiltrate our lines.

I looked down at the body of Clancy, then at the Elite assassin.

The Elite's goal had been to assassinate me; thus giving the covenant one less 'Demon' to worry about. Clancy had been killed because he stood in the way of the Elite's mission.

He had died needlessly.


July 2, 2563 (Estimated Military Time) \ Echo Base. Spira, Paradigm System.

Day 2 of the "Battle for Echo Base"

The morning sun had risen over the horizon, ushering in a new day. No one had slept again after hearing the confrontation I had with the Elite assassin, scared that another would appear and slit their throats.

Soldiers had passed around raw eggs and milk for breakfast; you know, your typical five-star meal. I decided I'd pass on the eggs.

Deseron had Clancy's body buried an hour after his death, as a sign of honor towards his fallen comrade.

Covenant Seraphs had been swooping down and bombarding our line with plasma mortars all morning, causing us to keep our heads down. We had already lost ten marines in the bombing runs.

"How ya holdin up?" asked Boss as she stood beside me, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine." I answered, truthfully. I don't know why, but Clancy's death hadn't affected me mentally as much as I thought it would….as much as it SHOULD have, I mean.

"HERE THEY COME!" a soldier to my far right shouted, before opening fire with his BR55.

With shouts and roars, Grunts, Jackals, and Elites began to hop out of their trench line and charge ours, the remaining troop behind them providing cover fire.

We were forced to hit the deck, in order to avoid losing our heads in the barrage of plasma shots. I heard a scream as a soldier was hit in the face by a plasma charge, his face melted by the sludge. He dropped without a sound.

The barricade line behind us opened fire, causing the covenant to stop their charge and hit the dirt.

I popped out of cover, sweeping my rifle from left to right and killing four Grunts and an Elite that we crouched a few feet in front of me. Elites jumped down into our trench line, forcing marines to fight to the death against the Sangheili.

I caught a Jackal by the throat as he jumped down into the trench beside me, twitching my hand to the left as I snapped its neck.

I turned to the left, spotting Boss empty an entire clip into the belly of an Elite Major. She was fine.

A plasma charge hit my shields, causing them to flare up and an alarm to ring in my helmet. I immediately dropped to a crouch, cursing inwardly. How could I be so clumsy!

"Secure the line! Get back into formation! Goddamn someone kill this prick!" I heard Deseron shout somewhere nearby.

"Vanguard, look out!" Zeke shouted through COMM.

I turned to see a Phantom hovering in front of me, its cannon warming and aimed at me. Shit!

It fired, sending a plasma blast racing towards me. I rolled to the left, feeling the ground shake as the blast impacted with the trench and created a large smoking crater.

I recovered from my roll and fired at the ship, my rounds deflecting harmlessly off its armor.

"Hercules I need your help! Get your ass down here NOW!" I shouted, cursing as I dodged another plasma shot.

Hercules was beside me in seconds, crouching as he watched the Phantom hover above us. Goddamn he got here fast!

"You know what to do." I told him, pointing up towards the Phantom.

He nodded, and I imagined him grinning behind his helmet.

The red armored Spartan quickly grabbed me with his right hand. With a mighty roar he threw me into the air, towards the Phantom.

I straightened my body as I lifted into the air, trying to become as aero-dynamic as possible.

I flew into the cargo bay of the Phantom, crashing into the wall with a thud. I quickly rose to my feet, raising my rifle at the seven Jackals and Grunts that stared in shock at me.

I opened fire, sweeping my rifle through the room and painting the floor with alien blood. By the time the last bullet left my rifle the room was clear, seven bodies littering the floor. I wasn't done yet, though.

I primed a grenade and walked to the far wall, smashing my fist through the metal wall and into the cockpit beyond. I dropped the grenade, removing my hand from the wall and backing up.

I heard a deafening explosion as the grenade detonated, destroying the cockpit and causing the Phantom to spin rapidly. I struggled to stand, realizing that I had a serious problem. Shit; didn't think that one through!

The Phantom swerved through the air, smoke trailing in all directions as the ship carried me behind the covenant line and above the forest.

I cursed as the ship began to lose altitude, following a collision course with a tree below. I jumped out of the side of the ship, landing in a series of rolls as the ship smashed into the tree and exploded.

I slowed to a stop and rose, crouching behind a tree as I pondered my next move. I could hear Covenant troops in the forest farther down, and see the outpost a few kilometers in front of me.

I was stuck behind enemy lines.

"Hercules," I said into my COMM. "I need your help again."