Chapter IX
—Integration—
1859 Hours, October 7, 2550 (Military Calendar) \
Unknown Covenant-controlled planet, Upsilon
Andromendae star system, outside Covenant
Excavation Site.
SPARTAN-A279 grimaced, grunting in agony. An overcharged plasma bolt had struck her right shoulder, causing her to stumble. The impact blistered her skin underneath, inflicting first degree burns. She shook her right arm, forcing it from going limp. The Spartan leveled her Covenant Carbine, blasting one of the two remaining Grunt Ultras in its narrow chest. Alex grumbled as the stocky alien dove behind the shimmering coating of a deployable energy shield. The little cretins were fast, more agile and courageous than their lower-ranked allies. Needle Rifle wielding Skirmishers had leaped onto alpine rock formations, firing at the Spartans down below.
In a flash, one of the Jackal-like creature's body went limp, collapsing onto the ground over ten meters below. Jace reloaded his own needle rifle, tracking the movements of the surviving Skirmishers. The swift aliens bounded about, cultivating a hit-and-run tactic. It was becoming annoying, and though just eight enemies were present, they hounded the Spartans with a vicious, merciless assault. The Spartans could barely get a shot off without first taking a hit themselves. Setting the Seraph for self-destruction was a plausible idea, but it had caused less collateral damage than the Spartans predicted.
Only four targets were neutralized in the blast, unfortunately leaving the heavy hitters—the Elites—alert and livid. The trio of Sangheili Majors strategically mirrored the Skirmishers, shooting their weapons, took refuge behind cover, then fired again. They slipped in and out of cover so fast that the Spartans could barely land a damaging shot. The single Elite Ultra remained in the background, hardly breaking a sweat. It fired its needle rifle occasionally, but allowed the lesser Majors to cause the most havoc. So it continued to wait, searching out the prime opportunity to strike. Frustration was building, and Saber Team was nearing their end of their rope. Ammo was low, having only a few more clips at their disposal.
Jace let out a boisterous scream as a projectile from the Ultra's needle rifle embedded into his left shoulder. It detonated soon after, sending the Lieutenant to the ground. A round broke through the armor just above the bicep, pierced the liquid nanocrystals, and ravaged the flesh. Streams of blood trickled its way down the Spartan's arm and onto the ground, creating a minuscule pool. Jace clutched the dirt, curling his fingers to make a fist. A throbbing sense of pain elevated through his entire arm, feeling as if liquid metal had been poured across it. The muscle had been cauterized, easily a 2nd degree burn.
Alex came to his aid, shooting in the general direction of the Covenant to force them into cover. She rolled the Lieutenant onto his back, baring her teeth as if she felt his pain. The wound was deep, probably just a few inches from the bone; and it didn't help that the projectile exploded. Alex speedily reached into her belt pack, shuffling through its contents. There was no canister of bio-foam, so a roll of gauze had to suffice. The Spartan kept the Covenant at bay, standing briefly to fire again.
Before Alex could unravel the gauze, Jace reached up and grabbed her wrist. "Focus on the Covenant. I'll do this."
He took the roll from her hands, gingerly pushing her away to remain in combat. Alex nodded, reloading her carbine. She caught one of the Grunt Ultras off guard, shooting off its mask. The alien shrieked, scrambling to retrieve its life line. By the time the Grunt lifted its mask up off the ground, Alex landed a critical headshot. The Elites bombarded her flank again, forcing her to take cover.
She stole a glance at the Lieutenant. He had finished wrapping the gauze around his wound, tying it tight to stop the bleeding. Jace came back to the fore, lobbing a plasma grenade toward the Covenant. He cringed, feeling his arm burn from the throw. His injured arm hindered his accuracy, causing the grenade land a yard shy of its tended mark between the deployed energy shields. The grenade thundered, weakening their sapphire shields to a bright crimson.
Without warning, just as one of the Elite Majors leaned out to fire upon Saber Team, the sound of a sniper rifle boomed through the canyon. The Major toppled over onto ground, dead. Jace and Alex silenced their weapons, briefly staring into each other's faceplates. A mutual question rose in each of their heads—who fired the shot? From the direction in which the shot came from, it originated from neither of the Spartans. Suddenly, a hyper-velocity, high-density slug whipped across their field of vision, struck another Major, and send its body hurling from view. The Covenant began to scramble, seeking cover from the unknown attacks.
Two more sniper rounds the fired, sending two Skirmishers to their deaths. The last red-armored Sangheili crouched down behind the deployable cover, aiming it weapon to its right and left. Saber Team watched the Elite's body somersault into the dirt as a sniper round forced its way through the alien's head. The Elite Ultra was alone now, refusing to suffer to same fate of its fallen soldiers. It retreated, galloping until it vanished from the Spartans' view. All was silent now, so the Headhunters came up from behind the cluster of boulders they resided behind. Their eyes darted in all directions, searching for their elusive saviors.
There, flakes of loose rocks tumbled down from a low-lying ledge to the west, alerting Saber Team. Alex, for one, wasn't a religious person, but whether it was God or coincidence, she felt like dropping to her knees to praise the heavens. A Spartan stood atop of the ledge, hoisting a Gauss Cannon. Despite how damaged the Spartans' armor was, it could still be identified as SPI armor. Another Spartan then appeared, this one armed with a modified sniper rifle. The unknown Spartans scurried down the slanted ledge, taking wide strides as they slid down the avalanche of loose material.
Jace and Alex remained motionless, waiting for the SPARTAN-IIIs to come to them. The Spartan with the damaged armor set down the Gauss Cannon onto the ground, standing before Saber Team with an extended hand. Jace took his hand, firmly shaking it as the sniper bearing Spartan jogged over.
"Warrant Officer Jeremiah. Headhunters Team Sierra."
The Lieutenant released the Spartan's hand, astonished. It was unbelievable as it was to find another Spartan in some unknown star system, but for them to be Headhunters as well baffled Jace. Swarms of questions formed in Saber Team's minds, eagerly wanting answers. As Headhunters, you had a better chance of being killed by an unarmed Grunt Minor than running into a fellow Headhunter that wasn't your partner. They were sometimes star systems apart, and even if one were assigned to exact same territory, you still wouldn't find them. In a sense, Headhunters were ghosts, operating under complete stealth. But it didn't matter now. The only thing that mattered was that maybe there was a way off this detour that had plagued Saber Team.
"Lieutenant, Junior Grade Jace-A290, Saber Team," the Spartan introduced before gesturing beside him. "This is Saber-Two… Petty Officer First Class Alex-A279."
"Pleasure," Jeremiah greeted, shaking Alex's bloodstained hand. "That's Warrant Officer Lukas… Sierra Team's sniper."
The Spartan sniper beckoned once, admiring Saber Team's armor. It appeared more like a combination of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor and the SPI armor. Overall, from Lukas's standpoint, ONI was holding out on them.
"Detailed formalities are going to have to wait, Lieutenant," Jeremiah interjected, lifting his eyes toward the distant Covenant Carrier. "We need to get off this rock now. Our Prowler is just beyond that ridge…" He pointed north, highlighting a secluded headland about 2 ½ kilometers away. "… And I have a feeling you two need a lift."
"More than you know," Alex muttered, mentally reliving the horrors of being trapped inside that metallic monster.
"Then let's move. Our Hog is just through the cany…"
"Covenant Phantoms inbound!" Lukas alerted. "I count three, plus Banshees."
Jace cursed under his breath as he faced Jeremiah. "Where's that Hog, huh?"
"Through the canyon," he relayed. "Follow me!"
The Warrant Officer turned to run, simultaneously shouting an order to Lukas as he hefted the Gauss Cannon. "Lukas, eyes in the sky! I want to know their positions!"
"Affirmative," Sierra-Two agreed, taking an alternate route behind one of the canyon walls.
Four Banshees flew overhead, circled around, and slowed their speed to canvas the canyon floor. The three Spartans hugged the canyon walls, staying underneath the shadows they casted. Jeremiah felt like kicking himself. He should've killed that Elite Ultra when he had the chance. Now the thing had sent reinforcements, raising the difficulty of their escape. This was a time the Spartan wished a UNSC vessel was present. A single MAC round and a couple of Archer Missile deployments would vaporize the aerial threats and keep that Covenant Carrier occupied until they entered Slipspace. But Sierra-One stopped daydreaming. No such support existed, but having two extra Headhunters with him made him feel a measure of confidence.
"Phantoms deploying troops to flank us," Lukas issued, breaking for a moment. "They're heading inside the canyon. Vehicles deployed—two Ghosts, one Wraith."
"Copy that, Sierra-Two. Double time it to the Hog."
"Moving…" Lukas replied, cutting the link.
Jeremiah held up his fist, and Saber Team froze. The Banshee began their strike, carpet bombing the canyon with their plasma cannons. Flashes of emerald light glowed over the horizon, accompanied by clouds of dust from the collapsing rock formations.
"So, they wanna play like that?" Jeremiah growled under his breath, raising the Gauss Cannon. One slug remained in the rotating chamber. He opened it, gesturing his head to Jace. "Load me up, Lieutenant. You can the Petty Officer hoof it to the Hog. I'll catch up."
Jace quickly ran a suit diagnostic on Jeremiah's armor. From what his HUD displayed, he was in no position to take point. One blast from that Banshee and he would be dead, or seriously injured if the blast was nearby. With that in mind, the Spartan grabbed the barrel of the cannon.
"Negative. Your armor's integrity is too severe. I can do this."
"I'm touched, Lieutenant, but…"
"It's non-negotiable, Spartan," Jace ordered.
Behind his faceplate, Sierra-One gave the fellow SPARTAN-III a glare. Jeremiah had been giving orders for so long that it felt strange taking commands from a commissioned officer, especially from another Spartan. The Warrant Officer, however, wasn't one to defy orders, not unless it was absolutely necessary. So Jeremiah handed over the cannon, including a belt containing three more rounds.
"Good luck," he said, taking off through the canyon.
Alex shook her head with a light laugh. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"We've had this conversation, haven't we?" Jace sniggered, later gesturing for Alex to catch up with Jeremiah.
Saber-Two sprinted after the fellow Headhunter, leaving Jace behind.
The Banshee descended several meters, charging their plasma cannons to fire again. They'd already leveled the majority of the canyon, reducing the beauteous stone formations into a parking lot. Jace could hear the familiar hum of the Ghosts closing in. He loaded the last rounds into the chamber, widened his stance to absorb the recoil, and aimed high. The Banshee came—the Spartan fired. In the blink of an eye, the Banshee's left wing sparkled in a shower to alien metal and flames. The craft spiraled wildly, lost altitude, and detonated as it collided into a rock face. Jace didn't see it explode. He focused on the next Banshees, which would more than likely be aware of foul play.
He was right. The twin Banshees fanned out, breaking their tight formation. Saber-One motioned right, digging his boot into the dirt. He aimed a few inches ahead of the craft, then fired. The slug impacted against the Banshee's side, killing the pilot. An Elite Minor's lifeless body dropped from the compromised flight vehicle, splattering somewhere out of sight. Jace moved now, racing toward the end of the canyon. He couldn't see the last Banshee, but its distinct sound alerted him that it was near. Suddenly, plasma bolts from the craft's turret peppered the terrain around the Spartan.
It had lined up its trajectory with the canyon's opening, having a clear line of fire. Jace was in its sights, so the Banshee unloaded its plasma cannon. An emerald smear of explosive plasma soared near the lone Spartan. The Lieutenant watched the plasma's trajectory, measuring where it might land. Once calculated, the Headhunter stopped cold, turned around, and sprinted forward. The plasma splashed several meters behind him, missing. Jace aimed high, firing the moment the Banshee came into his field of vision. The slug hit dead center, sending the craft reeling backwards. It recovered from the impact, though; but the pilot's sighting was obscured.
With the flier blinded, Jace fired the last round, removing the annoyance. The Banshee lit up in a bright hue of sapphire before plummeting. Satisfied, the Headhunter dropped the Gauss Cannon on the ground, running full out in the opposite direction. The end of the canyon was in view now, but the enemy ground units had caught up with him. A pair of Ghosts rounded the corner, plasma weapons firing. Jace kept running, despite taking a few hits to his back. Up ahead, Jeremiah had wheeled the Warthog to the canyon's exit. He waved his hand, signaling the Lieutenant. Lukas was standing on the Hog's rear, aiming his sniper rifle.
Suggest you move, Lieutenant," the sniper warned over the static-filled COMs.
Jace darted right, seconds before Sierra-Two fired. The round clipped the Ghost's thrusters, causing the vehicle's left stabilizer to malfunction. Its thrust powered on, whipping it right. The Elite driver tried to regain control, but the Ghost spun right into the canyon face, exploding. Jace reached the end, leaping into the Warthog's rear with Lukas. Jeremiah burned rubber, sending the Warthog flying into open terrain. Unfortunately, though, the Covenant continued to tail them. The remaining Ghost and Wraith swerved out of the cannon, discharging their weaponry.
Lagging behind, the Wraith compensated for its lack of speed. It raised its mortar cannon high and fired. A comet-like orb of destructive plasma arched through the sky, hurling down toward the Warthog. Jeremiah swerved left, barely escaping the blast. The shockwave lifted the Hog's rear off the ground. Lukas and Jace held on as it settled back down.
"You got any weapons in this Hog?" Alex shouted to Jeremiah.
"Not anymore," he answered. "We'll have to lose them!"
Alex looked in the rearview mirror, wishing she wasn't seeing what he saw. "You don't have to worry about our tail anymore."
At once, Saber-One and Sierra-Two turned around, watching the Ghost and Wraith retire from their pursuit. A Phantom descended over them, retrieving the drivers. Lukas motioned his weapon's scope over his faceplate, locking his vision onto the Bloodied Revelation.
"Derr`mo," Lukas swore in his native tongue. The Covenant Carrier's orbital bombardment weapon began charging, shining brightly against the dusk-like sky. "They're about to glass the planet!"
"Seriously?" Jeremiah barked.
"Would I lie?" Lukas shouted in reply.
Sierra-One gunned the Warthog, accelerating as fast as it possibly could over the rugged landscape. Their Prowler was just one kilometer away, but the Covenant ship had commenced its glassing. A luminous curtain of plasma shot down from the underside of the ship's hooked prow, boiling away the surface like a nuclear ordinance. Clouds of dust skyrocketed, whipping up into a violent sandstorm. From the Spartans' standpoint, it looked like hell was created. Crimson light arrayed through the dust, venting the smell of roasting dirt. Jeremiah didn't look back. He knew what glassing looked like and he didn't want to see it again. So the Spartan punched it even more so, running the Warthog as hard as he could. The engine roared, beginning to smoke from being overworked.
In the distance, the Bloodied Revelation began to lazily move, improving its chance to glass the entire hemisphere of the world. The destructive power of the plasma bombardment began to cover more ground, closing the gap. Jeremiah steered a hard right. The Warthog power slid around a spike boulder, arriving at their destination. Their Prowler—the Darkened Eclipse—was carefully hidden underneath the shadow of the ridge, a perfect hideout. Immediately, the four Spartans exited the Warthog, racing to the vessel. Jeremiah sprinted up the Eclipse's rear, punching the access panel to open the rear hatch. With a hiss, the ramp slowly opened. Lukas repeatedly swore under his breath, cursing the hatch's speed.
Alex leaned out from behind the ridge, watching the shockwave sweep closer. The second the ramp dropped, the Headhunters rushed inside. Jeremiah and Lukas hurried ahead of Saber Team, climbing the decks to reach the bridge. The ship began to vibrate from the approaching shockwave, fueling the Spartans to work faster. Sierra-One switched on the appropriate keys, while Lukas ignited the engines. Jace and Alex eventually arrived in the bridge, staring the camera monitors that protruded from the hull. Light dust particles already began to pelt the Eclipse, and it would only be a few more minutes until they were swept away by the plasma. It seemed like an eternity, but the Prowler steadily began to rise off the ground.
"Activating Slipspace drive," Lukas announced.
"In atmosphere?" Jeremiah spat. "Not until we make orbit."
"The shockwave won't let us. We'll never make it!" Sierra-Two argued back.
The leader of Sierra Team rolled his eyes. Entering slipspace in atmosphere was extremely dangerous, and UNSC vessels never attempted it. The portal would undoubtedly collapse, but Lukas was right, the bombardment's shockwave would knock them off course, possibly causing them to crash. Jeremiah could only pray that the atmospheric density of this planet wouldn't affect the superfine quantam filaments that their Slipspace drive used to calcuate an entry point.
"Do it," he allowed.
The Spartan sniper went to work, pecking his fingers across the keyboard. Jeremiah burned the Prowler's engines, ascending it into the sky. Saber Team held on tight in the additional seats reserved for junior officers. They observed the Slipspace portal forming at the vessel's bow. Under the intense pressure of the planet's gravity, the portal stained to open as it expanded. Sections of the Slipspace entrance gave way, beginning to crumble and collapse. It, though, continued to hold. Jeremiah increased the Eclipse's speed, burning the engines to their maximum output. Just barely, the Prowler slipped through the portal, just before it collapsed. The Covenant, though, continued to glass the planet, removing all trances of their activity as they swept away the ancient treasures beneath its surface.