THE ROOKIE

TWENTY MINUTES AFTER DROP

Halo did seem rather… earth like; James took a couple steps and then sighed.

"It's hard to believe the covenant worships this place." His orders were clear, hook up with local marines. He stepped towards a downed banshee.

Looks like I found a clue… must of given them hell.

The banshee was disabled by a rocket launcher, which means the marines must be close by if they have to carry that tech around. He looked around the area; it seemed to be a ravine that went straight through. He paced around the water clutching his M7S. After a moment he then heard something, buzzing… wait.

"Drones!" a marine yelled. James breathed heavily and got behind cover. Plasma fire was going off rapidly, so he would think about ten drones… but where were the marines? He looked down and saw a couple grouped in the hills.

ROMEO

10 MINUTES AFTER LANDING

Romeo sat back sighing, he immediately reloaded a new clip. Chief had instructed them to stay back while he took out the AA Wraith. Romeo was mildly pissed off, but Dutch had him under control.

"Remind me why we're back here?" he asked.

"Can it Romeo." Buck said annoyed, these two never saw eye to eye on most issues. Dutch fired towards another grunt, and then a brute. The other marines Stacker and Reynolds fired towards the plasma turret across from they're position.

I hate this shit. Romeo fired towards the turret and it exploded, killing its operator. Buck watched the area, he nodded.

"Chief, the area's clear." He said and immediately Romeo heard the sound of a wraith being disabled. He sighed and the group hurried over to the other side. Buck breathed and then spoke on the COM.

"Beachhead secure, Commander. Hostile Anti-Air has been neutralized."

'Barely.' Romeo whispered intently, Buck flicked him on the helmet.

"Hold position. I'm on my way. Shipmaster, begin diversionary bombardment." Commander Keyes immediately said.

"I will beat the Prophet's shield like a drum. By the time the barrier falls, he will beg for mercy." An Elite's voice immediately answered her.

Great, a proud Elite, I can see them stabbing us in the back, real soon

Romeo looked up and saw a Pelican landing nearby, he groaned again. A Warthog and mongoose lowered out of it, including more Marines.

Wonderful, a warthog, aiming's gonna be a bitch. Buck looked at the Spartan.

"You drive chief, I'll gun." He said, the Master chief nodded and got into the warthog driver seat. Buck then looked to Dutch.

"I think we'll need a good wingman." He said, Dutch chuckled and got into the vehicle. Romeo groaned.

"What about me?" Buck looked back.

"Either you take the mongoose, or you secure the LZ for more forces." He said. Romeo looked at the mongoose… no protection…

"I'll take the latter." He said.

"Suite yourself." Buck said over the com, He was out of site with the Spartan.

Alone again, this is the best day ever.

He then heard Dare message him over the COM

"So you're securing the LZ?" her voice asked. He sighed then answered back.

"Yeah, got any recommendations?" There were probably going to be more Covenant, and that meant he needed more than just a couple Marines.

"A few, yes."

FAIRE

30 MINUTES AFTER DROP

Lance Corporal Faire Looked around the area, it was all grassland and forest, not what she anticipated.

"Lance Corporal, you are trained in close range and hand-to-hand combat right?" Dare's voice asked over the COM.

"Yes, got something you need killed? Because I reckon I'm the most qualified." She said.

"Good, there are some Covenant forces north of you; I think the Elites might need a little assistance with them. Faire sighed.

"Alright, put it on my waypoint." She answered back and saw it added, the forces were about 800 meters north.

"Thanks." She said and started placing ammo in her M90. It wasn't that she disliked sniping; it's just using a shotgun felt more personal… in a dark covenant hating way. She paced quickly through the forest and got about 200 Meters from the target area. She saw Elites pinned down by jackals. Covenant Snipers… no grunts were there, but there was a wraith being piloted by some brutes, they kept firing towards the elites in cover.

They're playing god-damn chicken.

"Mam, I thought you needed someone with hand-to-hand combat and close range experience?" She asked on the COM. Dare answered.

"Yes, that's exactly what I need, you see the wraith? Take it over." Dare's cold voice immediately ordered, Faire swallowed.

"Affirmative mam." She said. She sighed, and then saw a plasma pistol nearby in the grass.

One Marines and any weapon is you're friend.

Anne picked it up in her left hand and slowly walked towards the wraith.

This is crazy.

The Brute's motion trackers wouldn't register her as long as she was slow and precise. She slowly held down the plasma pistol's trigger, a green super-heated blob of plasma appeared on the end. She released and immediately stopped the Wraith. The brute immediately got out of his seat to who did this. She hid behind the Wraith and prepared her silenced pistol the M6S. Faire immediately fired the plasma pistol again going through the alien's shields and then fired the magnum. The brute fell to the ground in the blink of an eye. The gunner rushed towards her in frenzy, she quickly got out of the way and immediately grabbed his fallen comrade's grenades, and stuck him.

"What? NO!" he exploded in a blue light, and Faire sighed. She sighed and got inside the Covenant tank. Good thing she's been trained to drive this thing. It turned towards the snipers and a large blob of plasma shot out and got them. The elites immediately got out of cover and rushed towards the snipers, the leader held a carbine and seemed to eb an excellent sniper himself. Once they dealt with the jackals they turned towards the wraith, Anne stepped out of it and slowly jumped to the ground.

"A human?" one of them asked, she sighed.

"I'm Lance Corporal Faire, I've been told to assist you with the snipers." She said. Among the elites was the one from the training op, the 'Arbiter' he was the one with the carbine.

"Very good human, we better get into the tower." He said. Faire sighed.

"Objective complete." She said over her C OM.

"Good, hmm… stick with the elites, I doubt you're going to find the others any time soon." She said.

"You got it." She said, and then looked towards the Elites heading into the tower.

"Hey, wait up." She hurried towards the tower gripping the pistol and Plasma pistol in both hands, they were sure to be useful. She then heard… humming? She turned around and saw some sort of… robot? It must have been with the elites. It was a metal sphere with a blue eye in the middle

"Who are you?" she asked, the robot stopped immediately.

"I am 343 guilty spark, human." He said. The arbiter turned towards him while the Elites continued on.

"Oracle, you must keep pace with us." He said. The robot nodded.

"Very well." It answered, Faire followed it somewhat interested.

"What are you?" she asked.

"I am… was the monitor of installation 04." It said sadly as she walked by it.

"You mean the first halo ring. What happened there?" She asked just trying to keep up a conversation.

"My installation was destroyed… well we must hurry." It said trying not to reflect on the topic. She nodded. They continued into the room while she chatted with the monitor. She wasn't usually this nosey, but it was better than talking to an elite.

"You don't want to talk about it?" The monitor groaned.

"My installation was destroyed because of one of your own, and now I must assist you because protocol demands it." He said in a low voice, she sighed.

"I see… if it were me, I'd get even." She said. The monitor slowly nodded.

"Yes… yes… Reclaimer." It said, in a somewhat brighter mood. She nodded and then saw the Elites at the door. The arbiter looked at her.

"You were sent by Keyes?' he asked. She shrugged.

"I got orders to assist you." She said. The arbiter nodded.

"Very well, but do not get in their way, they're not too… trusting of your kind." He said looking towards the other elites, she nodded.

"Well, vice versa considering you all committed genocide on my people." She said. The Elite sighed.

"Very well, human." The Arbiter answered.

ROOKIE

THIRTY MINUTES AFTER DROP

Rookie fired towards the drones, there were easily twenty more. Drones weren't too hard, but they swarmed and got difficult to aim at. And it seemed they didn't care too much about desecrating this 'holy relic' He immediately fired towards three with accuracy; the drones were hit and dropped. The forces on the other side knew he was there. They all fired assault rifles towards the buggers and seemed cautious not to waste ammo. After five minutes the drones were finally all down, Rookie looked around and hurried towards the hill. He looked at the group, all mostly Marines, a couple ODSTs; they were well equipped with plenty of ammo, a group he should stay with for the time being. Among them was Sergeant Johnson.

(Been awhile, I couldn't sleep and decided to write this up, basically the story is going to follow Rookie travelling with Johnson's team, Faire with the elites and 343 guilty spark, Romeo covering the LZ, and Dutch and Buck with the master chief, I'm not sure where to put mickey yet but it's going well in my opinion. As for my personal life whether I'm going to update, I can't say for sure, I've been reading Halo Glasslands and so far it's very good, not as much of a Halsey hater as people think in my opinion, and I'm enjoying the parts about Lucy in it.)