Firebase Alpha
Viery Territory, Ütközet, Reach
July 30th 2552, (0840 Military Standard Time)
"Welcome Oculus Team," Carter-A259 stood up to great the arriving Spartans.
"Thank you Commander," Drake extended his hand. "It's an honor to be working with NOBLE."
"Likewise Commander," Carter clasped his hand and gave it a tough shake. "Pull up a seat Spartans, I was just about to brief our mission." Drake gave an accepting nod as he pulled off his helmet. His Spartans followed suit and removed their helmets, tucking them between their arm and hip. Drake and his team sat on a couple equipment crates NOBLE Team had circled up.
"Alright Colonel Holland has tasked us with taking down a Covenant Armor Depot out here in the ass-end of Viery. With the help of Oculus Team it should be a milk run for us."
"I'll say," Kat-B320, NOBLE's Second-in-Command interjected. "All of their records are dripping in black. Not even their names are available."
"Comes with working for ONI," Sampson snorted.
"So now we're working with ONI?" Emile-A239, the Spartan with a skull scratched into his helmet butt in.
"Cool it, Emile." Carter warned the seemingly volatile Spartan.
"As of right now I am not under ONI orders. I'm just trying to protect my home." Drake clenched his fists.
"So you're a two?" The large Spartan standing by Emile spoke up.
"I am. Why?" Drake asked, looking over the Spartan that stood taller than the rest.
"So am I, Jorge-052."
"Jorge? It's me Drake-115. Been a while old friend." Drake flashed a slight grin.
"You don't say? They told us you were dead." Jorge shifted his stance.
"I've been hearing that a lot lately." He chuckled lightly.
"Anyway," Carter broke up the reunion. "We can catch up after the briefing. As I was saying, we've been tasked with taking out a Covenant Armor Depot. Holland gave me operational command, however seeing as how Drake has a service record five miles long and all of it is blacked out, I propose he take operational command." He turned to the Spartan-II.
"It'd be an honor Commander. Tell the truth, my team has taken down a place like this before. It was many years ago but I'm sure their set up hasn't changed much." Drake speculated.
"Good, then you have a plan?" Kat raised an eyebrow.
"As a matter of fact," He chuckled as he stood up. "This depot should have some sort of fueling station. That is where the majority of the armor should be. My Spartans, with their cloaking systems, will sneak in to the fueling station. There they will set charges to blow the place sky high. While they're sneaking in, the rest of us will be providing a distraction by directly engaging the Covenant." The Spartan Commander explained his plan.
"That's crazy," Emile stood up slowly. "I like it."
"I'm on board," Jorge added.
"It's your call Commander," Carter nodded his head.
"Alright, its a plan. Let's get armed up and head out."
Outside Covenant Armor Depot
Viery Territory, Ütközet, Reach
August 1st 2552, (1000 Military Standard Time)
"Oculus One to Noble One, is your team in position?" Drake called Carter over their team COMs.
"Affirmative. Noble Three and Five are providing overwatch, Two, Four, and Six are with me ready to attack." Carter confirmed.
"Excellent. Oculus Two, and Three are moving towards the Fueling Station. Oculus Four is with us. Ready on my mark. Three...two...one...mark!" Drake called out. On mark the Spartans rushed the camp, grabbing cover where they could. The Assault Team opened fire on the Covenant infantry in the camp. With the enemy's attention on the invading Spartans, Jun began picking off targets of opportunity with his SRS99-AM Sniper Rifle. While Jorge laid down a blanket of fire from his M247H Machine Gun. NOBLE and Oculus Team caught the Covenant completely surprise. Bolts of plasma volleyed from the aliens but they were way off target. As Drake was moving through the camp, an Elite Ultra jumped him from behind a barricade. The Spartan was taken by surprise but quickly retaliated. He let loose a burst from his MA37 Assault Rifle, bullets bouncing off the hulking beast's shield. With an angry growl it swatted the rifle from his hands and made ready to strike the Spartan with his other hand. With an impressive grace, Drake side-stepped the alien's hand and shuffled around to its back. Commander Drake gave a strong kick to the back of its leg, bringing the Elite down. He pulled out his M6D Magnum and placed it against the enemy's skull. Without hesitation he pulled the trigger, sending an Armor Piercing, High Explosive round through its head. Blood and bits of skull and brain sprayed from the Elite's head as it collapsed to the ground. Once it was dealt with Drake grabbed his MA37 and dropped the old mag, slamming in a fresh one. He pulled back on the charging handle, then let it slide forward, making a satisfying click. The Spartans kept plowing through the Covenant's defenses, until they brought one of their tanks online.
"Wraith!"Noble Six called out. Everyone immediately dashed to cover except for May. When she saw the tank she pulled a grenade from her back and engaged her cloak. Drake could only see a faint shimmer once and a while as she moved lithely across the battlefield. The driver gave a grunt of surprise when the Spartan's bulk landed on the hull of the tank. She drove the grenade through the hatch to the cockpit and jumped back from the Wraith. Deactivating her cloak and moving to cover, May waited for the explosion. The Spartans looked on as the explosive detonated, swallowing the tank in a ball of fire. With the tank dealt with, Drake noticed a green light flash in his HUD from Sampson and Ty. Drake knew that meant only one thing.
"NOBLE Team be advised, charges have been placed. Everyone full retreat, Jorge and Jun, cover us." Drake ordered.
"You heard him NOBLE, fall back." Carter added. The Spartan teams backed off and left the area, while Jorge and Jun dissuaded any Covenant from following. They rallied up on the two overwatch Spartans to watch the fireworks. After about thirty seconds the Depot erupted in a large ball of flame, engulfing the Covenant and their tanks. Debris rained from the sky as a large column of smoke began to rise from the giant bonfire.
"Commander, I'm getting something on radar." Kat took a knee to concentrate.
"What is it?" Carter inquired.
"I don't know. But my radar is lighting up with thirty enemy signatures, and they're moving fast." Kat clarified.
"Where from?"
"South." Noble Two replied shortly.
"Carter," Drake put two fingers to his helmet. "I'm reading fifty plus tangos approaching from the North."
"North?" Jun widened his eyes. "Our camp is that way."
"They've got us in a pincer, we need to move. Now!" Carter exclaimed urgently.
"Agreed. Move west, let's go!" Drake commanded as he took off to the west. The rest of the Spartans followed closely behind, almost in a dead sprint. They tried to squeeze between the two forces but they were caught dead. The team hid behind the trees while plasma bolts crossed around them from the two assault forces.
"Were trapped," Emile grunted in frustration.
"I can't get a bead Commander, fire is too heavy." Jun added.
"Did your last Armor Depot op go like this?" Carter called over to Drake.
"You don't want to know!" Drake retorted, trying to think a way out of the situation. The Commander tried to hail Colonel Holland.
"Colonel Holland this is Commander Drake-115. We have destroyed the Depot but a huge Covenant force has us surrounded. We could really use some air support." He looked over to his Spartan-III's and saw a bolt clip Ty's arm. He grunted in pain, falling to a knee. May jumped to his side carefully to assess. Drake looked on in worry while he waited for a response. May noticed the Commander's attention and waved him off, Ty would be fine.
"Acknowledged Commander, we have two D77 Pelican Gunships on their way. Be advised, the foliage is too thick to identify targets clearly. This will be a danger close strike." Holland responded.
"Understood, I'll pop red smoke to mark our position." Drake notified him and closed the channel.
"What's the plan Drake!" Carter yelled.
"We have friendly Gunships inbound, pop red smoke to mark our position!" He called back. Carter gave an affirmative nod and pulled a flare from his belt. He popped the flare against his tree and it ignited instantly. It spewed a red smoke as it burned which began to float above the tree tops. Soon they heard the screech of Pelican engines coming in. Then came the hail of fire, first a hail of bullets from the 70mm M370 Autocannon. The large rounds threw dirt into the air while it eviscerated the bodies of the pressing Covenant forces. Along with the bullets came a volley of ANVIL-II missiles, exploding in the groups of enemies all around the Spartans. The Gunships passed overhead and set up for another pass. The plasma fire stopped as they turned their attention to the air support which was tearing into them. Once the Pelicans made their second pass they split off to head back to their base. On departure, fuel rods from a Covenant Anti-Air Wraith struck the crafts. The two Pelicans exploded into a ball of flame, letting shrapnel and hull fragments to fall to the ground.
"Damn it!" Drake cursed, stomping his foot.
"We need to move!" Carter pointed west. "While the Covenant are in tatters!" The Spartans nodded in agreement and kept moving west, everyone in a dead sprint. The Gunships had did a number on the Covenant forces, allowing NOBLE and Oculus Teams to slip through easily. They rallied up back at their Firebase, seemingly untouched by the enemy force.
"Stay frosty Spartans, there could be Covenant near." Drake warned.
"Relax Commander, radar's clean." Kat shrugged.
"Stealth Elites. Won't show up," he retorted.
"Don't be paranoid, Covenant is long behind us."
"Paranoid is what's kept me and my team alive. Can't tell you how many times a cloaked Elite has tried to get the jump on me." The Commander replied, clutching his rifle tighter.
"He's right," Carter followed up. "They moved through here, not far-fetched to think there may be some left."
"Commander, heads up." Jun called. "I'm reading two airborne targets moving towards us."
"Banshees, must be looking for us." Emile grunted.
"There's a cave a couple hundred meters from here, let's move NOBLE." Carter ordered, motioning to the west. The Spartans gave a silent acknowledgment and moved together farther west. Not long after they reached the cave and one by one they crouch walked into the stony tunnel.
"Barely any room in here," Ty spoke up.
"Yeah but it keeps us covered." Jorge snorted.
"We won't stay long. Just long enough for the Covenant to lose interest." Drake let out a sigh, sliding down the wall until he came to a sitting position.
"You know, if the Covenant come in here, we're basically a shooting range." Jun cautioned.
"Be ready just in case. We may be able to catch them by surprise if that happens." Carter rolled his neck in fatigue. Ty was sitting closest to the entrance when he heard a rustling outside the cave. He sat up ramrod straight, looking carefully out into the forest.
"See something?" Kat tilted her head.
"Maybe," he replied still keeping an eye out. Kat turned to look out the entrance as well when she saw a shimmer standing before Ty.
"Spartan!" She warned. He looked over and noticed the same shimmer. The Elite's cover was blown so it activated its wrist-mounted energy blade. It jabbed at Ty who threw his arm up in reflex. The energy blade pierced his shield and went straight through his arm. The tip stuck through his limb, staring Ty in the face. He howled in pain as the sizzling blade seared his muscle and bone. The other Spartans turned and opened fire on the cloaked Elite, who quickly fell to the onslaught of bullets. The energy blade deactivated, freeing the Spartan's arm, but the damage was done.
"May, check him out!" Drake ordered.
"On it boss," she hurried to Ty with her medkit in hand. May carefully removed his gauntlet and tried to peel back the under suit, but it was melted to his skin. "We've got a problem. The under suit has fused with his arm. I can't do much with it in the way."
"Do what you can until we can get him help." Drake sighed, partly in relief and partly in frustration. May gave a solid nod and began working on his arm. She injected an anesthetic to numb his injury before wrapping it up to keep his gauntlet from further injuring it. The Spartans continued to wait in the cave for a while longer, until a call came in from Colonel Holland.
"Noble One this is Noble Actual, do you copy?"
"Solid copy Noble Actual, go ahead." Carter replied quickly.
"Commander, you and the rest of NOBLE Team are to pull out immediately. Something more pressing has come up that needs your attention."
"Just NOBLE sir?" Carter questioned, looking over at Drake.
"Yes. Oculus Team will continue the current campaign." Holland clarified.
"Be advised, Colonel, Oculus Two is injured."
"He can fight," Drake stated confidently.
"I can still hold a gun," Ty added.
"That's what I like to hear. Noble One, I'll send you coordinates for your extraction. Commander Drake, good luck."
"Thank you sir," he nodded slightly. Carter closed the channel and pulled himself off the ground.
"Alright NOBLE, let's move out." He ordered.
"Oculus, let's give them cover. Their evac could get hot." Drake commanded his team.
"Appreciate it Commander." The Spartans eased out of the cave, carefully surveying the area. When all looked clear they moved to the north towards the landing zone. Walking in a double-line formation, with two watching the rear, they kept their eyes peeled for any ambush. Luckily they made it to the coordinates without trouble, however the LZ was a fairly open clearing that left them vulnerable.
"Stay in the tree line until we see the evac craft." Drake warned. Both teams listened and waited until they heard the beat of propeller blades spinning. Carter and his Spartans carefully moved out into the clearing as two Falcons descended, throwing dirt and leaves all around. Drake motioned for his team to hold position in the treeline, just in case.
"Commander," Sampson spoke up. "I'm getting movement, other side of the clearing." Drake gave an acknowledging nod and kept an eye to the far side of the area. As Carter and his Team climbed into their Falcons, Drake noticed an Elite appear with a Beam Rifle raised. As it was lining up a shot, the Commander quickly grabbed his pistol and fired a shot at the alien. The round missed but it was enough to break its concentration. NOBLE heard the shot and started looking around, weapons raised.
"What's going on Commander?" Carter called over their COMs.
"Three Elites in the far trees." Drake warned. Emile had jumped into the Machine Gun Turret on the Falcon and began firing on the treeline. The large rounds shredded the Elites in hiding, their bullet-ridden corpses falling to the ground. With the Covenant troops dealt with momentarily, the Falcons took off into the air.
"Thanks for the assist Commander, happy hunting." Carter said as they departed.
"You too," Drake answered shortly.
"What's next Commander?" May asked as they watched the Falcons fly off.
"Well we're pretty much free from command's overwatch. We move at our own discretion for now. After the Armor Depot we were going to hit a small Covenant Airfield that has been set up just east of here. That'll weaken their air support which should make things easier from then on out."
"Sounds good to me," Sampson nodded.
"How about you Ty, how are you feeling?" Drake asked.
"Good enough to take on the whole damned Covenant." He retorted.
"That's good enough for me. Move out Oculus Team." Drake motioned forward and the Spartans departed.
