Pulse Grenade- A Forerunner developed grenade. The grenade causes two explosions, the first when coming in contact with a hard surface and another after a few seconds. Between the two explosions it creates a small gravitational field that pulls in anything within five feet.
Na'noot- An OC created by Komodithrax, Na'noot is a Sangheili from the same clan Rtas'.
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Laurel's Pov
The dawn air was cold and Elle could see her breath as she stared upward and wondered what awaited her. Half the night had been spent marching across the stretch of the hardpan to get into position below the butte and the other half had been spent between trying to find a way up to the top and grabbing a little bit of sleep.
The second task had been easy, perhaps a little too easy, because other than a sloppily constructed barricade, the foot of a four-foot-wide ramp that lead to the butte's top was completely unguarded. Still, the last thing the Hoon'tak expected was for the Allied Federation to appear out of nowhere and take their base. Viewed in that light, a certain lack of preparation was understandable.
In any case, the path started at ground level, spiraled steadily upward and hadn't been used in some time judging from what she could see. That's the way it appeared anyway, although it was hard to be sure from below and X was understandably reluctant to send in one of the Pelicans lest it give the plan away and risk all of their lives, either way though she thought it was good to hear his voice. It meant he and some others were safe and that there was still a chance, but not an easy chance.
No, Elle and her troops would have to wind their way up along the narrow path, engage whatever defenses the Hoon'tak might have in place and hope that the Pelicans arrived quickly enough to take the pressure off.
The agent, lieutenant eyed the readout on the transparent mounted eye-screen attached to her helmet, waited for the countdown to complete itself and started up the steep incline. Company sergeant McKay turned to face the men and women lined up behind her.
"What the hell are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Let's get it in gear."
Lopez's Pov
While B Company, Elle and her Helljumpers marched toward the butte and C company, Lopez and the command crew marched off to rendezvous with the Pelicans, the rest of the battalion used the remaining hours of darkness to prepare for the following day under Lopez's watchful eye.
They had entered the valley with Elle's Butte not four hours ago and already they had radioed each other and formulated a plan. Lopez had gathered up most of the Helljumper's stragglers and the many Covenant, Yautja and Jee'Dangian soldiers had doubled her company's numbers.
When the Valiant was heading for the planet many ally and enemy ships had followed close behind, but when the large ship crossed into the planet's atmosphere many of these smaller ships suddenly lost control and had to make emergency landings themselves.
Wireless sensors were placed two hundred meters out and monitored by Douglas, Zed and Zeeltore. Three-person fire teams took up positions a hundred-fifty meters out and a rapid response team was established to support them.
Lopez had also armed them up. Zed carried an Assault Rifle and an UNCS helmet complete with a mic and earpiece so he could listen in on the action, Kimbli on the other hand was struggling to find a comfortable way to hold his new Sniper. Lopez had issued it to him personally saying that 'with his sight he should be useful'. He was less than eager to prove her correct.
There wasn't any natural cover here, so the improvised Helljumpers moved their gear up onto a low rise and did what they could to place fortifications around it. Dirt excavated from fire pits was used to build a low barrier around the battalion's perimeter, connecting trenches were dug and a landing pad was established so that the Pelicans could put down within the battalion's 'footprint'.
Now standing at the very highest point of the pad and gazing off to the West, Lopez listened as Douglas spoke into her ear.
"I have good news and bad news. The good news is that lieutenant Elle has started her climb. The bad news is that the Hoon'tak are about to attack us from the West."
Lopez lowered her binoculars and looked to the West. An enormous dust cloud had appeared during the five minutes that has passed since she looked that way.
"What kind of attack?" The UNSC officer asked curtly.
"That's rather difficult to say," Douglas replied. "Especially without the ships, satellites and recon drones that we normally rely on for information. When the 'Valiant' entered 'Genesis's' atmosphere and passed over those large artificial mountain ranges we activated some sort of defense mechanism. Those Mountains seem actually to be large sensors that run the span of the entire planet. It's emitting a powerful electromagnetic field that has prevented any passage in or out of the planet's atmosphere. Concerning the oncoming attack, judging from the amount of dust, plus knowledge of the Hoon'tak weapons inventory given to me by that strange fellow Zeeltore, it looks like an old-fashion cavalry charge, similar to the one that the English threw at my castle in Scotland."
"You've never been to Scotland." Lopez reminded the AI as she brought the binoculars up to her eyes. "But assuming you're correct, what are they riding?"
"Rapid attack and reconnaissance vehicles- 'Rays," Douglas replied pedantically. "The Ceph models. Perhaps a hundred of them…judging from the dust cloud."
Lopez swore. The timing couldn't have been worse. The Hoon'tak had to respond to their presence, she knew that, but she had hoped for a little more time. Now, with half their strength committed elsewhere she was left with roughly two hundred troops. Still they were ODST, the best of the UNSC.
"All right," Lopez said grimly. "If they want to charge, let's give them the traditional counter." She turned to Zed and Kimbli. "Zed order the pickets to pull back, tell companies A and D to form an infantry square and let's get all the backup ammo below ground level. Kimbli I want assault weapons in the pits, launchers halfway up the slope and you and snipers up on the pad. No one fires until I give the command."
Like Lopez, Douglas knew that the Roman legions had used the infantry square to good effect, as had Sir James Douglas and many since. The formation, which consisted of a box with ranks of troops all facing outward, was extremely hard to break. Zed and Kimbli relayed the instructions to the troops, who though surprised to be deployed in such an archaic way, knew exactly what to do and didn't doubt 'Mamma Lopez's' plan.
By the time the Rays arrived and washed around the rise like an incoming tide, the square was set. Lopez was down in the pits with her soldiers. If there was one thing she believed in, it was that a leader should face the same risks as their team and that's exactly what she did. Unlike many generals who stood back and watched the fight, Lopez was usually the one who lead the charge, and that's why her soldiers trusted her so completely.
She studied the rangefinder in her tactical display and waited until the enemy was within range. She keyed the all hands freq and gave the order.
"FIRE! FIRE!"
Sheets of armor piercing bullets and bolts of plasma sleeted through the air. The lead Rays staggered as if they had run into a wall, Hoon'tak Hunters tumbled out of their seats and a runaway Ray skittered to the East.
But there were a lot of Rays and as the oncoming horde sprayed the soldiers with ionized particles, Humans and aliens alike began to fall. Fortunately the Rays couldn't get a fix on the Allie's position, which meant that the rise would continue to offer the soldiers a good deal of protection, so long as the Rays weren't allowed to climb the slopes.
Also operating in the soldier's favor were the skittish nature of the machines themselves, some poor driving and a lack of overall coordination. Many of the Hunters seemed eager to score a kill, they broke formations and raced ahead of their comrades. Lopez saw one of the attack vehicles take fire from another, which crashed into a third which subsequently burst into flames.
The majority of the Hunters were quite competent, however after some initial confusion, they went to work devising tactics intended to break the square. A golden stripped armored Hunter led the effort. First rather than allowing the riders to circle the soldiers in whatever direction they chose, he forced them into a counter clock-wise rotation. Then having reduced collisions by at least a third, the Hoon'tak officer chose the lowest pit, then chose which the fixed particle cannons would be most effective and drove at it time and time again. Human marines and alien allies were killed, the outgoing fire slackened and one corner of the square became vulnerable.
Lopez countered by sending a squad to reinforce the weak point, ordering her snipers to concentrate their fire on the gold Hoon'tak and calling on the rocket jockeys to provide rotating fire as she herself fired into the horde. If the rocket launchers had a weakness, it was the fact that they could only fire two rockets before being reloaded, which left at least five seconds between volleys. By alternating fire and concentrating on the Rays closest to the hill the Ally defenders were able to leverage the weapon's effectiveness. This strategy proved effective. Wrecked, burned and mangled Rays formed a metal barricade, further protecting the allies from particle fire and interfering with the enemy's new attacks.
After the smoke cleared Lopez lifted her binoculars and surveyed the battle area. She offered a silent thanks to whatever deity watched over them. Whatever the reason of their fortune the Hoon'tak experienced the opposite, the Shrike Skiffs that flew in were thrown into the mix too late. Lopez's rocket jockeys knocked two of the aircraft out of the sky on their first pass, nailed another on the second and sent the last running south with smoke trailing from its failing engines.
Finally, with the gold Hunter dead and more than half of their numbers slaughtered, the remaining Hoon'tak withdrew. Some of the Rays remained untouched, but at least a dozen of the surviving ships carried extra riders and most were riddled with bullet holes and Plasma burns. Two of them, their engines destroyed were towed off the battle field.
This is why we need that Butte, Lopez thought as she surveyed the carnage. To avoid another victory like this one. Ten Helljumpers were dead along with six Kig-Yar, three Yautja, five Jee'Dangians and three Sangheili. Another twelve allies were critically injured and ten had lesser wounds.
Static burped in her ear and Elle's voice crackled across the freq. "Blue One to Red One over."
Lopez turned toward the butte, raised her binocs and saw smoke drift away from a point about halfway up the pillar like formation. "This is Red One go, over."
"I think we have their attention."
She grinned, which looked pretty intimidating. "Rodger that Blue One. We put on a show for them as well. Hang tight help is on the way over."
Laurel's Pov
Elle ducked back beneath a rocky overhang as the latest batch of Pulse grenades rained down from above. Some kept falling, others found targets, created a gravitational pull and exploded seconds later. A trooper screamed as one of the enemy bombs landed on top of his rucksack.
Mckay yelled, "Dump the pack!"
But the marine panicked and back pedaled off the path. The grenade exploded and sprayed the cliff face with what looked like red paint.
Elle winced, another bead. "Rodger Red One. Sooner would be a whole hell of a lot better than later. Over and out."
Kay's Pov
Up ahead Kay saw a light so bright that it seemed to compete with the sun. It originated somewhere beyond the rocks and trees ahead. The light surged up between the horns of a U-shaped construct that surged into the sky.
Zeeltor had already filled the agent in on what was going on with everyone else and warned the agent that a group of Allies had crash landed in the area, so he wasn't surprised to hear the rattle of automatic fire and the characteristic whine of Plasma fire. Then there was a new sound that answered back. A short pop and fizzing like that of a roman candle but with a louder end. He recognized the sound of Ionized Particles and Light Mass fire.
Kay eased his way through the scrub and onto the hillside above the U-shaped construct and the round, organic like structures that surrounded it. He could see a group of Chasers, Stalkers and Hunters dashing back and forth as they tried to overwhelm the group of Ally soldiers.
Rather than charge in Assault weapons blazing, Kay chose to use his M6D Magnum instead. He activated the 2X magnification and took careful aim. A series of well-placed shots sent a trio of Chasers off their feet. Before the Hoon'tak forces could locate the source of incoming fire the MIB opened fire on a black armored Hunter. It took a full magazine to break through the strong armor and put the Hoon'tak soldier down, but it beat the hell out of going toe to toe with the alien when there wasn't any immediate need to.
The quick unexpected attack gave the marines the opportunity they needed. There was a quick flurry of fire as the agent made his way down the slope, paused to strip some Pulse Grenades off a dead Chaser and was welcomed by a friendly UNSC private.
"Good to see you MIB. Welcome to the party."
Kay's reply was a curt nod. "Where's your CO Private?"
"Back there." The marine said. He turned and called over his shoulder. "Hey sarge!"
Kay was a little more than surprised to see a Sangheili jog over in green armor. He was even more surprised to see the private give the Elite a salute usually saved for UNSC officers. He had remembered in his younger years at MIB when the UNSC and the Covenant were hated adversaries of each other and were in the middle of war which ended with an uneasy treaty, even in recent years there was still a lot of tension between the two factions. But now, to see the enormous Sangheili warrior leading a group of brave human and alien soldiers alike who followed and respected his command. Well what could he say? This war was tragic and vicious but it seemed to be bridging the gaps between them all.
"What's your name?" Kay asked.
"Na'noot." He replied shortly.
"What's your status here sergeant?"
"It's a mess here." Na'noot growled. "We're scattered all over this place." He paused and added in a quiet voice. "We called for Evac but until you showed up I thought we were done for."
"Don't worry." Zeeltore said over the armor's external speakers. "We'll stay here until Evac arrives. I've been in touch with the AI Douglas. The Helljumpers are in the process of taking over some Hoon'tak territory and one of the Pelicans has been dispatched to pick you up."
"Glad to hear it." Na'noot replied clicking his jaws in approval. "Some of my people need medical attention."
"Here comes another Hoon'tak drop-ship." The private put in. "It's time to roll out the welcome mat!"
"Okay, Emile," Na'noot barked. "Re-form the squad, let's get to work!"
Kay looked up and saw that the marine was correct. Another Hoon'tak landing craft hovered for a moment, then dropped close to the ground. The oddly shaped vehicle dipped slightly and the structures that formed the bulk of the drop-ship's fuselage hinged open. A clutch of Chasers and a Hunter dropped to the ground.
The agent moved fifty meters to the right and raised his pistol once again and fired, followed by Na'noot's Plasma Rifle. In seconds the team of allies poured fire into the Hoon'tak landing zone and flushed them out. As the enemy scattered and dove for cover, the MIB put them down one by one.
There was a brief respite and everyone paused to survey the situation. Kay pulled up the marines positions on the HUD and tagged them as 'FIRETEAM C'. Several had climbed the structure that dominated the area and the rest patrolled the perimeter.
He had just readied his Assault Rifle when a marine called out, "Contact! Enemy drop-ship sighted! They're trying to flank us!"
Seconds later Kay's motion tracker picked up a contact, a large one and nearby. He chose a large boulder to use as cover and cautiously checked for targets.
The drop-ship disgorged another contingent of troops, including a trio of Stalkers. They held the distinctive shields that usually belonged to Kig-Yars. The shields flared as Sergeant Na'noot's men opened fire. Bullets ricocheted and Plasma splashed harmlessly off, as the brutish aliens crouched behind the stolen protective devices, like medieval footmen forming shield wall. Behind them more Chasers and a black armored Hunter spread out in an enveloping formation. It was a good tactic, particularly if there were more drop-ships inbound. Eventually the Hoon'tak would wear down the marine defenses and overrun the position.
There was just one problem with their plan. Kay was in a perfect flanking position. He crouched then sprinted forward into the Stalker's line. His Assault rifle barked and bullets tore into the exposed aliens. They had barely hit the ground as the MIB spun, primed a captured Pulse grenade and threw it at the Hunter almost thirty meters away.
The alien only had time to roar in surprise before the amber glowing quadrahedral struck him in the center of his helmet, expanded in a field of gravity, as the Hoon'tak attempted to tear off his helmet the grenade detonated. After that it was a relatively simple matter for Kay to move through the forest and hunt down the remainder of the Hoon'tak reaction force.
Suddenly a welcomed voice sounded from his radio receiver.
"This is Echo 636. Does anyone read me? Repeat, any Allied personnel respond."
Kay was quick to respond. "Roger Echo 636, we read you. This is Fire team Charlie. Is that you agent X?"
"Rodger Fire team Charlie," X drawled. "It's good to hear from you Kay! Have you heard news from anyone else?"
There was a distant rumble and Kay turned to identify the source of the noise. In the distance he saw movement. A flock of Pelicans.
"They're coming in fast." Na'Noot warned. "If they make it here the Hoon'tak will be right on top of them."
Kay nodded. "Then we should meet them first. Not since landing. X, we need you to put your flock down. I'm going to see if we can save some soldiers."
"Rodger."
The Pelicans rounded the spire of the strange structure, circled the area once, and then hovered above the crest of a nearby hill.
"Okay Fire team Charlie, your rides here." X said. "Saddle up and let's give 'em hell!"
"Rodger X, stand by to load survivors and Evac to safety."
"That's affirmative, X out."
As the marines turned and sprinted for the Pelicans, Kay made his way to the driver's pit. X and his co-pilot Isaac were seated at the controls.
He patted the Jee'Dangian on the shoulder. "Good to see a familiar face."
X turned in his seat and smiled. "I hear that, thanks for clearing the area of those bastards. For a second there I was worried we wouldn't make it through. Any idea where Elle is?"
Kay nodded. "No problem. Elle and some troops are taking the Butte."
X nodded, not a bad place. "Hey mind taking one of those sentry guns, I could use another gunner." X pointed out to a large sentry gun attached to the hull, it allowed the gunner to shoot out but made it difficult for anyone to fire back.
"Sure. Just got a heads up there's two boat loads of marines on the far side of that ridge and we're going after them." X nodded and began the takeoff schedule as Kay seated himself behind the sentry.