Ch.14: HAMMER FIST, UPPER CUT - Pt 1
Epsilon Eridani System, Reach
August 14, 2552 / 0215 am
Dark Zone
The semi-grainy picture from the scout party was sent to all UNSC ships. A dark purple background with overcast skies. Below were three SDV-class heavy corvettes. In the distance were two other spires.
As the smallest starcraft in the Covenant fleet, these ships were meant to escort capital ships to their destination. Despite their small size, they could (more or less) handle a UNSC frigate by themselves. Outside of the picture frame was the supposed supercarrier hovering over them.
The threat of the supercarrier alarmed the UNSC leadership greatly. As such, they needed to eliminate the ground vehicles and any artillery stations. Once again, the Planatagenet was sent to destroy the vehicles and corvettes before the main attack commenced. The mission would be named Operation HAMMER FIST.
For Junior Technician Scott, it was way too early for him and the others to wake up. Yesterday, they had returned to the landing dock around 1310 pm. After disembarking, they were told to get some sleep as they would be deployed before dawn. At 0150 hours, they were awakened from their barracks and transported back to the Railjack. Ten minutes later, they were airborne and headed straight to the dark zone.
"I need coffee, damn it. Just something to keep me awake." thought the twenty-one year old. From the corner of his vision, a small rolled-up towel was handed to him. "Careful now, its piping hot." He looked up to the Revenant, who was handing out the towelettes. Scott unrolled it and wiped his face. The steaming cloth woke him up from his lethargic state of mind and he laid the towel around his neck.
"Hey, Rylan! Whose bright idea was it for us to go this early?" Scott had to shout to keep himself from mumbling.
The Revenant shouted over his shoulder. "Blame HIGHCOM for this mission." He pulled up a status report from a console. "Apparently, they want us to blow up the vehicles and the corvettes. The main attack will start at 0800 hrs."
Scott stared at the Warframe. "What about the supercarrier?" he asked. "That will be dealt by another team."
The techies groaned as one. It was going to be a long day for all of them.
"I modified the camouflage system to increase its duration." said Rylan. As he handed each suit back to its owner, he stressed to the Marines. "If you want the camouflage system to remain active, do not run or stand up quickly. The system will shut off automatically." They nodded and walked to the entrance bay. Behind them were four metal crates marked with the nuclear radiation symbol. The three crates contained a HAVOK Tactical Bomb. But the fourth crate was slightly bulkier and labeled with one word: "PROTO".
The four ODSTs carried C4 'putties', remote moldable explosive charges, in their compact backpacks. Meanwhile, the Tenno would carry the nukes for the ships. All eight were to plant each ship together.
"Ready for mission, Silver One" West reported. He performed a last minute check on his M7 Silenced SMG, ensuring the suppressor was tight.
"Good, arriving at LZ in three seconds. Prepare to disembark, teams." Roscoe flipped the safety switch of his Tiberon and chambered the rounds. Then, he jumped. The grass beneath his feet was crushed as he landed. Behind him, the others also landed on their feet.
Throughout the night, the eight of them moved slowly. The ODSTs slapped their putties underneath each vehicle's gravity propulsion engine, while the Tenno provided overwatch. Two and a half hours of crouching and walking slowly paid off. Nearly all of their vehicles and AA guns had an explosive charge attached to them. Now came the second phase.
Entering the corvette itself was easy, as all eight were equipped with Void cloaks. It became complicated when they were inside. Making sure the nuke was close to the reactor and out of sight was a challenge. That meant they had watch where everyone was going. "Sir, I think I found a good spot" said a private. He pointed up at a nearby balcony that was covered in darkness. "I haven't seen any lights in that area for the past thirty minutes. I already checked it through my HUD scanner."
From their position, there was a bridge they cross. However, there was no elevator. Rylan stared at the balcony. He crouched down and stared up at the ceiling. Then he jumped with all his might. He landed on the balcony with a muffled thump. He took a quick look at his surroundings, spotting a narrow rectangular space. "I hope it fits" he thought as the crate was assembled into its physical form. Opening the crate, he found a black rectangular box. On top of it were two small circular satellite dishes. He gingerly lifted the bomb and placed it in the corner. He turned away and jumped down to the group.
"Did it fit?" asked Jenkins. Rylan nodded and pointed his thumb backward. "Now, time to get out of here." At 0745 hrs, all three corvettes had a HAVOK nuke and the teams were extracted.
Somewhere near Szurzok Ridge, 0800 hrs
As the Railjack flew to the rendezvous point, Jack noticed a small dust cloud in the distance. He magnified his view. It turned out the dust clouds were coming from a convoy of Warthogs and Scorpions. Above were several Pelicans and Falcons.
The Plantagenet landed on a small hill. On its port side, there was a cliff to watch the coming battle. Downward, was a spiraling rocky road. One of the Warthogs diverted its course, heading straight to the hill. The driver kept the Warthog idle as its two passengers got off.
Judging from their MJOLNIR suits, they were Spartans. One of them was decked in blue and silver armor, the other in complete gunmetal grey. Through his HUD, he could see their callsigns: Noble One and Noble Six. The blue Spartan gave a quick salute to Roscoe.
"So, are we ready?" asked Roscoe. In his right hand was the remote detonator. Noble One nodded and held up his left hand. "On count of three, then. One...two… three!" Both soldiers pressed the activation button simultaneously. A resounding explosion could be heard in the dark zone. Multiple flashes of light appeared, only to be replaced by the telltale mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion. The incoming dust covered the three men. Eventually, it settled down. Roscoe shook himself free of the dust. The two Spartans brushed the dust off their chest and shoulders.
The Long Night of Solace had disengaged its active camouflage and began ascending toward space. Two Paris-class frigates, the Grafton and Saratoga, began to pursue the fleeing Covenant. Both frigates fired a MAC round at the ascending supercarrier. Meanwhile, the Savannah was in space waiting for the giant supercarrier to show itself.
"Noble One, update from Oscar 42" Oscar 42 was the name of the scout Falcon. He pressed a button on his wrist-mounted TACPAD. "Status report?"
"All three corvettes are destroyed. Vehicles and artillery guns have been eliminated as well. There are a few AA guns in the mountainside. Warthogs and Scorpion crews are encountering heavy resistance. Transmitting coordinates to TACPAD & VISR. Oscar 42 out"
The coordinates flashed on his screen. Six nodded, confirming the coordinates had been transmitted to him as well. The commander was about to switch off his TACPAD, when a short-burst transmission was received. He listened to it intently before ending the transmission. He looked up, just in time to see the Rhino halfway boarding the ship.
"Wait, sir! I have new orders for both of us." The Rhino stared at the Spartan leaders before climbing back down. He unclipped the portable hologram projector near his leg and placed in his hand. The image of a semi-shaved human appeared.
"I'm Colonel Holland, CO of Noble Team. I have received your orders from Vice Admiral Whitcomb directly. The two teams are to destroy the remaining AA guns and supercarrier. Once that's finished, head to New Alexandria. You will receive new orders there. Do you have the prototype, Captain Roscoe?"
Roscoe nodded.
"That NOVA bomb prototype is the brainchild of the vice admiral. It has a much larger explosive power than an ordinary HAVOK bomb. You will have to arm it manually. Good luck" The hologram dissolved and the projector was clipped back to place.
"Operator, our map has been updated with new objectives. We should - KILL THEM ALL - eliminate them as soon as possible."
"Ordis, deploy my archwing. Have Gold Team on the sentry guns ASAP and head for the first coordinates."
From the Railjack's rear, an Elytron archwing slid out and attached itself to Roscoe's waist. After going the pre-flight procedure, the Archwing's afterburner kicked in, propelling the Rhino into the sky. He then oriented himself and flew toward the first objective.
Author's Section
Well, it was about time the Tenno met Noble Team. Now, onto the comment section!
Primordial Inscriptor Z-09: Thanks. I will try to incorporate more scenes where the Tenno use their powers.
TwinkleMain: That was not intentional. That was a spelling issue on my part. I have revised and updated my previous chapters to correct that error. Thanks for the heads up!
Dontus: I will be answering your question in three parts:
1. You are correct that Rhino, Chroma and Frost Prime have been forma'd. However, these Warframes have already reached the max level before arriving in the Halo Universe.
The reason the Tenno are so hesitant about using abilities is because there are no energy orbs for them to use. The enemies killed so far have don't drop any energy orbs at all. That's why Chroma had a hard time with the Brutes back on the frigate. I added this mechanic as a way to restrict their power. Once their energy bar is depleted, no more abilities can be used. It also teaches the Tenno to conserve their ability usage.
2. I assuming there is a giant Transference Room on the Railjack somewhere. Keep in mind, I'm using the current information on Railjacks that was revealed in TennoCon 2018. Hopefully, they will show more in this year's TennoCon on July 6.
3. That's a good idea for an OC character. I will add him to the story, but with some changes.
One, I'm switching the primary rifle (Latron Wraith) to something else. Since his clan is known for creating inferior versions of Prime weapons, I will have him use an inferior version of Braton Prime called Braton Deacon.
Two, he will appear over Installation Four with his modified Liset spinning out of control. From there, he will reunite with the Plantagenet's crew.
A word of caution to readers: I intend on making a flashback story for Roscoe. That 'friend' of his will play a major role in future chapters (events before halo 4). It will occur probably on the trip to Installation 4.
As always, I look forward to answering your questions and concerns.
- The Phantom Traveler