Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Mechwarrior/Battletech crossover. Thank you for your massive support for my Halo - Terminator crossover. I cannot thank you enough for the positive reception that you've shown. Don't forget to take a look at my Halo - Mechwarrior/Battletech crossover. As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
UNSC In Amber Clad
Near Unidentified Gas Giant
February 15th, 2553
Miranda Keyes gripped her chair subconsciously as the UNSC In Amber Clad exited Hyperspace and entered normal space. It was a habit she had developed during the earlier years of her service in the UNSCDF Navy, since some ships came to abrupt stops after exiting Slipstream Space. It was a habit that wasn't needed, as the In Amber Clad's Advanced K-F Drive exited the Hyperspace Wormhole in a manner that had the ship traveling at the same velocity and momentum as the Jump Point it exited out at.
In this case, it was a pirate Jump Point that was nearby a gas giant, one that the computer data banks had no information on. Concerned about the possibility of a misjump, she looked at the ship readouts, relaxing somewhat when they were in the green. Looking around, she asked, "Status report?"
"Impulse Engines still operational," a nearby Ensign reported. "We're still mobile."
"Archer-IV Pods are fully operational," the Weapons Control officer reported. "MAC is fully operational and charged up. NPL and Plasma Autocannon systems are fully operational and powered."
"Good," Miranda beamed. "Let's find out where we are." Keying the COM on her chair's armpad, she said, "Sorry for the quick ride, Sergeant. You people still good?"
In another part of the In Amber Clad, Chief was sitting inside one of the SOIEV Pods that were inside the In Amber Clad's launch bays. Typically used for ODST's, the SOEIV Pod design had been overhauled by the SLDF to increase combat survivability and to allow Elementals to be able to use the Pods. As a result, each pod utilized 1.5 tons of Advanced Ferro-Fibrous Armor, anti-gravity repulsors, as well as an overhauled air brake system, which eliminated the dreaded 'digging your own grave' scenario.
In another SOIEV Pod, Johnson examined his cigar before putting it back into his mouth. "I'm good," he told Captain Miranda. "Chief?"
"We're fine," Cortana replied, with Chief being in the pod next to Johnson's.
"Ma'am, we've got something coming into view now," one of her Ensigns reported.
Back on the bridge, Miranda Keyes continued to look around for object. Spotting something outside of the Advanced Lamellor Ferro-Glass viewport, she leaned in to take a closer look. It looked like a giant wedding ring, only without the diamond on the top, as well as what looked like an atmosphere on the inside. "Cortana, what am I looking at," she asked.
"That... is another Halo," Cortana deadpanned.
Inside his SOIEV Pod, Johnson couldn't believe his ears. What, he screamed mentally, while outside, he was so surprised he coughed out his own cigar, the wrapped tobacco landing on the metal floor of the SOIEV without a sound. "Say what," he asked, a frown on his face.
Up on the bridge, Miranda Keyes eyes widened somewhat. "So this is what Dad said he found. I thought Halo was some sort of Forerunner superweapon, is that right?"
"Yes," Cortana replied. "If this ring is activated, it will cause destruction on a galactic scale."
"OK," Miranda said hesitantly. "We need to contact the SLDF Fleet at Earth and let them know what we found. Cortana, I want everything we know on the Halo's, schematics, everything. I don't care if I have the clearance or not."
"Yes, ma'am," Cortana replied.
Looking up at her ensign, she asked, "What's the status of that Covenant Carrier?"
"Nothing on sensors yet," the ensign replied. "Given how many jumps we made, I think we've beaten the Covenant Carrier to the ring."
"Good," Miranda replied. Keying her C-HPG COM, she opened a channel and said, "UNSC Cario, SLS Dallas, this is Captain Miranda Keyes of the UNSC In Amber Clad."
"Go ahead, Miranda," Admiral Hood replied.
"What is it," Admiral Chernenko asked.
"We've got some bad news, sir," Miranda continued. "We've found another Halo in the star system that Regret's Carrier is traveling to. Sending video feed now." Moments later, she began transmitting a live feed of the ring they were looking at.
"Nichevo (Sh*t)," Chernenko growled under his breath. Turning back to Miranda on the video feed, he said, "Well, I was hoping that we wouldn't find another Halo. Guess that hope was in vain. Regardless, we cannot allow the Covenant to get their hands on this thing, otherwise they'll wipe out the Galaxy in their mistaken religious beliefs."
"Agreed," Admiral Hood replied. "What's the current status of Regret's Carrier?"
"Not here yet," Miranda replied. "We beat them to the punch this time. We're taking up orbit near the ring in order to wait for Regret's Carrier to arrive. Once it has, we'll wait for them to hover over the ring and deploy their troops, after which, we'll land our own forces and take them out."
"Rodger that," Admiral Hood replied. "I'm not sure if that's a wise strategy though."
"It is," Chernenko replied. "What we're trying to do is lull Regret into a false sense of security. Then we'll strike when his forces are at their least prepared. That's one way to win a war."
"Agreed," Hood conceded. "Captain Miranda Keyes, you have the green light for this operation. Ambush Regret's forces while his pants are down and we'll be able to stop him in his tracks. We'll send in reinforcements as soon as possible."
"Affirmative," Miranda replied. "In Amber Clad out." Closing the COM, he asked her ensign, "What's the status on getting into orbit around Halo."
"We're already in orbit," the ensign replied. "We've taken up a geosynchronous orbit near part of the ring. Once the enemy Carrier arrives, we'll be able to track it. Should we activate Void Signature Systems?"
"Do it," Miranda replied. A subconscious signal later, and the In Amber Clad vanished into thin air, becoming virtually undetectable to the naked eye, and any form of scanning technology. The In Amber Clad continued maintaining a geosynchronous orbit, waiting for Regret's Carrier to arrive.
They didn't have to wait long. Just five minutes into the wait, Miranda heard her ensign say, "Ma'am, Slipstream Space rupture detected around 800 kilometers from our current position. It's Regret's carrier."
"Maintain VSS status," Miranda ordered. "We don't want to give away our position." Moments later, Regret's Carrier came into view. The ship looked as though it was about to fall apart, as large sections of the hull had gaping holes in it, and parts of the ship looked like they'd been tacked on using duct tape and crude welding jobs. Apparently, it was about to go critical, as multiple Covenant Phantoms began to flee the ship. Seconds later, the ship detonated in a nuclear fireball, becoming little more than a collection of purple hued scrap.
"Well, that didn't last long," the Weapons Officer remarked. "Looks like the ODP's back at Earth did enough damage that it critically damaged the ship. They've bailed from it."
"I can see that," Miranda replied. "What's the status of the fleeing ships?"
"They're landing at separate parts of the ring," the Ensign reported. "Covenant COM chatter indicates that a number of Corvettes detached from the ship while cloaked. COM chatter also indicates that Regret is landing in this sector." He pointed at a grid square that was flashing red, indicating that enemy reinforcements were landing there.
"I see," Miranda replied. "Given what we know about this ring, it's even more imperative that we capture the Prophet of Regret. Chief, you'll be heading ground side with the first platoon in order to capture Regret. Johnson, load up two flights of Pelican-IIa's and follow them in."
"Rodger that," Johnson replied, getting out of his HEV pod.
"Until we have reinforcements, I'm going to lay low," Miranda decided. "Once we've got reinforcements, we can secure this ring and secure anything valuable before the Covenant can get their hands on it." While Miranda was talking, Johnson tapped Chief's HEV pod with a fist, with a returning tap indicating Chief's reply.
"Understood," Chief said to Miranda over COM.
"Ma'am, we're passing over the ring in five… four… three… two… one," an Ensign counted down.
As soon as the In Amber Clad passed over part of Halo, the SOIEV Pods were launched, sending each Pod flying towards the planet at extreme velocity. Chief felt the SOIEV Pod rattle and jolt around, as the pod began to enter Halo's atmosphere, with the camera feed showing the shields rubbing against the atmosphere, causing a plasma fireball to form just beneath his feet. "Hang on to your helmet," Cortana cautioned him.
As they flew into atmosphere, Chief watched the fireball dissipate, leaving a beautiful vista for him to see. From up above, he could see the landscape that was below his position, though he couldn't make out any details. A sudden jolt indicated that the air braking systems on the SOIEV Pod had activated, with an alert coming up on the computer screen in front of Chief. "Mind the bump," Cortana remarked as the anti-gravity repulsors on the SOIEV Pod activated, further slowing down the Pod.
As they drew in closer to their target, Chief spotted what looked like a structure on a nearby cliff. The structure seemed old and primitive, as it was primarily composed of stone that had been carved and chiseled into usable structures. A path on the right side of the structure indicated that they could go further into the interior of the location they were at. The ground in front of the structure was split into two terraces, with a lower terrace ahead of the one the structure was sitting on. Trees and flowering plants grew in the soil, unaware of the violence that was about to happen.
The Covenant were here as well, as the video feed in the SOIEV Pod showed a Jackal teasing a Grunt with something. Apparently, it had spotted the SOIEV Pods that were inbound, as it activated it's shield gauntlet, while the Grunt hopped onto a Shade Turret and began firing at the SOIEV Pods. The energy shields easily blocked each shot, and the pods that were still recharging shields had the Advanced Ferro-Fibrous armor plating, which easily took the shots. Moments later, Chief was jostled around by the Pod's impact with the ground, signaling that he'd arrived.
Pulling out his M48 Rattler PDW, Chief kicked the door of the SOIEV, launching it outwards, where it tumbled before coming to an abrupt stop, crushing a Grunt in the process. "Could we possibly make any more noise," Cortana asked. As if in reply, Chief pulled out an M70 Hornet ATM Launcher and put it on his back. "I guess so," Cortana dryly remarked.
"We've got a Shade Turret up top," an ODST reported.
"Sir, we gotta neutralize those Shade Turrets," Private Chips Dubbo, one of the men, shouted.
Looking around, Chief spotted the troublesome turret, only they were at a low enough angle that the turret couldn't fire. Moving up, he found a path that led to the upper terrace, just as a few Grunts came down said path. Taking them out was easy, as the HEAP shells the PDW fired quickly neutralized them. Continuing to move up, Chief quickly neutralized the Shade Turret Gunner, practically ripping the Grunt open with the rounds from his weapon.
Suddenly, Chief felt himself stumble backwards, just as a beam of energy struck his shields. The beam failed to penetrate, as it ricocheted off of Chief's shields, allowing him to throw himself into cover. Peering out of cover, he found a Jackal Sniper that was keeping overwatch on the area he was in. Leaning out, he fired a burst from his M48, killing the Sniper and rendering the Covenant's long range firepower useless.
Moving into the structure, Chief noticed multiple contacts on his sensor readout. Pulling out an M15 Grenade, he set it to Frag mode and threw it into a nearby stairwell, just as an Elite Minor came down. The explosion ripped through the stairwell, the narrow corridor amplifying the grenade's shockwave while funneling the shrapnel. The Elite was shredded by the explosion, as the shockwave disabled the alien's shields, allowing shrapnel to embed itself into the alien's body. Shrapnel was also stuck in the walls, carving out long furrows and holes into the stony material. Moments later, a few Grunts tumbled down the stairs as well, their bodies riddled full of shrapnel as well.
"All contacts neutralized," he reported over COMs.
"Clear this landing zone," Sergeant Stacker, another famous UNSC Sergeant shouted. "The Pelican-IIa's are right behind us!"
"Rodger that," came the reply from the ODST's.
"Heads up, starting our approach. Hang tight" Johnson reported over COM.
"Easier said than done," Cortana reported. "Phantoms inbound."
"Rodger that," Chief replied. Taking out his M70 Hornet, he loaded a missile and took position where the Jackal Sniper was at. Aiming down the sights, he kept an eye on his sensor readout, waiting for the Phantom to appear.
He didn't have to wait long, as the Phantom in question came into view a minute later. Spotting the VTOL, Chief took aim and activated the lock on systems, with a rotating white circle appearing over the reticule. Moments later, Chief heard a constant tone as soon as the circle turned red, prompting him to fire a missile.
The ATM Missile streaked out of the Launcher, flinging itself into the center of the Phantom's underside, where it could do the most damage. Moments later, the missile impacted, detonating with enough force to tear off the turrets on the underside, while damaging the underbelly of the Covenant VTOL. The Phantom lurched and wobbled as the vehicle attempted to compensate for the sudden attack. Moving quickly, Chief loaded another missile, just as the Phantom deployed more Covenant onto the ground.
This group was a little more of a challenge than the previous one, as several Grunts, a couple Skirmishers, some Jackals and a pair of Elites came out of the gravity lift to the VTOL. As soon as they landed, the ODST's let them have it, their weapons barking loudly as the UNSC's finest personnel began tearing into the Covenant reinforcements. From his position, Chief rained down fire as well, killing a few Jackals and Grunts.
Hearing something next to him, Chief reacted just in time to stop a Skirmisher from driving a knife into his chest armor. Getting up, he kicked the alien it the stomach, knocking it backwards before pumping HEAP shells into it's body. The alien fell over moments later, tumbling over the edge of the platform Chief was standing on.
Spotting more movement, he turned around and fired HEAP shells into the back room, forcing one of the Elites that had landed to take cover in the stair well. Reloading his weapon, Chief moved forwards and into the stairwell, where he tossed a grenade where he thought the Elite was at. A startled cry, followed by the concussive report of the explosion, indicated that his guess was correct.
Another wave followed, with similar Covenant reinforcements landing, while the ODST's cleared them out. Chief again destroyed the Phantom's ability to provide fire support, allowing the ODST's to take out the reinforcements with impunity. The Phantom left shortly after, with a Pelican-IIa arriving a few minutes later.
"Area's all clear, Chief," the Pilot reported.
Keying his COM, Johnson told Cortana, "We've got Covenant forces landing all over the place. I got a good view coming in. There's a big structure in the middle of this island's lake."
"Rodger that," Cortana replied. "I saw it while we were on our way down. If I was a megalomaniac, and I'm not, that's where I would be."
"Rodger that," the Pelican-IIa Pilot replied. "I've also spotted a path that leads further into the landmass we're currently at. There's a bridge of some kind, but I also spotted a Wraith in the area. I'm offloading my Warthog-IIa. It should help take out any hostile combatants in the area."
"Rodger that," Cortana remarked. Closing the COM, Chief could hear a few remarks from Johnson as the Pelican-IIa lowered itself towards the ground, until it detached the Warthog-IIa, allowing the vehicle to fall to the ground with a quiet Thump. Getting inside, Chief activated the vehicle while Chips Dubbo manned the gun from the passenger seat, using the camera on his HUD to aim the weapon. Fully loaded up, Chief gunned the engine, taking them through the path in the cliffside.
Driving through, they emerged on the other side of the cliff, which was another sheer drop, with an earthen half-wall preventing any vehicles from accidentally flying over the edge. A few Grunts and Jackals were present, but it was nothing that the Warthog-IIa and the people manning it couldn't handle. Neutralizing them quickly, they continued to drive onward.
"Whoah," Dubbo remarked. "It's like a postcard. 'Dear Sarge, kicking Covenant a*s and taking names. Wish you were here with us to enjoy doing the same.'"
Almost immediately, Chief heard Johnson say, "I heard that, jackass."
As they continued to move up, Chief quickly spotted the are the Pelican-IIa Pilot had informed them about. The area ahead was a large cliffside bluff that was split into two areas. The first area, where Chief was at, held a Forerunner structure that looked like a bridge control system, as he could see what looked like a deployable bridge that was currently stowed away. The second area was similar to the first, only it was backed by a cave system, with a tunnel that led into the interior of the cliff wall.
The Covenant were here as well, as Chief spotted what appeared to be a Shade Turret, and a Ghost that was flying about. The other side of the bluff held a Wraith as well, and Chief wouldn't be surprised if a Banshee or two showed up. Gunning the C-XL Engine, he brought the Warthog-IIa closer to the Covenant's position.
As soon as they were spotted, the Covenant opened fire, sending more plasma bolts in their direction. Driving the vehicle expertly, Chief kept the majority of the plasma from splashing against the vehicle, while Dubbo fired the MPL turret, killing any Covenant infantry that was outside of cover. Spotting the Ghost, Chief maneuvered the vehicle around the nimble Covenant Combat Vehicle, allowing Dubbo to nail the energy pack on the Ghosts side, destroying the enemy vehicle almost immediately.
With the Covenant vehicles down, Chief came to a stop at the entrance to the Forerunner structure, hopping out of the vehicle moments later. Moving inside, Chief took down a couple of Grunts, and a Jackal that was near the entrance. He quickly came to a room where a hologram of Regret was present, with the Prophet speaking in the song-like, melodic language that the San'Shyuum spoke in.
Spotting the controls, he was about to move in when something struck his armor, bouncing off of the Advanced Armor that his Nighthawk-L Battle Armor was equipped with. Rolling forwards, Chief turned around to see an Elite Major with an Energy Sword, the Elite wielding the weapon with a casual ease that bespoke of skill from combat. That didn't really help the Elite in this case, as Chief, engaging the myomers in his suit, charged forwards and smashed the Elite into the wall, shattering it's rib cage and spinal cord in the process. The Elite slumped to the ground dead, it's hearts pierced by bony shrapnel.
With all hostiles down, Chief pressed the button to deploy the bridge, with the massive bridge panels moving down the guide rails towards the other side. "Good work, Chief," Miranda Keyes said over COMs. "Sergeant Johnson, can you send them some heavier firepower. They'll need it for up ahead."
"Yeah," Cortana remarked. "About those Wraiths..."
"Rodger that," Johnson replied. "Armor's on the way. Hang tight."
Exiting the structure, Chief began to patiently wait for the Pelican to arrive with heavier armor, most likely a Scorpion-IIa or a Manticore-IV, given how popular the MBT was proving with the UNSC. Moments later, a Pelican-IIa arrived, carrying a Manticore-IV into the area.
"Now that's what I call firepower," Dubbo remarked. "You need someone to come with you?"
"No," Chief replied. "The Manticore-IV can only carry one individual at a time due to the automated systems. Head back to the others and come back. I will need you as support in the event that we've got smaller vehicles. Understood?"
"Understood," Chips, just as the Pelican-IIa offloaded the Manticore-IV. Walking over to the tank, Chief got inside and closed the hatch, powering up the systems inside before hitting the throttle. The Manticore-IV lurched slightly before smoothly picking up speed, proceeding over the bridge with minimal difficulty.
Spotting a sensor contact, Chief turned the main gun around to see a pair of Banshees inbound on his position. Targeting them with missiles, Chief fired off a salvo from the tanks ATM-5 missile racks. Despite their best attempts to dodge, the missiles struck the Banshees with catastrophic effects, blowing each Covenant AeroSpace Fighter into smoking debris.
Turning the main gun around, Chief engaged the Wraith that was in the clearing near the entrance to the tunnel. Firing the A-PPC, Chief destroyed the enemy Combat Vehicle with a well placed shot, the high intensity bolus of particles vaporizing the nanolaminate armor and tearing into the Wraith's internal components. "Looks like the SLDF's reverse engineering of Covenant technology is improving their already impressive combat capabilities," Cortana remarked. "Before, it would've taken you two shots with the PPC in this vehicle to kill the tank. Now it just needs one."
"I know," Chief replied. He was firmly aware that the SLDF had prioritized breaking down the Covenant's military technology in order to study how it worked. This allowed the SLDF to begin implementing the lessons learned into their own technology, augmenting it without actually using any Covenant, or Forerunner, technology. The end result was that the SLDF had more powerful weapons, without actually copying what the Covenant or Forerunners had.
Proceeding forwards, Chief spotted more Ghosts coming from the entrance to the tunnel. Firing the VS-SPL mounted in the main gun, Chief cut the Ghosts apart, slicing each vehicle in half before proceeding forwards. He could hear loud, crunching sounds as the Ghosts' ruined chassis' were crushed by the 120 ton weight of the vehicle.
The rest of the trip proceeded in this manner, with Chief traveling through the tunnels and neutralizing any Covenant forces in his way. The tunnel network was short, but the narrow space meant that Chief had to keep his speed low in order to avoid smashing into or, goodness forbid, through support columns and beams that kept the tunnel from collapsing. In the first section of the tunnels, which had a small section that was exposed to the exterior, Chief quickly neutralized any Covenant Infantry, while destroying a pair of Ghosts, and a Wraith that was located at the top of a ramp to another part of the tunnel system.
Moving onward, he continued to move up, using the state-of-the-art SLDF Main Battle Tank to clear the way for any personnel following behind him. Shortly after he entered the tunnel, the Warthog-IIa returned, with a full ODST compliment this time around. Nodding at the man at the driver's seat, Chief continued forwards, eliminating any vehicles that came his way while the ODST's neutralized any infantry in the way.
Eventually, they came to an open area of the tunnel network that led into a clearing, where Chief could see a few decaying fountains, large stone blocks, as well as ramps that led into the plaza, or the ancient equivalent of a plaza. The tunnel network continued onward, as Chief spotted the entrance to the rest of the tunnels on the other side. The Covenant were here as well, as Chief spotted some Ghosts, a Wraith, and infantry that were milling about, along with a couple Shade Turrets in the area.
"Chief," Cortana said to him. "Take the right hand path. The ODST's will take the left hand path. That should allow them to engage the infantry without risking drawing the Wraith's attention."
"Agreed," Chief replied. Turning right, he accelerated to a higher speed, as he now had more room to work with. Moving through the area, Chief came out to the Wraith's left, where it couldn't immediately turn to fire it's Plasma Mortar at him. Turning the tank's main turret, Chief fired off another A-PPC blast, destroying the Wraith almost immediately. At the same time, the ODST's drove on in, firing the MPL Turret on their vehicle at any infantry that was out in the open.
Spotting more incoming Ghosts, Chief fired the VS-SPL on his tank once again, cutting apart the Covenant vehicles and nullifying them as a threat. With all hostiles down, Chief continued forwards, entering the entrance to the tunnel. That was when two more Ghosts appeared out of nowhere, firing their weapons at the Manticore-IV.
They might as well have been firing spitballs, as the Diana-IV shield system on the Manticore-IV easily deflected the incoming shots. Unable to use the weapons, Chief simply gunned the throttle on the Manticore-IV, racing towards the Ghosts. Both Covenant vehicles were unable to dodge in time, as the pilots had expected the Manticore-IV to be a slow vehicle, not one that was able to travel at roughly 180km/h.
There was a loud, awful, metallic SCREECH as the Manticore-IV crushed the Ghosts under it's immense weight, flattening the vehicles and the Elites piloting them before they could react. "Ouch," Chief heard one of the ODST's remark. "That has got to hurt. They got crushed into meat paddies before I could say 'incoming.'" Chief merely nodded, clinically assessing the damage done before driving on.
Eventually, after traveling down a spiraling ramp, they exited the tunnels into another part of the area, which resembled a series of stone structures that surrounded a central stone structure. Covenant forces were here as well, with Chief neutralizing each one in short order. Driving up a ramp, Chief quickly terminated a pair of Elites, vaporizing them with the A-PPC before reaching the top. Driving on, he crushed some Covenant Shield Barriers, killing any Covenant personnel he found before coming to a stop. Getting out, he heard another Pelican-IIa coming in.
Marines piled out of the vehicle, aiming their weapons before moving up to Chief's position. At the same time, the Pelican-IIa began dropping off supply crates and weapon pods, allowing Chief to resupply his armaments. He handed the M70 Hornet off to one of the Marines before grabbing an M44 Tactical Gauss Shotgun, racking the charging handle before moving into the open air walkway.
His choice of weaponry was appropriate, as Chief encountered more Covenant forces on his way inside. Firing the shotgun, he shredded some Grunts and neutralized a Jackal, the HEAP Flechettes tearing through the nanolaminte armor the infantry wore and into their bodies. A couple Elites came out, with Chief neutralizing them in short order. "I wonder when those SLDF reinforcements will arrive," Cortana remarked. "It's been some time since Miranda Keyes sent off that request."
"They'll be here," Chief replied calmly, as he neutralized an Elite Ultra with his shotgun. "We just need to be patient."
"I guess," Cortana replied. "To be fair, they do have their hands full right now."
"Agreed," Chief replied as he continued inside the building. The interior of the building was a multi-tiered affair, with a lower tier that held a number of smaller structures, as well as a pothole that led down to where the Manticore-IV had driven through. The upper tier held no buildings, but it did have an entrance to a nearby cave. Covenant forces were present here as well, mostly Skirmishers and Elites.
Charging in, the ODST's, Marines and Chief opened fire, with the Covenant returning fire immediately. Spotting a Skirmisher Champion, Chief nailed it in the head with a well placed shot, killing the alien before it could fire it's Beam Rifle. Moving up, Chief could hear more Covenant bodies falling to the ground dead, indicating that the Marines and ODST's were fighting back successfully.
Chief found that was a complete 180° turn from how infantry engagements usually went in the UNSC. Before the arrival of the SLDF, it was common for infantry units to suffer losses upwards of 60% in casualties, if not higher, with some units even being wiped out. Now, thanks to the SLDF's arrival, that statistic had, effectively speaking, reversed, with Covenant units taking major casualties while the Marine and ODST units were taking much fewer casualties.
Eliminating the Covenant in this area, Chief moved upwards into the cave entrance, pushing past bushes, rocks and small trees. Moving slowly, the squad eventually reached a multi-tiered area of the area they were in, with water sloshing past their feet and down a waterfall ahead of them. Tall trees and shrubbery grew on multiple, earthen platforms that were accessible by rocky ramps and earthen ramps.
A Jackal Sniper was standing in front of the squad, oblivious to the UNSC personnel standing behind them. Moving forwards silently, Chief grabbed the alien by it's beak before driving his knife into it's neck, killing the Jackal almost immediately. Moving up some more, Chief crouched down to minimize his profile, using the shrubbery and trees to remain hidden. Following his example, the ODST's and Marines continued to move up, making sure they weren't exposed to prying eyes.
The shrubbery in this area was so thick that the Elites had no idea the UNSC forces were present, as one walked not three feet away from Chief, as the shrubbery, combined with his armor's adaptive camouflage, disguised Chief almost perfectly. On top of that, a strong breeze was blowing through the area, which served to confuse and befuddle the motion sensors the Elite's Combat Harnesses used for spotting enemy forces.
It was when Chief and the others reached the middle of the area that the Drones arrived. At that same instant, Chief stood up and opened fire, killing the Elite that had walked right past him without knowing it. The Covenant were caught completely off guard, as a few Drones, Grunts and Jackals were neutralized before they began firing back. Moving through a small cave, Chief blasted an Elite with HEAP Flechettes, killing the alien with a single blast before moving forwards.
Eventually, they reached the earthen terrace on the other side, which held some Covenant crates, a holoprojector, as well as what appeared to be a recharging unit. Firing his weapon, Chief destroyed the recharging unit, with the resulting blast killing a Skirmisher while shattering the shields of an Elite. After about ten seconds of shooting and shouting, the Covenant in the area were fully neutralized.
As he moved up, Chief found himself approaching another Forerunner structure. This one overlooked the lake that he'd seen earlier, and he could spot more Forerunner platforms that led to other areas of the lake. A small platform with a ramp leading downwards led to the Forerunner structure, with a number of UNSC weapon pods on the ground ahead of him.
"I've just accessed the Covenant BattleNet," Cortana informed Chief. "They're ecstatic that they've found another Halo, thought they're tied up with something else. Apparently, they don't really view us as much of a threat. Boy are they in for a nasty surprise."
"Indeed," Chief remarked. "Any status on the reinforcements?"
"Affirmative," Cortana replied. "Four SLDF WarShips have appeared in orbit. They are offloading troops, 'Mechs and vehicles to the surface." Satisfied, Chief entered the structure, moving silently to prevent anyone from hearing him coming.
Peering around a corner, Chief noticed that he was entering a room that held a walkway on the upper level, with ramps leading to that portion of the room that he was entering. The middle of the room was occupied by a Covenant holoprojector, which was currently displaying an image of Regret in his sing-song language. What really had Chief's attention were the two Elites wearing ornate Combat Harnesses.
"Be careful, Chief," Cortana cautioned him. "Sangheili Honor Guards. They'll kill you before you can access the holoprojector."
"Understood," Chief replied, pulling out an M15 Grenade. Switching it to EMP mode, he tossed the grenade inside, waiting for it to go off.
The grenade went off moments later, temporarily disrupting the holoprojector, while shattering the shields on the Honor Guards. As soon as he heard the discharge, Chief charged inside, killing both Honor Guards before they could react in time. At the same time, two more hopped down, only for the Marines and ODST's following Chief to quickly open fire, distracting the Honor Guards long enough to take the kill shot.
With all hostiles down, Chief was about to check the upper level when the holoprojector fizzed to life, with the broadcast continuing as though nothing had happened. "Wait a minute, go back," Cortana told Chief. "Put me into the holopedestal." Complying, Chief tapped the control panel, uploading Cortana into the system.
Moments later, she appeared over the control panel. "I see. That's what I thought he said. The Prophet of Regret is going to activate Halo!"
"Are you sure," Chief asked.
In response, Cortana snapped her fingers while activating a translation program. Moments later, Regret, on the broadcast, said, "I shall light his sacred ring, release it's holy flame and burn a path into the Divine Beyond!"
Snapping her fingers again, Cortana disabled the translation program. "Pretty much," she remarked.
"That's bad news," Miranda Keyes said over the COM. "From what I can tell, though, the Prophet will need a Forerunner Device, known as an Index, to activate Halo. While you guys were fighting down there, I did a scan and I found a Forerunner structure, a Library identical to the one you found at the first Halo. If the rings follow both concepts, the Index should be inside."
"I'll bet the Covenant are thinking the exact same thing," Johnson added.
"Then we'd better beat them to it," Miranda agreed. "We'll have to be careful, though. Our scans detected Flood life signs down in that area, including a lot of Forerunner Sentinels. We'll need BattleMechs and Combat Vehicles to get inside."
"We can provide that," Alex replied. "My 'MechWarriors are itching for a fight, and the SLDF Army Command is deploying their BattleMech Regiments. We'll clear the surrounding area of both Flood, Covenant and Sentinel forces before we make our way inside. Admiral Chernenko is sending SLIC Agents in order to secure the Index, but he's personally requesting that you go with them."
"Agreed," Miranda replied. "Chief, your orders are to find Regret and kill him. He's given us all the intel we need."
"Agreed," Chief replied as Cortana uploaded herself into his suit again. Regret had unwittingly given them all the information they needed. Now, it was time to kill him, and severely disrupt the Covenant's leadership.