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SABATON – Great War
Installation 00
Intergalactic Space
February 23rd, 2553
After a week of flight through the Slipstream Space Portal, Victor Steiner-Davion was more than ready to replace the monotony of Slipstream Space travel with the fast and more efficient Hyperspace travel that he was accustomed to. All around him, his men were also more than ready to be done with this snail's pace form of FTL flight, as many were getting into their seats, fully refreshed and ready to fight. Even Victor was ready, as everyone knew what was going to be on the other side of the Slipspace Portal.
Just before they had entered the Slipstream Space Portal, Victor had decided to take the time to discuss the finer details of the joint operation with his military counterpart, Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Watrinee. After an hour of honest discussion between the two, as well as the Captains of the ships the Great Houses had volunteered to send, it was agreed that Victor Steiner-Davion and Xytan 'Jar Watrinee would work together in coordinating the fleet, as Victor had not only received training in fleet maneuvers and naval combat, he was also far more familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of his own fleet than 'Jar Watrinee was. At the same time, it was also decided that while Victor and 'Jar Watrinee would decide the general strategy of the upcoming battle, the Captains would work together to eliminate the enemy as efficiently as possible, while keeping themselves from being blown up at the same time. Once the plan had been decided and the details ironed out, they had gone through the Slipspace Portal in pursuit of Truth's fleet.
Now, Victor had a feeling that they were approaching the terminus of the portal that had been created. As he drummed his fingers on his command chair, he heard one of the bridge crew officers speaking up. "Sir, we're approaching the end of the Slipspace Tunnel. Orders?"
That was the moment that Victor had been waiting for. "Power up all weapons," he ordered calmly. "Prepare to launch fighters and activate point defense systems." Turning to Odysseus, the AI onboard the Guardian of Liberty, he said, "Odysseus, you have control of the Heavy Mass Drivers. Also, prepare to engage your cyber warfare suite. That will give us a distinct advantage over the Brutes once we're out of here."
"Aye, sir," Odysseus replied, activating his cyber warfare suite while charging up the Heavy Mass Drivers. "Should I contact Admiral 'Jar Watrinee?"
"Affirmative," Victor replied. "We installed a C-HPG aboard his ship, so I don't see why not. It'll also be a good test to determine if a Compact HyperPulse Generator will work properly in Slipstream Space." As Odysseus went to work, Victor checked one last time to see if he was presentable, then sat up straight in his seat.
Apparently, Xytan 'Jar Watrinee had similar thoughts, as seconds later, the Sangheilian Imperial Admiral came up on a holographic screen, his armor freshly cleaned and buffed. "Archon-Prince Victor," Xytan said a moment later, "Good morning. I take it that you are approaching the exit to the Slipspace Tunnel, yes?"
"We are," Victor replied. "I also wanted to see if the C-HPG we installed into your ship was working correctly as well. Now that I know it is, we can finalize the strategy that we will be employing once we exit Slipspace."
"Agreed," Xytan replied. "My fleet will engage the Brutes from the front, while yours engages them from the flanks and rear. While the enemy fleet is encircled, I will land my troops onto the Ark and begin driving the Brutes out."
"Right," Victor replied. "I'll also land ground troops onto the Ark. They'll provide assistance to your men while we take control of strategic locations. In the mean time, the joint strike force we will be landing on the Installation will land on the Ark and begin searching for the Silent Cartographer on this installation. Once we've found the Cartographer, and where the Halo's can be fired off, we'll secure the area and prevent Truth from starting his 'Great Journey.'"
"A sound strategy. What do you plan to do once we have cornered Truth?"
"A good question. Given that he's caused the most damage to the UNSC and to your species, I think it would be appropriate that the Arbiter takes him out. If not, we'll put Truth on trial and decide his fate that way. Given the crimes that he's committed, I think he'll end up getting the death penalty, without exception."
"A fitting end for a liar like him," Xytan smiled, which would've appeared menacing if Victor hadn't studied Sangheilian facial expressions and body language. "I will leave you to tend to your fleet, Human. Once you emerge from the Slipstream Space Tunnel, then the real battle will begin. May we win honor and glory in battle."
"See you on the other side," Victor replied. As soon as he closed the C-HPG, they emerged from the Slipstream Space portal.
What lay on the other side had Victor's eyes widen, and it was easy to see why: the Forerunner's 'Ark' was massive. The installation was built in a way that resembled a flower that had opened up, with six, massive 'petals' on each side of the installation that curved upwards before sharply terminating at each end. While the 'underside' of the Forerunner installation was composed of the same alloy that the Forerunners had used for their permanent installations, the upper side held an atmosphere, with each petal of the installation holding oceans, forests, deserts and a number of other features unique to a planet. Either way, this Forerunner installation was by far, one of the most beautiful that anyone in the fleet had ever seen.
Onboard his flagship, Xytan 'Jar Watrinee was similarly struck by the immense beauty of the place. It was clear that the 'Ark' was the Forerunner's crowning achievement in terms of technological prowess, and it showed, from the masterful manipulation of the environment on the installation, to the gargantuan size of the installation itself. If the Forerunners could create such vast and wonderful places, I wonder what else they were capable of, he thought to himself.
Pulling his eyes off of the sight of the Ark, Xytan looked down at his subordinates, who were busy searching for any sign of the SLDF/Great House fleet. During their journey through the Slipspace Tunnel, he'd read up on the history of the Inner Sphere and the Star League, from the creation of the very first K-F Drive, to the Age of War, Early Star League Era all the way up to the Clan Invasion and the present day. He had to admit, for a version of Humanity that had nearly blown itself into a technological dark age, the Star League and it's member Great Houses was one of the strongest factions he had the honor of meeting.
It certainly explains why they are at technological parity with the Covenant and our own species, he thought to himself. With so many Great Houses competing with each other for superiority, they had to advance their technology and tactics, rapidly at that too. Having read on how large the Inner Sphere was, and how developed their industrial hubs were, he knew that if the Star League had faced off against the Covenant, not only would they have done far better than the UNSC, they would've fought the Covenant to a stalemate, or even invaded the Covenant in turn.
A moment later, one of his officers said, "Imperial Admiral, I have made contact with the Star League's fleet. They are moving into position near our own."
"Good," Xytan nodded. "Inform the Ship Masters to use their newly installed C-HPG's to communicate with the Star League's Ship Masters. Inform the ships to power up weapons, but do not engage the Humans. They are our allies and I want to make it clear that we will assist them in their endeavors. Understood?"
"Yes, Imperial Admiral," the Sangheilian Captain in charge of his station replied. "Any further orders?"
"Begin scanning for the Covenant fleet. If I know the Brutes, and I know them well, they will attempt a head on assault against our combined forces." As the Sangheilians aboard the bridge went to work, 'Jar Watrinee settled in for a wait. It would take time to find the Brutes and their fleet.
He didn't have to wait long, as he heard his officer speak up again moments later. "Imperial Admiral, Covenant fleet approaching at flank speed. They outnumber us, two to one!"
"Then it is a fair fight," Xytan decided. Keying the fleetwide COM, he said, "All Ship Masters, prepare to engage the Brutes and their fleet. Burn their mongrel hides!" A roar came from the Sangheilians that were listening to the broadcast, raising their fists to show they were more than ready to wreak havoc on the Brutes.
. . .
At the same time, Chief was getting ready to head down to the surface of the Forerunner installation. Walking into a Pelican-IIa, he made sure his weaponry was stowed away correctly before walking towards the cockpit of the VTOL. Once inside, he stood off to the right, so that anyone that wanted to get inside of the cockpit could do so.
It had been a week since they had entered the Slipspace Portal, pursuing Truth's fleet in an effort to stop the Great Journey dead in it's tracks. During that time, some SLDF/Great House personnel that had also gotten aboard the Shadow of Intent, the ship that R'tas 'Vadum commanded, had decided to try and bridge the gap between themselves and the Sangheilians, with a surprising amount of success. Chief had learned that the most successful attempts had resulted when the SLDF personnel actually shared some of their culture with the Sangheilians, from various books and novels, to films and music. Most had learned that the Sangheilians appreciated Classical music, as well as Rock music that was common in parts of the Inner Sphere.
Now that they were out of the Slipstream Space Tunnel, though, it was all business now, as Chief heard some SLDF and Sangheilian personnel getting into the Pelican-IIa. Moments later, Sergeant Johnson got into the cockpit of the Pelican-IIa, settling into the observation seat moments later. Keying the VTOL's intercom, he said, "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, listen up! The Covenant have found themselves what they consider the 'holy grail' of Forerunner installations: the Ark. Truth is going to attempt to use the Ark to fire off all of the Halo rings in our galaxy, which will result in the death of everyone that we love down there. Our job is to get in there, find that son of a bitch and kick his ass so hard that he'll wish he was never born! We will keep this maniac from performing this mass suicide that he wants to perform; we'll give the Brutes a pool of their own blood to lie in, we rip their spines out and toss their heads away, while laughing! Am I right Marines?!"
"Sir, yes sir," the personnel in the troop bay replied.
"Damn right I am," Johnson shouted. "Buckle in tight, people! Operation: SHATTERED COVENANT begins now!" With that, everyone settled in for the ride down to the planet's surface.
Looking through the Lamellor Ferro-Glass view port, Chief watched as the hangar bay they were in spun around them, as the VTOL rotated around to leave the ship. As soon as the troop bay doors had closed, and the troop bay had pressurized, Chief felt the VTOL surge forwards, shooting out of the hangar bay like a bullet. As soon as they were out, the SLDF pilot manning the helm banked to the left and turned downwards, making a beeline for the Ark's surface.
As soon as he did that, the joint fleets clashed with the Brute's fleets. Plasma bolts, Gauss Cannon slugs and Naval Pulse Lasers tore through the space between the enemy fleets, with the AeroSpace Fighters and VTOL's maneuvering through the crossfire while making a beeline towards the installation's surface. At the same time, Chief spotted DropShips disengaging from SLDF/Great House WarShips before firing their Fusion Thrusters, making a beeline for the planet's surface as well. One such DropShip, a Leopard-IV, zoomed past the Pelican-IIa Chief was on, causing the VTOL to shudder briefly as the DropShip zoomed past.
Spotting some incoming fire, Chief was about to order evasive maneuvers when the pilot, spotting the hazard at the same time, immediately threw the Pelican-IIa into a series of evasive maneuvers, dodging most of the plasma fire that was directed towards their position. Only a few plasma bolts hit, and those that did failed to penetrate the Advanced Ferro-Lamellor armor that the VTOL was covered with. After a few moments, they had managed to escape the vast majority of the battle, with the surface of the installation in plain view.
Moments later, the VTOL began to shudder, as they entered the atmosphere of the planet. The view outside of the view port turned blue, then a fiery red-orange as the energy shields rubbed against the atmosphere, briefly rendering VFR (Visual Flight Rules) impossible. After a couple minutes, the fiery plasma surrounding the ship vanished, allowing the pilot to see outside once more.
Moving into the troop bay, Chief collected his weaponry, an M15 sidearm as well as an M75 Incisor, the SLDF's Gauss Anti-Materiel Rifle. Making sure it was fully loaded, Chief pressed a button on his right side, with the door to the VTOL's Troop Bay opening up moments later. When the doors fully opened, Chief found himself staring at a desert landscape, as he spotted rolling sand dunes, sharp outcroppings of rock, and some desert plant life that was surviving, despite the seeming lack of water in the region.
As they flew in, Johnson spoke over the COM once again. "Alright, people. Now that we're on the Ark, we have some objectives to complete. Priority one is securing an LZ for the SLS/FCS Mjolnir's Twin, a DropShip that's been assigned to our area. Priority Two is breaking through the Covenant forces in this area so that we can get to the Silent Cartographer. Once we have the location of the Control Room for all of the Halo's, we'll head there and prevent Truth from staring his en masse genocide. Once we land, move out, people!"
As soon as Johnson said this, the Pelican-IIa landed, with another one landing nearby. Getting out, Chief could feel himself sinking somewhat into the sand, the armored boots of his Nighthawk-L Battle Armor. Behind him, Chief could hear the Elites and SLDF personnel hopping out, weapons aimed and ready as the Pelican-IIa took off. Looking to his right, Chief watched as some ODST's got out, as well as a pair of Elites that he immediately recognized.
It was Thel and Bero, only Chief noticed something different right away. Thel wasn't wearing the armor that he had been given when he became the Arbiter. Instead, he was wearing a modified version of the Zealot-III Battle Armor that Lat 'Ravamee was given when be became a member of Clan Wolverine's Warrior Caste. Nearby, Bero also wore armor, though Chief knew that, since Bero was a powerful shape-shifter, he could grow armor onto his skin. This time, though, he knew the young Elite was wearing actual body armor, the same type that Thel was wearing. Walking over to Chief, Thel said, "Are you ready for this, Human?"
"Yes," Chief replied.
"Good," Thel replied. "We must make haste. The Brutes will not be waiting for us to come to them." Making sure his rifle was ready, Chief began to move up, with Thel and Bero moving up behind him as well.
As they moved along, Chief thought he noticed something in the sky. Looking up, he was briefly surprised when he saw a large, spiral bar galaxy up in the sky, with the center glowing brightly from all of the stars that were clustered there. It immediately hit Chief as to what it was: the galaxy that they had just come from. An ODST, who also looked up at the sky, said, "Hey, up in the sky! Is that…"
"Hey, focus," another ODST remarked. "We've got a job to do. We can do sightseeing once that's over and done with." Without another comment, they continued to move up.
Moving forwards, Chief found that he was entering a small cave, large enough to admit a Spartan in Battle Armor. Walking inside, Chief was careful to avoid dislodging any rocks, as he knew that any sound would give away their position. Up ahead, Chief noticed another ODST, only this one was armed with an M75 Incisor, rather than the standard M48 G-PDW's and M50 AGR's that the others were using. "Good to see you Chief," the ODST replied. "Name's Romeo, by the way."
"What's the situation," Chief asked.
"Take a look," Romeo replied, pointing ahead towards a clearing up ahead. Looking up ahead, Chief noticed that the clearing held a number of Grunts, Jackals and a few Brutes, as well as a Sniper Tower that had been deployed recently. A number of Covenant cargo crates, including the aforementioned structures, were situated in a small depression that had a ring of Forerunner alloy that was partially buried in sand. Engaging the zoom function of his helmet, Chief spotted what looked like an earthen ramp that led up into another cave, with small, purple lights that provided feeble amounts of illumination. "We've got some Brutes in the area, mostly Brute Minors, as well as some Grunts and Jackals. We can take out the Brutes with our Incisor rifles, after which we can pick off the others, one at a time."
"Good plan," Chief replied. Crouching down, Chief took out his M75 Incisor and aimed down the scope, the helmet automatically linking to the actual digital scope that was mounted onto the rifle. Taking aim, he moved the reticule over one of the Brutes and pulled the trigger. There was a loud, concussive BANG as the hypersonic AP slug tore through the air, crossing the space between Chief and the Brute Major in a few milliseconds. The Brute's head exploded moments later, scattering blood, bone and brain matter all over the area, staining the sand with dark red blood. At the same time, Romeo fired, killing another Brute almost instantly.
The Grunts and Jackals, not knowing what had just happened, did the one thing their brains could do when something like this happened: they panicked. Running around, the Grunts yelped and screamed loudly, while the Jackals attempted to retreat to the next area. They never got the chance, as Chief and Romeo cleanly them off, one at a time. With all hostiles down moments later, Chief and the others began to move up, crossing the small clearing and entering the cave. Moving through the cave, they quickly came to the next area.
Like the first clearing, the second clearing had a number of Covenant structures that were built inside of a Forerunner alloy depression that was filled with sand. This clearing was a little larger, as Chief could see a semi-circle of sand that lay outside of the depression. One of the structures was what appeared to be a Covenant AA Cannon, though it was only partially completed from the looks of it. Behind the AA Cannon, and to the left, what was what appeared to be an earth and rock ramp that led to what appeared to be a doorway that was built into the rocky wall.
More Covenant forces were present, as Chief spotted a Jackal Sniper that was milling about on the AA Cannon, with a number of Brutes down below, as well as Grunts and Jackals. Taking aim, Chief blasted the Jackal Sniper on the AA Cannon, blasting the alien into pieces as the AP slug tore through it with minimal trouble. At the same time, Romeo fired his rifle, killing two Brutes with a single headshot that sent the bodies of both tumbling to the ground.
Almost immediately, pandemonium ensued. Screaming loudly, the Grunts morale broke, with the squat little aliens running away as fast as they could, while the Jackals, thinking they were going to be next, formed a shield circle in order to stop anyone from blowing them apart. That didn't help them at all, as Chief, handing his SR to another ODST, used the M50 he got in the exchange, firing a 30mm grenade using the underbarrel grenade launcher. The Jackals screamed as they were blown apart, with limbs, blood and shrapnel flying through the air when the grenade detonated.
Taking that as their cue, the others, including Chief and Romeo, charged forwards, firing their weapons as they engaged the Covenant forces in the area. The remaining Brutes, as there were some behind the AA Cannon, were quickly neutralized, with one Brute being practically bisected by a grenade that detonated nearby. Within just a few seconds, the Brutes and the Covenant with them, were terminated.
Before anyone could relax, however, Chief heard a Phantom coming in. "Enemy Phantom inbound," he shouted. "Get to cover!" With those words, everyone got into cover, with Bero peeking his head out. Moments later, the Phantom came in, dropping off a pair of Hunters and a couple of Jackals wielding Carbines.
Chief was about to fire when Bero said, "Wait. Let me communicate with them." Lowering his rifle, Chief watched as Bero closed his eyes, an indicator he was attempting to communicate telepathically with the Hunters.
The exchange was brief, but it was clear that the Hunters had agreed to help them. Before the Jackals could react, the Hunters raised their shield arms and brought them down extremely fast; loud crunching and cracking sounds filled the air as the Hunters crushed the Jackals before them, killing the aliens almost immediately. Lumbering over to Bero, each of the Hunters began to speak, though their voices were low enough that they were nearly inaudible. "We will help you in your mission to stop the Great Journey," they said to the squad.
"Are there any more hostiles up ahead," Chief asked.
"Yes," the Hunters replied. "There are Brutes in a cave beyond the hallway at the top of the ridge. They are coming this way right now. We will deal with them. Stand back." Turning around, the Hunters charged up the sand and rock ramp towards the door, where the Brutes were already exiting.
From his position in the depression, Chief couldn't see what was going on, though the sounds he heard were an indicator of what the Hunters were doing. Listening carefully, Chief heard loud roars, screams and shouts as the Hunters tore into the Covenant that were coming through the door. A severed arm flew down, smacking Chief's helmet before impacting the ground. The Spartan didn't even flinch, as he simply raised a hand and wiped off part of his visor. Moments later, Bero said, "It's safe to go through now. The Hunters will remain in the back, so that any Marines we meet don't shoot them by accident."
"Agreed," Chief replied. Moving up, Chief began walking up the earthen and rocky ramp to the door, where the Hunters were standing outside like bodyguards for some important leader. As soon as he walked inside, Chief could clearly see the massacre that the Hunters had wreaked, as Brutes, Grunts and Jackals were lying everywhere. Some had lost limbs, others had been crushed against the floor and walls, and one unfortunate Brute had been hit so hard it had gotten stuck in the ceiling, it's legs dangling in the air as Chief moved through.
As he moved through, Chief heard Alex speaking over the COM. "Hey, Chief, are you getting to the LZ yet," the Clan 'MechWarrior asked him. "We are making good progress towards the LZ, but we are taking some weapons fire up here. We can hold off the Covenant for some time, but this is a heavyweight fight; we only have enough shielding and armor to last a few rounds."
"Can you request protection from the fleet," Chief asked.
"Good thinking," Alex replied. "That will buy you enough time to get to the LZ and us enough time to get into position. Once we are in position, just send the signal and we will land. Also, the DCMS has dropped off a Manticore-IV MBT for you to use up ahead. Once you get to the LZ, clear it out, so that we can land. Commander Wolverine out."
Knowing that Alex didn't have a lot of time, Cortana, using Chief's COM, said, "We need to expedite our efforts. The Mjolnir's Twin doesn't have a lot of time to wait. I'm marking the location of a suitable LZ that the ship can land at, thanks to UAV flyovers. Once we've cleared it out, we can send the signal for the DropShip to land." Moments later, Chief watched as a waypoint appeared on his HUD, indicating the location of the LZ. A moment later, they exited the hallway and, passing through a cave, entered the next area.
The next area was a very large clearing that was partially overshadowed by a rocky overhang, casting part of the clearing ahead in some shade. A winding dirt and rock ramp led downwards into the depression, with the entirety of the depression and clearing being filled with sand. There were no Covenant present, and Chief spotted the Manticore-IV on the other side of the clearing. Running down the earthen ramp, Chief began crossing the sandy terrain.
Apparently, the Manticore-IV had come with an escort, as Chief spotted some DCMS personnel that were standing nearby. One of the men, a tall man of Asian descent with black hair, brown eyes and tanned skin, came over to him. "We heard that you needed some transport, Chief," the man said in a Japanese accent. "This tank will help you get to the LZ. Our UAV scans indicated that there are a lot of Brute Choppers, some Ghosts, as well as a Wraith that are up ahead. We also spotted some Covenant AA vehicles up ahead as well."
"What about transport for the others," Chief asked.
"We have transport for them as well," the DCMS officer replied. "We have a pair of Badger-IV IFV's that will safely transport them with you as well." Saluting Chief, the man said, "Good luck, Master Chief. May you win honor and glory in battle." With that, Chief watched as the DCMS personnel got into another Badger-IV IFV nearby, before driving to the entrance of the clearing they were in. Moving up to the Manticore-IV MBT, Chief quickly got inside, with the others getting into the nearby IFV's. Once inside, Chief began driving towards the LZ, moving over the sandy terrain with ease.
As soon as they reached the entrance to the clearing, the Brutes engaged. Instead of a Chopper, Chief watched as a large vehicle with two pods on either side zoomed into the area. A Brute was piloting the vehicle, with two in the pods, and one manning a plasma turret that was mounted into the vehicle. Not taking any chances, Chief fired the A-PPC on his tank, blowing the enemy vehicle into a dozen small pieces. "Cortana, what was that," he asked.
"That was a Prowler," Cortana replied. "According to SLIC files, the Prowler was designed by the Brutes as an answer to our Warthog-IIa, as it has two pods that personnel can sit in, as well as a plasma turret. Apparently, it's designed for rapid force projection, as well as general anti-infantry purposes. Against tanks and IFV's, though, it's very fragile."
Indeed, Chief agreed silently. One hit from an A-PPC had blasted the Covenant Combat Vehicle into a dozen, smoldering pieces. Engaging the throttle, Chief drove forwards, driving over the summit of the entrance and into the next area. Up ahead, he spotted some Brute Choppers, as well as some Brutes, a few Grunts and a few Jackals. Firing the A-PPC, Chief blasted apart one of the Choppers, before firing off his VS-SPL at the other, cutting it up as well. The IFV's, including the one the DCMS personnel were using, engaged the infantry, blowing them apart in seconds. Looking ahead, Chief noticed that there were two pathways into the next area. One led off to the left, towards what appeared to be a large, Forerunner shield wall that split the area in half, while the other continued on ahead, towards the LZ.
Gunning the throttle, Chief drove forwards, ignoring the pathway to the left and proceeding forwards towards the LZ. Turning around the bend, he fired his VS-SPL at some Covenant infantry that were in the area, while running a few over with the 120 ton tank, crushing the hapless Covenant underneath his tank's treads. Turning to the right, Chief heard his shields pinging when some Ghosts came out into the open, with plasma bolts bouncing off the advanced energy shielding. He was about to fire when the IFV's came around the corner, blasting apart the Ghosts with their A-UAC/2's. With all hostile contacts down, they continued forwards, eliminating any resistance in their path.
Eventually, they came to the area that Cortana had said would be a good LZ for the DropShip. The area in question was massive, with two, small calderas that interrupted a large plain of sand and rock. The calderas were accessible via a series of sandy ramps that led down into their interiors. Further ahead, Chief could see some rock formations, as well as a large open area, large enough for a Union-IV DropShip to land with room to spare.
Looking up, Chief noticed that he could see the battle that was being fought by the joint forces. It was clear that, while the Brutes were strong, the joint forces were even stronger, and far more experienced in this kind of warfare. Chief watched as a Brute WarShip detonated in spectacular fashion, as a slug from the SLS/DCS Kyoto's Light Mass Driver tore through the nanolaminate hull, blasting apart the Brute WarShip.
Focusing his attention back on the ground, Chief spotted some AA Wraiths, as well as a few normal Wraiths, some Ghosts, a few Choppers, as well as a couple of Prowlers in the area as well. Moving the tank forwards, Chief targeted the first AA Wraith, using the extreme range the A-PPC was capable of to remain out of danger. Firing the weapon, Chief watched as the AA Wraith detonated explosively, with each cannon flying away before exploding in brilliant, emerald green flashes. By the time the other Wraiths noticed what had happened, Chief had destroyed two more, with only one more remaining. Gunning the throttle, Chief drove into the area, while the IFV's charged forwards, blasting apart the lighter vehicles with their 30mm A-UAC/2's. Driving towards the last Wraith, Chief fired on it with his A-PPC, blasting it apart before running over the wrecked vehicle with the Manticore-IV, crushing some of it.
With that, the remaining Covenant infantry were easily cleaned out. Keying his COM, Chief said, "Sierra-117 to Mjolnir's Twin, LZ is secure. You are cleared for landing."
"Aff, Chief," Alex replied. "Alexandria, get this thing onto the ground. We are deploying our vehicles now."
Looking up, Chief watched as the Union-IV DropShip came in for a landing, the powerful fusion thrusters whipping up the sand before glassing it. He could also hear the loud roar of the engines as they fired, slowing the DropShip's descent to a safe level as the legs deployed. There was a muted, rumbling THUMP as the DropShip landed, the legs bending outwards slightly as they absorbed the impact of the DropShip landing on the ground. Moments later, the powerful engines disengaged, with the doors of the DropShip's 'Mech Bays opening up. "Welcome all," Alex said over the COM. "Chief, get over here and out of that tank. I have a JagerMech-III that has your name written all over it.
Getting out of the Manticore-IV, Chief watched as the 'Mech in question stomped over to his position, coming to a stop before deploying a chain ladder moments later. At the same time, Chief watched as 343 Guilty Spark flew into view, scanning the JagerMech-III as he did so. "You should get into this vehicle, Reclaimer," he said to Chief. "This one appears to be in good condition, though I must admit the armor and weaponry is not quite what I had envisioned."
"A 'Mech is a 'Mech, lightbulb," Johnson, who had come along with them, remarked. "Chief, Thel's wanting to come along. Where's Alex?"
"Coming out right now," the Clan 'MechWarrior replied, just as his Atlas-IV stomped out of the 'Mech Bay. "Bero, you are with me. Chief, you take Thel and proceed to the Forerunner shield wall. UAV flyovers indicated that there is an entrance at the southern section of the shield wall. Once you are inside, get any hardlight bridges inside activated so that we can get on through. Once you're on the other side, we will advance to the Cartographer and blow up anyone that gets in our way. Quiaff?"
"Aff," Chief replied, using the Clansman terminology. Looking down, Chief noticed that Thel was having difficulty using the chain ladder, as his knees kept bumping the next rung up. Flipping a switch, Chief retracted the ladder, with Thel using it as an elevator to get onto the 'Mech. Clambering inside, the Elite buckled into the rumble seat, after which Chief engaged the Triple Strength Myomers, reaching top speed a moment later. Spotting some Ghosts, he fired the VS-MPL's, tearing apart the Covenant vehicles.
"Wow," a Marine remarked. "BattleMech beats Ghost." Continuing to move forwards, Chief spotted some Hunters that were in the area, who quickly moved out of the way once Bero communicated with them. Moments later, a Revenant appeared, only to be blasted apart by an A-UAC/10 HEAP shell from Chief's 'Mech. "BattleMech beats Revenant," the Marine said more enthusiastically. Spotting a Phantom, Chief fired both A-UAC/10's at the enemy VTOL, blowing it apart in a few seconds. "Hah," the same Marine shouted. "BattleMech beats everything! Oh, man! I could do this all day!" Behind him, Chief heard Thel chuckling in amusement at the Marine's exuberance.
As they continued to move forwards, Chief spotted more Covenant Combat Vehicles up ahead, with some Revenants, Ghosts, Choppers and a Wraith in the area up ahead. Firing his 'Mech's weaponry, Chief blew apart the enemy Combat Vehicles, with Alex firing his A-UAC/20 at the second Wraith, blowing it apart almost immediately. Spotting an incoming Phantom, Chief blew it apart, wrecking the Covenant VTOL in the process.
"Alright, good work," Sergeant Johnson remarked. "Chief, move up into the Forerunner structure and have that lightbulb of ours get inside to work his space magic."
"Pardon me," Guilty Spark remarked. "I am 343 Guilty Spark, Monitor of Installation 04."
"Well, tinker bell, you're also our ticket into this facility," Johnson ribbed good naturedly. "So, cut us some slack and get to work please."
"Of course," Guilty Spark agreed.
Continuing to move forwards, Chief quickly gunned down the Covenant on the platform up ahead, before getting out of his 'Mech. "Cortana, can you drive this thing," Chief asked as he got out.
"Yes," Cortana replied. "I can use the guns as well if you want." Nodding in agreement, Chief descended down the chain ladder and to the ground, his boots making a clunking sound as he landed on the ground. Pulling out his M50 AGR, he proceeded inside the facility, reaching a door moments later.
Guilty Spark immediately got onto the door, using his beam projector in an attempt to gain access. After a moment, he said, "Hhmm, it seems as though I shorted a circuit."
"Really," Dubbo, the Marine that had been shouting exuberantly, remarked. "Let me have a look at it." He walked over, reaching towards an exposed circuit; spotting the danger, Guilty Spark zapped Dubbo's hand, sparing the man electrocution. "Hey," Dubbo shouted, jerking his hand back. "Little bastard stung me! What was that for?!"
"Oracle," Thel shouted, drawing a weapon in case Guilty Spark was going Rampant. At the same time, he circled around to the Monitor's rear.
"There is an exposed circuit inside," Guilty Spark explained. "I don't wish to see you hurt."
"Well, you have a funny way of showing it," Dubbo growled, just as Guilty Spark tried again. Moments later, the door opened, permitting them into the interior of the wall. Walking inside, Chief noticed a control panel for a light bridge, as well as the UNSC/SLDF personnel that were waiting for Chief to activate the bridge. Turning it on, Chief watched as the vehicles proceeded across, allowing him to continue through the facility.
Eventually, Chief exited the facility via a door that led to another, open area. This time, he could see a massive clearing far off in the distance, as well as more rocky formations and paths up ahead. Using the zoom function on his helmet, Chief spotted a large building that was off in the distance, with part of it hanging over a chasm that had water falling down into it. That has to be the Cartographer, Chief thought to himself. It's the only thing that make sense.
He was so engrossed in spotting the Cartographer that Chief legitimately jumped when he heard a loud THUMP right next to him. Looking to his left, Chief watched as the JagerMech-III Cortana was piloting landed next to him, the powerful Jump Jets firing to soften the impact. "Sorry about that," Cortana replied as Alex's 'Mech made a similar landing, though much more gracefully. "I had a little difficulty with the controls. Didn't mean to scare you."
"It's OK," Chief replied, getting into the 'Mech a few seconds later. Gunning the throttle, Chief proceeded down the sandy paths, blasting apart any Covenant that were in the area. Behind him, Alex fired his Atlas-IV's A-UAC/20, destroying a Revenant before firing his ATM/10 at a Phantom that was flying overhead, forcing the enemy VTOL to flee the area. Rounding a corner, Chief watched as the UNSC forces in the area manned their Combat Vehicles and began moving forwards, blasting apart any Covenant vehicles that got too close to them. After a couple minutes of fighting, they reached the open area.
That was when Chief saw it. Looking at his sensor readouts, Chief spotted a massive, red blip that was approaching his position; looking at the UAV feed, he immediately knew what it was. "Incoming Scarab," he shouted.
"Surats," Alex shouted. "All UNSC/SLDF Combat Vehicles, clear the area and get behind cover. All 'Mechs in the area, form up on me and engage the Scarab on sight. Target the legs and then, while it is crouching, blast the Fusion Engine on the enemy 'Mech. Once that's done, get out of the blast radius. Those things can punch a hole in your 'Mech if you are not careful." With that, the UNSC and SLDF Combat Vehicles cleared the area, letting the BattleMechs deal with the threat.
As soon as the last Combat Vehicle cleared the area, the Scarab arrived. The massive, enemy QuadMech entered the area, landing on the ground with a rumbling THUD before moving up towards the BattleMechs. Moving to the left and right, Chief and the others dodged the initial strike, with Chief narrowly avoiding the green stream of energy that was fired at him. Targeting the legs, Chief blasted apart some of the armor with his A-UAC/10's, exposing the leg joint to another 'Mech's weaponry. Missiles rained down on the Scarab, courtesy of a Catapult-IV 'Mech that was firing off ATM/20's.
After just a few seconds, the Scarab began to crouch down, it's armor ripped apart in numerous places by the BattleMech's advanced, Star League weaponry. Moving towards the rear, Chief blasted off the armor protecting the Scarab's Fusion Engine, before firing a HEAP shell into the Fusion Engine, blasting apart the delicate internals. As soon as that happened, Chief, Alex and the other 'Mechs cleared the area, with Chief's 'Mech leaving the blast zone as soon as the Scarab exploded. "Alright," Alex said over the COM as the enemy 'Mech exploded. "Good work, people. Now that the enemy is down, we can move inside. The Catapult-IV is going to clear out the infantry at the foot of the Forerunner Cartographer, then you can head in side. Aff?"
"Aff," Chief replied. Moments later, he watched as the Catapult-IV fired off some more ATM's, using Deadfire ammunition instead of the more traditional homing missiles. Powerful explosions ripped across the ramp leading into the Forerunner installation, killing any Covenant infantry that was unlucky enough to be posted there. A few seconds later, the missiles stopped firing, indicating that it was now safe to enter.
Guiding the 'Mech over to the ramp, Chief opened up the hatch and got out, deploying the chain ladder a moment later. Thel, having gotten out already, simply jumped off, using the Jump Jets on his armor to land safely on the ground. Once Chief had caught up, Thel looked around for Bero. "Bero, are you here," he asked.
"I am," came Bero's voice, which had that distinct, liquid echo. Looking at the ground, Chief watched as a large puddle of gelatinous material flowed over to them, dragging along a suit of Zealot-III Battle Armor. Moments later, the gelatinous material flowed inside, before regrowing and expanding into Bero's normal form. "I'm ready for a fight," the young Sangheilian remarked. "If you need me, I am right here."
"Good," Chief replied. "We're heading inside of the facility. If you spot any Covenant using Active Camouflage, take them out."
"Aff," came another voice, with Osman walking over in his Elemental-IIIa Battle Armor. Moments later, Chief and Osman charged ahead, with Thel and Bero quickly following behind. Looking at Thel and Bero, Osman asked, "Do you Sangheilian freebirths know how to use that armor?"
"Lat 'Ravamee does," Bero replied. "I used my telepathy to copy and absorb the memories he had, before burning those memories into my mind and Thel's mind. As a result, Thel and I know how to use the armor as though we were taught how to use it the normal way."
"Is that painful?"
"No. Since 'Ravamee gave me permission to do so, I was able to get inside his mind without hurting him. He described the experience as 'oddly pleasant.'" After a moment, Bero asked, "What's a 'freebirth', if I may ask?"
"A freebirth, or freeborn, is a human being born in the normal, natural way," Osman replied. "I am what is known as a Trueborn, which means that I was born in an Advanced Growth Tank. Think of the Iron Womb used for premature infants, only significantly more advanced, and that is pretty much what happens. During that time, we receive advanced genetic enhancements, and nanotechnological enhancements once we are fully grown. When I was calling you a freebirth, I was indicating that you were born the normal way."
"Is that an insult," Thel asked, as he was also curious.
"Normally, it is," Osman replied. "However, the term can be used in an comradely manner when a Trueborn is speaking to a freeborn in the Warrior Caste. In this case, the comradely manner is how I was using the term."
"Ah," Bero remarked. "I see. Sangheilians like me do something similar." With that out of the way, they advanced inside of the facility.
Moving inside, Chief found himself in a large room with a number of Forerunner devices inside. A ramp that ran alongside the wall led downwards into the room, with a door that led to another room inside of the place. A Brute Major, along with some Grunts, were inside the room, with the Grunts getting some sleep while the Brute milled about.
None of them were ready for the level of violence that Osman, Chief, Thel and Bero were about to unleash. Firing off an ATM/2, Osman blew the Brute, and a couple of the Grunts apart, splattering them all over the walls of the room. The other Grunts immediately jumped up, shouting as Chief, Thel and Bero ripped into them with their weaponry, killing them immediately. Moving into the next room, they quickly terminated the Covenant there before doubling back, only to encounter a Brute Chieftain and some of it's goons.
Acting quickly, Chief and the others tore into the Brutes, using raw aggression to win the fight. Smashing his fist into the Chieftain's face, Chief tore the alien apart, while Thel and Osman cut down some of the Grunts and a couple of the Brutes. That left Bero on his own with two Brutes who, in their stupidity and arrogance, thought they could take on a single Elite. They thought wrong.
Melting out of his suit, Bero flowed between the Brutes and, before the furry aliens could react, grew back to normal between them before knocking them both apart, morphing his fingers into sharp talons. Roaring loudly, Bero sliced apart the first Brute, just as the second one tackled him to the ground. Reacting fast, Bero morphed into his gelatinous form, avoiding a blow that would've killed him otherwise, before stabbing a fleshy tentacle into the alien. The Brute screamed as Bero tore apart it's lungs, heart and spine, with the alien collapsing to the ground dead in seconds; flowing out from under the Brute, he flowed back into the armor before regrowing into his normal form. Turning around, he found that Chief and the others had finished killing the other Brutes, with the young Sangheilian rejoining the group moments later.
Continuing to move through the facility, Chief held up a fist when he noticed a sensor contact, though there was nothing there. Using his helmet's thermal mode, Chief shouted, "Enemy contact," as soon as he saw the thermal signature of Brutes in the area. Firing his weapon, he killed one Brute, who promptly faded into existence.
"Brute Stalkers," Thel shouted. "They're using Active Camouflage to sneak around us!" Reacting fast, Osman barreled forwards, smashing into another Brute Stalker before using his Battle Claw to tear it's head off, killing the alien instantly. Bero simply morphed one of his exposed mandibles into a bladed tentacle, spearing another Brute Stalker in the mouth before retracting it. Eventually, all of the Brutes were down, allowing the team to move up.
That was when they came to the Cartographer proper. The chamber that the Cartographer was stored in was massive, large enough to house several Manticore-IV MBT's with room to spare. A series of arches, combined with some walkways, were located on either side of the room, with a large, holographic projector at a circular portion of the chamber. Looking around, Chief spotted some Jump Pack Brutes, as well as a Brute Chieftain in the room. Moving forwards, the team engaged the Brutes, killing the Jump Pack Brutes before moving on to the Chieftain. Against four Elementals, the Chieftain didn't stand a chance, as it fell quickly to the others.
Walking over to the Cartographer's control panel, Chief pressed a single icon. Suddenly, the holoprojector flashed to life, revealing the location of the Ark compared to the rest of the galaxy. "That's… our galaxy," Chief noted. "We're beyond the rim."
"We are precisely 262,144 light years from the galactic core," Guilty Spark remarked.
"What is this place," Chief asked.
"The Ark," Guilty Spark replied.
"This is the Ark," Chief asked, surprised.
"I always thought it was part of a... Shield Installation, not something like this," Guilty Spark explained.
"That's a first," Chief remarked sarcastically.
"Not at all," Guilty Spark replied, a little smugly at that too. "While I had a complete understanding of Installation 04, my makers wisely limited my knowledge of other strategic facilities. Compartmentalization, in the event that I was captured by the Flood."
"So… where is the Prophet of Truth?"
"Near one of the Ark's super-luminal communications arrays," Guilty Spark replied. "Oh… that's unfortunate. The Meddler has activated a security lockout. There is a shield around his current location, which is the Control Room for the Ark and the Ark's Core, as well as the other Fortress Worlds."
"I see," Osman remarked. "Wait a minute. Is it possible for him to activate the Halo's without a Reclaimer?"
"No," Guilty Spark replied. "The Reclaimers are the only ones that can operate the Ark and the other Fortress Worlds. The Meddler might be there, but without a Reclaimer, his efforts are futile."
"I see," Chief remarked. Keying his COM, he said, "Sierra-117 to Archon-Prince Victor and Imperial Admiral 'Jar Watrinee. We are at the Cartographer right now. Truth has reached the Ark's control room, but he cannot operate the Ark without one of our own."
"I see," Victor Steiner-Davion remarked. "The Forerunners must have gene-locked each of their installations as a safeguard against accidental or intentional activation by another species other than our own. If that's the case, we can get at Truth without causing the Halo's to fire. Get onto a Pelican-IIa when you can, Chief. We're taking this fight to Truth's location."
Moments later, Chief watched as a Pelican-IIa approached his position, just as a swarm of Sentinels flew by. Instead of attacking, though, the Sentinels flew past the VTOL, completely ignoring it. "They're on their way to assist us," Guilty Spark explained. "I was able to contact the Monitor of Installation 00, the installation we are currently at. He has agreed to assist us in defeating the Covenant."
"Good," Chief replied as he got onto the Pelican-IIa, along with Bero, Thel and Osman. They were close to the end, now. Nothing was going to stop them.