Chapter 7
August 11th, 2552
26:30 Hours
A Phantom flies by with its search light on. Jun emerges from a concealed position behind a rock as the dropship passes. He nods to Noble Six, who follows Jun along the cliff edge.
Jun: Recon Team Bravo reporting: Three and Six in position. It's starting to get crowded up here, Kat.
Kat COM: Then we're closing in. Report any Covenant structures or devices. Direct action may be necessary.
Jun: Copy that. (chuckling) When Kat runs an op, direct action is always necessary.
Jun hands Six a magazine of sniper rounds.
Jun: Here. You may need these. High-velocity, armor-piercing. They'll take the hat off an Elite at two thousand yards. And they ain't cheap.
Jun and Six head further along the ledge, Jun reaches a boulder and starts to climb it.
Jun: Mm. I'll be in touch.
Noble Six slides down the ledge to the ground below.
*Cutscene end*
Nightfall
Noble Six and Jun (Noble Three), in a stealth-based operation must fight covenant forces and proceed further into the dark zone. They discover something, which was generating the dark zone. Jun is tasked with destroying the discovery and avoid detection by the Covenant. After proceeding further into the dark zone and eliminating the Covenant troops in the area, the two Spartans discover what will be their downfall.
*Cutscene*
Jun and Six crawl forward. A massive Covenant landing zone is shown ahead of them in the distance.
Jun: Jackpot.
Noble Six: Transmitting visual.
Jun: You seeing this, Kat?
Kat COM: Confirmed. Receiving Noble Three and Noble Six's live visual of a Covenant strike force.
Jun: That's no strike force, it's an invading army. If we're gonna smother this thing, we need to go in hard and fast.
Kat COM: Agreed. All recon teams disengage and fall back. Sun will be up in a few hours... and it's going to be a very busy day.
*Cutscene end*
August 12th, 2552
Tip of the spear
*Cutscene*
Szurdok Ridge, Ütközet
August 12, 2552 08:00 Hours
A convoy of Scorpions, Warthogs, several Mongooses along with AMX-4 Falcons and two Pelicans advance across a bare plain.
Dot: It appears that Noble Team's discovery last night was not an anomaly. Large Covenant deployments have occurred undetected, and we are now under attack across the Viery territory, including orbital defenses. As per the Winter Contingency, we are countering on every front. Noble's reconnaissance has also identified sophisticated Covenant army hiding canopies, and has been pinpointed what's believed to be a landing zone for additional Covenant forces, the origin of which is yet to be determined.
The Warthogs, led by Kat and Noble Six, charge towards the Covenant landing zone, followed by a group of Falcons. Carter is revealed to be on board a Falcon overlooking the Warthog driven by Kat. Noble Six rides shotgun in Kat's Warthog.
Carter COM: That landing zone has been tagged by UNSC command as a Priority One target.
Jun COM: Det-charge link is loud and clear!
Kat: Copy that. Acquiring signal lock on the pylon. Detonating in three, two...
Banshees swoop down on the convoy and open fire, while Wraiths lob mortar rounds from a distance. The gunners on the Warthogs retaliate, firing at the Banshees. Wraith mortar rounds tear into the convoy and destroy several of the advancing vehicles. Kat and Noble Six dodge the mortar fire, and turn towards a bridge across a deep chasm, but as they prepare to cross, a mortar round destroys the bridge.
Noble Six: Incoming!
Kat: Might want to hold onto something!
Kat accelerates and the Warthog manages to jump the gap in the destroyed bridge, but crashes violently on the other side, killing the gunner and sending Kat and Noble Six flying. Noble Six's wakes up but his vision is hazy. Lying stomach-down after the crash, with a grenade launcher lying several feet away. His vision clears, and looks toward the destroyed bridge. A second Warthog attempts to clear the gap in the bridge but fails, sending its screaming crew into the chasm.
Kat: Six! Can you hear me? Six, you alright? I could use some help!
Six grabs the Grenade Launcher on the ground.
Noble Six: On my way.
*Cutscene end*
After Jun and Noble Six's discovery of a hidden Covenant army, the UNSC execute a large counter attack against the Covenant. Kat and Noble Six are able to destroy two Covenant anti aircraft guns which makes it possible for two UNSC Frigates and several Longswords to bombard Covenant ground forces.
*Cutscene 2*
The Falcon loses its power, via the EMP effects of the shield, and begins to spin out of control.
Falcon Pilot COM: We just lost all power! We're going down!
Jorge: Lock your armor, Spartan!
Falcon Pilot COM: Brace for a hard landing!
The Falcon crashes. Six is thrown a short distance from the Falcon. Jorge emerges from the Falcon, tossing out equipment. Six grabs a nearby rifle on the ground and stands up. After looking around briefly, Jorge picks up his gun.
Jorge: Crew's dead. We shouldn't stay here.
*Cutscene end*
*Cutscene 3*
The shield dissipates. Six sprints for a Falcon and leaps off the spire and is caught by Jorge, who pulls Six up into the Falcon.
Carter: Get us outta here.
The Falcon begins to pull away from the spire.
Carter: Control? This is Noble One. Spire One is green, and you're free to engage. Have a nice day.
Air Control COM: Copy that, Noble One. Be advised, all ground units: Frigate Three-One-Eight heavy is inbound, and MAC rounds have been authorized.
Jorge: MAC rounds? In atmosphere?
Carter COM: One way to get their attention! Hang on to your teeth, people!
The UNSC Grafton, in a shallow dive, moves towards the spire past the Falcon with Six, Carter, and Jorge. The Spartans brace themselves.
The Grafton continues to move towards the spire, and, with a bright flash, fires its MAC cannon, hitting the Spire and shattering it. Jorge, satisfied, turns back and nods at Carter and Six, failing to notice as a purple glow illuminates the sky above the Grafton. An energy projector beam shoots down from the sky and hits Grafton's bow section, instantly gutting the ship. Secondary explosions blossom along the hull, and Grafton begins to plummet towards the ground.
Dot: New contact. High-tonnage.
The Spartans watch as the aft section of the Grafton explodes. The forward section crashes to the ground.
Jorge: No. No! Somebody tell me this ain't happening!
Air Control COM: UNSC frigate Grafton, do you copy?
Carter: Grafton is dust! We need to get out of here, now!
As the shattered UNSC Grafton frigate falls towards the surface, a CSO-class supercarrier , the Long Night of Solace, holding position over the destroyed spire.
*Cutscene end*
Long Night of Solace
August 13th 2552, 20:07 hours
Dot: Our foe is more devious than we imagined. That spire was indeed a teleporter linked to a cloaked, Covenant supercarrier... A grave threat.
Noble Three, Five and Six arrive at a cave, Jorge carrying a large briefcase. The Scarab can be heard firing its main gun in the background.
Dot: Thankfully, help is imminent. Sixty percent of the UNSC fleet is en route to Reach from existing deployments. The first battle group should arrive within forty-eight hours.
Jorge tosses the briefcase at Emile's feet.
Jun: Forty-eight hours? (removes his helmet) That's imminent?
Jun wipes off glowing ash from Jorge's shoulder pauldron.
Jun: Uh-oh. Who's your money on this time?
Jorge: Her. Jorge says, taking off his helmet.
Jun: You always pick her.
Jorge: She's always had him dialed in.
Kat: That thing's crushing us, and we're waiting for backup? They'll be backing up a graveyard.
Carter: All our nukes are either out-system or went down with the ships that carried them. You're preaching to the converted.
Kat: How converted?
Carter: I know that look, Kat.
Kat: You can say no.
Carter: No.
Kat: You don't even want to hear it?
Carter: ...Fine. I'll hear it.
Kat: Remember that accident a couple years back? Colony ship en route to Cygnus . Seven hundred dead?
Carter: Vaguely, a slipspace drive malfunction, right?
Kat: Actually, it worked fine. The drive was mounted improperly after a service haul-out. When it fired, it teleported half the ship to oblivion.
Carter: And this is relevant... how?
Kat: A certain Covenant supercarrier could, with some assistance, suffer the same unfortunate accident...
Carter: Even for you, Kat, that's-
Kat: Inspired?
Carter: Not the word I would use.
Jorge and Emile walk up to them.
Jorge: What's going on?
Carter: Go ahead. Explain.
Kat reaches for Emile's kukri, he stops her.
Kat: May I?
Emile allows her to take his knife. Jun and Noble Six walk up
Emile: Don't cut yourself.
Kat: Objective? Destroy Covenant carrier in geosynchronous orbit above us.
Jorge: This sanctioned, sir?
Carter: What do you think?
Jorge: Oh...
Kat: Method? A slipspace drive in lieu of the nukes we don't have. Delivery system? Us. Solvable? Getting us up there. That, and getting our hands on a slipspace drive.
Kat gives Emile back his kukri and he sheathes it
Kat: Thank you for sharing.
Carter: So... all we need is orbit-capable transport, and the single most expensive piece of equipment made by man?
Kat: As a soldier in the field I couldn't possibly have access to those kinds of resources. That said, a good place to look might be... I don't know, the nearest nonexistent launch site in the nonexistent Sabre Program, dismissed by three administrations as a preposterous rumor... And in which our newest member was certainly never a pilot.
They all look at Noble Six.
Emile: You're scary, you know that?
Kat: All we need is a green light from Holland.
Carter: Good luck with that.
Kat hands Carter a data pad.
Kat: You're the one asking him.
Carter reluctantly takes the pad, and turns away. He starts tapping the screen.
Carter: Oh, there's no way in hell he's gonna go for this.
*Cutscene end*
The Covenant invasion of Reach is in full force, and Kat has come up with a plan to take the fight to the enemy. Noble Team, (without Emile and Jun), are dropped off to a beach by a Falcon, and fight their way to the Sabre Program Launch/Research Range, which is under attack by Covenant ground and air forces. fighting their way inside, Noble Six and Jorge enter a Sabre that is immediately launched into the planet's orbit, along with at least four other Sabres. In space, they join the other UNSC forces in defending the station Anchor 9 and assist the UNSC Savannah in hijacking a Covenant Corvette, the Ardent Prayer. Jorge is dropped off at the station Anchor 9, as Noble Six and the remaining Sabres take out the corvette's engines just as it positions itself for a refueling track with the Covenant supercarrier Long Night of Solace. After boarding the corvette, Noble Six and his forces defeat the crew and lock the ship. Jorge arrives in a Pelican carrying a Slipspace drive, which was taken from the UNSC Savannah. It is planned that the slipspace drive would be used as an improvised bomb, to be activated inside the corvette's hangar when its close proximity of the supercarrier, in order to jump a section of the supercarrier, destroying it. However, Covenant infantry forces soon arrive to destroy the "bomb." Though the Covenant forces are successfully neutralized, retreat to the Sabres is cut off by the battle damage from the Savannah. The Pelican used as a vector for the "bomb" is damaged and unable to fly, leaving a space-jump as the only way off the Corvette.
*Cutscene*
Dot: Distance is closing on this vessel's refueling track with the Covenant supercarrier. Seventy-six seconds to endpoint. Jorge attempts to arm the slipspace drive timer, which fails to respond.
Jorge: Damn it... So, it's gonna be like that. Jorge hits the timer in frustration.
Jorge: Well, I got good news and bad news. This bird took some fire and her thruster gimbal is toast, which means the only way off this slag heap is gravity.
Noble Six: And the good news?
Jorge-: That was the good news.
Dot: At current velocity, fifty-three seconds to endpoint.
Jorge: Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Jorge removes his helmet and just drops it to the floor.
Jorge: Bad news is, the timer's fried. I'm gonna have to fire it manually.
Noble Six: That's a one way trip.
Jorge: We all make it sooner or later. Better get going, Six, they're gonna need you down there. Listen, Reach has been good to me. Jorge removes his dog tags and gives them to Six.
Jorge: Time's come to return the favor. Don't deny me this.
Jorge lifts Six up with one hand and carries him/her to the hangar's shield door, Six showing little resistance, view changes to Noble Six point of view, facing Jorge before him saying his final words to Six.
Jorge: Tell 'em to make it count.
Jorge tosses Six out of the hangar into space. Six begins to fall back to Reach. After Noble Six has fallen some distance, Jorge activates the repurposed slipspace drive directly under the supercarrier.
Camera of nav beacon RA-15: shows a massive slipspace rift opening near the supercarrier's midsection. The corvette disappears instantaneously, and the supercarrier is severed in two as its entire midsection disappears into the slipspace rift.
Noble Six's point of view as he descended,
NAV beacon RA-15 as a shockwave of ionizing radiation passes over the beacon, causing electronic interference with the camera.
Navigation Beacon RA-15 (on-screen): SIGNAL LOST
A sudden rupturing noise is heard.
Dot: Slipspace rupture detected.
Dot switches to a new NAV Beacon, which shows multiple Covenant ships dropping out of slipspace above Reach. Beacon camera still cutting in and out.
ATC 1 COM: Gamma Station Control, reading multiple pings below the Orbital Defense Grid.
Dot: Slipspace rupture detected.
ATC 2 COM: Yeah, we're picking up anomalies too.
Anchor 9 COM: Are you reading this?
Dot: Slipspace rupture detected.
More and more Covenant ships drop out of slipspace.
Anchor 9 COM: Multiple Covenant signatures!
Dot: Slipspace rupture detected.
Anchor 9 COM: Does anyone have a visual?
ATC 1COM: They're everywhere!
Dot: Slipspace rupture detected.
Navigation Beacon (on-screen) : SIGNAL LOST
ATC 3COM: Oh, this can't be happening!
Holland COM: Must be the whole damn Covenant fleet!
Dot: Slipspace rupture detected.
*Cutscene end*
Exodus
August 23rd, 2552 15:34 hours
*Cutscene*
Noble Six, alone on a snowy landscape, holding his left arm, regains mobility. Six slowly walks back to the Reentry Unit to acquire a pistol. Six then looks up at the remains of the Long Night of Solace, crashed on a distant mountain range. Six begins walking away from the wreck with a noticeable limp.
Noble Six, now in a more temperate landscape, jogs closer to a cliff. He/she stops at the top, and New Alexandria, with three Covenant corvettes over it, comes into view. Explosions fill the sky, and the sound of intense combat is heard in the distance.
*End cutscene*
Noble Six finds a way through the city and links up with Army forces to assist in the evacuation of Traxus Tower. Six then proceeds to Traxus Tower, where he and the ODSTs take the landing pad, allowing a group of civilians to evacuate in a Pelican. Leaving behind the ODSTs and a couple of UNSC troops to bring more civilians to the landing pad, Noble Six mans a Falcon's turret to provide air cover for evacuation craft leaving the city. They take an alternate route to avoid Covenant forces clustered in the middle of the city.
*Cutscene*
Duvall: Missile defense online. All evac transports, you are cleared for takeoff! Repeat, you are clear for takeoff! Go, now!
Six missiles shoot up into the sky, aiming for the corvette. The missiles hit the corvette as a civilian transport flies overhead.
7 Echo 3 COM: Civilian transports away. You saved a lot of lives today, Spartan.
Six walks to an open area as the three transports speed over him and into space.
Kat COM: ...you copy? Repeat, this is Noble Two. Noble Six, Noble Five, do you copy?"
Noble Six: This is Six. Go ahead, Noble Two.
Kat COM: We picked up your transponder about an hour ago, but could not risk open comms. Covenant have this city sealed tight. We're getting nothing from Jorge.
Noble Six: He didn't make it.
Kat COM: ...Understood... What's the situation at starport exit?
Noble Six: The last transport is away.
Kat COM: Alright. We're bringing you to us.
Six throws a signal flare on to the ground. Six walks away as the view zooms out and shows the damaged corvette retreating from the city.
*End cutscene*
New Alexandria
August 23rd, 2552, 18:57 hours
Noble Six, is sitting alone inside the troop bay of a Pelican.
New Alexandria, Eposz
Six stares out to the open rear door of the Pelican. Seeing burning skyscrapers and building lights fill the night sky. After staring out for a long time, Six stands up and holsters a DMR. The Pelican slows down above a rooftop with two Falcons parked on top. Six steps out to meet Carter while the Pelican flies away.
Commander Carter: Your report will have to wait, Lieutenant. The Covenant are jamming all comms to Command. Kat needs your help running a counter-op.
The two Spartans walk to the Falcons, with one already taking off.
Carter: It's good to have you back.
Noble Six: Sorry I came alone.
Carter: Make him proud.
Carter turns and slowly walks away as Six stops in front of the Falcon.
One jammer is located at the New Alexandria Hospital. The troopers sent to destroy it are locked in a fight with the Brutes before Noble Six arrives and destroys the jammer.
Another jammer is located at Club Errera in the Vyrant Telecom Tower. Two pairs of Mgalekgolo stop the troopers, and Noble Six must deal with them before destroying the jammer.
A jammer is also located in a penthouse at the Sinoviet Center. Troopers assigned to destroy it were killed by Drones (save for a single survivor) and Noble Six must finish the job.
As Noble Six destroys the jammers, Covenant Battlecruisers arrive in the city and start glassing the areas further away. Between destroying the generators, Noble Six aids UNSC forces in the city. Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck requests assistance on a classified mission. Six is instructed to escort Buck's Falcon. Another jammer is found in an exposed rooftop location. Six eliminates Covenant forces guarding it and takes it out.
After the last jammer is destroyed, Kat receives orders from Colonel Holland that all personnel are to be evacuated through the Office of Naval Intelligence Headquarters building. Six takes out a group of Shade turrets stationed around the building preventing any evacuation craft from escaping. After Noble Six destroys all of the turrets, Six meets up with the rest of Noble Team at the ONI HQ.
*Cutscene*
Inside the Olympic Tower, Noble Six joins up with the rest of Noble Team. The glass windows are shattered, and a crashed Banshee can be seen tangled up in some cables. Kat is fixing a comm unit with her helmet on the floor. Jun looks out with a pair of binoculars. Emile sits at the side, sharpening his kukri, and Carter stands against the far wall by the Banshee.
Jun: Look at this place. Used to be the crown jewel... Not anymore. (turns and notices Six) Hey, you made it.
Emile: It's a regular family reunion.
Six looks at him, and loosens his hand to show Jorge's dog tags dangling from it.
Emile: Keep 'em. He gave 'em to you. (points at himself with his kukri) I'll honor him my own way.
Jun: Jorge always said he would never leave Reach.
Emile: (laughs) The big man was sentimental...
Carter: He gave his life thinking he just saved the planet. We should all be so lucky.
Carter walks toward the window, beside Jun.
Jun: Sir, that true about Gauntlet, Red and Echo Teams assigned to civilian evac ops?
Carter turns to Kat, knowing she is responsible for the leak.
Carter: Those are senior-level communiques...
Kat: I hear what I hear. Point is, why put Spartans on defensive deployments?
Carter: I need that link to SATCOM, Kat.
Kat: Chasing it, but this console has more shrapnel than transceivers... You didn't answer my question.
Carter: You wanna know if we're losing?
Kat: I know we're losing. I want to know if we've lost.
Carter looks out to the city when beeping and static from the comms breaks the silence.
Kat: Colonel Holland. Hailing us! What's he doing on an open channel?
Carter: Let's hear it.
Colonel Holland COM: -near the southwest quadrant of the city, over? Sierra Two-Five-Nine, if you are receiving, I am authorizing override of radio security protocols to link with this channel.
Carter: How long for a secure link?
Kat: I can't guarantee secure anymore.
Carter: Could the Covenant trace it to us?
Kat: I could.
Colonel Holland COM: Noble Leader, this is a Priority One hail. If you are receiving, acknowledge immediately.
Kat hands Carter the communicator's earpiece.
Kat: Keep it brief.
Carter: Carter here... Yes, sir.
Carter walks toward the window as Jun notices something through his binoculars, and leans forward.
Jun: We've got movement. Multiple Covenant vehicles vacating the area... and they're in a hurry.
Emile: How often you see Covenant retreat for no reason?
Kat: Radiation flare! Big! Forty million roentgens!
Carter: Just lost Holland. What's going on?
Kat: Atomic excitement scrambled the signal. Ninety million now!
Carter: Source?
Kat: Airborne. Close!
Carter: How close?
Covenant ships begin glassing the nearby area, creating a large shockwave. The Noble Team members standing up are thrown to the ground as the explosion destroys the windows and pressure waves force air into the building. Switch to Kat's view.
Kat: That close!
The Spartans get on their feet, and Kat picks up her helmet. They run towards two elevators. Carter, Emile and Jun take one while Kat and Noble Six take the other one. Kat closes the elevator door and starts it, though she misses the button at first, having been partially blinded by the explosion. The elevators rush down the building as Kat puts on her helmet.
Kat: First glassing? Me, too. Don't worry, I'm on it. Our best option is a fallout bunker in Sublevel Two. Ninety-six meters northeast. We get orders from Holland, sir?
Carter COM: We're being redeployed to Sword Base.
Jun: Sword?! Covenant own it now!
Carter: Which is why they want us for a torch-and-burn op. Keep Doctor Halsey's excavation data from falling into enemy hands.
Carter's elevator stops first and the three Spartans rush out.
Kat: If it hasn't already.
Six and Kat rush out from their elevator as the other three approach the bunker's entrance.
Carter: Maybe, but according to Holland, the Covenant are still hunting for something.
Carter, Jun and Emile reach the bunker's entrance with Six and Kat close behind.
Kat: Where does he get off calling a demolition op Priority One-
Kat's sentence is cut off as a Needle Rifle round pierces her helmet from above, leaving a hole in her faceplate. Kat falls to the floor, killed instantly. Six catches and holds her body, takes her holstered pistol and begins to shoot at the Field Marshal in the previously unnoticed Phantom above them. The others come to assist with Assault Rifles, but the Phantom flies away. Six throws away the emptied pistol and drags Kat's body into the bunker.
Carter: Come on! Come on! Get in!
Jun: Let's go, come on!
Six rests Kat's body on the floor. The bunker's door closes. Fade to black.
Civilian: Close the doors! Faster!
August 26, 2552 03:00 Hours
Noble Team, led by Jun, walk out to the destroyed and glassed city. Kat's body is cradled in Carter's arms. Jun throws a signal flare to the ground, and waves as a Pelican slowly comes into view for extraction.
*Cutscene end*
AN: Next chapter is the package then Pillar of Autumn then Lone Wolf. Code Geass will take place in 2019, so two years after Lelouch goes missing and is pronounced dead, Suzaku becomes the new Zero. How will the Lone Wolfs events change? Will Six stay on Reach and be rescued by a monitor/, will Keyes convince Six to get aboard his Pelican and leave Reach? or will he die?