Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my remastered Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. Thank you for your current support thus far. I deeply appreciate it. Today, we're reaching the middle of the Halo story arc, and things are going to get really good soon. Things are going to get really intense from here on out.
Either way, thank you for your support, and I hope to see you in future chapters.
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, Piranha Games Inc, etc. 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.
Halo
Approaching Silent Cartographer
September 20th, 2552
The engines of the Pelican Chief was in whined as the VTOL flew towards the island that Cortana said held the Silent Cartographer, the map room that would lead them to Halo's control room. Looking up, he spotted Ward and Shaw getting their weapons ready to go, with the two Elementals quickly working. Looking to his left, he spotted the Marines and ODST's that had volunteered to participate in this operation.
Looking out to the right, he could see what was outside of the Pelican. Flying along side them was another Pelican, Bravo-022, which also had a load of ODST's and Marines. Finally, there was an Anhur VTOL that was transporting SLDF Marines to the island as well.
With that in he looked out beyond the VTOL's that were flying alongside Echo-419. The vista outside was nothing short of a tropical paradise, with bright blue skies, as well as clear water that reflected the sky in all of it's glory. Even though the water was deep, it was clear enough that he could see to the bottom as they approached the island.
A moment later, he heard Cortana speak up over the shared COM frequency for the assault; it was old news to him, but the others hadn't heard it yet. "The Covenant believe that what they call the 'Silent Cartographer' is located somewhere under this island. The Cartographer is a map room that will lead us to Halo's control center. The island has multiple structures and installations. One of them, contains the map room."
"Fuck," a Marine remarked. "It'll be like finding a needle in a haystack."
"Easier than that," an ODST reassured his comrade. "There's only a few structures, which means we don't have a lot of places to look. That should narrow it down considerably."
"I guess," another Marine remarked. "Still, if I know those Covenant, they won't give up without a fight. Those SLDF dudes bringing along heavy equipment?"
"We've got a DropShip that's on it's way here. According to the Colonel, it's got combat vehicles, as well as a BattleMech. That should even the odds."
"A BattleMech? Aren't those the giant robots the SLDF used against the Covenant on Reach?"
"Yep. I saw one in action. Talk about badass. They put those Scarabs to shame, what with their armor and weapons. I can't wait to see another one in action again."
"Me too."
"Calm it down, soldiers," Shaw ordered the others. "We are approaching the target zone. Make sure your magazines are full and your power packs are charged. Once we land, the Covenant will make life as miserable for us as possible. Understood?"
"Sir, yes sir," the others replied.
"Good."
Moments later, they began approaching the beach. True to form, the Covenant had spotted them on the way in, as plasma bolts and energy beams began to zip past the Pelicans. "We're approaching the LZ, it's gonna get be hot! Get set to come out swinging," Foe Hammer warned them. Moments later, they flew over the beach, with the Pelicans and Anhur coming into a quick landing. "Touchdown! Hit it Marines!"
"Go, go, go," Sergeant Waller, the NCO on the mission, roared. "Take those fuckers out! Move it!"
Almost immediately, the ODST's and Marines leaped out as though their asses were on fire, with Chief, Shaw and Ward immediately getting out as well. Nearby, the SLDF Marines piled out as well, weapons blazing as soon as they were out of the VTOL. With that, the combined SLDF/UNSC forces began their assault on the Covenant.
It was like a scene out of an action movie, with laser beams, bullets and plasma bolts flying through the air at high velocity. Quickly moving forwards, Chief gunned down some Grunts and Jackals, while pulse lasers made short work of the shielding the Elites had. Up ahead, Shaw gunned down an Elite with his SMG, while Ward picked off any high ranking Covenant with his Gauss Rifle.
The UNSC Marines, SLDF Marines and ODST's were also having a blast. Spotting a Jackal shield wall, one SLDF Marine shouted, "Grenades!" Almost immediately, the sounds of Compact Grenade Launchers being fired filled the air, with the Jackals being ripped apart by dozens of explosions. Those that survived were gunned down by the SLDF contingent.
The UNSC Marines and ODST's, moving up on the left side of the fight, quickly flanked the Covenant, who were using a small rise in the beach as the high ground. Chips Dubbo roared as he charged a Grunt, a bayonet fixed onto the muzzle of his M42D. There was a loud, crunching sound as the ferro-titanium blade pierced the nanolaminate armor on the Grunt, before cleaving it's heart in half. Said Grunt fell to the ground, blood seeping from the hole in it's chest. Moving into cover, he leaned out and fired off a few bursts, killing a pair of Grunts and Jackals in the process.
Nearby, the ODST's fired on the Covenant with ruthless aggression and skill with the weapons they had. One Elite attempted to fire on them, only to be ripped apart by a fusillade of bullets once it's shields failed. "Eat that, shithead," an ODST growled.
"Don't get cocky," another one shouted as the Covenant on the small mount were neutralized. "We've got more up ahead." Said ODST pointed at an area that was partially sheltered by a Forerunner structure, with another part of the beach that was currently in the arch's shadow.
Fortunately for them, Chief and the Elementals were already there. Moving forwards, Chief threw a grenade at some Elites, with the grenade detonating as soon as it impacted the ground. One Elite was ripped apart by the blast, while the other two dodged, though one was stunned by the force of the detonation. Shaw handled that one, his SMG barking loudly as he shattered it's shields. As he was very close, he began to bludgeon the Elite to death with the weapon.
Targeting the surviving Elite, Chief fired enough bullets to down it's shields, before shoulder tackling it to the ground. Drawing his knife, he stabbed the Elite in the neck before slitting it's throat. Blood spilled onto the ground, while the Elite held it's mouth in a futile effort to stop it's lifeblood from draining out of it's body. Within seconds, the Elite was dead. Hearing a cracking sound, Chief looked to the left to see Shaw kill the Elite he was fighting. "You good," he asked.
"Aff, Chief," was Shaw's reply.
"Regroup," Chief ordered, with the Marines and ODST's moving forwards. For the first time since they had arrived on Halo, there had been no casualties. Our sudden appearance must've caught the Covenant off guard, he realized. We got lucky. If they had been more prepared… He did his best not to imagine the results.
"Area's secure," Cortana reported.
"Roger that," came Alexandria, the woman that was in charge of Alex's DropShip. "Mjolnir's Twin coming in. Did someone order a BattleMech and Combat Vehicle?"
"Hey, I didn't know you made house calls," a Marine remarked.
"You know DropShips: they deliver things on site."
Moments later, the area was occupied by a loud, rumbling sound as the DropShip in question came in for a landing where the VTOL's had initially landed. The ground shuddered as the heavy DropShip landed, it's landing gear taking the shock. Once the dust had settled, the 'Mech Bay doors opened, with two vehicles moving out.
One was a BattleMech, but unlike the 'Mechs Chief had seen earlier, this one was smaller, and it was humanoid in shape. The other vehicle was a SLDF APC, which he had heard about from reports during the Battle of Reach. Moments later, Alex's voice came in over the COM. "Good to see you, Chief. I am on station in the event the Covenant sends in any vehicles to neutralize our forces. The APC should allow you to get to the Cartographer with little difficulty."
"Thank you," Chief replied as the APC in question came to a stop before the group of Marines and ODST's.
Moments later, the driver of the APC came out of the vehicle. "Master Chief," he shouted, "I've got orders to get you to the Cartographer. If you need me to take you to other parts of the island, just say the word."
"Understood," Chief replied. "Cortana will provide waypoints when needed."
"Glad to hear it," the APC driver shouted. "We can carry up to ten people at a time, seven if three of the passengers are Elementals or Spartans. Anyone that wants to go, load up!"
With that, Chief and the others loaded up into the APC, with the vehicle soon reaching maximum capacity. Inside, Chief noticed that the APC was nothing like the Troop Carrier variant of the M12 FAV, as the APC exchanged speed for protection, and firepower. Ten passenger seats were located on the left and right side of the interior, while a door led to the crew compartment, where the gunner and driver were located at. Small, but powerful lights lit up the interior, providing ample illumination for anyone inside.
Getting in, Chief buckled into the seat he was in, while the others did the same. Once he gave the driver a thumbs up, the man nodded before getting into the crew compartment once more. The doors automatically shut, before locking to ensure they wouldn't be blown open by a powerful blow. Moments later, they began to drive, with the hum of the Fusion Engine increasing in pitch as they began to move out.
"I've smart linked with the systems onboard the APC," Cortana informed Chief. "Hhmm, interesting. It appears as though I can give you a view with the cameras on the weapon systems. Care for a look?"
Chief didn't reply, but he knew that it would be appreciated. Moments later, a camera feed from the APC's gun camera appeared on his HUD. As they drove forwards, they moved through a stone arch into an area of the island that had some small embankments, as well as a grassy plot of land. A cluster of trees were to the left of a sandy ramp that led upwards to the rest of the island. Covenant forces were present everywhere, mostly Grunts and Jackals, though the cam showed an Elite that was coordinating the defenses.
As they moved forwards, Chief got a good look at the offensive capabilities of the APC he was in. As soon as they were in the area, the gunner had spotted the Covenant, with the turret turning towards a Jackal that was on one of the embankments. He could hear the rattle of the Machine gun that was installed on the turret, with the feed showing tracer rounds flying towards the Jackal, with the unfortunate alien being ripped apart.
Changing targets, the gunner focused fire on the Grunts and Elite that were present in the forested area. There was a loud TOONK as the mounted grenade launcher fired, with a puff of smoke bursting into existence where some Grunts were. The muted BANG of the grenade's detonating reached them moments later. The turret moved again, with the main guns firing emerald green pulse lasers. The Elite that was targeted was promptly bisected, with the cut areas of the corpse smoking from the intense heat.
With all targets down, the APC continued to drive forwards. As they climbed up the incline, Chief spotted a Spirit transport that was landing further ahead. Rounding the corner, he spotted a large, Forerunner structure that overlooked the beach in the area they were in. The structure had a large platform that extended outwards, with enough room to house four APC's side by side. A small portion of the structure jutted out onto the platform, with two entrances on either side of the protrusion.
"There," Cortana observed, "in the cliff wall; I'll bet the Silent Cartographer is somewhere inside of that facility." Spotting the Covenant she said, "They're already inside! We need to get in there quick, before they discover the location of Halo's control room!"
"You heard the lady," Shaw shouted to the APC driver. "Gun them down!"
"On it," the APC gunner reported. As they approached the platform, the Spirit left, with two Hunters and reinforcements for the Covenant present moving into position. Without any delay, the Hunters opened fire.
While their weapons were effective against infantry, they were not so effective against a well armored APC. On top of this, there was another innovation that was added before they had left Reach, courtesy of the Engineers the SLDF had captured. Chief watched as the Hunter's Fuel Rods impacted against a shimmering blue-white barrier, with the Rods ricocheting off of the barrier. "Energy shields," Cortana realized. "The SLDF must've reverse engineered them with those Huragok."
"Surprise, bitches," the APC gunner shouted. "You're not the only ones with energy shields now." Moments later, the gunner immediately retaliated.
Pulse lasers, grenades and bullets ripped through the air, with some being controlled by the computer onboard, while the main turret was controlled by the gunner himself. The pulse lasers tore into the Hunters with ease, with the high energy beams cutting through the nanolaminate armor, sending both colonies of Lekgolo to the ground, dead. In the meantime, the grenade launcher fired into the protrusion from the structure. The force of the detonation, combined with the enclosed space, was more than enough to rip apart the Covenant.
"Alright, pile out," the driver shouted, with the doors opening moments later. Chief quickly exited, along with Shaw, Ward and the Marines. Once they had all exited, they immediately began to enter the structure.
"The Covenant were putting up a real fight," Cortana commented, looking at how many Elite corpses were inside. "The Cartographer must be here. My analysis indicates that the map room should be at the bottom floor of this facility. Let's keep going inside."
With that, the team moved inside, weapons at the ready. The interior of the Cartographer's ground floor was both functionalist and baroque in appearance, with supporting braces that were made of a silvery-gray material that no human scientist had previously described. Sections of the room were glowing a bright blue color, with a larger light illuminating the room.
As they moved through the area, they traveled down a ramp that led to a doorway, which held a smaller ramp that also led downward. As soon as they traveled downward, they spotted some Covenant that were manipulating a control panel. "Don't let them lock the doors," Cortana shouted.
Acting immediately, the squad opened fire, killing the Covenant personnel before charging for the door. One UNSC Marine, spotting the door closing, attempted to use his rifle to wedge the door open. Despite his efforts, the door closed, crushing the rifle into two separate components. "Fuck!," the Marine shouted. "Motherfucking piece of shit shut the door on us!"
Cortana, who was much calmer, said, "Interesting… I underestimated the Covenant's understanding of Halo's subsystems. They've locked the doors, and we don't have enough firepower to get through." Keying the COM, she said, "Cortana to Colonel O'Donnell."
"Go ahead, Cortana," O'Donnell asked a couple seconds later. "Have you reached the map room?"
"Negative, Colonel. The Covenant have impeded our progress. We can't proceed until we disable the installation's security system."
"Understood, Cortana. We're getting a strike team set up to hit another objective, so we can't send anyone to assist you in your mission. Here are your orders. I want you to use any means necessary to force your way inside of the Silent Cartographer. We have to get to the Control Room before the Covenant do, and failure people is not an option."
"Acknowledged," Cortana replied.
Moments later, Foe Hammer came onto the COM. "Echo-419 to ground teams. I'll stay on station and keep an eye out for Covenant bogies."
"Second squad, ready to roll," Sergeant Waller reported. "Soon as everyone's topside!"
"Roger that," O'Donnell nodded. "Colonel O'Donnell out."
"We need to find the security system to get this door open," Cortana informed the others.
"Yeah, but how," one of the Marines asked. "It's not like we have a map of the island that tells us what each place is for."
"Hang on," Cortana remarked. "I've just detected Covenant chatter on the BattleNet. Apparently, there's a security substation on the island that we can use to override the lockdown. If we get back to the APC, we can find the structure, and then look for a way to get inside."
"Good idea," Shaw nodded. "Find the structure, then find a way in. We will have to be vigilant, though. The Covenant are probably not very happy with us at all."
"Agreed," Chief nodded. "Everyone, back to the APC. We are heading out!" With that, the team moved back up the ramps and out of the structure. Once they loaded up into the APC, they drove off.
To find the facility, the APC driver decided to loop around the island in order to find the structure itself. Fortunately, he didn't have to drive far; as soon as he rounded the third bend on the island, Chief spotted a massive structure that jutted out of the cliffside. The structure was circular in shape, with a wide disk-like structure on the top that connected to a a thinner cylinder, with the entire structure supported by two, angular beams that anchored it to the cliffside. A small escarpment was nearby, creating a wide gully that was large enough for two Pelicans to land inside.
Scanning the area, Cortana spotted the entrance thanks to the gun cam. "Well, there's the entrance to the security substation, but it looks like we'll have to look for another way up."
"I'll do a U-turn and see if we can find a way inside," the driver replied. Moments later, the APC reversed direction, turning around before driving forwards again. Passing by the second bend, he spotted a large clump of trees, along with a small escarpment, and something in the back. "Is that what I think it is," he asked.
"Yes," Cortana replied over the APC's internal speakers. "Looks like there's a path that leads into the interior of the island."
"That's too narrow for the APC," the driver remarked. "I can't drive into there. Y'all have to get in there on foot."
"Noted," Chief replied. Once the doors opened, Chief strode out, along with Shaw and the others. "Ward, stay here and keep the APC from being captured. The rest of you, with me." With that, they proceeded into the interior of the island.
As soon as they were in, it was clear that the interior was overgrown with thick brush. Their movement was soon slowed to a crawl, with the team having to push their way through the undergrowth. As they moved through, Chief said, "Get down," with the others immediately doing so.
It didn't take long to see why. "Covenant," Shaw whispered, pointing at an Elite that was walking down the incline with some Grunts and a Jackal. "They are unaware of our presence. We can ambush them right here."
"Agreed," Chief nodded. Pulling out a grenade, he waited for the Elite to get slightly closer before tossing it into the squad of Covenant troopers. Moments later, his HUD crackled as an EMP discharged from the grenade, shattering the shields on the Elite.
Just like that, the ambush went off. The Marines immediately opened fire, pumping the Elite full of bullets, while Chief and Shaw fired their weapons. The Elite immediately went down, it's body riddled full of bullet holes, while the Grunts and Jackals were quickly neutralized. With the hostiles down, they proceeded forwards through the brush, until they came to a small embankment that was just outside of the center of the island.
Looking around, Chief found that they were at the large circular object that the recon UAV's had picked up during flyovers. Here, he could tell that it was connected to a large circular depression that was fairly wide. What had his attention the most, however, were the two Hunters that were present here. Fortunately, they hadn't spotted the team, courtesy of the thick brush in the area. "Does anyone have heavy weapons," he asked on a private channel.
"No," the others replied.
Damnit, he thought. This is going to be difficult then. Looking around, he noticed that the brush was also present around the circular object, though it narrowed to less than six feet in some areas. "Alright," he told the others. "Get down and move through as quietly as you can. If the Hunters engage us, focus on their backs. That's the weakest part of the armor."
"Got it," the others replied. With that, they got down and began moving through the area as quietly as possible, a difficult task given how thick the brush was.
True enough, they were just halfway through when the Hunters spotted them. One Marine swore as a Fuel Rod flew overhead, hammering the wall above his head. "Take them out," Shaw roared, with the Marines quickly moving out of the brush and into the circular depression.
While the Hunters were powerful and well armored, they were also large and slow. As such, the smaller, but more nimble Marines were able to quickly move behind the aliens, while Shaw and Chief distracted them. Gunfire rang out as the Marines concentrated fire on the rear of the Hunters. One went down quickly, followed shortly by the other. "That was nerve wracking," one Marine remarked.
"Tell me about it," another agreed.
"Stay focused," Shaw told the team. "Keep moving forward."
Reloading their weapons, the squad began to move through the thick brush once more. Fortunately, there weren't any more Covenant up ahead, which allowed them to reach the entrance to the security substation quickly. Clearing the corner, Chief motioned for the team to advance, with everyone quickly moving inside.
Moving through the hallway, they passed through a door before moving down a winding rampway into the rest of the facility. As they traveled through the substation, they eventually came to a large, wide open room that had Covenant cargo crates scattered everywhere. Moving through, they soon found a holo-panel that was connected to the facility. "There," Cortana confirmed. "That holo-panel should shut down the security system." Nodding, Chief pressed one of the glyphs. "Good. That should open the door that leads into the main shaft."
"Good," Chief replied. "Everyone, head back to the APC."
As they did so, Chief felt the hairs on his neck standing up on end, as though his instincts were warning him about something. "I don't like this," one of the Marines frowned. "There's something wrong here."
"It's quiet," another one agreed, "too quiet. We're probably walking into an ambush."
As they proceeded forwards, Chief spotted something. Peering into the darkened room, he saw it: a slight shimmer in the air. Instead of shouting a warning, he opened fire, blasting the shimmer with 7mm bullets. A loud roar, coupled with a SpecOps Elite tumbling to the ground, confirmed what was going on. "SpecOps Elites," he told the others.
"I see another one," Shaw replied, his MP-20 clattering moments later. Another SpecOps Elite tumbled to the floor, blood weeping out of wounds on it's body. "They were probably sent here to assassinate us."
"Poor showing of it too," Cortana remarked. "Let's head back to the APC. The way back should be much quieter."
. . .
True enough, the return trip was much calmer than before, though it was clear that the Covenant had been busy. During their excursion into the island, Chief had heard Autocannon fire from inside the facility. When they reached the APC, they found a number of Covenant Locusts, the Covenant's small, quadruped combat vehicles, lying in pieces on the ground. Nearby, Alex's BattleMech stood tall, though there were scorch marks on the armor plating.
"Is the APC intact?," Chief asked.
"We are fine," Ward informed Chief. "The Covenant attempted to destroy us with what appears to be Primitive BattleMechs. Fortunately, the Star Commander was present, so they posed little trouble."
"Good," Chief nodded. Turning towards Alex's 'Mech, he said, "Thanks."
"It was the least I can do," Alex replied. "Once you have found the Cartographer, I will return the 'Mech to the DropShip and come with you to the Cartographer. I have been wanting to work with you again on another mission."
"Noted," Chief nodded as he clambered back into the APC.
Getting back to the Cartographer was not difficult at all, with the APC meeting little resistance. Only a couple Hunters were present at the entrance, and they were quickly neutralized by the APC's Pulse Lasers. Stepping out, Chief watched as one of the Marines brought along an SRM Launcher. "Just in case we encounter Hunters down there," was the man's remark as they moved inside.
True to Cortana's prediction, the door was open, allowing the team to move inside. Turning to the right, Chief found himself standing on a platform that extended over what appeared to be a bottomless shaft. Kicking a rock that was on the platform, he watched as it fell down into the shaft, with nary a sound returning from it's landing. That is very deep, he thought.
Returning his mind back to the present, he rejoined the others and proceeded forwards. Spotting an Elite, he was about to act when Shaw assassinated it, his knife plunging into the base of it's skull before he dragged it into the tunnel they were at. "I spotted some Grunts that were in the room ahead," he informed Chief. Fortunately, they are all asleep."
"Neutralize them, quietly," Chief ordered. Moving into the room, he advanced towards the upper level, while Shaw and the Marines moved towards the Grunts on the lower level. Using their knifes, they slit the throats of the Grunts before advancing onward, weapons at the ready.
Moving through the facility, they neutralized any resistance that they encountered. Entering the third level of the facility, Chief spotted a pair of Hunters that were present inside of a large open space that was bordered by a hallway that was separated by half walls. "We can't use stealth here," he told the others. "We'll have to go through them."
"Launcher's ready," a Marine informed Chief. "Time to blast them apart."
"Alright," Chief nodded. He counted down with his fingers before saying, "Now! Go loud!"
Almost immediately, the Marines did as ordered. The Marine with the SRM Launcher targeted one of the Hunters and fired, sending a missile flying through the air. There was a loud WOMP-BANG as the missile detonated, blasting the Hunter apart. The second one, enraged at the loss of it's twin, charged the squad, only to be blasted apart as well. "Watch it," one Marine shouted as a piece of nanolaminate flew right past his head as he cut down a Jackal. "Damn."
Once all hostile resistance was eliminated, they continued to proceed through the facility. As they did so, Foe Hammer said, "Foe Hammer to ground teams, you've got two enemy dropships moving in fast!"
"Copy that," Alex replied over the COM. "Moving to engage. Those stravag will not land one trooper on this island. Sergeant Waller, prepare your men to fight."
"Damnit," Waller growled. "OK, people; we've got company comin', let's set the table. Engage all enemy forces on sight."
"It will be easier to hold them off from inside the structure," Cortana informed the others as Chief neutralized the last Covenant trooper in the room. "Can you get inside?"
"Negative," Waller shouted. "They're closing in too fast, negative. Chief! You gotta find the Cartographer! If they land ground troops, we'll keep 'em busy as long as we can!"
"Give 'em hell, Marine," Cortana nodded. Speaking to Chief, she said, "We'll be in a tight spot of we don't get out before additional Covenant reinforcements show up. Let's find that map!"
"Agreed," Chief nodded. With that, the team moved out, neutralizing any resistance that came along.
Eventually, they found a large room that had a massive projection of Halo. "This is it," Cortana told the others. "We're at the map room! Use that control panel to link me in the network." Nodding, Chief pressed one of the glyphs which, again, was familiar to him even though he hadn't been here before.
Moments later, the holographic projection changed, showing a part of the ring where the Control Room was at. "Analyzing," Cortana reported. "Halo's control center is located there, where the canyon network the UAV's scanned is at. That structure appears to be some sort of temple or shrine, if I've interpreted this correctly. Interesting. A shrine is an unlikely place to put such a significant installation." Keying Chief's COM system, she said, "Cortana to Colonel O'Donnell…"
"Go ahead, Cortana," O'Donnell replied. "Are you in the Cartographer?"
"Affirmative," Cortana replied. "We've located Halo's control center. The network of canyons that your UAV's scanned is where it's located at. If you send personnel there immediately, you can cut the Covenant off before they can get there."
"Understood," O'Donnell replied. "We just got fresh intelligence on that location from our UAV's. We've found the control center, but the Covenant are already there. The Marines that accompanied you are returning to base via the DropShip. Alex was able to keep the Covenant from landing more reinforcements. He'll assist you with the mission. Once we've secured the Control Room, we'll be able to deny the Covenant a critical advantage against us. Get there and secure the facility. O'Donnell out."
"Alright," Chief told the others. We've got what we came for. Move out!" With that, they left the control room and headed back topside.
Fortunately, no Covenant reinforcements were present, with the squad exiting the facility just as Foe Hammer came to pick them up. Alex was already inside of the VTOL, having returned his 'Mech to the DropShip. "Everyone load up," he ordered the squad. Once they were all inside, he said, "Foe Hammer, take us out of here."
"Foe Hammer," Cortana informed the pilot, "here are coordinates and a flight plan that I've worked up."
As the Pelican flew over the island, Foe Hammer said, "Uh, Cortana – these coordinates are underground!"
"The Covenant did a thorough seismic scan. My analysis indicates that Halo is honeycombed with a network of tunnels – which circle the whole ring." As she said this, the Pelican hovered over the circular structure that Chief and the others had visited on their way to the substation.
As soon as she arrived, the circular metal depression lifted upwards, before retracting out of the way. Much to Foe Hammer's shock, the entrance to one of the tunnels appeared, with enough room for the Pelican to descend inside. "I hope your analysis is on the money, Cortana," she told the AI. "This think can't turn on a dime."
"Look on the bright side, Foe Hammer," Cortana reassured the pilot. "The last thing the Covenant will expect is an aerial insertion… from underground." As the Pelican descended, the tunnel entrance closed, with a muted thud marking it's closing. Now they were on their way to the Control Room. Things were about to get very interesting.