Halo: Flag Bearer
By Winter Frontier
2552, Epsilon Eridani system, Planet reach. Wyatt 049 was in the hangar of the UNSC Pillar of Autumn with the other Spartan IIs. he was busy preparing his gear, making sure his MA5 was still fully operational. He looked over at Fred 104 who was twirling a knife on his finger. Wyatt couldn't help but smile slightly at the navy staff trying not to watch out of fear. Suddenly the ship changed course, Wyatt signed knowing that another complication had hit this op. their mission had already changed completely so he was confused about what had happened now. John 117 went over to a small view screen to talk to Captain Keyes, Wyatt and the other Spartans could hear the whole conversation and were very intrigued. The conversation was short, they discussed that the mission was now being split into two objectives, one was to head planet side and defend a generator complex powering the orbital guns, and the other was to head for an orbital station and capture nav data so the covenant couldn't. The Master Chief split the Spatans into two teams, Red team lead by Fred would go planet side, and Blue lead by John would go to the station. Wyatt was assigned to Red team, specifically Team Beta.
Red Team made their descent towards the planet. All the spartans were quiet for the most part. Wyatt was probably the most quiet, just holding his MA5B in his hands. Suddenly the pelican shook hard, snapping Wyatt out of his thoughts. They had been hit and were going down fast. The last thing Wyatt heard was one of his fellow Spartans yell "lock your armor" which Wyatt did. Moments later they crashed. Wyatt flew out through the cockpit door and out the front view port of the pelican. The Spartan hit the forest floor and tumbled end over end several times, unable to slow himself down. He was finally stopped when the front of his Mark IV helmet hit a large low hanging branch, Wyatt landed on his back facing the sky. He lost consciousness for a little over 30 seconds. Eventually he awoke and lifted himself up with a loud grunt. His head felt like it was hit with a sledge hammer, he knew he had a concussion but he still had a mission to do. He started to walk towards the last minute rally point, it was a short distance away. While making his way he found one of his fellow spartans slumped against a tree, dead. Wyatt looked to see the numbers 102 printed in white on the left side of the dead Spartan's breastplate. Wyatt walked over to the body of Haytham, his fallen brother. He grabbed the Spartan's dog tags and gently removed them before placing a hand onto Haytham's shoulder. He kneeled there for around 10 seconds before getting up and pulling his rifle off his back, he had a mission to do.
Wyatt linked up with the rest of Team Beta 6 minutes after the crash. Kate 014, callsign Beta Actual approached Wyatt. "Wyatt, glad you're still up" she said in a serious tone that wasn't uncommon for SIIs, including Wyatt himself. "Took a hit in the head during the crash" Wyatt confessed, it was important for squad leads to know if anything had happened to their soldiers, Spartans even more so. "How bad?" Kate asked "low level concussion" Wyatt replied. Kate thought for a moment before looking to her fellow Spartan "I'll inform Red lead, until then keep your head on straight" she said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Wyatt nodded before Team Beta moved towards their objective, the Orbital Defense Generators. The Spartans were in a jog, looking around for any signs of covenant activity. Wyatt had not been on Reach in around 27 years and he was a little more distraught about seeing it attacked then he thought he'd be, though that could be his concussion. When they were a klick away from the objective, Wyatt heard a familiar voice over the comms "Red Sixteen, do you copy?" said Fred 104. "Copy, Red leader" Wyatt responded, wondering what he wanted. "Due to your injury you are being redeployed to Manassas to assist with civilian evacuation" Joshua ordered. " Red leader, I am still operational," Wyatt argued, "not for this op, Wyatt. Make your way to Manassas immediately, that's an order, Spartan". Wyatt took a second to respond "copy, Red leader. Over and out" Wyatt looked to the rest of Team Beta. Kate nodded at him "we'll be alright, Wyatt. You have a mission to do, and so do we." she reassured before making a smile with her index finger and thumb and putting it up to her helmet where her mouth would be, a gesture the Spartans adopted since they were kids. Wyatt gave a smile back, before making his way to the city of Manassas.
Spartan Wyatt had been walking for about 5 minutes, making his trek to the city. Suddenly he noticed a UNSC falcon flying over head "this is Ospre 1-1, identify yourself" came the pilot's voice through the Spartan's helmet. "Serra 049" Wyatt identified "A Spartan? Where are you heading?" the pilot asked, "Manassas city, been ordered to assist with civilian extraction" Wyatt rescinded. "My current route is over the city if you need a lift" the pilot offered.
Wyatt was hanging onto the side of the Falcon, looking over the fast approaching city. Manassas was a city the spartan had heard about but had never seen, it was large with plenty of buildings stretching across and one of the Reach's nine space elevators was here. The closer they got the loader the gunshots and plasma rounds became, along with the screams of civilians running desperately for their lives. "Most of the civilian transports are at the space port" stated the pilot, while trying to avoid stray rounds. "Most?" Wyatt asked "yeah, there's a transport at another port but it's too risky. Their goners" he clarified sadly. The SII thought for a moment before asking "what's the condition of the transport?" Wyatt asked. "Still green but that won't be for long. ODSTs are prepping to help but they won't make it in time." the pilot answered. "Send me the channel their on" Wyatt barked, the pilot gave it to him. " This is Spartan 049 of the UNSC Pillar of Autumn to ODST command, respond immediately" Wyatt said over the comms. "This is Major Antonio Silva, what do you want spartan?" the major asked, Wyatt could hear the irritation in his voice. "Sir, you need to deploy troopers to the lone shuttle" the Spartan said. "Nothing would bring me more pleasure but its too hot and my boys won't get there in time" the Major responded. "I'll buy you time, Sir" Wyatt said, cold as ever. "If you can buy us 20 minutes, you'll have yourself some troopers" the Major remarked. Understood, 049 out" wyatt terminated the comms before ordering the pilot to head to the port.
Lara was sprinting with the other refugees towards the evacuation ship, her daughter in her arms clinging to her in fear. Plasma bolts whizzed by them as they ran, striking the ground and surrounding area. Her legs were tired but the adrenaline kept her going. Suddenly something sharp pierced her leg and she fell hard onto the ground, taking her child with her. She looked to see if her daughter was ok, she was calling for her a foot away. Lara looked down and saw a spike in her leg, the pain and panic started to set it. She saw the aliens charging at them, she told her daughter to run. Her daughter refused to leave Lara, crying as he pulled her mom's sleeve. A brute was 10 feet from them, aiming his spiker at the humans. Suddenly a flash of green came from the sky. A sage armored man fell on top of the hairy alien, one of his knees had crushed its skull leaving a pool of blood. Lara recognized the armored man as a Spartan. Wyatt turned to Lara and her child, seeing the wound in her leg. The Spartan picked both of them up and ran towards the transport, needing to get them out of the combat zone. When he made it he put both of them down and pulled out a can of Biofoam and gave it to another civilian "pull out the spike and spray this in the wound" Wyatt ordered, the civilian nodded "y-yes, sir". The Spartan ran back out, pulling his rifle off his back as he ran. Wyatt put multiple controlled sprays down range, killing grunts, jackals, and elites alike. Two Hunter bond brothers changed at the armored human, using the shields on their arms to block the incoming rounds. The Spartan put his rifle to his back and ran towards one of the Hunter, a frag grenade clutched in his hand. When he was five feet in front of the alien it slammed its metal arm down, attempting to crush the human. Wyatt sidestepped the slam and shoved his grenade into its neck, his hand hammering its way through the worms that made up its whole body. The Hunter's head exploded, killing it in a shower of orange blood and worm parts. The other Hunter, enraged by its bond brother's death, charged the Spartan. Wyatt leaped over the charging Hunter, tearing off it's back plate in the process. The Spartan rolled to recover and pulled his rifle, unloading the last of the mag into the Hunter's back till it fell over dead. While he was focused on the Hunters, he didn't notice an approaching team of Grunts following two brute chieftains wielding gravity hammers. Wyatt reloaded in half a second before burst firing the grunts to death, the high pitched squeals filling the Spartan's ears. Before the Spartan knew it both of the Brutes were on him, enraged at the Demon before them. One of the Brute brought his hammer down on Wyatt, who caught it with his free hand. Before the Spartan could raise his rifle, the other Brute hit Wyatt with an underhand swing, sending the Demon flying through the air. He landed a good 5 meters away, his helmet landing a short distance from him. Wyatt's face was a ghostly white from spending years in his armor, his blond hair turning platinum blond to match. He started to get up before being grabbed by the head by one of the Brutes, who laughed as he held him. The Spartan grabbed his knife and stabbed the Chieftain through the side of his face, red blood spewing out the other side. The Brute road in pain, throwing the Demon to the side. Wyatt hit the ground hard, landing next to the dead Grunts he killed not a minute ago. The Brute pulled the knife out of his face before throwing it to the side and began walking towards the Spartan, his brother walking towards the shuttle. Wyatt started to pick himself up again, drawing his M6 side arm and mag dumping it into the approaching Brute, knocking out it's shields. It charged the Demon, it's hammer raised. Wyatt caught the hammer and with all his strength, broke off the head of the weapon. The Spartan used the now severed part to beat the alien to death, each hit pulverizing the skull more and more, like hammering a nail. Wyatt's armor was covered in blood from beating the chieftain with his own weapon. He looked to the other Brute, his blue eyes filled with something different than his usual coldness, rage. He tossed the hammer to the side and quickly picked up one the of Grunt's needlers and began to charge. Before the Brute could turn around, Wyatt stabbed the needler into the top of its head, ejecting all the needles from the weapon. The needles exploded, sending pink shards and bits of skull everywhere, Wyatt turning away to shield his exposed head. The Spartan walked over to his helmet before putting it on and looking back to the port entrance, seeing more Covenant incoming. Wyatt flicked out his empty pistol mag before sliding a fresh one in, he was ready for more. Suddenly out of the sky landed 10 drop pods, each one bursting open to have an ODST exit. The Troopers started laying down fire toward the approaching Covenant force, Wyatt joining them in the defence.
Spartan Wyatt would fight a few more engagements on Reach before being ordered off planet, despite his wanting to stay with fellow Spartans. This mission would be the last time he would see another SII for many years. Reach would eventually fall on August 30, 2552.