2131 hours, May 11, 2542 (UNSC military calendar)
Combat Information Center, turian dreadnought Titan's Wrath, in orbit over New Milan.
"Break off, break off!" Admiral Karandis yelled as the Titan's Wrath shook violently. "What just happened!?"
"Covenant anti-orbital cannons just revealed themselves. Human ship Utrecht is going down. Ten of our own cruisers are going down as well." Ger Letanis, his communications officer, informed him.
The troop deployment was quickly turning into a disaster, as the frigates and cruisers deploying strike teams were caught with their metaphorical pants down.
"Our frigates are taking heavy losses from enemy fighters and anti-orbital cannons. They're moving out of orbit so they can jump away. The assault group reports thirty percent casualties."
"Order the orbital assault group to disengage immediately. All ships still unloading troops and supplies are to continue doing so. Have all other ships take up an extreme long range bombardment position above the northern continent. I want any Covenant force that moves between their shielded bases to have the sky fall on them."
Karandis looked at the holographic projection of the fleet, trying to get a measure of just what the Covenant's trap had cost them.
The remaining four dreadnoughts were in orbit of New Milan, unloading their cargo of soldiers and materiel onto the surface of the planet. Their GARDIAN lasers in conjunction with proximity to the human anti-air defenses made them safe from any massed Covenant fighter attacks.
Two dozens cruiser had been shot down, and the frigates committed to the failed orbital assault had taken heavy losses to Covenant fighters - fifty percent in some flotillas. Where normal fighters would have been shot out of the sky, Covenant fighters had just enough shielding and armor to reliably get close enough to the CEF frigates and disable the engines with barrages of pulse laser fire.
But he still had over over nine hundred ships. Enough to pound a world into the stone age.
Gila Setina, a young female recently assigned as the sensors officer, suddenly spoke up. "Human air forces are retreating and assuming a defensive posture"
"Scramble all fighters and have them fly interdiction to cover the humans' withdrawal. Then send a message to the human defenders, stating we'll be committing indiscriminate orbital bombardment of any Covenant forces moving out in the open between those shields." Karandis would win this battle the good old fashioned way.
The Covenant-controlled territory was nearly completely covered by anti-orbital weapons. However, the shield domes only covered the parts used by the Covenant as bases, staging areas, or airbases. The CEF would just have to besiege these domes and drag the Covenant out one by one.
"Have the salarians deploy spy satellites to relay firing coordinates to the fleet." The admiral ordered.
-
2140 hours, May 11, 2542 (UNSC military calendar)
UNSC Rotterdam, in high stationary orbit above New Milan City
As Admiral Karil read the incoming reports of Citadel troops landing on the surface, reinforcing UNSC positions and launching their own offensives, he could see that the battle was as good as won already. But it was not going to be easy. Orbital surveillance revealed nearly a hundred shield domes, each filled with anti-orbital weapons, heavy equipment, bunkers, barricades, and thousands of Covenant soldiers. Orbital bombardment was not an option so long as the power generators keeping the shields active were operation. They'd have to be taken out one by one.
But even if they could not land forces near the Covenant positions, they could still provide orbital fire support from extreme range, which the new aliens had immediately begun moving into position to provide.
"Admiral Karil, The alien admiral is contacting us."
"Put him through." Admiral Karil said.
"Admiral." The alien voice cut to the point. "My fleet is in position to provide pinpoint orbital fire support on any Covenant forces spotted on the surface. As this is your world, I am asking for your permission to open fire."
Karil thought about just how ludicrous this was: an alien admiral was asking for his permission to slag half a continent with kinetic bombardment. If the situation wasn't so desperate, he would be laughing about it.
"I will give the order for our forces to get into cover."
"There is no need for that. We'll commence precision bombardment at a safe distance from your troops. . If your forces hunker down, the Covenant will know what we're planning."
Karil thought it over, then nodded. "You may fire when ready, turian."
-
"Incoming Scarab!" Johnson called out as he saw the lumbering mass of a Covenant assault walker appear on the horizon.
"What is that thing!?" Shiala asked as she unleashed a bolt of blue energy that shredded a Grunt into red mist.
"Siege engine." Johnson yelled back, throwing a grenade at the Covenant, which Shiala caught with her so-called "biotics" and guided into the open gullet of an Elite. The split-lip didn't even have time to respond to being fed a grenade before it exploded in a shower of gore.
"You're pretty good at handling my grenades." Johnson said, a sly smile on his face, then peeked out of cover to open fire at the Covenant forces advancing across the battle-scarred ground of Gamma Passage. The sheer amount of upthrown earth, rocks and destroyed vehicles allowed the Covenant a copious amount of cover.
The asari laughed. "I'm sorry human, but we can talk about mating after the battle is over." With that, Shiala conjured a blue glow around her left arm. Then she threw an upwards jab at a piece of a destroyed Wraith tank. A shockwave of force sped across the ground, and threw the wreckage and the Jackal hiding behind it into the air. A well-aimed blast from her shotgun then took off the alien's head.
Then the heavens fell on the Covenant. Dozens of projectiles glowing with the heat of reentry slammed deep into the ground, throwing up huge mounds of earth that rained down on the Covenant not outright liquefied by the impact.
Then, seconds later, another volley of projectiles hit, and another, and another.
The entire Covenant army looked like it was being consumed by the earth itself as the kinetic bombardment (or at least, what Johnson thought was kinetic bombardment) blew apart Covenant formations or buried them in churning earth.
The barrage was seemingly unending, as after half a minute of Marines and their new allies hiding in their trenches, the onslaught continued, this time sweeping north as if to chase the Covenant army as it retreated to a shielded dome in the distance.
Shiala sniffed the air, breathing in deep. "Nothing like the smell of orbital bombardment to end a battle. Don't you think?"
"Indeed." Johnson said, lighting one of his Sweet William cigars with a live Covenant plasma pistol, then taking a good tug of it. "Thank the good lord for gravity."
-
2140 hours, May 11, 2542 (UNSC military calendar)
UNSC Sector, New Milan City Starport, New Milan
Aboard the alien shuttle, John-117 looked at the viewscreen as they flew across New Milan City towards the planetary capital's primary spaceport. Looking in some bemusement at what he saw in the city's streets.
There had to be hundreds of aliens in blue form-fitting suits of armor marching down the city's streets, while shuttles flew overhead. They marched with perfect discipline and in perfect lockstep, and that made them look like a flowing wave of blue armor. Civilians had come out of the bombardment shelters, waving flags and hanging up banners as the soldiers passed by, while police and UNSC MPs were trying to coax them back into their shelters.
The thought of humans cheering at the arrival of alien visitors was a weird concept to John, although he did not reject it outright. It was good to have some hope, and anyone who threw their ships against a Covenant fleet was welcome to join the UNSC in their struggle. Not to mention, it was very good for civilian morale to see they were not alone in the fight.
John hoped this cooperation wouldn't end here. The micromunitons used by the troops who had extracted the Spartans were quite impressive. He'd send a request to the ONI Materials Group to acquire a few of those weapons for use by Spartans.
The shuttles set down and the hatches opened, allowing Blue Team to disembark.
Officially the SPARTAN-II program didn't exist, but it was often hard to hide them from fellow UNSC soldiers, which meant that rumors had spread. The moment the shuttles landed and the Spartans disembarked, people in the landing area turned to look at them, talking in hushed whispers.
Blue Team ignored it and began to help unload the wounded and dying ODSTs onto stretchers brought by medical personnel. Many of the ODSTs had died in transit, alongside several aliens who'd been hit.
The aliens got the weirdest looks as they disembarked, assisting with moving the wounded and the dead to the edges of the landing pad before they could be moved to an infirmary. John was worried one of the locals or UNSC soldiers would lash out or cause an issue. But there was no violence. One dockworker respectfully took a dead alien from its comrade, who was clearly struggling with the weight, and placed it down in a body bag.
Captain Exaviel came in on the COM channel. "Blue Team, this is Circumference. I've received new instructions from Admiral Karil. You're being sent to aid a counteroffensive against the Covenant. The Pelican will pick you up after the alien shuttles have left."
"Sir. We need to rearm. We are low on ammunition."
"This starport has an armory for the UNSC soldiers stationed there. It should have what you need." The captain replied. "Covenant Spec Ops has been placing signal jammers and raiding field headquarters across the planet. I'd been working to have supplies brought to you, but a Spec Ops raid attacked the ONI armory I'd contacted."
Elite Spec Ops? In the planetary capital? The thought made John's gut clench. "What's the mission, sir?" he asked.
"The Covenant is holed up under their energy domes, anyone stepping outisde, even single scouts, is immediately fired at by the turian fleet. You're going to take out the closest shielded dome by destroying the scarabs stationed inside."
"Understood, sir. When do we move out?"
"Thirty minutes. Gear up and wait at the landing pad."
"Understood. SPARTAN-117 out." John said, then switched to TEAMCOM.
"You heard the captain. Let's get some weapons."
"How uncoordinated have things become if we have to get our own equipment?" Kelly muttered.
"Spec Ops Elites. Just a few squads could throw supply lines and communications into disarray." Linda said.
Fred nodded. "Even more so if they have those Elites in seamless red armor. Remember Operation: SILENT STORM?" He was referring to the Spartans' first large-scale operation of the war, and the last time the UNSC had attacked a Covenant world - or at least a world that far into Covenant space.
John thought about it. Most Elites he and his fellow Spartans could handle quite easily, but there were a few who were incredibly formidable and could take on Spartans on equal terms. Few Covenant were more fearsome than the elite Spec Ops.
They reached the armory and walked inside, ignoring the looks of utter shock of the resident Army troopers as the Spartans grabbed weapons, ammunition, medical equipment, and explosives. Then walked out without a word.
-
John-117 did a last minute inspection of his jetpack, tiny puffs of exhaust leaving the nozzles as he tested it. Satisfied, he strapped it to his back and stood up.
Blue Team had boarded their assigned Pelican, joined by a squad of ODST Bullfrogs. Everyone was looking over each other's straps and packs, and checked if their weapons were secured for the drop.
As Blue Team had grown to expect of the ODSTs over the years, all straps had been tightened, packs sealed with nothing that could snag onto corners, and all weapons had their safeties on.
The ODST sergeant standing at the aft end of the Pelican's troop bay, right in front of the closed ramp, began briefing his team. "Our new reptilian friends are giving the Covenant a proper orbital pounding, and killed pretty much anything that's not under one of their shielded domes. Now it's up for the ground pounders to finish this job."
"We're gonna fly through their shield, drop on the Scarabs and take them out so ground forces can approach without being destroyed. Am I understood?"
One ODST spoke up. "Sir. How the fuck are we gonna get out if we're stuck inside this dome with an army of Covies? "
"While we're attacking the Scarabs, friendly forces will attack groundside. By the time we're finished with the walkers, the footsloggers will be upon us - and the Covenant."
That seemed to satisfy most of the ODST s, and they went back to their prior passive discipline as they waited for the order to drop.
Linda activated TEAMCOM, shutting off her helmet speaker. "Most of these ODSTs probably won't survive. Scarabs are always crewed by some of the toughest Elites around." She said somberly.
"I doubt any will, Linda." John said in a brief moment of sincerity, forgoing protocol. "But many more will die if we assault this base without taking out their Scarabs."
"Blue Team. I'm uploading the locations of the Scarabs you'll be dropping on. We're splitting so each Scarab has at least one Spartan attacking it. Confirm upload."
Three green lights lit up on his HUD.
The voice of the pilot spoke up inside the hold of the Pelican. "Covenant anti-orbitals still firing into space. Prepare to drop in twenty."
The troopers inside the Pelican tensed up as they felt it begin its wide turn.
Then the ramp dropped mid-turn and the ODSTs leapt out of the Pelican, activating their jetpacks and moving into squad formations in mid-air. They were quickly followed by ODSTs from the other Pelicans.
Blue Team split up, each Spartan following a squad of Helljumpers down.
John could see the ground fast approaching and the Covenant opening fire with their defensive guns. ODSTs began taking plasma fire, going limp and spinning out of control. He waited for the last possible moment, then ignited his jetpack, feeling the whiplash as his descent was slowed, and slammed into the top of the Scarab with an audible "THUNK".
What remained of the squad he'd been assigned landed alongside. Half of them had died to anti-air fire from the defensive emplacements, including the sergeant from before.
"Troopers, with me." John-117 ordered, and the ODSTs immediately listened. They followed John, weapons at the ready, as they moved across the hull of the Scarab towards the nearest entrance.
John turned to look at the ODSTs. "Stay behind me. Don't split up."
An Elite opened the hatch, looking incredibly surprised when he was met with John's faceplate. He barely had time to yell out a warning, before John pressed his pistol between the alien's mandibles and fired upwards, splattering the ceiling of the entryway with brains.
-
John-117 pulled his bloody fist out of the chest cavity of the Scarab's commander. The Spartan was nearly covered from head to toe in the Elites' blood. He and the ODST squad had painted the walls of the control room blue in a quick and merciless assault that had lasted less than a minute. All the ODSTs died shortly after they'd breached the entrance, leaving John to clear the Scarab by himself.
It had gone faster than he'd expected it to.
John was about to head for the reactor to finish the walker off, when he got an idea.
"Blue Team, be advised. I'm commandeering this Scarab," he said over TEAMCOM.
He approached what he thought were the controls. Using his hard-earned knowledge of standard Covenant controls, he turned the Scarab around and then aimed its beam cannon at the Covenant base.
After some tentative button-pressing, the walker fired a beam of plasma that cut right through a Tyrant gun in a single shot. John smiled inside his helmet when he aimed the main gun downwards and fired it at the Covenant forces massing to repel the UNSC attack. The beam cut through anything it touched, killing hundreds as John swept it back and forth across the defenders.
"Blue Team. Sitrep." John said over TEAMCOM.
"Charges set." Three voices said in unison.
For a moment John considered setting demolition charges on his own Scarab, but decided against it.
"Regroup at my Scarab with all surviving ODSTs. The Materials Group is going to want a chance to look over another Scarab." John said as he opened fire at a line of wraith tanks that were trying and failing to return fire.
-
2300 hours, May 11, 2542 (UNSC military calendar)
UNSC Rotterdam, in high stationary orbit above New Milan City
Admiral Karil nodded in satisfaction as he saw another Covenant shield dome shut down. It was going to take weeks to months to clear the Covenant out of every base they had left. But with a Spartan team at his disposal, he was confident they could win in the end.
But the Covenant would be back. They always did come back.
"Admiral. The turian admiral is sending us a message."
The turian admiral appeared on the viewscreen. "Admiral Karil. This is Admiral Karandis of the Turian Hierarchy. I'm stationing the core of my fleet in this system under a subordinate, as well as its ground complement. I've been recalled to attend a war summit to formally prepare our alliance with the UNSC."
Admiral Karil nodded. "Godspeed, turian. May we meet again under better circumstances."