617 Squadron, over Raleigh V

1315 Hours 10.2.2551

"Okay, throttle up, we've got company."

"Roger that."

"Copy."

Pine made a 180° turn in his fighter, his boys could handle a few dropships, he needed to keep those fighters away from the UNSC ships, they didn't have shields, very vulnerable.

After surveying the area, Pine dove to intercept a pair of Covenant Seraph fighters making a run on the frigate Lafayette. He focused his sights on their tops, then fired ten shots, knocking away their shields, then ended the fight with six more before his prey could escape. A couple more went down before Pine realized a couple dropships were going to make it through, despite his squadronmate's best efforts. He had to warn the folks on the ground. After selecting a secure frequency, Pine keyed a COM link and began speaking.

"Two dropships inbound, ETA three minutes, look out. Over." The message was short but to the point. He needed to fight, not talk.

Pine turned his fighter to keep the Seraphs away from the fleet.

Worm and UNSC troops, Raleigh V

1336 Hours 10.2.2551

"Roger that 617, we'll hold them off as long as possible." Casey switched off the Com. He turned to Dirt with a concerned look on his wormy face.

"Don't fret," an armored UNSC marine said, "Only two ships, this'll be a milk run."

"I hope yer correct!" Dirt snapped. The marine returned to his squad without looking back. The Worm Troopers followed, readying themselves for the upcoming fight.

After a few minutes two U-shaped, purple ships appeared, they touched down about a hundred meters away. Ten squat aliens in orange armor jumped out, they started with what was a mix of squeals and barks, they advanced.

"What the-"

"Grunts," Colonel Mallard told Dirt. "They're fairly weak, you got a sidearm?" Dirt pulled out his blaster pistol.

"Just point the gun at 'em, fire, and we'll all live," the Colonel assured.

After circling a few minutes to let the other clear, the second dropship landed, out came eight Grunts and five black, bird-like aliens carrying glowing shields.

"Jackals!" A marine yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Shut up Marine!" a Sergeant yelled back.

At forty meters the Marines began firing with their projectile weapons, bullets flew at high speed towards the first wave of attackers, two of the Grunts wee felled by 7.62mm bullets. The Worms joined in with their EARs, five more of the Grunts fell. The remaining Grunts started screaming and ran, but not before Dirt nailed a straggler with two shots to the head.

When the second wave apporached things got a little hot, one of the Jackals fired a large ball of plasma from its pistol, it struck a Marine next to Dirt, he shrieked, and three small shots nailed him in his face, his helmet melted as he hit the ground. A second burst approached the line, Dirt ducked, and felt a wave of immense heat pass over head. A second UNSC Marine was hit by a charged blast, he ducked the foll-up shots and continued firing. Five of the Gunts were killed by fire from the Marines' MA5B assault rifles, and lances of EAR fire sliced through the shields of the Jackals, two died, a third begin to run, Dirt hit it in the head with a bolt. The remaining Grunts began to panic.

"Run away!" Was one of the many things which were said as they retreated. Anothr Grunt was killed by four rounds in the stomach, and a fifth in its methane breather. The remaining five Grunts escaped and the two surviving Jackals escaped into the woods.

The Worms, with the exception of Dirt, immediately began cheering, they had held off the assault. Dirt wasn't so convinced.

"It's not over yet." Dirt muttered to himself. He then heard a strange whine…

"Banshees!" Mallard yelled to his men. "Duck and cover!" Dirt looked up and saw to strange purple ships approaching fast, firing a kind of plasma weapon. They sported two stubby wings with red pods at the end. They sprayed the encampment with fire. Two Marines were killed and a Worm Trooper was badly burned. The UNSC Marines began firing their weapons at the two ships as they turned around for another pass, again spitting out plasma at a tremendous rate.

Casey took two hits in his right arm, as he fired his pistol at the incoming fighters. The burned Worm was unable to duck and was finished off, finally one of them exploded from a hail of bullets, and three red laser beams came out of nowhere, everyone turned and saw a white vee fighter, a Skua, Pine's Skua.

"Damn, what the hell was that thing?"

"This is Colonel Thomas Mallard, United Nations Space Command Marine Corps."

"Roger that, Colonel. Thought I might drop in."

"Affirmative. Any new Covenant dropships inbound to our location?"

"Scanning…" Everyone held their breath for a few seconds. "Four dropships coming in, a damaged Covenant Frigate set down sixty kilometers from here. I'll get a few of my boys to deal with'em. Brown Leader. Out."

Mallard turned off the COM and put it back into his pocket. "Well I sure hope your friends in white are up to the challenge, we can handle on dropship, we can handle two with a little air support, but four…

"Who's we?" Dirt said coldly. "We're leaving." He signalled the troopers to follow him and turned around.

Before the human cold reply he got another trasmission from Pine.

Seraph fighters, engaging, ground teams. A dropship [static] getting through, get out [static] there…

Colonel Mallard turned back to Dirt after the Worms stopped walking. Dirt sighed deeply. "Okay, let's hunker down."

"Holy shit, they're back!" Everyone turned and saw five Grunts and the two Jackals, they were back.

Dirt ducked as a shower of explosive needles rained down on the party, several Marines were not so lucky. One Marine took was hit by three needles, which exploded with a purple column of fire, he was down and dead. A second Marine and a Worm Trooper each took five needles, the Worm's left arm exploded as he cried out in pain, the Marine slumped to the ground.

The Worms opened fire with their EARs, cutting down three of the Grunts, a Marine threw a fragmentation grade, killing both the surviving Jackals, bullets cut down a fourth Grunt, the sole survivor let out another burst of needles before taking cover. Two Worm Troopers were wounded.

A Covenant Dropship landed sixty meters downwind. "We're being flanked!" Mallard yelled to his men as fourteen Grunts exited the dropship, all seven carrying needlers, two of the Gurnts wore red armor. Mallard's life was soon cut short as ten needles hit him, six in the chest, and four around his waist, the explosion sent blood and pieces of flesh flying everywhere, after brushing off the skin and organs, the party opened up on the new arrivals, the survivor Grunt was quickly cut down by three shots from Dirt's pistol. Three of the new Grunts were felld by 7.62mm bullets, five more from EARs.

Two needles impacted with a Worm Trooper to Dirt's left, they detonated a few seconds later, the Worm's insides were meat, if they were not relieved soon, Dirt and everyone else would die. After a few more minutes, all Covenant troops were eleminated but three more soldiers were killed, Dirt was hit in his shoulderblade by a plasma shot, luckiley there was no bleeding, just a second degree burn.

After the battle, ten Worm Troopers, Dirt, Casey, and five Marines were left alive. Almost everyone was at least slightly wounded. An Assualt Shuttle picked everyone up, and an hour later the Worm Expeditionary Force had left the system.