Chapter Five
0901 Hours, September 27th, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Aboard UNSC destroyer Iroquois, Waco System.
One week after the Battle of Earth.
A large hole in the space-time continuum opened, and a pair of UNSC cruisers, three destroyers, eight frigates, and twenty corvettes exited from it. Their ion drives flickered to life, and the fleet moved deeper in system, towards the Iroquois, and Halo.
Captain John Archimedes stood on the bridge, griping the hand railing. Cortana's petite hologram appeared on the pedestal next to the Captain.
"Sir," said Cortana. "UNSC reinforcements have arrived, Admiral Huff of the cruiser Marathon is hailing us."
"Put him on view screen 2," said Archimedes.
Admiral Huff appeared on the flat screen. His dress black uniform was adorned with various medals and awards and campaign ribbons. On his shoulders were the four stars of a UNSC full Admiral. His war weary face looked vaguely disinterested, and his gray hair was kept neat and trim. His green eyes, however, were full of energy and commanding power.
"Report," said the Admiral.
"Sir," said Archimedes, snapping a crisp salute. "We've completed our scan of the Waco system. The Covenant cruisers, which we encountered in system, have crash-landed on Halo, and seem to be attempting repair. Halo, itself, is a large ring ten thousand kilometers in diameter, and twenty-two point three kilometers thick, the same size as Halo-04. The ring is held in place by the Lagrange point between the third planet and one of its moons.
The system is clear, however of additional operational Covenant ships, and no sign of the Flood either. We may have not seen any of their ships, but they could have very well taken over or built a craft of their own, and be hiding in system."
"Very well, I'll alert the fleet to stand watch for any Covenant reinforcements, fleeing craft, or the Flood. I'm sending down the Third Marine Division, you and your SPARTANs and ODSTs as well. I'll be overseeing the mission personally," said Admiral Huff.
"Sir? Your going to the ring?" asked Archimedes.
"If were going to take that thing for the UNSC, I want to be there first-hand," said the Admiral, sneering.
"Aye, sir."
Below decks, the decompression alarm sounded in Bay 2C, and eight UNSC Pelicans and twelve Longsword single-ships exited from the Iroquois. From the rest of the fleet, hundreds of singleships and dropships exited. All of them fired their thrusters and powered their engines for their decent towards Halo.
On Pelican E-197, SPARTAN-117 completed his weapons and suit diagnosis, and snapped his helmet on. He turned to the others on the Pelican. The surviving SPARTAN-IIs, in their Mark VI MJOLNIR Armor, stood with their weapons holstered, and held onto a handhold, their shields flickering lightly as the craft entered Halo's atmosphere. Also onboard, the SPARTAN-IIIs, the group that Chief Mendez left to train when John graduated, completing their diagnosis as well.
The SPARTAN-IIIs had completed their training twenty years ago, but were kept on Earth as a complete secret, a reserve force incase the SPARTAN-IIs failed. This group, while training for years and years, was still green, they had yet to see combat. John turned to them all, and activated a private channel that only the Spartans would hear.
"This is it, men. We're heading down to Halo. Since none of you have ever been to one before, I have a word of advice. Stick with your teammates, and don't get lost. Always keep on eye on your motion tracker, but use your eyes and ears. These are your most important pieces of equipment, as they'll be what keep you alive. We're heading down to secure Halo for the UNSC, and from keeping the Covenant from securing it.
But be warned, we're also being sent down to keep the Flood from getting off from this ring." Finished the Chief. One of the SPARTAN-IIIs, SPARTAN-205, Tyler, raised his hand.
"Sir," said Tyler. "What are these Flood we keep hearing about? HighCom briefed us on them, but said little."
"The Flood is the most dangerous race in the galaxy. There are three types of Flood that we know of." John spoke something quietly to Cortana, and point to a monitor on the Pelican, and he motioned from them to gather around. A picture of a Flood Infection Form, Combat Form, and Carrier Form appeared on it.
"This," he said, pointing to the Infection Form. "Are what lets the Flood get to these two later stages," he pointed again. "They'll penetrate your armor, and dig into your body via your spinal cord, and effectively kill you. You'll then become a Combat Form, a mindless servant of the Flood.
"The Infection Forms, however, are stopped by your shield, and are killed easily, but they attack by the thousands. If you encounter a large group of them, use an SMG, Battle Rifle, Assault Rifle, or Shotgun to kill them. They are taken out with ease.
"The Combat Forms are the infected Human or Covenant Forms, and can use weapons that we can use. Beware of their left arm; they have a nasty melee attack with those. The last form is Carrier Form, and they'll explode when they are near you, and send out a spray of Infection Forms. This is how we believe the Flood reproduce. Any other questions?" None of the Spartans spoke.
"Good, we'll be hitting the LZ in five minutes. SPARTANs 176-200, your Red Team. SPARTANs 201-225, your Green Team. Will, Fred, Linda, and myself will be Blue Team. Stow your gear, and prepare for landing." And with that the Spartans sprung into action. John smiled inside his helmet. He hadn't been in charge of this amount of SPARTANs for a very long time. It felt good.
"We've arrived at the LZ, prepare for drop!" came the pilot's voice. Dozens of Pelicans soared through the sky, heading for different points of Halo. Longsword fighters patrolled the skies, and attacked the occasional unlucky Covenant encampment they encountered.
A dozen UNSC Pelicans, consisting of the SPARTANs, a battalion of ODSTs, and a group of Marines landed near a beachhead unlike the one near the Silent Cartographer on Halo 04. The Pelicans ramps descended, and the SPARTANs ran out. Linda, with her sniper rifle at ready, scanned the area.
"Site's clear, Chief," she said. The Master Chief nodded.
"Red Team, stay here and set up a base. Green Team, take the Warthogs and patrol the surrounding area. Blue Team, we're heading inside the installation to see if there is any Covenant inside. " As he said this, six more Pelicans arrived, and dropped their cargo --- Warthogs.
Green Team scrambled in them, and each one was soon filled up with three SPARTANs each. John walked up to one of them, Tyler.
"Tyler, I want you to accompany me and my team inside," said the Chief.
"Yes, sir," said Tyler, a little surprised. The five Spartans began their long march towards the entrance. Linda motioned for the group to halt. She pulled out her sniper rifle and spoke.
"Multiple Covenant contacts. I read a dozen Elites, and a hundred Grunts." She aimed with her rifle, fired a few rounds. "Make that eight Elites. I recommend you call in an air strike, there might be more Covenant hiding in the hills." John nodded.
"This is Master Chief SPARTAN-117, requesting an air strike 500 meters north by north-west of my position, copy."
A pause.
"Chief, this is Captain Hawkins, sit tight. Air cover inbounds." And with that a trio of Longswords flew directly overhead of the Spartans. Tyler looked up at them in awe. The Longswords fired hundreds of rounds at the Covenant, and one of them fired a pair of missiles.
"Verify delivery of ordnance on target." Linda peered through her rifle.
"Confirmed," she said.
"Let's move," said the Chief. And the five Spartans continued onward. The burnt corpses of Covenant littered the area, and blood and bone were scattered on the ground. The Spartans crept along, and hid behind a large rock. John checked his motion tracker. It was clear. The team moved forward again, slowly. Gunfire filled the air, and John looked up. The Longswords were engaging a squadron of Banshees. Tracers from the Warthogs chain gun flew through the sky.
John thought he even saw a few Jackhammer rockets fly upward. A few of the tracers and rockets connected with the Banshees, and they exploded. One of them broke off, and fired its Fuel Rod Gun at a cluster of Marines. Limbs and guns flew through the air, and their corpses fell off the cliff. A Longsword engaged the Banshee and opened fire with its 110mm guns.
The Banshee exploded in a ball of fire and metal.
"Keep moving," said the Chief. After a few minute walk, they made it to the entrance of the installation. John loaded up his Battle Rifle, and peered through the scope. He cursed.
"Hunters," said John. "Linda, try to get a clear headshot on them." Linda nodded, and after a few seconds, she fired two bullets. Both connected with the Hunters, and they fell in a pile of orange gore. "Good job. Fred, you and Linda go inside the base and take care of any Covenant. Head towards this," he flashed a location on their HUDs. "And make sure the security doors are unlocked. Tyler and I will head inside, and secure the Silent Cartographer, if this Halo has one."
And with that Linda and Fred ran off.
"Come on Tyler," said the Chief, and he loaded a clip into his Battle Rifle. They arrived inside the base, and it was clear of all resistance. They walked down the ramp, and through a security door. The two Spartans turned right and walked down a corridor. A loud battle cry sounded through the air, and the Chief and Tyler spun around, weapons at ready. A Golden Elite with a pair of Plasma Rifles charged out and fired at both the Spartans.
Tyler took a round to the shoulder, and collapsed momentarily, but returned fire with his SMGs. The Chief took careful aim, and fired a burst at the Elite with his Rifle. The rounds penetrated the Elite's shield, and his head. Purple blood and bits of brains spewed onto the wall. The Elite collapsed to the ground.
The Master Chief turned towards Tyler. "You ok?" he asked. Tyler nodded, and paused to allow his shields recharge.
"Lets keep moving," said Tyler. And they continued farther into the base. The Spartans met no further resistance, and John was starting to get suspicious. They finally arrived at the Silent Cartographer, which was right were the Chief found it on Halo 04. Suddenly, an Energy Sword activated, and something dropped from the ceiling. Tyler spun, and was instantly downed by the Sword.
He screamed out in pain, and died. John fired with his rifle, and primed a Fragmentation grenade. The alien simply jumped upward onto the ceiling and fired his Plasma Rifle at John. His shields fell rapidly, and John jumped behind the Silent Cartographer, and pulled out a pair of SMGs. He opened fired with both, and emptied both clips into the alien, who promptly fell to the ground.
John reloaded, and kicked the alien in the face. He was angry; the alien killed one of his Spartans. But the cloak that kept the alien invisible died, and John examined it. The alien was not an Elite, or any other type of Covenant the Spartans had encountered. The alien also had strange marks on it, which didn't match with any known Covenant language.
"Oh my God," said Cortana in John's helmet. "This isn't a type of Covenant at all. This is a Forerunner Guardian."
"Forerunners? I thought they were all dead," said John.
"Apparently not. The data I got from Halo 04 did, however speak of an elite Forerunner group that was to protect the Halos from outsiders."
"Alright, inform the UNSC ground party of these "Guardians." John picked up the Forerunner's Energy Sword, and he turned to the Silent Cartographer. "At least the Covenant hasn't gotten here yet." And with that, he activated the Energy Sword, and slashed horizontally, and destroyed the Silent Cartographer.
"We'll accomplish our mission," said John, his hand on Tyler's helmet. "We'll do it for you."
End of Chapter 5.