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The Halo of a Hero
Chapter 3 The War
The year is 2552. Planet Earth still exists, but overpopulation has forced many of the former residents to colonize other worlds. Faster-then-light travel is now reality, and Earths unified government, through the United Nations Space Command, has put its full weight behind the colonization efforts; billions of humans now live on habitable planets in other solar systems. A keystone of human colonization efforts is the planet Reach, interstellar naval yard that builds colony ships for civilians and warships for the UNSC´s armed forces. Conveniently close to Earth, Reach is also a hub of scientific and military activity.
Flashback
Date: 2527
"Good morning, Admiral", a short woman in a military dress uniform greeted the old man that walked through the door.
"Good morning, Captain Summers", the man said to his secretary as he walked into his office.
Admiral Winston Wulf sat in his leather chair and began to work on some papers that were left from the previous day. When he was done, he laid them in a neat pile on his desk. He then turned to his computer and was about to begin to answer many of the mails he had gotten during the night, when Captain Summers walked into the office and took the pile of papers.
"Are all the documents to General Adams?" she asked as she began to sort through the pile.
"The document in the bottom is to Sergeant Harris, and the brown folder is to the Office of Naval Intelligence, the rest is to the General" he replied as he looked up from the screen of the computer.
He then resumed the work on his computer. She just nodded and was about to leave the office, but then she remembered something.
"So how did the meeting with the Fujika & Shaw go" she asked as she stood in the doorway.
He looked up from his screen once again.
"Good, the testing for the next generation FTL-engines is in the final stages, and they can deliver a functional engine in less then six months". If the people in the government will give us a bigger budget to allow it, of course He thought to himself. They really needed that money, so they could manufacture more and faster ships, too speed up the colonisation. The earth had currently a population of 32 billion and was basically bursting because of the amount.
"Well that was it, we looked at the engine, and then we ate dinner discussing the future. Wasn't much more."
"Okay. Oh, by the way don't forget the meeting whit the UNSC High Command at four o'clock today" she said as she left the office.
He sat in his chair and looked out the window. This meeting is important, I can't screw up He thought to himself as he took out some tobacco and his old pipe, the room soon filled with the scent of smoke. The meeting would decide if they would get aditional funding too build more ships and expand the military and scientific installations on Reach. Well, hope they are in the giving mood he thought as he blew a trail of smoke into the air and out the open window.
"Funding approved, The UNSC will get an additional funding of 900 billion to use in colonisation purposes"
Admiral Wulf silently congratulated himself, he had managed to convince the High Command to give them the money.
End flashback
Twenty-one years ago, contact with the outer colony Harvest was lost. A battle group sent to investigate was almost completely destroyed; only one badly damaged ship returned. Its crew told of a seemingly unstoppable alien warship that had effortlessly annihilated their forces.
Flashback
Date: April 28 2531
"You whished to see me, Admiral" a man in his forties, with small amounts of grey hair around his temples, asked.
"Captain Evanz, good that you're here. I have a mission for you" a slightly overweight man standing and looking out at the Reach sunset said.
"What kind of a mission" he asked.
"We have lost all contact with the colony world Harvest, and we want you to investigate" he replied without taking his eyes of the sunset.
"Do you suspect an attack" he asked. "Pirates maybe"
"Maybe, but it is very unlikely, Harvest is a relatively new colony and doesn't have any valuable resources or strategic importance. It could be something simple as some technical difficulties. In either case we want you to investigate and do something about it"
He then proceeded and gave the captain a folder.
"Your ship and five others will leave the docks tomorrow. All information you need is in the folder. You are dismissed.
"Yes sir" the captain saluted and then left the room.
The admiral still stood and looked out of the window at the beautiful sunset.
------------------------------
"This is Reach control, you have authorisation to leave"
Captain Evanz stood on the bridge as the speakers relied the message.
"Roger that control" He said over the com-channel.
"Ok, bring engines up to 15%, and then proceed to rendezvous point."
"Aye aye captain"
The captain then stood before the main view-screen and looked out as the docks and shipyards of Reach slowly drifted by. They sun reflecting of the black-grey metal. He then walked over to one of the many monitors that were lined after the wall.
"Engine status?" He asked the ensign that was currently running a check.
"All green, no overheating in the fusion core or cracks in the cooling system."
The reason the captain was worried over the engines was because the ship had been on a major repair and maintenance check in one of Reach's many dry-docks, because of a crack in a cooling pipe that flooded an entire compartment with cooling-fluid. That resulted in a overheating in the reactor and engines, and both engines, reactor and cooling systems were replaced. The engines were brand new and used for the first time, so they would need to warm them up slowly or risk another overheating.
"This is Captain Evanz, commanding officer on the UNSC YORK"
"This is Captain Hylland, UNSC KURSK, well we should probably leave for Harvest now, don't you think so Captain Evanz.
"Yes, see you at Harvest" he replied.
--------------------
"Leaving slip-space in five, four, three, two and one. Entering normal space now."
He saw as the light of the stars returned. When you travelled faster then light everything was black, because the light was to slow to catch up with them. He had always hated the darkness of slip-space, it just gave him the creeps.
"We are in the outskirts of the system"
"Any contact with Harvest?"
"No sir, nothing on long or short-range receivers. Shall I send a message?
"Yes" he replied in a calm voice.
"This is the UNSC light cruiser YORK, do you read me, over"
All the crew was quiet as they waited for an answer. After about a minute, witch felt like an eternity Evanz broke the silence.
"Try again"
The com-officer nodded and then lifted the microphone to his mouth.
"This is the UNSC light cruiser YORK, do you read me, over"
After yet a minute, Evanz was yet again the one to break the silence.
"Again"
"This is the UNSC light cruiser YORK, do you read me, over,
Silence.
"Again"
Harvest control, this is the UNSC light cruiser YORK, please respond.
Silence.
"Something is wrong. Their long-range transmitter may be down, but they should at least have a couple of short-range transmitters. Warn the others and bring all ships to yellow alert."
"Aye aye captain."
They would have laughed and said that the captain was just paranoid, but something felt horribly wrong, and all were having a sinking feeling in their stomach.
The ships where slowly moving towards the planet Harvest. As they left a dust cloud and were able to see the planet with their own eyes, some gasped, others where looking freightend but most where just standing there, to shocked to say anything, their minds not believing what their eyes told them.
Captain Evanz looked shocked at was once was a beautiful planet, home of millions. Now it was just a black sphere, with small lines of red where the planets crust had been too weak and let the burning magma flow out.
"Send… Send a message"
"S-sir"
"Now, damn it."
Every one was brought back to reality by the loud voice of the captain.
"This is the UNSC YORK please respond."
Silence.
"Harvest do you read me over"
Silence.
"Harvest please answer damn it"
staticstatic
"I think we got something"
YOU WILL JOIN THE OTHERS, THIS IS THE DAY YOU DIE PATHETIC HUMANS
"What the hell…"
Captain Evanz knew that whatever made those words wasn't human. The voice was just too deep, sounding more like growling than talking. And he also knew that the speaker meant every word, the voice filled with hate and anger. So he reacted the only way he could.
"BRING SHIP TO COMBAT ALERT ALPHA!"
Barely had he screamed those words than a purple craft came out from the shadow of Harvest moon. The ship was huge, maybe three times as long as the YORK, and the YORK was over one kilometre. The craft was shaped as a teardrop with a hull that appeared to glow purple as the light from the nearby sun reflected on it. It slowly came towards them, two points on the ships bow appeared to burn with menacing small blue flames.
"Weapon Status?"
Archer missile pods A1-B8 loaded in 30 seconds, C1-D8 one minute, E1-H8 three minutes.
Magnetic Acceleration Canon (MAC) five minutes.
"Get me a target solution for the archer missiles and MAC."
"Target solution on the way." The entire crew was now working like mad.
"Scramble the Longbow interceptors."
Along the side of the five cruisers the hangar bays opened and let the longbows leave the belly of the cruisers. The eight longbows from every ship, began to fly pass the cruisers and take a defensive position too protect the cruisers from incoming interceptors. The longbows looking very much like the stealth-bombers from the early 21-century.
The forty smaller crafts then began to take tactical formations, making it harder for potential enemy fighters too take them out, but still retaining a defensive position among the cruisers.
The burning spots on the alien ship shot away to burning blue orbs at one of the cruisers.
"The alien ship has opened fire"
"Weapons?" Evanz asked.
"Archer missiles pods A1-B8 good to go"
"Target solution ready"
"Return fire"
The YORK then opened fire and let lose 48 archer missiles, three missiles from every missile pod.
At the same time the UNSC KURSK opened fire with their archer missiles, and then was hit by the alien weapon. The first volley hit the starboard side of the hull, digging a deep gash from the bow to the middle of the ship. The screams of the crewmen that was sucked out in space wasn't heard in the cold vacuum. The second volley hit the bow of the ship, going through the bridge and the continued right through the ship to the fusion reactor. The ship's middle exploded throwing away the burnt out bow and stern of the ship.
Captain Evanz watched as the ship was engulfed in a fireball. He then turned his attention back to the alien ship as the archer missiles were nearing their target. The first wave of missiles from the YORK hit only a few moments before the destroyed ship KURSK missiles hit.
The missiles hit the starboard side of the bow, flashing a bright yellow as they exploded.
When the light cleared captain Evanz expected to see a destroyed alien warship.
Instead he saw the same ship still without a scratch but a glowing field of purple energy surround the area of impact.
As the three other cruisers missiles hit they had the same effect, no damage to the ship whatsoever. The alien ship wasn't sitting idle and fired once again on one of the four remaining ships. This time the ship was hit in the rear engine compartment, having the same effect as the last time, a destroyed human ship.
damn we are down to three ships, without a single dent on the enemy. This isn't working, I can't let the men under my command die in a fight they cannot win
"Recall the longbows, we are retreating."
"To all remaining ships, pull back to a secure location and make a slip-space jump."
"Weapons?"
"Missiles pods C1-D8 ready"
"Open fire"
The ship then let lose with another round of missiles, but this time they were a distraction to let them escape. As the missiles hit, the glowing shield went from glowing blue to flashing white and then disappeared. The humans didn't know that they had taken the enemy shields out and was still trying to retreat. The three retreating human ships was about to enter slip space as the alien ship let lose a barrage of those burning blue orbs.
"EVADE"
Captain Evanz saw as the first volley hit a ship in the lower of the starboard side, and came out on the other side. The ship went into an uncontrollable spin, flames and air escaping from the large hole in the hull and then exploded in a bright fireball.
The second volley hit the other ship in the forward compartments, ripping away the sensors and communications relays. Another volley hit the ship in the lower middle of the ship, cutting through three decks before it came out on the other side. The ship was still moving as a third volley hit them in the left engine. The ship then was able to enter slip-space, even tough it had massive damage.
Good at least one ship managed to escape Captain Evanz thought as he saw the events play out before him.
"Coordinates confirmed, activating slip-space engines in ten, nine, eight…"
The alien warship charged up for another volley.
"Seven, six, five…"
Blue orbs of destruction heading their way at high speed.
"Four, three, tw…"
The bright flash was the last thing Captain Evanz saw as the blue orbs hit them. The superheated orbs struck the bridge straight on. The activated slip-space engine overheated and then exploded, incinerating the YORK in just a millisecond.
The aliens had scored first blood.
End flashback
This was humankind's first encounter with a group of aliens they eventually came to know as the Covenant, a collective of alien races united in their fanatical religious devotion. Covenant religious elders declared humanity an affront to the gods, and the Covenant warrior caste waged a holy war against humanity with gruesome diligence.
Flashback
Private Janus Sommersted was looking out the back hatch of the pelican drop-ship, and clutching his MA5B Assault Rifle tightly. They where about to land in one of the major cities of the planet Senel. He had been on many missions against the Covenant, but he still hated the insertions by drop-ship. There were about a 20% chance that a dropship going in the first wave would be shot down by enemy AA-fire or fighters. And sitting in the ship there wasn't a goddamned thing he could do about it.
"Approaching target, ETA 5 minutes" The voice from the pilot came from the speakers.
"Listen up we are going in too give support to the few pockets of remaining soldiers in the capital city of Cell." The sergeant said.
"Sarge, do we have any armour or air support?"
"No, the fly-boys need all their forces in the battle in the orbit, and tanks are pretty useless in a cityfight. But the 38 scout company was able to give us a couple of warthog M12 Light Recon Vehicles."
"No air support? Aww shit."
"Adams I will just pretend I didn't hear that. Now back to the mission, we will hold our position for two hours and then get our asses to the evac-point. The two hours will let the 108, 93 and the 89 company evac the city and help all civilians get to a rescue boat. DO YOU GET ME MARINES"
"SIR YES SIR"
Private Sommersted just continued to look out the hatch. Another battle, doesn't it ever end.
"ETA 30 seconds"
"Lock and load marines"
He quietly pulled back the slide, inserted a full clip of ammo into the rifle, pushed the slide forwards so that a cartridge was placed in the chamber, and then switched the safety of. The small display at the top of the rifle counted up to sixty to indicate that it was fully loaded.
"Going in, the LZ is hot."
"You know our motto." The sergeant screamed over the engines roar.
"IF VIOLENCE DOESN'T SOLVE IT, MORE VIOLENCE WILL" They all replied.
"TOUCHDOWN, HIT IT MARINES" The pilot's voice came from the speakers.
Sommersted jumped down from were the pelican was hovering. He brought up the rifle to his eyes and began to scan the surrounding area, searching for the enemy he knew was out there. They where standing on a house, three floors tall. The roof was a parking lot, the burning remains of numerous civilian cars that had been hit in the Covenants first bombardment spread out. They began to move towards the second level of the building, their eyes sweeping over the area. As they entered the second level they found the warthogs they been promised.
There were four warthogs and they were 12. Three for every jeep. Perfect Sommersted thought.
"Buckle up and follow me" Came the sergeants orders as he climbed up in the driver seat of one of the jeeps.
Sommersted climbed into the passenger seat of the sergeant's jeep. He didn't jump into the back where the M12 LAAG chain gun was (Light Anti-Aircraft Gun), the gunners hadn't any protection from incoming fire and the Covenant always targeted the gunners first. He was a veteran and god be damned if he didn't survive this war.
"Move out" the sergeant ordered.
As the moved down to the first level the heard the dog like barking the grunts. As Sommersted saw the grunts they looked to be about 5 feet tall and they were moving towards them, using there long arms as an extra leg. They had short legs and a big life-support system on their backs. The only thing seen of their faces was their small red eyes and the rest was a mask making it able for them to breathe methane, the atmosphere of their home world.
The were, as the name suggested the cannon-fodder of the Covenant army. Their standard way to defeat an enemy not skill or advanced tactics but by sheer numbers. A group defending against a grunt charge usually ran out of ammo before they ran out of targets.
This group was a small one, only ten all in all. Better kill em before they see us Somersted thought as he raised his rifle and took aim. The sergeant hit the paddle to the metal and their warthog flew out of the building and right through the group of grunts, driving over and killing three. He opened fire with a short controlled burst at one of the grunts, killing him instantly. The sergeant was driving in a circle around the grunts so that the gunner could get a good aim. Once in a while the sergeant would drive through the grunt group too score some roadkills. He opened fire again and as he looked around he saw that all the grunts were dead.
They began too drive through the city, the sergeants jeep first. The buildings around them was for the most totally ruined by the Covenants bombardment of the planet, black covering the few buildings still standing, a testament to the power of the Covenant battle fleet.
They stopped at a bridge. The bridge wasn't big maybe five metres wide and twenty metres long as it went over a small canal. It was an idle place to defend, the buildings on either side of the road would offer good protection and would make the Covenant have too walk through the heavy crossfire. The bridge and the road on the other side wouldn't give the Covenant any protection, it was just open ground.
"Position the LAIG´s (Light Anti-Infantry Gun) there, there and there. Four man in every group." The sergeant pointed at the two buildings at either side of the road, and then at a large crater a bit down the road.
Sommersted ran up to one of the buildings and walked inside. In one of the walls, the one facing the road there was an opening, probably from a window, about nine feet wide and one and a half feet tall. One of the many explosions had made the roof collapse and had filled the floor with sand and gravel, so it was able too lie down at a thirty degrees angel and look out. The perfect machine gun nest. he thought to himself.
The LAIGs was assembled and a belt with 500 rounds was inserted in the chamber. The two man team operating the LAIG (gunner and reloader) was currently running from the warthog with cases full of ammo-belts to the LAIG. They already had about 2500 rounds for the LAIG and over 1500 rounds for the assault rifles. They would be for the men in every nest, the two operating the LAIG, and two equipped with assault rifles and grenades that would protect the gunners if it came to close quarter's battle. The team in the crater was also equipped with a small mortar to quickly dispatch close formations of enemy infantry and light vehicles.
They had already been at the bridge for about half an hour, and they were happy that they hadn't made any enemy contact.
But they knew it wouldn't last long, it was just a question of time before the Covenant would arrive.
Sir inbound enemy ground troopscame from the sniper positioned on a nearby roof.
How many?the sergeant asked
Sommersted looked at the nearby roof where he saw a small mound of what looked like debris or stones. Good camo, they Covenant won't find him there
At least fifty grunts, maybe fifteen to twenty jackals and at least ten elites, I also see three… make that four hunters
Mortar team target those hunters, fire on my command, all others hold firehe heard the sergeant say over the com.
He could now see the enemies as the made there way towards the bridge. They wouldn't detect them because of the perfect fire-positions they were in.
Fire
THUNK! That was all that was heard as the mortar shot its grenade in the sky, and even before the first one had landed there was another THUNK!
The covenant didn't understand that it was a weapon and thought that I was just a piece of rubble falling from one of the surrounding buildings.
The first grenade hit in the middle of two hunters. The hunters were huge about 12 feet tall and about 8 feet in their hunched over combat stance. Their armour was blue and their left arms were covered in a big metal shield protecting almost their entire front. Their right hands was intergrained with a big fuel-rod gun, the Covenants answer too the bazooka. From their backs their was huge spines that stuck up in the air.
Don't stand in front of a hunter or you probably get smashed, and don't stand behind one ether or you will be pierced with their spines, well standing even near a hunter is just plane stupid. Sommersted thought to himself.
The first grenade killed two of the four hunters and about half a dozen of grunts. The next grenade hit and killed the last two hunters and an elite.
Fire at willthe sergeant said as he opened fire with his assault rifle and began too mow down grunts.
Sommersted was a veteran and had been through many battles and knew which enemies to shot at first. He took careful aim at a jackal. The jackal was currently sitting in the small crater that the mortars had dug out. Its body was looking like a humans but the skin was grey and the head was that of a featherless bird. In his hand was a blue glowing round shield, and in his other was a plasma pistol. It was a little shorter than 6 feet.
He aimed at the jackals head and let out a short controlled burst. The jackal hit the ground as a limp corpse. The fight was going good, the LAIGs and mortar taking out dozens of enemies.
"RELOAD!" He heard the gunner next to him scream.
The Covenant was returning fire now, but they weren't even near to hit their positions.
The screeching of covenant engines was heard and he looked as two ghosts began to near the bridge.
"Target the ghosts" he screamed as he let his weapon go into full automatic. Aiming at a couple of elites.
The gunner replied as he changed the aim a little and then filled the air with burning metal.
The left gravity pod of one of the ghosts was ripped of and resulted that the ghosts crashed into each other with a loud explosion. He then heard a swoosh and a loud bang. He looked over to where the mortar squad was stationed and saw their nest burning with blue flames.
He looked down the street and saw the Wrath tank slowly hovering towards the bridge.
THEY GOT ARMOUR SUPPORThe heard the snipers voice say over the com-canals.
He saw as the sniper began too shot at the tank punching holes through the armour.
The tank fired once again barely missing their nest. A stray plasma shot went in the nest and hit the marine to the left of him, he saw as the plasma burnt away his face and he smelled and heard as the flesh burnt.
We have held this position for two hours, RETREATthe sergeants voice said over the com canals.
Sommersted saw as the wrath tank exploded thanks to the constant fire from the marines, but the tank had managed to shot away another blast heading straight towards their nest. He jumped to his feet and ran towards the door. The blast hit killing the two remaining marines and boiling away Sommersteds armour and seriously burning his back. He felt as the combat armour melted and burned together with his skin. The pain was unbelievable as he hit the ground face first. He couldn't feel his legs and he could barely move. He felt as he began to feel cold and tired. Only just barely managing to keep his eyes open. My legs… I can't feel my legs He had trouble breathing. CoughCough He looked at where he had coughed. Blood, I coughed up bloodHe thought. He then heard something.
"WORT, WORT, WORT" he immediately recognised the Covenant.
He felt a kick to his ribs, strong enough to spin him over on his back. His ribs and chest burned, as he looked up too see five Covenant elites, all staring down on him. He slowly reached down too his belt with his right hand and then put it over his chest. The mandibles of the elites clicked. The elite looked down at him.
"YOUR DESTRUCTION IS THE WILL OF THE GODS, AND WE ARE THERE INSTRUMENTS" The deep growling sound as the elite spoke was making a cold shiver travel through what was left of his spine.
"Go to hell" was all he managed to say as his lungs where burning, making it almost impossible to talk. His right hand still clutching the object in his hand, holding it protectively over his heart.
The elite answered with pulling up his plasma rifle and pointing it at his face. He only smiled and closed his eyes. He coughed once and then his head fell back and hit the ground. He stopped to breath and his hearts stopped to beat. His right hand fell from his chest and the object fell to the ground with a kling-kling the elites didn't have time too react as the
M9 HE-DP Grenade exploded, killing the five elites instantly.
End flashback
After a series of crushing defeats and obliterated colonies, UNSC admiral Preston Cole established the Cole protocol: No vessel may inadvertently lead the Covenant to Earth. When forces withdraw, ships must avoid Earth-bound vectors-even if that means jumping without proper navigational calculations. Vessels in danger of capture must self-destruct.
Flashback
"Sir? A young captain walked into his office.
"Yes" he replied.
"The Covenant has glassed another planet, the planet Dern and a battlegoup of nine cruisers." The captain answered.
He looked at the captain, not showing a sign of emotion outwards. Inside he prayed for the millions of lives lost. The Covenant didn't take enemies, they killed everything, women, children, old and the sick and weak. Thy where brutal merciless murderers. He just dismissed the captain that left in a hurry.
It can't continue like this, it's the ninth colony in six months The defences they had put up to protect were failing miserably, very few ships made it back from a fight. They couldn't defend the colonies with brute force so what would they do? Hide them he thought to himself. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. The Covenants usual tactic was too engage a colony and as the ships escaped for other colonies the Covenant would track down the ships and finding the colonies. After a bit of time they would attack and the cycle would repeat itself. They had too make sure that they didn't find the other colonies. When he had formulated the plan in his mind, he lifted his phone and called the military council together for a meeting.
-------------------
"Admiral Cole your suggestion to protect the knowledge of our colonies locations has been discussed and approved. From the next Friday the Cole protocol will have full effect."
End flashback
On Reach, a secret military project to create cyborg super-soldiers takes on a newfound importance. The soldiers of the SPARTAN-II project rack up an impressive record against the Covenant in test deployments, but there are too few of them to turn the tide of this war.
Existing Spartan-II soldiers are recalled to Reach for further augmentation. The plan: board a Covenant vessel with the improved Spartan-IIs and learn the location of the Covenant home world. Two days before the mission begins, Covenant forces strike Reach and annihilate the colony. The Covenant are now on Earths doorstep. One ship, the Pillar of Autumn, escapes with one of the last Spartan-II and makes a blind jump into deep space, hoping to lead away the Covenant from Earth and the retreating Reach fleet.
Authors Notes
Well that went good. Now that I have two pre-readers I think that most of my mistakes will be found before I post the chapter. It is a lot easier with a helping hand.
Hats of and a big thank to Erich Hansson and Legendary Neo-Jin.
Now to a little questions and answers.
Q: Why I use whit as WITH.
A: Sorry, my mistake. Now that I got pre-readers I think that most of the grammar and spelling should be right. Don't send me e-mails about small mistakes. The whit-with mistakes was a big one and thanks to pointing that out. Won't happen again. Blame my English teacher.
Q:Hasley-Halsey?
A: My mistake again.
Q: Why Mendez is younger than in the book.
A: At the excavation Dr Halsey was 22, and if you think that she is too young for all those grades, well she is a brainiac. I changed the ages so Mendez is now about 15 years older then her. Didn't know the exact age difference when I first wrote this so I just guessed. And the personality I gave him, well it was before the war so he was probably a little more open.
Q: Gravity? Human ships?
A: The human ships have gravity, at least in my fic. Why? Because I say so.
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