**Shress La' Vdamee**
Shress awoke to the sound of pounding feet and the mingling of different alien voices, all shouting to be overheard. She glances at the side of her tent and sees it's not morning yet, there must be something wrong. Very wrong.
She quickly gets up and place on her armor, grabs her blaster and heads outside.
All of Holy Retribution was engulfed in chaos.
Sangheilians barked orders, Kig-Yar were in disarray while the Unggoy were entangled in various tasks.
Shress tries to learn what was going on, but everyone was too engrossed in their tasks to pay her any attention.
It wasn't until she roars at a squadron of waddling Unggoy did someone notice the Zealot.
"Soldier." She snaps. "What has happen?"
The leader of the outfit, a large Unggoy with a red pack of methane, pushes forward and exclaimed, "Demons mistress, there are demons in the mountains, they just destroyed all of our defense posts, the commander doesn't know how they found us."
Shress felt cold sweat starting to break from her skin. 'demons? Was it Michael, did he come this way rather than leave like my message told him to?
Shress was still trying to process this when she heard the war cry. Soon the Sangheili's, Kig-Yars, Unggoys, and even the camp's twin Mgalekgolo took up the thunderous cry and roars their blood lust into the dark skies.
Out of routine, Shress tilts back her head and roars as well, passing the message that there was a major battle upon them, and for the first time in her life, she felt pity well up inside her.
**Six POV**
Sword base was in a frantic state by the time Jun and Six got back from their late night recon. An army of Marines and their machines were being assembled in the early dawn light, soldiers were gearing up, Scorpions were being loaded, and the Falcons were being prep for long term engagement. The signs of combat were all but overwhelming to the Spartans.
The battle tired Recon Bravo team barely sat down when a MJOLNIR armored Carter walks towards them. "Six, Jun, war meeting in Sword's conference room, now."
The two super soldiers didn't even have time to eat breakfast, but they didn't complain as they got up and follows their commander back into the base. They walk through the maze of hallways and stairwells; the signs of the previous Covenant siege were still burn in place. The briefing room was at the very top of the fortress, with the elevators still out of commission, it took a while for three Spartans to make it to the top.
On the top floor was a room full of high ranking officers, aside from the Spartans of Noble team and Doctor Halsey. Six felt his blood boil at the sight of the doctor, but kept his anger in check, knowing he was really irritated at himself for being caught in the first place due to his sloppiness. Halsey just cast the blue clad Spartan a glance before returning her focus to the table the group was assembled around.
The table was a huge holographic projection; part of it was showing the face of Colonel Holland while the rest of the table was showing an image of Reach from high orbit.
Noticing the presence of the two Spartans, the Colonel nods to them and said, "Noble Three, Noble Six, good of you to join us, I expect the two of you need some rest after last night."
It was Six who answers. "That sounds good sir, but we're ready for another fight if we are needed sir."
The Colonel sighs before he spoke. "That's why we are here, there's another fight coming." He turns his attention back to the others in the room. "You all heard bits and pieces of information of what we found, but I expect you want to hear the whole story from the source." He looks to the two Spartans again. "Would one of you gentlemen like to take the floor?"
Before Six could raise his hand, Jun steps forward and said. "I'll do the explaining sir."
The holographic image on the table changes to the photos that Jun and Six took of the newly discovered enemy territory.
The first image was of the ghost towns of the old settlements, along with the mutilated corpses of their former occupants. The Marine officers shifted in their seats, uncomfortable of the show of bloody violence, but Six saw in Noble Team's eyes the determination to reap vengeance upon the ones who were responsible for the massacre.
"We thought the settlements in this area were silent because they didn't like the UNSC. A dark settlement." Six nodded along, the dark settlements were where most rebels hid, a community where they hide from the UNSC government and ran their own system of regime.
"However after we saw and followed an enemy aircraft, we found our way to the settlement and found this." Here the green Spartan waves his hand at the image of the human carcasses. "Among the settlement were various military arms, confirming that they were either rebels or smugglers."
The scene snaps to another picture, two cases filled with assault and battle rifles.
Jun continues without a break. "After 'recovering' the stolen material." Here Emile let out a badly concealed snort. "We made our way deeper into the unknown zone where we encountered this." He finishes as the image changes again.
Here the interest of the crowd was intensified as they stared at the strange tower before them. It was nearly thirty six feet tall, pulsing some sort of energy release every heartbeat and showing the area with its eerie indigo color. The image was disorientated, proof that whatever the thing was, it was messing up human tech as they move closer to the tower.
"We believe this is a Covenant Jammer, this is what was making us blind in what was really going on in the area, which turns out to be this." The hologram switch to the next and final image Recon Bravo snap before falling back.
Here the officers gasp, Noble Team's faces harden, and Doctor Halsey merely raises an eyebrow. The scene spread out on the table portrayed a Covenant camp, ranging from one thousand, to three thousand occupants. There were huge antigun turrets set up around a large tower that seems to stretch into the sky for miles, its purpose unclarified. Yet what gains the center of attention was the Covenant Corvette resting in place over the camp, indicating heavy land and air superiority.
This surpasses all of the bases assumptions, this wasn't a small scout force, this was an invasion. The number of Covenant and the size of their weaponry suggest they were determined to stay.
Nobody could see through Six's polarized face plate, allowing him to display an ashamed and somewhat angry face. 'Did Shress know about this? Of course she did, she is a Zealot, I knew she wasn't alone but I didn't expect there to be an army here.' Six felt betrayal, anger and shame build up inside, but chief among them was sadness.
He admitted to her that he felt like a friend to her now, and here she is hiding a secret that was bent on killing him and all he was fighting to defend. He tried to be angry at the Elite, but instead of anger there was a deep stinging sensation that he could not identify, anger, frustration, or sorrow?
"I know this looks bad." Holland continues, bringing Six out of deep thought. "But Noble Two and Auntie Dot has already come up with a plan of engagement." He turns his gaze to the table and calmly said calmly. "Dot?"
An unseen AI known as Auntie Dot, the artificial intelligence that ran all military intelligence support, began talking in an emotionless voice. "The reading from the Covenant Jammer has prevented us from detecting any unknown anomaly, but we are able to compute that the central spire's in the center of the Covenant camp are beacons."
"Beacons?" A young Sergeant asks, his name proclaims him as 'E. Buck' while the armor he was wearing was clearly ODST. The sergeant's face flushed with embarrassment and looks down at the ground, not meeting anyone eyes.
"Correct Staff Sergeant Buck." Replies Dot with her blank tone. "We are inconclusive of who the Spires are signaling to, but reasonable logic suggests the signals are being broadcast to a larger Covenant force, allowing them to home in on Reach."
"Which means we need to take the squatters out before their buddies get here." Holland interrupted. "If they are no longer broadcasting, then there's no way the additional Covenant forces can find us, the plan calls on nothing short of an all-out assault."
The view change to the terrain surrounding the region Six and Jun just got done scouting.
"We'll gather all our forces here." Blue marks appear on the far corner of the map. "Warthogs and Mongooses will speed ahead while the Scorpions hang back." The blue marks shifted forward as the Colonel spoke. "When we engage the enemy, that's when we break off the spear head," here the Warthogs and Mongooses split apart, equal numbers heading to the right and the left, save the tanks that remains to engage enemy forces.
"This is design to lure the Covenant out of their defensive positions, to try and handle the tanks, what they believe to be our primary weapon while the smaller vehicles flank their positions. The Scorpions will be under command of Lt Colonel Debits, while Noble One and Noble Five provides some air support from above." Debits and Carter locks eyes, nods, than turn back to the table.
"Alpha team" the group that split off to the left was highlighted, "will move on through the plains, they'll be led by Commander Wilkins, Captain Nimadi, and Noble 3 and 4." The two named officers glanced nervously at the Spartans before returning their gaze back to the presentation.
"Bravo team," the group on the right, "will have the much more difficult part of the mission, the narrow canyon roads and high walls will provide perfect ambush sites, but in order to engage the enemy camp and provide large scale air support, we must take down the anti-air batteries, call signed 'Tyrants', surrounding the area." The locations were pinpointed along the rim of the canyon. "Commander Gizmo will lead this assault, with Spartans, Noble Two and Six providing addition support."
Holland pauses before looking everyone in the room in the eye before stating, "This is an all or nothing plan men, if we fail here, then all of Reach will fall as well, the war will begin at 1000 hours, alright soldiers, get ready and good luck." With that, the transmission ended, leaving the room in semi-darkness.
Six awoke to Emile tapping his helmet.
"Man you are tired, you didn't even hear me coming." Emile said in a teasing voice.
Six didn't respond, what Emile said was true. He had no idea how, or why, but suddenly all of his senses have gone dull, like an overused knife. 'Did Shress have something to do with my blunt senses?'
"Anyway, you and Jun only have fifteen minutes to eat, thunders rolling out soon." Emile finishes before walking away.
Six sighs before looking to Jun, who was dozing next to him on the cold cement floor in the atrium, head prop up on a sandbag. Six reaches towards him, but Jun hand shot up like a cobra breaking from cover and caught Six's hand.
Jun opens his eyes and turns to Six, "You really are losing your senses aren't you six?" he asks teasingly.
Trying to save as much pride as he could, Six simply said, "shut up," before rising and heading outside.
The courtyard was empty, but from the vantage point Six was at he could see the tanks, warthogs and Mongooses all rallied outside the gate. The smell of diesel clouds the air, and dust shrouds the base in a dirty fog. Marines walk among their machinery, hefting equipment, loading rounds into their magazines, and reloading their rifles.
Six looks up and watch as twelve Falcons flew overhead, heavily burden by additional firepower, all heading in the direction of the massive army.
Six frowns slightly as he counted the helicopters, they had three additional birds then when they did a few hours ago. He returns his gaze back to the field, did a head count and discover they had additional forces.
Jun walks up to him and asks, "Something wrong?"
"Where did these extra fighters come from?" Six asks, more to himself then to Jun.
"They're reinforcements from Castle Base," The scout replied, "and the birds are from the Grafton, she's coming into orbit as well as the Saratoga and London."
Six nods before asking, "Are those the only ships we have?"
"More are inbound from other systems; you would think we're defending Earth or something."
"Well, Reach is just a few light years away from Earth, so if Reach falls, so will Earth."
Both Spartans became silent as they ponder their understanding. Unconsciously, they both reach into their pockets and brought out energy bars and automatically ate them, too anxious to stomach anything bigger.
"We should get down there," Jun finally said before placing on his helmet. Six watches as additional VTOL craft arrive before placing on his helmet and follow Jun.
They walk all the way to the gate and pass through. Up close Six was amaze by the mighty force that was assembled within the small hours of morning. But years of fighting the Covenant informs him that this isn't enough to face off any Covenant army, no matter how small the forces are.
It was then did it hit him, this would be his first major battle; the first where he's directly involved. In all the battles he attended, from Harvest all the way down to Jericho VII, he was never part of any major engagement; he was always skimming around the field of battle and performed lone wolf missions.
He soon felt fear flood through him, not for his life, but for the lives of the men he was working with. He only fought with a team for a few weeks, now here he is preparing to engage the greatest threat the people of Reach have ever face before, part of an army that depended on corporation, something he isn't good at. Will he be able to lead, to work with other soldiers, and ensure a victory?
'Of course I can,' he thought to himself. 'I'm a Spartan.'
"Hey lieutenant." A large voice he knows well spoke up behind him.
Six turns, but out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something flying towards him, out of reflex he caught it. It was a large bulky gun, a 40 mm grenade launcher. Suddenly Six became emotional as he thought of Sergeant Gunther, he wasn't the first Marine he met, but he was one of the bravest, volunteering to ensure none of his boys will take part in a suicide mission.
'Now his men will probably fight, and possibly die today.' Six wondered to himself.
Six looks up and saw it was Jorge who threw the gun at him.
"You might need that Six." A Falcon landed a few meters away in a dusty field, spraying pebbles and sand in different directions.
"My ride is here." Jorge grabs his large gun that was at his feet and nods to Six. "See you later Lieutenant." He said before hunkering away to the waiting helicopter.
"See you Jorge." Six says before he grasps something that just cross his mind, none of his teammates has ever called him by his first name.
'Maybe they still think I'm a newbie.'
Then his radio buzzes and he hears the expert voice of Holland. "Men, mount up!"
Six checks his time, 900 hours, they need to head out now. He scans his HUD and sees his Warthog was located in the middle of the massive reaction force. As he walks towards his appointed military truck he passed a lot of Marines. Most of them were already injured from the previous engagement, various scars and burns identify them as veteran warriors. As he walks among them, Six saw different emotions, bravery, sadness, fear, and anger.
So many feelings, so many people, it unnerves Six, he never been in a great throng of people before, all of who with different moods glue to their faces. He couldn't wait till this was all over, he was meant to be a loner, and so far he was only able to put up with a team of five at maximum.
Finally he arrives at his Warthog, where Kat and a young Lance Corporal were already waiting. Kat was calmly reading her data pad while the Marine had his eyes close and was whispering under his breath, probably saying last minute prayers.
Six sits on the passenger's side while Kat sat on the driver's side.
"Kat." Six says in greeting.
"Lieutenant." Noble Two replies back plainly. Six sighs within his suit, again no name.
He glances back at the Marine; his name was written on tape and stuck to his chest plate, 'Lin.'
He thought about exchanging greetings, but the boy was so deep in his prayers it looks as if he was in another world. 'Just like Shress' a tiny voice said in the back of his head.
Six felt himself shiver, Shress. He hopes he won't have to face her in battle and he also hopes that she wouldn't be killed.
'Maybe I should pray,' but Six never prayed before, he had no idea how.
Six looks back at the Corporal behind him; he couldn't believe he was doing this. Gently he prods the Marine, who looks up, slightly shocked from the contact.
"Lance Corporal Lin?" He asks making sure he got the boy's name right.
"Yes sir?" He asks in a small voice like a child being caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do.
Six gulps once, then twice, then let go of his pride as he asks. "Do you think you could pray for a friend of mine?"
"Oh?" The Corporal said, taken off guard by the request. "Um, ok, what-what is the name of your friend?"
Six glimpses at Kat, making sure she wasn't paying attention before leaning in close and said in a near whisper. "Shress."
"Shress?" asks Lin.
Six nods in confirmation.
Lin nods, and says. "Ok, but…Why don't you pray for your friend… Shress? Uh sir?" He adds quickly.
Six just shrugs and said. "I think my hands are too bloody for prayer."
Six was surprised when he saw Lin smile. "Ah sir, no hands are too bloody for the grace of the Lord."
"Uh, right." Six says before turning around, pondering the young soldier's words.
Kat was still tapping buttons on her pad; her eyes were still on the screen when she asks, "Who's Shress?"
Six felt himself go pale under his armor before just saying, "a friend."
Kat frowns and turns to look at Six, but before she could say anything a voice over the comm gave the orders, "Ready engines!"
Kat replaces her helmet and reeves the engine, the other vehicles all around replies in kind. Soon it looks like a brown cloud thunder storm was originating from the mountain. Six scans the area, making sure everyone was in their armored cars, nobody was in the way of the Scorpions and the choppers took to the skies.
"Forward!" The command finally came, and like a metallic cavalry force, the grand army of Reach moved forward, going over a hundred miles an hour as they race into the open arms of the enemy.
Behind him, Six could hear Lin praying again, and he was sure he heard Shress name mention. At the sound of his friend's name, he looks in the direction they were heading and prayed (or what he thought could pass as a prayer).
'Please, please to whoever is listening, God I guess, please may Shress not get caught up in all this or worse in my way.'
Six sighs, if he sees Shress today, he knew he would have to kill her. And for once, in his whole Spartan career, he wonders if he has the nerve to pull the trigger.
Sorry for not posting on Thursday. Some things came up and it got in the way of finishing this chapter. To those of you who sent pm to me about getting a Xbox 1 with the master chief collection I can not get one. I do not have internet. I use a jetpack to post and after a set amount it will slow down to the point of the web pages will not even load. I will never be able to update each game in order to play it. My parents have one and all it does each time it is turned on it has to update. With their 80 mbs/sec internet with satellite internet it still takes more then two days for it to download the game with all available updates. To bypass this I got the 360 with halo reach, 4, 3, and 3 odst. I have also a play through video of halo 5 guardians so I will be able continue to write. I have ch 8 though 12 written up. All I have to do is edit it. If everything goes right I will have a new chapter ready tomorrow.
