A Pelican dropship screamed overhead as a platoon of Marines loaded their MA5B Assault Rifles. The year was 2552, and the Earth was under attack. Unknown to the defenders of Earth, a massive Covenant armada was enroute, via slipspace to Earth. The Marines exchanged nervous glances as they boarded captured Covenant Ghosts, they would be Earth's first line of defence on the ground. They were going to die, there was no doubt about that. There was complete silence as the Ghosts powered up, they hovered above the ground emmiting a faint hum. They had with them Sgt. Johnson, a hardcore war veteran.

The Marines were nervous, to say the very least. They wished that the Master Cheif, a legendary Spartan, was fighting with them. They looked up in time to see the first of many Covenant warships appear just outside of Earth's orbit. Their first mistake? Coming out of Slipspace right next to a MAC gun. The MAC guns were sending round after round at the warship. The night sky lit up with the warship's explosion as the Marines cheered.

"Calm down, Marines!" Johnson barked," There's gonna be a lot more of those!"

As if on cue, half a dozen more warships apeared, making the same mistake as the first one. A few seconds later, three more explosions lit the sky as molten, twisted metal rained down upon the Earth.

"MAC gun number three is down! I repeat MAC gun number three is down!"

The words over the PA were drowned out as a group of Longsword fighters sped overhead to intercept the Seraph fighters that had launched. A Covenant flag ship appeared and hovered thirty meters above Earth's surface. A gravity lift soon materialized and brought a dozen Elites To the Earths' surface.

"LET'S GO!" yelled Johnson as he gunned his Ghost to where the Elites were.

The Marines soon followed. Johnson had eliminated two Elites by the time the others got there. An Elite howled in pain as he was cut down by twin plasma bolts shot by Johnson. A Marine screamed when an Elite stole his Ghost and ran him over. The Marine gritted his teeth in pain and pulled the pin off a grenade and tossed it toward a group of Elites. The resulting explosion killed four Elites as the Elite that stole the Marine's Ghost came back for a second run, thus killing the Marine.

A Warthog that was driving by, delivering Covenant heavy weapons to the base gunned down the remaining Elites.

"Thanks, we owe you one!" Johnson shouted."Can you give me a lift?"

"Sure, hop in!" the driver yelled back. Johnson got in and shouldered his Assault Rifle.

"GO, GO ,GO!" Johnson said as the driver accelerated.

Soon after, they arrived at the base.

Good to see you back, gentlemen. You retreated at the right time." Admiral Hood greeted them. Indicating a veiwscreen an the wall he added,"As you can see, the Covenant were not happy with you guys killing an Elite patrol," as he said this, half a dozen Hunters went down the gravity lift. "I'm going to supply you with rocket launchers to take out those hunters.

"But sir-" Johnson started.

"Was my order unclear, marine?" Hood cut off.

"No, sir." Johnson stated.

"Good, now go." Hood said.

Once out in the hall, Johnson exclaimed, "This is a suicide mission!" Johnson drove his fist into the wall. "How is defeating a group of Hunters going to save Earth!"

Meanwhile...

"This is Spartan 117, does anyone read me?"

"Cheif? Mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?"

"Sir, finishing this fight."

That was the last Admiral Hood had heard of the Master Cheif. He hoped that the Cheif's words were true. An explsion shook the ground.

"Report!" Hood shouted.

"A Covenant cruiser crashed into the ground. Still trying to find out why." A tech officer responded.

Hood leaned closer to the screen, " I'll be dipped," he said as he saw the Master Cheif walk away from the wreckage, the flames glancing off of his sheilds. " You sure can make an entrance, Cheif."

"I try," the Cheif replied.

"I need you to go to here," Hood uploaded a NAV point on the Cheif's visor, "and help Johnson and his team,"

"On my way." The COM clicked off.