Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my remastered Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. I am very happy so far with the support that I've received for my Halo - Star Wars crossover. As a result, I would like your feedback on a Spartan IV squad that would be assigned to assist the New Republic in fighting back against the Imperial Remnants, specifically during the timeline of Star Wars: Squadrons. Just post a name you think might work and I'll run it along with my beta reader for that story. Either way, thank you for your support, and I hope to see you in future chapters.

As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or MechWarrior/BattleTech franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.

Badb Catha Ice Shelf

Approaching SWORD Base

July 26th, 2552

The sound of the Falcon's engines drowned out any noise as it, and another Falcon, transported Noble Team towards their next objective. Looking down towards the ground, Jorge could see that they were flying over the glacial lake that was the result of parts of the Badb Catha Ice Shelf melting, creating a small, inland sea in the area. Pulling his foot away slightly, he kept looking down. Nearby, Kat was busy with the data module that Six had retrieved from the body about three days ago, as she slipped it into a data pad before attempting to access to files. She frowned when she saw that she had been denied access into the contents. Nearby, Carter was sitting silently, waiting for them to reach their objective.

As he waited, he remembered the events from the previous two and a half days ago. Once they returned to base, he'd been surprised to find that the SLDF had built another FOB (Forward Operating Base) next to the MOB (Main Operating Base) that was present in one of the many valleys on Epoz. Unlike the MOB that the UNSC made use of, SLDF FOB's were almost the same size, and they were protected by 20 meter high walls of Advanced Reinforced Ferrocrete, which was a polycrete-like material that was reinforced with what the SLDF called 'Advanced Endo-Steel.' Tests had found that it would take an M808B Scorpion nearly eight minutes of non-stop firing just to blow a hole in the wall, which was a true showcase of how tough the material was. According to Admiral Chernenko, and Colonel William, this was the standard barrier material used for SDLF FOB Bremer Walls.

Once they had returned, he and the others had discussed the combat capabilities of SLDF Elementals. It was clear that they were on the same, if not a greater, level as a Spartan II. Their powered armor was superior in all regards, with the one exception being energy shielding technology, as the Star League hadn't yet determined how to build energy based shielding for infantry. That wasn't unexpected; after all, it had taken the UNSC decades to finally crack the technology used for energy shields by studying Covenant energy shielding systems.

Apparently, due to the development of energy based weapons, the Star League had developed advanced ablative armor as a direct answer to that problem, and it was an effective solution as well. According to the AAR (After Action Report) the Elementals wrote, Covenant plasma weaponry was less effective at stripping ablative armor than a Mauser 96IV Pulse Laser Rifle. Similar observations were made when it came to what the SLDF termed Covenant Infantry Kits, with most Covenant armor being less protective than SLDF Infantry Kits, despite the use of advanced nanolaminate armor, due to it's non-ablative nature.

It was then that, a few hours ago, ONI's SWORD Base sent out a distress signal, with Sword Control sending out a request to all UNSC and SLDF forces in the area to provide assistance. In response, Noble Team had been sent, and a DropShip had been tasked with transporing to SWORD Base what Colonel William called 'AeroSpace Defense 'Mechs' to the area. As they flew onward towards the base, he heard Sword Control say over the COM, "Be advised, Kilo 33 and Kilo 34, your current LZ is too hot!"

"Roger that," Carter replied. "Dot, standby to receive and respond." Dot was the UNSC 'Dumb AI' that was assigned to Noble Team to help coordinate their efforts. As a result, she did not experience or emulate emotion, as she spoke in a dry and articulate voice. Carter had learned that SLDF AI's were as intelligent as a Smart AI, but shared the lack of emotion typical of a Dumb AI. As he said this, they passed by a large rock column, with a Covenant Corvette in the sky. The purple and blue warship was a stark contrast to the sky blue color of the sky above them.

"Yes, Commander," Dot replied in a synthesized female voice. "Coordinates received. Initiating immediate course correction. The Office Of Naval Intelligence Sword Base is presently under siege from a corvette-class Covenant vessel. Due to the sensitive nature of this facility, use of orbital rounds has been, for the moment, prohibited. Regretfully, my efforts to obtain relevant data on enemy forces have been unsuccessful. However, current defensive forces are insufficient. ONI has requested Team Noble's direct intervention to help secure Sword Base.

"In addition to this, the Star League Defense Forces have sent multiple DropShips loaded with AeroSpace Defense BattleMechs to the area to prevent further air attacks by Covenant forces, along with two Wings of AeroSpace Fighters. The SLDF has also seen fit to redeploy Team Gamma to the area, following the successful operation at the Visegrad Communications Relay." As she said this, Carter watched as an Anhur III VTOL flew into view, with the I/FF (Identify/Friend-Foe) tag indicating that it belonged to Gamma Team for the duration of the op.

As they flew along, he said, "Alright, people, we're stuck with that ship for the time being. Let's focus on the hostile infantry – give those troopers a hand." As he said this, they flew over the courtyard, where the BattleMechs from just a few days earlier, had been at during the meeting between Admiral Chernenko and Fremont. Covenant forces were currently engaging ONI Security Forces, as well as some Marines that had been present at a garrison near the facility. Bullets and plasma fire were being exchanged, though it was clear that the Marines and ONI personnel would be soon overrun if no one came to assist them. "Kat, Six - you're out there. Jorge, Emile – you're next, get prepped."

Moments later, Alex came in over the communications channel, his voice gruff as he told his soldiers what to do. "Warriors, prepare to engage the enemy! Hoskins, Shaw, you will come with me and help me deal with these Covenant stravag. Ward, Alberty, you will go with Emile and Jorge when they deploy. Our mission is to liberate this facility from the Covenant stravag attempting to invade it. Failure is not an option!"

As the Falcons and Anhur III came in to land, Six made sure his DMR was ready to go, racking the bolt and chambering a round. In front of him, Kat chambered her handgun as the Falcon came in for a landing. "Let's move, Lieutenant," she said to him, just as the vehicle landed. As soon as they did, they jumped out, with Kat scanning the area before moving up.

"Kat, Six: push back the attack on Sword Base, find out what we're dealing with," Carter ordered.

"Roger that," Kat replied. "We're your strike team." As soon as she said this, the Anhur III descended low to the ground, with Alex, Hoskins and Shaw jumping out moments later. Running, the Elementals quickly reached their position. As they moved forwards, Jackals and Grunts began approaching their position, with some Army personnel firing their weapons at the aliens. In response, the Jackals formed a shield wall, while the Grunts began firing their weaponry.

Taking out a variable setting grenade, Alex put it on Frag mode before hurling it at the Jackals, with the cylindrical grenade rolling underneath them. There was a loud BOOM as the grenade detonated, with the explosive force and shrapnel killing any Jackals that were within a 6 meter radius of the grenade, while those that were at a 18 meter radius suffered injuries from a combination of the shrapnel and blast wave. The Grunts weren't spared as well, with some being killed, while others had shrapnel sticking out of their armor, with dark blue blood seeping out of the wounds. Those that were left were quickly put down by the team.

"Spartans, Elementals, hostiles north," Sword Control informed them.

"Copy that," Kat nodded. "Let's knock some heads together, Lieutenant." Six nodded in agreement, with the team moving up to the courtyard. Here, they could see UNSC Army and ONI Security forces engaged in a massive firefight with the invading Covenant forces. Hearing an Army Private go down with a scream of pain, the team immediately advanced, with Kat and Six heading to the right while Alex and his men went to the left, allowing the teams to flank the enemy from the left and right. Taking out a grenade, Hoskins threw it towards the Covenant, with Kat expecting another fragmentation blast.

Instead, she was surprised when her HUD was briefly scrambled, only to return to normal operations moments later; she also noticed that her shields had failed, with the bar flashing and an alarm sounding in his head. An EMP grenade, she realized. Smart move. Already, it was clear that the Covenant hadn't been expecting that, as the Elites tried to fire their weapons, only for their guns to not work on them. Almost immediately, the Elementals and UNSC Army forces at the base capitalized on this development, as they immediately retaliated with a brutal show of firepower, with Kat and Six joining in. Elites, Grunts and Jackals alike fell to the ground dead, their bodies ripped apart by bullets or cut through by laser beams. "Nice throw," Kat shouted to Hoskins.

"Thank you," Hoskins replied. "The EMP mode on those grenades are typically meant for overloading the radiation hardening on military grade electronics while frying said electronics. It is good to see that Covenant energy shielding is vulnerable to the same as well. Are your systems alright?"

"They're coming back online now," Kat replied as she watched her shield integrity bar refill. "I'm good. Still, those pack a punch."

Just then, Sword Control came in over the COM. "You've got enemy contacts, Spartans." Turning around, Kat spotted more Covenant, mostly Skirmishers and Elites, charging up the ramp leading into the courtyard for the base. The Elementals had spotted them as well, as the entire team charged into the fray. Emboldened by their success, the Army soldiers charged forwards as well, with war cries in the air as they opened fire on the Covenant. Sliding to the left, Shaw fired his M96IV at a pair of Skirmishers, killing both of them before moving to neutralize a pair of Grunts that were in the back.

At the same time, Six and Kat worked with Alex to neutralize a pair of Elite Majors that were coordinating the attack. Using his rifle, Alex downed the first Major's shields, with Six firing his DMR as soon as they were down, splattering the Elite's brains all over the wall it was standing next to. At the same time, Hoskins downed the shields on the second Elite, allowing Kat to fire her M6G three times, with two shots punching through the Elite's chest armor and one through it's head; the classic 'failure-to-stop' drill. The Elite fell to the ground dead, it's chest wounds weeping blood, while it's brains were scrambled by the SAP/HE munition. The other Skirmishers and Grunts were neutralized by the Army soldiers, who worked together to neutralize the remaining enemy personnel.

In just a minute flat, all enemy contacts were neutralized. "Noble Two to Control: courtyard is clear," Kat reported. "Over."

"Head to the main gate to the east," Sword Control replied. "I'll brief you as you go."

Nodding at that, the Elementals and Spartans moved into the area. Turning around, Kat said, "Soldiers, stay at the courtyard. We'll need someone to cover our asses if we're fired on." As the soldiers complied, she said, "Control, I see a Target Locator. Any artillery support in the area?"

"Affirmative," Sword Control replied. "SLDF Arrow X and Advanced Mobile Long Tom Artillery support is available. We also have artillery support in the skies. We'll prioritize what you need, ma'am."

"Good to know."

Moments later, she heard another voice, one that wads deep and monotone, come in over the COM, most likely the SLDF Artillery Commander. "This is LT-MOB-50 Delta with AAV Gamma 1 through 5 on station. We are ready for target designation. Over."

"Copy that," Kat replied. "We will designate a target when we see one. Be ready to shoot."

"Roger that. All weapon batteries online and ready." As they exited the base, Six could hear weapons fire from his right. Looking up and to the right, he spotted the Covenant Corvette, which was now firing on Sword Base itself. Looking down, he found himself looking at a large clearing, with the ground slopping downwards to a stream at the bottom of the gully. The ground was mostly dirt and rock, with trees, brush and grass springing up here and there. Up ahead, two Covenant Wraiths were present, along with a Warthog that was fleeing towards the base. It's engine was on fire, and it's armor was compromised.

"3 Echo 57," an Army soldier shouted, "heading back to base. We've got enemy tangos on our six. How copy?" Sword Control didn't get a chance to reply, as the Warthog was promptly blown up when a Wraith fired it's Plasma Mortar, scoring a direct hit.

"Six," Kat shouted, tossing him the Target Locator. "Get that think linked up and target those Wraiths!"

"Let me help you," Hoskins added. Handing the Locator to him, Six watched as he pressed in a series of buttons on the small number pad on the Locator before handing it back to him. "You are good to go," he shouted. "Kill those stravags!" Nodding at that, Six aimed the Target Locator at one of the Wraiths, before pulling the trigger. A rapidly pulsing laser beam, combined with a closing diamond, appeared on his HUD where the enemy vehicle was at. Moments later, he watched as an 80 meter wide circle enveloped both Wraiths.

"Target designation confirmed," the SLDF Artillery Commander reported. "AAV Gamma 3 firing." Roughly twenty seconds passed after he said this, with the Wraiths turning towards Six, Kat and the Elementals. Before they could move, or fire, a missile flew in from the sky, smashing into one of the Wraiths milliseconds before detonating.

There was a loud KABOOOOM as the missile detonated, a massive explosion ripping through the air. Even though the team had gotten into cover, Six could still feel the blast wave ripping past them, with dust and dirt being thrown into the air. When the blast wave passed them, he got up to see the extent of the damage. Where there were two Wraiths, there was now nothing but a 20m wide crater in the ground, with pieces of the Covenant Combat Vehicles having been scattered all over the place. Pieces of the Wraiths, as well as rocks, fell from the air, landing on the ground near the blast crater.

"Wow," Kat shouted, greatly impressed by what she had just seen. "That was outstanding!"

"Indeed," Alex nodded. "As an old Terran saying goes: 'Artillery is king of the battlefield.'" Looking up, he said, "We have transports inbound. Looks like the SLDF is rolling out the welcome wagon." Moments later, two Garrot Superheavy Transports came into view, each one carrying a vehicle. The first carried a Warthog, while the second one carried an IFV of some kind. The IFV reminded Six of the historic M2 Bradley IFV used by the US Army during the early to mid 21st Century, only it had more angular armor plating and the tracks were slightly different in terms of design.

"What's that vehicle," Kat asked, pointing a finger at one of the IFV's

"Badger IV Infantry Fighting Vehicle," Alex replied, following her finger. "It can transport an entire Star of Elementals and can support them with the autocannon, pulse laser turret and missiles." The conversation was interrupted as the Garrot's flew into the area, barely kissing the ground long enough to deposit the vehicles. Turning to Kat, he said, "My men and I will take the IFV. You and Six will man the Warthog."

"Affirmative," Sword Control replied. "The old Farragut Station has it's own comms array that should bring us back online with Command. Airview Base has an anti-air battery that will help clear the skies. Work orders indicate that the SLDF installed their own COM equipment at Farragut Station."

"Copy that," Alex replied. Turning to Kat, he said, "Kat, we will take Farragut Station. You will handle Airview Base. If you are lucky, you will get to see a Rifleman IV in action."

"Rifleman IV," Kat asked. Just as she did, Alex had gotten out of earshot, with the Clan Elemental/'MechWarrior having gotten into the IFV through the hatch in the back. At the same time, the other Elementals had loaded up as well, with the IFV quickly powering up. Moments later, it began to drive off towards Farragut Station, leaving Kat and Six with the Warthog. "Alright," she decided. "We'll take Airview Base." Nodding in agreement, Six loaded up into the Warthog, taking the wheel while Kat manned the gun. Moments later, they drove off, turning to the right to reach the AA gun. Moving through a small clearing, they soon entered the area where Airview Base was located at.

As soon as they entered, they could see what they were up against. A series of pre-fab buildings were in the area, with one serving as a small armory, while another was a command/spotter outpost for the AA gun. A single Scythe Anti-Air Gun was present, but that was all that was normal. Apparently, as a gesture of goodwill, the SLDF had installed it's own AA Defenses in the area as well. Six could see what looked like three SAM (Surface to Air Missile) sites that were located along the edge of the cliff overlooking the body of water in front of the glacier. According to a briefing that he had read just a day ago, courtesy of Alex, those were Calliope IV turrets, designed to fire Anti-Air Missiles at any hostile AeroSpace and Conventional Fighters in the area.

Looking around, Six spotted Covenant personnel that were in the area, mostly some Skirmishers and Grunts, while a couple Elite Minors and Majors were present, all of whom were being led by an Elite General that was on the roof of the command/spotter building for the AA Arrays. The two Elite Majors were currently looking at the Calliope IV's, apparently impressed by the design of the SAM's. Driving forwards, Six said, "Target the Elite Majors and Grunts. I'll handle the General."

"Good idea," Kat nodded. "We can't let the Covenant gain access to any new technologies." Driving forwards, Six maneuvered the Warthog closer to the Elite Majors, with Kat opening fire as soon as she was within range. Both Elites were caught off guard, but reacted quickly enough to avoid being killed during the first pass. Swinging the Warthog around, Six drove in again, but juked to the right just as the Elites dodged, nailing one Elite Major with the hood of the vehicle, while Kat fired on the second Elite. There was a loud CRUNCH as the Elite smashed into the hood, it's ribs being shattered by the blow, while Kat mercilessly mulched the other Elite.

Pulling out his handgun, Six fired through the windshield of the Warthog, killing the Elite before driving onward. Reaching the command/spotter building, he got out and allowed Kat to neutralize the Grunts, while he targeted the Elite General. The Elite General was occupied enough that it almost didn't see Six coming. Turning around, it wasn't able to react as Six tackled it, with both combatants tumbling ass over teakettle off the roof of the building and onto the ground, rolling until they fell into a small depression in the ground. Six pulled out his knife, only for the Elite to kick him off of it.

What it didn't know was that it had unwittingly saved Six's life. Before it could get up, Six watched as a large, metallic foot smashed down onto the Elite, with the impact masking the sound of the Elite's body being crushed by nearly 75 tonnes of Advanced Ferro-Fibrous Armor, Myomer and Endo-Steel. The right toe of the foot was close enough that it had missed Six by a mere six inches, with the Spartan III quickly backing up.

Looking up, he found himself looking at what he realized was a BattleMech. Two legs supported a heavily armored torso, with the 'Mech being roughly 10 meters tall in height. Two cannon arms were present, with four barrels on each one; two looked like traditional, smoothbore cannons, while the other two had lenses in lieu of a muzzle. Apparently, the 'MechWarrior inside the 'Mech had seen him, as he said, "Whoa, boy! Be careful! I nearly squished you there!"

"Sorry," Six replied. "Still, thanks for the save."

"My pleasure man," the 'MechWarrior replied. "Now get that there AA Array online. I'll stay here and give these Covenant AeroSpace Fighters a mighty big headache." Moments later, the 'Mech proceeded forwards, moving with an eerie smoothness and silence that only a living organism could achieve, with the only sound being each foot landing on the ground. Stepping over a rock column, the Rifleman IV, now that Six remembered what Alex had mentioned, came to a stop at the cliff's edge, before opening fire.

Sapphire blue lasers winked in and out of existence as the 'MechWarrior went to work, before firing the Autocannons mounted on either side. Instead of a single unguided munition, Six watched as the cannons fired out a cluster of munitions that spread outwards like the pellets of a shotgun. No shells came out, indicating a caseless system, but the results spoke for themselves. Banshees and a few Seraph fighters that were present were being quickly blown out of the sky, with the cluster munitions severely damaging multiple Banshees with a single shot. Walking over to the main structure, he activated the AA Array.

Moments later, the sound of the Rifleman IV's weapons fire was joined by the Scythe firing, a loud BBRRRTTTZZZ coming from the AA Gun, while the Calliope IV SAM's fired off their Large Pulse Lasers, before firing off supersonic missiles that immediately locked onto any enemy targets in the air. Almost immediately, the Covenant AeroSpace forces assaulting Sword Base were being hammered, with Banshees and a few Seraphs being blown out of the sky by the most advanced Anti-Air equipment manufactured by the Star League.

"That did it," Kat noted, even as a Banshee was blown out of the sky. "AA Array is online."

. . .

While this was going on, Alex and the others began to drive towards Farragut Station, which held both a UNSC and SLDF communications array. The SLDF MILCOM Array was a very recent installation at the station, with the installation of said array being another gesture of goodwill from Chernenko. Some were leery of having another faction gaining access to SLDF communication channels, so it was installed with AI designed security measures to prevent any unauthorized access by UNSC or ONI personnel. Only those that had express permission from Chernenko, which included Whitcomb, Holland, Stanforth and SLDF personnel, were allowed to use the MILCOM Array that the SLDF had installed at Farragut Station. Any unauthorized attempts were promptly shut down, with the offenders being arrested, tried, and sentenced to punishments of varying severity.

As they drove along, he looked at Hoskins, who was driving the vehicle itself while manning the guns at the same time. "Are the weapons ready," he asked a moment later.

"Yes," Hoskins replied. "Weapons are primed and ready."

"Good. Once we are at Farragut Station, you will fire on any Covenant personnel that are in the area. Quiaff?"

"Aff." With that, they drove into the area that held Farragut station. Farragut Station was unique in that most of the architecture was made using wood and other local materials, with only one structure, which held the SLDF MILCOM Array, being made out of Advanced Ferrocrete. The UNSC COM Relay was located in the wood building of the area, with the switch being located at the top floor.

Apparently, the Covenant were more interested in the SLDF MILCOM Array, as a number of Elites were clustered around it, looking for a way inside. So far, the ferro-titanium door had held up well, with none of the explosives the Elites were using having penetrated the ultra-strong nanocomposite. Still, it was only a matter of time before the structural integrity of the door failed and the Covenant would get inside. Driving up closer, Hoskins said, "Permission to fire on the Elites at the MILCOM Array?"

"Granted," Alex replied. "Ferrocrete and ferro-titanium can withstand an A-AC/2 effectively." With that, Hoskins targeted the Elites surrounding the MILCOM Array building and fired. There were some muted pops inside of the IFV as the A-AC/2 fired, sending 30mm HEDP (High Explosive Dual Purpose) shells directly at the Elites in the area. The Elites were promptly shredded by the 30mm shells, their shielding failing as the immense kinetic energy of the munitions overloaded them, combined with the explosives used inside of said munitions. At the same time, the automated systems in the IFV targeted the Skirmishers and Grunts with the MPL turret, neutralizing each one once Hoskins ID'ed them as hostile.

"Watch it," Alex shouted, with Hoskins quickly moving the IFV backwards. Moments later, a reddish-white bolus of plasma smacked the ground where the IFV had bee. The source of the bolus was a small, reddish-pink colored vehicle that had a smaller version of the Wraith's Plasma Mortar mounted on the back, with the driver and occupant exposed. "Enemy Revenant," he called out, having read on the vehicle during a briefing. "Target now!" Reaiming, Hoskins battered the enemy vehicle, with the Revenant detonating as munitions designed to defeat light vehicles tore it apart.

Soon, all enemy hostiles were down, with the Advanced Ferrocrete structure holding the SLDF MILCOM Array fully intact. "All targets down. Shaw, get outside and activate any power supply you can find for the UNSC COM Array. Once that is done, I will activate the COM Array itself. Hoskins, you will provide fire support in the event more Covenant reinforcements arrive. Aff?"

"Aff," the others replied. With that, the door located in the rear of the crew compartment opened up, with Shaw and Alex quickly piling out, while Hoskins remained inside to provide overwatch. Running up the incline, Shaw quickly moved inside one of the shacks, a pleased sound coming from him once he spotted what looked like a generator. Grabbing one of the levers, he smiled when he heard the generator kick into action, with Alex on the other rooftop giving him a thumbs up, before activating the COM Relay.

Moments later, Hoskins fired off the A-AC/2, having spotted an enemy target coming their direction. Looking to his left, Alex watched as a Spirit Troop Transport was hammered by the munitions the Badger IV was firing. Moments later, he watched as it exploded, killing the crew and personnel in the passenger bays. "Good work," he said to Hoskins.

"I aim to please, Star Commander," Hoskins replied.

Moments later, Sword Control came in. "Elementals, good work on the comms array. The Spartans have reactivated the AA Array. The Covenant are assaulting the base en mass now. Return to Sword Base and neutralize the enemy contacts."

"Roger that," Alex replied. "Gamma One out." Looking at the others, he said, "Our mission is not yet complete. We have to return to Sword Base to terminate the rest of the Covenant stravags. Move out!" With that, the Elementals quickly piled back into the IFV, before it began driving back to Sword Base.

. . .

At the clearing, Six was about to enter the area when he spotted several Revenants and a lot of infantry. Getting out, he got the Target Locator out and began lasing an area. "Get into cover," he told Kat, just as the Locator locked on.

"Roger that," the SLDF Artillery Commander replied. "LT-MOB-50 Delta firing." Moments later, they heard a few muted thumping sounds off in the distance, before Six spotted what he thought were tracer rounds of some kind. Those tracer rounds quickly turned out to be artillery shells. Within seconds of each other, ten 175mm, HEAP (High Explosive Armor Piercing) shells slammed into the area; explosions tore through the area as the advanced munitions made short work of the Covenant infantry and Revenants. Once the dust cleared, bits and pieces of the Covenant infantry were scattered all over the area, while the Revenants were reduced to eight pieces of ruined nanolaminate and electronics. "Good effect on target. 20+ KIA's."

"Nice," Six remarked. "That is what I call fire support." With that, he got back into the Warthog and drove towards the gate.

As he did, Jun came in over the COM. "We're stalled in the tower atrium. Kat, where are you?"

"Opening the gate now," Kat replied. As the gate opened, the two turned around to see the IFV driving up to the gate. Before they could react, the IFV drove through the gate, crushing the concrete blocks on the ground before proceeding inside. As it passed out of sight, she could hear the IFV firing it's weapons. "Well, that's one way to get through a roadblock," Kat admitted, with the two following the IFV. The courtyard had been cleared a second time, thanks to the Elementals, with Elite, Skirmisher, Jackal and Grunt corpses lying on the ground.

Up ahead, the garage was the site of an intense firefight, with Army personnel engaging Covenant forces. As the Elementals got out of the IFV, Kat noticed soldiers in olive drab and slate gray colored armor fighting alongside the Army personnel, with their armor similar in appearance to what ODST's wore all the time. When she saw the silver star on their armor pauldrons, she realized these were SLDF Army Command personnel. Inside, she saw what they were engaging: two, massive aliens that seemed to be living, walking hulks of armor, with one arm being a massive shield while the other was a massive gun. Exposed joints revealed large, orange cords that relaxed and contracted like muscles. Hunters, she realized.

Apparently, the SLDF Army Command soldiers in the garage had realized this as well, as they were concentrating the bulk of their firepower on the Hunters, while the UNSC Army soldiers were focusing on the Grunts and Jackals. "Back blast clear," came a shout, before something streaked across the room too quickly for Kat to see. There was a loud explosion as one of the Hunters fell over, a massive hole drilled through it's shield arm and chest armor. The second Hunter immediately went berserk, charging forwards only to receive a second object to the chest, with similar results.

As she, Six and the Elementals moved inside, she saw one of the SLDF Army soldiers getting out of cover, holding what appeared to be a launcher in his hands. "Sorry about the mess," he told her. "The only thing we had was an shoulder mounted SRM launcher at our disposal. Good thing it can hold three of those things at a time."

"That's alright," Kat nodded. "Thanks for taking them out." Turning to Six, she said, "Let's get to the atrium. We have to go through the security office." Once they were in the entrance to the rest of the base, she said, "Elevator, Lieutenant. Take it."

"Yes, ma'am," Six nodded. Moments later, the door opened, with everyone getting inside. It was a tight fit inside the elevator with three Elementals and two Spartan III's. The elevator stopped briefly as something smacked into the building, with the lights flickering before returning to normal.

"Corvette's hitting this place hard," Emile said over the COM.

"Where's our orbital support," Kat asked. "Got to be four platforms that could take it out with a single MAC round."

A moment later, Jun said, "Look at that. The SLDF AeroSpace Fighters have arrived! They're hitting the Banshees and Seraphs hard." With that, the elevator came to a stop at the security office, the same one that Admiral Chernenko had passed through during his first visit here.

"Welcome to the Office of Naval Intelligence," an automated PA announced. "An ONI representative will be with you shortly."

"I doubt that very much," Kat remarked dryly.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You have been cleared for access." With that, they proceeded inside. Entering the atrium, they saw a massive firefight between UNSC, SLDF and Covenant forces, with the SLDF and UNSC Army Troopers working cohesively to take down larger threats. Some Elites were present, but it was clear that they knew that the SLDF was a threat, as they were taking cover wherever they could, with said cover rapidly eroding away. Not all of the UNSC and SLDF soldiers were lucky, as some were lying dead on the ground, large wounds on their bodies, though there were more UNSC dead than SLDF dead.

In the back, Jorge, Ward and Alberty were providing fire support. The Elementals were proving their weight in gold, as they were repeatedly flushing out any Elites before mercilessly gunning them down. "Eat this shit, freebirth," Ward shouted, firing an SRM Launcher. There was a loud WOMP-BANG as the missile detonated, killing all of the Covenant ahead of them. "All threats neutralized."

"Spartan! Over here," Jorge shouted, with Six and the others running over.

"Six, head upstairs and assist Emile," Carter said over the COM. "Jorge, Alberty, Ward – make sure he gets there."

"We will assist them as well," Alex replied.

"Depend on it," Jorge shouted. With that, they began to slowly make their way up the atrium and to the upper levels of the facility. Moving through rooms and over the pedestrian bridges, they neutralized any Covenant that stood in the way. "Incoming," Jorge shouted as he spotted an Elite General with a Fuel Rod Gun.

"I have him," Ward shouted, loading his SRM Launcher. "You think your gun is good, arrogant stravag? Mine is far better than yours." The Elite fired it's Fuel Rod Gun, with Ward dodging the incoming projectile before firing his SRM Launcher. The Elite didn't even have time to react, as the missile streaked through the air far faster than the Fuel Rod from the Elite's weapon. A loud BANG and a large puff of smoke and dust filled the air. When it dissipated, there was nothing left of the Elite but it's hoof boots. As they continued up, the base shook once again.

"Corvette's going to tear this base apart," Sword Control shouted. "What's the situation, Noble?

"Can't do this on my own," Emile shouted. "Need another Spartan up here!"

"We're nearly there," Jorge shouted. "Just gotta get to your floor!" Gunning through the last Covenant, they advanced to the uppermost floor and walked into the rooms at said floor. It was clear that the worst damage had been here, as one of the rooms had part of the wall blown inward. The hole led to another room, which had a massive hole in the wall, exposing the interior to the exterior.

Covenant Banshees and Seraph fighters were present in the air outside of the base, each one firing their weapons at the base. Six could also see SLDF AeroSpace Fighters that were engaging their Covenant counterparts, with Pulse Lasers, Autocannons and Missiles streaking through the air. Despite the Covenant's advanced technology, numerous Covenant ASF's were being blown out of the sky, with the SLDF ASF's quickly reducing the incoming enemy forces to a trickle.

Looking around, he spotted Emile on part of the exterior wall, as that portion had collapsed inward into the room. He was currently using an ATM Launcher, having borrowed one in order to more efficiently destroy the Covenant ASF's. "About time," he remarked. "Alex, can you cover us in case some assholes try to land reinforcements."

"Can do," Alex replied. "Ward, Alberty, Shaw, Hoskins, you are on protection detail. If you see any Covenant stravags, kill them." Walking over to Six, he took Ward's SRM Launcher and said, "You know how to use a missile launcher?"

"Yes," Six replied.

"Good. Help your squadmate. We will handle any Covenant freebirths that come your way." Nodding at that, Six grabbed the missile launcher and joined Emile, firing at the Covenant ASF's near the base. Compared to the M41 SPNKR, the SRM Launcher was like a high speed hornet compared to a slow fly. The missiles traveled out far faster than the rocket of an M41, but hit with far more power as well. Spotting an incoming Phantom, he was about to call it out when it exploded, courtesy of an SLDF ASF that flew by the building. Soon, all enemy contacts were down.

"That's the way we get it done, Spartan," Emile crowed, happy with the victory they had.

Moments later, Sword Control said, "Noble Team, Longswords are inbound and ready to push. Orbital defenses standing by to take the shot." As Emile got down from where he was at, Six watched as the Corvette began to flee while Longsword fighters and SLDF fighters flew in pursuit before quickly breaking off. Moments later, a Super MAC round tore through the air, smashing through the Corvette, it's engines flickering as it began to lose altitude.

As it crashed into the late, he felt someone pat him on the shoulder. "Beautiful, ain't it," Jorge smiled. "Someone ought to take a picture."

"I aim to please," Six nodded.

"Excellent work," Alex nodded. "You fought with honor and distinction, Noble Six. That is a deed worthy of a Clan Warrior."

Moments later, Carter came in over the COM. "Five, Six, Alex… get down to the science wing. Doctor Halsey wants a debrief, and Command says we're all hers. Chernenko wants the Elementals to meet her as well."

"Repeat," Jorge asked, surprised. "Sounded like you said 'Halsey.'"

"I did."

"Copy that, we're on our way. Don't need Command telling me… been all hers half my life."

"Who is Halsey," Alex asked.

"One of the most brilliant scientists in the UNSC, or the most unethical, depending on who you ask," Jorge replied. "As for me, she made me what I am today, and I'm proud of it."

"I see," Alex remarked. With that, he and his men followed Jorge. They eventually reached a darkened room that had a glass wall on one side. Behind it was a room that had blue lighting, and some science equipment located in the back. Standing in the room was a woman wearing a parka; she was shorter than the Spartans, but she exuded an aura of authority and knowledge, as though she knew every secret in the building. Her graying hair and facial appearance betrayed her age, but her eyes held a youth and vigor that few could claim to have. It was clear to Alex that this was Dr. Halsey. She reminds me a lot of a scientist that I knew, he thought. If the two are anything alike, then we are in for a brief lecture.

Apparently, she had already started, as he could hear hear saying to Carter, "I requested your assistance, Commander, and do not need a report on the events that occur on my doorstep. What I do need is a detailed account of your previous engagement." Spotting Jorge, Alex noticed that her expression changed for a split second as she paused, before reverting to that of a scientist that wanted a detailed explanation. "Jorge," she remarked. "It's been too long."

"Ma'am," Jorge replied as he took off his helmet.

"What have you done to my armor?"

"Just some… additions that I've made."

"Indeed." Turning back to Carter, Halsey said, "Visegrad Relay. It's data center was home to one of my xeno-archaeologists, Professor Laszlo Sorvad. Perhaps you could shed some light on his death."

"If he was an elderly male in his mid-sixties," Carter replied. "He died with a Covenant Energy Sword through his abdomen."

"Elites, then," Halsey presumed.

"That is correct," Alex replied. "We encountered three Elites in the Visegrad Communications Relay."

"Ah," Halsey remarked. "The Elementals that Admiral Chenrenko speaks so highly of. When I received the file detailing Elementals and their equipment, I legitimately wondered if I was looking at a carbon copy of my Spartans, a question that deepened further when I learned that normal human beings could undergo similar augmentations to become Elementals. I take it you are SLDF, yes?"

"Not originally. I was originally a member of Clan Wolf and the Warrior Caste. I still am, I just have side jobs as a mercenary company leader and an SLDF Elemental."

"Indeed. You said you were engaged by Elites during the previous engagement?"

"Aff, madam. Three Elites wearing what our briefings told us was Zealot armor engaged us. They were surprised by our use of laser based weaponry. Their shields were strong, but Pulse Laser Rifles cut through them with ease."

"I gave the order not to pursue," Carter added. "Our primary objective was to get the station's relay back online."

Apparently, that incited Halsey's irritation, as she said, "Your primary objective? Commander, are you a puppet or a Spartan?"

In response, Jun and Emile looked up indignantly, but Carter remained as cool as a cucumber. "Ma'am," he asked.

Clearing her throat, Halsey said, "There are those at ONI, myself included, who believe that the Covenant dispatch Elite advance teams to hunt down artifacts of value to their religion. Survivor accounts suggest such teams are small, nimble and almost always Zealot-class. No doubt they came to the station for the abundance of ONI excavation data stored there. And you let them get away."

"Data retrieval was not a command directive," Carter countered. "Even if we had known, we had more urgent matters to tend to."

"Like warning the planet," Kat added.

When Halsey looked at Alex, he said, "We were not made aware that there was a cache of data inside of the Relay. If we were informed, we would have made that a priority as well. Information, since the signing of the SLDF-UNSC alliance, as not been as… free as I would like."

"I see," Halsey nodded. "I will make arrangements for that." Turning to the others, she said, "Professor Sorvad's final entry in his field notes made reference to a 'latchkey discovery.' Latchkey… not a word he would use lightly. So let's hope that the data module your Lieutenant Commander stole contains it."

"Kat," Carter asked.

"Before you ask," Halsey added, "I was alerted the moment you attempted to access it's contents. As am I with any unauthorized tap." As she said this, Kat put the data module into a tray that could be extended in and out of the room. "That data is classified Tier One… I could send you to the brig for interfering with my life's work."

"Maybe you'd like to join her," Carter added as Halsey claimed the data module.

"I'm sorry," she asked.

"We're currently under emergency planetary directive 'WINTER CONTINGENCY.' I'm certain that you are familiar with the punishment for civilian interference in a Spartan deployment."

"Are you threatening me, Commander?"

"Just making a reading suggestion, ma'am. Let's move, Noble Team."

As they left, Jorge asked, "Ma'am?"

"That will be all, Jorge," Halsey replied. Turning to Alex, she said, "I will make arrangements so that the Star League Defense Force can gain access to information that they will need. However, I can say that I am impressed with the force projection capabilities that your Clan and faction have shown today."

"That is kind of you, madam," Alex replied. "I will inform Chernenko of our mission success."

"Do so," Halsey nodded. "When you have some free time, however, I would like you to 'educate' me on the nuances of Clan society." With that, Gamma Team left, with Halsey left to her own devices.