Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. Thank you all for your support. I greatly appreciate the feedback that you've shown.
Also, don't forget to leave a review whenever you read this story. Most of my feedback comes from reviews, so if you've got any ideas that you can share, I am more than willing to hear you out. I'm also wondering if you were displeased by the previous chapters. If so, then I will do what I can to make corrections.
Also, due to ongoing events on my end, I won't be able to update my Halo/Star Wars crossover for some time. Once things on my end have settled down, I will have the time to make updates. Mind you, I am not abandoning that story. It will receive updates in the future.
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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, Piranha Games Inc., etc. 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.
Unknown Location
UNSC/SLDF In Amber Clad
November 26th, 2552
Around a nearby ice giant, the fabric of space and time was calm and peaceful, with nothing out of the ordinary happening, and everything following the laws of physics. This peace was promptly shattered when a portal into a realm where the laws of physics changed opened. Moments later, a massive, damaged ship, along with a large amount of debris was disgorged out of the portal. Before said portal closed, a smaller, more intact ship, was disgorged.
Miranda Keyes held onto her chair as the In Amber Clad suddenly decelerated, having nearly been thrown out of her seat. Grunting, she held on until the deceleration stopped, before looking up and around. "Report!" she ordered.
"Both engine cores have spun to zero," an Ensign reported. "We're drifting."
"Capital Missile pods are cold," another one informed her. "I'll need to re-key the system."
"Do it," Miranda ordered, "and find out where we are." As her crew went to work, she realized she had to check in on her passengers. Keying the PA, she said, "Sorry for the quick jump, Sergeant. You in one piece?"
Inside one of the SOIEV (Single Occupant Independent Entry Vehicle) pods onboard the In Amber Clad, Johnson examined his cigar for a moment. The ride had been bumpy, to say the least, but he was alive and well. Clearing his throat, he took a puff before saying, "I'm good. Chief?"
"We're fine," Cortana replied for the Spartan, who was also in an SOIEV.
"Ma'am," an Ensign informed Commander Keyes, "Engine cores are back online. Orders?"
"Follow the Solemn Penance," Miranda Keyes ordered. "If we follow Regret's flagship, we might find out where he's going."
"Roger that." Moments later, the ship shuddered as the fusion thrusters powered up fully. There was a slightly push as the thrusters moved them forwards, before the inertial compensators kicked in. Now that they were mobile, they could move more quickly.
As they moved along, Miranda looked around to see what had happened. From what she could tell, the Solenm Penance's entry into Slipstream Space hadn't been kind to the city of New Mombasa. She could see debris and pieces of wrecked buildings that had been sucked into the non-dimensional region when the rupture had opened up. As such, they were having to move through a minefield of wrecked buildings and debris.
As they flew along, her eyes caught sight of something up ahead. As they moved around another piece of debris, she spotted what she had caught a glimpse of. "Cortana," she asked, staring in amazement at the object, "what exactly am I looking at?"
It took only two seconds for Cortana to tell her what. "That… is another Halo."
Inside his SOIEV pod, Johnson's eyes widened with shock. WHAT, his mind screamed, with the shock being so bad that he choked on his cigar. Coughing, he half-asked, half-shouted, "Say what?!"
"It's another Halo," Cortana repeated.
Up, on the bridge, Miranda realized now what her father had meant by 'a superweapon of unprecedented power.' "So, this is what my father found," she whispered. Speaking up more loudly, she said, "I thought Halo was some kind of superweapon."
"It is," Cortana confirmed. "If activated, it will cause destruction on a galactic scale."
With that in mind, Miranda said, "I want all the information you have on the first Halo. Schematics, topography, whatever. I don't care if I don't have the clearance or not." While this was going on, Miranda decided to use a system that she knew about, courtesy of her father.
One of the major advantages that the SLDF had, according to Vice Admiral Keyes, was that they had a working FTL system that, while low in bandwidth, could allow ships to closely coordinate with each other. It was one of the few secrets that Chernenko was willing to share, and even then, only Admiral Hood and Vice Admirals Whitcomb, Stanforth and now Keyes knew of it. Ironically, the UNSC had developed a prototype Wavespace transceiver that was capable of accurately transmitting information over long distances near-instantly. The only reason why it was onboard her ship, rather than in a lab, was because the project technicians had compared the Wavespace transceiver with SLDF K-Type receivers.
As such, she could clearly see the option to establish communications with Earth. Hitting the icon, she waited for a few seconds before speaking. "Commander Miranda Keyes of the In Amber Clad, requesting permission to speak with Admiral Chernenko and Vice Admiral Jacob Keyes. Do you read me? Over."
There was silence for a moment, then, "Affirmative, we read you. We are working on establishing a link to the requested recipients. Stand by."
"Roger that." As they flew along, Miranda looked around for the Solemn Penance. "Where's our target?" she asked.
"The enemy ship has stopped right above the ring, ma'am," the ship's navigator reported. "We're going to pass right over it." True enough, she spotted the enemy WarShip.
"Ma'am," another Ensign reported. "I'm seeing multiple SDV-class corvettes launching off from the Carrier. I think they're abandoning ship."
"The Solemn Penance sustained severe structural damage," Cortana added. "It's likely that they feel that the WarShip is no longer capable of sustaining life. In fact, I'm seeing multiple hull breaches that have likely compromised it's structural integrity."
Just as Miranda would've made her decision, she heard a crackle on the COM. Keying it, she heard her father speaking up. "Commander Keyes, this is Vice Admiral Keyes, is everything alright?"
"I wish it were," Miranda sighed. "Is Admiral Chernenko with you?"
"I'm here, Miranda," Chernenko replied. "SitRep?"
"We've emerged from Slipstream Space, and we've located Regret's flagship. I've also got some bad news: we've found another Halo."
The silence on the other side of the COM link was deafening, lasting a good ten seconds. "Come again, Commander?" Chernenko asked. "Did you just say 'another Halo'"
"Affirmative," Miranda replied. "Sending data now. Cortana, send them an information packet right now."
"Aye, aye," Cortana affirmed. Within moments, the data had been sent along the FTL COM channel.
There was a moment of silence on the line once more. Then, in a rare moment of profanity, Miranda thought she heard Chernenko mutter «Ебать!», followed by the sound of something falling down. A moment later, she heard his voice loud and clear. "Commander, this is a Priority One threat to both the UNSC and Naval Fleet Delta. I am authorizing you for all information that the SLIC has on the previous Halo. Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Miranda replied. "Given what we know about this ring, it's even more important that we capture the Prophet of Regret. Permission to send down a strike team, sir?"
"Granted."
"Miranda," Vice Admiral Keyes added, "If what we know is true, the Covenant will likely try to find a map room, the 'Silent Cartographer' that pinpoints the location of that Halo's Control Room. They'll be looking for an object known as the 'Index', which is stored in a facility known as the 'Library'. If they get their hands on it, they can activate Halo and cause a massive catastrophe."
"Affirmative," Miranda replied. "I'll send in a strike team to find this Halo's Silent Cartographer. I'll scan for this ring's Library first, though. If I find it, we won't have to send a team to the Silent Cartographer here."
"Good idea. That will greatly reduce the search time for it."
"Can you trace our location?"
"We can trace your location, but it'll take some time. I'll have my MILCOM Officer get to work on fixing your location. Once we've got your location, we'll send in support. As of now, your orders are to get to Delta Halo and recover any and all information that you can. Understood?"
"Affirmative, sir."
"Then the mission's all yours. Good luck."
"Affirmative," Miranda nodded. Closing the COM link, she said, "Chief, take 1st Platoon. Hard drop, secure a landing zone. Sergeant, load up two flights of Pelicans and follow them in. Until we have more reinforcements, I'm going to keep a low profile. Once you leave the ship, you're on your own."
"Aye, aye, ma'am," Johnson replied. Hitting the release lever in his SOIEV, he clambered out. Walking past Chief's SOIEV Pod, he hit the side of it twice with his fist, with a clang from inside answering his message.
"Understood," Chief nodded.
"Ma'am," an ensign informed Miranda. "We're passing over the ring in five… four… three… two… one… now!"
"Hang onto your helmet!" Cortana shouted. Moments later, the SOIEV pod deployed, along with dozens of others.
For a brief moment, Chief felt weightlessness, then that weightlessness was replaced by negative G forces as the pod raced downwards. Powerful thrusters shunted the pod through the vacuum of space, directly towards the surface of the ring. A subtle vibration that grew more violent with each passing moment told him they were entering the ring's atmosphere.
"Mind the bump," Cortana informed him. Seconds later, Chief felt a jolt as the air brakes on the SOIEV deployed, slowing the pod down to a safer landing speed. That, he knew, was a good thing to feel. SOIEV pods had the notorious reputation of having their air brakes fail, dooming the passenger to an unfortunate end; ODST's called it 'digging your own grave.'
As they flew downwards, he looked at the video feed from outside the pod. According to the flight computer, they were headed on a downward trajectory towards what appeared to be a bluff near a massive lake. While he couldn't make it out right now, he thought he saw a structure of some kind in the lake.
What had his attention the most, though, was the large splotch of angry red that covered the cliffside area. Covenant are down there, he realized. We're coming in hot.
Right on cue, a Shade Turret down on the cliff began firing, flinging purple-white bolts of plasma at the SOIEV. There was a dull THUNK as one bolt hit his pod, only for the armor to boil off, protecting the pod. Seconds later, the video feed went black as the pod smashed into the ground with a massive CRASH!
Taking that as his cue to get out, Chief raised a foot and smashed it into the pod door. The pod hatch flew off as though it'd been fired out of a cannon, with the door smashing into an unfortunate Grunt moments later. "Can we possibly make anymore noise?" Cortana asked. In response, Chief pulled out an SRM Launcher that had been in the pod. "I guess so."
Looking around, Chief confirmed what he'd seen on the video feed earlier. The SOIEV pods had landed just shy of a sheer drop, with the cliff dropping down thousands of feet towards the lake. A earthen ramp led upwards into the area where he saw a structure built into the cliff while coming down. Trees and other plants populated the area.
There wasn't any time for sightseeing, though, as Chief heard Private Chips Dubbo shout, "Sir, we gotta neutralize those turrets!" Nodding, Chief proceeded ahead, holstering his Launcher and pulling out his M42D. Looking around, he spotted three Shade Turrets. Two were built along the edge of the second embankment above them, while a scan indicated one that was slightly further in the back, likely in the structure he'd seen earlier.
Weapons ready, he advanced forwards. From what he could tell, the only forces present were a guard force of Jackals and Grunts, though he figured that there was an Elite around here somewhere. True to form, the moment he moved up one of the ramps, he opened fire, killing a pair of Grunts and a Jackal. Blood splattered the ground, painting a macabre scene.
Moving up, he neutralized the first Shade Turret gunner, then the second, which left getting inside the structure. He was about to move when a yellow-green streak shot past his helmet, forcing him to duck behind cover. Peering around the corner, he spotted an Elite Major that had a Carbine in it's hands. "Kill him!" the Elite roared. "Silence the Demon!"
"Clear that landing zone," Sergeant Stacker shouted. "We've got birds coming in!"
Shaking his head, Chief advanced forwards, moving into the structure, all the while dodging incoming enemy fire. Tossing a grenade to his left, he moved up the stairs, with the structure shaking as the grenade detonated. Reaching the top, he found the Elite on the upper level, along with a Jackal sniper.
The Elite, having heard him coming, turned around and charged, Energy Sword activated. Dodging an incoming swipe, Chief moved under the next one and tackled the Elite, sending it to the ground. Punching it in the head, he took out his sidearm and fired a full mag into it's chest, killing the alien instantly. At the same time, Chips Dubbo neutralized the Jackal Sniper, splattering it's brains all over the rocky platform.
"Artillery disabled, Sergeant," Cortana reported as the Marines and ODST's finished neutralizing the last of the enemy ground forces. "Landing Zone secured… for the moment."
"I hear ya," Johnson nodded. "Starting our approach - hang tight."
"Easier said than done," Cortana observed. "Phantom on approach!" Pulling out the SRM Launcher, Chief began to prepare to use it when she said, "Chief, I'd wait to use that. We might face off against Hunters in the future." Seeing the wisdom behind her words, he nodded and put the weapon away for now.
Right on cue, a Phantom flew in, weapons blazing as it came in for a landing. Within moments of coming still, it disgorged a number of Elites, Grunts and Jackals. The Marines, Chief and ODST's had their hands full neutralizing all hostile forces. Two more waves came, forcing them to fight until they had nearly run out of ammo.
Killing the last Elite, Chief checked his ammo reserves, only to find that he was now completely dry. Keying his COM, he said, "This is Sierra-117, requesting a resupply. Over."
"Gotcha covered, Chief," a Pelican pilot replied. "We're coming in with a Warthog, and ammunition crates."
"Here comes our ride," Dubbo shouted. Moments later, a Pelican flew into view, it's engines flaring as it came in for a landing.
As it flew down for a landing, Johnson said, "I got a good view comin' in. There's a big building in the middle of this island's lake."
"I saw it too," Cortana agreed. "If I were a megalomaniac – and I'm not – that's where I'd be." While they said this, the Pelican dropped off the Warthog as well as the ammo crate it had.
"Alright, saddle up!" Stacker shouted. "We're moving." Nodding, Chief grabbed the ammunition he needed before getting into the driver's seat. Moments later, an ODST got into the passenger seat, while Private Dubbo clambered onto the turret. Once everyone was onboard, Chief gunned the throttle.
The vehicle surged forwards as the powerful engine propelled them through the gorge, taking them to the other side. Spotting a group of Covenant, Chief was about to run over them when the Skirmisher leading the group shouted, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
"More members of Xhov's insurrection," Cortana told Chief. "I just scanned their ID's. They're genuine."
Stopping, Chief asked, "SitRep?"
"There's more Covenant past that way," the lead Skirmisher replied, her voice wavering slightly due to stress. "The Covenant have set up Wraiths on the other side of a gorge in the area. The only way to cross is with a bridge that's on our side of the gorge. Be careful, though. A lot of Sangheili are present."
"Thank you," Chief nodded.
As they drove along, Dubbo looked to see a panoramic vista of the lake, with the structure located square in the middle, "Woah," he gasped, "it's like a postcard. Dear Sarge: Kicking Covenant ass and taking names in space. Wish you were here to do the same."
He was about to think he'd got away with it when Johnson growled, "I heard that, jackass!"
It wasn't long before they reached the area the Skirmisher warned them about. There was a large gorge up ahead, with a retracting bridge that was supposed to bridge the gap. Unfortunately, it looked as though the Covenant had retracted it, which meant they'd have to get inside to deploy it again.
"Looks like she was right," Cortana observed. "The Covenant have control of the bridge ahead. They're going to try and bottle us up on this side of the gorge. The controls to deploy the bridge should be inside."
"Understood," Chief nodded. Spotting hostile targets, he said, "Gunner, take them out!"
"Got it," Dubbo shouted, swinging the turret around. Once he spotted the hostiles, he opened fire. 12.7mm bullets tore through the air as Chief maneuvered the Warthog, allowing Dubbo to get a clear firing line. Grunts and Jackals exploded as HEAP rounds designed to defeat ablative armor tore through their bodies, splattering the area with blood and gore. An Elite dumb enough to come outside was promptly ripped to shreds, splattering blood and other fluids against the walls of the gatehouse.
Coming to a stop, Chief drew his weapon and moved inside. Checking his corners, he eventually came into a large, octagonal room that had controls, as well as a holographic projector inside. Several Elites were inside, with most drawing their weapons.
To Chief's surprise, one of the Elites did the same, but immediately plunged it's Energy Sword into the back of one of the Elites. Shocked, the Elites whirled around to face the new threat, allowing Chief to move in with greater ease. The rifle in his hands roared loudly, almost as though it was eager to end the lives of the Elites in the room. Between the two, the other Elites didn't stand a chance, with the walls being painted with purple-blue colored blood and gore.
Reloading his rifle, he aimed at the other Elite when, in a distinctly feminine voice, it said, "Stay your hand, Demon! I do not wish to fight you!"
"Who are you?" Chief asked.
"Vera 'Zatumee," the Sangheili replied.
"Why are you helping me?"
"I was sent here with these Elites to ensure that you would not pass this bridge," Vera explained. "When I heard of Xhov's rebellion, though, I began to wonder if I had been lied to. You can imagine how angry at the Hierarchs I was when I found that Xhov was right to rebel. I have been looking for an opportunity to join his insurrection since then. It was not until you came that I had the chance to do so."
"Chief, is that Vera," the Skirmisher from earlier asked as she came inside.
"You know her?" Chief asked.
"Yes," the Skirmisher nodded. "She expressed a desire to join our cause, but she wasn't able to do so." Looking at Vera, she said, "If you wish to help us stop the Hierarch's madness, then you are welcome to do so. Follow his orders and you will do well."
While the two were speaking, Chief and an ODST that had followed them inside looked at the holographic projector. Currently, it was displaying a life-size image of Regret himself. Regret was speaking in a song-like voice; were it not for the foul intent that he carried, he would've perfectly fit in an alien choir of sorts. "Isn't that our target," the ODST asked. "What's he doing? Is he giving a speech?"
"A sermon, actually," Cortana explained. "I've been listening to it since we landed. So far, some standard Covenant literature, but I'll translate it if I hear something noteworthy."
"You needn't do that," Vera replied as she came over. "I know what he is saying right now." Moments later, she said, "What he is saying is this: 'The Forerunners, our most exalted lords, used the seven sacred rings to flee a doomed existence, to escape their endless struggle against the Flood. Long ago, the Prophets and Sangheili fought an equally fruitless war. Indeed, I believe we would still be at each others throats had the Prophets not found evidence of the Forerunners and their Great Journey."
"Sounds like he's feeding your species more lies," Cortana remarked.
"That he is," Vera nodded. With a snarl, she plunged her energy sword into the holographic projector, cutting the image off completely. "I would sooner kill myself than continue to listen to his lies." Looking at Chief, she said, "We cannot waste any more time. Every minute we delay is more time they have to shore up their defenses against us."
"Noted," Chief nodded. Advancing towards the control panel nearby, he hit the glyph that would deploy the bridge. Seconds later, the structure vibrated as the bridge slowly lowered, before locking into place, bridging the chasm.
"Good, the bridge is down," Cortana beamed. "Now, about those Wraiths…"
"Way ahead of ya," Johnson replied. "We don't have our own 'Mechs, but we've got plenty of Scorpions. Hope the brass can find out where we're at."
"That would be nice," Cortana agreed. "We'll make do for now. Chief, head on outside. Our vehicle should be ready to go."
"Agreed," Chief nodded. Moving outside, he found the Scorpion in question, fully armed and ready to go. Clambering onto the vehicle, he quickly got inside, with the ODST that came with them manning the vehicle. Once everyone, including Vera, was onboard, they advanced.
Aiming the gun turret, Chief targeted the first Wraith, firing the A-AC/10 at the Covenant vehicle. The HEAT shell tore through the Covenant MBT, shredding it's internal structure as a jet of superplastic metal tore out the other side. The other Wraith driver, realizing his mistake, attempted to back up, barely getting to cover as the next HEAT shell smashed against the rock column it took cover behind.
Maneuvering the vehicle, Chief drove to the left, just as the Wraith opened fire. The plasma bolus smacked into the tank, ablating layers of armor while causing the vehicle to shake. Looking at his HUD, Chief watched as the tank's internal heat spiked, before beginning to go down. Not wanting to take any chances, he fired off a shell, blasting the offending vehicle apart. "Status," Chief asked Cortana.
"Armor took a hit, but we're fine," Cortana replied. "I wouldn't recommend repeated hits if I can help it. This tank's no 'Mech."
"Agreed." With that in mind, he gunned the throttle, moving the vehicle through the area. Up ahead, he spotted a number of what appeared to be caves. Raising an eyebrow, he continued ahead, but not before saying, "Marines, ODST's, keep your guard up. We're moving through the caves. Expect heavy Covenant resistance."
"Roger that," the others replied. With that, they advanced inside, vehicles rumbling as they moved through.
Chief's warning proved to be prudent, as it was soon discovered that they had entered a tunnel network that riddled the area. The Covenant had enough strategic prudence to set up ambushes and foxholes inside the tunnels, while supporting them with light vehicles, such as Ghosts and Revenants. While those measures would've stopped a normal squad of UNSC personnel, they weren't sufficient to stop heavily armored vehicles and well trained special forces squads.
Eventually, after moving through the tunnel network, they emerged out of the ruins and near another structure. Firing the A-AC/10, Chief blasted apart a pair of Ghosts before moving through the center of the clearing they were in. "Careful," Cortana told him. "We're coming up on another structure."
"Understood," Chief nodded. As he drove forwards, he began to climb up a short ramp that took a sharp right hand turn once he reached the top. Looking in that direction, he thought he spotted stone columns that led into another structure.
"Incoming," Vera shouted as more Covenant rounded the corner. "They must be all inside that structure!"
"Got it," Chief replied. He was about to ask Cortana for a solution when he heard the autoloader in the tank working.
"Ooohh, this'll do," Cortana beamed menacingly.
"What?" Chief asked.
"Cluster munitions," Cortana replied. "They were originally developed using an 'LB 10-X AC.' Kinda like the canister shot from the Grizzly. Give it a go." Deciding to go ahead, Chief fired the main cannon again.
Instead of a single, solid shell, Chief watched as a cluster of smaller shells ripped out of the muzzle of the cannon, splattering the area in a manner similar to a shotgun. Stone and rock was hurled around as explosive sub-munitions tore into the surge of Covenant. When the dust cleared, Chief saw Elites, Grunts and Jackals that had been literally dismembered. Limbs, organs and blood covered the area in a horrific scene of devastation.
"Damn," Dubbo whistled. "The Star League sure didn't mess around with their munitions. That thing was like a giant version of our shotguns."
"No kidding," another Marine remarked. "Fuck me running! It tore those Covenant apart!
"Save the chatter for later," Chief told them. "We need to move." As he got out, a Pelican flew overhead, dropping off ordinance for the team to use. As he hadn't used much ammunition, he only took what he needed before advancing.
Just as he did, more Covenant began to come out. Fortunately, the grizzly display of firepower that had happened seconds earlier had them moving much more cautiously, as they expected to be blasted apart in horrific fashion. That caution, while helpful, meant that they were on the backfoot, as Chief and the others pressed the advantage they had.
The result was a massive firefight. Bullets and laser beams answered plasma bolts, with the Marines advancing forwards. It wasn't without cost, though, as Chief saw an allied Jackal that went down screaming, his arms reduced to charred stumps by a plasma grenade. Another Jackal was unluckier, as he was promptly blow in half by the same explosion.
"FUUUUCCCKKK!" a Marine screamed as he fired back, with a plasma bolt nearly searing his face off. "Pull back! We can't take this!"
"No!" Vera roared. "Push the attack! They are about to break! Fight on, or all of us will die!" Emboldened by the female Sangheili's words, the Marines rallied behind her and Chief, fighting with renewed intensity.
Sure enough, the Covenant offensive shattered, with the lead Elite being killed by a well aimed laser beam. Without a coherent command structure, the Grunts and Jackals on the other side fled, only to be cut down by bullets and laser beams. With the way forwards cleared, the team quickly advanced through the structure, moving through the interior as they drove back the Covenant.
As they moved inside, Chief found another holoprojector, with Regret continuing his sermon. "What is he saying?" Chief asked Vera.
"Let me listen," she replied. After a few seconds, she said, "He's saying, 'In a gesture of peace and reconciliation, the Prophets promised to find the means of the Forerunners' transcendence, and to share this knowledge with the Sangheili. The Sangheili promised to defend the Prophets as they searched. A simple arrangement that has become our binding Covenant."
"Transcendence, huh?" Cortana remarked sarcastically. "More like mass suicide."
"I agree, now that my eyes are open," Vera nodded. "We must keep moving. The foul coward is around here somewhere." Nodding, Chief and the others continued to advance, weapons at the ready. Moving through a cave, Chief heard a sloshing sound; looking down, he found that he'd stepped into a stream, which was flowing forwards.
Following the stream, he spotted a Jackal Sniper; without ceremony, he broke the alien's neck, before looking out over the area. The stream cave he was in led to a clearing that was fairly large, with the stream becoming a waterfall that fell for a good four stories or so. Lining the walls of the clearing were grassy terraces, with the ground at the waterfall's base being muddy, with copious amounts of grass. Rock bridges and rampways helped make the area more navigable, and he could see another cave on the other side.
The Covenant were present, as he could see numerous Elites, Jackals and Grunts. Spotting fast moving contacts on his sensor suite, he realized there were Drones here as well. "You always bring me to such nice places," Cortana beamed.
"You're welcome," Chief nodded. "We'll have to cut through this area," he told the others. "Marines, make sure your shotguns are ready. We've got Drones in the area."
"More Buggers?" Dubbo asked.
"Oh, fuck me," an ODST grumbled. "I remember when my cousin got carried off by one of those things. All they found of him were his boots."
"I agree," Dubbo nodded. "I hate Buggers."
"Move through the area quietly," Vera told the others. "I'll give the signal to attack." Nodding, Chief and the others hopped down, before crouching down and moving slowly.
Fortunately, the terrain here worked to their advantage, as the grass was tall from millennia of growth. As such, with their careful movements, they were able to move past Covenant personnel that were mere inches away. Vera was able to move without suspicion, as none of the Covenant suspected that she was a traitor.
Eventually, as Chief reached the other side, she made an odd motion with her mandibles. Realizing that was the signal, Chief and the others immediately fired and stood up. The ambush caught the Covenant completely off guard, with dozens being cut down before they could fire a single shot.
"Traitor," an Elite roared as Vera dueled against him, Energy Swords clashing. "You serve the Heretical Humans!"
"Nay," Vera shouted back. "I serve the ones that the gods chose to succeed them! You are the traitors, for attempting to silence and destroy them!"
"Your feet will be stayed when the Great Journey comes!"
"No, yours will!" With a bold move, Vera disarmed the Elite, before running him through with her Energy Sword. The Zealot on the other end gurgled and choked as high temperature plasma tore through him. Blood splattered out of his mouth as he fell limp.
"Are you alright?" Chief asked as Vera extricated her blade, as she had a gash on the left side of her waist.
"You need not worry about me, Demon," Vera replied after examining the wound. "I have had far worse than that."
"Are you certain? I do not want any injuries of yours impeding the mission."
"I will be fine," Vera replied. When Chief didn't stop looking at her wound, she sighed and said, "My apologies, Demon. I forgot that your kind is more practical in terms of injuries than mine is. In our society, doctors are seen as dishonorable, as they spill blood outside of battle."
"I understand," Chief nodded. Motioning to a corpsman, he said, "Nanite gel, now."
"Got it," the Corpsman replied. "You go on up ahead." While the Corpsman treated Vera's injuries, Chief and the others advanced through the cave. They came out onto a metallic platform that led to a structure to their left, a downward sloping ramp leading to a door.
"Still no word about In Amber Clad," Cortana informed Chief, "which is good news. It's odd, the Covenant know that we've made landfall, but they don't seem to consider us a serious threat. Boy are they in for a nasty surprise." Nodding at that, Chief proceeded to head inside.
He entered what appeared to be a large central chamber, with a ramp in the center leading up to a second floor. The room was shaped like an octagon that was cut in half, with a door on the second level. He was about to advance when something flashed by his head, causing him to roll backwards out of reflex. Looking up, he spotted Elites that were wearing read armor that had had glowing accents, and ornately carved components. "Watch yourself," Cortana warned. "Honor Guards!"
"Got it," Chief replied. One of the Honor Guards promptly charged at him with an energy weapon that resembled a halberd. Reacting swiftly, Chief dodged the bladed component and grabbed the halberd by the shaft, wrenching it out of the Elite's grasp. Twirling the weapon around, he used the bladed end to sever one of the Elite's arms before beheading it.
Another one charged from behind, only to receive a shotgun blast to the back. Whirling around, the Honor Guard caught another blast in the face, with Chips Dubbo roaring as he charged. The attack as so sudden that the Honor Guard had not time to react, as Dubbo leaped forwards, tackling the alien before plunging his combat knife into it's neck.
With that, the battle came to an end. Turning around, Chief said, "That was a rash move, Private. You nearly got yourself killed."
"It was that, or have that asshole stab you in the back," Dubbo replied in an effort to justify his bold attack. "He practically had you dead to rights."
Looking at the corpse, Chief realized that Dubbo was right. After a moment, he said, "Alright, but be more careful next time. We can't afford casualties." As Dubbo nodded in agreement, Chief moved towards the exit on the upper level.
"Wait! Stop!" Cortana told him. "Go back." Backing up, Chief looked at the hologram of Regret that was in the room. Putting her into the console, he waited for a response. "Yep, that's what I thought," Cortana remarked. "Regret's going to activate Delta Halo!"
"Are you certain?" Chief asked.
A moment later, Cortana snapped her fingers, playing a translation of what Regret was saying. "I shall light this holy ring, release it's cleansing flame, and burn a path into the divine beyond!"
Snapping her fingers again, Cortana paused the feedback. "Pretty much," she said smugly.
"Commander," Chief said over the COM to Miranda. "We have a problem."
"So I hear," Miranda Keyes replied. "According to my father, though, the Covenant'll need the Index before they can activate Halo. I managed to locate a Library similar to the one that you found on Halo. If the rings work the same way, the Index is probably inside."
"I'll bet the Covenant are thinking the exact same thing," Johnson piped in.
"Then we'd better beat them to it. Also, Chernenko's men say that they'll be at this ring in roughly five minutes. They've found our location. Chief, I'll secure the Index. You take out Regret. He's given us all the intel we need."