Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech crossover. Thank you for your feedback on the previous chapter. I greatly appreciate it.
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MechWarrior 5: Heroes of The Inner Sphere OST - Surrounded
Delta Halo
Quarantine Zone
November 27th, 2552
Hopping into the Spectre, Thel watched as Bero climbed into the gunnery seat, while the other Elites manned the Ghosts, as well as a Revenant that had been dropped off. Once everyone was on a vehicle, they began to move forwards. Spotting the shutter door ahead, Thel drove through it.
As he did so, R'tas contacted them over the BattleNet. "The Library is located further ahead of us, Arbiter," he told Thel. "According to a drone I launched earlier, we must pass through what appears to be a large chamber, as well as a spiraling ramp in order to get to ground level. Once we do so, we will need to navigate what appears to be a series of canyons ahead of us.
"We must be careful, though. The Parasite is locked in a war with the holy warriors of this ring. They will not take kindly to our presence. We must be swift in the completion of our mission. Now forward, warriors! And fear neither pain nor death! Go, Arbiter; I'll follow when our reinforcements arrive."
"Understood," Thel nodded. Internally, he agreed with R'tas assessment. We must be swift, otherwise we will be bogged down by the fighting. That is something we cannot afford, with the Humans seeking a way inside as well.
His train of thought ended as he moved through another shutter door. Sensor contacts lit up on the dashboard of the Spectre, with Thel looking around to see the obvious hostiles. "Bero," he ordered.
"On it," Bero replied. The plasma turret on the back of the Spectre fired, with plasma bolts zipping through the air towards the Sentinels. Most went down without trouble, but one immediately detonated. While the explosion wasn't strong, Thel snarled as the vehicle immediately shut down, while his shields failed. After a few seconds, both his shields, and the vehicle, returned to normal function.
"Be careful," he warned the other Sangheili. "The Sentinels create an EMP if they're destroyed suddenly. Remain at a distance."
"As you command, Arbiter," the others replied.
Moments later, Sentinel Enforcers appeared, having detected the new interlopers. "Enforcers!" another Sangheili shouted. "Keep to the vehicles! We'll need the heavy guns. Onward to the Sacred Icon!"
As they continued onward, Thel looked ahead to see more hostiles; this time, it was the Flood, but there was something off. That something was revealed when, much to his surprise, a Flood Combat Form leaped onto a Ghost and began piloting it. While nowhere near as good as a normal Elite, it's driving was competent, albeit barely so.
"What?" Bero gasped, surprised. "The Parasite controls our vehicles?" After a moment, he thought to himself, then he said, "Bah, no matter. They will die all the same." With that, they drove into the chamber proper.
To Thel, it was a massive chamber, large enough that it could hold dozens of Phantoms with room to spare. They were currently on the upper level of the chamber, with another one that was below them, with ramps connecting the two. Looking around, he could see more, but two chasms prevented access. The only way to those areas were what appeared to be doors, but they weren't accessible from where he was at.
As for what was going on inside, it was a massive firefight. Flood and Sentinels were locked in a massive brawl for control of the chamber, though it was clear that it was an even fight, even with the Enforcers firing on the Flood. We'll have to be careful, Thel thought as he looked around. Even with the Sentinels distracted, we will be under threat of attack.
True to his line of thought, the Flood and Sentinels hadn't ignored them. Flood Combat Forms began driving their vehicles closer. In response, Thel and the others fired back, while he maneuvered his vehicle to minimize damage and get Bero a clear line of fire. Plasma bolts streaked through the air as they engaged.
As they drove along, other events were happening. One Ghost that drove forwards happened to be unlucky enough to be under one of the Enforcers. Suddenly, it was sucked skyward, while the Enforcer prepared to smash the vehicle apart with it's two pincer-like arms. "Watch out!" a Sangheili shouted as he fired his Revenant's Plasma Mortar.
It was an expert shot at the range he was at. The plasma bolus smashed into the top of the Enforcer, jarring it so badly that it had to let go of the Ghost. This allowed the Revenant pilot to fire again and again, blasting the Enforcer apart after five more successive hits. "Thank you," the Sangheili piloting the Ghost shouted.
"It was the right thing to do," the other replied. "Now, make haste! We cannot tarry any longer!"
As they drove along, Thel thought he spotted something in the corner of his vision. Looking to his left, he was surprised to see what looked like the burnt-out husk of a vehicle. Peering closer, his eyes widened slightly when he recognized it.
Apparently, Bero had as well, as he said, "R'tas, we've found a Human vehicle! It's been destroyed, and the bodies around it incinerated."
"Keep moving," R'tas replied. "I'm on my way."
"Careful," Thel warned the others as they moved to the lower area. Here, a few Flood controlled Ghosts were duking it out with an Enforcer, while a Flood controlled Wraith on one of the areas lobbed plasma mortars. "Move past them," he ordered. "They are distracted enough for us to pass."
"Understood," the others replied. Moving forwards, they managed to skirt that fight, with all vehicles moving through the shutter door ahead and into the next area. True to R'tas recon, they entered another area that had a large spiraling ramp, the one they were now traveling down. Doors were present in the wall that lined the left side, while transparent Forerunner alloy formed the wall on the right. Down below, Thel could see a sinkhole, as well as more Flood and Sentinels that were fighting.
As they drove onward, he thought he heard a vehicle fly overhead, though when he looked up, he didn't see anything. It was easy to see why though: the weather was quickly deteriorating. Snow was falling down fairly heavily, and it threatened to become a whiteout soon. Even the temperature had dropped, as Thel could feel the cold on his exposed mandibles, though the tech suit he wore kept him warm.
Moving forwards, he watched as Bero engaged more Flood, thought his time, several Sentinels came along. Remembering Thel's warning, Bero fired on the Sentinels before they got too close. This turned out to be a prudent measure, as two of them exploded, generating an EMP that would've left them vulnerable for some time.
Reaching the bottom, they drove through one of the shutter doors. It was here that Thel got his first glimpse of the scale of the conflict that was going on. While the snow reduced visibility greatly, he could still see that he was in some kind of valley. Teal glows indicated where there were chasms and sinkholes, likely caused by the extensive fighting that had been happening. The sky was almost pitch black, with the only light coming from the sinkholes, as well as the lights on his armor.
Activating night vision on his helmet, Thel spotted a massive fight that was happening up ahead of him. The Flood and Sentinels were engaged in a fight of massive proportions. Enforcers and Flood controlled Wraiths exchanged blows with each other, while Ghosts and Sentinels sprayed plasma and particle beams at each other. It was a fight that wouldn't have looked out of place in a blockbuster action film.
Even Bero was surprised by the scale of what he was seeing. "It's almost as though they have been fighting for thousands of years," he remarked.
"Indeed," Thel remarked. Looking around, he said, "We mustn't tarry any longer. Every moment we waste is another that the Humans can use to get ahead of us."
"Agreed," Bero nodded. "We must move carefully, though. One erroneous maneuver, and we will surely fall to our deaths, or be destroyed by the Sentinels or consumed by the Flood. I would advise avoiding any fights that we cannot win."
"Agreed," Thel nodded. Keying his BattleNet Transceiver, he said, "Warriors, follow me. Do not choose a battle that you cannot win, or you will be killed by the enemy."
"We obey, Arbiter," the others replied.
Moving forwards, they began to carefully navigate the area up ahead. The valley was split into sections by the chasms, with metal bridges being the only ways across. Moving ahead, Thel crossed one of these bridges, just in time for Combat Forms to leap up from another. "Look out!" Bero shouted as Fuel Rods flew towards their position.
Dodging the attack, Thel maneuvered and allowed the two Ghosts to move forwards. Firing their weapons, they neutralized the Flood, but not before one fired it's Fuel Rod Launcher. Unable to dodge in time, one of the two Ghosts suffered a direct ht. The vehicle promptly exploded, shrapnel flying everywhere as the vehicle, and it's driver, were torn apart by the munition.
"Gods!" Thel shouted as pieces of what he realized were the driver smacked into the Spectre. Breathing in and out, he calmed himself before advancing forwards, now that the main threat had been neutralized. Continuing to drive ahead, he spotted a Sentinel Enforcer rising out of a chasm as though it was some beast of legend.
Right on cue, the Revenant they had engaged. Plasma bolus' flew through the air before smashing into the Enforcer. The Enforcer, though, didn't take this sitting down, as it fired off it's Incineration Mortars at the Revenant. While the Revenant dodged most of the shells, those that hit tore large rents in the nanolaminate armor, while damaging internal components. Eventually, the Enforcer went down, though Thel could see smoke coming from the damaged Revenant.
As they drove on, the fighting grew more intense by the moment. Driving forwards, Thel spotted a Wraith that was up ahead. "Look out!" he shouted to the others, with the others quickly moving to avoid any attacks. Just as the Wraith would've fired, though, something happened.
Thel heard a loud KRA-THOOM from behind their position. Moments later, he saw something zip over his head, before it smashed into the Wraith. Within milliseconds, the Wraith exploded, it's power-plant pierced by the unknown projectile. Looking at his sensor readout, Thel looked for the cause of the attack.
Moments later, the computer identified the source. Looking at the sensor screen, Thel spotted a solitary contact that was behind and above them, likely on the canyon wall. Moments later, he saw the words 'PTN-IV' flash onto the screen. That told him all he needed to know. The Star League has arrived!
"MOVE!" Thel roared. "The Humans have arrived at this location!" Looking up ahead, he saw a tunnel that led deeper into the area. "Inside that tunnel! NOW!"
Without any hesitation, all the vehicles in the convoy activated their boost, moving as fast as they could towards the tunnel. Not everyone would make it though, as moments later, the Revenant was torn apart by another shell, the vehicle being ripped apart into multiple pieces. Another shell landed near Thel, the shockwave threatening to overturn his Spectre. Holding the controls steady, he soon found himself rounding the corner to the tunnel and entering safety.
Looking around, Thel found they had entered what looked like a factory of some kind, though it was different from any that he'd seen before. It was clear, though, that it had seen better days. Fire streamed out of numerous tunnels and entrances to the tunnel, metal was warped from heat and impact, and the ground was ripped up.
Looking ahead, he spotted an entrance, though it was narrow enough that they wouldn't be able to get through using any vehicles. Getting out, he and the others gathered around to catch their breath. "By the gods, what attacked us?" one of the SpecOps Sangheili asked.
"It was a vehicle the Star League used," Thel replied. "R'tas gathered intelligence on them during the Battle of Reach. I recognized it as what the Humans call a Patton Main Battle Tank. It's primary weapon is a cannon powerful enough to penetrate the armor on a Wraith within a pair of hits, one since the Wraith we were facing was damaged."
"That explains what happened," Bero nodded. "Still, it tore apart the Revenant with frightening ease. May those warriors find rest in the Great Journey."
"My thoughts to them as well," Thel agreed. Looking around, he said, "The only way through the factory is through that small hole over there." He pointed at the entrance he spotted earlier. "We will have to be careful, though. There may be Humans inside, and we know how powerful their weapons are."
"Indeed," another Sangheili nodded. "Arbiter, what is your plan?"
"We will continue to move to the Library as planned," Thel decided. "We will have to be more vigilant, however. We cannot allow the Flood or Humans to overwhelm us. Move!" With that, they continued to advance forwards. Only five of us left, Thel thought. Keying his BattleNet Transceiver, he said, "R'tas, we need reinforcements."
"I'm sending more warriors to your location," R'tas replied. "Do not squander their talents."
"I do not intend to. We will continue to proceed to the Sacred Icon. Arbiter out." With that, they pressed onwards. Reaching the entrance to the interior of the factory, they checked the front to make sure it was all clear, before advancing inside.
The interior was very dark, with only the fires providing enough illumination in certain areas to see by. In addition, Thel thought he could feel the wind picking up speed, with the fires being whipped around somewhat. A blizzard is on it's way, he thought as they advanced. Things are about to get much more difficult.
"Look out!" Bero shouted as a Combat Form rounded the corner and spotted them, screeching to alert it's friends. Opening fire, Thel and the others destroyed it, though more soon revealed themselves. "Be careful," Bero told the others. "Do not let them infect you!"
"Easier said than done," another replied as he killed an Infection Form. Moving forwards through the tunnels, they soon entered a chamber of some kind. It looked like an assembly plant, though half of it was crushed under metal debris. Flood and Sentinels were everywhere, firing their weapons at each other.
Moving up, Thel and the others began firing at the Flood, gunning them down while engaging the Sentinels. As they fought, he heard more gunfire from behind him, indicating that R'tas reinforcements had arrived. The intensity continued to ratchet up as they moved through, using speed as a defense.
It wasn't without cost, though. Thel heard an Elite scream in agony as his body was hit with an Incineration Beam, the energy causing him to disintegrate into glowing motes of ash. Another was killed by a Combat Form, though not before he blew himself up in defiance.
"By the gods," an Elite shouted. "Is there no end to this?!"
"Keep it together," another shouted. "We will soon be through this gods forsaken place! This is a final test of our faith and resolve!"
That rallied the Elites, as there were roars from some of the members as they remembered the tenets of their faith. Moving along, they entered an outdoors area, likely where part of the factory had been blown in half. While small, it was hotly contested by Flood and Sentinels, each one fighting for supremacy.
Again, they had to move through fast, as there was a constant stream of enemies that kept on coming to fight them. Moving through the open area, they entered another part of the assembly line. "More Flood!" an Elite shouted.
"Keep moving," Thel ordered. "Speed and mobility are our only options as of now!" Nodding in agreement, the others continued forwards.
Eventually, they managed to reach what appeared to be a small, outdoor clearing. This time, there were only a few Sentinels, while the area was dominated by Flood. Looking around, Thel noticed that they were guarding a cache of weapons and ammunition. "Does anyone need munitions and weapons?" he asked.
"Our Plasma weapons are almost drained from constant use," one of the Elites informed him. "Our munitions are almost dry as well."
"Gather what you can," Thel ordered. "Once you are ready, we will continue to press on." Keying his Transceiver, he asked, "R'tas, can you hear me."
"Barely," came the static filled reply. "What is your situation?"
"We are approaching the Library. We had to leave our vehicles behind in order to move through to the Library. We need vehicles. Be advised, the Star League is here. They fired on us."
"Understood," R'tas replied, his reply barely audible over the static. "We are on our way. Hold position until -" Moments later, the BattleNet channel cut out.
"Repeat your last," Thel asked. When nothing came back, he frowned. Communications must be sporadic here, he decided. Looking back, he asked, "Are you all ready?"
"Yes, Arbiter," the others replied, with one tossing him some ammo, which he grabbed.
"Good," Thel replied. "We have reinforcements inbound. We must hold position; a Phantom is inbound to drop off reinforcemen -" He stopped when he saw a flicker of motion. Eyes widening, he shouted, "MOVE!"
His order was just in time, as not one second later, a Flood controlled Wraith opened fire, sending a plasma bolus directly at them. Dodging as quickly as he could, Thel avoided the blast, though he hissed as the heat seeped through his armor and tech suit. One Elite wasn't lucky though; the bolus impacted where he was at, disintegrating him instantly.
Spotting a Fuel Rod Launcher, Thel ran towards it, dodging weapons fire that was aimed at him. The others, seeing his plan, immediately opened fire, pelting the enemy and providing cover fire for him. Reaching the Fuel Rod Launcher, he snatched it up before taking cover. Once he saw the mag inside, he leaned out of cover and fired all five rods in the launcher.
All five Fuel Rods smacked into the enemy Wraith, boiling through the armor before destroying the crew compartment. The enemy vehicle simply fell to the ground, landing with a muted THUNK. Breathing in and out, Thel looked around for the others. Gods, that was too close, he thought.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar whine. Looking up, he watched as a Phantom came in for a landing, it's weapons silencing the remaining opposition. As it dropped off another Spectre and Revenant, several more Elites came out. Moments later, R'tas came out of the Phantom. "My apologies for not coming sooner, Arbiter," he said to Thel. "The Parasite was very persistent in it's attempts to keep us out."
"You did what you could," Thel decided. "We must make haste now. We are very close to the Library."
"Agreed," R'tas nodded. "Warriors, board the Phantom. We will drop you off at the entrance to the Library. The rest of you, with me. "Forward to the Icon! The Parasite's ranks swell as we approach! Steel your nerves. We are not turning back!" Grunts of acknowledgment came as the others loaded up, while R'tas, Bero and Thel boarded the Spectre. Once everyone was either in a Phantom or a vehicle, they moved out.
They soon found themselves in another valley, this one just as large as the last one. The snow had started to let up, though not by much, as Thel could see more. This time, he realized that the opposition had become intense, as he could see pulses of red, green and blue light. Pulse lasers, he realized. The Star League has arrived in force. They really want to take the Library for themselves.
In addition to this, they had to deal with enemy forces along the way. Much like last time, they wove their way through the enemy assault, avoiding fights they wouldn't be able to win. Eventually, they reached a clearing that had a semi-circular structure in it. "That's the entrance to the Library," R'tas told him. "We're almost the -"
"LOOK OUT," Bero shouted. Just as he said this, a shell flew overhead, smashing into the Revenant nearby. It was promptly annihilated, with the vehicle flying into numerous pieces. Looking to the left, Thel's blood ran cold when he saw the source: a Shadow Hawk that was moving towards them, weapons blazing.
It quickly became a mad dash for survival, as the Shadow Hawk was somehow able to move as fast as they could. Dodging and weaving, Thel did whatever he could to throw the 'Mech off of his tail. There were many close calls; at one point, he yelped in shock as something zipped past his head, splashing harmlessly against the canyon wall.
Reaching the entrance to the Library, they immediately disembarked, practically throwing themselves into the entrance. They were just in time, as another shell smashed into the vehicles, blasting them apart. As they moved inside, Thel said, "That… was too close. The Humans nearly had us that time."
"That they did," R'tas agreed as he and the surviving Elites caught their breath. "Still, we are victorious once more!" As he said this, they proceeded to the lift that would take them into the Library. After walking onboard, Thel spotted a control panel, which he began to use.
As he did so, he heard more grinding and clunking sounds. Looking to his right, he spotted another lift moving along. "More Humans?" R'tas asked, surprised. "They must be after the Icon as well." Hearing a familiar screech, he said, "The Flood." Turning to Thel, he said, "On your way, Arbiter. I will deal with these vicious beasts!" Drawing his Energy Sword, he left to guard the entrance to the Library.
"What about the Human 'Mech?"
"It has moved on now. The Flood is rapidly entering the area again." Nodding at that, Thel manipulated a few more controls, until the lift began to move.
As it did so, Tartarus' Phantom flew overhead. "I see that coward didn't join you. I'll do what I can to keep the Flood off of your back."
"He's no coward," Bero said to Thel. "R'as knows what he's doing. I'm not so sure about -" Again, he stopped, with Thel noticing his far away stare again. This time, it wasn't as long as before, as he regained his focus again. "Forgive me, Arbiter, for my lapse."
"It's alright," Thel nodded. "I think you're about to mutate again, if it's this frequent."
"I'm worried about that. Why is it increasing in frequency? It doesn't make any sense."
"Nothing does right now. Eventually, we will sort out the sense from the nonsense. For now, though, we must remain vigilant. We are close to our goals now." With that, they continued onward
Surprisingly, there was little trouble this time around, as the platforms were surprisingly vacant of trouble. The lift continued forwards for some distance, before stopping inside the Library and climbing upwards. We are close now, Thel thought as they approached. The Sacred Icon is near.
. . .
I knew it was harder than it looked, Miranda Keyes thought as she looked around the Index Chamber. Well, it wouldn't be a UNSC and SLDF mission if it were easy. It was a hard fight to get in here, so this makes sense.
Looking around, Miranda began looking for a way to get to the Index, since it was suspended in mid air over a chasm. Looking around, she spotted an electrical cable hanging from one of the Sentinel Enforcers. Tugging on the cable, she made sure it was secure before slowly moving towards the Index. Reaching out, she managed to get a hand on the T shaped object.
Just as she did, the cable slipped. Panic fluttered in her heart before something stopped it from traveling any further. Looking up, she smiled when she saw a familiar face. "You know," Johnson remarked, "your father never really asks for help, either."
"The Index is secure," Miranda beamed as Johnson pulled her up. Once she was up on the platform, she smiled at him.
Nodding, Johnson turned around to talk to his subordinates. "McKenzie, Perez? How's our exit?" he called out. No answer. "You hear me, Marines?!" When no response came again, he pulled his M42D off his back and told Miranda, "We've got trouble."
"Hang on," Miranda remarked, her voice muffled somewhat. "I can't hear you." While she said this, Johnson continued to move up, weapon at the ready. Turning on the rifle's flashlight, he continued to scan the area.
Then he heard it: loud, thumping footsteps nearby. Whirling around, Johnson watched as an Elite jumped at him, roaring loudly as it did so. Firing his rifle, Johnson watched as the shields held up, before the Elite whacked the rifle out of his hands before he could dodge. "DAMN!" he shouted, pulling his knife out. Again, the attack was stopped, with the Elite shoving him against a wrecked Enforcer. "How ya doing?" he taunted, just as a fist filled his vision.
Hearing an audible THWACK, Miranda looked up from what she was doing. "Sergeant, stay down!" she shouted. Pulling her MP-20 out, she fired at the Elite, flaring it's shields as it took cover. "Johnson, are you alright?! Johnson?!" Seeing the man unconscious, she muttered, "Shit!"
Scanning the area, she thought she spotted a flicker. Reacting instinctively, she dumped the entire mag in that direction. A roar of pain and effort reached her ears as the Elite decloaked, grabbing her SMG before hurling her with enough force that she landed on the ground. Seeing the weapon, she scrambled towards it, only for something to shock her.
Thel snarled as he looked at the wound. From what he could tell, the bullet had penetrated the armor, but it hadn't penetrated into his torso, leaving an ugly gash in his side instead. Looking up, he saw Tartarus holding the Human in one arm, and his Gravity Hammer in the other. "Excellent work, Arbiter," Tartarus beamed. "The Hierarchs will be pleased."
"We will handle the Icon," Bero informed him.
"No, we will," Tartarus replied, taking the Icon out of the woman's hands before clipping it to his belt. As he said this, two Brutes aimed their weapons at Bero and Thel. Thel and Bero stared in disbelief as Tartarus put the woman on another Brute's shoulder as the latter dragged the other Human away. "A bloody fate awaits you and the rest of your incompetent species," Tartarus growled.
"The Hierarchs will hear about this," Thel snarled, quivering in rage.
"Hear about this?" Tartarus remarked. "Fool, they ordered me to do it." With that, he activated his Gravity Hammer, hurling Bero and Thel into the chasm before walking away. For a moment, he thought he was being watched, then he dismissed it as he walked away.
As the tumbled in the air, Bero ripped his armor off. Those foul monsters, he raged. I will kill them for this treachery! Angered, he felt his wings growing out of his back before he grabbed a hold of Thel, who was unconscious. Flaring them, he began to desperately beat them in an effort to slow their descent.
Just as he did, he felt something wrap around his waist. Eyes wide, he watched as a tentacle wrapped around himself and Thel, before more restrained his arms. The last thing he recalled was his own roar of anger and fear, then everything went black.