Author's Note: To answer that one review, Halo Wars 2 is where I am drawing quite a bit of inspiration from. That said, im also drawing it from all the other Halo Games as well. UNSC Energy Weapons and Vehicles idea came from the UNSC's development of the Rhino in Halo Wars, which I believe is set around 2525-2530. Agrigor I got the idea from seeing Atriox and his Banished, who have Brutes that are insightful and intelligent. Berserker Sentinel roughly came from the idea of Knights, but with something different at the same time. Also the Halo 4 Portal Network showed me that you can have things like that, and other games made them look fairly regular. And so on. But then I also sprinkled some original ideas in there too.
Chapter 4: Analysis, Accumulation, Action
"I dont like this, at all..." Captain Emerson, said, looking at the collected data.
"Well, its the truth. We are at a disadvantage. We need every advantage we can get" Becket mentioned.
"Yeah, an emergency deployment was one thing. I really had no choice at all in that instance. But, to pur Zari, a child, in a frontline position with our main teams?"
"He is combat capable, he has defenses, and he is one most experienced and capable of using the Forerunner technology on this planet. Besides, he didn't grow up on Earth or our colonies, or in the human society we know. Here, its common practice to teach all children combat early on, and that village was especially hard working. ANd, he himself is willing. Aside from him, the only other person we have with access is Agrigor, who can use it, though he himself admits that Zari has more natural talent then him. He also suspects being human might be a factor. And leaving those two aside, the only other person we have is Jake Harper. Based on the field tests we did, having a collar seems to give you access. And it appears that one of Warden's protocols prevents revoking one's access".
As Ruu explained things, Captain Emerson massaged his temples, sighing.
"How better does it increase our odds of success?"
"About thirty four percent".
"So not a number that can be ignored. And what of the idea of removing the collars, or utilizing that technology".
"Well, about that...I have discovered part of how they operate. Each collar indexes and records the genetic, social, and physical data of the one who wears it. Leaving aside the term collar in human history, and it has multiple medical and social benefits. It can auto-scan languages, wirelessly tap into systems to help adapt those languages, and then real time convert the language of the one speaking to that to allow everyone to understand. We knew some of this already, but the more me and the science time look at it, the more incredible it gets. The collars actually also provide physical development boosts. But rather taller or bigger muscles, it seems to almost enhance quality. Genetically making them better. At first, this puzzled me for conservation reasons, but then I realized that this was not just an auxillery site...it was a secret kept by the Librarian".
"An Auxiliary site? A secret?"
"Yes. In case the Ark failed, or something catastrophic happened within the population, this was meant to be a backup shield world for humanity, who Forerunners had decided would inherit the Mantle of Responsibility after them. It appears, as the Forerunners tend to do, they much have set up redundencies. I am not sure why this one was not accessed, but that in itself might be a sign of the Monitor's malfunction. However, that was just my first thought. Until I checked through the genetic records. These humans, I dont think they were ever devolved. At least, not totally. We knew they evolved differently, and had been here for thousands of years. But now I can confirm, they are decendents of original Ancient humans...our Precursors".
"But, I thought they were all devolved by the Forerunners?" Becket asked.
"That is what we all thought. However, the Librarian, or maybe just someone who worked for her, thought otherwise. Honestly, I cant actually be certain who created this place. Conservation was under the Librarian's authority, but these humans were not even Devolved...perhaps someone else is behind it? They were definently trying to hide this place. I dont even think its connected to the Forerunner Domain, but has been isolated" Ruu mentioned, bringing up more data. "But anyways, back on the collars. Now, based on all the reports here, there is fauna and flora here, and some of them vaguely resemble Earth species...but many others don't".
"Are you saying this is not an Earth Ecosystem?"
"Yes. ANd the collars appear to be designed to help facilitate adaptation, at least originally, to it. Additionally, I isolated what appears to be a Forerunner Genome. The collars, when applied, seem to provide it to the wearer. That said, it seems its once per use for each collar. But its likely a factor as to why anyone who has one put on them can use Forerunner technology a lot more easily".
"So, the collars provide the Forerunner Gene essentially" Becket muttered.
"Yes. The collars also bind to the subjects spinal cord and nerves though, incidentally in a way similar to what the flood do...given that when they detect the flood infection in their bodies, the collars would auto-incinerate the host, its likely a measure to stop the Flood from spreading. In any case, the collars examine the body and try to root out harmful conditions such as Cancer or Diabetes as they develop. It also will bolster the immune system as necessary, not preventing them from getting sick, but it will ensure they survive and develop the proper anti-bodies, not compromising the body's natural defense system. The fact they cant be removed without potentially killing the host is a bit strange, but so is the Shock function and the neural compel that seems to be in it...Doctor Hope thinks they might be factors that were added in later".
"So, Warden added them" Emerson realized. "He modified an otherwise peaceful, and beneficial, scientific device to suit his needs?"
"Yes. Its not confirmed yet, but that seems likely" Ruu mentioned. "If you take out the nasty bits that possibly were added later in the design, and the stigma of wearing a collar that developed in human history, and I would say these things are essentially a medical and research tool".
"I see. How great are these benefits exactly, to the physical body?"
"Well, Zari was able to fight a Sentinel Berserker one on one, and got the upper hand at times. And Doctor Hope is doing a full medical scan on Jake Harper, but he only had it for a day...well, a month. So only minor signs have been noted. It appears its a subtle, long term thing, rather then a snap of the fingers. Better for the body I guess. Zari had it since he was born, like the rest of the Residents here...our Spartan IV's should be stronger, but it wont be too easy".
Emerson thought about it.
"Still, I dont like having some of my people have a gun to their head, disarmed or no. Can you at least work on permenantly disabling the nasty parts of the collars?"
"That, we might be able to do. But it will take longer".
"I would prefer to remove them, but if we cant, we can at least make sure they are not hooked up to a bomb...I suppose we will have no choice. What would happen if we left the planet though, found a way to escape?"
"...if they leave, it will be logged as a potential risk. The system currently thinks the Ark is still about to fire, which means it thinks there is currently a massive flood infestation. Because this area appears to be isolated from the Forerunner Domain, it cant recieve status updates except from the Ark. So it cant correct itself. And fearful of the flood infesting them would put this place at risk...if anyone wearing a collar leaves this planet, they will be incinerated. The only way they can leave is if we take control of and disable the system, but to do that we need administrator access. And to do that, we would need to remove the current administrator at the very least...707 Wardens Silence".
Emerson checked a datapad again next to him.
"I see...well, if we are getting involved, we might as well stick around" the Captain said. "I want to deploy base modules, and begin setting up a presence here".
"Understood sir" Becket mentioned, but was interrupted.
"Er, hold on...what?!" Ruu questioned. "Are you claiming this planet for the UNSC Captain?"
"Yes, I am" Emerson mentioned.
"This had better be a joke...there is a native population here. A native population of humans, as well as other races. And you want to just, take them all over?" Ruu said, clearly upset. "These people have their own culture. Some of them might need to be taught a lesson or taken down a notch, but we cannot just suppress their culture, trample over their lives, and take the planet from them!"
"Agreed Ruu, but also..." he said, forwarding data from the datapad to the ship's database. "Four Flood containment and research facilities have been found here. Now right now, they are all perfectly working and under containment. However, its still dangerous to leave them there. Additionally, if these collars really do work, it could potentially result in hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of deaths. If they dont, then the who knows how many people will end up consumed and turned into a Gravemind".
"...that would be a problem".
"Agreed. And as you said, we cant leave. We will have to embark on a major ground operation as well as air. We need to gain footholds, scout the area, and get control of systems in Sanctuary".
"And the native people?"
"We will work something out. Ruu, you once wrote a paper or two on forming a new Government from various independent groups. I believe it was based on ideas for how the Arbiter could form a proper stable Government after he united the fractured Sangheili right? Can you work something out?"
"Erm...yeah...it might take a bit though. And I need more information".
"Alright then. I also want you to help lead and coordinate the troops though, so make sure you prioritize accordingly".
"...seriously?"
"We are about to engage war with someone who controls the systems on this Shield World. We also have to fight off the Covenant at the same time, and also potentially encounter resistance with the local population that worship the monitor as their god. So yes, I will need you to do that".
"Understood" Ruu said. "Preparing base modules and preparing to deploy ground forces now. Also preparing plenty of equipment and gear. And may I just point out, we really need to fasttrack the development of the Shield Harness so at least some of our marines have energy shields? I am sure they would appreciate it".
"Anything else?"
"Who should I get to occupy the bases we are now deploying? Also, what is the name of this planet?"
"We are claiming it, not overwriting it. It shall be Sanctuary".
"...I am sure there is probably a planet with that name already, so ill just add a note to that for later" Ruu mentioned. "Deploying Sanctuary Bases now. Should I tell the Fireteams they will be headed out to combat again also?"
"Well Ruu, you are just so damn capable" Emerson joked, resulting in a glare from Ruu. "By the way, who will I get to staff these bases?"
"Wake up people from Cryo Group 3. We will be maintaining a permanent presence here, after all. So lets colonize this world".
"Understood. Waking up Cryo Group 3. Erm...wait, what is this?"
"Ah, sorry. Locked databases. This will be necessary, so listen up Ruu. Spring Contingency".
The moment that was said, Ruu seemed to bug out for a moment.
"Protocols updated. Wait, what? Is this right?"
"So you understand why this is important right?"
"Err, yeah...okay".
Becket's interest grew. "What is Spring Contingency?"
"Well, since we have already left, and I am initiating it now as part of the deployment, I suppose its okay. As you know, one of our missions was to find Forerunner Shield Worlds, like Onyx, and set them up. That is why Vehm is here with his group as well. But there is more. Tell me, how many civilians do you think have been displaced from this war?"
"The ones that successfully fled the Covenant? Several million, if not billion".
"Spring Contingency was inspired by humanity's recent ability to stabilize and push back. But we still have refugee centers that are crowded, people unable to find places to stay. Many of the brave souls agreed to enter Cryo, conserve resources, if we could find them new worlds to colonies. However, there are still threats...but, if we were to obtain a Shield World..."
"Then, finding a Shield World was always your goal from the start? The goal of the UNSC?"
"We need a place to house our non-combatants. We need a place for the refugees to go. The Bastion has been modified, in exchange for two of our ship docks, to hold millions of cryopods. A small portion of the refugees to be sure, but still. In addition, we also have military personel in cryo as well, in order to set up military bases to safeguard those worlds, waiting to be deployed for this purpose. The UNSC needs new colonies, colonies safe from the Remnants, and anything else out there".
"So...you plan to colonize this world".
"It is the safest option. Not only safe, but off the grid. Hidden inside a planet, not connected to the Forerunner Domain even...and we are the only ones who know its location".
"It will certainly serve as a Sanctuary, sir. But what about the potential flood risk?"
"Well thats simple. No one is allowed to go within a mile of the place. We deploy incindiary mines from orbit all around the place, and when we have the time...we build some robots, have the robots take a couple dozen incindiary bombs in, and we burn the place of flood. Nothing organic enters the places. Incindiary so that they dont damage the Forerunner containment tech, and only harm organic matter. We will have a base nearby with large guns pointed at each facility, with plenty of weapons confirmed to work against them".
Clearly the Captain had put a great deal of time and thought into the Flood threat. He essentially planned to make sure the Flood were wiped out in such a way as to ensure zero infection, without disrupting containment, while also maximizing the erradication of the flood.
"I see...another reason why we need to deploy bases".
"Indeed. Bases might be seen as targets though, so we need to root out and defeat the Covenant hiding around here. Its strange, there are so many obstacles and satelites here...even floating rocks for some reason. Why is that?"
"Still investigating. Still, hopefully we will be as successful here as Infinity was on Requiem".
"Well, hopefully better. I heard Requiem blew up" Price muttered.
"I hear your rescue mission was a success, Spartan Forge" a woman said, walking up to him in full Spartan Hazop Armor, with a black and blue color scheme.
"Nice to see you too, Spartan Farid" he replied, as the two took off their helmets. "I hear you did well yourself, taking a Forerunner Particle Cannon offline. That could have seriously hurt us".
"All in a days work" she said, as their fireteams came up behind them. Behind Spartan Farid, the four spartans also wore black and blue armor. Spartan Issiah Jericho wore Defender Armor, Spartan Mitchel Michaels wore Aviator armor, along with a jet pack to enhance his jump jets, Spartan Ruby Miller, who wore Recon Armor, and Spartan Ivan Sokolov, who wore Operator Armor.
They were led by Aria Farid, and were the members of Fireteam Bishop.
"That said...I hear we brought back an extra guest...a Brute? Are you sure that is wise?" Farid mentioned.
"He has been here for over two hundred years. And he isn't like other Brutes I have fought. He is more educated...patient, wise. Not at all aggressive or Brutish" Forge mentioned. "ANd, he is a source of information".
"Well, just keep him on a tight leash then. Id rather not hear about our crew getting eaten" she said, showing a clear dislike of the Brute, or perhaps brutes in general.
"Hey, he did stand up for one of our own".
"Yeah. Thats why, despite my misgivings, I am tolerating his presence for now".
"Well also, that is not up to you, Spartan Farid" Sharp said as he walked down to the two of them. "That is up to the Captain, and it is up to me. Understood?"
"Sir, yes sir!"
"Its a new day. Humanity no longer stands alone, but instead we actually have allies for once. And we will not be the ones to mess that up, both of you understand?"
""Sir, yes sir!""
"At ease Spartans. Anyways, right now forces are being deployed, bases established, and so on. It appears we will be making a permenant pressence here. That said, since both you had your ops run the longest, you get some rest for now. Shower up, eat up, rest up, but make sure you are ready to deploy for some long ops".
The Spartans saluted and acknowledged, before he dismissed them.
"Ahhh...this is pretty good too" Zari mentioned, as he stood under the head of a shower.
"Indeed" Agrigor mentioned.
"I do prefer the aesthetics and privacy of the waterfall, not to mention the pure power of it, but having warm water is also nice" Zari added.
As this conversation was going on, a group also walked in from the changing room. Spartans Forge, Shaw, Smith, and Reese, along with Jake Harper and even Sha'Vehm entered.
This was one of many UNSC shower rooms on the ship, however this one was located closest to the hanger bay. They were of military design, maximized for efficiency and made with the idea of a crew that would be mature, disciplined, and familiar with each other anyways, so there were no dividers. Towels were hung on the wall by the doors and placed on the benches.
"Finally can enjoy a hot shower again. I can't believe all that tech, and not a single shower or bath" Jake said, entering one of the showers. "Also, are waterfalls really that great Zari?"
"I have actually been wondering that myself. You sure took your time in that one when we encountered you" Forge mentioned, remembering to when they had first encountered Zari.
"Wait...you were watching all that time? Listening?" Zari asked, a bit embarrassed.
"Ah, we were too far away to hear anything...why listening? Where you humming or singing something?"
"Oh, he was. Your Armor picked it up, but it was faint so you didn't actually hear it" Ruu said, appearing on a terminal in the shower room. However, he was then staring at everyone.
"Ruu?" Shaw asked, getting a bit concerned.
"...I miss being able to feel water..."
"Oh, that was why...anyways, so wait? He was singing?"
"Oh yeah, let me play it back".
"Please don't! You don't have to do that!" Zari said in a panic.
However, it was too late, and Ruu began to play it. That said, he was playing it with a bit of a mischievous smile.
That said, before it was from when the translator was not enabled, it was entirely in Forerunner, although it sounded beautiful.
"That's actually an incredible singing voice..." Jake mentioned as he was soaping up. He then looked towards Zari though, whose face was completely red and slamming his head into a wall. "Ah...I guess when it comes to his singing voice, he is really shy?"
"I wonder what it means" Max mentioned out loud.
"Please stop talking!"
"Actually I know what it says" Agrigor mused. "But I wont tell any of you".
"Thank you..." Zari mentioned.
"Why not?" Jake asked.
"Its personal...wait, dont you know already anyways because of the collar?" Agrigor asked.
"Yeah...and I see your point..."
"Wait wait, you gotta tell me now. Now I am curious" Shaw mentioned.
"It is something personal, that should not be spoken aloud. He would not have sung it if he knew people were there, especially if he knew it would be recorded" Sha'Vehm mentioned.
Zari sighed with relief.
"At least he sings better then Reese" Forge mentioned, drawing glances from everyone.
"Nothing is worse then Agrigor's attempt at singing though" Jake mentioned.
"I thought it was pretty good" Agrigor grumbled.
"You are tone deaf" Zari admitted, finally recovering from his embarrassment.
"True. Not everyone can have a voice like yours" he responded, embarrassing Zari again.
"...at least you didn't need to sleep next to him..." Jake mentioned.
Later that night, Ruu was going over the layout once more, correlating the data they had gathered.
"As expected, even with the intercepts and the scouting missions, we just dont know enough about the area".
He brought up some more data, but much of it was estimates or not highly reliable.
"We need the Cartographer. Or to find it, anyways".
The Cartographer wasn't a person, but rather a thing. Seemingly in all Halo arrays, it would allow one to understand that specific installation more, as well as its correlation to other related installations. Plenty of Cartographers have been noted to lead to Shield Worlds.
So Ruu wondered what one on a Shield World could lead to, especially one as important as this one.
And there was another detail he couldn't help but wonder about.
"If humans were placed here, its possible they were placed elsewhere. If they were massive, I think we would know about it...but...if they were purposefully hiding themselves after the Human-Forerunner War, its possible they have remained in hiding all this time as well. Need more data..."
"Well, it is a fact there are human colonies out there we don't know about" Becket mentioned, walking into the dark planning room with no one else in it.
"Ah, Commander Becket. What brings you here".
"Work. I need to confirm your age, and work on how to handle emergencies, like if we need to enact Daisy Protocol".
"My age as an A.I. is two years. As a human, I grew up to be eleven years old. My name is Ruu Emerson".
"Hmm...can you fire up all your processes for me real quick?" she said, examining a datapad.
"Ah, sure" he said, doing that quickly. "...I think I have some ideas for future Spartan Deployments to help deal with Warden and to start taking control of the planet".
"Good work, and thank you. Alright...it seems so far, the experiment is working well. Your neural processes are not destabilizing. There is some growth that looks like age, but its far lower then a normal Smart AI. In fact, this would only be the same as a few months old AI, not two years. If this remains consistent, you should have at least triple the lifespan of normal AIs" Becket confirmed. She tapped a few more things, and then closed out of the program. "So, what is the priority targets".
"From what I have heard, Protocol dictates action typically in Monitors. Therefore, if we do something that his protocols cant let him retaliate against, that is a method. But we dont know for certain what those are aside from Indexing humans, and life in general, and maintaining the planet".
"Sounds complicated".
"Yeah, but I think I have a way. If we avoid damaging Forerunner structures, but instead use the consoles and take control of them properly, he shouldn't be able to revoke access. That said, I dont think destroying his body will be enough. There is a good chance, if he has gone this far rogue, he has made spares and plenty of them, as well as upgrading his defenses. But, humanity is still registered as Reclaimers here..."
"Ruu, human here. Please explain simpler".
"...I explained things the same way as a human though. Right, anyways. In essence, I think if we take control of enough key systems, it will force Warden to listen to us through his protocols of serving the Reclaimers, or humanity, as he would have to recognize that humanity has begun the reclamation process".
"I see. That makes sense. So we just need to take control of key systems then".
"Yes. I just sent a report to the Captain" Ruu mentioned, causing Becket to be a bit shocked.
"That was fast".
"Well, I am an A.I."
"Anyways, that should be all. We should find the Cartographer, and use that to locate key systems then. I am sure Zari or Agrigor have some clue to where it is, so we will ask them. We will probably need them to seemlessly access them also".
"Then i guess its time to put together some deployments".
The next morning, Day 3 of the Sanctuary Expedition, 0600
"Fireteams Bishop and Rook, hope you guys liked your rest. YOu will be happy to know we finished upgrading your armor with the latest state of the art shield tech. Its based on Forerunner design, so it should let you bypass certain security fields as well".
"Nice" Forge mentioned. "So, what will be our orders?"
"Yeah, I am ready to get started".
"Don't worry Fireteam Bishop, I got something just for you. Its your favorite type of mission, you get to kick up a hornet's nest".
"You know me so well. What Hornet's nest will be be kicking up?"
"Uhh...well, about that..."
Seeing the AI look away sheepishly, Spartan Farid got a bad feeling.
"What. Hornet's. Nest".
"Well, we identified something that might lead us to the Cartographer, based on rumors Zari and Agrigor heard. The issue is that the place is under a lockdown. It looks like Warden is using some sort of testing protocol to warrant locking down the area with Sentinels. Including...a sorta big one..."
"How big".
"Its a Retriever".
"Fucking damnit bullshit!" Spartan Farid cursed.
"Hahaha...anyways, Spartan Forge, since you have experience with Zari and Agrigor, your team will be escorting them. Thankfully, both of them are well armored, well equipped, and are fantastic fighters, so it wont be a terribly difficult escort mission. You are ordered to locate the Cartographer, and if you can access it easily, access it and download the data for us" Ruu mentioned.
"Got it. Will we have support?"
"Fireteams Bishop and Rook will deploy from our newly created Nova Base, and access a Forerunner datacluster. Bishop will draw the attention of the sentinels by accessing the local power tap systems in the lockdown area. This will draw the Sentinels away, including the Retriever, from the datacluster. Supporting them will be the forces of Nova Base. We have a factory and barracks set up, so ground forces will be easy to provide. Unfortunately, there are still too many Forerunner cannons and anti air guns in the area of the datacluster for us to risk an aerial battle. However, we will be deploying my new Wolverine design, as well as the new Hannibal Scorpion Tanks we have. We will also be sending in our snipers to help us scout and keep the area clear of problematic infantry units, as well as vehicles when possible".
"Can we use the Stealth Pelican and Puma to get by?"
"Too many sensor Sentinels. And the defense turrets also have detection measures. But the good news is that we will be able to provide limited orbital support. So long as we are on the outside, its an army game".
"And what about the inside?"
"Inside, that is where it becomes a special forces game for your team Spartan Forge" Ruu mentioned. "We dont know what you will find in there, but its too small for vehicles, and too thick for scans. We wont be able to provide orbital support once you are inside the facility, so you will be on your own. We do have several Pelicans on standby for when you need extraction though. Just make sure the area is clear of anti-air before you call it in".
"Understood. Should we expect anything from the other teams?"
"Fireteam Knight is investigating the trail of Fireteam Winter. As far as we can tell, when they went dark, they did not get captured by Sentinels. We think they might be laying low, perhaps they got captured by some of the Covenant forces in the area. We wont know more till later".
"And Crown and Scepter?"
"Crown will be investing the region Zari indicated as Megoplex. It appears to be the largest city of enslaved humans on, or in, the planet. We are detecting multiple urban areas, which is different from every Forerunner site we found so far. As for Scepter, they are escorting Spartan Aetos to some nearby datataps. ONI wants to tap them and see what can be extracted".
"Understood".
"Then prepare yourselves. We have several high priority targets we want to hit. Once you are done with your mission, we will need you to reinforce a Mammoth and push through enemy lines to take out multiple particle cannons. As for Fireteam Bishop, once you are done covering Fireteam Rook, please push towards this Covenant Base and take it out. We think they might be building more weapons of war here, so its a high priority target".
"God it".
"You two have your assignments. So lets get into the field and get started!"
"Rodger that".
"Try not to get eaten, Forge!"
"So we hit the datacluster, then push forward to the Cartographer?" Zari asked, having fully suited up already.
"Yeah, thats the plan".
"The guardians...they will not like our tresspassing. The Angels are fiersome enough, but those that guard relics of that importance will be stronger...Guardian Sentinels, I suppose you would call them".
"By the way, thats not a normal gravity hammer is it? I noticed a dial on the handle, and it looks a big bigger and more intricate then others I have seen".
"Its been modified with the technology of the ancients, as well as some by an engineer I once knew. It can pull things to me as well as repel them. It is also capable of creating an electromagnetic pulse, as well as a few other things".
"Ah, that is right. Spartans Forge and Karolyn, I have something for you" Ruu mentioned, as a crate near him opened up. This revealed something rather facinating.
"Are these Spartan Lasers?"
"Yes. The newest model of our own personal design. Using Forerunner technology as reference, we created charge packs that hold significantly more charge. Both of these will only use up five percent of the charge, while retaining the high damage it can do. It also charges two seconds faster then the standard model, and then also reducing cooldown. It can also be easily set to lower settings so that you use less charge, but that does less damage. It was really hard coming up with the compact cells, so please..."
"Don't lose the weapons. I got you" he said, picking one up. Karolyn did the same.
"I guess this is part of your weapons overhaul as well?" Max asked.
"Yeah. Spartan Lasers were good, but there was a lot to be improved upon. We looked at Forerunner tech, but also energy swords were references a lot. Despite maintaining a powerful energy blade consistently as you use it to attack, it doesn't deplete all that rapidly. That was a big help in figuring things out".
"Well, in the first place, the weapon was still a mere prototype. There were actually already expensive versions that operated better. Honestly, if we were allowed to go even more over budget, I could have matched those prototypes in addition to all our other bonuses".
"Wait, what prototypes".
"I heard Spartan Jerome has an extremely early prototype model. THey must have stuffed Forerunner tech or something in there, because I hear he can fire over a hundred full strength shots and not run out of charge".
"...thats insane" Forge mentioned.
"I also heard it might be even more powerful then ours".
"How the hell is that possible?!" Shaw mentioned.
"So you see why I suspect Forerunner technology".
"Yeah no, clearly they used something in that thing..."
"Either way, these new ones will work wonders. I even gave them a cool black and white paintjob, just for dramatic effect. So again, please, please do not lose them! They are more expensive to replace then the energy weapons you are outfitted with!"
"Why do we need them going into a facility again?" Max asked.
"Since when has any mission on this planet gone as planned?"
"Fair point".
"So gear up, and get ready for a combat drop. Because with our luck, it will be one".
And with that, the Spartans deployed.
"This is Fafnir, reporting in. Fireteam Bishop has been deployed to the LZ" Flight Officer Ella Ryl, also known by her callsign Fafnir, mentioned. "I will continue to provide support as needed as well, although the AA here limits my movements".
"Good to hear. How is the new and improved Condor suiting you?"
"A full armament of supercharged Spartan Lasers, railguns, and other such pleasantries. I gotta say, the fact you made it twice as big though is weird.
"Its not actually twice as big, you know...whatever. This was needed to ensure we could handle any threat we encountered. Forerunner Sentinels seem to be amassing near our base, so I would appreciate it if you could stay by and guard it. I have permission to take charge of this operation".
As Ruu said that, he connected to their helmets and placed waypoint and rally beacons, as well as updating the overhead map.
"The jamming software prevents us from making normal long range attacks, but if you can use the built in designators and get eyes on yourself, you can paint a target anywhere you have vision for us to provide support. Just remember, we cant spare everything, so choose wisely".
"Understood. Happy to have you, Ruu" Farid mentioned. "What are the enemies like?"
"Reports from our scouts indicate a number of Covenant forces have entered the area. It appears to be the faction that serves Warden willingly".
"Do they know why we are here?"
"No, this is a standard deployment, likely to attack all of our bases".
"Well, I have ordered automated turrets to be placed at all base sites. You should have a good, steady stream of supplies from the ships we are sending down to the pads, and the reactors are online, so if your power cells run out you can recharge them there, as well as make use of it for other research".
"This is Becket. I also want to report large scale artillery is online, and we have several Kodiaks ready to deploy with you as well".
"Understood. In that case, Bishop Squad will move out towards the point" Spartan Farid reported. "Fireteam Bishop, move out and kill anything you see that aint human!"
"Rodger that!"
"Understood boss".
"Yeah! Lets do this!"
"Ah, avoid shooting any civilians we encounter though".
"Thanks for the reminder, Spartan Miller" Spartan Farid mentioned. "Remember everyone, IVs are not war crimes, so don't commit any of them!"
"If you are done with that, I am detecting a large scale deployment ahead. I have prepared a vehicle for you all".
As that was said, two warthogs that appeared to have been seriously upgraded came by.
"Corporal August Sinclair, delivering the vehicles as promised" a young man said as he got out of the Warthogs. He seemed fresh and green, but if he was a Corperal he clearly had some skill.
"Thanks for preparing the vehicle" Spartan Farid said, as she watched the other driver head back. "What is going on there?"
"We are trying to push the anti air defenses out, take control of the skies. Given the Sentinels have a lot of flying types, its considered high priority to capture as much airspace as we can. We are also deploying several Wolverines to bombard the Retriever Sentinel. I think with you Spartans here, we have a good chance of taking it out Ma'am!"
"Good man. Alright, load up and get ready. Once the Retriever appears, it will be a massive fight".
"Alright, lets move out then".
Gearing up into the vehicles, Sinclair got into a Wolverine, and another man came by in a Scorpion Tank.
"Come on everyone! Sergeant Stacker here to lead the way to victory!"
"Sounds good Sarge!" Sinclair mentioned, as the battle group headed out. They were deploying into an area filled with cliffs and valleys, terrain that was seen a lot across the planet. The power tap was close by, however the Covenant under Warden were moving to fight them.
As they turned a corner, one of the scout hogs got blown up by a plasma mortar.
"Wraiths! All groups, form up behind the ranks! Spartans, we cant waste too much time! Their ability to open portals might be everywhere, but aside from secured bases they can still keep bringing in reinforcements!"
"Understood. We are moving in to get the tap! Tanks, cover us!"
"Haha! Form up on me everyone!" Stacker mentioned, bringing his gun around and nailing the wraith right in the center. A few sentinels flew by to intercept the Spartans.
"I got your back Spartans!" Sinclair mentioned, unloading a massive missile barrage on them.
"Nice shot!" Miller said, as she observed the battlefield.
"Spartan Miller, we are approaching the tap! Jump out of the hog and proceed with capture measures. Thankfully, these things are designed to be easy to access, so it wont take too long".
"Understood boss!" Miller said, jumping out while the hog moved around it. "Beginning capture now!"
"Fireteam Bishop, this is Bastion" Ruu mentioned. "Retriever is on its way! Also confirming connection to the tap. There are several points Covenant troops can move through though. Designate some places for me to drop support from orbit".
"We need mines in the west passage, and a turret drop would be great!" Farid mentioned.
"Dropping mines and turret now" Ruu replied, as the requested support rained from the sky. "Also, I just got reports from our snipers. Several of those AA guns are nearby. As you are capturing the point, can you take them out?"
"Sounds good. Stacker, can you send a Scorpion and two Wolverines to take down the defenses? Jericho, Sokolov, take your Gauss Hog and capture those points. We will stay here with the rocket hog and defend the point, and take out the damn Retriever".
"Rodger that! Sinclair! Lead the battlegroup and take out those guns so we can bring in air support!"
"Understood. What if we can't capture them though?"
"Then blow them the hell up! That is what the tank is for!"
"And on the off chance its not enough, Bastion will be supporting from orbit. I have mac rounds at the ready, as well as Nova Missiles, and other armaments. However, I cant deploy Pelican Gunship support with so much AA, would attract too much attention. I do have some other things in the works though, so stay tuned".
"Just gotta paint a target we can get LOS on, right?"
"Thats right. Someone has been listening" Ruu said, sounding a bit proud of Sinclair.
"Just dont make me repeat the tutorial" Sinclair joked.
"Finally, some proper air support".
"Yes, but keep in mind the Bastion is supporting all bases, and all Fireteams, across the planet. So please, only when necessary. And to avoid giving our location away for large scale bombardment, we can only deploy things every so often".
"Understood Ruu".
As that was said, several plasma shells were fired again, but this time from the direction of their base at the enemy forces.
"Also, iv deployed the new Kodiaks. Based on the experimental Rhino design, we have upgraded them to have a much more powerful plasma mortar attack, as well as plasma turrets to deal with enemies that get to close. I even managed to take out the glaring fault of not being able to fire them while its deployed in its long range attack mode".
"Guys, cut the chatter" Farid said, as a massive Sentinel appeared, flying over the cliffs up ahead. "Retriever is here".
"All armor, open fire! Prioritize enemy armor when you see it, but otherwise shell that Retriever! Just make sure to prioritize covering the Wolverines!"
"Drive us around!" Farid told Michaels. "Let me unload some rockets into it!"
"Understood" Spartan Michaels replied, driving up an incline and coming at the Sentinel from behind. Meanwhile, the other side, Wolverines had driven up and were beginning to shell it with missiles. However, all the attacks were blocked by a powerful energy shield.
"Its defenses are up! Whittle them down!" Farid mentioned, when suddenly several Protector Sentinels appeared from behind, coming around the corner of a valley behind the Wolverines, along with two wraiths. "Bastion! Target locked! Fire a MAC round!"
"MAC round firing!"
Suddenly, a massive and powerful boom could be heard, as the wraiths and a few sentinels exploded violently. At the same time, a powerful explosion was also heard to the west of them.
"First AA gun is offline!" Sokolov reported.
"Get back here now!" Farid said, unloading another rocket barrage. "Corporal Sinclair, you will need to handle the next gun on your own".
"Understood! I will give it hell!"
"Man, these new Hannibal Scorpion Tanks are amazing" Stacker mentioned.
"Just keep them in one piece as best you can. Ruu gets annoyed when his toys blow up" Farid mentioned. "Plus, apparently they are quite expensive".
"Anything that breaks comes out of the pay checks of your units~" Ruu mentioned playfully, and slightly threateningly.
"...all units, prioritize the mission, but please do not break your vehicles!" Stacker added.
As that was said, a MAC round was fired at the Retriever itself, but it didn't come from up high.
"I cant get any closer, and the sky is a bit too rough for me to stay, but hope that helps".
"Shield is fluctuating. All hands, push!"
"Capture complete" Miller reported. "Also, I have an idea. Can you keep it occupied and hold it down a little more"
"Make it fast, Spartan. Covenant forces are inbound, and we cant deal with both them and this thing forever".
As that was said, they unloaded a massive volley, keeping its attention and stopping it from flying closer to the tank line that was still moving.
The Sentinel however released a powerful blast, decimating one of the Wolverines and damaging several others, and forcing them to scatter as it fired additional lasers.
And then, it turned its sights on Farid.
"Miller!"
"Here I go!" Miller said, jumping off of the cliff that the Retriever came down from, and landing on top. She took out several grenades, tossing them into the nooks and crannies of the Sentinel as it moved around. However, as she did that, it sent a powerful electrical surge acrosss its surface, seriously hurting Miller and causing her to fall off. Shortly after though, the grenades detonated inside of it, and the shields and defenses went fully offline.
"Miller! Everyone, break that thing now!" Farid said, firing herself as her warthog drove over to Miller to pick her up.
"Second gun is offline, but we are taking fire!"
"Target spotted! Get Miller clear, Spartan!"
Farid quickly hopped off the warthog as they drove by, picking Miller up and putting her into the passanger seat. Once that was done, she got back on, and they drove away.
"Thanks for clearing up a new air route...I am in position!" Fafnir reported.
"Then together Spartan! MAC Round out!"
"MAC round firing!"
Then, in sync, Fafnir and Ruu both hit it with MAC rounds, dealing critical damage to the Retriever as it crashed and exploded.
"Retriever down. I am getting Miller back to base to recieve some medical help".
"With the Retriever down, me and the ground forces here should have it locked down" Ruu reported. "Fireteam Rook is deployed, and heading towards the facility now. Area is clear of Sentinels, looks like you managed to antagonize them all. First phase of the mission is successful".
"Its nice to have orbital support for a change, even if its not quite orbital" Sinclair mentioned.
"Well we can mop up these clowns and secure the line. Roll out, armor unit!" Stacker reported.
"Sir, yes sir!"
And so, now it was Rook's turn to complete their mission.
An Update to the Roster for everyone!:
Command Staff:
Captain: Jax Emerson
First Officer: Sabrina Becket
Third in Command: Lieutenant Commander Richard Price
Shipboard AI: Ruu (Prototype Long Lasting Smart AI, created from the Captain's Grandson)
Science and Engineering Staff:
Lead Scientist Rebeca Hope.
Lead Scientist Zaraz (Uggony)
Head Engineer Russel Walker
Hurogok/Engineer Leader Scotty
Special Operations/ONI:
ONI Command Staff: Agent Elizabeth Vera: 34. A woman of unknown origins and background, she is the highest ranking ONI operative on board the Bastion, at least as far as anyone can tell since ONI rankings are purposefully obscure for many. She seems to have her own plans. A lot about her is a mystery.
ONI Spartan Operatives: Argus Aetós. Mysterious Spartan of unknown origin who works for ONI directly. Armor Type: Arognaut Idnom with a tacpad and hardcase, as well as a Secrets VISR set up for secure communications. Has extra equipment put in for bypassing communication protocols and management, and a host of AI override codes. Also has a cloaking module and Promethean Vision based technology, as well as other modifications.
ONI Science Operative Tonda Lang: 23. ONI analyst working in the ONI field office on the Bastion.
Foreign Envoys:
Military Science Envoy Leader: Sha'Vehm. Modified Plasma Rifle and Energy Sword, increased capacity, damage, and in the sword's case, the ability to cut through certain shields and barriers. Armor Type: Specialized Elite General armor, repurposed and redesigned to a degree however that it looks far different then the armor of Elite Generals that attacked the UNSC. The horns in the front and back are gone, and replaced with an antenna that allows for command uplink based on combined UNSC/Covenant designs. Additionally, an advanced Cloaking Module was introduced, as well as components to make it compatible with UNSC datafeeds and comms. It also features small optical visers that benefit from advanced analysis and uplink to the research teams and AIs.
Experimental Smart-AI: Reh Jeeneh (Sangheili for "Made Soul")
Flight Teams:
Zulu-347 "Icarus": Extra Large Assault Pelican piloted by Flight Officer Charles "Charlie" Roads.
Crew: Cadet Luci Harper. 19. Blonde hair and blue eyes.
Junior Cadet Jake Harper. 14. Blonde hair and black eyes.
Delta-735 "Fafnir": RC2 Condor piloted by Ella Ryl.
Ground Forces:
Corporal August Sinclair: 22 years old. Caucasian, American. Equipped with the standard issue PAR. Is certified to operate and drive all UNSC ground vehicles and some UNSC air vehicles, mainly Hornets, Wasps, Falcons, and Hawks.
Sergeant Ulric Stacker: 35 years old, has six brothers, including him that makes 7 siblings. Is a masterful artist with the tank, and often leads Tank based battalions into battle.
Spartan Operations:
Spartan Commander: 46. Issac Sharp. British European, blonde hair and blue eyes. Armor Type: Green and white Noble Valor Armor. Increased tactical bandwidth, dedicated AI link.
Fireteam Scepter:
Fireteam Crown:
Fireteam Bishop:
Leader: Aria Farid: 29. Middle Eastern decent. Tends to dislike and distrust aliens. Lost her mother and big brother on Reach, and lost her father in New Mombasa. Armor Type: Hazop Armor that is Black and Blue, and features additional grenade storage and Command Uplink Package and VISR, which allows her to immediately ascertain the tactical positions of a large scale battlefield. She often equips a PMR and a Spartan Laser.
Members:
Isaiah Jericho: 28. African Decent, knows Aria Farid personally. They grew up together in New Mombasa, and are as close as siblings. A bit sassy but full of love, Isaiah to give everyone around her increase morale and spirit. He prioritizes success and ensuring the job gets done, but often tries to do something flashy that gets the troops inspired. As such, he is very popular with the troops. Armor Type: Black and Blue Defender Armor. Can produce a hardlight riot shield on one arm, and is capable of holding most guns one handed with the other, allowing him to protect others while fighting back.
Mitchel Michaels: 22. Canadian American. An expert capable of flying air vehicles as well as he can fly personally. Often nicknamed the Flying Spartan, he is also an expert marksman, capable of stabilizing himself in the air for long periods of time and sniping out his enemies. He tends to be more cool and collected, and practices daily to never miss a shot. If he ever misses a single shot during training, he goes again until he gets it perfect again. Same with if he ever messes up during a flight sim or flight training. A perfectionist in that regard, but when he has to snipe enemies right next to allies, they appreciate the training he has done. Armor Type: Aviator armor, along with a jet pack to enhance his jump jet shoulders. This allows for longer flight times, and better flight control. He also has increased ammo/power cell capacity. His visor has an enhanced targeting and thermal registry, which helps with aerial sniping.
Ruby Miller: 24. Born on Reach. Enlisted shortly after the fall of Reach after being successfully evacuated. The only other female on the team aside from Aria Farid, she is the tech expert of the team. She is the most trained in dealing with Forerunner Artifacts, and has extensive knowledge of standard and experimental UNSC science projects and weapon designs. She was very interested in the new designs that have been loaded onto the Bastion. Armor Type: Recon Armor that is black and blue like the rest of her team. She has an experimental speed acceleration module to make her faster, but her main tech is the pulse gauntlets, which allow her to launch energy blast attacks from her arms, and enhance her melee strikes with that energy. She also has an enhanced motion sensor, with increased range and lifepulse detector that even lets her see stationary targets. She also has an enhanced comm uplink.
Ivan Sokolov: 34. Russian decent, though was actually born on the Oasis colony. Fought on Reach, Earth, and even on the Ark. Once even fought alongside the Master Chief when he was pushing through the city, and watched him destroy the Scarab. A survivor, but one that acts with honor and integrity, as he saved countless civilians on Reach as well as Earth. Highly awarded. He doesn't let the wear and tear show though, and always considers his teammates. Actually has a medical license, making him the team's medic as well as experienced. Armor Type: Operator Armor. Medic module, lets him release medical spray and nanites. Also has his own uplink module on his helmet, and monitors stats and vitals from his team. Enhanced connection so he can keep in contact with them, or at least their suit beacons. Is a big time user of shotgun weapons and assault weapons, so typically uses the new PAR and the Plasma Shotgun.
Fireteam Knight:
Fireteam Rook:
Leader: August Forge. 36. Trained with Infinity's Spartans during the War Games period. Commendation for his work in securing one of Earth's orbital stations from Covenant boarding and keeping it operational, which also fast tracked his application into the Spartan IV program. Armor Type: Red and White Teishin Raikou. Possesses additional gun storage ability. Enhanced comm lines to be able to connect to the squad members through interference, jamming, and even while underground.
Members:
Traynor Karolyn. 25. Asian American, black hair and black eyes. Assault Specialist, prefers assault rifles and battle rifles. Also an expert with explosives. Armor Type: Enforcer Red and White Armor, with a Hardlight Shield augmentation based on Requiem Technology. Also has extra hardcase pockets for explosives and detonators. Also has enhanced defense and shielding due to what happened with her previous suits of armor.
Taylor Shaw. 22. Caucasian-Asian heritage, short black hair and green eyes. Tech specialist. Curious and cool headed. Armor Type: Locus Edge with a tac pad that is Red and White. Possesses excellent hacking capabilities, and can deploy an automated drone that provides covering fire, flanks enemies, or can assist with mobile hacking.
Maxwell Smith. 15. Caucasian with a heavily redacted file. Brown hair with one red eye and one blue eye. Had unofficial augments that were such a danger to him due to improper procedure that he was put in Cryo until the Spartan IV Program, which was finally able to correct and upgrade his augmentation. Grew up in the outer colonies. Shows exceptional close quarters awareness and spatial understanding. Armor Type: Helioskrill that is red and white. Has a built in energy sword deployment on the arm, and a cloaking module and a launchable disc that he can teleport to, the disc itself storing back into the armor. The armor was crafted by an Elite that engineer that heard about his counterparts decision to challenge their skill against the UNSC, by creating a smaller and more compact version that could operate just as well, if not better.
Jacob Reese. 42. African American with bald head. Grew up on Earth, had family that lived in New Mombasa. Marksman. Armor Type: Venator Cestus, Red and White colors. Thermal targeting and motion tracking improvements based on the Promethean Vision Armor enhancement found on Requiem.