The Road to War
Day 1 – 11:56:02
Cosmo City, United States of Atlantic, Avro (111 Tauri System)
Lance Corporal 'Rookie' Samuel
145th Orbital Drop Shock Troopers
It was a few minutes later after Rookie and Captain Dare's Eagle team fight their through the Chimeran-occupied shopping alley. There were Chimeran Sharpshooters from the roofs and balconies, Hybrids on the ground, and two Ravagers they fought.
Entering to the deserted western alley after the fight, Rookie looked around different kinds of store buildings, damaged by Chimeran forces. This alley had reminded him about hanging out with his friends since he was a teenager. He came here twice with his girlfriend for a date.
Captain Dare: Seems too quiet here.
Buck: I know, but we're almost near to the Foot Loose Hotel. It should be near Kentucky Street.
Romeo: Hope we're going on a right direction, because I don't want to fight those Sharpshooters again.
So does Rookie too; he faced a lot of enemy snipers throughout his military career. Sharpshooter's Marksman rifle was sniper-counterpart battle rifles that fired three burst of lighting. Unlike sniper rifles, it can be accessorized with a drone-launcher or a sticky guidable launcher.
Shouts and gun fire could be heard from the opposite side of a bank building, and Captain Dare raised her arm up to halt and listen.
Captain Dare: Hear that; sounds like there's a fire-fight going on there.
Rookie: I can hear men shouting; that looks like the Rangers needs some help.
Buck: Let's hurry up then.
Running around the bank building, the ODST team end up in street in the middle of the fight between the human Rangers and the Chimeran ground troops, lead by a single Brute Captain. They're right behind the Hybrids' backs; a perfect opportunity for surprise ambush.
Buck: Let's get them. Use your flash-bangs guys!
The ODSTs picked their single flash-bangs from their equip-belts, flick the ignition switch, and throw it into the distracted Chimerans. They ran back for cover, and the flash-bangs spark a flash of white light. The Chimeran Hybrids and the Brute Captain got blinded by stained white flash, and had their ears covered from high-peak sound-tone.
Captain Dare: Now!
Rookie switched his SCAR for his Bullseye to save up his SCAR's ammunitions. With his team combined assault, he held the trigger of the Bullseye very tight, slaughtering the weak Hybrids. Both ODSTs and Rangers later fired at the Brute Captain, shredding down his shields and pinned him down.
Captain Dare was first to meet the sergeant of the Ranger Hawk team. The sergeant was a black male, standing taller than Dare. He had seven Ranger infantries with him, hiding inside the abstracted-shape Foot Loose Hotel.
His and the Ranger's battle-plate armour were coded with urban digital-camouflage, including on boots and helmet. Some Rangers have black sun-glasses or clear eye-protection eye-plates, while others have a mouth cover or none of them. They're armed with ACRs, SCARs, P190 PDWs, but also with two of them wielding FMG-184 Javelin missile launchers.
Rookie replaced the Bullseye's empty-heated magazine with the new one, almost bring his hand.
Captain Dare: You guys alright there?
Sergeant: Affirmative. Glad you could make it ODSTs. Our vehicle convoy is going to meet us on the other side of this hotel; but the Chimera are crawling all over it.
Captain Dare: Well let's neutralize them before our ride arrives; names Captain Dare Veronica.
Sergeant: Names Sergeant Foley; commander of Hunter Two-One, 1st Battalion... Follow me.
Captain Dare followed Foley inside the Foot Loose Hotel. There were no windows placed, but a main area for new guests. The entrance to the corridors were found beside the booking desk, completely black-out despite the blinking light bulbs.
Rookie and the rest gathered inside and make their way into the darken hotel. Few bulbs kept flashing around the surface of the corridors of the hotel. Bolts of yellow plasma flow through the exits, burning the wall corridors.
Sergeant Foley: Stay outta sight.
Rookie gets ready to throw his flash-bang, wrapping it very tight with his hand. Chimera Hybrids and three Brutes jumped in, and Rookie toss his flash-bang at them.
Rookie: Flash-Bang!
But the Rangers fired at them anyways. Rookie's flash-bang exploded into a flash of light and blinded both sides. Rookie's eye-view had gone white blind before he shuts it, and his ears couldn't be closed from high-peak sound. Both humans and Chimeran ground forces did the same.
Rookie slowly opened his eyes slowly returning his eye-view back to normal level. As he fired his rounds of Bullseye, the objects he could see had moved less dizzy. All of them hold still, and his view went back in shape, including his ears.
With several Chimerans down and the Rangers and Eagle Team got back up, the two Brutes and the rest fall back outside.
Mickey: God damn it! What the hell was that?!
Rookie: Sorry, I thought the flash-bang couldn't hit us in far distance..."
Captain Dare: Guys! Let's keep going already.
The ODST Eagle Team had made it out. A large view of the natural reserve appeared behind the four-lane highway of Cosmo city. A pedestrian bridge was found over the highway, leading to the bus station.
Two Brutes and few Chimeran hybrids fired from below, and Romeo, Buck, and several of Foley's Rangers fired back. Despite the fight, Captain Dare pointed at a curved bridge found several kilometres north-west from their position.
Captain Dare: There, that's the bridge we're going.
Sergeant Foley: But we need to meet the military convoy right here first so we can get up there...
Right from above their heads, a monstrous dropship showed up from nowhere. The heavy-metal armoured Chimeran dropship hovered over the bus station with its main gun fired at the Rangers. Rangers fall back without receiving hits.
US Ranger: Dropship inbound!
Dutch: Mickey!
Mickey: Right!
Both Dutch and Mickey armed themselves with anti-vehicle weapons, non-linear rifle and SPRNK rocket launcher. Nevertheless, the Chimeran dropship already deployed two Brutes and six Chimeran soldiers. Dutch and Mickey fired at the left wing of the dropship, and it cracked up causing the dropship lose control. The dropship could longer be seen before it hits into the ground.
Two Brutes flied up, typically minor Jump Pack Brutes. They're hard to kill, unless their jump pack technology gets jammed. And the fight got harder; Chimeran Hybrids fired their Bullseye's accessorized attachment, deploying their hard-surface energy Force Barrier.
Buck: This is getting harder guys.
Rookie fired his SCAR at the Jump Pack Brutes, but they're too fast. Even Captain Dare couldn't take down the harden surface of Chimerans' Force Barrier with her grenade launcher attachment. Rookie then switched his Bullseye and prepared to level and fired the Bullseye's accessorized Homing Tag launcher by squeezing triggers at one of the Jump Pack Brutes.
Once the Homing Tag stick on the flying Brute, Rookie's zooming plasma sparks followed and circulated its magnetic field. The Brute took damages on his power armour as Rookie continues attacking him. The power armour popped out, and the rest of plasma ammunitions finish the Brute off.
Captain Dare: Nice finish Rookie.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Foley had no trouble fighting the annoying Jump Pack Brute. His own SCAR rifle, with holographic sight and attachable Master-Key shotgun, shot the Brute without several misses. He finished him off in a record of twelve seconds each.
Sergeant Foley: You make my mother-in-law look pretty!
Dutch: Hey guys, looks!
Dutch pointed with his pump-action shotgun at the incoming armour convoy coming to aid. At last, four 4x4 Light Multirole Vehicles and two M218 Fastback tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles had stopped at the front of the pedestrian bridge cross. The Fastback fired its dual-feed chain-gun, spanking the Hybrids' Force Barrier until it got depleted and the hybrids were finished.
First LMV driver (O.S.): Special delivery from the 7th Armour Bridge Sergeant Foley.
Sergeant Foley: About time guys. Let's regroup with them.
The Rangers and the ODST team cross the bridge, and run down the stairs. By the time they all flee from the bus station to regroup the vehicles, two Brute rapid assault vehicles, known as Choppers, roared from the end of the highway.
The LMV used its remote weapon system (RWS) firing its minigun at the closest two-front wheeled Brute Chopper. The brutal penetration against the Brute driver's power armour, his shields quickly teared down and the driver was knocked off from the vehicle.
The Chopper was bounced and tossed around towards a Ranger, but Rookie pushed him off away from it; they both hit into the ground of asphalt.
Ranger, SCAR w/ Red Dot sight and grenade launcher: Thanks dude.
Rookie nodded to him, and watch the other Brute Chopper get blown up by one of the Fastback's TOW (tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided) IIIA missiles. He gave the Ranger soldier a hand to get him up.
Rookie: Come on, stand up. We got work to do.
Ranger: Right...I'm Private James Ramirez.
Rookie: Well nice to see you...Roger "Rookie" Samuel.
James Ramirez: K Rookie; follow me to the LMV; I'm gonna trade for it with someone.
James led Rookie to the front LMV, and he knocked twice on the door to get the driver switch seats. Captain Dare, Buck, and the other of their ODST entered into the two LMVs. Rookie hopped at the back, where he gets to trade with the gunner for the (RWS).
James Ramirez: Let's role! We're Oscar Mikes!
James hit the engines, leading the convoy along the highway.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Overlord, we had regroup the 75th Ranger Hawk Team, lead by Hunter-Two One. We regroup with the convoy, proceeding to the bridge.
Serina (O.S.): Dare this is Serina. Keep going along the highway until you reached at the checkpoint. You'll meet there for the dropship to deliver the M5A2 main battle tank from the 8th Armour Division...
Captain Dare (O.S.): Good; what's the stats?
Serina (O.S.): I'm detecting highest concentration of Chimera and Covenant ground troops directly both inside the Forerunner museum and below the carrier. I don't think they want you guys to get on board.
Buck (O.S.): Well will have to go pass through them.
Serina (O.S.): But be advised everyone. The Chimeran Goliath was making its way to the bridge you going to meet. It looks like its heading towards the Forerunner museum.
Existing out from the forest of condominiums and other tall buildings, large hectares of natural reserve area appeared on the right side of the highway. It was now been dominated by Chimeran/Brute forces, their artilleries, and a 150 metre tall Goliaths. The Goliath is a four-legged massive walking siege battery, designed and built for subjugating entire cities.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Yeah; I got an eye on the Goliath right now. It's walking over the natural reserve, heading north.
Serina (O.S.): If that thing was planning to crush down the northern part of the city, you guys gonna have to try to destroy it by getting there first.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Got that; once done, we'll see if the Forerunner ACS Module is still on the ground.
Suddenly, an explosion punched out one kilometre from the convoy. The whole convoy paused, and watched a hole cut in the middle of the highway. Rookie radioed.
Rookie (O.S.): Crap; we needed to exist here and find the other way to get back.
Buck (O.S.): There's a nearest exist on the right side. It will lead us to the natural reserve, so we better fight through for a highway entrance.
James Ramirez: I found the exist; leading the way.
James lead the convoy towards the highway exist, and made out into the Outgo Natural Reserve. It was home to natural parks, zoos, and special events held few months ago. Right now, the whole land of hills, plains, and trees of planet Avro was crawled with Brute and Chimeran units.
Five Choppers jumped from the hills, and two Chimeran multi-legged mobile heavy platform vehicles known as Stalkers. Like the Fastback IFV, they're equipped with anti-air/personal auto cannons and missile pods.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Everyone spilt up! Make sure you don't pinned down here until we find the way out of here.
Romeo (O.S.): We're Oscar Mikes guys, let's do this!
LMVs and Fastbacks spread out, and attack nearby enemy forces. Rookie, with his faceplate against the monitor screen of his RWS, squeezed both triggers launching penetrating bullets at the Choppers. James had to keep running around the park; because those Choppers were armed with 35 auto cannons that can quickly destroy mostly anything in its path of destruction.
The Chopper fired its auto cannons attacking Rookie's LMV, with no success. Rookie's minigun shred off one of Choppers' hulls and the driver's power armour. The Chopper exploded, killing its driver. The other LMV, possibly Mickey and Dutch, attacked the two Choppers close behind with its RSW's deployable rockets. Both were toasted into bits.
Dutch (O.S.): Got your back Rookie.
Rookie: Thanks, let's keep going.
Serina (O.S.): Everyone listen up; the entrance you're searching for is on the northern side of the natural reserve park. You'll have to follow the road that leads here and pass through several enemy camp spots...Oh, and don't forget about neutralizing the artilleries.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Thanks for guidance Serina.
Serina (O.S.): Radio me back once you're at the front bridge entrance. Out.
They continued fighting along the dirt road with Chimeran and Brute forces. Rookie's hands were losing strength, getting tired of unleashing rampaging rounds of his minigun. Though true, his RWS was his only defence. He had seen two Fastbacks shooting down Stalkers with their TOW missiles.
Running up the hill to the north, bunches of Chimeran guard towers and fuel containers were blocking Rookie and James's way. Chimeran Hybrids could be seen from the towers, with pulse cannons! Those pulse cannon were anti-tank high-energy pulse weapons, allowing the pulse to launch at high, unpredictable speed but took long time to recharge.
James Ramirez: Rookie; you better shoot down those towers.
Rookie: Roger that.
Rookie painlessly fired his second trigger, double launching deployable rockets. The two guard towers were knocked out and collapse with the Chimeran Hybrids. He continued operating his firing minigun to ignite the fuel containers. The containers explode between the guard towers.
James Ramirez: Great job; now let's get those artilleries crushed.
James drove towards the artilleries, firing targets for supporting their ground forces. By the time they got there, they discovered the artilleries were being overwhelmed by Fastback IFVs. The Fastbacks launched their TOW missiles and auto cannons to bring them down into crumble.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Well down guys; let's get back to what we started.
Rookie: Dare, we were gonna finish those pin-pointing heads.
Mickey (O.S.): Too late Rookie; you guys are slow.
Rookie: Oh fuck you Mickey Mouse!
Serina (O.S.): Serina here; good job on neutralizing the artilleries. The US convoys are moving. Proceed to the bridge front checkpoint.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Everyone follow my lead.
Rookie turned around the monitor view, and spotted the Goliath. Every time its single leg stomped, debrie of fire flared out. The Goliath formed the path line of destruction. That monstrous machine was slow; soon they could get to the other side of the city ahead on time.
Dare's LMV end up at the Chimera's dock platform, best place for dropship landing. With few Chimeran infantries standing, Dare and Rookie fired their guns and splattered them down. There was also a guard tower, knocked down by a Fastback IFV.
Continuing their quest through the beautiful natural plain, they found deep-ground foot prints of the Goliath. Before avoiding machine-made cliffs, up in the dark sky, the gunners discovered four Hunter Drones swimming around the air. All four fired charge bolts from the skies with its one arm gun on the bottom body.
Rookie: Hunter drones 12 o'clock!
Buck: Take them out!
They fired back with their main guns. The Fastbacks have anti-air auto-cannons, giving themselves a better advantage to fight hostile air vehicle. Even best suit for shooting down Hunter Drones, and blow them into chunks of metal.
Despite that effort, the Hunter Drone sting on the Fastback IFV with its own minigun. Yellow swarm line of charge bolt plasma burned the IFV's hull.
Ranger-Fastback IFV 1: Alert; we need support here!
As the Hunter Drone pointed its yellow eye at the Fastback, Rookie positioned his target on the Hunter Drone. His fired deployable rocket shot the drone, destroyed and crashed into the soil of Outgo Reserve.
James Ramirez: You're alright Morgan?
Private Morgan: [Coughs] Sure thing; thanks for your help.
The last Hunter Drone retreated to the sky, letting the ODSTs and the Rangers made it to the tunnel-highway entrance. They slanted up in and made their way through abandon civilian vehicles to the bridge checkpoint. Their head lights flashed the whole surface of the highway.
There were some Chimeran checkpoints the ODSTs and the Rangers crushed through. Even Chimeran Ravagers were no match with heavily armed Fastback IFVs. Swarms of patrol drones were fought many metres ago.
The highway included opening tunnels, viewing the sky and the towered buildings of Cosmo. The ODST and Ranger convoy made to that location, combating Brute Choppers and checkpoints; or camp spots.
Few metres later, driving through the dark multi-highway tunnel, a shake rumbled the whole area. The ceiling of the highway fell to the road, stomped by the Goliath's foot. The whole convoy break before they would crash into the metal foot.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Holy shit! We could have been crushed.
The Goliath's foot raised from the ground; it was a close call. They travel around the footprint, and made their way to the bridge checkpoint. They later encountered more Brute vehicles; Infantry Support Vehicle Prowlers.
Four Prowlers are heavy armoured and heavy armed with plasma cannons. They seemed hard to get destroyed, except with no protection for their passengers, gunners and drivers. Rookie and Dare watched the Prowlers forming their own convoy, heading north.
Sergeant Foley (O.S.): Looks like they're trying to regroup.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Don't let them.
That's when the ODST's LMVs come into assault. Miniguns and deployable rockets should do the work. The spraying bullets penetrate every Prowler's armour, due to its casual resistances. For Rookie, he decided it will be efficient to kill the gunner at the front of the Prowler, then the rest. Brutes were completely useless, as they get slaughtered by RWSs' attacks.
After the convoy of Prowlers were burned down, ODSTs and Rangers were free to go.
James Ramirez: That wasn't so bad...right Rookie?
Rookie: Right...their armour looks tough, but not tough enough at all.
They found an opening of the highway tunnel with two standing structures Rookie could hardly see. That looks like a bridge.
Captain Dare (O.S.): Serina; this is Dare reporting. We're closing near the bridge checkpoint.
Serina (O.S.): Glad to hear that; secure that area and wait for the Pelican dropship for delivery.