It was twelve days before the ODST Hawk Team's operation in Avro started. Four British-European men were sitting silently and patiently around the hologram table, waiting for the commander to arrive. All of those honoured, prepared men were the knights of the 23rd Special Land Service. They were here to join the European Union's 12th Naval Fleet, slipstream jumping to an unknown location.
Sergeant Gary Roach Sanderson played around his gloved-fingers together, thinking about the new objective for their long Human-Chimera war. Chimera was not the only they're facing however. There were rumours about their new rivals of the war, and if that's so, everything we'll get even bloodier than ever before.
Right beside Roach was his squad leader, Captain Soap MacTavish. His first name was missing for some reason-probably classified. Soap was Roach's best well-known captain since he joined the SLS, few years before the Human-Chimera War. He was once the private soldier of the SAS trained very hard to push his useless limit.
The SAS, SLS, and other special forces of Europe that were still active, since the 21st century, were under the command of the Enforcer Corp. The Enforcer Corp. was one of the best Special Forces in the human world, despite the slight debate with the US's Orbital Drop shock Troopers and other of its counterparts.
The slide door opened, letting a Lieutenant enter the room. Roach, Captain Soap, and the others stood up and salute. The slide door closed behind the Lieutenant's back; known as General Steven Cartwright.
General Stephen: Gentlemen, welcome to the 12th Fleet. You are here to be escorted to a stress signal.
The hologram screen warmed up in blue light, flicking out files of their new mission.
General Stephen: We made an emergency contact from the Atlantis Expedition through our Stargate. Chimera made our new rival of this war.
The Stargate was the Forerunner's oldest transport technology. It was a ring shape-structure that requires punching an address into to form a worm hole between the two planets. The Atlantis Expedition used that transportation system to recover the Forerunner's Atlantis ship.
Captain Soap: Who will it be sir?
General Stephen used his hand to pull out one of the files. A file revealed grouped photos of human-form robotics with their weapons armed. Everyone, including Roach, became very curious; never seem them before, just like they encounter the Chimera in the first place.
General Stephen: Gentlemen, these are the new enemies we're about to face. They were the army of a cartel empire, known as the Hahne-Kedar. The Atlantis Expedition team code named them the Trade Empire.
SLS one: I'll stick with Trade Empire name; it's a better name.
Captain Soap: That's what we going for Gaza...What are those robots up to?
General Stephen: The Atlantis Expedition reported that their empire was massive, and old. They occupied any planet for resource as goods, and they control the trade between several worlds. Chimera made a partnership with them for one thing: better weapons.
Roach: So where are we going now?
General Stephen: Follow the course.
Stephen presented a course, connecting from Earth. He traced along the line to an Earth-like planet. It's mostly shown green areas of land, while small oceans were in between.
General Stephen: Planet Waelth'e
Captain Soap: (Lightly shook his head) Never heard of it sir.
A masked SLS, with his red sunglass and skull patterned balaclava, analysed closer to the illustrated planet. His name: Sergeant Simon Ghost Riley, Gaz's twin brother.
General Stephen: It's the capital of the Monarch Kingdom before the Trade Empire takes over.
Sergeant Ghost: Who's the Monarch Kingdom?
General Stephen: The wealthy human-civilization of Waelth'e.
Gaz Riley: Humans? Very funny sir...
General Stephen: It's not a joke Gaz, but I'm not sure if they are born there, and immigrated through Stargate.
Lt. Stephen checked his cover digital watch; the rest did the same.
General Stephen: Seven minutes guys; the air is best fit, let's go.
Everyone departs from the room. Roach gained up with Captain Soap.
Roach: Sir...is he sure there're humans down there?
Captain Soap: Well one way to find out.
Charlie, Don't Surf
Day (-12) – 1:40:15
City in the Eastern Shore Waelth'e (Unknown System)
Sergeant Gary Roach Sanderson
Enforcer Corp's 23rd Special Land Service (Beta Knights)
Roach, Soap, Gaz, and Ghost were sitting down inside the roaring EC220 Gadfly dropship, with the other two Corporals; Rankin and Harris. They all wore naval ballistic armour and high-tech helmets. The whole dropship tilted around, facing wind turbulence. Later, it returned to its normal level, and its air-barrier slide door opened, releasing fresh air of planet Waelth'e.
Ghost: Not bad... the air is very fresh.
Roach: Smells like it's better than the one from Earth.
Roach looked down at the blue ocean as the whole Gadfly dropship lowered its altitude to join up the fleet of other dropships. It was beautiful, the clear-fresh ocean with a large sea creature as a size of Earth's largest whales.
General Stephen (O.S.): Beta Knights! Spotters have a possible fix on the Atlantis Expedition Team in a monastery building at the west end of Monarch's city-some kind of a city hall. While we're gonna secure the whole city, you guys gonna rescue the team, and get them out of there.
Captain Soap: Listen up guys, the Trade Empire droids are cheap knock-offs, but they're dozens of them down there. Don't let them underestimate us... Lock and load!
Roach, Ghost, and Captain Soap grabbed and load up their E2000 ATAC bullpup assault rifles. Its sexy-ergonomic surface design and reliability made Roach's favourite gun. Their assault rifles were dressed with Red Dot sight and attachable grenade launchers.
Corporal Harris, with FMS HG2 Battle Rifle, w/ACOG Sight and Masterkey Shotgun: Hey, check it out.
Everyone looked outside, and checked out the view of an ancient city near the edge of the shores. The buildings with dome roofs were as artistic as Earth's counterparts in Venice, Italy, though decorated with gold material.
All the Gadfly dropships separated from incoming fire from the city. From below, the EU ampibillious vehicles charged towards the beach to deploy their ground forces. Hailstorm fighters roared from above, rain the city down with ground-strike missiles.
Gadfly pilot (O.S.): Hang on tight men!
The pilot of the Gadfly dropship made large dodges from incoming energy and missile fire. Few of the dropships fought back by using the operative miniguns on the sides. The pilot stopped dodging once they escape from anti-air fires, and made a complete hovering mode once cleared.
Gadfly pilot (O.S.): Drop here Captain?
Captain Soap: Affirmative...everyone let's go.
Corporal Rankin, with both of his Boudini 12 Gauge Shotgun and Galilean Non-linear Rifle "Spartan Laser" on his back, dropped several ropes down to the smooth ground. Once touchdown, everyone grabbed the ropes and rappel themselves down. They end in an alley between hard-gold stone structures.
Captain Soap: Follow my lead!
The SLS Beta Knights followed Soap along the road. At the end, they discovered a plaza with a 12 metres tall luxurious water fountain. Just before they continued to proceed, ten Trade Empire droids ambushed from the building at the front of Roach's eyes. They stood six-foot tall, skinny-humanoid form. Their armour skeletons were painted grey plates and red warmed LED lines.
Ghost: Are those the one?
Captain Soap: They better be, let's bring them down.
Roach fired his E2000 assault fire, launching ammunitions in high rate of fire and better recoil. They took covered behind the fountain, despite the water window. Droids fired back with their own slim-bulky rifles, splitting out plasma bolts.
The bullets from the Beta Knight veterans smacked right through the battle droids' armour without its own stopping power. Damages had caused the droids to lose function and later collapsed; even their head-shape monitors could be teared off by Harris's three round burst FMS AG2 bull-pup assault rifle.
The whole Beta Knights, except Captain Soap, were amazed, but odd. They knock all the droids in just a few seconds without inaccurate shots.
Gaz: That's easy.
Roach: Like Soap says, they're cheap knock offs.
Captain Soap: Don't forget this men; they many of them here. Even since they're maybe under the command tactic, some of them could be start...Let's keep moving.
Soap was right; each droids were well programmed and could possibly be maintained their skills by upgrades. Worse of all was, there're maybe more varieties other than the ones they fought.
Continuing their escort around the fountain and off the plaza, they're more droids loitering around. Roach and Ghost both fired their grenade launchers at the same time, and the grenades blasted the droids into junks of pieces.
Corporal Rankin, with Boudini 12 Gauge Shotgun: Well more of that come from.
Captain Soap: Beta Knights on me to the target building! Move!
They fight their way through the army of droids with the help of some European soldiers and airstrikes. Several minute of fighting, the SLS Beta Knights could proceed to the building they're looking for; a monastery palace with four small domes ceilings around the middle large one and tall thick doors with flora markings.
Captain Soap: There's the target building! Front door breach! Stack up!
Harris ran up the exterior stairs, divided by statues, and got his charge stacked on the doors.
Captain Soap: Blow the charge!
The charge blasted into plain dust.
Captain Soap: Go Go Go!
Roach and the others level armed and tackle through the smoke. They fired up their ammunitions and took down several battle droids, plus two Chimeran Hybrids.
Ghost: Bloody yanks-those Chimeras are looking for deals...let's split up.
Captain Soap: (nodded) Right Ghost...Roach follow me.
Captain Soap guide Roach up the stairs, while Ghost and Gaz go together to the left hall. Rankin and Harris took the right hall.
Both Soap and Roach alone check corners and rooms for any random ambush. Roach felt like they're on a tour. Walls, ceilings, floors, they were all decorated as beautiful as European interior architecture.
Reach up to the second; they checked both halls in fast reaction...no enemies.
Roach: Let's check the right hall...There's an opening wall we could took a peak.
Captain Soap: Right.
Roach and Soap walked silently to the opening wall. They both took a peak to observe opening scene. The whole scenery looked like they're in a church while the room was built in cylinder size.
Looking down, five men, in black battle-vests, were surrounded by battle droids, Chimeran Hybrids and a small-skull head looking Slip skulls, and the two mysterious humanoid droids. Both had flashlight heads and their bodies were shorter and slighter than the human counterpart.
Roach: Who are those two?
Captain Soap: No idea.
Soap found two double doors behind the guards. He radioed to Ghost and Harris.
Captain Soap: This is Soap...find the door doors and set the charge. Don't charge until I say.
Ghost (O.S.): Roger, we're on it.
Captain Soap: Roach, get your flash bang ready.
Roach: What if it has no effect on them, except the Chimeras.
Captain Soap didn't answer, but he's right anyways. If flash bangs had no effect on the droids, it will be a fatal mistake.
Ghost (O.S.): Ghost here, we got the charge set.
Captain Soap: Good; on my mark.
Roach, despite his question, squeeze and hold his flash bang tube. Soap and Roach peak out until they could see the battle droids about to aim their rifles at the hostages.
Captain Soap: Now!
Roach and Soap throw the flash bangs over the edge. They took cover as their flash bangs explode into a flash. Double doors exploded, and they could hear projection fire.
Gaz (O.S.): We're clear!
Captain Soap: Nice work knights, meet you down.
Soap and Roach head down stairs, and search an entrance to the Atlantis Expedition Team's standing point. While regrouped, Roach looked down at the slim-insect droids. He compared that those flash-light enemies were very different to the battle droids.
Atlantis Expedition Team member, with P190 PDW, w/Red Dot sight: Thank god you guys show up.
Captain Soap: You guys alright?
Atlantis Expedition Team member: Not yet; we need to find and rescue the Monarch soldiers. If we do, they can help you guys to handle this whole situation.
Captain Soap: That will be a perfect opportunity; as long as you guys are alive...I'm Captain Soap.
Atlantis Sergeant Gordon: Sergeant Gordon, I'm the lead of this team...We better get going. I'll show where the soldiers are.
Ghost: Lead the way then.
Sergeant Gordon and his men charged out through the double doors, and Roach and the other Beta Knights followed them. By the time the Atlantis team got out, they quickly got back in from incoming fire. A squad of battle droids opened fired, along with some Chimeran Hybrids.
Roach: We're being blocked.
Captain Soap: Gryphon-Four, we're taking heavy fire; requesting air support near the four dome roof building.
Hailstorm Strike fighter pilot: Roger, going hot.
Everyone stood away from the swarms of plasma bolts. A sonic zoom grew louder, and an air strike shook the whole building with no dust being spilled.
Ghost: Good; we're clear.
But by the time Ghost step right out of the building, a Chimera's Attack Drone appeared from nowhere. The Attack Drone was large, heavily armed and armoured, and also shielded with its own bubble barrier around it. It fired it twin charge bolts in fast rate, but Ghost escape before getting a chase of being hit.
Roach: Bloody hell, that Attack Drone is killing us.
Captain Soap: Rankin, use your Spartan Laser to kill it off.
Corporal Rankin switched his shotgun with his non-linear Spartan Laser rifle, and bravery step in to get the target. With the Attack Drone on his target, Rankin pressed the trigger, and his cannon launched a red beam of light drill the drone's shield. The beam flashed into nothing; the Attack Drone still stands, with the expectation of a smashed-hole of its shield.
Rankin: Its shield is still holding.
Captain Soap: Keep fighting.
After Rankin's Spartan Laser had cool down and charged in four seconds, he fired again. The laser line sting the Attack Drone's yellow eyes, and the whole body was melted by boiling red bubbles.
Rankin: Nail that one!
Atlantis Sergeant Gordon: Good, follow me.
With the guidance and the support of the Atlantis Expedition Team, Beta Knight formed them together to fight their way through the streets. Their armour-piercing bullets shred of the battle droids' hulls that blocked their way. EU forces were everywhere, giving them a good advantage to get to the objective point.
Captain Soap: So when did you guys arrived?
Atlantis Sergeant Gordon: Two days ago Soap; this was our random destination to trade for the ZMP power source for our Atlantis Ship so we can get it out of the ocean surface. We don't know this place was occupied by the Hahne-Kedar Empire. I was a big discovery.
Roach: This city; built by humans?
Atlantis Sergeant Gordon: Surprisingly yes; I'll introduce them after we get out of this damn mess.
After few minutes of fighting the battle droids, Chimeras, and of course, some Brutes, the Beta Knights end up at near the pyramid shape architect. Standing three floors high, this building was constructed with gold, crystals, and gems of Waeth'e.
Atlantis sergeant Gordon: There it is; that were the Monarch soldiers were kept; Hostage by battle droids.
Captain Soap: Squad get in position and breach.
Ghost stacked the charge on the hard wooden door as everyone got back against the walls.
Captain Soap: Do it!
Ghost: Breaching.
The door breached, throwing wooden pieces into the thin air.
Captain Soap: GO GO GO!
Roach and Gaz charged in first and fired their weapons at the battle droids. Ghost and the result stepped in, with the whole room secured. As the whole room become dustless and clear, Roach was astonished; there were seven humans, but three humanoid reptilians.
The seven Caucasian men wore private naval uniforms including mixed dark brown and brown leathers jackets and pants with gold lines, and forage caps. One of them wore a peaked cap, decorated with black belt and a symbol of Monarch in the middle. The three reptilians wore different, as they had flexible brown armour with gold flora-drawings, and helmets that fit their long curved tube projected upwards and back of their heads.
Atlantis Sergeant Gordon: Dea'lc, are ye men all right?
Captain Dea'lc: Mêlée Gordon.
Captain Soap: They speak English?
Atlantis Sergeant Gordon: Yeah, but their way of communication is different. It's complicated.
So they're maybe from Earth before they got here from Stargate; right? Roach was not sure. All he could find out was just ask.
Captain Dea'lc: Our Majasti' was cast away by the Hahne-Kedar cadets. We're not aware where our Majasti' is.
Atlantis Sergeant Gordon: He meant the queen Soap...If you guys are plan to take their kingdom back, then you're gonna get help from us.
Captain Soap: (nodded) alright then... (Radioed to General Stephen) Command, this is Soap. The Atlantis Expedition Team and the Monarch soldiers have been secured. The Atlantis Team had the knowledge about the situation here about the Trade; we decided to demand a permission to take the Atlantis Team with us...Thank sir, Soap out.
Looks like they gonna have to baby sit the Atlantis guys for a long-long time.