General Overlord watched the screen surface of the holographic table with Serina, examining their SOCOM-class stealth ship, Set and Dawn, tail gating the Covenant Assault Carrier through the Slipstream Array.
Ship Operation Officer: Sir; we're existing out the slipstream space.
Overlord: Good.
Serina: General; Dare's Team and the Hunter-Two One Rangers are set to go.
Overlord: They should be ready to counter the Covenant forces before they could retrieve the Forerunner ACS Module. If we fail, they'll have what it takes to invade Earth without warning.
Serina: But how do know if they located Earth.
Overload thinks for a moment. Serina was right; he couldn't tell if the Covenant or the Chimera have discovered Earth yet. He hoped it wouldn't happen this time.
Ship Operation Officer: Existing in three...two...one.
The Covenant Assault Carrier, with Set and Dawn behind it, jumped out from the slipstream gate out to space. Overlord and the crew brace for physical force of the ship's resisting speed. Overlord holds on to the bar handle as he lurched back and grunt.
Overlord: Report!
Ship Operations Officer: Both engine cores have spun to zero. We're drifting.
Weapons Officer: "Archer pods are cold. I'll need to re-key the system."
Overlord: Do it, and find out where we are.
Overlord pan over to Dare and Sergeant Buck at the Forerunner made teleporter station. That was where they will be deployed from, for fast drop before their special operation mission.
Overlord (COM): "Sorry for the quick jump, Dare. You in one piece?"
Captain Dare (COM): "We're good. Foley?"
Sergeant Buck (COM): "We're fine."
Communications Officer: Ma'am, there's an object. Coming into view now.
Looking through the bridge view, the Covenant Assault Carrier made its way to a large ring shape structure. The structure had its outer hull surface, while it strangely featured an Earth-like surface. There were vegetation, cold tundra, and ocean patterns painted in the inner surface of the ring.
Serina: Oh...My...God
Overlord: Are you getting this Serina?
Serina: Yes sir; I'm measured that that ring structure is 10,000 kilometre diametre. It's amazing. It's life support containment.
Overlord: Did the Forerunners built this damn thing?
Serina: I could confirm it is.
Overlord: Getting that view to the team. Where's our target going?
Communications Officer: The enemy ship has stopped above the ring, sir. We're going to pass right over it.
Overlord: Perfect. Get our team ready for drop. We got to destroy that ACS Module before it is ready for use...Serina, you know what to do.
Serina: Roger that.
Serina collapsed into the screen, making her way to integrated into Captain Dare's helmet.
Halo
Day (2) – 14:06
Unknown Colonial Station(Unknown System)
Lance Corporal 'Rookie' Samuel
145th Orbital Drop Shock Troopers
Rookie gets his suppressed Cheyenne Tac. Anti-material sniper rifle and his suppressed P190 PDW ready, while him and Dare's ODST Team wait at the platform of the Forerunner Teleporter Station. Captain Dare unplugged a cable from the Teleporter Officer's control installation, where Serina traveled through. She got back on the platform and gets prepared for teleportation. Rangers were waiting for their turn outside of the teleporting station.
Sergeant Foley (O.S.): I'll see you when we regroup together. Hope the oxygen level fits well.
Captain Dare, with ACR, w/ Holographic Sight and Sniper Barrel: It fits well. Am I right Serina?
Serina (O.S.): According to the ring's environment, its oxygen level is five percent similar to Earth's counterpart. No need for oxygen tank.
Mickey, with SCAR, w/ Red Dot Sight and grenade launcher: Good, because I hate carrying that damn thing.
Everyone positioned themselves straight when three blinking beats echo the whole room.
Teleporter Officer: Teleporting stand by...Now!
Swirls of white light surround the ODSTs, blinding their faceplate completely. In a few seconds, the view of white light collapsed. Dare, Buck, Mickey, Romeo, Dutch, and Rookie were now in the middle of the rocky hills. The whole place was decorated with green vegetation and ruins of the ring structure, shined by a sun from blue sky.
Captain Dare: Amazing...Let's get going guys.
Serina (O.S.): The ACS Module was dropped at 170 degrees northwest from your position; its guard by Covenant troops.
Sergeant Buck, with SCAR, w/ ACOG Sight and sniper barrel: Filed all the Covenant stats?
Serina (O.S.): Affirmative. All organized and set.
They walked up the brushy hills, and halted at the tip of it. Looking down below, small Covenant infantries, from squeaky-talk/gas container beings and humanoid vultures with their own force barriers guard the temple laid against the western hill side. They got manned turrets installed over old buildings and hills.
Serina (O.S.): There are small Grunts and Jackal birds scattering around here. Recommend you sniper the turret operators first.
Romeo, with suppressed Cheyenne Tac. Anti-material sniper rifle: Rookie, sniping time.
Rookie nodded. Romeo and Rookie snake up to the other side of the hill where some green bushes covered them. They adjust their scope and lock on the Grunts, operating the energy barrier turrets.
Romeo: Let's snipe them at the same time. Take out the gunner on the right, while I'll take the left- Your call.
Rookie: Got it.
Rookie took a big breath and hold as a way to steady his sniper rifle's cross-hair on the enemy. His heart started pounding, as he count to three before fire. On his mark, he pulled the trigger and the suppressed noise peak. Both Romeo and Rookie hit the Grunts in the head.
Dare (O.S.): Nice one guys.
Serina (O.S.): Jackal snipers on the second floor of the west ruins. Take them out.
Romeo and Rookie turn their scope target towards the unshielded Jackals with long purple Beam Rifles.
Romeo: Same thing Rookie.
They positioned on the Jackals' head. Rookie gasped slowly and breathed in again before fire. On three, Romeo and Rookie sniped out the two Jackal snipers at the same time.
Serina (O.S.): Beautiful guys. Keep it up on sniping the ground forces.
Romeo and Rookie recommended themselves to snipe the gas-masked Grunts and shield wield Jackals along the hills dipping east to the cliff. Rookie shouldn't hit the Jackal's shield, or else it will bring an alarm for reinforcements. After their last double sniping on the useless Grunts, the whole area was secured.
Serina (O.S.): Well done guys. Let's move.
Romeo and Rookie cautiously stood up and regroup with Dare's team before they took off. Tackling along the tall stones, they came to a large view where a large strip of topographic Earth-related surface stretched up to the sky.
Serina (O.S.): The ACS Module should be right...at that island.
They stared at the tower standing on the ocean waters. Two floating structures passed along each other crossing between the tower and the main land. Before they could continue, several tall reptilians, red and blue armours, monitors around inside the ruins that lead to through the where the floating structured stop by.
Serina (O.S.): Those eight-foot tall Elites have personal energy shields. They're rechargeable, so don't miss them.
Romeo: Got it. Let's snipe them Rookie.
Rookie and Romeo get into their sniping positions behind the bulkiest vegetation they could find. Adjusted and aimed, they made their target up to the top roof with two Jackal snipers and single minor Elite.
Rookie: I'll take down the Elite, you bang the Jackals.
Romeo: Sure thing; but don't get that guy near the roof edge.
If snipe that guy could tilt it off the roof and fell to the floor, it will shock the ground forces and set an alarm. Took a cold breath and wait for the Elite to walk away from the roof, he pulled the trigger and fired on it. The Elite's shield flashed and depleted, and Rookie snipe again until the Elite was killed.
Romeo: Nail it.
Romeo sniped out the two Jackals before they could react. Their target moves down for the two Elites. They quickly reload and left their empty magazine on their side. Two Elites on the second floor of the ruins were both snipe by Romeo and Rookie, and then the sleeping Grunts.
Then the hard part; few four Elites and many Grunts wondered around the ruins. Rookie and Romeo now find hard to snip the Elites without being realized.
Sergeant Foley (O.S.): This is Hunter-Two One, we're on the surface.
Serina (O.S.): Serina here. Where are you now?
Foley (O.S.): We suppose to regroup at the ruin near the gondola port right?
Serina (O.S.): Affirmative, but we have an Elite problem going on.
Foley (O.S.): We're on it.
Rookie and Romeo waited for the Rangers for sniping assistances. Then, two Covenant dropships, Phantoms actually, dive from the north-western sky. It hovered over the ruins, and dropped off Grunts, Elites, and two giant Hunters.
Rookie: Shit. They're going to discover the bodies.
Serina (O.S.): Cross your fingers guys. You better think fast also.
It's too late however. One of the Elites of dead bodies, and they're about to call in. Rookie, without thinking, pulls the trigger and snipe on the back of the Hunter's orange flesh. He killed it, but set an alarm for all the hostile forces on the ground.
Dare: Shit...Bring some noise men!
Captain Dare and Sergeant Buck used their Sniper Barrels, and snipe from the hills. Their barrels made a loud echo, taking multiple shots on the Elites. Grunts ran away with their Plasma Pistols and Needlers. Rookie saw the Hunter about to fire its deadly cannon, so he tried to snipe on its flesh.
Sniping rounds was shot from the other side of the hills, taking down the tough units. The Rangers had finally showed up. Two ghillie suit marksman Rangers finished off the Grunts, and the other one took down the Hunter.
After minutes of cleansing, the ODST ran down the hills to gang up the Rangers.
Foley, with SCAR, w/ACOG Sight and Sniper Barrel: You guys alright?
Serina (O.S.): We're fine, thanks for help. Let's get to the ACS Module ASAP. They know we're here.
They were blue Plasma rifles Rookie want to try out, so he picked one of them up. Ghillie suit Marksman separated to the hills for sniping support positions. Dare and Foley were at the front to get a glimpse of the perfect-stand temple. They could see Jackal snipers hanging around the rooftops.
Dare: Ok...Rookie do the silence snipe on the Jackals on the rooftop.
Rookie: Yes sir.
Rookie kneel his right leg and steady his anti-material sniper rifle with a small breath. He pinned the Jackal in the head on the left side, and then stealthy sniped the other on the right.
Rookie: Clear.
Dare, Mickey, Dutch, and Romeo stepped out while aiming around with their PDWs. Foley's Rangers (McCord, James, Cpl. Dunn, and Morgan) get to see what the temple looks like.
James Ramirez, with ACR, with Holographic Sight and Masterkey Shotgun: Wow, ho, ho...That's massive.
When they all about to walk down to the temple door, swarms of Drones came out from opposite side of edge, and rained on them with Plasma pistols.
Foley: Incoming!
They fired up in the air, despite the speed of the Drones. Rookie switched to Plasma Rifle, and hit the closet Drones he could duel with. His flying plasma droplets gave him a hint about the Plasma Rifle's effective on close-quarter-combat and medium range.
Cpl. Dunn, with ACR, w/ Red Dot Sight and Masterkey shotgun: Take that bug head!
Cpl. Dunn fired his Masterkey shotgun against the twin Drones and both got shot down in a single blast shell. Few ghillie snipers snipe the Drones that took a break on the side walls.
Once all of the drones were pinned down, Captain Dare and Sergeant Foley lead them inside the Temple.
Dare: On our go.
The Temple's door slide upward, and Captain Dare and Sergeant Foley carefully proceed in from the opposite sides. Rookie and Mickey got in second, slowly and quite.
Foley: Crap.
Dare and Foley suddenly throw flash-bang and took cover. It flashed, and they charged in and fire it up. When Rookie and Mickey joined the ambush, sliver (Ultra) Elite was right in front of Rookie with his twin blade energy sword. The Ultra Elite chased Rookie as he ran for his life.
During the fight with the other three Ultra Elites, Rookie couldn't stand of being chase. He twisted his body around and started depleting the Ultra Elite's energy shield with his Plasma Rifle. The Ultra Elite's energy shield glowed bright as plasma bolts weaken it.
Rookie suddenly tipped himself off to the ground, while he kept bursting his Plasma Rifle on the Ultra Elite. Before the Ultra Elite flee off to avoid complete shield depletion, James showed up with his Masterkey shotgun under his ACR. The Ultra Elite's shield was destroyed; the Elite made a cry of vengeance and charged to James fleeing from him.
James fell off over the stone. He turned over until his eyes are on the Ultra Elite's sword. He prepared his strike on James with his mighty blow. A bullet strike struck through the Ultra Elite's armour, and it grunt and then collapsed sideways. The shot was from Rookie's anti-material rifle in his laying position.
James Ramirez: Thanks dude.
Rookie stood up and smooth off the dust.
Rookie: No problem James.
With Dare, Buck, Foley's assault rifles' sniping barrel, they neutralize all the Ultra Elites guarding the inner Temple. There's one thing they forgot though; a hologram installation with in the middle of the Temple, imaging a mammal, long-neck alien with its holy clothing.