Im back and im just going to say that I literally finished this after uploading my Elder Scrolls Fanfic. Neat huh? Anyway this bit is going to do many time skips or flashbacks. These are marked with ###. And now you know. I also uploades this the day after the Elder scrolls fanfic so that it doesn't look like im spamming. Enjoy.
Xytan put the device into a pouch on his armour. His team held their head in despair.
"So the great journey was false." Said Able depressing seeping put of his voice.
"It can't be!" Whimpered Naridue. "Xytan, please check if it was tampered with." Naridues eyes were looking at him, unbelieving.
"I did." Replied Xytan, his voice harbouring solemn. "We did so much for a lie. Now I see why Varin defected." Xytan looked over to Varin's sword, it was still holstered and hadn't been near the body, but blood still somehow made it onto it.
"What will the Covenant do if they find out about this?" Asked Relu her voice weak.
"Brand us as Heretics and have our corpses paraded." Replied Thel. They were interrupted in their thoughts by a special force Sangheili turning the corner.
"Xytan." Shouted Zare. "It is good to see you alive, is Varin delt with?" He asked noticing the new blade.
"He knew we were coming. That's why there were so little soldiers around, he must have sent them somewhere."
"We will find them." Said Zare. "Also the Minor you saved, he wishes to speak with you." Zare walked past them to the main control room and a team of Unngoy followed him carrying explosives.
"Let us not keep the Minor waiting." Said Xytan nodding his squad to follow. They walked through the empty halls where small remnants of battle remained. There was blood on the floors and some on the wall with many plasma burns surrounding corners. They made it to the entrance where the Minor was sat on a crate. Watching Unngoy and Sangheili prepare to detonate explosives.
The Minor looked over to them and stood up walking to them.
"I am in your debt." Said the Minor. "I may only be a Minor however, I was trained to be a pilot. If you would allow me I would like to fly your dropship." The Minor bowed his head in respect.
"Our last pilot was unfortunately lost." Said Xytan. "What experience do you have with piloting." He asked.
"I was part of the Helioskrill wing. Part of the fleet Cautious Peace." Xytan looked at him and looked back to the Forerunner facility. It was common practice to make sure that the supposed lies did not get broadcast ever again.
"I've heard stories of that fighter wing, they were some of the best. If you fought with them then I have total faith in your abilities." Xytan held out his hand and the Minor took it and shook it. "Welcome to Siqtar." Said Xytan. "Get to a phantom, the shipmaster will want a report. I don't think he'll wait any longer." The team with their new pilot.
Xytan walked over to his bunk, removing his gauntlet and carefully placing it on the bed.
He sat down for a while, simply taking in what he had found. The great journey wasn't what the prophets told them. They had declared humanity Heretics for reasons he could not fathom. He had been the one to order the glassing of a few planets. Billions killed, the planets uninhabitable. He contemplated his service with the Covenant. From his first campaign serving under Ultra Barev. He got up trying to escape the thoughts as of currently, plaguing him.
###
The rain fell on Xytan's red armour. He had only just been promoted to a Major and had already been assigned to invading a human planet. Thunder boomed and cracked in the background as he moved through the rubble of the city centre. Their were bodies littered everywhere composing of both Human and Covenant forces. He held his Needle rifle in one hand looking out towards the corvette in low orbit. He heard soft thudding behind him and he turned raising his rifle towards the sound. A man wearing simple cloth clothes stood before him, holding a pistol. Aiming for Xytans head. Xytan simply pulled the trigger and a pink needle embedded itself in his head, shortly exploding afterwards. He heard fast running towards him. He turned his head as a child ran towards the lifeless human. The child's eyes watering. She lifted her head and screamed "Dad! Wake up!"
Xytan kept his rifle on her his finger ready to pull the trigger. She turned her head at him and screamed "You hurt him! You hurt him!" Xytan couldn't pull the trigger. He did not understand why she didn't realise that he was dead. He heard more footsteps as a woman over to the child. Picking her up and turning towards Xytan. He had his rifle pointed at her and for what seemed like hours he lowered it. She turned and ran. He looked at the mans corpse and he felt something stir inside him. It was guilt. He realised that the man didn't want to fight, he wanted to protect his family. Xytan let his rifle slouch in his hands. Eventually lowering it. He turned and walked away, turning back to see the mans blood be washed away by the rain. Xytan turned a corner and didn't look back.
###
Xytan awoke from his nightmare. His eyes adjusted to the low light conditions and noticed the rest of his team asleep in their bunks. He slowly got up trying to be careful not to disturb them. He carefully put on his armour the sabatons first. Then the torso, shoulders, gauntlets and then finally the helmet. The full maroon on it all showing his Zealously and skill. He put in the HUD lenses which slowly booted up and he grabbed his rifle. The same rifle that he had that night with the child.
He walked out the room the automatic doors opening quietly and he ventured out into the purple corridors. He made his way to the mess hall, it was empty and he needed something to drink, he walked over to the machine on the far wall and pressed a few buttons on the terminal on it. Shortly after it dispensed a cup designed specifically for his species and began to slowly pour water into it.
He heard footsteps behind him and them a familiar voice.
"Why are you up so early Xytan?" Asked the Minor.
"I was getting thirsty Hareth." Xytan replied. "Why are you here?" He asked.
"I was assigned to night shifts under Varin's command. Hard to get back into the sleep pattern." He said using the machine next to him.
"I was able to pull a few strings with command. May I be the first to congratulate on your promotion Shipmaster. Even if it is for a phantom."
"I appreciate it. Now I can repay you for helping me."
"Don't mention it. Said Xytan taking his cup. "Honour my name with actions, not words." Xytan raised his cup and drank the water helping to put his mind at rest. "Naridue now has someone to talk to by the way. Said that he has a theory on incorporating an active dissonance modifier into dropships."
"Sounds interesting." Replied Hareth. "I'll see what his idea is when he's up and about." Hareth took his cup and drank the blue liquid that the machine had poured. "Ahh." He sighed in satisfaction. "Better than field rations."
"Don't get used to that Hareth. We'll be up and about soon enough."
"Yeah." Said Hareth. Xytan put his cup onto a conveyor of some sort and it vanished. A voice spoke out on the intercoms in the halls saying that they were about to return to High Charity.
"I'll see you when we next meet." Said Xytan walking out the mess hall.
Xytan had already had a transfer for his team already waiting for them. They didn't even have any time to sit back before being thrown into another ship. They were being assigned to a SDV class heavy corvette ready to depart to the human home world of Reach. The fleet began its jump to slipspace and they arrived in time to see the CSO class supercarrier Long night of solace slowly drift apart. It had been destroyed as if a slipspace rupture ripped it in half. Xytan ran to the hangars his squad already behind.
The corridors were beginning to become cramped as infantry ran to prepare for their drop onto the planets surface. Xytan arrived at the phantom Hareth jumping inside to start it up. Xytan went up into through its gravity lift and his squad joined him inside. They checked their weapons and prepared to drop.
###
The Spartan fired her sniper rifle at the rapidly appearing targets. All four shots slamming into them and knocking each of the four targets down. She waited for discs to be thrown up into the air and then fired. Taking all four down rapidly. Her friend sat next to her tapping on her Gungnir helmet. She turned to look at him, and his silver armour had a strong glint on its side. He sat their drinking out of a canteen his brown hair covering one of his eyes.
"You got a good eye Angel." He said in a thick south African accent.
"Aye, I've been shooting like this when I was almost through with basic training." She said in her very noticeable Scottish accent.
"Good to know you've got me back eh?"
"Must be." Replied Angel. "Besides Paul, what action are we going to see? Reach is way out of the war and I Doubt that any rebels here are going to make a move." Paul took a sip from his canteen.
"You never know?" He said. "They might try something. And when that happens I want to be the first one in." He said making a shooting motion with his hands.
"Pull!" Yelled Angel, and four more discus went flying through the air. Each one exploding with a loud bang. Paul stood up and nudged her and as she turned round she saw Paul pull a salute to the commander.
"Sir." Said Paul respectfully. The Commander stood in his dark orange armour his EVA helmet tucked under his arm.
"Save the pleasantries Paul." Said the commander. "How goes the training Angel?" He asked.
"Fine sir. I've almost broken my record."
"At this rate you might become better than a Spartan ll." Said the commander.
"Ha ha ha." Paul laughed hysterically "I don't know anyone that can hut a fly's wings at two thousand yards sir." He said Mockingly.
"A bit of an exaggeration." Replied Angel getting up off the floor. She took out the mag and put it on the table, pulling back the bolt on the sniper to eject the bullet.
The three talked for a while before separating just as the sun started to go down.
###
Angel was awoken by the sound of alarms going off throughout the base. Marines were sprinting through the corridors of the base. Grabbing whatever weapons that weren't bolted to a turret. She threw on her Gungnir helmet grabbed her rifle and magnum and sprinted towards the door. No one expected the Covenant to bring in a supercarrier and that caused lots of problems. The UNSC were outnumbered and needed extra fire support.
She ran outside only to be greeted by an explosion of plasma as marines flew in different directions. She slammed into a wall bringing her rifle up to her torso. She peeked over to see the front of the base teeming with Covenant forces.
She spotted an Ultra and raised her sniper following the target's skull.. She had her sights slightly in front of his head and she fired. The recoil kicked into her shoulder and the round pierced the ultra shields but ultimately bounced off his armour. She fired again only this time his body launched away from her as the bullet pushed him away.
She turned to a wraith and fired to rounds in rapid succession at the front. They popped off the hatch and she reloaded her sniper, tossing the mag over the wall. She took aim at the wraith again and fired. The Minor inside hunched over in his seat as purple sprayed onto his back seat.
Angel was about to take another shot but was interrupted by a Banshee that fired its bomb towards her. She jumped just out of reach and her shields took a little bit of damage. She could hear he front gate open and as she peered over five warthogs rolled out the gate followed by a the Scorpions and three squads of Marines.
A Marine slammed into the cover next to her raising his DMR to take a shot. He fired and hit an unshielded Minor in the head. She raised her rifle and picked three targets. She pulled her trigger once then twice and then three times. Three minors fell to the floor dead. A phantom flew towards the base opening its doors allowing a whole new Elite team to replace those that were lost. She was just about to reload and fire at them as they were quickly engulfed in fire as an explosion from a Scorpions canister shell annihilated them. She was just about to cheer as she watched a wing of Banshees destroy the Scorpion and turn to the other.
She took aim at the banshees barely noticing the Marine next to her cry out as a group of Rangers landed on the wall. She fired and blew off a Banshees wing causing it to fall into the ground, she was about to fire another shot as plasma slammed into her. She jumped behind a wall only to watch the Marine scream in pain as he fell back. She leaned round now acknowledging the Rangers.
She pulled her pistol off her leg and tossed a grenade round the wall. She popped round and raised her pistol, firing at the nearest Ranger as her grenade exploded. His shields down her bullet pierced his helmet and made him crumple. She fired rapidly six shots at the rest of the Rangers. Their shields were low or down they also crumpled to the floor. dead.
More Marines had reached her and began to move along the wall. Spreading out to hold off the Covenant. The other Scorpion had been destroyed and the marines on the ground were being overrun. Angel went to aim her sniper and fired another three shots at the enemy. She went to reload but due to her haste to get to the wall she didn't have another mag. She picked up the now dead Marines DMR its ammo counter saying he only had eight shots. She took aim and scored a kill before the DMR clicked empty. The Covenant had called more troops and the base seemed lost, that was until Broadsword bombers swept over the area. Delivering their ordinance onto the Covenant.
The Marines cheered as the Phantoms were blown out the sky. their occupants sent flying over the battlefield. The battle had been won as Covenant forces began to retreat out of the a flash blocked out the light of the sun as the Supercarrier above them in orbit exploded. Pieces of debris fell from the sky and it seemed as if they had defended Reach. Then a massive Covenant fleet jumped in. The people at the base didn't know that yet. But now instead of a supercarrier they were now fighting a flotilla.
###
Embers filled the air Angel shoved a knife into the minors neck. Her sniper holstered on her back was dry. She held her pistol in her left hand letting the bullets fly. She was going to die soon. She heard her Magnum click and a Minor charged at her. She dodged out the way and as he passed she shoved the knife into his neck causing him to trip and die. She turned quickly putting her pistol in its holster. Her right arm aching from the blows she was forced to deliver. She was tired and out of breath. Then out of nowhere she felt something slam into her side. Pushing her into a rock. The pain caused through her body and her head ringed from the slam. She slumped down and the officer picked her up. He held her by the neck and pointed his sword to her chest. She was beginning to pass out from the hold and just as the officer pulled his arm back to thrust his sword into her he stopped.
A look of surprise came across his face. He looked towards his chest to see two blue glowing tips protruding from his chest. He released his hold and Angel fell. She felt a jolt of pain emanating from her spine. She looked up to see the officer be pushed down. A Zealot stood behind where the officer stood. She began to close her eyes and she heard him shout something. Another Zealot ran over and he pointed to her. Her eyes closed and she fell unconscious.