Thank you to everyone who added Thermopylae to their alerts or even made it a favourite story. Support from you guys is what keeps this story going. Although a review would be nice, hint hint. The next few chapters will take place on Reach. Prepare for some Jiralhanae ass kicking.
Andreas watched a particularly large chunk of purple alloy float past the bridge of Thermopylae. The battle had only lasted an hour and a half. But the carnage had been extreme. All but four of the Covenant ships had been destroyed by the allied fleet. Two Corvettes had fled, disappearing into slipspace. Of the two CCS class cruisers that had been disabled, only one had been captured. One had managed to detonate its plasma reactor, killing over thirty ODSTs and SpecOps Sanghellii that didn't reach transport quickly enough. The second, identified as the Holy Pilgrim was currently docked with the New Mombasa. In stead of giving it to the Sanghellii, it was going straight the ship yard at Mars for study. The battle had taken its toll on the UNSC and Sanghellii as well. Forty three pilots had lost their lives in the opening engagement. In addition, sixty seven crew members onboard the frigate War hawk had been killed when a volley of Plasma Torpedo had opened up its lower decks. The War hawk was now drifting alongside the Lord Nelson as the crews of the two ships fought to repair the stricken frigate. But War hawk's part in the scouring of Reach was now over. Like the Cruiser, it would limp back to Mars for repair and rearmament. The naval battle may have been ended, but Andreas and the Spartans of Gamma and Delta companies were about to kick off the party on the ground.
The plan had been outlined half an hour before. All ships had been given discretion on where to deploy their ground forces. Leyton and Kelly had decided on deploying their forces near the old ship breaking facility at Aszod in Eposz. It was the sight of the UNSC base camp and headquarters for all operations on Reach. It wasn't much, but it did hold something the Covenant was after. The Forerunner terraforming bomb recovered from Delta Halo. The camp was still under siege. Andreas was in complete control of all ground forces deployed from Thermopylae. Andreas was dividing his forces between two objectives. The ODSTs and some Spartans were to deploy by Pelican to the shipbreaking facility. A large number of the scientist were held up their and Orbital recon showed a large Covenant force on the way. O'Brien's job would be to hold the hulk of the Frigate Commonwealth and hold the shipyard. Meanwhile, Andreas and his troops would do their best to break the siege of the base camp. And by best, Andreas meant to batter them aside. That is what Spartans did best after all.
The main armoury of Thermopylae was gunman's heaven. The cavernous hall was filled with rack upon rack of just about every weapon in existence. There were Assault rifles, Spartan lasers, plasma repeater, needlers, focus rifles and hundred more. But the most deadly weapons were currently being armoured. A plethora of technicians and robotic arms were currently outfitting each and every Spartan on board with their personal suits of Mjolnir armour. Many of the suits were pristine, having never seen a battlefield. But more than enough bore the chips and scratches of a life of service. Andreas thanked the Technicians and walked through the armoury in his armour. Andreas' suit, like most was a mark Vb variation. But there were many differences. Andreas' record with helmets was bad. On Onyx he had destroyed five in total in training. And at the fall of Reach he lost one in his Drop pod accident and another fighting at the very shipyard he was sending his ODSTs to. His current one wasn't going any where though. It was a Mark V helmet that was thrust in to his arms by its previous owner. It had belonged to a Spartan II called Wolfgang. It was his last act before dying from plasma injuries. A pair of UA/Multithreat shouldergaurds and a grey and cobalt colour scheme completed it. Andreas plucked on of the old model assault rifles (the ones with sixty round clips) from a rack with ammo and magnetised it to his back. He also grabbed an Automag from the ODSTs weapon pile. Andreas' signature blades were already attached to their positions on his chest plate. The Spartans were gathered at the end of the armoury around the clear area that lead to the hangar and HEV bays. But before he got there he was stopped by a legendary figure.
Linda – 058 barred Andreas' path to the other soldiers. Andreas had only ever seen her in uniform. So he was unprepared to see her pale skin, blood red hair and emerald eyes in the titanic frame of Mjolnir armour.
"Where do you need me Andreas?" She asked with a mischievous grin. She was much taller than Andreas. She approached seven feet tall while Andreas was only six foot seven.
"No way Linda. I won't let a superior officer go down there." He said.
"Andreas, you out rank me. I'm only Master Chief. I should be the one stopping you." She said, switching to mocking yet stern tone.
"Linda you're a Spartan II, need I remind you there aren't many of you left." Linda's eyes hardened.
"Sorry Chief. I didn't mean it like that. It's just that… I don't want to see us lose another war hero if worst comes to worst." Said Andreas quickly.
"I'll accept that apology if you let me fight Captain." Said Linda, he mischievous glint returning.
"Fine then." Said Andreas sighing. "But you're on the defensive deployment with O'Brien. Got it?" Said Andreas, giving in.
"Wouldn't have it any other way Captain." Said Linda as she racked the slide on her sniper rifle for emphasis.
"Right you lot. You know I'm not the best public speaker. In fact I usually make an ass of myself." Said Andreas. His last line earning chuckles from the Spartans. The only ODSTs present were O'Brien and his senior Sergeants. They were well out numbered by the three hundred and fifty odd Spartans.
"A popular slogan by the end of the great war was remember Reach. So today we will remember them. Make those Covenant bastards pay for every life. In a few months Reach will be reborn with the Forerunner bomb. Let's make sure the soil is fertilised with Covvie blood for then shall we?" Shouted Andreas as every person in the hall shouted their support for this bloody plan.
A Brute Minor stepped out of the dead bushes he had just relived himself in. he took a swig from his canteen and looked to the sky. It was dawn and the last few stars clung to the lightening sky. He watched his pack mates kick awake the shackled Unggoy slaves and laughed. He looked to the skies a gain and noticed more stars. And they seemed to be getting bigger, much bigger. It took the Brutes brain a few seconds to realise that they weren't stars, and that they were coming fast. He screeched a warning to late to his pack mates. One was crushed by the objects. Doors flew out wards on explosive hinges and standing in his view was the only things he feared. Demons. Humanity had returned to Reach. The cold blade of vengeance in their hand.