1401 hours, February 18, 2536 (military calendar)
Planet Tyrphenis Orbit
The Covenant forces were looking on in confusion as the human force's tactics have started to change. They originally started fighting back in the attempt of pushing them away from the planet but now they backed up. Their larger ship had backed up to the planet's lower orbit directly above the human's main civilization. The rest of the fleet had started collapsing their lines and formed a protection circle around the large ship. The protection corridor started to extend straight to the planet.
With the new formation of the defensive line, they were able to move into the other portions of the planet, but none were able to get close to the main city. At this point, in order for them to reinforce their troops on the ground, they would need to land them far away and walk them in. But why the change in tactics? What has changed to cause this?
"Scan the surrounding area and the planet for anything out of the ordinary. Something is not adding up right" ordered the shipmaster from aboard his CAS-Carrier.
"Shipmaster we have incoming!" shouted an elite as the ship and other ships were rocketed by explosions. "Second wave incoming!" was called next as the ships were rocketed by another but stronger wave of explosions.
"Report!" he roared as an enemy ship was reported on their scanners but instead of continuing the attack, it went right by them as multiple signals started appearing up behind them with the scanners scanning and identifying them. Looking up at the screen he didn't need for the scanners to finish to identify who they are.
"Banished" he growled clenching his fist. "Turn the ships around and return fir upon that fleet! Burn those heretics!" he roared as his ship along with the fleet turned to the side to face the new threat.
Moments before
Kushina had pulled her ship away from the fleet using the massive chaos of combat going around as cover and ready her ship for a full-frontal assault. She was currently sitting in her chair tapping her finger on it, in wait for all the armaments on the ship to be fully loaded and prime.
"Mam, all weapons are ready to fire on your order" reported an officer looking up at her as she nodded. "Perform the mini jump. Let's give these bastards the shock of their life" she smirked evilly as the whole bridge started bustling with excitement and movement as the slipspace drive started charging causing electrical shocks to come of the ship.
A little fusion of human and forerunner tech gave birth to this new capability. The ability to perform mini jumps with fast and precise location. In front of the ship a warp was created which allowed for the ship to pass through and closing once it was in. Not even a few seconds later the ship reemerged smashing through a Banished Frigate that exploded harmlessly against its shields in the middle of the fleet.
"Fire all weapons and have all engines at full throttle! Head directly for the Covenant fleet!" yelled Kushina clenching her seat hard as the ship lurched forward as MAC rounds were fired directly through three destroyers and into a CAS causing significant damage to it. Rows of all sorts of missiles were shooting out smashing into different vessels in different directions.
Moving through the fleet laser cannons and projectile cannons went off nonstop causing damage all around with the Banished fleet slow to react. Once they are finally able to react and started returning fire, the shields upon the Red Death a Punic-class Supercarrier absorbed it. Smashing into one more Frigate the ship was finally out of the fleet and heading directly for the Covenant fleet with the Banished fleet now in pursuit with revenge on their mind.
"Lock on missiles to the Covenant fleet! Fire them upon reaching range. Aim our cannons on the pursing Banished fleet and continue returning fire. Keep them interested in the chase. Start the jump drive for another mini jump and activate it once we reach the Covenant fleet. Destination right next to the Elemental's Freedom" yelled out Kushina giving out nonstop orders as the ship rocketed from time to time due to the ship shields getting hit.
The pursuit went on for some time before an officer yelled out "Locked on to the Covenant Fleet!" and another yelled "Firing all missiles" to which the ship shuddered a little as a trail of missiles left it and traveled directly to the Covenant Fleet. Some missiles smashed into the shields of some of the ships while others caught other ships with their shields down causing heavy damage.
"We have incoming from the Banished. Multiple plasma missiles inbound!"
"Perform the mini-jump!" yelled back Kushina as the ship was now close to the Covenant fleet about to ram into a battlecruiser. Right before the two ships could impact a portal appeared between the two allowing for the Red Death to go into it and closing once it was fully in.
The crew of the battlecruiser were relieved that they avoided the collision, but it soon turned into terror as a barrage of missiles smashed into their ship destroying it and heavily damaging a few others.
Aboard Banished Capital Ship
An armored fist smashed into the table once seeing the full results of the recent events as the fleet was now engaging the Covenant fleet. Something he didn't want to happen yet. He wanted to wait and watch them weaken each other for a longer period of time. But the idiots commanding some of his ships were baited into fighting the Covenant by the humans. He didn't even know how they knew they weren't allied with the Covenant, but he knows that they know now. If those shipmasters survive this engagement and have nothing to give in return for this mess, he will have their skull!
"Order the fleet to break into two. One fleet will engage the Covenant while the other fleet will be led by me and head to the planet. I will personally see that the humans and Covenant pay for this" he ordered
"Yes, Lord Atriox" spoke a brute with his fist over his chest in a salute before leaving to relay the orders.
Orbit
Appearing from the slipspace was the Red Death right next to the Elemental's Freedom in order to report the mission was completed. Something that wasn't really necessary to do as they could see the two fleets engaging in heavy combat. One thing that they did note was the Banished fleet had split into two with one still fighting the Covenant while the other heading close to their own fleet to most likely fight them and deploy troops.
Hiruzen seeing the new actions ordered a few ships to form a defensive line to defend against the Banished Fleet if they get to close to him while ordering the speed up of the evacuation. He could already see evacuation ships using the safety corridor to bring people into the ship before leaving back for the planet to pick up more people. The readings were currently showing the evacuations were at 67 percent complete.
"PJ, lock onto every base and important structure that can't be evacuated in time. Once we are 100 percent complete on evacuations, launch Havoc Nukes at them" he ordered shocking PJ and the crew. "I won't leave anything there for the Banished to recover and use against us. Also speed up the recovery of the debris and damaged ships" he finished as everyone understood his mindset on this. Leave nothing for them but death.
With the crew following his orders, ships had broken away from the corridor in order to form a defense against the Banished ships. Two Epoch ships were leading the defense with multiple cruisers, frigates, and destroyers into a hold position. It didn't take long for fleet to come into range to which they started unleashing MAC rounds and missiles as their fighter escorts engaged there's. Occasionally a Banished ship would move into a good enough position for their ships to be angles enough to launch drop pods and troop carriers to the surface.
City
Naruto watched as another evacuation ship lifted from the mall parking lot, allowing for another to land in its spot to be filled up. From the reports he was getting now, was that everyone was moving to the mall for evacuation with the corridor being established now. With Shikamaru strategizing he had broken the evacuation into different sections. Uninjured would take the shuttles while the injured will take the other crafts like pelicans and Condors.
From the side he could see a nonstop line of people shuffling to the shuttle with the Marines keeping order over the sounds of combat. No need to cause a panic to which everyone runs for the shuttle. On the good side, with everyone being focused here, he had a full completement of troops for defenses. That includes multiple spartan fireteams who were causing havoc on the Covenant frontlines.
"Naruto, we have incoming" spoke a voice next to him to which he recognized as Shikamaru in the gray marine uniform. In has hand was a pad showing images of Banished forces heading towards the surface in aircraft and drop pods.
"Have our anti air guns destroy any pods that on a direct course for us and our troops. Our aircraft are to make sure their own don't breach our perimeter. I will take some forces and cut off the ones that do land. Speed up the evacuation as much as possible" he ordered
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. You be careful out there" he waved walking away while mumbling that this will be such a drag.
'Alright let's see what the Banished is all about' thought Naruto walking to a few groups to join him in order to combat this new incoming threat. Best to go with the strong units.
Landing
Off to the side not far from combat multiple drop pods landed from the sky cratering the street. The latches were ejected from the sides allowing for the troops inside of them to jump out. Once climbing out they immediately looked around to scan the area looking for any enemies hiding as more pods landed along with drop ships that unloaded more troops and vehicles. One thing that was in common with the groups was that their armor coloring was steel gray and red as well as all of them being brutes and grunts with the occasional hunter here and there.
Another drop pod landed down in front of the group for three more brutes to step out wearing heavy gray armor and different types of gravity hammers in their arms. "Decimus, how far are we from where the humans and Covenant front lines. This location is not the course I had placed in the navigation" spoke the one in the middle holding a shorter version of a gravity hammer.
"The techs had to input new navigation data due to the strong aircover both sides put up Lord Atriox" spoke up a large brute in heavy armor holding a larger than usual gravity hammer. "But we are not far from the combat. If we head out now, we will be there momentary" he finished
A brute in gray and red armor on the other side of the now identified brute Atriox holding a modified gravity hammer was known as En'Geddon. "Escharum reports that the fleet is unable to push further into the humans' lines without sustaining heavy damage but will be able to send reinforcements from time to time" he reported.
"Fine, Decimus with me. Round up some forces. We shall split our forces in two for now. En'Geddon, you shall establish a base here for landing more troops while we continue on. Join me on the hunt when this base is fully operational" ordered Atriox as the two nodded giving a bow salute and walked off to give out the orders. He had a strong feeling; he will meet some worthy foes today.
Note:
Thank you to those who help support on the pat account and also thank you for the reviews. Your support helps me make create more chapters a lot quicker.
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