City of silence Chapter 11: Cloudless Sky Lightning, a halo fanfic

Earth

Africa

Kenya

New Mombasa

Uplift Reserve Wildlife Park

12:00 noon

During normal operating hours, on any normal day, the Uplift Reserve was one of the most thriving locations anywhere in the city.

You could easily mistake it for being any one of the National Parks that lay in a rough ring around the temperate savanna-covered core of the country, such as Aberdare, Lake Nakuru, or Chyulu Hills. The landscape of acres upon acres of hip-high tan and green grass, with dense clusters and swathes of trees placed among them , was a perfect match for any of the Uplift's counterparts elsewhere, and you couldn't even see the perimeter wall that encircled the whole thing , covering every last square inch of the total land area.

If you'd fallen out of the sky, and landed in the middle of it, you could easily think you had arrived somewhere near the Tanzanian border ! Not until you found one of the Information kiosk shelters that'd been very helpfully constructed all throughout it that is, and finally learned the truth. Or, even more obviously, if you walked in through any of the main entrances , thus getting a gander at that towering, pure duracrete containment barrier that soared over 50 ft high, and wrapped around for miles.

Either which way, however, you still knew what you were getting out of the experience you were about to have: A calming, scenic stroll ( or ride, if you took advantage of one of the Safari truck tours that was on offer, or rented out one of the guest AWD vehicles, as you waited to come across and take a reel of photos of a Rhino herd grazing/ drinking from one of the glassy-surfaced ponds, or of a Zebra sprinting across the dusty ground. It was a vacation- a postcard-worthy experience.

It'd drawn thousands of visitors daily, let alone over a week or more, as the African outdoor recreations industry had been doing for hundreds of years. Uplift Reserve had been an enduring hit for anyone who loved seeing what the Sub-Saharan portions of the continent's flora and fauna had to offer. A timeless classic.

Well...a timeless classic for less turbulent days, anyway.

For an ODST, though, turbulent was normal.

And by that measure of normal, Dutch was getting his money's worth on his visit to Uplift.

Rescuing the remnants of Honcho Company from the aftermath of the typically overwhelmingly streamrolling kind of assault that the Covenant relied upon had been, up till now, the high point of the unplanned Gucci mission. With the " official " reason for his being deployed already a complete ( and needless ) mystery,

"...On the right ! 2 Banshees, inbound 11:00 high ! ", the corporal bellowed, as he maintained his white-knuckle grip on the M12 FRV's steering wheel. His right boot was pressed down just as hard on the accelerator pedal, pushing the hybrid engine to its maximum power levels and sending the AWD machine thundering forward at... 88 mph, if the speedometer was telling the truth, which he was pretty sure it was.

Sure felt like it was...

" Confirm ! "

The roar of the several hundred horsepower motor going full blast a meter or so ahead of him was reaching his ears more than easily through the toughened layers of his helmet, and the vibrations from the God-knew how many bumps they were going over shot into and through his armor, before ending up somewhere in his lower back. Around him on either side, the " view " whipped by so quick he could barely keep track of each and every bush and tree...or the plasma-charred wrecks of any Human-designed machine the Covenant had used for weapons practice.

"..Roger that, Corporal ! Engaging ! "

God bless you, Kivec..

A thousand .50 cal rounds blasted out in a long, stretched out ribbon of white-red tracers that painted the sky around the alien fighter craft, as they made their long and low diving pass toward the M12 with twin plasma autocannons already spitting superheated bolts in drawn out, sustained bursts. Between the going-full-blast guns, the ominously wide-barrelled Fuel Rod cannons were also beginning to go off, sending pale green globs as a side-dish to the plasma rounds.

BWASSH !

Detonating, the fuel rod rounds missed their targets- but not by much. Barely a few yards off, but close enough to shower the M12 with chunks and handfuls of powdery undersoil , rocks, and dead tree branches. Which, needless to say, pretty blatantly gave away what a direct hit would do...

Not that Dutch needed his imagination there, though.

And not much he could do against them, either. Not while he was the one driving the M12, and doing it like he was going for the gold on the final stage of a cross-country rally. With both hands all but glued to the wheel, he couldn't put a shot on the Covenant from his M7S, let alone his Spartan Laser ( which, unfortunately, was down to 50 percent charge ), or the rear-mounted M41 chaingun that Kivec was currently letting loose with just behind him, leaving a long trail of spent brass littering the way the M12 had come-

"...Corporal ! One's pulling back ! Smoking...! "

"...out of control ! One's going down ! One, down ! Onto the other ! "

God bless you again, kid...!

" Stay on them, Private ! ", the Corporal commanded. " Stay on them ! "

He nailed one so fast...!

This jarhead is the real deal.

Well, of course he was. Dutch already knew that was a hardcore fact-and it was no less applicable for everyone else in the company. If there was one thing he'd learned from all these years of fighting the Covies, across more planets than he could count, it was that God tended to kill off 3 kinds of soldiers first: The ones led by idiots and cowards, the ones who were idiots and cowards themselves, or the ones who had no idea what the heck they were doing.

Thankfully, nobody in Hatchet Company fit those criteria...thankfully. Otherwise, they'd likely all be KIA by now.

Or at least most of them...which was more than they had left .

That included Corporal Jao, who was quite vigorously still in the fight, having located a stash of Jackhammer rockets back at the site of where Honcho Company had made their last stand. Tucked into a dusty alcove against the narrow gorge behind the Covenant landing pad, the pile of ammo for the Jackhammer Launcher had been an early birthday present for the rocketeer, and she'd taken great pleasure in loading up the M12 with every last warhead that she'd been able to salvage.

Rockets that she was letting loose upon the enemy force currently washing them down with plasma...methodically, of course. Rockets were valuable, and no matter how many you had, you couldn't just squander them by letting them go willy nilly-

" Got one ! Banshee, smoked...! ", the other Corporal yelled.

There was nothing in front of the M12 to worry about running over or crashing into, Dutch knew, so he risked taking his eyes off the road for a quick second- long enough to watch a fireball churning in the sky. It was burnt orange and cherry red at the core, surrounded by obsidian black smoke. Spinning and streaking down away from it were ribbons and strings of smoking metal- all that remained of the Banshee, after the Jackhammer rocket had kissed it nose to nose.

Yeah...smoked like salmon, for sure.

" Roger that, Jao ! ". Dutch looked ahead again, stomping on the accelerator again, as he watched the speedometer jump ahead in response.

If he wasn't already married to Gretchen, he ODST would genuinely be at least beginning to develop an attraction to Jao. As weird as it sounded, he found any woman who could handle herself so well in a high-lethal environment like this one to be definitely worth his time.

Well, at least that one one item on the list, albeit near the top...

" Phantom's still coming....! ", warned Kivec, as the roaring fusillade of the M41 gun kept on.

" Jao...Jao, plug that one ! "

" Yeah...on it ! "

They were sure going to need a rocket or two from her to bring down the bulbous alien dropship- that wasn't up for debate. The Phantom was built like a flying battleship, virtually immune to firearms fire short of .50 cal, and even then, only if you could drill it right up the grav-lift...which wouldn't help you much generally, as if you were looking at it from that angle, it was likely already dropping overly-armed Elites and Brutes on you. Reliably killing one required hitting it with some heavy ordinance- like Jackhammer rockets.

Or a tank cannon...but they didn't have any of those around...

Wasn't that becoming a common thread...

BWOOOOSH...!

BWOOOSHH !

That was both barrels of the Jackhammer discharging, and Dutch sensed more adrenaline spiking. Two hits from a Jackhammer Launcher was way more than a Phantom could handle, and if both of them hit-

Come on...God, let 'em land.

Let 'em...

Off in the distance, off on his left, there was a distant rumbling of thunder...except the sky overhead was devoid of any storm clouds whatsoever. Clusters and patches of puffy white ones, yes, but no storms to bear thunder.

It could only mean-

" GOT HIM ! "

"...Phantom, down ! Phantom, down ! "

" Hallelujah ", Dutch whispered.

He exhaled, only realizing then that he'd been withholding the air. It may, or may not, have had something to do with that he didn't have a way ot lighting up the Phantom himself with his SL...though, he had to immediately remind himself that Coporal Jao had long proven herself to be easily one of the more deadly rocketeers that he'd ever met.

Still... having a Phantom bear down on you was nothing to sneeze at. Especially if it was a gunboat version, with all those heavy plasma turrets on it...

Wisps of exhaust flickered out the rightmost corner of his field of view...

" Anything else up there ?! ", Dutch asked his passengers, as he guided the M12 around a sharp bend that hooked an enourmous baobab tree, which would've provided excellent cover from the Covenant attacks...if they'd come from the right

" Anything ?! "

" Kivec ! Clear our 6 ! Jao...check right ! Got it ?! ".

"...Ok ! Roger that, Trooper ! "

" Sure, right away ! "

That was out to get things done, in terms of clearing your perimeter at least. There were 3 pairs of eyes at his disposal, and he was damn sure going to use all of them to be sure no more Covie air raids were headed their way.

Their 12:00 was cleared already, if nothing else. Dutch could tell that much from looking out the windscreen...aside from how picturesque the landscape itself was, barring the occasional dead antelope or buffalo that the Covenant had gone full " Teddy Roosevelt on his African vacation " on. He hadn't pinpointed anything that was obviously, or even possibly an incoming Covie air wing, even with his HUD's zoom function, but he wasn't taking chances there.

There was still nothing there though...yet.

Pins and needles pricked his nerves as he watched, and waited for his spotters to call something out...

" ..I got nothing, trooper ! ", reported the corporal beside him, sounding mildly surprised as she said so.

Kivec soon came up similarly empty handed. " ..No hostiles in sight ! "

Well, if there had been, they'd be firing by now. Or..Dutch would've actually taken his eyes off the road to see for himself. There weren't many valid reason to no face forward at all times while you were driving an M12 ( and doing so in a combat zone meant that rule applied doubly so ), but a bunch of Banshees headed right for you ( or a Phantom ) generally made the grade.

If only they'd had some M9 Wolverines. The rolling missile batteries on treads ( and two wheels ) could really deal some damage, and were thoroughly deadly anti-air assets...when they were available. Which they weren't.

Thus...you'd have to get on with what you had. And nobody did that better than ODSTs.

" Roger that...!", Dutch acknowledged.

Jao wasn't the only one to be somewhat puzzled though: The ODST found it strange there wasn't more enemy air in the vicinity, let alone bearing down on them. If there was one thing that the aliens were good at, it was saturating every AO they ever entered with an abundance of air and ground units, aiming to win via overwhelming force of firepower and numbers.

But, all around them-

Things had quieted down, though...no need to keep shouting. But, even so...it still gave him the impression that there was more to come.

Dutch decided go for that personal look around after all- he had to be sure- it just didn't seem normal that there'd be nothing gunning for them from the sky.

" Kivcec !? Keep scanning...! ", the ODST ordered, as he turned his head left.

" Keep watching our back ! "

Dutch cranked up his HUD's zoom...

" Jao...watch our 12:00 ! Let me know what's comin' up ! "

Crisply attentive as always, the other corporal was right on point. " Got it, trooper ! "

Damn right...

The ODST scanned the sky downrange, doing his best to be thorough, but not take too long. Driving without your eyes on the road wasn't exactly listed on any driving exam, let alone on UNSC doctrine regarding handling vehicles in " outside the wire " scenarios.

But, even those few seconds were enough to reveal that the other Marines onboard were right: There was nothing in the sky that was purple, had brightly glowing lights, let alone any that were moving on a course that would cross over theirs.

And, that raised some serious red flags..

" What the heck...", Dutch murmured, turning back to focus forward again.

They'd just been subjected to a scathing assault from a wing of Banshees, with a ( badly failed ) Phantom run on them as dessert. It should've been the first wave of a much longer and sustained attack...

..but it wasn't. That wasn't normal, not for the Covenant.

They had to be up to something.

Man...where the...where are they ?!

Ahead, things were simpler: the road was now arching its way up toward a long, gradually sloped but overall high ridge, that managed to fully block his view of the horizon. Which certainly didn't help when it came to the overall issue of keeping track of any potential aerial targets...

If there were any...but there had to be !

"...Marines ! Watch the sky ! Keep watching the sky..! "

"...Copy...they're freaking gone, though. ", the M12's gunner pointed out. " That's 6 Banshee's destroyed since we all found Honcho...I think we've taken a deep enough bite outta them by now. "

" Yeah, I think we're clear. The Lt. made the right call , detaching us to go with you. ", Jao added. " Seems the backup came in handy after all, right !?. "

That was true, sure...both of them had pretty much demonstrated that they were the cream of the crop when it came to Honcho Company. It was exactly why Lt. Gorman had been simultaneously reluctant to let them go, and also more inclined for them to be the first choices to accompany the lone ODST. Considering they'd volunteered for the job, it'd have been disappointing to have gotten anyone else, and Dutch had been more than accepting of their offer to go with him, though he didn't dare confess to anyone ( especially them ) that he hadn't commanded a force of his own in years...

He could still use the help, though. And there were absolutely worse candidates for the slots here in the M12 than these two.

"..Right on, Corporal. " Dutch watched as the automatic gearship indicator flickered, shifting into a higher clutch as they drew nearer to the upward leading road. He eased up on the throttle, just a tad, as the AWD vehicle began its journey skyward.

"Right on. Either way, heads on swivels, understand ?! "

" Roger that ! "

" Understood, Corporal. "

A satisfied grin tugged at the corner of Dutch's mouth, as he continued taking them on their way.

It was a ways to go, with more of those hulking Baobab trees lining the sides, casting ample amounts of shade over the speeding recon AWD, as they went higher and higher up the side of the ridge, aiming for its spine. Unlike the flanks, it was relatvoely open, with only scattered treees and bush along its length. Such lack of cover wouldn't rank it as a

Up ahead, Dutch spotted what appeared to be some sort of...kiosk ? Information board ? He'd seen plenty of both up till now, but they were often hard to fully distinguish. This one ( or the other ) was about a hundred yards away, just off the road's shoulder.

Is...that a map its displaying, the ODST wondered.

He hoped it was. Ever since dropping into this oversized zoo, Dutch had been struggling to remain on top of where exactly in it he was. Running, riding, and gunning with Honcho Company had been an improvised affair from the get go, and while they'd had ammo, competence, and courage in spades, detailed maps of their area had been lacking...aside from what overarching regional maps that had existed back at the Lodge where they'd met Caldera Company. Then again, they'd bolted from there so quick, he'd barely been able to consult them at all.

On top of that, they were getting very close to cresting the ridge, and at roughly 65 mph to put a bow on it. There wasn't much time to decide on whether to check out that potential navigation source...

Another snap call..!

Another...

There were only seconds left-

Dutch eased off the accelerator, letting the M12 bleed off some speed, and then pressed down hard on the brakes. Slamming them was reserved strictly for true emergencies- and this didn't quite count.

Besides...that might toss Kivec off the gun. No self respecting M12 driver would do such a thing.

" Woah, woah...why're we stopping ? ", exclaimed the M41 gunner in question.

" Hey ! What's going on, Corporal ?! "

" What ? What're you talking about ? , replied an equally puzzled sounded Jao. " I'm not- "

" Oh, right- "

Calm down, both of you...

I won't leave you fumbling without a flashlight.

" Relax, Marines..."

Dutch undid his crash harness, and swung his legs clear of the driver's side seat.

" Just need to check that's actually a map of the area right here...", he called to them, as his boots struck the earth. " We've got no eyes past the top of the ridge...makes more sense to recon it first. "

Reminders don't hurt...long as you do them right..

Sure these two already knew that, but even so: Best to cover your bases

He pivoted around, to find that both of the Marines looking his way with moderately confused expressions to put it best.

That wouldn't do; confusion was stifling, and wouldn't do anybody any good.

Time to alter it

" Jao ! ", Dutch added, as he began to briskly list off orders. " You're with me . Kivec ! Keep scanning for hostiles. You've got 360 rotation on that gun, so use it ! "

The other Marines were still slightly in the territory of " I didn't see that coming ", ie, not expecting to come to such an "out-of-nowhere stop "while they were going full steam aboard an M12. It generally wasn't the kind of thing that happened all that often, which anybody who'd done more than just 1 tour against the Covenant since '25 could attest to. On the other hand, it wasn't unheard of either...and besides:

These Marines weren't bottom of the barrel grade, anyway. They knew how to snap to when an ODST gave them commands...or more accurately, an ODST who had accumulated several tours worth of experience locking horns with Covenant armies on multiple worlds.

So, yes- between all that, they got the program quite quickly.

"...Yeah I'm on it, Corporal Miles ", Kivec acknowledged, taking care this time to differentiate between the two noncoms.

" Jao ! Why the heck didn't they promote you ?! The Corps' got too many officers already...aside from the ones that're actually worth a damn, like ours..."

" I'll tell him you said that ! ". The Jackhammer operator was out of the M12 by now, fast-jogging around its hood to bear down on Dutch.

She came to a halt barely a yard away, and nodded at the ODST. " Ready when you are, trooper... "

" I know you are, ", Dutch told her. " But, leave your Jackhammer. This is recon; there'll be time for tank-busting soon enough. "

By way of leading by example , Dutch had already left his SL...not that it had much ammo contained within it, or even if it'd been at full charge- 4 shots, and then it was tapped out. Moreover, he fully grasped how thoroughly satisfying it was for a heavy weapons operator to land a shot perfectly on target, thus kicking up a thourughly loud explosion, but that wasn't exactly the way that any successful recon run was ever carried out.

Not even by the Covenant...

Dutch flicked his chin toward the M12. " Go on. Tuck it away, then get back here. "

" Sure, ok. One second..."

A flicker of disappointment crossed the Jackhammer Operator's weather-tanned, rounded face, but it vanished nearly as quickly. She knew exactly what the ( hastily improvised ) plan was, and what it required her to do.

Something she then proved, by reaching around to unsling the double-barreled launcher from her back, and then turned to carry it back over to the now-idling M12. With a level of combined care and quickness that Dutch could only have great respect for, she stowed the device just behind the shotgun seat, then came back over to join the ODST.

Now carrying just her MA5C in a two handed ready grip, the...Taiwanese ( Republic of China ) , or Vietnamese, or...possibly Korean woman ( Dutch still wasn't sure, and though he was curious, there still hadn't been time for casual conversation all day...) stopped in front of the Mars-born Corporal, and dutifully reported for action a second time.

" Ok, trooper. On you. "

That's what I like to hear...

" You good, Jao ? "

"...Pretty much, Trooper. Its no problem. "

Dutch had heard enough lying through one's teeth to know the difference between that, and any semblance of the truth. Jao definitely wasn't fibbing here, though the ODST could spot the underlying tone here, of how she still had that drive to keep her most reliable weapon close to hand.

For what it was worth, Dutch did hope they could find a few worthwhile excuses to let her use another Jackhammer round or two...and by that, he was referring to any Covenant that were in a position to be caught by surprise. Otherwise, they'd likely get dragged into a heavy and protracted firefight, and despite how one of them was an ODST, and the others were arguably made of the right stuff to at least have a shot at the training pipeline ), 3 vs anymore than a few times that number was a fight best left avoided.

If there'd been a squad of Grizzly tanks behind them, though...well, that would be the polar opposite. One Grizzly would be enough to engage, and then completely slaughter a full strength Covenant mechanized company.

He still wanted to boost her spirits somewhat, though...

" Get your chin up, Jao. We might find some more sleeping Wraiths to blow up. "

" Let's go, corporal. Come on . "

With that suitably optimistic sentiment expressed, he turned and began striding toward the kisok-map station, while beckoning his fellow corporal to follow. She immediately did so, keeping up easily on Dutch's right.

Overhead, the sun glided back into view, bathing them with rays as the clouds hiding it got abandoned. It was an unpleasant change, as more sun meant more heat, and at this time of year, that heat would be considerable, at least.

The ODST's own M7S was gripped by his right hand, though his finger rested beside, and not on the trigger, as the two of them crossed the hard-packed dirt highway in a few short seconds, before then arriving in front of what...yes, what clearly was a map.

A wide, tall one as well...easily with enough room on it to display the entirety of the Reserve.

" Huh...", remarked a slightly bemused Jao. " Looks like it's exactly what it was..."

" That's the whole layout, isn't it...? "

Yes...it did seem so. The ODST didn't say anything, but stepped a foot or so nearer, acknowledge Jao's commet/question with a nod as he studied what the map had to say.

It seemed that Dutch didn't have to wonder anymore about what the dimension of this place was anymore...not with how it now showed that the whole Reserve was essentially made up of a series of...widely stretched out circles, or ringed enclosures , that were all linked to one another via a network of ( mostly unpaved, it appeared ) roads, though some of them were marked as having been layered with asphalt. Major points of interest, such as watering holes frequented by any of the Reserve's " African Big 5 " wildlife were, or where the deepest gorges ran, or where any of the creeks flowed, and of course, where any lodges and visitor centers ( such as the one they'd met Caldera Company at ) were.

It was a thoroughly detailed navigational aid. Which, of course, hadn't been what the Reserve's owners had in mind when they'd had it installed- guiding a squad of Marines around, all while in the midst of a Covenant planetary assault that had the city of New Mombasa square in its crosshairs !

Remember to thank 'em for their unintentional foresight , Dutch noted, as he scanned the display of weaving paths, sweeping plains, and the voluminous perimeter walls. The Reserve was much more expansive than he'd previously estimated, and without this map providing the level of assistance it had, he'd likely have ended up leading his charges off on wander, and not on and out of this place...

...and onto the RV point for all UNSC forces in New Mombasa, deep in the depths of downtown. That was what he'd promised Lt. Gorman...what he had sword to do: If he couldn't locate the rest of Alpha-9 before reaching the RVP, Dutch would relinquish them back to Magma Company, and continue the search for his squad...alone.

Hardly ideal, but then again: ODSTs were no strangers to handling themselves in units of one. As preferable as it would be do it with capable backup at his disposal...Jao and Kivec were top notch Jarheads ( well, as much as they could be without being ODSTs ), and depriving their company of them for as long it might take to find Alpha-9 in a city as vast as New Mombasa ( provided they didn't turn up prior to reaching the RVP )...well, that just wouldn't do their overall combat effectiveness any favors. Wouldn't cripple them, no, but it wasn't a dent they needed.

Besides...a deal struck was a deal to be kept. Unless it was with Insurrectionists...not that they were anywhere near.

Stay focused...

We need to get oriented here, and now.

His eyes kept examining the map...

There had to be a " You are here " marker on it somewhere. All maps in anywhere like a park had one, and the Reserve was absolutely one of them.

Come on...where is it...?

...Wait...

...Aha !

There it was. An inverted, pin-shaped and burnt orange marker with the words " YOU ARE HERE " written in snow white block letters across its top.

Dutch aimed a finger at it. " Jao ! Right there...you see it ?! "

He tapped the spot in question. " That's us..."

The other corporal, just visible out the side of Dutch's faceplate visor, and standing no higher than his ear, leaned forward a tad, then nodded a moment later. " Roger that...I got it. "

" That's where we are ? "

" That's the case, yeah..."

" And, see here ", Dutch went on, tracing his fingertip northwest of the marker, to a point a few inches away.

" According to the distance scale...that's about a mile and a half. "

" ...A mile ? ", an audibly incredulous Jao exclaimed. " Wait, what- ? "

She quickly checked the distance scale herself, and found Dutch had nailed it. " ..Ok...now it adds up. "

" Damn straight ", confirmed the ODST. " Less than 2 miles from where we are, here....to one of the Reserve's main gates. "

" That's our immediate objective: Cover than mile-plus, and then out through those gates. Once we're out, I can link into the city's Superintendent network...find us a clear route all the way to the RVP. "

Not too shoddy of a plan...though, she already knew where our destination was.

Still...its all in the details. Were lacking those till just now.

It wasn't lost on the second Corporal, who's head bobbed a few times in an understanding nod.

"...Alright, ok ", she comprehended. " Sounds simple enough. Just a straight shot, right ? "

Careful with that...

Saying something's going to be that simple...often means it won't be

Dutch wasn't eager to outright tell her so, though...primarily due to how he was sure she must already know that. Besides, she hadn't actually said it would be a smooth right, but that it appeared to be. There was a difference...

Temping fate ? Dutch didn't all the way believe in that, and he wasn't truly superstitious...but even so, it was better, as he saw it, to avoid doing so.

" From what we've got here...yeah, that's how its shaping up ", the ODST calmly acknowledged.

But, even as he told her that, there was...a slight trickling sensation that had begun traveling up and down his spine.

Dutch knew what it was barely even as it became noticeable...and it was the same feeling he'd gotten before this entire drop had even begun. All the way back when Alpha-9 had been crowding around the holo-table back aboard ' Say My Name ' in low Earth orbit, actually.

ONI, those spook snakes, had been involved from the get-go, so, needless to say, he would get that pervasive sense of unease. Any UNSC servicemember worth their salt ( and who wasn't an absolute rawhide ) would've had the same reaction...though, as correct as he'd been to think so then, it wasn't the cause right here and now.

No, that was something else.

Something he understood.

Now that Dutch clearly saw the way ahead ( finally ), and knew where the exit was, that icy water feeling returned, and strong enough be known. Moreover, unlike with the general shady/ shifty/ outright scummy outcomes that ONI was so well despised for causing, he had more of an concrete idea of what the Covenant might have stored up, between here...

...and the way out of this deadly zoo. The way to get his Marines out.

Only a stone's throw...sure, it seems like we've got this in the bag..

But, we thought Honcho Company would be our bread and butter...till we found what remained of them.

This dammed park has nothing but twists and roadblocks for us. From the orbital tether coming down out of nowhere, to finding Honcho Company decimated like the Australians at the Battle of Gallipoli...this is turning into one of those Ops.

A cluster one...even without ONI getting their fingers plugged into the pie...

He ran his teeth along his lower lip, while taking a half step back from the map. Sure, it'd helped, that wasn't' in doubt but...

" Alright,Corporal...back to the rig. Now. Got to round up Kivec, and get him up to speed. "

" On me. Double time. "

Dutch didn't need to watch and see if Jao had heard him or not; as he reversed course and set off back the way he came at a brisk jog, the sound of combat footwear hitting dust signaled that Jao was, once again, staying in lockstep with him.

And stayed so, as they recrossed the road, and back to where Kivec was still standing at his post. He'd stayed alert, at least, having not simply used the gun's hand grips as something to just rest against, and was instead in the process of switching his attention from compass point to compass point..as best as one observer could, which actually wasn't as lacking as it could've been.

As in, he had his back to them, searching the horizon out to the east, when Dutch barked out, " Private ! Front and center ! "

A shouting ODST always got your attention, and Kivec was no exception. He didn't even flinch, but whipped around while letting go of the M41 with one hand, facing the other Marines head on.

At Dutch's beckoning, the Private then completely dismounted the M12, landed with slightly bent knees, and legged it over to them, with the front end of his own MA5 poking up over one shoulder. It was also then, that Dutch noticed the collection of shallow, but tracing, scratches along the private's jawline...likely kicked up by flying gravel from all those Fuel Rod Cannon blasts.

There was no blood to be seen, though. Just lines of dead skin...which was nothing. Not when you knew what kind of damage outright plasma strikes could do to you, especially if your chest soaked it up.

Seeing an injury on one of your charges was one thing, but...yeah. Scratches. Kivec would be alright, Dutch knew, as the private arrived.

His greeting to the two corporals was both succinct, and descriptive. " What's up, trooper ? Where're you taking us rampaging next ? "

Yeah...I am definitely earmarking him for ODST training later

He's got a spark, the kind that any trooper has who's ready to last

As promising as brief flicker of the private's future in the Corps looked to be , Dutch was still on the clock, as were they all. So, he promptly answered the private's question instead.

" Might not be one for a while, Private... "

The semi-green Jarhead blinked, not having expected that response.

By way of clarity, Dutch pointed up the road. " Up that way, over the ridge crest, is the nearest Uplift Main entrance. Right across the width of a sprawling amphitheater plain. "

Gesturing accordingly, he continued." Pretty much nothing on the sides of road all the way there- terrain is more of the usual tall grass ,and scattered trees. Its pretty wide end to end, but as much as the map reads, its just going from A to B for us. "

Yeah...

Even I think that sounds too easy...

" So... just..a crow flies kind of thing, right ? ", Kivec sounded like he wanted to believe it, but had some doubts. Which, to be fair, were the same ones Dutch had as well.

And Jao- she was no less switched on than the rest...which her ever-so moderate ' Hmm ' of skepticism pretty easily betrayed.

Meanwhile, the private glanced up the way the ODST had indicated, then turned completely to stare up the prescribed route for a few contemplative seconds.

That was nothing wrecked, smoldering, or burning of either UNSC or Covenant origin anywhere along the road probably made it seem much less dangerous than its whole length could very well be...but Dutch was all too aware of how the opposite of that could be true.

Tribute, from what he remembered, had also been a beautiful place, both in terms of its landscape, and everything that the colonists had built for themselves. They'd built amazingly organized cities there, easily on par with the neon-bathed beauty of Seoul, Dallas, Sydney, Riyadh, or any of the mega-cities that had taken over a substantial portion of Earth's surface over the past 200 years. It was even said by many spacers and colonials from further out into the Inner worlds that it was withing spitting distance of New Alexandria on Reach !

Nobody born and raised there could've pictured their world being the target of a full fledged Covenant " Cleansing " crusade.. until the day it actually happened. None of them had looked at how pretty everything was...and thought about plasma hotter than the surface of the sun falling all over everything like rain...until it did exactly that.

To be fair, though...that was arguably reaching a bit- comparing the death of one of the UNSC's most vibrant and populated worlds to some Slavic-looking rookie Marine examining a road. But, yet again, so many years as an ODST could leave you with some...odd mental gymnastics.

Didn't mean they couldn't serve a purpose, though.

" We're just going...straight, this way ? ". The Private lifted his free hand, aiming it the way the road stretched off toward. " Get to the end of that, and we're out of the park ? "

Lingering misgivings about " Calm before the storm " aside, Dutch was pulled back into the present, immediately and reflexively seeing there was no more time for reflections at the moment.

Time to get things done.

So, to that end..

" Yeah. That's what we're doin' , Private. ", Dutch affirmed, letting his other longest serving tool out of the box once again: Genuine confidence in his course of action, no matter how improvised it may be. And this one, considerable risk or not, wasn't one: He did have the map.

" We're leaving the Uplift Reserve , and we're going that way to do it. No deviations, and no detours; there's only one way out from our current position, and that way is this road we're on right now, got it ?"

"...Got it, Trooper. "

" That's what I want to hear. We can access the CityNav systems once we on one of the freeways linked to the downtown areas. That's where the RVP is located, and that's where we're ending up. "

" Unless we find your team , right ? ", interjected Jao.

Alpha 9, thank you...

You're still right on target, though.

"...Affirmative, Corporal. Unless we find the other ODSTs I dropped with. "

" You don't do that alone, do you ? ". Now it was Kivec's turn to speak up with a question...

" Dropping, I mean. Like, I've seen ODSTs before- deadliest mothers I ever have- but, they were always in squads. Not you, though. What happened to the other guys ? "

...

Well, that wasn't what Dutch had been anticipating. Sure, he'd pegged both of them as potentially worthy entries to the wider ODST clan, but that last query was more on the " You didn't offend me, but you caught me off guard anyway " scale...

That, and it just made him experience more resentment for ONI. This was all their fault, anyway...

Still, worthy questions were worthy questions, even this...so-

" Short answer, Private- and that's all we got time for- we got scattered during the drop when that Covie supercarrier jumped. Tossed us all over town, and messed up our comms for good measure. Haven't been able to raise any of 'em, but...our usual SOP is to RV at a pre-arranged point...which isn't in the Uplift Reserve. "

" Its deeper in the downtown sectors, and we're all keeping our heads on swivels every step of the way there, even more so than here. Remember: That's the plan. "

He moved his gaze between both of the other Marines in turn, double checking that this latest reminder that stuck. They both already knew what was going down as long as they were riding with him, but given that they were just about to go on a 4 wheeled spring through what could easily be a Covie-infested zone, it certainly didn't hurt to be sure.

Not that he wasn't already, but there were habits and behaviors that tended to last..

" And we're executing it now. Understood ? "

Buck'd have done it better.

That's for sure.

However, it seemed that Dutch at least had a semblance of that commander's touch, because the two Marines nodded that they'd gotten it, before then saying so.

" Roger that, Corporal Miles. "

Jao. There was determination in her dusty-brown eyes...as if it'd ever left.

" Ready and able, Trooper. "

Kivec. Dutch was sure he was Slavic...though he didn't have much of an accent, there were still the telltale features, along with the name.

With the African sun now beginning to beat down on them all, with one M12 LRV to carry them, with a city that was undoubtedly packed and crawling by ( at a minimum ) thousands if not tens of thousands of Covenant forces, they were headed for some red-zone level danger...which was only a step up from the one they were already in.

But, there was no staying here, in this park. All the combat they'd plowed through to reach this very point was all the proof that anyone could ever need- least of which how they'd found Honcho Company all but eliminated at the hands of the aliens. They'd watched the orbital tether collapse, and topple like a house of cards. They'd driven past the slagged remains of dozens of zebras, rhinos, and elephants...demonstrating how the Covenant were not here on Earth to fight, but only to slaughter, and annihilate.

It was all the impetus they needed to get going, and find their way out of the Reserve. They'd be in no way safe, but they'd be clawing their way closer to putting a dent- a deep one- in the Covenant's side.

By reaching that RVP downtown, and linking up with their Marine brothers and sisters.

And..finding Alpha-9

I couldn't ever leave them. Not ever, not anywhere.

Same goes for these two though...maybe I can nab two birds with one stone.

"...Then, mount up, Marines ! "

He knifed a hand toward the M12.

" And I mean that politely, damn it ! Go, go ! "

Deja Vu...

Deja Damn Vu...

This was just the purest case of " We've been here before " that had been ladled onto Dutch's mess hall tray in the last 24 hours...the latest entry in a string of them, actually. As in , he'd been in the driver's seat of an M12 lRV within 20 minutes of his SOIEV hitting the mud back on the Reserve's coast, and had barely left it ever since ! It'd been pretty much nonstop driving like he was the main protagonist of a Mad Max movie, with all the redline motoring he'd been doing, and all the ( literal ) fire he'd been under to go along with it.

Fair's fair, though...both of those were literally in the ODST job description, and he hadn't joined the Marines to work in the culinary field.

Still...a Grizzly tank would be greatly appreciated. Heck, if one turned up right now, and had a female driver, he'd kiss her.

But, there wasn't one. No dual 120mm cannons to unleash absolute devastation on the mass of Covenant targets that were currently doing their utmost to not become targets anymore, as they unloaded on the lone M12 that was speeding for all it was worth past them, leaving rooster trails of dust and sand behind it.

No Grizzly tanks to help them...against the Wraiths that were lighting them up.

Bolts of plasma, grape-purple with pale white centers, were sailing in high arcs toward them, as the bulbous, lumpy looking alien tanks formed a rough and jagged line off on the right-hand side of the M12, a few hundred ft. away, while spitting white-hot drops of fire at them. Patches of soil in front of the Covenant armor, and just past the M12 on the left, had been turned to nothing but blackened glass and charred ashen craters.

That the enemy machine gunners hadn't come close was the one saving grace here...though not for lack of firing. They were absolutely having a swing at it, sending sheets of energy rounds screaming out to smack and splash against the M12's side armor panels.

Said M12 was going at a good clip, though, and not at all giving them a " side of a barn " target. Dutch had the pedal all the way down...all the way down. The vibrations from the illegally-high speeds they were going at were, as was normal now, flooding all the way thorough him, carving through his armor and shaking him in his harness. The engine was growling and protesting mightily, emitting a long and guttural reeeeeeeeeeeah as it propelled the vechicle's mass ahead with all the speed it could muster.

Which was quite a bit. And it was complicating the Covie's targeting...

...but, the reverse was also true.

BWOOOOSH...!

" 2 left...2 left ! "

"...Hit ! Can't tell if he's down, though...! "

" Copy that, Jao ! " . Dutch yanked the wheel one way, then the other. His evasive manuring was probably doing as much to frustrate Jao's aim as much as the storm of plasma, but there was nothing to do about that.

Besides, it wasn't as if she hadn't pulled anything off...the flaming and melted Wraith that was spewing sparks and smoke skyward from it lay planted dead on the ground was a testament to how the intrepid rocketeer had slagged one of her own.

Just as Dutch had promised. She'd gotten one of them, even under circumstances like these.

You're a godsend, woman...

You are.

Dutch choose no longer than 2 seconds to spare a glance to confirm that last rocket hit, but on the very first one of them, he found what he was looking for: a column of smoke rising from a Wraith that was sitting on the ground, and not floating over it.

That was, for Wraiths, as dead as you could get.

" Confirmed ! KIA ! ", the ODST roared.

" Confirmed ! You greased him ! "

" Hell to the yeah ! ", chimed in the M41 gunner.

Kivec was proving by leaps and bounds that he was probably set for a career as a SAW gunner, ODST career or not. He was putting the M41 through its paces, keeping its triggers squeezed with only pauses no longer than 3 seconds. The near-endless steam of noise was clashing with that from the M12' power source whenever it spun up, followed by the clinking of spent brass landing all over the metal floor of the AWD.

Could you kill a Wraith with an M41 ? Sure you could- if you hit in the driver's hatch, or dead center in the rear cooling vent ( aka, the " Love from the 6:00 position ) approach. Going the latter route, though, was generally better if you had other M12's to dance with...which wasn't the case now.

Best they could do was run the gauntlet. Run it, and let Kivec to pull off the former as best he could. He actually had, though- at least once, the Private had reported a Wraith detonating in a hail of .50 cal rounds to its front, and another split-moment glance from Dutch had revealed it was true.

Not as deadly as Jackahmmer, but it was on the scale.

Between both weapons, and their skilled operators, the ODST had enough punch to leave the enemy armor with a heap of freshly made scrap.

And, there wasn't much further to go, either: less than a thousand yards away, loomed the yawing archway of the gate ! The halves of it were wide open exposing what lay beyond: a football-length parking lot that was where visitors would leave their SUV's and sedans prior to going through the rows of security turntables and barriers that was all stood between them and the contained savanna that was this sector of the Uplift. Evidently, the Covenant had been using it...

Where else did the Wraiths come from ?!

Obviously...

" Trooper ! Down to 150 rounds... ", warned Kivec. He was clearly mad about it than anything else, which was good. Anger could help you, in moments like this.

They were so, close...!

So close...!

" Hang on, Marines ! ". Dutch gunned it, all but crushing the pedal into the floor.

Jao yelled something in a language the ODST couldn't tell. It sounded mad...or maybe energized. He didn't know.

What he did know, though...was they were all but home free.

There were near enough to the gates now to see, that the outer gate beyond the lot was also open ! The freeway that Dutch knew must be there was visible as a glimpse past it. All they had to do, was get there.

And, avoid those blasted Wraiths...

One good hit from them,...

One good hit...!

The Mars man's mouth tightened to a crease, and more icewater began to flow down his spine.

His molars clamped, as plasma chewed into the M12's armor, and as the nearest gates drew nearer, and nearer...

" Dear lord..."

He whispered as he drove now. Dutch had always been a man who believed in a higher power, but there were times when he called on said power more dearly than others...and now-

- now was one of them.

Without any question. He was calling now.

" Dear Lord, we could not forsake you, ever...we know you made us..

"...Ok..probably none of this is an official prayer, but its all I have. I tied my camel- and I'll trust you too "

Cobbled together and clumsily uttered requesting for divine salvation made, Dutch zeroed in on the gates, with all the speed he had.

Every last milligram of it...

"88 rounds, trooper ! "

That was about all the yards between the M12, and the nearest gate, as well.

Unless the enemy landed that single hit...

Unless one of the bolts struck them dead center...

Then...then they'd get through.

God...its right there..!

End us, or please let us through

Please...

Well, within the next few seconds, his answer came.

Clear as day, hot as the sun above.

20..

20 plasma hits and burn marks...

And, all of them on the rear third of the M12's side. A cluster- a field, of dents and gouges into the olive green armor. Each was charred and scoured obsidian, and felt like hot glass when touched...

Standing on the freeway's tarmac, flanked on either side by numerous ( empty ) lanes, Dutch stared at the multitude of impacts that the enemy had left on the side of the M12, and wondered...

..He was...he was standing here

He was...the Covenant. They had not gotten him

They had not gotten...any of them.

The ODST looked further at the slagged metal. It'd taken such a battering...

He'd been facing death in the eye back there, and had been ready to go into it, if that had been his time. Yet-

..it was not, after all.

It as..a most curious feeling.

He looked up, depolarizing his faceplate.

Jao had leaned back, having removed her helmet. Short, dark hair, tied back in a loose bun, spilled out now that it was free. Rivulets of sweat ran down, reaching for her chin.

Dutch felt a moment of betrayal for realizing- well, it was more of an obvious thing, actually- that there was no arguing with how attractive she was. True, the Corps didn't let you in based on looks, but that didn't mean they hurt your getting in.

He exhaled, glancing back down at the plasma dents.

I'll send you a postcard, Gretchen...

But, thanks for everything, Jao.

Behind her, still on the M41,Kivec still had his helmet on, though he was studying the skies, pausing to swipe a few times at the scratches he'd collected from the Reserve.

Maybe they were bothering him more than Dutch had thought...or maybe they needed a fingetip smear of biofoam.

Jao looked like she could go for a good long drink.

Heck, both his Marines looked they needed something.

Well, he would help them. They were still his to shepherd, all the way tot hat RVP, and that's what he would do. He's taken them through that park, crammed with Covies, and he'd take them all the way, no matter what stood on route.

But, before then...

It would be taken care of...the biofoam, the water, and yet-

There was something Dutch had to do.

Something that had been eating at him for a while.

He cleared his throat ( realizing that he could drink quite a bit himself ), and then spoke up:

" Marines ! Ears. "

No matter how thirsty/ bothered by light wounds they might be, both Jao and Kivec's discipline remained, and they glanced his way at once.

" Trooper ? ". The rocketeer sat up straigher..by a few degrees, which was enough.

" Need something ? "

Dutch shrugged.

" Yeah..actually, there is. "

Kivec made ' Well, go for it ' gesture with outward palm of his gloved hands.

" All yours, trooper. "

The ODST nodded...

...and then asked what was on his mind.

" Corporal, Private...- "

" Where are you both from ? "