Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Noble Guardians. Enjoy the 4700-word chapter. I do not own Halo, Microsoft, 343, and a few others do.
The next morning was quiet for Noble Team when Carter visited their rooms. Each was dressed in their armor within 10 minutes, armed, and ready to move.
Jorge, Rose, and Gadge all boarded a pelican, ready to enact the next part of the plan regardless of what was occurring… Six and Kat boarded a Warthog to lead the UNSC on the ground while Carter boarded a falcon to coordinate air support.
The others all boarded another pelican, being sent to help the UNSC on the ground and slaughter as many covenant soldiers as they could. Most of them knew no matter how many they took down. it would do little to slow the covenant down.
"So, Reach was your home turf," Gadge stated to Jorge as the pelican lifted off.
"Still is," Jorge said.
"Got some bugs on the window to clean off," Rose stated as Gadge placed a grenade in his launcher.
"Got my bug spray right here, Noble," Gadge stated to which Jorge laughed.
The two members of the group were silent, he knew damn well what was going on in his mind before he sighed, not noticing what was going on either damn way.
They had a lot more to deal with either way… Into the chaos of the next world, knowing what was going on would be for them at this very juncture as of the time being.
He had been able to relax, knowing what was growing on his mind, not once and not at all. He had been able to figure something out… Knowing what was going on as each little second.
The large deployment of UNSC soldiers was something that bothered him. All their motives before he clicked his fingers and then looked to the side, knowing it for now.
He had a lot more to this, knowing what was going on in the brain for now as he clicked his fingers.
All of him ached for battle and he would gain it eventually. He just needed skill with it for now.
He had been tired as he clicked his fingers before it all came down to it as of now, he had been able to think and to act.
"So, are we getting into the middle of a rock and a hard place now or when there are fewer bad guys to take out?" Gadge asked to which Rose paused to click her DMR into place.
"Well, that depends on how good you can kill Covenant," Rose stated to which they hummed.
"I can kill more than you can, Noble. Half the time it happens. You are usually behind most of us." Gadge stated before he sighed.
"Well, someone has to save your ass," Rose stated as Gadge rolled his eyes behind his helmet.
"To be entirely fair?" Jorge stated before he sighed and looked to the side, interested in what was coming next.
He had been unable to dwell on this happening. They as Spartans could not accept what was going on and they had to act either way, knowing what would happen now and for good reason.
All of it ended today either way, either they died and it all came crashing down to the ground or they won and burned.
They rode forward, eager to get to work… Eager to fight and to act. The day ahead would be long and tedious and it would be fraught with more danger than before… But it could be beaten back and they could be saved, it was only a matter of time before it happened and before they were able to finally relax.
Each Spartan was ready, each of them raised their weapon and prepared for combat on the battlefield for now, knowing that the next part of the battle.
There was going on now, this was something that needed to be dealt with for now… It was something that needed to be dealt with.
It would continue to be like that at the end of the day, there was a lot more to this. Something that needed to be dealt with for now as it seemed to spread itself across the way, knowing what was going on.
This was going to be dealt with, something that could cut through the air like a thousand knives. What if it seemed to be spreading through it at the end of it, at the end of their fight, and for good reason?
They sped across the sky like a bullet, all of them ready for war, each Spartan knowing their talents would be vital in the coming day.
If they could push the Covenant off Reach today? It would be a hammer blow to their ability to defend… But it was going to get harder and harder upon each day the Covenant failed to take reach.
All of them knew that the Covenant did not CARE about Reach. They did not care at all about this planet one iota, only those upon the surface who denied them what had been a human world.
That? And the fact that this war was a genocidal campaign against them, a desire to slaughter humanity down to the last child.
That and that urge for them to destroy humanity was what drove them into war, to begin with. They would go down fighting or they would win and crush the Covenant into oblivion. One option was far superior way than now.
It was not going to end there, not now and not before major damage was done to the galaxy at the end of the day either way. It was going to be impossible to deal with it either way.
And it was at the ridge where they realized the Covenant was just as unwilling to give up the planet as the UNSC was… Rose counted… Her eyes counted at least 7 phantoms and probably 50 banshees… At least that was the air.
"Might want to get ready for a long day…" Rose said as Jorge and Gadge joined her.
"Must be every damn soldier they have left… There ain't no damn way this is a small fleet." Gadge said as he turned to Jorge. "Don't save your ammo… Might be better to empty your guns first." Gadge said before the craft shook.
The Pelican they were on let loose every single anvil missile at the fleet, being rewarded with half a dozen banshees and a pair of phantoms exploding and shattering into brilliant fireworks as the air ignited with gunfire and plasma.
"I hate it when Gadge is right," Rose muttered as the M370 on the Pelican spun up.
"So do I…" Gadge muttered before the pelican shook as the UNSC air support tried to punch through the covenant fleet.
"Where the hell are those corvettes?" Gadge asked as he blinked while warning alarms darkened across the craft.
A pair of banshees spun behind the craft as the group turned, snorting as they realized there would be a war from here until the tower.
"I'll meet up with you boys on the ground…" Rose said as she nodded toward them. "Good hunting, Noble," Rose said as she rushed out the open doors.
Gadge snorted as Rose spun in mid-air, gripping one of the banshees while kicking it in the wing, denting the metal, and forcing it to slam the other into the ground hard enough to detonate the canopy.
"Show off!" Gadge muttered before Rose tore the pilot from it and hopped aboard. "Sir? Noble 8 just decided to be a badass… You have orders or do you want us to go after them?" Gadge stated before he sighed and then looked to the side.
"Clear the ground," Carter stated and sighed before looking at Jorge.
"See you downstairs, Spartan," Gadge stated.
He paused, locking his joints, and then breaking out into a sprint. He leaped out of the pelican, leaping towards the phantom which went to fire at him. He spun, moving fast enough to appear almost like a streak of lightning.
The spartan gripped the edge of the dropship and pulled himself in, kicking an elite out as he did so. The spartan stabbed the other one as he went before throwing the body out of the phantom as well.
The others screamed as Gadge primed a grenade and tossed it towards a glowing core amid the dropship, he gripped a jackal, waved, and fell backward.
The phantom exploded, detonating as the explosion set off plasma grenades on their belts. Gadge turned, resting a foot on the jackal as they slammed into the ground, killing the jackal as Gadge finally drew his DMR, only pausing to watch as the Phantom slammed into the ground.
He was silent, watching as a thousand explosions filled the sky and he knew that there was going to be a lot more covenant on the way.
He would not let it end, not yet… No, there was something else on his mind, the chaos that needed to be done before now. He grabbed his grenade launcher, unslinging it from his side as he did so.
He sighed, finally guessing as well the battle had only just begun in earnest and he would be better off supporting more and giving him the boost, he needed now to get an upper hand.
Gadge seemed to be tired as he looked around now, watching as more plasma flew toward them. He paused to try and think of what was growing on until he seemed to be dealt with it for now.
He looked to the side and then glanced upwards and into the sky, he had not been able to try and figure out once more.
There was a lot more to try and figure out for now. He tapped on the wall, cracked his fingers, and looked at the battlefield before he slowly moved up. He paused to knock a banshee from the sky with his grenade launcher and then thought for a moment as to what was going on now.
"Guys? Who is good after skydiving?" Rose questioned.
"Me, I landed somewhere in the thick of it…. Noble 4?" Gadge questioned.
"I will be there soon… Commander? What is the game plan?" Rose heard from Jorge.
"Push up, tear into their lines… Play havoc with their ranks. The more we disrupt their line of battle? The more the covenant falters and the more a chance we have." Gadge heard.
"So basically, we screw with them and hope we get lucky… On it, give me a few minutes and I will blow some of their crap up." Gadge stated as he sighed and then looked to the side.
"Don't be a hero if you don't have to do so, Noble," Carter stated before another explosion rocked the radio. "Everyone out. We are giving those armored convoys some ground support and I want those birds in the air!" Carter stated.
It was clear to them that the battle was going to be decided by destruction. They could kill every covenant soldier and smash every vehicle here…. But their tech was dug in and if it was not? They could keep pushing the Covenant back further and further along this line.
What was something like this to be done? Whatever was to be occurring for them to be relaxing now.
They had to be dealt with, they had to kill the Covenant before they could entrench themselves behind enemy lines.
He sighed and crossed his arms before thinking of what needed to be done for now at the end of the day. He slowly started to think of what was growing for now as he paused to look downwards at the end of the day.
He seemed to be dealt with as far as things went and he looked around rather amused and torn down, he wanted to rest, he wanted to relax… But he did not and could not so he did not try to.
He turned and looked around and looked at it all, there was something here that he had not seen before. This entire battle was just going to prove itself.
Though, to be fair? He was a soldier and this war was going to cost them more than they had to repay it.
He slowly and surely seemed to be going through the motions as he rushed forward, pausing only to dispatch a pair of jackals and a group of grunts with a grenade and a stab to a jackal. He turned the corner, his boots cutting grooves in the dirt as he glanced around.
There was a pair of friendly IFF tags on his radar and he knew damn well the army would not last long. Granted? He was watching as the group of Covenant banshees was all torn from the sky by a combined pelican and falcon fire… But their entrenched position also meant they were going to take losses either way.
He knew this, he was not stupid. It was never going to end and nothing was going to change that.
(With Carter and the others)
Carter gunned down the last of the elites and looked at the others before motioning towards them to leave.
It was damn clear to him as he paused to try and clear out the covenant when it was all done with, they had made more and more enemies to deal with, more on the way, and more which had come across their path.
He was going to be dealing with something with this before he looked to the battleground.
"Nobles? Talk to me." Carter stated.
"Busy killing everything not UNSC in my way." Gadge heard from Rose.
"Ditto, another wraith for the scrap heap… Picked up a trooper squad and am headed towards Noble 4…. What about you, Noble 2?" Gadge responded.
"Headed with 6 towards the guns, Noble 7," Kat responded before more gunfire came over the radio. "6? Take the flank! Noble 9? How long until you and Noble 3 can get here?" Kat asked.
"Focus on your missions, Noble. We are here to clean out the Covenant… Focus on mopping up whatever is in the way then move up." Carter stated.
"On it." All of them responded before gunfire came over several of their comms. "Noble 9? I see you, let us push on to Noble 4," Gadge stated.
All of them clicked off following this, knowing damn well what had been asserted for now. All of them were doing what they could and should.
"Emile, Jun? Move out, we are meeting up with them in the middle." Carter stated as he sighed and then remembered they had a few dozen Covenant soldiers to deal with.
He clicked his DMR, so be it… They fought and they killed through them. They were too skilled to slow down and slowing down was the least of their problems for now, they could not and would not even attempt to.
Carter motioned for the others to fall in with him which they did as he knew damn well that whatever was going on? it would end in the UNSC victory today.
They were there to ensure it. They were there to make certain the UNSC walked away…. So why did he have a bad feeling about today?
(With Gadge)
Jorge turned around as a Banshee slammed into a wall, fuel tank igniting in a ball of fire as he turned to see Gadge next to him.
"How many have you killed so far?" Gadge asked, inserting another of the 40mm grenades he had and ensuring the 3 he had left ready.
"20, you?" Jorge asked as Gadge hummed.
"Banshees? 5, the rest? 17…. I might run out of ammo if I do not find more at this rate…. Where is Rose?" Gadge asked.
They both turned as an elite fell down the hill, a knife in its back as the female spartan leaped down, landing on its back, and removing the knife.
"Here, hiya, boys," Rose said as Gadge shrugged in greeting.
"So, if the others are taking out those canons? What is our job?" Rose asked.
"Break the supply line. The mining area is where they seemed to be holed up…. Saw a few troopers I saved moving there." Gadge stated before he sighed and looked at them.
"Going to be a lot of these guys between us and there," Rose stated as Gadge shrugged.
"Put them down and move on, so on and so forth…. Longer we stand here? More troopers are going home in a bad way or worse." Gadge stated before he turned and departed towards the mining site.
"We have a contest on who can kill the most of these guys? I want in, I killed at least 12 on my own." Rose stated.
"Last place then." Gadge joked as Rose snorted and rushed to keep up with him as Jorge took charge of the trio.
They fell into line behind him as best they could, it was clear even if they did not know it that a team was forming.
Though, considering that they were also fighting for the fate of an entire planet? Well, there were going to be a lot of things they could not focus on entirely until the job was done.
She did not even know what was going on, not even a little, and not something that could have been averted. She knew fighting was the only blasted way they could cut through the Covenant with time and effort.
All they did not know was Reach was already lost… And despite the valiant attempts by the team? They would not be saving the planet to begin with and that was going to be done with it as she knew exactly what was going on and what would be done.
There was something to deal with, something about it all seemed to be all too over and all too easily when it came down to it.
Noble was ready for battle and he knew it…. He set out with his team before he seemed to try and think of what was going on before he fell silent.
There was a lot more on his mind before he clicked his fingers and then looked to the side.
"Gadge? There are more of them coming." He heard as he paused to try and figure out what was going on.
Gadge hummed and then looked to the side and looked once more, there was a few seconds of silence.
Then more explosions, more than a dozen fireballs as both looked at each other. Gram cleared his throat and sighed and then fell into cover as more Covenant soldiers began to appear.
"Are we doing anything or are we just killing them?" Gadge asked as plasma pinged off the cover in front of them. "There isn't a shortage of them and all we're going to run out of is ammo," Gadge stated before he sighed to himself.
Rose and Jorge both leaned into cover as they began to open fire at them. More plasma pinged off the stone, cutting groves in it but not burning them.
"Let us just see who kills more today." Gadge heard. "We are not going anywhere until we kill them anyway," Gadge stated to which he fell silent.
The three responded with a hail of bullets a few seconds later. Gadge peeked out of cover for long enough to fire a grenade and then peeked back in.
There were a few dying screams before Jorge opened back up with his gun, causing them to scramble backward.
(With Carter)
Carter moved both Jun and Emile up before he sighed to himself. He would not let this go when he thought of all the ways this battle could go on before he seemed to focus.
He was prepared for it and he brought up his hand to his radio, tapping it twice to make sure it was not damaged at all.
"Noble?" Carter asked.
"Busy, Noble 1… Bring it, hinge head, I'll throw you down this hill faster than you can blink!" Carter heard from Rose.
"1 gun down… Noble 9? Do you need support?" Kat asked.
"No, I just need to rip them apart…. Noble 7? Can you shoot that elite? Nice, thank you…." Rose stated before Gadge sighed.
"I am almost out of ammo… Screw it, I see a case ahead… Noble 1? We are moving towards the location where you asked to." Gadge stated.
He was too silent in what was going on before Jorge spoke up.
"We are dealing with heavy covenant infantry…. We both know that the Covenant is pressing an advantage." Jorge stated before he sighed and crossed his arms.
There was more and more static for a moment before they fell silent. Both seemed to fall for now and both had been quiet sooner or later.
He had been silent, too unable to do anything as she realized it when these problems were all said and done, something that he did not at all truly understand when it came down to it.
Gadge was silent, too silent as to what had truly happened and knowing that it had been too much to tolerate for now.
Whatever had occurred for now? Gadge knew just as well they would be throwing at the enemy.
"You know damn well that something of this size isn't isolated, right?" Gauge asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"I know I don't want to talk about it," Jorge stated.
"Fair enough." Gauge stated. "I am not good at this sort of stuff, Noble." Gauge stated before more explosions cut them off.
A falcon began to crash down, reminding them they had to do something. They all began to turn towards the refinery… And then that's when Rose noticed something.
"Guys? Look at the upper floor." Rose stated as they did so.
Gadge raised his weapon before Jorge lowered it, knowing that shooting was not the correct move… For the second.
Above and on an upper floor was an elite, a Zealot to be more precise and it was clear that this Zealot was commanding part of the Covenant army.
"Noble 5 to Noble 1? HVT is in the mining refinery." Jorge stated. "Damn zealot, seems to be commanding the covenant army," Jorge stated.
"Can you kill it?" Carter asked.
"Can, not quietly…" Jorge said.
"Got an idea…" Gauge stated. "Noble 8? You think you can kill them if I drive them out?" Gauge asked before Rose nodded.
"What you thinking, 9?" Rose asked.
"I am going to move up, take out the flank… Jorge? You scare the SOB… By the time he gets to his evac vehicle? Rose takes him down… Think that will work?" Gadge asked.
"Maybe… Think he might be more scared of Noble 5 than me." Rose stated.
"Well, maybe he likes you." Gauge said before drawing his rifle. "Get in position, tell me when you are ready." Gauge stated.
"We going to try and kill them this way?" Rose asked as they both looked at her. "Screw it… Give me 3 minutes then move on 2," Rose said as she rushed to the side.
Gauge and Jorge watched as she began to climb the wall of stone like she was part monkey, it made him remember even if they were different breeds. They were Spartans and they got work done regularly.
Granted, this caused more problems than one could consider… But it was better those problems than dying for nothing and losing everything they had left to offer at the end of the moment.
Well, everything they could lose was going down the drain and it would have been lost for good if it was not properly managed now.
This was going to have been something for the history books. Gram would certainly respect that part even if this was insane for his standards… And all standards at that point.
They had work to do so they would do it and if those standards were in the way? He held no real problem with attempting to understand it.
Gram and Jorge moved towards where they had to go. It was clear to them they had a Zealot to hunt and all this was doing was dragging down what they were doing.
Gadge and his friend both took positions as Gram slowly started to walk towards the area, he drew his magnum from his side, realizing that it was going to be done and dusted all too easily. Whatever happened next? They were just about done.
"In position," Rose stated as they snorted and shared looks.
"Let us do this," Gadge stated before popping up and firing.
A trio of grunts fell to the ground, dead from precise headshots from Gadge as Jorge slowly moved up, pouring bullets from his machine gun as they readied themselves for battle.
"There is more covenant heading up," Gadge stated before he was forced back into cover, his shields blaring. "Damn it," Gadge muttered before he sighed and then looked to the side with annoyance.
He was met with Jorge bringing up his weapon and then firing his weapon which ground down a pair of Jackals who attempted to engage them.
An elite roared at them but fell back as Jorge opened fire on it, hiding behind a group of jackals and grunts.
(With Carter)
Carter and the others began to try and link up before advancing on the spire. The Noble Team commander stopped to put a bullet in an elite before they continued down the path, knowing that it would be harder and harder to deal with for now, and for good reason.
"Nobles?" Carter asked.
"Almost done…" Six stated.
"Still hunting the zealot. He has not run for it yet… What about the main objective? I have seen… Holy, we got frigates?" Gadge asked.
"Air support, it is why we had to take out the cannons," Jorge stated.
"Good… Got the zealot running now, he's headed your way, Noble 9," Gadge stated before he sighed to himself as he looked to the side once more. "Noble 4? I got an ultra! They are bearing down on me!" Gadge stated before he cursed with annoyance as he realized just how damn well it was going to have been.
Carter heard gunfire almost over every single little channel, he knew damn well that his men were fighting and handling the Covenant as best they could and all he could offer. They had a lot more to deal with, a lot more work before the day was utterly done.
To him? Today would not be done until all enemies were eradicated and the covenant wiped off the planet…. Which he knew would prove to be much harder than it looked at the end of the day.
He sighed and continued trying to find his way toward his lost men, intent on actively getting the job done would be much harder said than done as of this moment. The Covenant did not intend to die….
But as they learned a few minutes later? It was clear that they were outmatched, too outmatched to believe anything.
Carter was silent, he was too silent…. Too eager to get this work done, to be free of the shackles of his work.
Yes, it seemed clear to him such work was hard enough to deal with… But it would be harder still to reconcile what had gone on. Noble had work to do…. But it was clear this work would be hard fought to the end.
To the end of time… Then? When all the work is done? They would have no end and no victory… All that confronted them? Dust and echoes, dust, and echoes, repeating infinitely.
"What is…. Boss, the spire is coming down… Oh, crap. Noble, move, MOVE!" Gadge yelled before Carter looked up.
The warship above was massive, larger than a mountain, and more armed than a fleet.
A supercarrier, a damned supercarrier. Gadge was right. The Covenant had come to fight and so there was only one answer.
Retreat.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that since Noble is larger? I am going to handle the next half of Reach differently…. Also no, Jorge is not dying, I find it laughable how that mission forces him to die. The next chapter will show some of Long Night of Solace and some of Noble redeploying, until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf Out!