Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Noble Guardians. Enjoy the 4800-word chapter. I don't own Halo, Microsoft, 343, and a few others do.
All of Sword Base shook from the shot which cut the corvette in two, shattering its back like a gutted fish and punching through the water like a massive sword.
It felt like a god had cut the ship in half. The ship sunk, power and engines falling onto the ground, sinking below the water like a gutted fish.
The Spartans all convoyed upon the platform, looking out through the wreckage as they hummed.
"There will be more tomorrow," Gadge said as he shook his head, looking to the ground. "What did you need us to do, sir?" Gadge asked, looking over at Carter who had fallen silent before he looked downwards at the ground.
Gadge hummed to himself, unsure of what to see and do about it all as he seemed to revel in the defeat of the covenant.
"Commander? Dr. Halsey would like a word with Noble Team, Colonel Holland said to assist until further notice." Gadge hummed to himself, unsure as they heard it.
He didn't wish to be doing anything of the sort for now… This would be odder and odder for today compared to their usual work, something that honestly bothered him far more than it had any real right to.
"Noble," Carter said as the others turned and followed, making him nod as he followed the others.
"Haven't seen Halsey since… A long time ago." Jorge stated before he hummed. "Don't need command to tell me," Jorge said as Gadge hummed.
"I'm more worried about the alien warship crashing into the lake than about the lady who decided to sit the entire battle out in some bunker," Gadge muttered as he pulled his helmet from his head.
Gadge could only frown as he sighed once more as he looked, unsure of what to see and do for now, they had a VERY long amount of time to try and figure out another move.
"Let me talk first… Kat, anything on that card?" Carter asked as the other 8 Spartans turned to the Lieutenant Commander.
She continued to keep typing as the card inside the machine beeped, showing the information that seemed to escape them once more what to try and figure out and what to see and do for the moment, it felt so damn odd.
"Just download the files… Here, take it." She said, withdrawing it from the datapad.
Carter nodded and gestured for Jorge, Emile, and Jun to enter with him. Gadge hummed and looked downwards at the ground with some annoyance clearly on his face.
"She as much a pain as command says she is?" Gadge asked, pushing some of his hair away.
"If you mean a pain in the ass that makes our job 50 times? Then yes, very much at the end of the day." Gadge stated as he looked downwards at the ground at the time when he came down to it.
Still? He had a LOT more to see and do as of the time being as he clicked his tongue again.
"Halsey wants her fancy machine back," Rose said as Kat hummed.
"Well, not before I downloaded the data…" Kat said as she caused the others to look at her, making her shrug. "We lost good men for that. She wants a chip back after we're busy scraping up a patrol?" Kat asked before Gadge hummed.
"Mistook you, ma'am," Gadge said before he sighed and looked backward at the ground.
"Hmm… Lots of people do." Kat said as the doors opened and Carter walked out.
"Let's move, Noble." They heard as they shared glances before downwards at the ground.
"Thought Gadge was a Captain," Thom said as Gadge shook his head.
"No, she just likes calling me it… Same with the fact Noble has a 1.5. Just twos and threes." Gadge said before Carter shook his head.
"Mind telling us what went on, sir?" Kat questioned before she looked downwards at the ground.
"She asked about our engagement with the Zealots, I told her. She said some choice things about you accessing the information I gave her; I told her the truth." Carter said as Emile huffed.
"No, you told her you'd put her ass in the brig if she got in our way again. It comes with being a spartan and having things to do while the rest of the planet is busy." Emile stated as Gadge rolled his eyes.
"Colonel Holland? We're heading back. Anything you want to tell us?" Carter asked before the line crackled.
"Busy coordinating about a dozen different platoons…. Tell your Lieutenant he's right about what the Covenant is doing. We ran into a dark zone… Brief you when you're here. I have two different missions for Noble Team… The others are on reserve until this op is over." Holland stated to which they all shared looks.
"Great… Now I'm going to get bored." Kat heard from Emile as the others looked downwards at the ground.
"Well, you have fun," Gadge said before noticing the pelican descending toward them. "Sir? I'm going to have a feeling that the others are sitting this one out. I'm no good at sneaking around and I'll bet we're going into something big sooner or later." Gadge stated before he cracked a smile under his helmet.
He brushed back his black hair, blinked his grey eyes, and slipped his helmet back on as the group was able to find some amusement in it before they turned and looked to the side.
He sighed and looked upwards at the sky, watching at the other time as the Pelican spun, at least a dozen troopers emerging from the craft as they all managed to step aside in time for the group to enter.
"You know… If I was the guy in charge of a top-secret military base? I'd shoot down any ship that doesn't talk in the next 10 seconds… Save us dealing with a ground op." Gadge stated before Emile snorted.
He didn't want to try and figure out what to try and figure out what to say before he sighed to himself, all of it continued to grow beyond what was needed and what was acceptable.
Perhaps it just didn't at all fall into place, before it all ended again and again… They had a very large problem when it came down to it. The covenant at their doorstep.
She wouldn't be able to end it, and none of them would be able to try and figure something out as of now, she didn't at all know what to see and do at the end of the day. Kat was silent before she looked downwards at the ground and smirked to herself as she watched the others talk amongst themselves.
She looked downwards at the ground and smiled to herself once more as she cracked her fingers and hummed, utterly unsure of what to see and do next. She paused, glancing around the pelican, and then looked at him.
"Then there are no fireworks," Emile stated before he sighed and smirked to himself.
"There are always fireworks on the battlefield and you should know that," Gadge said as the pelican lifted off and then flew away, slowly starting to pick up speed more with each little second.
"I'm worried about this mission. If the Covenant is swarming Reach? We aren't going to stop them, not with brute force… I'm all for a good fight. Not a suicide mission." Gadge stated before he sighed to himself.
"He's right," Kat said, looking up at the datapad. "One corvette? No, there are at least 3 in the dark zone… Covenant never sends less than a full invasion." Gadge heard as he sighed.
"Leave the strategy to Colonel Holland, the bigger problems are above your paygrade." Gadge heard as he sighed and looked downwards at the ground.
"I'm just good at blowing things up, sir. I leave the big stuff to the people at the top." Gadge said as he smirked and looked downwards at the ground before falling silent as he hummed once more.
They had a LOT more to see and do, a LOT more battling to end out for now, it wasn't going to be easy enough at the end of the day. Something about it bothered him but he couldn't put his finger on it for now and he wanted to for now.
"You should know just how bad things are if we're resorting to options like this," Kat said as she looked at the corvette.
Jorge and Carter were silent, both for different reasons. Jorge knew damn well when the Covenant found another human planet? They made sure to burn it and everything on it to ash, losses be damned… The problem? This was HIS planet and he'd die before they burned it down to ashes and cinders
Carter was silent for a different reason. He knew that Gadge and the others had a point. The covenant was coming looking for a fight at the end of the day, they always came for a fight, knowing something was up and that if it happened? They'd continued to be in the way as of now.
He had a lot more to try and figure out for the day's end as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"You know we have a LOT more work to deal with at the end of the day… All of it's going to be impossible." Carter heard from Kat as she looked at Gadge and the others.
"We're Spartans, ma'am. Impossible is a Tuesday for us and you know it… The only impossible thing about it is how many people are going down before that." Gadge stated as he sighed and looked downwards at the ground.
They had a lot more on the moment, something about it all seemed to be odder and odder at the time being.
The pelican slowly flew off wards, easily up speed as it spun through the air, letting every single spartan cling to the craft it flew towards high com. They were all quiet, settling into their seats before they seemed to relax.
Carter looked at his men and what each of them was doing at the moment as he looked upwards at the end of the day.
Gadge was busy loading another grenade into the launcher, Kat scrolled her datapad, flicking her robotic finger upwards as more information, strategic and information-wise.
Emile and Rose were busy customizing their weapons, Emile scraped the blade against his armor and Jorge was busy loading more and more ammo into his weapon. Jun was checking a clip of ammo along with Six who cleaned off his knife… And Thom was busy rubbing dust off his jetpack.
The whole of noble was still focused, looking at Carter for direction as the pelican carried them all around the area. It was clear more and more that he had a good team at the time for this.
"Commander? There's a large number of covenant soldiers being rerouted near the dark zone… I need half of Noble to deal with it and half to look into it… I'll brief you all when you're here, Sierra." Holland added as Gadge frowned.
He didn't think it would work out well more and more as of now when it came to shove… So much did it to try and figure out at the end of the day, a measure that could be dealt with sooner or later… They had a LOT more to see and do… So much that it honestly hurt to not know at the end of the day… Something about it all bothered them again and again.
It would be a lot worse if not for the fact that he had all the confidence in it all for now, something about it all seemed to be odder and odder to figure out at the end of the day… There are a lot of moments to which he sighed.
He hummed as he clicked his tongue as he clicked his fingers together. He guessed that such issues would happen to Reach as he slotted another grenade into the weapon.
"You good, sir? Something on your brain." Gadge stated before he sighed and slowly rested his weapons on his knee.
"Just thinking about what you said, Noble. I don't want to see another losing fight." Carter said as Gadge turned to Jorge.
"This is your home planet, ain't it? I read your files when we were shipped here." Gadge asked as Jorge hummed.
"Yes," Jorge said as Gadge stayed silent.
"Reach ain't going to burn without a fight… Got my promise… Seen too many planets burn since I got drafted. Reach isn't going to be another one of the trophies the covenant gets." Gadge stated as he hummed to himself.
There was a vote of silence before he looked downwards at the ground as he hummed to himself, drawing ideals that he could not at all wish to deal with and desires that he had not buried deeply enough.
Still? Such things were all too easily dealt with. Carter looked to the others as Gadge cleared his throat and spoke.
"Sir? If things do get bad? I think we should talk with the colonel about fallback plans… I'm digging in my boots… But if the fighting gets too bad? I'm not ok with throwing soldiers at a brick wall." Gadge said as he sighed.
"Agreed, there's a lot of good men and women here," Jorge said before Gadge hummed.
"You're the only member of the team that's an II, yeah? I've never met an II in that time." Jorge heard as he hummed and then looked downwards at the ground.
He hummed to himself before he cracked his fingers as of now. Jorge seemed to yawn once more as he looked downwards at the ground before he sighed to himself before now.
He had a VERY large amount of mercy that would not be allowed, something that bothered him as he knew well enough such things were all too easily dealt with… Such problems would be beyond him.
The pelican dipped towards the ground, slowly yet surely coming to a stop as Carter and Kat nodded, preparing to deal with the worst part of a Spartan's job when it came to being an officer… The menial work didn't at all aid them when it came to such a thing.
Such problems seemed to be beyond him for now at the end of the day. There was a lot more to try and figure out about it all and he was utterly ready for it all.
Carter and Kat left the confines of the dropship as they turned to look downwards at the ground, amused for now. They had a lot more to try and figure out any single way.
Whatever he could do next? Well? He would be unable to try and deal with something at the moment as sighed once more.
Such things only bothered him again and again. He would not allow it to end and yet? He would not be able to do more than relax as of now, such problems would not be able to try and end for now.
There was a LOT more to deal with, simply more than before, and yet? They would not be able to deal with it all.
There were a lot of things that could only confuse the Spartans as they all hummed, looking at one another.
"We should get ready for whatever the Colonel wants… Something tells me we're going to be going hunting tonight." Gadge stated before he sighed to himself as he looked at the others, he clicked his fingers before resting his rifle on his shoulder.
He stayed silent before he looked to the side, slowly stepping off the craft before he clicked his tongue, watching as the others slowly started to follow once more.
"Carter ever acts like that?" Gadge asked before he hummed.
"Don't know, I've barely worked with him for two months," Jorge stated before he hummed and rested his gun on his shoulder.
"So, we don't know how screwed we are…. I heard we're all mixed up." Gadge said as Emile hummed.
"I signed up to kill covenant, I don't know what you both got transferred for." Gadge heard from Emile as he hummed.
"I got transferred because ONI said Noble needed an explosive expert. What about the others?" Gadge stated before he looked to the others.
"Can we not have this talk?" Jorge asked to which Jun chuckled.
"Why? You not in the mood to tell why an II seemed to get sent to a squad full of IIIs." Jun stated to which Gadge hummed.
"We're not having this talk if Jorge doesn't want to… Owe him that damn much if the covenant is banging down his front door." Jorge heard before he sighed.
"So… What do we do next?" Gadge asked before he crossed his arms and then paused to look to the side, utterly unable to do more than cope.
(With Kat and Carter)
Kat walked through the halls; her helmet tucked under her arm as she walked. She paused to look at Carter who simply walked further and faster than possible.
Such motives as of now seemed to be odder and odder to her. She would continue to question what was going on as he looked around the hallways,
"There's a plan here, isn't there? There's never a plan involved, is there?" Kat asked before she looked around the room, Carter hummed before he looked at her.
She would not be able to relax once more as he would be able to relax once more. They had a lot more problems to try and figure out, something that could relax more.
They had a lot more to try and deal with as of the time being… Such problems always grew to be more and more amused more and more as she hummed. They would not be able to relax, nor over this as he sighed and realized that it was going to fall apart when it comes to it all.
Perhaps something about it all would matter, but not right now at the end of the day.
Kat knew Carter better than the others; he was a soldier to the end and that meant dealing with something he couldn't deal with.
"You don't know what's going on, do you?" Kat asked to which Carter hummed for the time being. "We both know what's going to happen… Unless half the UNSC is going to throw its life away? Reach isn't going to win." Kat stated as she sighed.
"We both know we're going to fight either way, doesn't matter what I think," Carter said as he turned. "If the covenant is here? We fight, it's what Spartans do… There's nothing that I say that matters there." Carter stated as Kat frowned.
"Holland is in charge, doesn't mean he's the leader of Noble Team. We both know what following orders by the book did." Kat stated before Carter frowned.
(With the rest of Noble Team)
Gadge leaned on a Falcon before he sighed and rubbed at his temples and hummed, tired of himself before he yawned as he sighed and watched the others look around.
He looked around, tired for now, and knew what was going to happen again and again at the end of the day. Perhaps it wouldn't end the same way but he knew they were in for a real fight at the end of the day.
"They've been in there for a long time, think they're coming out?" Rose stated as she sighed to herself.
"No, Colonel Holland is busy. He's probably waiting for now." Gadge stated.
(With Carter and Holland)
"There's been a massive influx of covenant troops along this ridge, Dot?" Holland asked before the hologram appeared.
"A dark zone along the Szurdok Ridge has been located, all attempts to recon this location so far have fallen apart," Dot stated as it showed a satellite hologram of the area.
"That zone is large enough to hide an entire covenant invasion force for Reach," Holland stated as he gestured to the side. "Every single team I've sent to recon the area has gone dark, which is why I'm sending half of Noble Team… The other half will be investigating an area near Sword Base, we suspect the Covenant were using it as a temporary base for the attack on Sword Base." Holland stated before he hummed and paused to look at the ground.
Carter and Kat were silent as he hummed and then set his glance at them with silence as he looked at DOT who had fallen silent, the dumb ai looking at the two with interest.
Carter knew that whatever he did? It didn't exactly stack up to what was to come. The implications aside? All they did? All they could do? Was on standby and WATCH as everything went to hell and back, he pitied the soldiers who had to fight through this for now.
All of it needed to be done in a way that could be dealt with purely and properly, perhaps for some insane reason that it could keep growing more and more as of now, he clicked his fingers at the end.
He hummed to himself before yawning, utterly exhausted in every manner and way of speaking. He didn't even know what was going on.
"There's also the fact that we need to consider large-scale troop movements across Reach, there's going to be at least a dozen or so ships in that fleet and we both know what's going on," Holland said before he sighed and looked downwards to the side.
There was just more and more to try and figure out for now, they had a lot more to try and figure out as the Colonel seemed to look out more and more, glancing at the two Spartans as he guessed how it'd all end.
They'd need a miracle to beat the Covenant, an army, a navy…. There was no defense against the madness they'd bring. The pain they'd cause as they arrived on Reach? It'd bring the entire planet to its knees in days.
Nothing would be able to be stopped if they didn't stand in the way of it. They had little to nothing in the way of it all, knowing it would all end for nothing.
He would give the Covenant no quarter, something that it could do so for now as of the time being when it came down to it. He was a soldier and he knew damn well what being a soldier was at the end of the day before he clicked his fingers against one another.
He would not be able to try and figure out a plan, not without support and a lot of good men and women dying for the time being, they had a lot of fighting to do.
"Get your team into the field and then get going… We're going to keep needing data and info to try and figure out a plan of attack. There's a lot of data to shift through and the more we don't know what to try and do? The better an advantage the covenant has… And the last thing I need is covenant on my front door without a plan of attack." Holland stated before he sighed to himself as he looked downwards at the ground, guessing something else was afoot.
They had a lot of ideas, something that would only benefit from an issue, something that he couldn't allow to handle for now, it wouldn't allow them a level of mercy for now.
It was something that would divide them for now, knowing what was going on and allowing himself a moment of relaxation, utterly unable to do more than simply cut through the fat. Holland had zero idea of what was going on, but it wouldn't end anytime soon, there was something madness at the time that wouldn't allow them a win.
Perhaps they had been thrown for a loop and then he relaxed to himself again and again as he hummed and sighed before it as of now.
The soldier was silent, utterly silent as he yawned, cracking his fingers as the two slowly started to exit the room
"I don't think we're going to be all right, Commander… We have a very long list of problems and I know how hard the Covenant play to try and win, we're going to be fighting tooth and nail to keep the planet from them." Holland stated before he folded his hands behind him.
(With the rest of Noble Team)
"So… Who bets we die next mission? Always sending Spartans on suicide missions." Gadge muttered, utterly tired as of now. "Last thing we need is another death," Gadge stated before he paused to look around.
This wouldn't yet be something that could be dealt with for now, knowing that it could be worse off He could not be dealt with in a way they were used to.
"Noble?" They heard as they turned to look at Carter. "Half of you will be going to deal with looking into the dark zone… The other half is going to be busy checking a location near Sword… We've gotten reports that at least 3 corvettes exist." Carter heard as Gadge looked at the others.
"Mind telling us who is doing what, sir? I'm not good at rock climbing." Gadge joked as he looked at the man.
"I'll take the mission to recon the zone. Kat? Take the others and get the dark zone recon finished, we're regrouping at HIGH COM." Gadge heard as he paused before he looked to the side, utterly unsure of what to see and do.
The two soldiers paused, thinking of something in ways that could not be dealt with.
The Spartans all shared looks, glancing at one another and noticing that it would be dealt with upon an idea of this faction… He would not be able to try and relax for now.
They had a lot of issues, ones which could only reliably think of an answer for now. it would not end well, not even slightly end for the time being.
He had a problem, one which would not be personally dealt with. Carter paused, looking around at the others all of them were too busy to think as he began to pick out who was getting the mission.
"6, Thom, Jorge, Jun? you all go and get this done… Everyone else? With me… And pack for a fight, the covenant isn't going to be happy that we're going to be dealt with more and more for now." Carter stated as he sighed and looked around the room.
The others all paused, thinking it could be dealt with for now, utterly unable to do more as of now, enjoying what needed to be dealt with for now and well aware of the measures of pain and suffering they could have dealt with for now.
He yawned to himself again as she hummed before she looked downwards at the ground, pausing to herself before she would not be dealt with for now, there was a lot more.
There was a lot more to try and deal with for now, there was just too much to try and seem to understand while pausing to herself before looking downwards.
There was a lot more to try and figure out and they all seemed to keep through the madness that it would be dealt with for the moment before now as she cracked her fingers.
"How are we going to be cutting through them?" Gadge paused to herself. "There's probably an entire army where we got to go, not going to be easy to try and figure something out." He stated before he sighed to himself.
Kat cracked her fingers as she paused to look downwards at the ground, she guessed more and more that it all would not easily be dealt with at all, knowing what may or may not come as of now and now.
They had a lot of options on their mind as Carter paused, thinking of what might be done if they didn't go forwards, relaxing at the time as he sighed.
There was a lot more to try and figure out as of now, pausing to think of what to fight through before she relaxed to herself.
"You, ok?" Carter questioned before the others nodded, pausing to himself.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point that next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words and will be delayed. The next Chapter will show more Noble Team dealing with their mission and ideals. Until then, Lighting Wolf
