Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Iron Cross. Enjoy the 2100-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer or Halo, Gameshop and 343 do.
(May 1st, 2531, Helix-II.)
Master Chief removed the grate, tearing it from the hinges as the Spartan-II began to lead Blue Team in.
"Lieutenant," Chief stated before a loud booming voice came across all frequencies.
"SOLDIERS OF THE COVENANT! FACE ME, COWARDS! FACE SOMEONE WHO SPITS ON YOUR LIES ABOUT HUMANITY, WHO DEFIES THE PATHETIC ATTEMPTS TO CULL HUMANITY! FACE ME… Unless you are so pathetic you cannot do anything against an enemy who CAN fight back." Halius hissed out.
The result was instant, the gates of the facility slid open and dozens of brutes, elites, jackals, and grunts all swarmed the position… Only to be met with coordinated streams of fire which sent a dozen or so Covenant soldiers down the hill, bloodied and missing chunks of their chests.
Before he entered, Chief watched Halius grip the sword next to him and use it to slice the head of a brute attempting to hammer him before elbowing an elite down the hill.
The Spartans climbed into the pipe, muffled rounds of plasma and gunfire erupting from behind them. It was clear the Ultramarines were making well enough progress.
"They fight well enough," Fred stated.
"Three of them and us outmatched 90 Covenant soldiers… He is not a joke, neither is his friend." Jerome stated.
"They just showed up and started rampaging through the Covenant?" Kelly asked.
"Focus on the mission," Chief stated as the 4 Spartans crawled through the pipe.
Well, 3, Linda had decided to scale the towers to provide sniper support. Chief heard the clack of Covenant boots on the other side… Then gripped his MA5B.
(With Halius)
Halius brought up his Mark III bolt pistol and put a round through the head of an attacking brute.
The first 20 or so Covenant soldiers, all elites, or brutes, had attempted to kill the Ultramarines hand to hand.
The combo of meltas, bolters, and Halius decapitating the lead brute had made the next 200 or so resort to shooting. Halius grabbed his bolter after sheathing his weapons and returned fire.
"Master Chief, Spartan Jerome? Have you infiltrated?" Halius asked.
"Yes." Both Spartans stated.
"Good," Halius said before he ducked out of cover to gun down a pair of brutes. "I was wondering if this attack was for nothing," Halius stated.
"You are holding the position?" Jerome asked.
"He is…. I count 200 Covenant infantry, maybe more." Linda stated.
"Finish your mission, Spartan. I will finish the Covenant." Halius stated.
The Ultramarine did note the fact there would be no shortage of Covenant soldiers to fight. This was a fully staffed military base.
So be it, he had plenty of ammo.
(In orbit.)
One of the two strike cruisers listed to the side, its hull blackened as Spirit of Fire destroyed a CPV-Heavy destroyer with a MAC round through its spine.
"Selina, tell Forge to get the men ready," Cutter stated. "Lieutenant Halius? I have reinforcements standing by." Cutter stated.
"How is the battle in orbit, Admiral?" Halius asked as more gunfire came off the other end.
"We've punched a hole in their forces, I'm sending what support I can," Cutter stated.
"The Spartans might need it more than us," Halius stated as the Spirit began to engage the rest of the fleet anew.
(On the ground)
Halius backhanded an elite away before he put a bolt through their chest, sending their bloody body down the slope, a brute and elite tried to attack him but Halius pivoted around the brute, kicking them away as he caught the elite's arm.
Halius slammed them into the hilt of his blade before drawing it and finishing the elite off with a slash to the throat.
He then finished the brute off with a shot to the head then another, watching as they rolled down the slope.
The remaining Covenant soldiers, easily 400 or so, continued to fire at them. Several Ultramarines reeled back, armor smoking from repeated plasma hits.
"Suppressive fire," Halius stated as the Ultramarines returned fire.
Bolts and meltas flew toward the Covenant, sending several Jackals and grunts to the ground as corpses.
The majority were smart enough to take cover… And several of the shades as he had heard had opened fire… He hummed before looking at the rest of the army.
Halius and his men looked at the Covenant. There was a clear lack of strategy now but it was clear they lacked a small army.
Halius questioned his options before a familiar whine came over the air. He watched as a B-65 Broadsword dropped its payload, sending covenant soldiers flying and putting a hole in their forces.
3 D77-Pelicans landed behind them, 3 squads of marines and Forge exited.
"Hey, big guy," Forge stated before he looked at the remaining Covenant soldiers. "We might need some help," Forge stated.
(With Blue Team)
Chief leaned on the wall, watching as the group of Zealots opened fire on them.
Fred and Kelly opened fire as Chief moved up, his MA5B thrumming as one of the elites had their shields crack and vanish before they collapsed, tracers cutting through their chest.
Another elite collapsed to the ground, shields sparkling as the bullet cut through their heads.
Chief looked up to see Linda, tangled in the pipes, rifle smoking as she hummed to think once more.
Linda twisted her head as a jackal screeched, bringing their beam rifle up and firing. Linda squeezed the trigger of her weapon as a bullet exploded from the barrel of her rifle.
The jackal spun, its head a mess from the bullet as it crashed to the ground. Linda leaped backward, the plasma burning at the nape of her neck.
Linda seemed to think of what was growing on her mind before she looked to the side.
She could see a dozen brilliant lights as the soldiers of the Imperium and UNSC valiantly fought against the enemy… It was clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that most of them were doing more damage.
Still? She did not know at all how they would fair at the end of the day, the Covenant seemed to be swarming like cockroaches and it was clear without a doubt they had been pushed back rather far for now. Rather beyond the pale was their ability to contain the enemy.
She decided to fix that, repositioning herself for a better shot as she thought of how well she could snipe the enemy before they managed to tag her.
Her rifle clacked twice and a pair of jackals who had tried to flank the group fell from the ramparts… And Linda's rifle clicked empty as she realized her rifle needed more ammo.
She untangled herself from the mass of pipes as Chief tossed an Elite into the wall before finishing the stunned alien off with a burst from his MA5B. He looked up at Linda and nodded as the two moved.
"They have us pinned!" Forge yelled.
"No. We have them at a stalemate… Brothers? Continue suppressive fire. We will clean them out before they can even move." Halius stated before he sighed, looking to the side with annoyance.
He knew more and more the Covenant was not used to being pressed so hard by soldiers. They were used to steamrolling infantry under powerful tanks and guns… Now? Now they were fighting another enemy who could slay as many soldiers as the enemy could, they had to technology and skill to force the covenant into a tactical stalemate.
And they hated it. They hated the idea of an enemy that would not bend to their might… One which was not going to at all when push came to shove.
Linda began to work her way through the bundles of pipes and wires, only pausing to reload her weapon. She could see a pair of Forge's marines collapse from carbine shots to their chests and another Ultramarine grunt as a plasma grenade exploded under them.
They knew damn well they were getting pressed which meant the Spartans had to sabotage the staging area faster… And before the enemy could press them into a further stalemate.
Linda looked at Chief, Fred, and Kelly. They picked their way through the base with practiced ease and took care to eliminate jackals and grunts with headshots to conserve ammo. She climbed deeper into the base, eager to get to the top before something insane happened.
Whatever it was? They did not know how well the enemy would fight… But they did know that the enemy was breaking before long… And it would become clear that such a thing was harder and harder to figure out.
Linda was too silent, too unsure of what was growing more and more on the time being, they had a lot more to try and figure it all out now.
She was silent and for a good reason when it was all said and done. She looked at Halius as he glanced at her.
"Spartan," Halius said, tossing a Brute to the side. "I may require some assistance," Halius stated.
"You mean backup… And yeah, we do… Do we have any other backup?" Forge asked as more plasma raked their location.
"Standby, archer missiles incoming," Selina stated before a pair of missiles streaked downwards.
The UNSC/Imperium force took cover as a pair of thunderous explosions finally shook the ground, casting fire and smoke out from where they had hit the ground… It destroyed everything around them and reminded the duo of the power of the navy.
"Thank you," Forge stated before a shadow fell over them.
The broadsword from before swooped back only for a beam of light to pierce its wing and send it back crashing into the ground.
A corvette, dwarfing them… Hung over their head, several pods dropped from the underside like an engorged tick.
"Crap…" Forge stated before they sought cover.
It reminded Forge the Covenant still had a naval advantage in some areas as the Corvette began to launch reinforcements and batter them away.
"Spirit. We got a damn Corvette overhead and it is going to turn us into mincemeat, you got anything fancy?" Forge asked.
"Retreat and let us deal with it, you aren't a match for a Covenant warship, Lieutenant," Serina stated.
Both Halius and Forge nodded, realizing even the Ultramarines could not do anything, not unless they had boarded the ship which was easier said than done.
Halius decided it was better to retreat either way… Despite his misgivings towards the action.
Before he did? He noticed several explosions inside the staging area… A sign their assault had allowed the Spartans time.
"Selina? Prepare a MAC round and prepare to fire." Cutter stated.
They rushed away as the skies seemed to surge with light followed by a bolt that shook the Ultramarines and tossed them to the ground.
The covenant corvette, completely taken off guard, had the round tear through the stern, explosions blanketing it as it lost power, shields fully gutted.
This was joined by more explosions across the staging area which fully led up to the crown, consuming the 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, and another corvette.
The corvette exploded in a massive fireball as it crashed to the ground, finally ending the battle, and joining the covenant structure in a haze of purple smoke.
The UNSC/Imperium forces raised their arms in victory at this. They realized all too well the battle was finally over… But the war? The war would continue past this, well past this.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! A few things.
But the Ultramarines can handle spec ops…. Their built like tanks and meant for frontline warfare with most despising the idea of scouts… They are not the best for stealth.
If anyone want to think the Imperium is going to make the UNSC equal? They are not, the UNSC is still going to use mostly standard guns and armor. I do not want them to curb stomping covenant. That? And I cannot tell how Warhammer plasma measures to Covenant so Ultramarines can still die from fighting Covenant.
No, the Inquisition would not show up, Mechanius might. None of the Imperium likes Inquisitors for being… Inquisitors, Halius would probably headshot one before letting them arrest Spartans.
I want to ask people how long they suspect the war should be and what battles should be in it. I settled on a new mission here so as not to rip off cannon too much.
The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show more of Master Chief and Halius talking, Halsey interacting with the Ultramarines and the aftermath of this operation, until the 900-6500 word chapter. Lighting Wolf out!