Operation BOMB LIFT
SLS Huntress, Crew Quarters
February 26, 2772 Hegemony Standard Calendar/2531 UNSC Military Calendar
0851 shipboard time
Colonel Watkin sat in his temporary quarters aboard the Huntress as he looked over the report from the half dozen raids that the UNSC had conducted earlier that morning. Aside from the nearly flawless performance of Raider lance against the Covenant Scarab, and their single loss, the rest of the raids had suffered significantly greater casualties. A full third of the vehicles the UNSC had deployed on the other five raids either had not returned, or were good for no more than scrap. Fortunately, the losses seemed to be almost entirely the light scout cars they called 'Warthogs'.
That said; their troop survival was also poor, as each deployment had lost a third or more of their troops when engaging Covenant infantry. The problem seemed to be that they were often outnumbered by the Covenant's 'Grunts', who held ground quite well until their leadership was killed, at which point the little aliens inevitably broke and died in droves. The Marine's tactics were perfectly acceptable, but their body armor was sub-par against the alien energy weapons, and the UNSC lacked any apparent shield-breaking weapons to enable faster kills against the 'Elites' that seemed to be the leaders of the Covenant military. The Marines were forced to break the shields either by volume of fire or brute force.
This was at odds with what he had heard about the UNSC's abilities in void combat, where they needed to outnumber the Covenant fleet 3-1 to achieve an even result. Once again, the UNSC was hampered by the technological disparity, as Covenant shields held up very well against the UNSC's weapons of choice, where the increased power behind their shields held up significantly better than their personal shielding.
He would have to see what Elise was willing to trade with the UNSC for settlement rights and their own independence. Jason doubted the UNSC or whatever powers ruled over them would pass up an opportunity to simply absorb the fleet given half a chance.
A knock on his door interrupted his musing. "Enter," he called out.
The door slid open to reveal Lieutenant Jaeger, who's prosthetic arm was holding on to the rim of the doorway as she leaned around the wall. "You asked to be reminded that Captain Cutter was going to hold a strategy meeting at 0915 for our plans regarding leaving?"
"Yes, I did," he answered. "Thank you, Meredith." Jason gathered up the three noteputer tablets he was bringing to the meeting, pausing to rub his fingers across the little 'mech charm that Suzumi and Shinobu had made for him a year ago. He then turned back to Meredith and held out his hand to her. "Shall we?" The look on her face was priceless as her brain tried to process the invite.
UNSC Spirit of Fire, Captain's Stateroom
0915 Shipboard time
Captain Cutter stood at the head of the table, hands bracing him up as Jason watched the captain's face for clues to his thoughts. Unfortunately, Cutter's poker face was solid, and the Colonel couldn't divine any glimpses into the Captain's thoughts while they waited for Professor Anders to arrive with the Monitor.
The door hissed open as the marines guarding the door let the professor through. She was carrying the monitor under the crook of one arm, and a stack of datapads under the other. "Sorry I'm cutting it so close," she apologized hurriedly. "But I think I've found a way to make sure the Covenant can never get their hands on anything we couldn't take with us."
"Do elaborate, Professor," Captain Cutter didn't even bother with a greeting as he brought up a holographic map of the shield world.
"So I've run some of the math, and with clarifications from Harken Watch here," she waved the Forerunner Monitor as she spoke, "if we can induce the star into a nova phase, there won't be much left of the planet, and certainly nothing of risk left for the Covenant to acquire." Anders set the datapads she was carrying on the table, before her face fell. "Unfortunately, nothing we have with us will produce enough energy to destabilize the star aside from our translight engine, and the Covenant are absolutely crawling over the site that controls the star's stability. There are thousands of pieces of Covenant armor, and at least ten thousand in infantry based on scans alone."
"So unless we want to take on the Covenant's main base here, we're going to need to find another source for a translight engine," Jason concluded. "Because that doesn't sound like something you're keeping spares of?"
"No, that's not something we keep spares of," Cutter confirmed. "They're prohibitively expensive to just have spares lying around, especially when you have to tune each drive in a yard to match the ship it's being installed on."
"And as much as seeing the destruction of my Installation pains me," the Monitor spoke up, drawing the eyes of the five people in the room to it, "I may have an alternative. There were a number of personal craft left by my makers here, when they fell in the defense of this facility against the Flood. They held the line when I was damaged, allowing me to retreat into, and then seal, the facility. It is unfortunate that none of them were able to hold on long enough to enter safety alongside me."
"Well, I'd say that should do nicely," Sergeant Forge spoke for the first time since entering the room. "And we should see about grabbing any of the others we can fit in the cargo bays, because I know for certain that the Physics departments back home would be furious with us if we didn't at least try to bring them back with us."
The Sergeant's comment caused Meredith to dissolve into giggles, and even the mostly stoic Captain Cutter cracked a smile. Jason settled for a soft chuckle. Left unsaid was the possibility of those ships holding technology that might give them an edge to exploit in their war.
"So we put together a team to go grab those, and hopefully we'll at least be able to operate the realspace drives on them to get them up to the Spirit without issue, because there's no way the Covenant won't have found them already if they were in open air," Forge declared. "Which means they've gotta be in a hangar of some sort."
"They are indeed in a hangar," Harken Watch confirmed. "That is accessible through the interior of the planetary shell structure by vehicles through a sealed series of lifts and interlocks, and foot access is available through a small elevator on the interior surface."
"If we can't fly in, how do we get them out?"
"The primary entrance was sealed from the inside. However there are a set of large lifts that allow access from the hangar to the interior surface. The craft that was used in my retrieval is roughly comparable in size, externally at least, though they are by no means as tall."
"Right, so we're looking at craft with the same footprint as one of your Leopards," Captain Cutter remarked. "Hopefully it'll be able to fit through the bay doors on the Spirit. I'd hate to have to disassemble them just to take technology samples back to UNSC controlled space. Intact samples are much more useful, as the Professor has demonstrated several times." This last was said with an amused glance at Anders, who looked embarrassed by whatever was being referenced by the Captain.
"Will we even be able to operate any of them?" Anders asked, in an attempt to change the subject. "Or will we have to tow them with heavy lift gear?"
"Basic systems should be usable for a skilled operator without the aid of a construct, but without one, there is no hope of successfully utilizing the more complex systems aboard the yachts," the Monitor chirped happily. "But I would suggest allowing myself to be available for any… unforeseen issues."
"That's a good point," Jason agreed. "We'd want to inspect them before we even try to get them out of the hangars. They've been sitting in there for what, 100,000 years? Even if the hangar seals are intact, there's a decent risk of there being issues that we wouldn't know to look for. Even if your makers built for things to be left alone for extreme lengths of time without maintenance." The Monitor's eye flashed briefly as though it was going to offer a rebuttal before bobbing in agreement.
"Sergeant Forge, I want you to put together a retrieval team to acquire these yachts, and we can salvage one for its translight engine for our bomb," Cutter ordered. "The rest are going in our cargo bays regardless of if we have to disassemble them or not. Our people need the technology they represent, and I don't want to risk the Covenant finding them."
"Captain, if I might interject," Serina spoke up for the first time in this meeting. "There is a Covenant force that has taken hold of the exit tunnel, and we will need to deploy a ground force to reopen it. There also appears to be a growing foothold of the infestation near the portal as well. This will present a threat to any forces we deploy to the area."
"The shields that close off the interior surface of the portal will open automatically at the presence of any nearby Reclaimers," Harken Watch declared. "I would suggest a mobile team be used to visit each of the six spires around the portal to open them, and then extract as quickly as possible, to minimize any potential for exposure to the Flood."
"I'll set Major Vaughn on that," Cutter decided after a brief silence. "Use Hornets for transport, they're nimble and can carry a few troopers a piece. In the meantime, Colonel Watkin, I could use your input on a plan to assault this teleporter up to the Apex Site that we need to use to get our delivery system up to the stellar core."
Interior of Shield World Etran Harborage
1140 shipboard time
The roar of the Pelican filled the small clearing as it took off from depositing the retrieval team. Professor Ellen Anders had practically bullied her way onto the team, citing to the Captain that she "didn't trust Forge not to break something important". She shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun as she watched the Pelican begin back towards the Spirit.
"Alright, Marines," Forge began. "We're about a klick(1) away from this elevator we're looking for, supposed to be in a little building off on its lonesome in this forest. Keep your ears open and your eyes on a swivel." The small party, consisting of Anders, Forge, Harken Watch, a squad of marines, and four pilots rated for the UNSC's Heron cargo haulers, moved off into the woods.
An uneventful, even peaceful, walk through the thick vegetation later, and the lead element literally walked into the overgrown wall of the elevator structure. The surprised exclamation alerted the rest of the group, and they quickly gathered around the structure jutting out of the hillside. One of the marines unslung the Monitor from the backpack carry mounting that had been set up for it so it couldn't 'wander off'. Harken Watch bobbed unsteadily in the air, before floating over to open the door. A beam of light connected the monitor to the door for a moment, before the door quietly hissed open.
"Down we go," one of the marines said. "Into the unknown again."
The smooth descent of the elevator the Monitor had led them to came to a halt and the door hissed open to reveal the largest hanger Ellen had ever seen. She was taken aback at the magnificence of this place, even mostly empty.
"This is absolutely pristine," she breathed in awe. There were three gleaming silver yachts parked below, although the hangar itself would have easily fit ten times that number in neatly ordered rows of bays.
"Mostly," the monitor answered her, a scanning beam from its eye passing across the three parked ships. "Unfortunately, it appears that one of the yachts has developed a fault in its gravitic drive as a result of fire taken during a battle it fled from on its way here."
"Right, well, looks like that's our drive donor then," Forge chirped, and started down the ramp towards the three landed ships. The marines and pilots filed past Anders as she took some time to take in the marvel before her.
"Ma'am," a gentle shake of her shoulder brought her attention back to the matter at hand. She followed the trail down the ramp towards the ships, and arrived just in time for Harken Watch to open the ramp of the first yacht.
Harken Watch and two of the pilots moved on to the second yacht, accompanied by a smaller gaggle of Marines, while the other two pilots, Forge, Anders, and the main gaggle of marines boarded the first yacht to look around.
An agonizingly slow series of mechanisms had carried the three yachts from the bowels of the facility and up to the surface. After what felt like the better part of an hour, the three yachts finally came to the final set of interlocking lifts to the interior surface, where they were supposed to meet with the Heron that they'd called for to carry the unflyable yacht, the location of the lift exit having been provided by the Monitor.
The radio came to life as they neared the top of the final lift. "Basket to ground team, better hurry it up, people. The Covies are starting to take an interest in us loitering over here," the Heron pilot told them. "Lots of Banshees in the air, looks like there might be some Vampires launching, too."
"We're almost at the top of the shaft now, we'll lift off as soon as we're clear," the pilot at the controls of the yacht reported.
"Roger. Basket will scoop as soon as you're clear."
"Right people," Forge spoke in the now silent cabin. "Door's opening."
Anders looked up through the yacht's immense cockpit window to see that the door was indeed opening, catching the first rays of the star's light to grace the inside of this craft. She shielded her eyes against the glare, only to blink in surprise as the lift deposited them next to a lake. The lift came to a halt with a thunk, and the pilot moved the throttle forward. The yacht slid into the air with a smoothness that caused Anders to actually laugh in delight.
"Gear up," the co-pilot commented offhandedly. "Four greens."
"Basket, we are clear," the pilot of the second yacht called over the radio.
"Basket copies. Inbound now."
"Ground, Oscar 3-1, be advised, the Covies aren't looking too happy, cause that's a lot of stuff that just turned your way," the voice of one of their escort fliers strained over the radio.
"That's our cue to scoot on out of here and back to the Spirit's envelope(2)," Forge subtly pressured the pilots.
"We're moving, we're mov- woah, incoming!" the co-pilot shouted and the pilot attempted to dodge a Banshee's attempt to strafe them.
There was a series of impacts, followed by a loud thump as the Banshee was turned into a purple smear on the lower section of the cockpit window that allowed the pilots and passengers to look down from the yacht's nose in a ball of flame and shrapnel.
"Are we good?" Forge inquired.
"All systems showing green, looks like the hull held up," the co-pilot answered, almost puzzled by the lack of damage from the banshee's attack.
"Advancing to full power," the pilot commented, and the ground slid away beneath them.
UNSC Spirit of Fire, Port Fighter Hangar
1419 shipboard time
Captain Cutter watched as the pilots brought the two yachts into a ginger landing in the spirit's forward hangars, usually reserved for the Nandao and Shortsword compliment. The Heron had already unloaded its cargo, the third unflyable yacht, and been resecured to the Spirit's starboard Heron rack. The ramp opened and disgorged Anders, Forge, and their marines onto the hangar deck. The marines were shepherded off the deck by a Hangar Officer, while Forge and Anders approached the Captain.
"Good news, Captain," Anders began. "The ships, other than the one with a damaged sub-light engine, are fully functional. We've got gifts for HIGHCOM when we get to Reach."
"Well done indeed," Cutter congratulated her. "It's a shame I can't give you leave to find us more treasures here. Sergeant, clean work. This'll land you a mark of merit, at the least."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Now I need to go turn a translight engine into a bomb. Preferably without killing us all," Anders declared. "If you'll excuse me?"
Cutter nodded permission, and watched the professor walk quickly towards the hangar exit.
"How did the scouting run to our exit go?" Forge asked, as he and the Captain followed behind the professor at a slower pace.
"Acceptably," Cutter informed Forge. "The first of the locks opened as soon as the Hornets got near it, and stayed that way after they left, so we won't have to land forces to secure them while we're on our way out of here after setting the bomb. Just fly some Hornets close enough to trigger the locks and pick them up on our way through."
"Right. And the Apex Site?" Forge asked.
"The Platform's too exposed to land the bomb on it directly, we'll have to take the teleporter at the Base Site below it. Which means we'll have to fight through the Covenant's bases on the hill up. Transport for the bomb will be by Elephant towing it up the hill. Our allies have agreed to run point on the push up the hill, but they're going to be relying on us to provide support so they aren't taking on the entire Covenant Citadel, turrets and all."
"An armored push, huh," Forge thought aloud, before offering a quick plan. "I'd recommend we take a mixed approach. Support their Mechs with our Grizzlies, and maybe a few Cobras to help take down any Scarabs that show up. And while they clear the way, we task some Scorpions and Wolverines to escort the Elephant. Hornets as recon and QRF(3)."
"I'll leave command of the ground to you then, Sergeant. I know you'll do the service proud." Cutter placed a hand on Forge's shoulder and gave him a gentle shake, before turning away from the Sergeant and heading to his office to plan the push to clear the exit area for their rapid departure. Perhaps this would be the best place to utilize the Spirit's few Vultures.
Apex Base Site, Interior Surface of Etran Harborage
1530 shipboard time
Colonel Watkin looked up at the low hanging Spirit of Fire as a pair of Pelicans gently lowered the improvised translight engine bomb onto a trailer at the bottom of the hill. Stormwing hummed beneath him, its reactor brimming with power, fresh armor, and a fresh coat of paint.
"We're all set to go here," the radio crackled to life. "Knight, you're clear to begin your push."
The DI waved its lightning bolts at the enemy at the top of the hill and screamed in defiance, though only he could hear the DI computer's thirst for battle. He smiled, the neurohelmet connecting him to the machine feeding them both with the eagerness to fight.
"Knight Lance, weapons free," Jason ordered. "Equites, begin long range IDF(4), target link is available from Spirit. Wolf Company, try not to fall behind." He accelerated Stormwing into a walk, a crisp 43.2 km/h cruising speed for optimal shooting on the move. LRMs from Equites' Catapult arced overhead, falling on unseen opponents, and sparked a charge of Covenant Ghosts down the hill. The Covenant attack craft fell victim to the guns of Wolf Company's Grizzly and Cobra Tanks, allowing Knight lance to focus on the heavier armor lining up at the crest of the hill.
Knight Lance was halfway up the hill when the first Covenant Wraith tanks crested the ridge. Paladin triggered his ER PPCs, reducing the nose of a Wraith to slag, and apparently killing the driver, as the tank spun out of control into the side of another. That tank was finished off by a railgun volley from one of the Cobras, the one-two punch of the 30mm light railguns it carried cratering the disabled wraith's nose, and sending the internals spalling out the back of the tank.
Templar and Valiant smashed another pair of Wraith Tanks from beyond the effective range of the Wraith's plasma mortars, while easily walking out of the way of the attempts at return fire. All too soon, the few wraiths at the top of the first rise were dealt with, and the combined force of mechs and tanks crested the hill into view of the Covenant forward base.
"Enemy structure in sight," came the report from the ground armor. The Cobras began their deployment sequence, before a bright green stream of plasma slammed into one of the immobile vehicles. "Oh shit! Hunters!"
Several pairs of armored bipedal creatures carrying large slab shields and menacing green cannons on their arms charged towards the vehicles, and the Grizzly tanks opened fire upon them. Surprisingly, they withstood a fair amount of punishment before they started dropping.
"Knight Lance, Wolf Company requesting supporting fire," Jason heard over the radio. He queued up a series of target orders in his neurohelmet, and fed them to Equites for missile barrages. Seconds later, the missiles descended from above him onto the mass of Hunters.
"Good shots, Three," he told Megan, after the last of the missile barrages had fallen. "Lance, focus fire on this base, before they start calling in reinforcements. Intel says they can use that pad out front as some sort of localized teleport beacon."
The mechs trained their weapons on the Covenant outpost, and with surprisingly effective fire from the deployed Cobras, reduced it to exploding rubble inside of a minute.
"Spirit, Wolf Company reporting first base site cleared," the group's commander called up to the Warship. "Beginning ascent phase two."
"Spirit copies," the soft voice of Serina came over the radio in response. "Coyote are beginning their ascent behind you."
"Heads up, boss," Templar called over to Paladin. "I'm picking up a bunch of those Locust quads and one of the Scarab walkers coming down the ramp. By tonnage signatures, at least."
"Paladin copies," he replied, turning his mech to look up the second ramp. He used his neurohelmet to relay the contacts to the tactical net. As he watched the convoy react and reposition itself, the cobras taking the front position to engage the enemy armor, he felt a slight smirk cross his features. This would be fun.
By the time they made contact with the Covenant walkers, they were engaging a small infestation of Flood at the landing of the ramp up. The UNSC's Hornets had backed off when the Scarab arrived in the area, trying to stay out of the engagement range of the anti-air turret it carried. The lead Cobra deployed as soon as it reached the crest of the ramp, its bombardment railgun extending forwards, and the first round blew one of the shielded Locust escorts to pieces. The round continued out the other side into a Flood bulb and exploded, sending pieces of scorched Flood matter spraying into the air.
"Now that's a lot of damage," Templar commented.
"That is indeed a lot of damage," Paladin agreed. "Something to consider looking into when we're out of here. In the meantime, advance and destroy. Kill that Superheavy before it turns." He centered the targeting reticule on the rear of the Scarab and unleashed his particle cannons one after the other, smashing two huge craters into the rear armor plate of the walker. Templar missed the rear armor with his right particle cannon, creating a crater on the leg armor, but his left cannon struck the rear side plate of the scarab, leaving a long melted gash across the side armor.
Valiant moved to support the tanks in their engagement against the Locusts, allowing some of the Grizzlys to shift targets to the Flood critters trying to attack through the Covenant vehicles. Meanwhile, Equites sat in the back shooting missiles at anything that presented an opportunity.
When the Scarab began its turn, Paladin focused his PPCs on its leg joints, hoping to immobilize it. He managed to shatter the hip joint of its rear right leg, but all that seemed to do was slow the Scarab down. However, his actions bought the Cobras enough time to bring their large railguns to bear, and a series of shots brought the Scarab crashing to a halt, the center-mass volley tipping onto its side.
"Good kill on that Scarab, Wolf Company," Paladin thanked them. The Scarab had stopped moving, but he wasn't going to chance it getting back up. He walked around to the back of the Scarab and reared Stormwing's left arm back then slammed it forward. The reinforced weapons pod punched through the thin remainder of the rear armor protecting the Scarab's reactor with all the power its myomer could bring, before he reduced it to slag with his ER PPC. A brief plume of plasma vented out the new hole before Paladin stepped back. "Hopefully they can't fix the thing now, before we leave," he told his lance mates. "No idea how fast they are with repairs, so I'm gonna be safe with this one. Those 'engineers' they've got fix things faster than I'd like them to be able to."
The push up the third ramp segment towards the second Covenant outpost was remarkably simple, and they only lost one of the Cobras to a second pack of Locusts trying to push down the ramp. The remaining Cobras once again set up to bombard the Covenant outpost structure with their railguns, while the Mechs and Grizzly tanks eliminated the turrets. Another short barrage, and another base was also reduced to rubble.
"Spirit, Wolf Company," the UNSC company commander radioed. "Third platform is secure, starting our push up the final ramp."
"Spirit of Fire acknowledges, Wolf Company," the voice of Serina replied. "Coyote is starting their ascent behind you. Be advised, the enemy is massing in a concentrated response near the top of the final ramp. Scans indicate heavy armor concentrations and a fortified Covenant Citadel. Spirit is adjusting for MAC fire on Covenant fortifications, but indirect fire telemetry is available."
"Wolf Company, acknowledged. Any chance of air support," the UNSC commander requested.
"Shortswords are available for a bombing run, but CAS(5) is currently unavailable, Wolf Company," Serina informed them. "CAS assets are tied up defending Coyote from air attacks. The Covenant have figured out we're up to something."
"Understood, Spirit. We'll make it work with what we have. Wolf Company out," the UNSC company commander responded before switching to address the armored column. "Alright everyone, we need to pick up the pace. Covenant won't be long in sending more forces to reclaim their positions here. Get ready for a tough fight up ahead. Serina said 'heavy armor', so plan accordingly."
The climb up the final ramp was tense, and after a brief encounter with a hoard of Covenant Grunt squads, and their Elite leaders (personally, Jason thought of them more as the grunt's minders) the armored column reached the top.
"Be ready, the enemy base and their armor are right over this rise," Wolf Company's commander declared. "Knight, your people have the lead."
Paladin accelerated to the front of the column, followed by the rest of Knight Lance. Stormwing's sensors registered nine contacts, and immediately classified them as a single Scarab, four Locust quad-walkers, and four Wraith mortar tanks. He let the mech's external speakers broadcast the DI's warcry, as the phantom taste of blood seeped into his throat. As he ascended over the rise, he came face to face with a Locust that was facing the top of the rise, and reflexively unloaded every weapon he had into it.
The Locust's torso section and left legs disintegrated under the weight of fire from his alpha strike, its weapon charge expending itself harmlessly into the air as it vented backwards out of the destroyed walker. Stormwing screamed in victory over the kill, the DI avatar raising one of its lightning bolts to the sky. One of the remaining Locusts took a shot at him, but missed wide, the beam sailing out over the ramp.
Equites, in her Catapult, was next over the rise, her lasers and missile launchers firing even as the wraith tanks began to fire their own weapons. The wraith tanks' unshielded hulls were easy chew toys for her missiles, stripping two of them of their armor, but the tanks managed to withstand the barrage intact, if damaged. The other two wraiths fell to her lasers, one to a pair of hits smashing into and through the frontal armor, the other to lasers penetrating its hover wings, sending the reactor into an overload as the support structures failed and critical components broke away.
However, one of the wraith mortars descended onto her Catapult, smashing into her recently fired missile pod. "I'm hit," Equites called out, "left launcher. Armor held, barely. I'm almost heat critical, falling back to cool off." As the Catapult mech backed away, the cover panel of the launcher groaned as it flipped back down into place.
"Copy, Three. Valiant is moving to take front for you," Valiant responded to Equites' call out.
Templar followed behind Paladin, his Marauder spitting its own fury at another Locust, reducing the entire right side of the vehicle to scrap as its weapon fired upon him. The Locusts beam weapon, erratic in its master's destruction, carved a path across Templars right leg.
Valiant was the last member of the lance over the rise, Wolf Company hot on her heels. She split her fire, her medium lasers and SRMs going towards the remaining Wraiths, for two kills, her small lasers and machine guns towards the Locusts, for no hits.
Her PPCs, however, slammed into the front armor of the Scarab, leaving large craters. The scarab shuddered briefly as its main weapon opened and began to charge, before a large explosion tore out the walker's rear with a gout of blue flame, causing the scarab to lose power and collapse to the ground, the weapon's charge evaporating into waste heat.
"Blowthrough crit!" Templar exclaimed. "Nice shot, Valiant!"
"Ammo remaining, 20 percent SRM, 70 percent MG," Valiant stated calmly, but Paladin was sure she was currently grinning like a loon at her unexpected success.
Wolf Company's followup surge took the two remaining locusts out of the picture, the combined fire of a company of armored vehicles reducing the two walkers to scrap in short work. The Covenant's Citadel base, however, was far more problematic, protected as it was by starship-grade shielding.
"Spirit, Wolf Company reporting enemy armor destroyed," the company's commander reported on the general frequency, to much cheering. "Requesting MAC rounds on Covenant Citadel. We're gonna need some help to break that shield before they start sending more stuff our way."
"Spirit copies, Wolf Company," Serina responded. "The Captain is lining up for MAC rounds now, standby." There was a short pause as the Spirit maneuvered above them, aligning her forward guns on the Covenant Citadel. "MAC authorized, firing."
Three rounds were fired, slamming into the Citadel's shield. The shield in its entirety flared a bright blue as the first tungsten round shattered against it. The second repeated the feat, even as the shield flared even brighter as it tried to hold. The third impact shattered the shield in a flash of light as the round disintegrated. The sonic booms of the MAC rounds thundered across the field in the wake of the strike, as the Grizzlies and Cobras opened fire upon the external shield generator structure, the coordinated fire smashing it to pieces with a single volley. The assembled armor column and Knight Lance turned their fire to the main citadel structure. The combined fire of UNSC armor, and SLDF battlemechs destroyed the citadel in short order, clearing the way for the Elephant towing their makeshift bomb.
Authors Notes:
ATTENTION READERS! I have a class challenge for all of ya! I want you guys to submit designs for the 1st generation of UNSC Battlemechs. Light, and medium class mechs only please. I will pick my favorites or the ones that make the most sense for FIRST GENERATION Mechs from the UNSC. You may use IntroTech level parts from Battletech mixed with UNSC technology of the early Human-Covenant War era. Please remember, these Mechs are meant to be front line units, not Spartan Special Ops Snowflakes. I would like to select two designs from each weight category as winners, so please don't be afraid to share your ideas.
Anyways, with regards to the story combat scenes: Valiant, what the fuck? She rolled a BLOWTHROUGH CRITICAL on the Scarab, for two internal crits, and BOTH of them were on the Scarabs Power Plant! And then the Engine goes boom too! Seriously, those dice decided that Scarab wasn't going to even get a damned turn. Wow.
Anyways, thanks to Follower38 from SpaceBattles for betaing this chapter.
Co Writers Notes:
Poor Equites, those Wraith mortars HURT. She had ONE point of armor left on that launcher. "Smite anything less than a heavy' indeed…
And I swear to whatever's out there that the dice are trolling us. We expected to have to hit that second Scarab with a concentrated barrage from multiple mechs, and it just explodes from two PPC hits? DAMNIT VALIANT!
Before anyone calls us out on it, yes, I'm well aware that a UNSC Cobra isn't a true tank. It's what's classified as a 'Self Propelled Gun', or a 'Tank Destroyer'. However, they're referred to as 'Special Purpose-42 Main Battle Tank' by the UNSC so we're forced to call them that by the lore. Yes, it's a bad classification system, but we see other examples of this in Halo lore. But it's not a vehicle's name or classification that matters. It's how effective it is in combat, and the doctrine you deploy it with that truly matters. As for reducing the first outpost to rubble in just under a minute. Yeah, a 105MM railgun would do that.
Doing the math for that gun's velocity gives me numbers that are, well, concerning.
In simple terms, due to the size and velocity of the projectile, assuming a steel slug, that thing's got the ability to overmatch and go straight through up to 40 feet of steel reinforced concrete, and STILL kill the tank on the other side of it if I'm doing my math right. There is a reason that, according to canon, the Covenant would target Cobras first in ground engagements.
Glossary of Terms:
(1) Klick: A common Military abbreviation for Kilometer.
(2) Envelope: (Also known as either 'Engagement Envelope' or 'Defensive Envelope') The area within the kill capability of a system or platform. In the case of a Carrier (like the Spirit of Fire), this also represents the range of its fighters in addition to its own weapons.
(3) QRF: Quick Reaction Force
(4) IDF: Indirect Fire
Shooting over or around obstacles to hit a target while both target and firing platform lack direct line of fire. Also known as a 'Top Down Attack'. This is generally an artillery / long range missile tactic.
(5)CAS: Combat Air Support.
Air assets that are acting to support friendly ground assets through attacks on hostile forces that threaten them.