Planet Kamchatka
Caspar System
Late Morning
October 20th [Earth Calendar]
Fireteam Osiris walked into the structure, it was quiet, they took their time to count their ammo reserves. Buck scanned the room, "No tangos in sight." He informed, Korra nodded and walked towards the opposing gate.
"Alright I can get a reading on Dr. Halsey's distress signal, she's close." Korra told the team, "Try not to touch anything, might wake up some sleeping beauties."
The gate opened allowing Osiris entrance, it was a big room, with pods all around them. The Forerunners would erect structures like this one to exonerate their dead, those who fell in battle fighting the Flood. "A crypt." Vale said, "This is a Forerunner crypt, the pods are where the Forerunner dead have been put to rest."
Korra was impressed, the Forerunners were quite respectful of their passed, in any case she walked towards the exit. Outside awaited another battle, the Covenant Kraken was still under siege and they needed it to distract the Promethean forces. She placed her hand over the hand panel to activate the gate, but then the crypt began to shake. "You've got to be kidding me."
Promethean Soldiers began to materialize all over the room, surrounding Osiris. "So yeah what was that about not touching anything?" Buck said as the team made a circle in the middle of the room.
"Engage!" Korra ordered. Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle fire lit the room, the full metal jacket bullets hitting ancient Forerunner armor plating, some of the bullets bounced off the Soldiers' thick metal skin, but some passed through the unprotected areas, the glowing hardlight soft spots. Still the Soldiers attacked relentlessly with their Suppressors, the tracking hardlight bullets hit the Spartans' energy shielding, draining it considerably. "Break! Don't let them get the upper hand!"
Buck placed his Assault Rifle on his back to switch it for an M90 Shotgun which fired Soellkraft 8-gauge magnum cartridges. They were powerful enough to penetrate a spaceship's outer hull with ease. The former ODST turned Spartan sprinted into the pack of Soldiers, tackling them out of the way, he turned around and fired his shotgun. The blast took down three Soldiers with utmost ferocity, "Take that you bunch of automatons!"
Vale activated the Artemis Tracking System, a subsystem software installed in the more common VISR to allow operatives in the Spartan Branch and ONI Special Agents to locate VIPs, mark objectives and create battleplans on the spot. Vale devised a plan on what it would take a normal human to blink, there was an overhanging platform over them that contained a control panel, she would jump on it to avoid Suppressor fire and have the high ground over the Soldiers and pick them off with her Magnum.
Tanaka, like Buck, was more hands on with her approach in dealing with soulless machines like these. Soldiers were smart, their AI while limited, could outmaneuver your standard Marine squadron in a matter of seconds, so in the feeling of getting her armor toasted she took cover behind a protruding piece of wall. Korra noticed what she was planning to do and jumped out of the way as two plasma grenades were thrown into the direction of the Soldiers that were already firing at Vale who made it over the overhanging platform. The grenades stuck onto the pack of soldiers, exploding in a blue bright light of superheated gas turning them into molten metal.
Buck took care of the rest, dispatching them with some shotgun shots. The last Soldier fell on the floor dead, "That was quite the workout." Buck stated inserting more cartridges into the shotgun.
"We're not done yet." Tanaka replied, and in cue a Promethean Knight Lancer materialized in front of them. "Looks like they got upgraded."
"And meaner!" Vale said firing her SMG into the Knight. It roared in anger taking out its Energy Blade and charged into the Spartans that were on the ground. It teleported in and out of reality as it did, not letting the Spartans get a clear shot on it. It hit Korra hard, not only breaking through her energy shielding but also pushing her 3 meters back into the floor. Buck fired his shotgun, the pellets penetrating the Knight's armor but not stopping it, it just got madder. It slapped Buck away with its rifle hand, knocking off his helmet. Tanaka jumped on the Knight's back, digging her Battle Rifle's barrel deep into its unarmored sections and firing. The Knight couldn't shake her off, Tanaka held onto it as much as she could while emptying her weapon in it. Vale jumped down from above and aided Tanaka to keep the creature in one place. The Knight roared in anger. Korra got back up, she saw her teammates on the Knight's back keeping it occupied, she got an idea. She ran towards the Knight, slid down to avoid its Energy Blade, and stood back up in the blink of an eye, she quickly turned and ripped the Knight's blade hand off.
The Promethean Knight screamed in pain, Tanaka and Vale were finally knocked off it. Korra took the opportunity to stab the goliath with its own weapon, burying it deep in its stomach section. The Knight stumbled backwards, it looked at the team and began to fire its Lightrifle randomly hoping to get someone with it. Buck pushed Korra into the floor as the Knight emptied its Lightrifle and finally fell into the ground and dematerialized into a cloud of digital information. Buck helped Korra get back up, "Thanks. You okay?" Korra asked him.
"Just a lovetap." He touched a small bruise on the side of his left cheekbone, "I should be asking you if you are all right."
Korra looked at her chest piece, it was still in one piece and her shields recharged. "Just took me by surprise." Korra replied and handed Buck his helmet. He put it back on. "Open the door."
Tanaka placed her hand on the door control, and the exit gate opened. Snow poured in. Osiris exited the crypt and went back into the raging battle between the Storm Covenant and the Prometheans.
"Signal's stronger now." Vale said, "The fortress is up the hill, protected, but up there."
"We shouldn't involve ourselves in the fighting." Buck added, "I'm not much of a sneaky type of guy, but a subtler approach would be nice."
"Yeah…" Korra used the Artemis to gather information of the battlefield, the Kraken was still shooting at the Prometheans near the edge of the mountainside and the flying Z-1800 Phaetons. "Few options, but we could take the ice caves in the side, they have no heat signatures and they lead directly to the fortress."
"Then the caves it is. Pack your ice picks." Buck said.
As they sneaked pass the roaring fight outside, Osiris was checking their corners in the dark icy cavern. "Osiris-One, this is Osiris-Actual, do you read?" Thorne communicated through the comms.
"Osiris-One here, what's going on Thorne?" Korra replied.
"I've made it inside the complex, not much here but empty hallways, they're all in an activation platform. I count 6 Zealots alongside Mdama and Halsey. Awaiting your arrival."
"We're almost there, ETA 5 minutes."
"Copy, Osiris-Actual out."
"Thorne's already inside, let's move it." Korra said, running forward, the others followed. They reached the other side of the cavern, there was a thin layer of ice covering the exit. Korra punched it and it broke apart. There were a couple of Promethean Crawlers on the other side, but Vale used her SMG to quickly destroy them. Osiris walked up to the grey metal wall the overlooked the battlefield. "Alright, we're outside."
A Covenant CCS-battlecruiser exited slipspace in the sky, "Oh look…reinforcements." Tanaka stated. "Don't tell me, more Storm Covenant."
"Let's do this fast then." Korra opened the doors and quickly went inside. The doors shut behind them, they scanned the hallway, there was nothing as Thorne had told her. "Thorne, we're here."
"Understood. Follow the navpoint, it will lead you directly to Halsey." Thorne said. The trek towards the objective was short, this didn't look like a fortress at all, Korra looked around, it resembled an old outpost like those found in Delta Halo and the outer core of Requiem. The team took cover behind some Covenant weapon crates while they looked at the situation ahead. It was an activation platform overlooking the chasm, Halsey was looking at several holograms while Jul breathed down her neck. His Zealot bodyguards were patrolling around them. "Korra, I can take two out from my position, it will distract the others." Thorne informed her.
"Do it on my command."
"Got it."
"Alright guys, Thorne is gonna play distraction for us. He's gonna take two out at random, once he does it will give us enough time to take the others out. I'll go for the reptile king." Korra said.
"That's highly offensive." Vale responded.
"If offensive language was a high velocity bullet I would use it against Jul." Korra replied, "Stick to the plan."
Korra turned on her comms again, "Alright Thorne, take their hats off."
In a mere second, two sniper shots thundered throughout the vast open area and Zealots dropped to the floor dead with a massive hole in their heads. Mdama was caught off-guard, he ignited his energy sword and the other Zealots readied their plasma repeaters. Osiris jumped out of cover and rushed towards their respective targets.
Buck with shotgun at hand unloaded onto his target, the buckshots bouncing off the Elite's advanced shields. The Elite laughed and grabbed Buck by the neck in one swift move. "Pathetic human, your barbaric weapons are useless." It threw Buck onto the ground, Buck quickly stood back up as his shields were 50% drained.
"Alright then…you're a tough customer." Buck said, "But I took the full force of a Knight punch so you're gonna have to do better than that."
"Do not compare my high-class training with those mechanical aberrations, demon." The Elite said in an annoyed voice, it roared as it fired its plasma weapon. The shots hitting Buck but the Spartan rolled out of the way switching to his assault rifle. He fired at the Zealot, the full-metal jacket rounds doing little to the Elite's shields.
"Damn." Buck cursed, so he did the only thing he could do. Tackle the son of a bitch, take the air out of its alien lungs. Buck waited until the Elite stopped shooting and leaped out of cover and ran towards the bigger Zealot at top speeds. The Zealot wasn't expecting a bull rush, and was quickly tackled into the ground with full force. Buck then switched to his pistol but the Elite punched it away and grabbed Buck's helmet with its hands and began to crush his helmet and head inside. "Gaaah!"
Buck unsheathed his titanium-a combat knife and sunk it deep into the Elite's exposed neck. The Zealot gasped in pain as his throat began to fill with blood causing it to start to choke. Buck took the knife out and stood back up as the Elite died on the floor. "Mama always said that it was my edge that made me special."
Tanaka and Vale worked together to take down the two remaining Elites, "Vale, use the plasma pistol of yours to take their shields out." Tanaka said.
"You'll have to distract them to give me enough time to charge it." Vale responded.
"You got your window." Tanaka stood up from cover and shot at the Elites with her battle rifle, the Elites walked towards them unfazed by the bullets hitting their shields. They took their time advancing, not worried at all from the attacks of the pup demons. The plasma repeaters shots on the other hand began to eat through Tanaka's energy shielding. "I hope it's ready!"
Vale quickly came out of cover and fired her overcharged plasma pistol shot to one of the Elites, the charge completely draining the Zealot's shielding leaving it exposed. It was surprised at first but then it roared and ignited its energy sword and made a beeline towards Vale, it's sleek and muscled physique allowed the Zealot to evade every single shot from Tanaka's rifle. "Dammit!"
The Elite jumped over their cover and almost cut Vale's head off, she rolled out of the way. Tanaka was pushed aside by the Elite's free hand, Vale switched to her SMG firing a volley of rounds into the Elite's tough combat harness. The Zealot swung its sword around trying to slice the Spartan into ribbons, but Vale dodged most of the slices, some connecting to her energy shielding and draining it with each close slice. Tanaka regained her composure but the foot of the second Zealot pushed her back into the floor, "Agh!" She grunted.
Buck ran to her aid, shooting the Elite in the head with his shotgun, this time blasting it off completely at such close range. Alien cerebral matter and blood sprayed into Tanaka's white armor, "Ugh." Tanaka said as she was helped up by the older man. "It's going to take weeks to wash this off the armor."
"Hey at least it's not your blood, am I right?" Buck joked.
"Yeah yeah."
Vale was still in a tricky spot, fighting an enraged Zealot at close range was something that only two Spartans have been able to do, but nevertheless she continued to evade the barrage of energy sword attacks from the last Zealot. Its shields began to recharge, meaning that Vale was done for if she didn't act fast. In what seemed to be a moment, when the Elite had its sword hand raised after one of its slice attacks, Vale acted quickly. She slid below the Elite's open legs and rapidly turned to jump over the Zealot's back. Her legs squeezed the Elite's stomach making it loose focus and allowed her to pull its sword arm back and make it slice its own head in two in the process. She jumped off it as the Zealot's body fell dead on the floor and the energy sword snuffed out automatically. Vale sighed in relief.
All that remained was Jul 'Mdama himself. The head of this entire insurrection against the Swords of Sanghelios and the bane of current UNSC supremacy in the galaxy. Korra stood in front of the massive elite commander, her normally imposing figure eclipsed by the colossal seven feet and ten inches tall Sangheili. "We meet once again, Avatar." Mdama said, "Our last confrontation remained inconclusive."
"Then let's finish it." Korra said reloading her battle rifle.
"I have many things to attend to, Avatar. The Didact's Hand will not be delayed any longer, I have discovered the holy grail that will bring the Covenant into renewed glory and death to your race and that weakling Vadam!" Mdama shouted readying his modified energy sword, the Vorpal Talon of Mdama.
Jul went into the offensive, Halsey got out of the way, not wanting to be caught in the incoming crossfire. Korra fired her weapon, the bullets bouncing off Mdama's shielding. He was wearing high-grade Field Marshal armor configurations, outdated configurations last used in the Fall of Reach, but sturdy and strong still. Korra kept firing but her attacks were to no avail, he was just too strong. Korra dropped her rifle and looked-for alternatives. "There!" There was a discarded energy sword in one of the dead Elite bodies, the Elite killed by Buck. She ran towards it.
"As expected, you humans are nothing but vultures." Mdama stated as Korra took the energy sword out of the Zealot's dead body. She ignited the sword. "A duel then."
Mdama swung his powerful blade onto Korra, she blocked her with her sword, the clash produced a crackling sound and small particles of electricity jumped out of the interlocked energy blades. Korra kicked Mdama away, then counterattacked, her sword strikes hitting Mdama's Vorpal Talon, none of them connecting to either shielding or flesh. "Meaningless strikes fueled by incompetence." Mdama taunted, "I do not see the destroyer of the Gravemind here, nor the Didact's assassin either. Just another armored pup." Mdama swatted Korra aside, ripper her helmet away. She fell on the floor; her shields having been popped.
Mdama stood over her and swung his sword to deliver the final blow but Korra reacted quickly and blocked it with her energy sword. "Witness your death in my eyes, Avatar. Retribution for the Didact's death." The swords began to near Korra's face, she felt the intense heat radiating from the energy sword's plasma blades. Desperation began to flood Korra's mind, she began to panic. She couldn't shrug the Elite off her, he was too strong, too powerful… Korra screamed as Mdama laughed.
It seemed to be the end, but then…Mdama's eyes widened when instead of seeing the dead eyes of his enemy, he was met with the intense glowing eyes of the Avatar State. Korra pushed him off as he were paper as she began to hover in a whirlwind of air. "By the Twin Jewels of Maethrillian…" Mdama said in awe.
But as quickly as she entered the mythical Avatar State, Korra collapsed into the floor, unconscious. Buck, Tanaka, and Vale quickly ran to her side, aiming their weapons at Mdama. The Storm leader roared in anger, he was outnumbered, but then a phantom swooped in and fired its turrets at Osiris and Halsey. They took cover, Buck pulling Korra to safety. Mdama was rescued by the remaining of his forces, the phantom then flew away.
"Area clear." Tanaka said after the phantom had left. "What the hell was that?"
Buck looked at the unconscious Korra, "That's what makes her special, Tanaka." Halsey looked at them, and then at Korra. She had noticed something that the others hadn't.
Two Hours Later…
UNSC Saratoga
Kamchatka's Orbit
October 20th [Earth Calendar]
Korra sat on a medical bed in the medical wing of the ship, the Covenant fleet had left, and the frigate was waiting for the arrival of the UNSC Infinity. Korra looked at her cracked helmet, 'What happened…?' she thought to herself, 'The Avatar State, it shouldn't have worked. What's going on?'
The doors to her room opened, in walked an officer with a black uniform. Office of Naval Intelligence. "Agent, report." He said.
"Buck already made the report." Korra replied.
"Report, agent."
Korra sighed, "We were able to penetrate enemy defenses and remain undetected by the end of the battle between the Covenant and the Prometheans. We attacked Jul 'Mdama and his bodyguards, we took them down but Mdama was tougher than I thought he would be. He almost overpowered me…until I somehow tapped into the Avatar State. I knocked him off but then...I fell unconscious. My team told me that he escaped via phantom and later the entire fleet left, and the Prometheans disappeared. The doctors said that I only have minor wounds though."
"Hm. The Admiral will receive this, agent. Here." The ONI representative gave her a small ticket.
"What is this?"
"A two week leave of absence. The Admiral believes that you have earned it, agent. We will contact you otherwise." The representative then left, leaving Korra with her thoughts. Home…she would be coming back home after five long years. She smiled…but then she frowned. How would she return? She never replied to Asami's correspondence…Korra placed her hands on her head.
The door opened again, "Hey, you okay?" It was Buck, he sat next to her.
"Yeah…" She wiped some tears away. "Just some cuts and bruises, doc says I'm already healing."
"Spartan healing factor, am I right? Comes in real handy." Buck said jokingly, he noticed Korra's ticket in her hand. "You're going on break?"
"Top brass says that I deserve it." Korra said looking at the ticket again, "I'm…not sure how to go back home."
"Space life can do that to you. After I returned to Draco III, things weren't the same you know. Well the planet was glassed, not a lot, but still the nuclear winter was already gone by then. My return home wasn't…ideal. I was part of a mission to retake the planet from an Insurrectionist cell. A lot of stuff happened, but a trooper died under my command. I've never forgiven myself for allowing him to be killed under my command." Buck said while remembering the sound of a gun…and the sound of a body hitting the cold hard ground. "I've denied the command of a squad of troopers since then."
"I guess now I know why I'm in command, right?" Korra tried to lighten up the mood. Buck smirked. "Did you get a shore leave ticket too?"
"Yeah." Buck showed her his, "We all did. Was thinking of going back to Sundown, meet with the wife there."
"You never talked about Veronica much." Korra said, "Hiding something?"
"Shhhh…she's a spook. She could be watching me right now." Buck joked, they laughed. "Hey just don't think too hard about it, go back home and take a breather, alright?"
"Yeah…thanks, Buck."
"No problem, kid." Buck left the room. Korra breathed in and breathed out.
"Well then…time to go back home."