Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Iron Cross. Enjoy the 3000-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer or Halo, Gameshop and 343 do.
(Spirit of Fire, January 15th, 2532.)
Halius had zero desire to let Atriox live. He knew a threat when he met them… The brute was cunning, ruthless, and driven.
He also could tell well enough that they were not at all willing to back down… If he knew anything? He knew they would not have been able to allow him to flee given his record of accomplishment.
Something about it all had made him angry.
"Didn't kill him?" Halius heard from Jerome as more UNSC and Imperium forces arrived, making it clear double crossing them would work very problematic.
Something about it made him cranky.
"Because the war has reached a stall point and either we find a way to strike them anyway? Or we must deal with the fact of fighting them on land where they have zero problem countering." Halius added before he looked downwards.
He was too thrown off at the time being… Something which would become harder and harder to grasp.
The situation… The war? He had been too tiresome now and for good reason. He and the Spartan shared looks before both saw something that had to be ended.
Something about them had been tiresome. They had been eager to fight and they knew that at this rate? Trying to fight was easier said than done now.
Halius hummed before he looked downwards at the ground… They had been too interested in it at the time.
Halius looked at Linda and the others before glaring at Atriox seemed to be tiresome.
"You don't trust him," Jerome stated as Halius nodded.
"Not even for a second… But he is not stupid. He planned for us to come… The assault was merely the bait. I cannot simply predict what his plot is but I do know I cannot simply kill him; it would not tell me what they are after." Halius added to himself.
They had been too interested in it all for now. Halius added it all now and for good reason. Halius seemed to be tiresome for now… An idea had been too much had to relax for now as he looked towards the ground.
Something had been snapping inside him… He had been too much that he would not be able to relax.
Halius hummed to himself before he cracked his fingers and then looked towards the sky… He had been too disturbed by his mind before he looked downwards at the ground.
Halius hummed to himself once more and closed his eyes. something within him had been crushed down to dust, his body shook when it was all said and done.
The soldier had been too interested in the next moment as he looked downwards at the ground.
Halius seemed to be distracted as he looked downwards at the time as Linda adjusted her rifle scope, almost pondering what was going on with it all.
She and he had been too interested in it all now… Something within him told him to just decapitate the brute and leave their corpse rotting in the vacuum of space.
Halius hummed and sighed as Atriox and his officers spoke… Halius almost questioned what would be going on as he and Linda looked towards each other.
"You don't trust him," Jerome stated as Halius hummed.
"Not even for a second. He knows we will go after him when it comes down to him being hunted." Halius added to which he shook his head before he looked at his friends. "What do you suggest we do? I wish to kill him… But I know that will not cause an end to the problems." Halius stated and shook his head.
He and the others were clear at the time being… Neither liked this but it would be harder to just kill them for the time being.
Halius walked over towards Igaros with Linda following, Fred and Kelly still watched Atriox, knowing the Banished leader would be dangerous.
Halius seemed to be dealt with and he knew that each little antic within him had pushed him further up a wall.
He sighed, uneasy in general and he knew that shooting the covenant brought less issue. He had a lot more on his mind before now and then thought of it as if he had crashed it into the ground.
Halius hummed before he looked downwards at the ground. He leaned on the wall before he sighed to himself as he cracked his fingers.
They had a lot more to do and he felt he was all off when it came to it… Something that he could deal with for now as he looked downwards at the ground.
Something which had been too interesting for now as he sighed and then thought of the entire war when it had gone on. both were eager to relax, they had a lot more to try and figure out.
Something about him had been tired at the time being, both looked as he thought of it all.
He had been eager to fight now and if they were to do something? They would act.
"Let us get going… The more work we do? The less I care about this sort of issue." Halius stated before he sighed to himself as he shook his head and then thought of it.
He had been too distracted by it all as he seemed to almost scream mentally, his head had been put on effort to think.
He had zero desire left to think… They had a lot more to try and figure… Something which would have been too disturbed for now… Something about today was going to make him break… He would break everyone.
They had to get it for now at the time being… It was the only way.
"I have a plan… Which of the Red Team is the quietest?" Halius asked before he looked towards the side.
Something about it all had made him curious. He had a plan; he had a lot of plans when it was all said and done… Something about it all before he looked downwards at the ground.
Halius seemed to be smirking under his armor before he looked downwards at the ground.
He had been too interested at the time being, they had a lot more to try and figure out.
"What do you need?" Halius heard for himself before he looked over towards the side as he looked towards the sky.
He hummed as he looked towards the sky… He had been thinking of a plan as he looked towards Jerome.
Something about it all before he looked towards the side.
Something about it all had been too interesting as he relaxed… Something about it all was part of him had been relaxed.
Halius had been too interested in the next move and he had been interested at the time being.
"What is it you need?" Halius heard before he chuckled.
"We need to steal some information from the Banished…. I need us to steal it… And we must find it…. Atriox expects us to work with them." Halius stated before he looked to the side.
Jerome wanted to relax for now but both had to think… And act. He knew that both had a plan to do at the time being.
"What about everyone else?" Halius heard Jerome as he looked downwards.
"They can handle the work… More work needs to be done; we can kill two birds with one stone as I believe it is called." Halius stated before he sighed. "Atriox is trying to put him in a situation where either situation means helping him… Either we aid him and he profits… Or we reject him which I assume he also planned for." Halius added, crossing his arms.
"Then what's the play?" Jerome asked to which Halius hummed.
"The one he expects… We play along. I plan to use him the same way he used us. He expects me, he does not expect you, you are the blade we need in this situation, and if we play our hand correctly? Atriox will end up aiding us more than himself." Halius stated in a tone that he suggested that he had a plan.
He had a very large plan for now, something about it all had beaten him into the ground, now. Now he had been amused, very amused at the time being… To be fair? It had been beaten into the ground for now.
Even then? He had been too relaxed; he had been tiresome now… He had been too destroyed now to admit it… Not that he could or should have admitted it.
He was after all exhausted… But he was also meant to do better than this, better than before… He had work to do now and for a good reason at the most.
(2 hours later)
"He is mad," Halius stated to Admiral Cutter. "He is insane or some sort of madman," Halius added.
"Agreed… He is purposing we assault a Covenant facility we do not know…" Jerome stated, his arms crossed.
"He knows we will take it… He plans on it. If we do not? We pass up a chance to learn more about the covenant." Halius added with a frown. "But he plans to make use of this base and even if we destroy it? it furthers his aims due to being an opposing force." Halius stated with his bulk half on the table and half not.
"What do you suggest then?" Cutter asked, frowning. "I am not risking soldiers without a need to…." Cutter stated to which Halius held up an armor-covered hand.
"You can… Me and Jerome have planned a way to use the situation to our advantage." Halius added, looking at his friend.
"Atriox is planning to leave his Corvette to deal with rallying his men… Me, Halius, Linda, and Fred? We will board it while Chief leads Kelly, Alice, Douglas, Igaros, and the others on the strike to the base." Jerome stated as a hologram of an SDV-Class heavy corvette showed.
"Atriox plans for us to besiege the base… We will, but we will use the window he is distracted with to board his warship, steal what information we can, and destroy his warship." Halius stated before he looked at Jerome.
"What makes you think Atriox won't realize this?" Cutter asked, tapping a finger on the holographic table which bobbled slightly. "He is not stupid. You said it yourself; he is expecting you to betray him." Cutter added.
To this? it was not them who spoke up but that of the one Spartan who had paid more attention to their plan than before.
"Because Atriox expects it. He assumes we betray him but not how and he knows Lieutenant Halius is smart enough to see that." Chief stated to which Halius nodded.
"He is smart but he is overconfident. He sees us as a threat but he believes we will attack the bigger fish first… Not strike both targets at once." Halius added, looking at Chief.
"Master Chief can keep his attention… If Atriox is half the commander I assume? He expects Master Chief to come after him… Not me who can strategize and will consider all outcomes. Not Admiral Cutter who cares too much for his men." Halius stated, crossing his arms.
"You are using the fact he expects us to care about each other…" Cutter stated to which Halius nodded.
"As a way to deceive him. I trust Master Chief can handle the assignment, he is as skilled as I or Jerome, retrieving the data is where the plan is." Halius stated before he looked at Master Chief.
"What happens when Chief is done?" Halius heard from Fred.
"Return to Spirit of Fire… We plan to exit the corvette another way, allowing Atriox to believe we died or were unsuccessful at our goal until the end." Halius stated as he looked at Linda and Fred. "Provided we are agreed… It is I and Master Chief Atriox that considers the largest threats here… I expect him to realize the deception." Halius stated before he looked towards the ground.
Something about it all as he looked towards his ground before he looked towards. They had been too disturbed at the time being.
"Why aren't we killing Atriox then?" Kelly asked before Halius hummed and looked towards the side.
"If the Banished are anything like the covenant? Even if we kill Atriox? They will just take Atriox's death as a martyr." Halius stated before he looked to the side.
Halius hummed, crossing his arms and sighing. His armor clanked as he realized that they would need to pull off the plan perfectly, he had a chance to win and he had to take it… If he did not? They would be at a disadvantage.
"We need a distraction to get aboard that ship… Atriox is going to expect the direct approach." Jerome stated before Serina chuckled.
"Allow us to take care of that, boys… Is there anything further we need to discuss? The garrison here is secure, we both our missions." Serina stated before both soldiers looked at the ground.
Halius seemed to be dealt with for now… They had a lot more as he thought of it. Each warrior in the room was thinking their thoughts and each piece of the puzzle was slowly being pushed into place.
Something about the way they moved at the time amused him.
"Yes…. How much I plan to kill Atriox when this is done." Halius stated before he crossed his arms.
"Halius… What happened to not killing him?" Igaros asked before Halius looked at his brother-in-arms.
"I will kill him today or one day… I will not let another warlord take the place of the covenant, Igaros… Now, let us get onto the mission. Suriel? Come with me and the others… Igaros? You will lead the squad with Master Chief… Return to the Spirit of Fire when this is done, we will return." Halius stated before he sighed.
Igaros wished to say something as Halius left with Jerome, Linda, Suriel, and Fred… But held his tongue. He knew that Halius was dead set on this mission and that his brother-in-arms would fight as he always was.
Still? There was a lot more to try and deal with… He had his orders and he respected Halius enough to carry them.
"Master Chief?" Halius stated before he looked over at him, tilting his head for a second. "I would wish you luck but you do not require it, it seems… So, I will simply tell you that I hope you continue to win. Soldiers like you are in rare supply." Halius stated as Halius departed with his fellow Ultramarine and their Spartan counterparts.
Halius looked at Jerome and Linda as he walked, their steps heavy and their gait focused with machine-like precision. Something about it all had been amusing now.
"Spartan Linda… You and Blue Team have boarded a Corvette?" Halius asked in a tone that suggested knew the answer already, he was going to ask anyway.
"No," Linda stated as Halius nodded.
"Jerome?" Halius asked and got a shake of the head. "Then we shall improvise, we board their hangar bay, eliminate the crew, and proceed to the engines then we take the bridge as a united front," Halius added with a frown.
"Why head for the bridge last?" Fred asked to which Jerome tilted his head.
"We are sabotaging the ship," Jerome responded, Halius nodded his armored head in agreement.
"We are not… Will not, be fighting the entire crew… If they corner us? We scuttle the entire warship and regroup on the surface… Which I plan to do either way." Halius stated, arms folded as they walked towards the hangar.
"Your friend has a good question, though. Why do you want to kill Atriox?" Halius heard from Jerome.
"The brute is smart and cunning enough to be a problem. He is playing us against the covenant, two common enemies who can easily destroy each other… I do not want to make him martyred… But I also will not deal with him believing I do not see him as a problem." Halius added, looking at his friend.
"Every day, more and more problems," Jerome stated as Halius chuckled.
"Yes… And it seems there are little in the way of solutions." Halius responded, headset forward as they finally reached the hangar.
"Can your explosives compromise the engines of the corvette? We prime the engines, then we breach the bridge… We will still need something to upload the data to." Halius added to which Chief passed them.
"I will handle that," Linda stated, walking towards the fellow Spartan as Fred looked at Halius.
"You planned for exfil?" Fred asked as Halius nodded. "Do you have an alternative?" Fred questioned; his weapon set in his hands.
"Do you have one to suggest?" Halius asked, his tone curious. "I am open to ideas… We have plans, they are not set in stone." Halius added.
"Maybe one or two," Fred responded, Jerome also staring at him.
"Name them," Halius added.
Author Notes
Phew! Another chapter is done! A few things.
For anyone saying Atriox is some god-tier strategist? I assume I would get a thousand comments on how smart Ultramarines are. Atriox underestimates the UNSC and Imperium, which is in line with his appearances. I am also not trying to play up Halius as a god-tier strategist, simply a cunning one in line with the Ultramarines.
I am planning to have Halius shed his soldier-first mentality soon.
I do not plan for the Banished to play a large role in the war. They and Jul Mdama will be bigger players AFTER the war.
The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show both Chief's mission and Halius's assault on the Elegy's Lament, until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!