Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Iron Cross. Enjoy the 5300-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer or Halo, Gameshop and 343 do.

(Sigma Octanus IV, February 30th, 2532.)

Halius could tell the battle was not truly over. Why? Simple, there were still covenant warships… There were still soldiers to fight and kill.

Halius of all such people would be the first to admit he welcomed combat; it gave him purpose… It drove Astartes and he was eager to fight, eager to grasp why he was made a Space Marine.

Halius knew the fight was coming and so he was not surprised when both Titus and Admiral Stanforth called them over.

There was a moment of silence as he walked towards the battle tent and was met with the Spartans.

"Chief made it back," Fred stated as Halius nodded.

"Good… I knew it." Halius stated before he sighed to himself.

There was a lot more to deal with for now. The Ultramarine was eager to fight and he was curious as to what was going on.

"This battle is not over, Spartan… Only the battle in orbit appears to have ended." Halius stated before he cursed to himself.

The soldier within him knew the battle was not yet done. The covenant had been beaten back and yet? They were not going to give up simply because they could not throw away the soldiers they had already done.

Halius curiously thought of what was going on before he relaxed to the idea.

Halius hummed to himself as he cracked his fingers and then thought of what the idea was for the covenant.

"You knew this would happen." Halius heard as Igaros walked up towards him.

"If a battle was determined in one skirmish? Then war would be much simpler." Halius stated before he hummed. "The covenant came here for something, there are barely any civilians here and there is no real military presence to warrant an entire invasion," Halius added as he paused to think.

They thought of it all as they walked towards the tent, Halius tapped on his side and held his helm under one arm as he looked at the Spartans.

Halius hummed and relaxed to himself. Now? Now he waited for the others… Then again? He guessed the soldiers in the area would be fighting for soon.

"There are still covenant soldiers on the ground… The remnants of the fleet are attempting to mount a counterattack… We have Orks in orbit to deal with but the rest of the fleet is exhausted." Titus heard as he looked to the ground.

He watched as Halius and the others entered the tent, standing in formation as Halius held his helm in his arms.

The Ultramarine Captain looked at Halius as the Ultramarine Lieutenant slowly walked over towards him.

"There are millions of dead covenant soldiers… Unless our numbers were wrong." Halius stated, tired now as he thought of what to do next.

There was a moment of exhaustion on his face, the idea these soldiers had been asked to fight to the death was going to be hard on them just as much as they seemed to welcome it.

There was a lot more to deal with it now and it would be something for now and it would have been done now.

Halius hummed, curious as he thought once more… They had a LOT more to deal with for now… There was a LOT more to deal with it for now.

Halius hummed to himself and cracked his fingers…. Perhaps he would be wrong, he would not have done so.

They had a lot of different clues for now… This was going to be a fight, something they would not have put it for now.

Halius hummed to think of what was growing on… He was eager to fight for now and the soldier was too disturbed.

"The Covenant have made one last attempt to get something we appear to have… Most of their soldiers are on their way here." Titus stated as Halius nodded.

"Then we go through them," Halius stated and turned. "I know their commander… We have fought before." Halius added before Stanforth hummed.

"Supreme Commander Thel Vadamee…. Leader of the Fleet of Particular Justice." Stanforth stated to which Halius frowned.

"The commander of the fleet within the Limla Nebula? He destroyed 20 of our ships with a sneak attack…" Halius stated, crossing his arms.

"He is killed plenty… If he is here? Then something big occurred… He was not the commander of this fleet." Stanforth stated before Halius turned.

"Permission to lead the counter-assault?" Halius questioned as Titus shook his head. "Captain Titus?" Halius questioned, his tone curious.

"You want to kill him to avenge the men killed in the war… I will not allow you to die in the name of petty vengeance." Titus stated to which Halius sighed.

"Then what do you suggest?" Halius questioned as he crossed his arms.

"He wants what we have… Simple, we wait until he has come to this camp and then we defeat the rest of the Covenant forces… They cannot manage a large army without their ships." Titus added before Halius shrugged.

He did not see fault in it… If the Covenant attacked? This base was far large enough to fight off an entire army… But they still had 2 dangerous warships.

"What of their fleet? They can still bombard us." Halius added with a frown.

"They cannot… They wasted most of their forces in orbit… The 2 left have their shields down" Halius frowned to himself as he heard from Stanforth.

There was a lot more to try and deal with for now… The pain of it all seemed to be dealt with for now… There was a lot more to deal with for now, they had a lot more to try and deal with.

They had a lot more to deal with it for now… But this chaos was harder to think of now.

"Their commander is not stupid… If he was as smart as he was before? Then we are in for a fight… He broke through the defenses of the city… If he was not focused on being a ship commander? He would be a skilled general." Halius stated before he sighed.

"You expect this battle to be hard," Titus stated before Halius nodded.

"Thel is smart… He will not simply meet us in open combat. Even depleted? The covenant is not to be underestimated… That? And we do not know what he wants." Halius stated, looking at the others.

Halius went to speak to the Spartans. If they had a plan of battle? All Halius could do was provide commentary and relax for now.

"You are expecting him to hit back twice as hard." Halius heard as he turned.

He was greeted by Linda who still wore her full armor, glancing up at him.

"Correct. Thel is not stupid… If he was promoted to have further resources? Then he had become more dangerous. If he could control an entire fleet? Then he has become far more dangerous." Halius added, donning his helm.

Halius paused for a second as both shared a glance, both knew exactly what was going on. it was not going to be easy, nor should they consider it so.

"Thel is not easy to kill," Linda stated as Halius tilted his head before they began the walk.

"I am aware… He fought well for an elite and he was able to hold his own against me and the Master Chief simultaneously." Halius added with eyes half-lidded.

If he was easy to kill? Halius would have slain him in their last fight. No enemy is ever easy to kill otherwise they would be all slain.

However? Judging by how she had said so? Halius suspected a double meaning he wished to question.

"You have tried to kill him to deprive his men of his leadership." Halius put in, looking at her.

"Thel is on a UNSC extermination list. We have orders to kill him as soon and whenever there is a chance to do so." Linda put in as Halius crossed his arms.

'If he is on such a kill list? Then he is as dangerous as we believe… The battle of the nebula proved he can fight on par with most of our officers and he is just as cunning as I believe he is… How do I kill him if he is aware we desire his death?' Halius questioned himself mentally.

The soldier within him ached for an answer but the warrior at odds with it told him he could not simply strike at the enemy and would need to wait for a chance to strike, to hit them harder and faster.

Granted? If the idea was true? They were in danger… But Halius would leave command to Titus who outranked him in both experience and the mere act of combat itself.

To be fair? There was little he would need to do now and for good idea now at the time being when it came down to it.

Halius hummed and then thought of what was going on before he looked to the side and cracked his fingers… They had a lot more to deal with.

He had to deal with something for now and then he cracked his fingers.

Halius hummed and cracked a smile as he thought of what the next move would have been… There was a lot more to deal with.

"You should know that the covenant war is not yet dead… The war will not end simply because we have beaten them and they have beaten us." Halius stated to her.

They had a LOT more to deal with and it was a lot more to understand. Their options were starting to vanish and it was clear they would not be able to think of it all for now.

They were a skilled warrior, something else to deal with for now… Halius hummed and cracked his fingers.

"We need to fight the covenant soldiers… The more we put into fighting them? We do not know what will be done when it comes to that battle." Halius said and cracked his fingers.

They would be ready to think of it all for now. Linda turned to him, resting Nornfang on his shoulder as he relaxed for now.

"Are you ok?" Linda asked to which Halius hummed.

"No… But I am attempting to be… This battle will be hard, the enemy knows we have them on the back foot, and if they were so smart? They would be pushing their numbers at us without mercy." Halius added before he shook his head.

They had a moment of mercy before it came to it all now and they relaxed… They were too interested in it for now.

Halius relaxed for a moment, tapping his blade on the ground. He and the others looked over at the battlefield, too relaxed.

There appeared a few seconds of silence before Halius tapped his blade on the ground. The soldier within him was curious and he would not at all be less curious for now.

"You tired?" Halius asked as he looked over at Linda.

They were eager to fight, and Halius knew both wanted nothing more than to get to the end of battle… There was more battle now and this was a lot harder for it to deal with.

Halius shook his head before he sighed, they had something else to deal with… The idealism within him had yet been harder to understand now than he had before.

The soldier within him had yet to be decided for now… It was going to be easier and easier to fight for now, they were soldiers and they were skilled within him.

Halius needed to think, he was curious as to what it would have been like for now… They had a lot more to deal with for now… And it would be fun for now.

Halius looked further onto the plains. There were the inklings of a covenant force and Halius hummed to himself, curious as to what the best option would have been for now.

To be fair? He had a LOT more left to understand.

"How skilled are you at commanding a force of sharpshooters?" Halius questioned as he raised an eyebrow.

"More of a lone wolf," Linda stated to which she paused and thought of it all. "Why? What do you have in mind?" Linda questioned as Halius tapped upon his armored forearms.

"There is plenty of trenches between us and the covenant… Extensive tunnels to move supplies better and without dealing with covenant bombardment." Halius responded, nodding towards one such trench.

"I had in mind you killing covenant officers so they lose coordination and morale. The elites and brutes are willing to fight to the death… Not the jackals and hunters and other species who follow them." Halius added, tilting his head.

He knew more and more there were good reasons to combat the covenant army and good ways to do so.

He was not at all stupid when it was all said and done. The covenant had weaknesses and he would continue to exploit them.

"You want me to hunt the covenant." Halius heard from Linda.

"Spartans and Astartes are skilled at that…" Halius added, his voice low. "The covenant is dangerous more than any imperial soldier knows. I do not expect Thel to be easily driven back nor do I expect him to simply walk into our bullets." Halius added, clearing his throat in the process.

Halius glanced at Titus. The man if anything was eager to fight the covenant head-on as well. They were Astartes, they were soldiers… To be anything less was nothing short of humiliation.

Though? To be fair? Halius would be lying if he said he did not wish to fight the covenant commander. He wanted to fight them and he was curious if Thel had gotten more dangerous at the end of it.

He wanted a fight anyway. This was going to be more dangerous now if nothing else. He would be able to fight them as best they could.

Halius turned and then looked at the Ultramarines. They would be under the command of Titus and not him… That was fine, Halius could have been too distracted if he was asked to command too much.

That? And he could function as a frontline soldier if he was asked to be. Halius simply wished he would get to fight and defend his comrades if nothing else.

He was tired and he would not be able to rest until this battle was done and over. The duty came before his own life and he as a soldier knew he would be asked to toss things away for now if nothing else.

Halius looked over at Linda, they were skilled at what they had to deal with. Halius seemed to be distracted at the end of it all as he paused to try and defeat for now.

Halius knew exactly how to end it for now, how it would not be able to be ended now.

Now at the end of the day? He was curious how they would fight but he knew not how it would have been like.

They had a war to fight. He knew damn well he would be asked to fight more than he could have dealt with for now… He knew more and more the idea of something like war tended to unite them all in one massive wall of soldiers.

To him? He was asked to do nothing and he hated said idea… He was to do what he would always do and fight as he was always asked to fight.

"They draw closer…" Halius said before turning. "Brothers? Warriors of the Imperium? Defensive positions! Captain Titus asks us to break the wave and remind them of our duty to humanity! Reinforce the UNSC positions as well, we fight as one!" Halius roared, his posture set in defiance of the covenant.

He would fight and do so as best as he could. Still? Thel bothered him, bothered him as any dangerous warrior did… He had zero idea as to how it would have ended, zero clue how the battle might go.

Try as he might. And he tried hard? He did not know if he could bring down the enemy.

He would try… If Thel was not slain? He would prove a larger threat, one who would end up crushing the rest of the galaxy. He had to be defeated sooner or later.

Alongside that Prelate who Halius did not quite remember the name of when it came down to it all.

Granted? To be fair? He was a warrior, he was asked to kill a threat, to vanquish a problem.

He would do so, he was asked to be more than he was already… Something about this mission, however? Made him more scared, more curious as to how it might overstep the boundary he had.

He had to fight so he would, he was asked to serve and he would… But for now? He was unable to do much when confronted with it.

Halius turned towards Linda only to see she was gone; she would not have allowed it to end sometime soon. She would not have allowed anything to get between her and her duty.

He rather liked her, rather hoped she would continue to stick around. Now at the end of the day did he discover he liked her company and to not have it? Well, that was harder to grasp.

Now? They had a lot more to deal with for now… There was a lot more to deal with for now, it was a lot more harrowing now and it would continue to be over for now.

Halius was all too curious as to it for now… They had something else to do before it ended now… Before now? They had to try and understand the consequences for now.

This was going to be something that could not be understood for now. Halius had little idea what was going on now. Now? They had a lot more to deal with for now, they had a lot more to deal with for now.

They had a lot more to deal with… Something within them both to deal with for now… Now? This was curious as to how it would have been dealt with for now.

(With Thel and the Covenant)

Thel looked at the crater where the remains of the human city. He had lost count of how many soldiers had died in combat against the humans and their allies.

"Do you plan to assault their camp again? We require the holy relic but so many brothers have died." Thel heard as he snorted.

"To retreat now is to dishonor those who have fallen… The covenant expects victory… They have stopped us before." Thel stated before he shook his head.

"I shall gather the remains of the forces… The demons? You remember one." Thel heard as he nodded.

"Hmm… The armored one has fought me with one of the demons, their swordsmanship is skilled and they almost struck me down last time." Thel stated, crossing his arms.

"You expect him to try that again." Thel heard before he nodded.

(With Halius and Linda)

"Hmm…" Halius said before he looked at an elephant, he turned to see Linda before him. "Is this vehicle stuck?" Halius questioned.

"No, it is stuck," Linda said as Halius nodded.

"Would you help me try to fix that?" Halius asked as Linda nodded.

Halius and Linda walked to opposites of the massive vehicle. Halius gripped it by the frame as he slowly looked at Linda.

"Tell me when you are prepared," Halius added, gripping the frame of the vehicle. "Are you ready for the battle? The covenant approaches slowly but they still number in the few thousand." Halius stated before he shook his head.

There were a few seconds of what was going on now and it was curious.

"I am," Linda said as she gripped the elephant by the other side. "Go," Linda stated to which Halius nodded.

Halius grunted as both warriors slowly lifted the vehicle out, pulling it and surely from the few feet of mud it was sucked into.

They had a lot more to deal with… Something that was going on before it was all said and done.

"I have a question… Have you tracked yourself through your career? How many covenant soldiers you have slain, how many missions you have been on." Halius added before he looked to the side.

Both times he was met with silence and he was curious as to how it would have been too much for now.

He was all too much… He would remain on the next moment, curious as he paused to think of what was done for now.

Halius sighed and then thought of what was going on in his mind. He had a lot more to understand for now when it came to it once more.

It was all too much.

"Do you believe the war will be won soon? There is still plenty of covenant and they do not seem to be beaten anytime soon." Halius questioned, feeling the vehicle shift under their combined strength.

"No," Linda said, grunting as both lifted the elephant upwards and onto their shoulders. "The covenant are plenty of things… They are not going to back down from a fight." Linda stated to which Halius hummed.

"Agreed. They are pious and bloodthirsty… Thel of all of them seems to be more tactical, a problem compared to the hordes of soldiers under his command." Halius stated before he sighed and then thought of it all now and for a good reason.

"You expect this to be a costly fight," Linda stated as Halius hummed.

"Any soldier who is not crippled by traditions and able to fight and inspire armies to do great things is a dangerous enemy… To believe he cannot harm us? Is to believe we have won. I have fought battles where victory seems certain… Only to be reminded nothing is certain." Halius stated that there was violence.

There was more and more to be done and would always be done.

Now? Now both were curious as to how it would have been dealt with for now… Now? He had plenty of ideas.

"Something about it all will never be easily done… Now?" Halius questioned with a frown. "I do not at all know what was going to occur if we do not at all," Halius added to which there was something else.

He yawned, bored… Yawned, curious… There was something about it all that made him eager to deal with it all now.

Now? He was curious as to what Thel would do, curious as to how it would have been handled.

"That is why you are asking me to kill him…" Linda stated as Halius hummed.

"If he is as dangerous as we both believe? We cannot give him the benefit of the doubt… Thel has led several vicious attacks on us in retaliation for what we have done." Halius stated with a frown.

He was curious as to how it would have been handled now… Now? Now at the end of the road? He had zero idea how it would go, zero clue HOW to write the wrong.

Halius put down the tank, grunting as did Linda. Both soldiers shared a look of respect before he finally sighed.

All of it? All of what he had done and would do was made in terms to try and relax… Anything less and he was tired, beaten down.

To be fair? Halius of all warriors was not at all eager to do something without fighting first… He would fight and fight well, knowing what it would have been like.

They had a LITTLE more time to think and he of all soldiers pondered it with how nice Linda was and how he had not yet known this woman to be quite nice.

However? He soon grew alert as the first few shots of plasma made him turn, he investigated a multicolored wave of armor and plasma.

"Battle stations!" Halius roared, grabbing his bolter, and firing off a trio of return shots.

There were the sounds of boots as UNSC marines and Cadian Shock Troops all rushed forward and into the trench lines. The roar of several Tauros AMVs made him turn.

Plasma roared through the air as waves of grunts and brutes charged them. They were met with volleys of laser fire and bullets which sent several crashing to the ground, corpses trampled by other covenant soldiers.

Halius watched as a pair of AV-14s flew forwards only for a glob of plasma to hit it in the wing and send it crashing to the ground, detonating in a horrid explosion.

Halius turned in cover and noticed Linda next to him, Nornfang clasped in her hand as she raised the rifle to her shoulder and put a bullet through a brute chieftain roaring in battle.

"This is what I meant," Halius stated, turning, and firing another burst before plasma pinged off the makeshift barricade. "There is still plenty of covenant and I predict more to fight," Halius stated.

Several globs of plasma flew and slammed down on their battlefield, marines and guardsmen fell screaming as the superheated gas ate through their bodies and melted them down.

Halius turned and noticed more 'wraiths' as he heard the UNSC heard them called. The tanks were covenant artillery pieces and they were skilled in the art of destruction upon the covenant's enemies.

"Reinforcements will be arriving soon." Halius heard from Linda as she put another bullet through an elite ultra.

"We may not need reinforcements, only orbital support. Their fleet worries me more." Halius stated, gunning down a pair of jackals attempting to crest the hill.

The UNSC/Imperial forces closed ranks, starting to fire more and more which sent more covenant troops rolling down the hill.

The act of fighting from a defensive position made it easier to fight off the covenant soldiers at the end of the day. He was too interested in what was going on what was going on for now and he sighed to himself.

Another wave of banshees opened fire, plasma burning the area as Halius watched another wave of covenant aircraft, 12 in number also strafed them.

Halius cursed as he turned to Igaros who was busy with Fred and firing off his lasgun at the rows of soldiers.

"Igaros, where is our air support?!" Halius as the two super soldiers looked at him.

"I do not know! Are you all right, Halius?" Igaros questioned as Halius nodded.

"I am fine, simply curious as he had to fight," Halius stated to which there was more to deal with.

Something about it all made them very clear as he thought of what was going on. He seemed to be dealt with for now as he paused for now.

Halius seemed to be curious as he thought of it all. Thought of how the fight.

Halius hummed and then relaxed… The thicket of combat returned him to the same roots of trying his hardest to fight and focus.

For that? He would reward the covenant with death… At the very end of it all for now… They would find oblivion for now.

It was curious as to how it would have been like this for now… And yet it was not.

Halius watched the waves of soldiers and his gaze which was hardened by hatred focused on one soldier.

"Vadamee…" Halius all but growled to the shadows.

He was all too much to deal with it for now as it was all said and done. They had more and more to deal with for now… IT was too easily done now.

His hatred of the Xeno made him furious and he looked at the alien warrior with anger and fury which almost entirely exploded outwards.

If nothing else? He would not hesitate with it all for now… They had a lot more to deal with.

However? In the seconds leading up afterward? Halius had already begun to wish to slay Thel for the conflict last time… If he could only open the throat of the covenant commander? This nightmare would end.

To be fair? Halius's brain only focused on the tactical side of things. Killing him would demoralize the rest of the covenant army.

To be fair? He wanted to kill him for more than a grudge… Halius was eager to settle it.

Halius hummed, curious for a moment… Curious now without ANY sort of doubt about where Titus was.

Then he heard shooting and more covenant soldiers charging the right flank. He surmised quickly where the captain was.

"I wish to cut the head off this serpent now," Halius stated before he looked to the side, eager for the end of this battle as well as the apex of it.

The Ultramarine decided whether the death of himself was worth saving so many…

Yeah, certainly was to him as Halius moved from cover, drawing his sword, and moving to fight off the rest of the covenant.

Kelly seemed to think for a moment as she watched the Ultramarine push up from the cover, moving closer and closer towards the front lines.

It was then Igaros joined him… Followed by Fred and Kelly. Halius watched as Thel fired a plasma rifle at the others, turning to scan the camp and issue orders.

Halius lifted his bolter and fired a shot which tore the jackal next to him to pieces.

"Vadam… You escaped me last time… You shall not do so again." Halius stated, angry at the idea he had been unable to kill him before.

Thel turned and went to issue the order to kill the Ultramarine before another wave of lasgun fire came and forced the covenant back. Halius turned and ducked into cover, pausing to pluck the sword from his hip.

If nothing else? He would kill his enemy now and for good, now and before anything else.

He had been curious as Thel turned to him, Thel turned and glared at him with hatred at the time being.

Halius fired at the covenant, he would slay Thel and end this siege, not for some damned glory… But for every man and woman who had been slain by Thel, each soul he had sent to oblivion on the words of an accursed madman.

He would tear the covenant down… Today seemed to be tiresome and he would have continued to have fury to fight it for now.

Halius felt more plasma rake the cover he was in as he heard gunfire.

"Hal," Jerome stated, sliding into cover, shotgun in hand.

"Jerome… Good to see you." Halius stated before pulling the pins on the pair of grenades and tossing them off handily.

A horde of screams was heard and then went silent.

"So… Guess we all want to kill King Split lip," Jerome stated, putting a round through the next azure-colored elite attacking him.

"It seems tactically sound… So yes. He escaped me during the siege. I plan to rectify that." Halius stated, pausing to think of what was occurring.

Halius seemed to be relaxed for now… He had a clear goal, a way to do so.

Jerome looked at Halius who turned backwards. He was curious as to how it was to be.

"Where's Linda?" Jerome asked to which Halius hummed.

Jerome seemed tired and then looked over, curious as to HOW it would have found out.

Halius looked over for only a second.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! A few things.

If we are going to have a debate over Spartans and Astartes? My stance is they are both on equal footing barring Warhammer being overpowered.

Yes, in my view. Thel is equal to an Astartes and Spartan in direct combat. They will always be equal since he is a born warrior.

The Covenant war will be ending within another year or so in time.

The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show Halius fighting, Linda helping, and more of the battle. Until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!