Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Iron Cross. Enjoy the 2600-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer, Gameshop does.

Halius turned and shot the last of the Elites trying to follow them, he swapped the magazine for another and then reloaded. Motioning the squad down into the tunnels, the UNSC and Ultramarines retreated from Pirth City, knowing that the 1500 or so civilians would at least have a chance to escape.

"Captain Titus? We need reinforcements…. The Orks and Covenant will not cease, they will only build in tempo…. And I tire of this farce." Halius stated.

"Agreed, we are going to need backup," Forge stated before both looked at each other.

The other 4 other squads all began marching through, flanked by dozens of UNSC marines and several Warthogs and Scorpions, and several Rhinos also followed.

"I am sending reinforcements ahead… Captain Cutter?" Titus asked.

"We have located a base sight ahead; the rest of the Spartan Omega squad has agreed to meet with you there…. The covenant is launching a full-scale assault… And I assume these 'Orks' are doing the same." Cutter stated.

"Good, we kill them all," Douglas stated.

"You and I agree," Halius said as he and the Spartans began walking. "I assume we fortify this position… And the Covenant, since they have been forced to fall back into orbit? Will direct all forces into a charge?" Halius asked.

"I do not think so…. What about Orks? Those guys ever launch frontal sieges?" Halius heard.

"Yes, they try and kill all of us. Usually painfully…. Captain Titus? How are things in orbit?" Halius stated.

"The Orks have had 2 of their cruisers crashing down onto the planet… It seems a large amount of them are headed to intercept you… The Covenant have mostly deployed their troops and retreated… Captain Cutter has announced something I shall see. I shall join you when you are done." Titus stated.

"These ops are regular for you?" Halius heard.

"Very…. Rarely do we fight two armies combined as one…. If this was anything else? I would request we bomb them from orbit and then send out small teams to hunt who is left…. It would save more lives" Halius stated.

"We both know the Orks do not like being smart… They like tearing our arms off, brother." Igaros joked.

"Yes, they remind me of how you rush forwards with your chain axe, Igaros," Halius stated with a chuckle.

"Ah, you can joke," Igaros stated. "A skill I feared you had lost as an Astartes," Igaros said.

"It is the only thing that allows me to deal with you and your attempt at humor, brother," Halius stated before he turned to Douglas. "Let us go, the sooner we arrive? The sooner we will be able to contact the fleet and get reinforcements…. Then go back to beating the entire fleet into retreating." Halius stated as he sighed.

He knew damn well they would not. The Orks did not flee, they continued fighting again and again until either they died out or until everyone was killed and he supposed they would need a LOT more soldiers.

"I should warn you? Orks do not stay dead… We have learned fire stops the spores on them from repopulating eventually." Halius stated.

"What are they, plants?" Forge asked.

"Do not know, I do know they are a pain to kill…. End of the tunnel, I see light." Halius stated as they broke out of the tunnel.

There was a pair of drop pods breaking through the atmosphere as he sighed and looked over at Forge.

"The Covenant will be right behind us…. So will the Orks." Halius stated before the war cries of the Orks cut him off. "As I was saying… Igaros? Create a line and keep them out from here, we push them back or we die!" Halius stated before he rushed forwards.

Forge watched as the Astartes all rushed forwards, eager to kill and eager to fight. They all rushed forwards, sliding down the hole as Spirits flew over them.

Forge watched as Douglas tackled one of the elites trying to stab him and threw him to the ground. A Ork Boyz tried to stab him only for Halius to slice its throat with his sword before crushing it under his boot.

The pair of banshees swooped towards them only for Igaros to fire his pack, flying towards one and kicking it into the other with a fiery crash of light and energy which tossed them to the ground.

Halius backhanded another charging Ork before he twisted its skull straight off and then put a bolter round in its spine.

"Spartans? Igaros? Hold them off, Sergeant Forge? I cannot speak for the other squads but I will protect you as your captain sets up the base… Brothers? Defensive line!" Halius stated.

His brothers were already doing so, opening fire at the hordes of Orks and Covenant soldiers marching on them.

Halius and the Spartans broke into cover, bullets, and plasma raking the layer of concrete they took cover behind.

"Brother? Can I please request we get some sort of support?" Halius asked before the familiar whine of a Stormraven drew the attention of the group.

It strafed the Orks and Covenant with its heavy bolters, Orks, Elites, and Jackals all collapsing in piles while Grunts were cut in half.

It finished its strafing run with a pair of storm strike missiles which consumed the rest of the 20 or so soldiers in a hellish fireball the size of a Scorpion tank.

Halius hummed as the gunship swung around to try and drop off more soldiers. He turned as they finally left, stomping down the slope with the full might of the Covenant and Ork army chasing them after now as he paused to think.

They needed to win, and push the enemy back…. But they were pushed into a corner.

There was a second of silence, there were moments when they feared something.

This? This was… Different, there was nothing there where it had to be ended… And it would.

"Captain? We still require reinforcements… The Orks are pressing us and these damned Covenant will not relent." Halius stated.

"Captain Cutter?" Titus asked.

He looked up to see a pair of pelicans exit Spirit of fire… On top of a squadron of Hornets. He hummed as the Spartans rushed down into the crater where a base was being airdropped.

Halius looked back upwards at the ship and realized there was little to NOTHING besides war here.

"We have inbound UNSC units from other parts of Arcadia, hold the line until they arrive," Forge stated.

"What happened to the rest of the planet?" Halius asked.

"We're the only life on it," Cutter stated.

Halius growled in anger. Thousands of humans… Dead, slaughtered by Orks and Covenant forces, it reminded him of… Of the siege before they had been brought here.

He had no intention of letting these men die, not while he still had breath. Halius slid into the crater, watching as UNSC marines set up positions around it and more of the UNSC gear began to get assembled.

"Igaros? Lock this area down…. We hold it or we die." Halius stated.

(With Titus)

Titus watched as another destroyer went down in flames, two of the UNSC cruisers had been damaged, and a handful of UNSC fighters were destroyed… But the Nova and MAC guns on the combined fleet had shredded the Covenant forces.

The problem was the Orks were not so easily deterred, they had ridden the wreckage of their cruisers down to the surface, eager to loot and pillage anew. He could see plenty of transports escaping… But they were still going through the motions.

"I am headed below… Send all ships to the ground, and tell the UNSC that it be better if we form a perimeter." Titus stated before he turned and went to go meet with the rest of the company.

He could tell this siege would go on for quite a while.

(With Halius)

While their defense was not as perfect as the Imperial Fists? Halius could still tell they were good at holding the enemy off.

The Covenant attempted to attack them from all sides, some killing a UNSC marine here or there, a needle through a neck, or a plasma burn in the chest… Though? The majority were met with lines of UNSC marines with MA5Bs, gunning down jackals and grunts as the turrets put holes into elites.

He and the Spartans were currently focusing on killing off the Orks who charged them like the fools the Orks tended to be.

Halius had lost track of how many Orks he and the squad he commanded had sent into oblivion, only that he had almost run out of ammo. He would kill them still or he would die, either was not a good option but he had little time.

He found the UNSC could compete with them as the larger bullets put holes in the Orks… He turned and gutted another Ork Boyz.

"Where are the reinforcements?" Halius asked as more plasma raked the warthog he and the Spartans used for cover. "They are going to overwhelm us eventually!" Halius stated before he lifted his bolter and shot another of them.

"Brother? I have brought some…" Halius heard as he looked up.

The sound of 2 Thunderhawks and a series of drop pods paused the battle as 2 dozen more Ultramarines dropped out of them.

The pods landed and popped open like seeds, revealing lines of missiles that all popped open.

All of them fired at once, blanketing the Orks and Covenant in explosions that tore them apart and forced the next few hundred or so to pause. A figure landed next to Halius as he nodded in respect.

"Captain Titus," Halius stated.

"I told you I would bring reinforcements…." Titus stated before turning to the others. "Hold the position, I will push the Orks back…. Just focus on ensuring the reinforcements get here." Titus stated.

With a swing of his chain sword, the captain of the second company rallied the new wave of Ultramarines and led them up the hill, leaving Halius, his squad, and a few Rhinos at the stop gate.

"Commander?" Douglas asked.

"Of this company, yes…. There are more coming. We need to prepare, how long until those ships arrive?" Halius asked before another voice came over to their gear.

"This is evac Pelican and Bravo 29, need support!" Halius heard as did Douglas.

"I shall clear out the Orks that way, you handle the other?" Halius asked as Douglas nodded.

Both left the dozen dead marines in the crater and climbed, Halius looked at the fallen. They might not lose many Astartes…. But there would be losses either way.

As he prepared for the coming battle for these past few hours? It was not anything but an opening skirmish.

He rushed forwards, shoulder-checking an Ork then turning and snapping the neck of an elite. It was chaos here as the Ultramarines began a counterattack, there were rounds and plasma firing everywhere, Banshees flying down from the skies upon them.

It reminded him of stories of battles back centuries before he was alive, centuries before he had been an Astartes.

This time would be different. It had to be, they had to fight and they would continue to fight until the galaxy burned their people to ash or they stood atop a mountain of corpses.

Halius expended the last of his bolter pistol on the charging covenant and tossed the empty weapon to the side. He plucked off another grenade and hurled it at what he assumed to be another Hunter.

The device rolled and clinked before finally falling at the feet of the creature. It blinked before the device exploded in a giant explosion that engulfed it and a dozen behind it.

He would give them this…. They had no shortage of soldiers, Halius believed he had slain at least 200 Covenant simply here and there was still no end to their army.

If he survived this? He knew damn well he would have to go find out how to stop their army… And he would.

He paused as he watched more explosions come from the direction of Titus. He and the armored portions of the UNSC army seemed to have launched into a coordinated attack… Good, but why did…?

He was met by a giant plume of plasma firing over his head and slamming into the base, sending metal and a dozen or so more UNSC marines screaming and burning to death as Halius turned.

"Covenant mega turret!" Halius heard as the Pelican roared overhead, the confusion serving to mask the descent of the dropship.

Halius still stared as he turned and spotted it, an artillery gun from the looks of it and it also seemed like the Orks had brought in their vehicles, giant walkers which he could tell about.

"Strike cruiser Glory under Oblivion? I require fire support." Halius stated before he turned and rushed back towards the base. "Captain? They have an artillery gun inflicting heavy casualties upon us…. Can you dispatch it? Otherwise? We will be overrun." Halius stated as he slid into the crater.

He knew they had fled; he knew that the Orks and Covenant were only a prelude…. But still? Something about this did not sit right.

Halius was about to repeat his order when he was greeted by a half dozen Thunderhawks which all opened fire with bolters that cut through Covenant and Ork in equal measure… Then ended it with a bombing run which turned everything in front of him to ash and smoke.

The remaining Covenant got the message and retreated, dozens of them leaving corpses of what had to be hundreds… The Orks, dozens or so? Tried still… And were promptly gunned down by the Thunderhawks.

Halius turned and walked back into the crater as he realized their retreat meant this battle was not over… The cruiser they had was still active and while he wished to destroy it? They would return… And he knew there were still hundreds of Orks stranded on this planet.

"Sergeant? I need to see you… We have a problem and Captain Carter has requested we help." Titus stated as the Ultramarine/UNSC force began to pick through the dead Orks and Covenant.

"How many did we lose?" Halius asked. "How many of your men are dead, Forge?" Halius asked as he looked upon the battlefield.

He could see a trio of wounded Astartes and felt his blood boil more and more looking at them… Then the Marines.

The more time he spent here? The more time he felt at home… And the UNSC had suffered enough.

Now? Now they had Astartes as a shield and sword.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! A few things.

My point about Spartans is their both elite super soldiers who can curb stomp enemies, the Astartes being gods among men is not important, both are weapons. Plus? I checked Spartans can run 34 MPH… Astartes are 35-45…. Spartans can outrun bullets if people forgot.

I plan for the guards and navy to show up… Just not right away.

After the Halo Wars arc? There WILL be a time skip establishing things and setting up Halius meeting Linda. I also plan to have a Blood Angels story with Kelly.

The next chapter is in 2-10 months and will show the story version of Dome of Light and set up the main Ork Villain for this arc. Until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!