Happy January 2025!
This new chapter has been largely constructed from shelved ideas I had not used for the previous two chapters, hence the sped-up delivery but I apologize for the shorter length.
Also, as a little bit of trivia, the characters Akane-119 and Staff Sgt. Michael Hamilton are partially canon. Introducing a new character to the Spartan roster is Anthony-A324 of Alpha Company, portrayed by Jacob Elordi.
The Halo Encyclopedia (2022) and the wiki state that after Sept. 10, 2517, six of the SPARTAN-II candidates (116, 118, 119, 121, 123, and 124) were given the status of unknown. The SPARTAN-III Program's Alpha Company had several candidates pulled out before Operation: PROMETHEUS, and the ORION Program has had numerous candidates as many as 300, and many of the members were not mentioned.
Following the lore, both of them are still officially missing, and ONI tends to fold people into its plans and make them disappear from the public eye.
Celebrating Operation: GREAT JOURNEY by Halo Infinite and giving more homage to Halo Wars 2, I will debut the MA5K Carbine, the M121 Jackrabbit, and the M400 Kodiak here.
Sry again for the shorter length, but I hope y'all enjoy this one!
P.S.: I'm from the Philippines, and the moment I publish this chapter, it will be a big holiday in the following hours. Sinulog 2025 is here!
Viva Pit Senyor!
Para sa mga Sugbuanon, sugod ta! Shagit ug kusog! Pit Senyor!
Prititittttttt!
CHAPTER IV: Terra Incognita
SPARTAN-A324, born Anthony Jones, was inducted into the SPARTAN-III Program following the Covenant's glassing of Harvest.
A year ago, he was pulled out before Operation PROMETHEUS, and having heard of this, he silently mourned for his fallen brothers and sisters, wishing he had joined them in battle. Remembering Carter, Emile, Rosenda, and Jun, he wondered what became of them. The last time he saw them, Lt. Kurt Ambrose and CPO Franklin Mendez had pulled them out of the company for reasons he didn't know about.
Vice Admiral Parangosky approached him personally, trained him as a Headhunter, and inducted him into the Office of Naval Intelligence. She had seen his performance on Mamore against the Insurrection and on New Constantinople against the Covenant, deciding that he was a perfect addition to her secret operatives alongside Akane-119 but the two had never met eye to eye nor had known of each other's existence.
Before the exodus program, he was assigned to go undercover with the 6,000 refugees to infiltrate the group and weed out anyone affiliated with the Insurrection, from sleeper agents to collaborators.
For that task, he was given the SPI Mark II Armor, which was just recently approved for Beta Company's drill instructors back on Onyx, as he would need all the stealth that he could get. His MA5K Carbine, a stripped and cut-down version of the MA5B Assault Rifle, was included with a suppressor to enhance his covert operations capabilities.
So far, he had found no one affiliated with the Insurrection, but the former ORION operative piqued his interest instead. From what he had observed the entire year, he noticed the interactions between SPARTAN-119 and the Staff Sergeant to be strangely similar to how a parent would teach a child.
In his mind, he was thinking about what the now-dubbed SPARTAN-I could do to try and loosen the indoctrination the program did. He knew it was a difficult task, but he watched them to make sure it wouldn't compromise the mission. To make his presence more covert, the tracking software and the identification data in his neural interface were disabled, making him undetectable to UNSC scanners.
He was secretly briefed on the Staff Sergeant's usefulness in rooting out Insurrectionists but didn't know the true reason why he was inducted into the mission. He would need to avoid getting caught being an ONI spy, but the last several hours started to stir doubt in him, as he had overheard that they were lost in an unknown part of the galaxy. Lastly, he knew that SPARTAN-II would be the most likely person to weed him out.
Thinking of that, he came back for his SPI armor, which he had managed to hide away from every personnel onboard. Just like his neural interface, it was off the grid as any sort of tracking software or device was disabled. For an additional layer of stealth, it was painted a matte charcoal gray, which would blend in well in darker environments and wilderness areas, especially at night. Luckily for him, the ship had darker sections.
If he were discovered, his orders could be compromised, and any Innie would have to double their efforts in hiding.
Ironically true to his suspicion, Akane-119 was observing him from afar.
To her, that particular refugee she had observed the entire year was something else and she eventually deduced that he was not an ordinary human being. She would keep it a secret for now and went back to her job of searching for any potential terrorists. She remembered Michael's advice of being more friendly and wondered if now was the time.
Back on Azeroth...
Hillsbrad Foothills
Eastern Kingdoms
SSgt. Hamilton had just set up base camp, and was unfamiliar with the environment, but was able to draw some similarities in a form of comfort.
"I remember when I was stationed on Reach a long time ago. The evergreens getting blown by the wind, and feeling that breeze. Arcadia once was beautiful before the Covenant glassed it years ago."
Looking at the landscape at night, he figured that the forests were too dense to get a proper sighting, hence he suggested recon before the sun in this place rose. He assigned a small squad of seven ODSTs to map out the area alongside him, activating their night vision before they proceeded. Checking their local comms, the reception was found to be a bit crackly, which meant that if they strayed, they could lose contact.
With that in mind, they decided to leave some markers as they went along the way to be able to find their way back to the camp. As they trekked through the evergreens, the night felt too quiet even for this time.
As time went on, something had registered in their motion trackers but the party just brushed it off as the local wildlife. Soon enough, they stumbled onto a farmstead.
"Well, I'll be damned. A farm sitting right here on this planet, and a farm means people live here. Let's fancy ourselves a look and see whether or not our farmer is some alien bastard." he said to them
Sneaking up to the house, they managed to open the back door quietly and discovered that its occupants were asleep. But what caught their eye was that they were human. Looking at each other in doubt, they wondered how they just discovered humans on a planet they thought to be uncolonized.
A pack of gnolls was around the area near a cave. They were on the hunt and wondered what their scout had witnessed earlier, who had returned and told them of it. Mobilizing to track their new targets, they were eager to come home with lots of fresh meat.
As the team headed back to camp, the gnolls started to stalk them within the darkened woods ever since they found them approaching the farmstead, following their prey all the way.
"They no look like humans from nearby town. But meat is still meat, and they only small party, hihihihi." one of them chuckled in glee
Michael's motion detector from his VISR registered several lifeforms in the area, numbering around two dozen. He heard their chatter and deduced that they were being surrounded. Remembering his experiences against an ambush, he had the idea to act as bait by straying a bit further to reveal whoever was stalking them.
His hunch was going to prove him right.
WRAGHRAAHH!
A gnoll rushed in and swung downward with its axe, but the SPARTAN-I proved to be too quick and gave a hefty punch, stunning the unfortunate victim. The rest of the gnolls in their ravenous hunger made their move to overwhelm them.
The remaining nineteen reached the ODSTs, with some getting pinned down. Some attempted to bite off their limbs, but the titanium-ceramic armor ensured no grave injuries, which gave them time to react. The M7S Submachine Gun did a great job at killing them, while some met their end by getting stabbed in the heart or jugular with standard-issue M5 Combat Knives.
By the end of the encounter, all the gnolls were dead. Luckily, nobody was seriously injured.
"Holy shit, what the fuck was that?! Sarge, what just happened?"
"I don't know, trooper. But this tells me we're gonna have to invest in some security. I don't want the civilians to live here in danger."
"No shit. Getting chewed up by a walking hyena isn't exactly an example of safe."
They soon headed back to base camp, as venturing further into the darkness would grow even more risky, as there is no telling what else lies within the shadows of the night. As the camp was being set up, hours had gone by. Soon, the sun started to rise, turning the skies into an ever-brightening shade of blue and soon into a pink hue, signaling its arrival. The creatures of the woods soon sounded off their morning calls, from the tiniest of insects to the largest of herbivores and carnivores.
The sun then bathed the highlands with its golden glow, showing a beauty that made them marvel.
It was early dawn, and the forest ahead would be scouted again for dangers. A scenery reminiscent of Eposz's alpine forests back on Reach was in sight. The ODSTs, Marines, and the SPARTAN-I were brought back to it when they saw the breathtaking sights.
Remembering the farmstead, they thought it best to approach as the locals would most likely be of great help to them, and the fact that they were human made it easier for them to attempt to interact. With daylight now making the view clear, they saw a cave they missed when it was still dark.
Muffled grunts were heard from it, with another ODST asking to investigate. He found a young, red-headed girl tied up and gagged with ropes, honey-colored eyes red from crying in fear and exhaustion. Pulling out the M5 Combat Knife, it made swift work of the thick ropes with just a few cuts.
"Oh, thank the Light! They were about to eat me, and thank you for saving me!" she replied in a British-sounding accent
Every member looked at each other in confusion but remembered the now-deceased hyena-like beasts most likely to be the cave's inhabitants. She then noticed their armor, some wearing dark gray and some olive drab, seeing the UNSC lettering and logo, which was unfamiliar to her.
"A-are you from the Alliance?"
This response even created more confusion, and one decided to speak out.
"What's the Alliance? Young lady, is there a nearby UNSC outpost?" SSgt. Hamilton asked
"UNSC? W-what is that?"
"So, what were those hyena-looking things we just killed?"
"Wait, you've never heard of gnolls?"
"Gnolls? That's what they are?"
"Yes. Oh, dear. I must get home, my mother and father are worried sick! I've been missing for almost a day!"
They were pondering on what to do, as they couldn't just leave her in the wilderness to die. Looking at her exhausted and dehydrated form, one of the ODSTs decided to grab a canteen full of water and give it to her, who drank it all out of thirst.
"Thank you."
"Excuse me, but where do you live?"
"I come from Hillsbrad Fields. It's a farming community, and I wish I could remember where to go, but I lost my way ever since I was kidnapped." she replied
"Speaking of a farm, we stumbled onto one earlier. Perhaps the people there can help point you in that direction?"
"Oh, please do take me there. I would be grateful for the assistance."
"Alright, let's get you home. By the way, what's your name?"
"Emma. You?"
"Michael."
Back at the UNSC Battle Group...
After the UNSC Zaragoza had returned, the captain was alarmed at the damage.
"Sir, we came across a Covenant corvette over the planet. We ran out of ordnance and barely survived limping back here on one engine."
"Alessandra, why hasn't it been detected?"
"Forgive me, captain. I believe that Cmdr. Ramirez's report said they had only spotted it at close range. That could mean its stealth technology was activated, which would explain why the long-range radar hasn't detected it."
"Any casualties, commander?"
"Luckily, none. Only some injured personnel."
"Wait, where is the Staff Sergeant?
"He chose to go down the planet. The Covenant had also deployed their teams, so he offered to go ahead and wait for reinforcements."
"If the Covenant are here, they'll be thinking the exact same thing. Alessandra, we need to form a fast strike team, and we have the ODSTs and the Falcons for that but for the ground troops, the Warthogs might not cut it in terms of speed. We don't have many men to spare so any idea that could prevent losses might be good at this point."
"Fast... ground... I may have an idea, captain."
"Explain."
"Being the property of ONI has its perks. I once managed to acquire tidbits of data just for some personal fun before security protocols locked me out. From those files, I have pulled a rather interesting choice of vehicle. The M121 Light Strike Vehicle, codename "Jackrabbit"."
She then pulled up a holographic representation, showing its intricate details.
"It seems that learning from the CMA, they decided to take a bit of inspiration from the Cobra. A motorbike that can switch from a three-wheeler to a two-wheeler. The former for stability, and the latter when speed is needed. Perfect for hit-and-run missions on uneven terrain. Weapons systems are mounted on a pedestal above the driver, configured to be compatible with weapons that could be attached on a Warthog."
"I'm taking it. When can you start working on them?"
"If sufficient feedstock is available, I can program the factory modules to begin producing them. I suggest recycling any broken-down vehicles in the cargo hold. Hmm, there are two Scorpions reported to be in dire need of maintenance."
"Use them. We have enough that are still serviceable, so losing two to recycling isn't a big deal."
"Excellent. From those two Scorpions, I can theoretically produce around close to 80, based on weight. 66 tons can cover that."
"What else can be made from that much? Without two tanks, we need something else that can hit back just as hard."
"If you wish to have heavy fire support, I can think of another vehicle. Pulling again from those files, the M400 Artillery System, codename Kodiak, is a relatively new addition to the UNSC inventory. But will it be necessary? We already have Grizzlies for that."
"We need to optimize everything we can. The Covenant won't give us a chance to stand back up. Once they know we're here, they'll come with everything they've got. We keep the Covenant secret from the civilians until we settle down on the planet."
After the decision was made to start producing the Jackrabbit and Kodiak, the order was given to bring the two near-broken-down M808B Scorpions to the recycling section, and to be used as feedstock for the factory modules. Alessandra calculated there would be around close to thirty Jackrabbits and two Kodiaks once production was finished. Within three hours, the modules started to create the necessary parts and the workers went to assemble them.
In the assembly lines, some workers wondered why they were making new vehicles.
"Check it out. This is something new, man. A bike with a gun on it, and a howitzer on wheels. What'd they need this for?"
"I for sure as hell don't know. But I gotta admit that bike would be one sweet ride. Breaking down those piece of shit Scorpions was the right choice. The maintenance guys slaved all year to keep em from falling apart."
Anthony was part of the civilian refugees who had chosen to work in the assembly lines for extra rations. He knew he would need it due to his energy needs from having to exert so much effort to hide his equipment and keep it low. Being a SPARTAN-III made blending in a bit harder, but his time with ONI and in interacting with civilian matters helped him ease into it. Seeing the new vehicles made him wonder what was going on and why they needed that much firepower.
In the civilian section, the usual routine of guarding them was in place.
One of the ODSTs, Lance Corporal Andrew Polarsky, reminisced of Harvest when the Covenant attacked it. He briefly cooperated with another ODST squad under the command of Gage Yevgenny who he would meet again in the Battle of Yat Hai. Nonetheless, he had gotten into trouble when he had one too many whiskeys leading him to lose control and causing a bar fight to happen. This wasn't the first time, as several soon happened as the years went on. From his rank as Gunnery Sergeant, he was gradually demoted to being a Corporal, and finally a Lance Corporal. His last drunken bout landed him in the affairs of military justice and was sentenced to military prison for several months.
Due to his service record, he was soon relegated to the Wet Fleet back on Earth instead of being dishonorably discharged, taking the chance to sign up for the exodus program 8 years later just to escape the demeaning conditions, now wondering whether it was the right choice as he had heard that they were officially lost in nowhere.
BRIDGE
For deployment, the supercarrier wouldn't need to get close to the atmosphere, as an Albatross dropship would be able to enter the atmosphere by itself upon exiting from the starboard hangar. The captain decided to keep away just in case the planet's gravity would pull the ship into it, as the ship might have suffered hidden damages that might lead it to disintegrate upon entering its atmosphere.
The Pelican was perfectly fine for this endeavor, but the Albatross was seen as the more suitable option, given that the Zaragoza did not carry any at that time and the former was the only available option. The large dropship would serve as a good makeshift base or command center that could immediately move out of position if the situation required it.
The one carrying the reinforcements was loaded with weapon racks and supply crates for the team, the vehicle itself outfitted with three M41 Vulcans each facing the bay door openings. The upgraded software courtesy of the Smart AI improved the performance of the autopilot and the hydraulic systems by around 50% more which would help in case of emergency repositioning.
"Alessandra, have you started scanning the planet?" the captain asked
"Yes, captain. Although, I've been noticing something rather... strange. Planetary scans show high amounts of energy in constant fluctuation and may present a problem with wireless communications. As of now, scans are rather... incomplete, so to say."
"New plan. Before we start regrouping with the Staff Sergeant, try to send more consistent reports concerning connectivity once down there. That way, Alessandra can help with making a solution to that."
"Yes, sir." the team answered in unison
"Last but not least, this planet may have some rather unsavory natives, and as much as possible we should expect confrontations. If there are natives, we surely don't want them getting restless, don't we? Alright, gear up." the captain interjected the last time
The team then headed to the armory, with all 22 of them acquiring M6C SOCOM sidearms and M7S Submachine Guns, alongside MA5Bs and BR55s modified and fitted with suppressors for additional firepower.
As a day's worth of hours passed by, the entire ship was given extra maintenance. The Albatross was being prepped for exoatmospheric insertion, with the hangar crew steering clear of the bulkheads once the launch was close to being greenlit. Inside, the team performed checks on their weapons and systems as per protocol.
The captain was conversing with the AI concerning the transmission issue.
"Alessandra, what can you think of for this situation? You said the scanners have a bit of trouble."
"Yes, captain. I am currently trying to formulate a solution to the wavelength problem. I might need some time to create a new algorithm to help me figure out what wavelengths we can use to allow better feedback from the sensors. As for the dropship, don't worry. I loaded enough hydrogen reaction mass for it to make a round trip in and out of the exosphere."
Remembering the VISR technology that was developed for the MJOLNIR Armor, it would mean that the ODSTs only have a rudimentary HUD for their helmets similar to regular Marine infantry. Only 119 and SSgt. Hamilton had VISR for their systems, but Alessandra uploaded a beacon software for the team just in case they got too far apart, and uploaded the upgraded in a chip to be handed to the Staff Sergeant for manual updating.
The captain just hoped that his friend was still alive by the time they reached the planet, as with the Covenant down there, anything could happen.
Thanks for reading up this chapter, y'all. I hope you can all wait for the next one. Until then...
VIVA PIT SENYOR 2025!