Dust and Echoes (RWBY/Halo)
Chapter 4: A Walk in the Woods
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UNSC Everest, Valiant-class Super-Heavy Cruiser
Lunar Orbit, Unknown Terrestrial Planet, Unknown System
November 28th, 2540 20:15 hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
As soon as Admiral Cole gave the order, John and the rest of the SPARTAN-IIs joined the ODSTs in making their way towards the Everest's nearest armory. They walked in relative silence, the ODSTs and SPARTANs not speaking directly to one another. In fact, many of the ODSTs made a noticeable attempt to keep in front of the super soldiers, even maneuvering themselves to block the SPARTANs' path.
"Pushy, aren't they?" Kelly joked over TEAMCOM.
"If they're going to act like this planetside, we're going to have issues," Linda pointed out. John couldn't help but agree, and internally he sighed. He trusted Kelly and Linda to do what needed to be done to accomplish the mission, but Fred and himself had to lead squads of ODSTs. John had done so numerous times over the course of the war, since Operation: SILENT STORM with the Black Daggers up until now. During that time, he had been able to gauge the admittedly considerable skill gap between one of his SPARTANs and an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. They were skilled, and John trusted them to hold their own and accomplish the mission, but they weren't SPARTANs.
Which is why John was most worried about the fact he was splitting his SPARTANS into separate groups. Normally, he wouldn't have advised such a tactic, but try as he might he couldn't warrant such a concentration of military assets in one place. This was a recon mission on a relatively primitive planet, and while that indeed posed considerable risks, John felt it would've been a waste to concentrate all the SPARTANs in one place. Something told John, though, that the ODSTs felt his logical reasoning was him thinking they couldn't keep up or hold their own, and that nicked their pride more than anything else.
Another, more pressing concern he had raised its specter as he and the other soldiers continued to walk down the metal hallways, passing by engineers and technicians conducting repairs. ODSTs, much like any group of soldiers, didn't always appreciate having their commands superseded by another. Much as John wouldn't be leading Blue Team, the ODST squads wouldn't be following their commander to instead follow him. Chafing was undoubtably going to occur, and if he wanted to maintain maximum group cohesion, he had to play his cards carefully. Undoubtedly, Fred was considering the same thing, so John felt no need to raise his concerns with his fellow SPARTAN.
Eventually, the group found themselves in front of the armory. The large metal bulkhead doors automatically split open vertically, allowing them to enter in relative single file. The much taller SPARTAN-IIs had to slightly duck in order to prevent their heads from hitting the top of the doorframe, which caused a slight mirth to pass through the assembled ODSTs. There, John saw that the rest of the Everest's ODST detachment, those still combat capable that is, were already there, chatting among themselves about a variety of banal subjects while wearing their armor.
"Troopers, form up!" Lieutenant Kalib shouted. At once, the myriad array of conversations ceased, and the ODSTs stood ramrod straight with their backs facing their lockers. Their attention was focused purely on the lieutenant and the other squad leaders, with a few glances aimed towards the SPARTANs. Much like before, the glances were a mixture of resentment and acceptance.
"That's more like it," Kalib said after giving the men a look over. Once they passed her internal standards, she nodded and folded her arms behind her back. "As I'm sure you're aware, we will be moving planetside to conduct a recon mission. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the mission, we will not be dropping in from orbit. Instead, we'll be hitching rides with the Navy's flyboys in Pelican dropships both to and from the planet's surface."
A chorus of disappointed groans followed Kalib's statement, but a harsh glare from the Arabic woman silenced them almost immediately.
"Why are you groaning now? I haven't even gotten to the bad stuff yet," Kalib joked, then glanced at the SPARTANs before turning her head back to the other ODSTs. "Per Admiral Cole's express orders, we will be going down in ten groups of six across the entire planet, two per continent. Eight of the teams will be led by your fellow ODSTs, while the last two have been commandeered by SPARTANs 117 and 104."
That got an immediate reaction, which John had already anticipated. Most of the soldiers were not at all pleased with this development, some more visibly than others, while some didn't seem to care.
"May I ask why?" one of the ODSTs asked, which John's helmet identified as Lance Corporal Abioye. The other squad leaders subtly turned their heads towards both Kalib and John, and immediately John knew that the lieutenant was liable to say something that would rile the ODSTs up. Her displeasure was adamant, and so John stepped forward before she had a chance to answer.
"Admiral Cole and I both concluded that concentrating all four SPARTAN operatives in one singular location for a recon mission was a gross misappropriation of military assets, much as would assigning all ODSTs to one drop point for the same task. Doing so allows us to diminish the chance of mission failure as well as maximize our ability to complete our objective."
John didn't say anything else. Doing so would've run the risk of offending the ODSTs, and judging by the looks they were giving, his comments had the intended effect. Rather than feeling like they were being babysat, instead they were mostly seeing it as a rational military order that they could accept. Kalib and a few of the other ODSTs, however, were not as easily swayed, but John ignored them for now. Instead, he looked over the assembled ODSTs who were watching him intently, and he folded his arms behind his lower back.
"We'll be departing the Everest in fifteen minutes. This is a stealth mission, so arm yourselves accordingly."
The soldiers nodded at his order, and at once they broke formation to grab weapons off of racks located along the walls. John himself moved to the closest rack to him, where he grabbed four M9 Fragmentation Grenades. At the same time, he eyed a selection of rifles before disregarding them and instead grabbing an M7-S Submachine Gun along with six sixty-round magazines. He also grabbed an M6S/SOCOM Magnum with six twelve-round magazines to accompany it. Finally, just in case it was needed, John grabbed a M41 SPNKR. He didn't bother to grab a spare tube, not that he had the space to carry it anyway. Besides, this was a stealth mission. If he had to bring that weapon out, the mission was officially FUBAR, and it was time to bug out.
With his selection finalized, John turned around to see what the others had chosen. As he suspected, most of the soldiers followed the same logic, although the ODSTs mostly limited themselves to just a suppressed SMG and silenced magnum pistol. Roughly one per squad carried what could be constituted as a heavy weapon, generally a SPKNR or M319 Grenade Launcher, with another carrying a SRS99 Sniper Rifle, neither of which John hoped would have to be used. Linda had deigned to grab her sniper rifle and forgo a pistol while Kelly did the same with a shotgun. Fred had ended up grabbing the same loadout John did, and before long all of the soldiers were equipped and ready to go.
As one, the soldiers exited the armory and made their way towards the hangar. As they did, Hannibal relayed team composition, assignment dropship, and selected landing sites to them. John quickly looked over his orders, and found that he was to command a five-man fireteam led by Staff Sergeant Li. The rest of his team was Lance Corporal Bisset, Corporal Schmidt, and Privates Alberti, Williams, and Hernandez. They would be landing on the eastern side of Continent Alpha near a large mountain range. Fred, meanwhile, would be leading a team on Alpha's western desert, taking over command of Staff Sergeant Gonzalez' squad. Linda would be landing in Continent Charlie's western jungles, being led by Lieutenant Gamal while Kelly would be going south to Epsilon's southern coastline under the command of Lieutenant Sato. Lieutenant Kalib would be leading her squad of ODSTs to the northeastern coastline of Charlie, while Sergeant Graves would be going the furthest north to Continent Beta's coastline.
The rest of the assignments were quickly analyzed by John as they reached the hangars. There, they saw ten D77-TC Pelican dropships being prepped for launch. Ammunition for their nose-mounted auto-cannons and rockets for their wing-mounted missile pods were being loaded, and with one final series of nods the soldiers split apart and went to their Pelicans. John took the moment to look at Staff Sergeant Li, who was observing him in turn. He decided now was the best time to talk with the man, figuring it would be best to smooth out any potential hiccups prior to launch.
"Staff Sergeant, a word please?" John asked. To Li's credit, he immediately nodded and walked with John away from the rest of his squad, leaving them to converse among themselves while giving the two commander's the occasional odd glance.
"If this is about what Kalib and the others were trying to stir up, Master Chief, you don't have to worry," Sergeant Li insisted with a slight shrug. "My team and I have no issues working with a SPARTAN. You can trust us to do our part."
John honestly appreciated hearing that. It would definitely make their job go smoother, and something told him that Admiral Cole and Hannibal purposefully put him in charge of ODSTs who were more open to the idea than, say, Lieutenant Kalib. The same was probably the case with Fred, Kelly, and Linda, but John chose not to voice those thoughts and instead nodded.
"I appreciate the concern, Sergeant, but that's not why I wanted to speak with you," John said. From behind his depolarized visor Sergeant Li pursed his lips in thought, then nodded.
"Yeah, I figured. Just felt it needed to be said." Li sighed, then placed his hands on his hips and glanced over to his squad before looking back at John. "Look, I'm going to be honest with you. When I said we don't mind working with SPARTANs, I meant it. But the fact remains that these are still my men who I've fought alongside for years. The way I see it, they're my responsibility. While I'll respect Admiral Cole's decision, I won't lie and say I'm not a little frustrated."
"I understand that," John replied. He honestly did. Even now, seeing Kelly and Linda talking to their newly appointed superior officers left him with a feeling in his gut he couldn't quite describe. Concern was probably the best way to put it, he figured. At least when he was in charge of Blue Team and his fellow SPARTANs he could attempt to control the variables and ensure everyone made it out in one piece. But now he was putting three of his SPARTANs, his family, into the hands of others. It wasn't a feeling he liked, which was why he was able to sympathize with Sergeant Li's misgivings without feeling offense.
Regardless, he was put in charge, and he intended to make that clear.
"Still, I am in charge of this squad for the duration of the mission," John said. Before Li could reply, John continued, "I would, however, appreciate any tactical input you may have regarding your team while we're on the field. As you said, you've fought alongside them for years, so you know their capabilities better than me."
Li scrunched his eyes for a moment, then they widened in realization as to what John was actually saying. The SPARTAN-II was giving the ODST an out, a way to make it clear to his team that he was still their leader while still ensuring that the proper chain of command was being followed. John could read his body language easily, and it was obvious that the middle-aged Chinese man appreciated his outreach.
"I think I can manage that," Sergeant Li finally replied with a brisk nod.
"Good." John looked over to his squad of ODSTs, who were still waiting at the Pelican's troop bay while openly staring at the two. The Master Chief looked down at the Staff Sergeant he had been conversing with, and Li immediately took the opening John was giving him.
"What are you roughnecks gawking at?" Li barked. "Get in those seats, soldiers!"
"Yes, Staff Sergeant!" the ODSTs shouted back, immediately stepping onto the troop bay and strapping themselves into their seats. A moment later, Sergeant Li and John-117 stepped onto the Pelican and took their seats at the front end of the troop bay nearest to the exit ramp. A moment later, the doors hissed as they closed, and their comms rang to life.
"Passengers, this is your pilot speaking," their pilot calmly called out from inside the cockpit. A few of the ODSTs chuckled, recognizing what the pilot was doing. "Welcome aboard to Pelican Romeo 234. We will be departing shortly for the planet surface. You may feel a slight bump as we enter the atmosphere, but that is perfectly normal. Our approximate flight time is ten minutes til touchdown, and we will be departing no later than two hours back to the Everest."
Although John would've appreciated the military airman not trying to speak like a commercial pilot, he could at least appreciate the calming atmosphere he was generating. The rest of the soldiers were visibly trying to hold back their laughter, and given how much of an unknown this entire mission was, a little bit of levity could go a long way.
Still, two hours was not a long time to conduct recon. In all likelihood, two hours was an optimistic timeframe, and there was a possibility of them falling back well before then. Whether due to the natives getting to them faster than they expected, or some other unforeseen variable. He hoped it would be the former. At least that they were expecting.
"Warning. Hangar Bay Decompression commencing. Please leave the area," an automated voice rang out over everyone's comms as red strobe lights lit up the hangar. In a fast yet organized fashion, the crewmen secured their equipment to the walls and designated racks, then exited through massive bulkhead doors that sealed shut behind them. What once was a large and bustling hangar was now empty save for ten Pelicans and their cargo. They could hear the faint whine and hum of the ship, but then they felt a slight jolt as the air was gently sucked out of the bay and into the rest of the ship. After a few moments, they could only hear the faint hum of the Pelican's four hybrid fusion engines. Even the massive hangar bay doors opening to expose the vastness of space didn't make a sound due to the lack of air to transfer the sound waves.
"Looks like they're heading out," Private Alberti pointed out. True to his word, the Pelicans were lifting one at a time, flying out into the vacuum of space and pitching down to the planet. As John watched the Pelicans depart one by one, the other ODSTs began to converse once again.
"So, any bets on what we're going to find down there?" Private Williams asked.
"Aliens," Corporal Schmidt replied, causing Williams to turn and shake his head.
"Well, yeah. Duh, we're going to find aliens. We've been finding nothing but aliens for the last fifteen years," Williams pointed out. "I meant what kind? Mammals, insect? Maybe actual Grey Aliens or Lizardmen."
"Been wondering where those guys were, to be honest," Hernandez joked, causing a slight chuckle to echo across the Pelican. With his visor depolarized, the other soldiers could see the smile spread across the Hispanic man's face as he leaned his head back against his headrest. "You know what I think we're going to find? Star Trek aliens. I mean, we're overdo for them, right?"
"What?" Alberti asked, while Lance Corporal Bisset sighed and shook her head.
"Dieu, Hernandez, you're such a nerd, you know that?" she sarcastically replied. Alberti, meanwhile, continued to look confused.
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, man," he said, causing Hernandez to shoot his squad mate a look.
"Seriously, you haven't-? Never mind," he groaned, then gestured to his forehead. "Rubber forehead aliens, you know? Like, they look almost exactly like humans, just with things like ridges on their foreheads or pointy ears."
"Those just sound like humans with extra bits."
"But they aren't, that's the key," Hernandez joked, wagging his finger. The others looked at him for a moment, then they chuckled back.
"Would definitely be better than the ones we got now," Alberti admitted.
"If we're getting Star Trek aliens, I hope it's the green-skin alien space babes I was promised," Sergeant Li added, a clear smile on his face as their Pelican's engines roared and they felt the craft lift itself off the ground.
"You know what, I'll take that bet," Williams added with a smile on his face. "I reckon they're some kind of hive-mind creature that can take your body like a parasite and turn you into a zombie."
"Hah, as if!"
Despite himself, John couldn't help but slightly smirk as the Pelican finally took off and flew towards the planet. Once they hit the atmosphere, the dropship slightly jostled from the reentry. Fire erupted around the aircraft, but the internal stabilizers left their flight remarkably smooth.
"What about you, Schmidt? Bisset? Master Chief?" Williams asked expectantly. Bisset shook her head before looking at the private, placing her hand on her lap.
"Hard to say, really. The one's we've met are so varied as it is," Bisset pointed out. A reasonable answer, in John's opinion, while the others turned towards Schmidt.
"I'm with Bisset," Schmidt answered. "Whatever they are, though, anything would be better than the Covenant."
"Total agreement there," Hernandez replied with a frown. "The aliens we have suck. I want a refund."
"You didn't pay for anything," Bisset pointed out.
"Then I want a refund anyway."
"Hernandez, you cheap bastard," Williams joked, then turned his head towards the Master Chief. "What about you, sir? Any predictions?"
John thought about whether he should answer. This discussion wasn't truly in the interests of the mission, and might even be a distraction if taken too far, but it was obviously having a calming effect on the troops. After a moment, he figured giving his honest thoughts wouldn't hurt.
"It honestly depends on what life down there is like," the Master Chief admitted. "There are so many complex and intricate environmental details that make each planetary biosphere different than the last. Judging from what we can see from orbit, and past examples from our own colonial history, I can make a few assumptions. The cooler regions will likely boast larger, more aggressive predators and prey as they attempt to shield themselves from the cold, while the desert regions will probably boast smaller species in contrast to keep themselves cool. Beyond that, it's all conjecture.
"That's not even getting into the sapient species that calls this planet home. The species that make up the Covenant are so varied that it's hard to form a base model, assuming it even is only one intelligent species that has developed on this planet. If they evolved in the desert regions, they might be adapted to survive long stretches of little to no water, perhaps with camel-like hunches. Perhaps in some nutrient-starved jungles the flora and fauna were forced to merge in a mutualistic bid for survival. Many of the cities are on the coasts or near rivers, so perhaps they require direct access to water in order to survive. It's impossible to say at this point."
John paused, then turned his head to glance at the ODSTs. They were staring at him now, their depolarized helmets doing nothing to mask their dumbfounded expressions. Clearly, they were not anticipating such a belabored response. He stared at them for a moment, his awkward embarrassment completely obscured by the impenetrable mirror of his visor and rigid posture, then shrugged with feigned nonchalance.
"Either that or Star Wars aliens, where they say they're not human, but they really are."
Chief's joke did the trick. Another round of chuckles echoed in the troop bay, then they felt the Pelican level out. John stood up and walked to the cockpit, where he looked out the windows and saw them pass through clouds illuminated only by moonlight, soon entering sight of a vast mountain range sitting atop a large woodland forest.
"Everyone, focus," Sergeant Li called out, knowing they were about to touch down. As though flipping a switch, the lighthearted atmosphere inside the Pelican was replaced with one of pure professionalism. The pilot flew down the mountainside, racing atop the canopy before finding a small clearing the Pelican could fit in. He turned the aircraft on a dime, slowing it down and gently hovering in place before descending. Landing pads and ramps came down and settled against the soft, green grass, and as soon as the troop bay door opened, five veteran ODSTs and one SPARTAN-II commando piled out with their weapons raised.
"Front side clear," Schmidt called out from the nose of the Pelican.
"Back, clear," Bisset echoed, this time from the left side. One by one, the other ODSTs and John reported no signs of hostile activity, meaning they were safe.
"Pilot, any sign of native activity?" John asked as the pilot exited the now open cockpit.
"Negative, Master Chief. We flew past their scanners too quickly for them to track us, and our systems prevented any that did from pinpointing our location. For now, we're good," the pilot answered, and John nodded.
"Keep an eye on radar. Report any signs of native activity heading our way," John ordered, and the pilot nodded.
"Will do, Chief." With that, the pilot rejoined his copilot and closed the door behind him. The troop bay door closed as well, sealing the dropship entirely. John eyed the Pelican for a moment, then turned towards Sergeant Li.
"Sergeant, before we depart, any suggestions?" John asked. Li, his visor now polarized, nodded and turned his head towards Schmidt, who was already crouching down and rubbing his gloved fingers across a mossy rock.
"Schmidt, you were Army Pathfinder. Lend Master Chief a hand, will you?"
"Yes, sir," Schmidt complied, then jogged towards the Master Chief. "Chief."
"Corporal." John nodded, then turned his head towards the forest facing the front of the Pelican and the mountains before turning back to the ODST. "Scans indicated a river to the east running away from the mountain. We should be able to find a settlement to observe downriver."
"Probably, assuming they did what we did," Schmidt replied. "We can follow animal trails to conceal our movements. Once we find out where they are, we can choose a spot to observe from."
"My thoughts exactly. Corporal, take point," John ordered. Corporal Schmidt nodded, then raised his silenced submachine gun and hovered his finger near the trigger but not on it as he carefully walked deeper into the woods. The other ODSTs, spread out slightly to cover more area, followed, and once they all passed John, he took up the rear and walked after them.
Continent Alpha Desert, Unknown Terrestrial Planet, Unknown System
November 28th, 2540 20:30 Hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
As Fred-104 looked out over the desert sands, the afternoon sun bearing down as it slowly descended towards the horizon, his MJOLNIR's HUD fed him various environmental data that his suit was monitoring and simultaneously feeding back to the Everest. The atmospheric pressure was roughly 101 kilopascals of pressure, the same atmospheric pressure at sea level on Earth. The temperature was a blistering 104 degrees Celsius, making him glad he was wearing his MJOLNIR with built in temperature regulators. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and only rock and sand greeted him from every direction.
"Lovely place, ain't it?" Fred asked to no one in particular.
"Reminds me of this book I read once. It was set on a desert planet filled with massive sandworms," one ODST remarked.
"Really? I was thinking it reminded me of Tatooine," another replied, but the first shook his head.
"Nah, man. Tatooine has two suns. This place just has one."
"Neither does this place have sandworms."
"Far as you know. They could be underneath our feet at this very moment," Fred said with some levity. The ODSTs under his temporary command chuckled, then the SPARTAN-II motioned them to move out. He turned his head to the top of the rocky structure their Pelican landed on, where he saw the pilot flash a thumbs up to give the all clear. Fred repeated the gesture, confident that should they run into any trouble their ride would be on standby to get them the hell out of dodge.
With his M7-S raised against his shoulder, Fred walked out onto the sand and swiveled across the horizon. A few lifeforms were in the distance, too far for his helmet's magnification to accurately make out beyond their general lizard-like shape. As they got closer, he saw they were small, hand-sized reptiles basking in the sun, not caring for the humans' sudden appearance. He thought about bagging one for analysis on the Everest, but he quickly decided against it. The last thing he wanted was to find out that these seemingly insignificant lizards were something sacred to this people and killing them was heresy that would trigger a holy war of extermination. They already had aliens doing that to them, no need to add on.
"I swear, that lizard looks just like a horned toad," an ODST with a Texan accent remarked. Fred looked it over again, then shrugged.
"I'll have to take your word for it. Never seen a horned toad before," Fred admitted. While his training was wide and extensive, zoology wasn't one of the main subjects.
"Well, they look just like that," the man insisted, gesturing with his silenced submachine gun. He looked at the others, hoping for some backup, but to his dismay they seemed just as lost as Fred was. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me y'all never heard of horned toads before?"
"You're the only one of us who grew up on Earth, Ramirez," Sergeant Gonzalez pointed out. "Or the Sol system for that matter."
Private Ramirez sighed and shook his head before continuing on. At the same time, Fred looked back at the 'horned toad,' his helmet's HUD flipping through the Everest's connected databanks in search of an image. A few moments later, he got a match, and his eyes widened slightly.
"Look at this," Fred said, transmitting the image to the other soldiers. They stopped in their tracks to look at it, then shot their heads towards the reptiles in shock.
"Huh…that's kind of weird," Corporal Hicks remarked as she rubbed the top of her helmet in confusion.
"See, I told you," Private Ramirez boasted while thumping his chest. Gonzalez, meanwhile, looked towards the SPARTAN-II with his head tilted, silently asking a question. Fred already knew what question he was asking, and after a moment holstered his submachine gun against his thigh.
"I want DNA samples," Fred ordered as his hand shot out and grabbed one of the lizards. It squealed in fright as the others scattered, trying to bite his armored hand, but Fred ignore it as he gestured towards Hicks to hand him a syringe from the sample kit she carried. She complied, and Fred held the reptile still as he inserted the needle into the animal's belly and drew a small sample of blood. Once he was done, he pulled it out and applied a coagulant to stem the small bleeding, then released it back onto the rock. It skittered away as fast as its little legs could take it, and soon disappeared under the sand. Fred handed the sample back to Hicks, who stored it away as Fred walked back to the front of the group.
"Alright, slight change in plans," Fred announced, turning back to the group of soldiers. "Private Satou, contact the Everest and let them know what we found. Corporal Abbad, get on top of that ridge and see if you can't find anything interesting. I thought I saw an oasis on the way down due west, so start in that direction. Everyone else, secure the area."
"Yes, sir," the ODSTs replied all at once before separating to fulfill their objectives. Corporal Abbad stored his sniper rifle onto his back and began climbing up the large rock while Private Satou crouched down and broadcasted an encrypted signal back up to the Everest using the communications' equipment strapped to his back. Fred, meanwhile, continued to scan the horizon along with the rest of the ODSTs, ensuring that nothing was trying to sneak up on him.
At the same time, an uneasy feeling was beginning to form in his gut. He might not have the near precognitive danger-sense that Kurt-051 had, but something was telling Fred that he and his squad were in more danger than they realized. Fred supposed it was the shock of seemingly finding a species native to Earth on the planet, but even still he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
"Sir," Corporal Abbad called out through TEAMCOMM.
"Corporal, what did you find?" Fred asking, thankful for the distraction.
"You were right. There's an oasis about ten kilometers away, due northwest. I think I see a village, too, but I'm not completely certain on that."
Fred thought it over, then nodded. "It'll do. Good work, Corporal. Climb on down and—"
Suddenly, everything seemed to shake. The ODSTs, surprised at the sudden commotion, braced themselves against the rock while Fred was able to keep himself standing upright without any issue. Dust and sand swirled up from a nearby dune, and a large shape was beginning to erupt out of it. Fred and the recovered ODSTs raised their weapons towards the anomaly, only to slowly lower their weapons once the sheer scale of the apparent creature became known.
"Dios mío," Gonzalez gasped as the sand fell off of the massive creature. It was nearly a hundred-feet tall, covered in reddish scales. The top was covered in a flat shell, and as more of it was exposed a large, turtle-like head came out from it. Four paddle feet came out of the side, and soon it turned its head to look at the amazed soldiers. A tense moment passed as both sides stared at each other, then the creature turned its head away and began to swim away across the sand, forming a dust cloud in its wake. The soldiers watched as the creature departed, none finding the words for several minutes.
"…That was a big-ass turtle," Corporal Hicks succinctly pointed out.
"Noted," Fred flatly replied, thoughts running in his head about how a creature of that size could survive not only in a desolate desert but simply in an atmosphere with the same pressure and oxygen content Earth did.
"…I, uh, was able to get to the Everest," Satou revealed. "They…want us to continue our current mission, but also take any DNA samples we can."
"Well, we were going to do that anyway, so nothing unexpected," Fred stated. As the turtle swam further away, Fred kept his eyes focused on it, then shrugged. "Obviously not that thing. We'll call that a lost cause."
"Thank you, sir."
Continent Charlie Lake, Unknown Terrestrial Planet, Unknown System
November 28th, 2540 20:51 Hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
Linda-058 stared through her sniper rifle's scope at the anomaly their pilot had chosen to land beside. Or rather, had to land by. They were near a large circular lake in the northern regions of the continent, one that housed a large island in the western center. They were on the southern side, where their pilot had detected a strange gravitational disturbance that Lieutenant Gamal ordered them to investigate. As they got closer, however, the light of the full moon revealed a sight none of them were expecting.
The source of the disturbance came from a series of islands that sported large, crystalline growths coming out of the sides and bottom. Most of the crystals were a deep purple, with other colors such as green, red, and blue scattered around, but what was most peculiar about the islands was the fact that they were floating several hundred meters off the surface of the lake. Her gut told her the crystals were somehow responsible, and Lieutenant Gamal had the same suspicion. Now, instead of continuing towards the jungles, they were scouring the area for any samples they could find. Some were littered on the ground, small enough to be carefully picked up, while others were embedded into the rock and required more careful excavation.
"Easy, easy," an ODST near Linda spoke to himself as he used his knife to hammer away at the rock surrounding a crystal. Linda watched him as he worked, but kept the majority of her attention on their surroundings. Thanks to her rifle's night-vision scope, the normally pitch-black darkness was illuminated in a vibrant green. She could see the ODSTs working to gather samples while others, like her, were on lookout. The only things they could see were various nocturnal creatures like bats, owls, moths and the like, which itself was a cause for concern. Still, their focus was on the crystals. The more they could bring up to the Everest, the better.
Then, from the corner of her eye, Linda watched as the ODST near her accidentally banged his knife against the crystal. It began to glow purple, and everything seemed to slow down. Without thinking, Linda lunged for the man and grabbed hold of his backpack, then threw him as hard as she could away from the crystal as it seemed to crackle and spark. She leaped away after him, and as soon as she did, the crystal exploded like a grenade, sending her flying back while shooting fragments of rock in every direction. To her shock, instead of heat she felt what could only be described as g-forces push against her as she landed hard against the ground before continuing her momentum into a roll. The ODST was more rattled, but otherwise was unharmed as the others rushed towards them, their weapons raised.
"What the hell happened?!" an ODST named Private Beck asked, looking at the fresh hole in the rock where the crystal once rested. Lieutenant Gamal shot his head towards Linda, who tilted hers towards the smoking hole.
"It appears the crystals are volatile, sir. Private Jameson accidentally nicked one, causing it to explode," Linda reported. Gamal studied her for a moment, then turned his head towards the recovering Jameson as his fellow ODSTs helped him to his feet.
"Jameson, you alright?" Gamal asked, and the ODST nodded while breathing heavily.
"Ye…yes, sir. Ears are ringing, but I'm alright," Jameson admitted. Gamal nodded, then turned back to the SPARTAN. He nodded in appreciation, which Linda returned without saying a word. None needed to be said, and soon the ODST leader was barking at his soldiers to pack up whatever remaining samples they already acquired carefully into storage boxes on the Pelican. Neither he, nor any of the others felt the need to put themselves in any further unnecessary risk trying to mine these out without the proper tools. They got lucky once, but as any soldier knows, luck can only get you so far before it runs out.
As the ODSTs went to work, Linda stayed still and kept staring at the hole. Her brow was furrowed, both in confusion and curiosity. Never before had she seen a crystal react to physical touch the way it did, nor did any natural solid react so explosively. Obviously, it was filled with energy, but what kind of energy allowed it to seemingly defy gravity?
"What are you thinking?" Lieutenant Gamal asked as he walked up to her. She turned her body to face him and looked down, then nodded.
"These crystals, I haven't seen anything like them before. I can't help but wonder about what natural phenomena led to its creation? Highly volatile crystals that can defy gravity seem to be the result of something more than geological heat and pressure," she admitted.
"Same here. Think that the natives might've learned how to use it?" he asked, and Linda nodded.
"Possibly. They're apparently abundant enough to grow out of the ground, at least in certain places. I don't have any evidence to support it yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if the native civilization knew how to harvest and make use of them."
"I hope so. I'm beginning to think that these crystals are all like that. I bet the eggheads will have a field day with them."
"My thoughts exactly," Linda said, then something flashed by on her motion tracker. It was accompanied by the reverberating sound of insect-like wingbeats, only ones that were far larger than anything she had heard before. Not even the largest Drones she had fought sounded that large. Her head shot towards it, only for the disturbance to disappear. The ODST seemed alarmed and already had his silenced submachine gun raised, obviously having heard it too.
"See anything?" he asked, but Linda shook her head.
"Not anymore," she replied, keeping her focus on the floating islands.
"It sounded like a Drone."
"No. It sounded bigger."
They kept their attention on the islands for a few more moments, with the other ODSTs joining in. After a few minutes of silence, however, they relaxed and lowered their guard.
"Alright, let's move out. We got a lot of ground to cover," Gamal announced, motioning with his arm to get his troops to move out. Linda kept her attention on the rocks before she, too, turned around and moved on. Yet, the feeling that she was being watched never subsided, and so she remained on guard.
Continent Epsilon Southern Coastline, Unknown Terrestrial Planet, Unknown System
November 28th, 2540 21:15 Hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
If Kelly had to describe Continent Epsilon in one word, it would have to be 'cramped.' Three-fourths of the continent was covered in inhospitable desert, and the rest was dense jungle. They landed in one of those jungles near the coastline, and the six soldiers were finding it a challenge to maneuver effectively. What didn't help matters was that the wildlife proved to be highly aggressive and territorial. Nothing they couldn't handle, obviously, but more than a few rounds were expended in keeping them at bay. They made sure to take DNA samples from them, however. Why let the encounter go to waste?
Her biggest concern, however, wasn't the wildlife. Instead, looking through her helmet's HUD, Kelly and the other ODSTs were laying prone overlooking a small village. The structures were made out of primarily wood and what looked like sheet metal in some cases. Several small docks jetted out into the water, where they could see hastily discarded fishing nets and gear scattered around the docks and village, along with many wooden boats. Not a soul could be seen, but one key detail was noticed about all the various dwellings. Their doors were closed, and if she had to guess, they were locked.
"It's like a damn ghost town down there," an ODST named Corporal Sho noted with a hint of regret in his voice.
"Did we scare them that much?" Private Anderson asked, only for Private Lewis to scoff audibly.
"What did you expect would happen? We show up out of the blue and park our massive ship in front of their moon then don't say a goddamn thing. Of course they're going to be scared out of their minds. Can't say I blame them," she pointed out. Kelly reasoned that she had a point. The UNSC likely hadn't made the best first impression in retrospect.
"Can you blame us for being cautious?" another piped up more forcibly. "Up until now, every single alien species that could talk has tried to kill us for no good reason. Because our existence is an 'affront to their gods' or some crap. Frankly, if it were up to me, I'd bombard these people from orbit and call it a day. Would rather not take the risk."
Most of the other ODSTs were clearly outraged by their comrade's comments, with Lewis hissing, "That would make us no better than the Covenant!"
"Then it's a good thing I'm not making the decisions, isn't it?"
"That's enough, Vogel," Lieutenant Sato growled, cutting off any further argument before it could fester. While the ODSTs fumed, Kelly silently thought to herself. The way she saw it, both Vogel and Lewis had a point. Every sapient alien they'd come across previously had tried to kill them, so an abundance of caution was warranted. She wouldn't go so far as to recommend outright extermination, though. Kelly didn't wish to inflict that on anyone, even the Covenant. If she had to in order to ensure humanity's survival, then she'd do it without a second thought, but she'd rather the war end conventionally prior to that point. At the same time, viewing these new aliens as potential threats was painting them with the same brush as the Covenant. It wasn't fair to them, and more importantly, treating everyone who might be an enemy as if they already were tended to be self-fulfilling. With how dire things were, the last thing they needed was more adversaries, even if they were only confined to a single planet.
Personally, Kelly thought that Cole's actions, while perhaps a tad too cautious, were the best options that ensured everyone's safety. They couldn't treat these aliens like they were enemies, but they also couldn't treat them like they were friends, either. That naïve belief had died along with Harvest all those years ago, and so she'd treat these new aliens as a neutral party. Neither friend nor foe. They'd have to decide which one they were, and only then would Kelly respond in kind.
Continent Alpha Eastern Forests, Unknown Terrestrial Planet, Unknown System
November 28th, 2540 21:30 Hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
As John and his team suspected, along the riverbanks was a village. The fact that these aliens followed standard human settlement procedures was somewhat of a relief, but any relief was dashed when they saw the state it was in. Had the village been locked down or on high alert, they wouldn't have cared for that reaction would've been expected. Understandable even, given the UNSC's sudden arrival. Instead, they found something else entirely.
"What the hell happened here?" Hernandez wondered aloud as he and other soldiers poked their heads and the barrels of their submachine guns out of the surface of the water, spying on a village that looked as though it had just been besieged. A dull orange glow from various fires rose up into the starry night sky along with pitch black smoke. Several sections of the stone wall was completely shattered, and the metal gate that marked the village entrance was warped and torn beyond use. The ODSTs had been using the river to mask their approach, taking advantage of the internal oxygen in their suits to remain completely submerged, but now they were using it to keep themselves hidden from whatever caused this devastation. John didn't like it at all, and neither did any of the ODSTs.
"Troopers, move in and stay frosty," John ordered. The ODSTs complied, and as one they silently crept out of the water and onto the riverbank. Cold water dripped down their BDUs and John's MJOLNIR armor, droplets accumulating on their helmets that were quickly wiped away with their hands or otherwise ignored. They grouped themselves along the shattered wall, their fingers resting next to their weapons' triggers as they prepared to breach. With one thrust of John's left hand, the ODSTs swiftly entered the village from the hole in the wall, fanning out to secure the perimeter.
Once inside, John allowed himself to survey the village more closely. It was mostly made of wood and brick, with roads paved with stone. The main street was the widest one, with others shooting out from it to form a square grid pattern that various buildings were built on. Much like the exterior, everything inside was thoroughly demolished. Structures that once stood tall were now nothing more than rubble, red hot embers marked the locations of what were once mighty fires, and black soot covered everything in sight as grey ash fell from the sky.
"Sir, I'm not getting any movement," Schmidt announced, sweeping the area with his M7-S at the ready. Sergeant Li nodded, then turned to the Master Chief to look for guidance.
"Search the area and report back anything you find. Stay in pairs," Chief announced.
"Wilco," the ODSTs replied in unison, then moved out to cover the village in pairs as ordered. Leaving from the east side of the village, Hernandez and Williams covered the north side while Schmidt and Bisset covered the south. John and Li moved west, keeping a close eye on their motion trackers and their helmets' VISR illuminating everything in the otherwise low-light environment.
"Thoughts?" Li asked as he and Master Chief carefully entered a building, their weapons raised and ready to fire at a moment's notice.
"I don't like this," Chief replied. "We saw no signs that this planet was at war prior to our arrival, and this attack happened recently. No more than three hours, tops."
"Then what the hell attacked them?" Li wondered. "Perhaps bandits or groups similar to Insurrectionists?"
"Maybe," Chief admitted. From the UNSC's own experience with the Insurrection, rebel groups attempting to take advantage in unknown situations even when they shouldn't to further their own goals wasn't out of the cards. There were multiple times when Insurrectionists even attempted to ally themselves with the Covenant with the hope that the aliens would help them destroy the UNSC, such as during Operation: SILENT STORM where Insurrectionists attempted to sabotage the mission just to kill John and his SPARTANs. Another instance involved an Insurrectionist settlement called 'The Rubble,' a collection of hollowed-out asteroids connected by docking tubes. Their leaders had attempted to bargain and trade with Jackal smugglers, with the location of Earth itself on the table before SPARTAN Grey Team and a then-lieutenant Jacob Keyes worked with the inhabitants of the Rubble and their rampant AI overseer to prevent that from happening.
In light of these instances and others, along with the remaining Insurrectionists continuing their foolhardy campaign for independence in a time when, more than ever, humanity needed to be united just to survive, it was easy for him to believe similar groups existed on this planet. Part of him even wondered if the Covenant had similar groups within itself and whether they could be convinced to ally with the UNSC, but he personally doubted it. If they did exist, it was likely the Covenant would destroy them as soon as possible, nor did it guarantee they'd work with humans.
"Hold up. I found something," Li announced, stopping in his tracks as they entered another building. John swept the area, finding what appeared to be a kitchen complete with stove and oven. In contrast to the rustic look on the outside, these appliances appeared to be quite technologically advanced. LED displays, touchscreens, and more. Curiously, when he examined the stove more closely, he didn't see any nozzles for natural gas nor any coils to be electrically heated. Instead, he saw a dull red crystal held in an apparatus underneath a cover. The other four stove tops had the same design, and as he and Li looked at the rest of the appliances, including what looked to him like a refrigerator, he noticed special compartments that housed similar crystals of varying colors.
"Are these crystals powering them?" Li wondered aloud as he opened the refrigerator to look upon a light blue crystal billowing frigid air out from it.
"It would appear so," Chief admitted, then switched to TEAMCOMM and began to speak. "Team, report."
"North side clear. Clearing out what appears to be a residential area," Williams reported.
"East side is clear as well," Bisset announced as well. "No bodies, though, which disturbs me."
"Any blood?" Li asked as he and Chief moved into the next room, then the two soldiers stopped dead in their tracks as they saw the room's contents. The entire wooden structure was painted red with blood, with chunks of meat and gore scattered. Nothing was recognizable, and with his voice wavering, Li said, "Be advised. Found remains."
'What was left of them,' John thought as he walked towards it. He crouched down and ran his fingers through the blood, rubbing it between his fingers gingerly as he inspected it. With his years of training and education under the direction of Doctor Catherine Halsey, he was well versed in biology. The fact that the blood was red meant the creature it belonged to was similar to them in that their blood used hemoglobin and iron to carry oxygen throughout the body. With the multicolored blood of the Covenant, from an Elite's purple to a Grunt's bright blue and a Hunter's orange, an alien having red blood like a human was somewhat refreshing.
"Li, search the other houses," Chief ordered, pulling out a sample kit and carefully grabbing a chunk of meat for storage. Part of him felt this was desecrating the dead, but at the same time this was a prime opportunity to get DNA analysis on these aliens. Li, meanwhile, left the house with his weapon raised and moved towards a nearby building, sweeping the area for any signs of hostilities. Like the previous house, he found remains as well, but no intact bodies.
"Jesus Christ…" he muttered to himself as he reported his findings over TEAMCOMM. At the same time, the other members of John's team reported similar findings, as well as larger chunks of meat that sported what could only be described as bite marks. What's more, evidence of large claws marred the buildings and streets, and occasionally a large lupine-like pawprint could be seen in the mud. Given how they knew for a fact that wolves somehow existed on this planet, John felt the comparison was more than appropriate. What he focused on most, however, was the evidence of a firefight that had broken out. Bullet holes and scorch marks marred the interior and exterior of the buildings, as well as arrows that were embedded into various surfaces.
'Perhaps this was a hunting village,' John thought as he entered another building, again finding the same result as the previous one. No bodies, but copious evidence of something once living here. He prepared to take a sample and move on, only to pause as he saw something metal glimmering in the moonlight. He crouch-walked over to it for closer inspection, and he found that the object was unmistakably a gun, although its condition was mangled beyond repair. There were two bent barrels attached to a shattered wooden stock, and a release on the back of the barrels that allowed them to swing down, likely to reload. It reminded John of a double-barrel shotgun, and after a quick search he found a few shells laying in a pool of blood.
"At least we know they use projectiles," Li noted. John nodded, then put the mangled weapon down while storing the shells for analysis back at the Everest.
For the next ten minutes, John and the rest of the ODSTs scoured the rest of the village, cataloguing and sampling everything they could. Various weapons were found, ranging from bolt-action rifles, pistols and shotguns to more primitive swords, spears, hammers and axes. The fact that they appeared in equal number was odd to the soldiers, but they chalked it up to either cultural significance or a lack of resources to acquire more 'modern' weaponry. Of course, the UNSC's weapons were centuries ahead of what they were using, but what was odd was how the bullets themselves didn't have gunpowder. Instead, when an ODST popped one open, he found what could only be described as brightly colored sand. After that discovery, every bullet and weapon, they could find was stored in their kits, with every intention of studying them back on the Everest.
More importantly, with each building they entered and every street they crossed, more of the picture began filling in. This village was attacked and destroyed by what could only be described as an animal attack. How or why, they weren't certain. Were the animals simply attack dogs for some rival group, or was the fauna of this planet far more dangerous than they originally assumed? John didn't know which one was worse, nor did he know if any survivors managed to escape the slaughter. That, more than anything, caused the SPARTAN to worry, for if this village was attacked as recently as he feared, there was no guarantee they were gone. That put them in a very dangerous situation, and so he ordered the pairs to regroup at the village center. None of the ODSTs complained, for they felt a similar foreboding sense of dread.
"Looks like a town hall," Schmidt announced as he and the other soldiers looked up at a large building in the village center. It was the largest building in the area, with at least three stories arranged in a rectangular formation. The top middle was a shattered dome, and large wooden doors were ripped from its hinges. Moving as one, the ODSTs and their SPARTAN-II leader entered the building, sweeping every inch for hostiles or potential survivors. Only Bisset and Hernandez remained outside to secure the perimeter. As before, they found only mangled corpses and shattered walls, and so began to work on cataloguing everything they could.
"Hey, I found a computer," Williams announced. John looked over to see a boxy monitor connected to a CPU on the ground via wires. The ODST was pressing a few buttons but got no result, and so he shrugged and moved on. Others were looking through drawers and what looked like filing cabinets, but John was more focused on the makeshift barricades, consisting of fallen over cabinets and furniture, that blocked many of the doors. Even the door they just went through once had a barricade, but that had been thrown aside to shatter against the walls opposite them. Blood and gore lined everywhere, telling John everything he needed to know.
"Master Chief, I think I found something," Bisset announced over TEAMCOMM.
"Which is?" Chief asked as he motioned for the ODSTs to stop and listen.
"Footprints leading outside through a hole in the wall. I think a few managed to get out," she revealed.
"Stay where you are. We're coming to you," John said, his armor already setting a waypoint on Bisset's location that transmitted to the rest of the ODSTs. They followed it outside, where they saw Bisset crouched down over a patch of mud next to a small hole in the rocky wall. Hernandez was standing over her, his weapon raised and scanning for anything out of place.
"Right here, sir," Bisset indicated with an outstretched finger. John knelt down to inspect the footprints more closely. They were treaded, likely from footwear, and there were many of them clustered together in a haphazard way that could only describe a panicked rush to escape. For the most part, they were so clustered and frantic that it was nearly impossible to make an intact one out, but as he followed the trail they left, he was able to find one that was mostly intact. To his surprise, the footprint looked very similar to one a human would leave. Yet, with the fact that it was obviously encased in footwear, it was nearly impossible to draw conclusions as to what the creature actually looked like.
"Sergeant Li, your thoughts?" Chief asked, causing the veteran ODST to come over and crouch down. He looked down the direction of the trail the footprints made and saw what could only be described as a dirt road.
"Any survivors likely took that road. If we follow after them, we might be able to see what they look like. Maybe even find another village or town," Li suggested, and John nodded.
"Have Schmidt take point again. We'll follow after them and see what we can find," Chief ordered. Li nodded, preparing to issue the order, then they all stopped as a low, heavy growl emanated from a nearby building within the village. At once, every single soldier was focused on where the sound came from, their weapons raised and their fingers on the triggers.
"What was that?" Bisset asked.
"No idea," Williams replied. John motioned with a clenched fist to move closer to the source, and so the ODSTs fanned out and walked towards the broken building the sound came from. As they got closer the growling grew ever louder, and soon they covered the front of the building from all angles with John out in front.
It was then that they saw it. A pair of glowing red eyes that stared out from the darkness filled with nothing but hate. Attached to those eyes was a lupine body, covered in pitch-black fur and white plates of what looked like bone encasing its head. Bony spikes jetted out from its back, shoulders and arms, and a short tail dragged behind it.
"Is that a werewolf?" Hernandez asked, bringing to mind the classical image of that mythological monster. When it raised itself to stand on two legs, the comparison grew even more noticeable, especially with how its front paws appeared to be more flexible like a hand.
"Sure as hell looks like one," Williams replied, keeping his weapon aimed at the creature. It's growls grew more menacing and threatening, and John prepared to give the order to put it down when it suddenly charged. It lunged towards Schmidt, who was the closest ODST to it and pinned him to the ground before he even had a chance to fire his weapon. It raised its claw with every intention of gutting the ODST right then and there, but a hail of gunfire immediate struck the creature from all sides. The M443 Caseless FMJ rounds, designed to penetrate the nanolaminate armor all the species of the Covenant used to varying degrees, cracked the bone plating of the werewolf and shredded its muscles. Before it could finish its attack, it collapsed under the weight of its wounds right on top of Schmidt, still twitching and moving its jaws slightly.
"Get it off him!" John ordered, keeping his submachine gun pointed at the creature while Li, Bisset, and Hernandez rushed over to push the werewolf off of their comrade. Once the creature rolled over, John and Williams put a few more rounds into its head, popping it like a balloon and exposing its bright red muscles and internal organs. Only when it stopped moving did John and Williams slightly relax, yet the SPARTAN-II kept his weapon leveled at the creature while Schmidt was tended to.
"Uggh," Schmidt groaned, clutching his chest where there was a noticeable dent in the chest plate along with a bloody gash along his arm. Bisset, the team's medic, was already administering pseudo-morphine and biofoam, preventing the wounds from bleeding and alleviating his pain.
"Does this hurt?" she asked, poking at a soft portion of his chest with her finger after removing the armor section over it.
"Aah, yes!" Schmidt hissed, causing Bisset to frown and nod.
"I think you broke a rib," she said. "Can you move?"
"Give…give me a moment," he replied, breathing heavily as the pain killer worked its way through his body. Chief turned his head towards the ODSTs, catching Sergeant Li's attention and entering a silent conversation that could only be held between two leaders. After a moment, John turned his head towards Schmidt, who was now standing up and breathing heavily. As though the ODST knew what John was thinking, he shook his head.
"I know this looks bad, Master Chief, but I can still fight," he insisted, bringing his M7-S to his chest to show it. John wanted nothing more than to insist otherwise and call Romeo 234 for Schmidt to be extracted, yet the SPARTAN-II knew that doing so carried a risk of its own. He looked at his ammo counter, and noted that even with six weapons gunning the werewolf down, it still took over half his magazine. Even then, it only died after he shot in the head, and if Schmidt were to be extracted, they'd be down a gun that they might very well need. There was another concern he had to acknowledge, however. The other ODSTs might not appreciate their SPARTAN leader sending one of them back after what they would view as a minor injury. His command of the situation might diminish, and in their now confirmed hostile environment, he needed maximum group cohesion.
"Alright," Master Chief acquiesced, "but you're no longer taking point. I want you in the back, and if you experience any change in status for the worse, you're gone. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," Schmidt acknowledged, grateful that he wasn't being sidelined. John nodded then ordered his team to secure the area while he made a call to the Everest. With the appearance of that 'werewolf,' coupled with all the evidence they had found inside this village, it was now obvious to John about what had happened.
"Everest, this is Sierra-117. Be advised, presence of extremely hostile fauna on planet surface. A werewolf-like creature was found in a recently destroyed village and wounded Corporal Schmidt before being put down, and I believe similar creatures were responsible for the attack on the village itself. Assume hostile."
"Acknowledged, Sierra. Other teams around the planet have been reporting similar incidents, along with a few casualties because of them," Hannibal replied. John frowned, clenching his fist yet releasing it just as quickly.
"We'll take a sample for analysis," John said. "With any luck—"
"Chief, look!" Hernandez called out. John shot around, his weapon raised within an instant as he looked at the creature's corpse, only to find that it was disintegrating into a black mist before his very eyes. The other ODSTs couldn't believe what they were seeing, and neither could John for that matter. They followed the black mist as it dissipated into the night air, and only once it was gone did John report back to the Everest.
"Everest, we will not be able to acquire samples of the creature. It…turned into mist."
"Others have reported the same. It's highly unnatural, to put it lightly," Hannibal admitted. "Regardless, continue with your mission, SPARTAN. Be advised, the planet's civilization has noticed our arrival and is moving to intercept. I estimate your team has less than an hour."
"We'll be gone before then. Sierra, out," John replied, then signed off of TEAMCOMM and walked back to his team.
"What the hell kind of animal turns into mist when it dies?" Hernandez asked, looking among his team for an answer. None were able to give it to him, and so he shook his head and stepped back. "It's unnatural, man."
"Agreed," Sergeant Li replied, then looked at the Master Chief who nodded. Li nodded back, then began reorganizing the team as John walked to the hole in the wall where the footsteps laid.
"I'll take point," he announced, and with his weapon raised he stepped out of the confines of the village towards the road, his team in pursuit and sweeping everything in sight for more of those creatures. At the same time, John thought back to the walls he noticed the cities encased themselves in. Previously, he had wondered what they were for, but now he knew the answer.
The walls weren't there to defend the cities against another civilization. They were there to defend themselves against those unnatural, highly aggressive fauna. Were they the reason why despite the heavy level of industrialization these aliens were capable of, so much of their natural world was relatively untouched? John couldn't help but feel that was the case, and so he worried about what those creatures might mean to the rest of his team and the others around the planet.
Continent Beta Tundra, Unknown Terrestrial Planet, Unknown System
November 28th, 2540 21:45 Hours (UNSC Military Calendar)
Staff Sergeant Graves cursed as the biting cold dug into his ODST BDU. When he and his fireteam were assigned to the northernmost continent, he knew it was going to be cold. Graves had no idea it would be negative forty-nine degrees Celsius cold. How these people managed to live out here was beyond him, but he knew that anyone who did had to be hardcore sons of bitches. Luckily, so were he and his ODSTs, so they would endure it.
Besides, they were much more focused on what lay before them across the icy tundra. Nestled into a small bay lied a fishing village. They could tell because of all the fishing gear and literal fish that lined the premises. A large, segmented wall made of steel surrounded the village, with each segment topped with guard towers. The ODSTs could see what they assumed to be guards inside those towers, shining large spotlights in every direction, but the windows were opaque and thus they were unable to really see what they looked like. Part of him thought that they could simply move closer to get a better look, but he quickly squashed that notion. Stealth was a priority here, and hiding half a kilometer away in some icy rocks and half buried in snow was close enough for him.
"Jones, you see anything?" Graves asked his team's sniper.
"Nothing yet, Sarge. Those guys must not want to come out of their towers," Private Jones reported.
"I bet it's the heating. Wouldn't want to come out here, either," Corporal Kent joked, referring to the steam coming out of the towers' roofs. Graves smiled, then turned his attention to the orange coils connecting the towers, the walls, and every building he could see. He assumed they were part of a heating grid, but for the life of him he couldn't find what their power source was. There were no solar panels or wind turbines, only a large central unit that the heating grid emanated from. From the reports the Everest had been sending them, he had to assume that the villagers were using those weird crystals his team and others had run across previously.
"Sergeant Graves," Private Smith called out, "Radar's picking up more of those patrol craft. We might need to bug out soon to avoid detection."
"Acknowledged. We'll observe for a few more minutes," Graves replied, keeping his attention focused on the village in the hopes that he could at least see what they looked like. The most he could see was that they were bipedal and roughly humanoid in shape, but that was just through their silhouettes. He couldn't make out much more about them from that.
"Wait, wait, hold on. Someone's coming out," Jones called out, looking through the scope of his sniper rifle. True enough, Graves saw through his helmet's magnification one of the doors of a guard tower open. His team's attention was focused squarely on it, their feeds being recorded and beamed up to the Everest along with all other data they were acquiring. When the figure stepped into view, however, Graves felt his jaw go slack.
"Is that a goddamn human?" someone asked, Graves couldn't tell who because he was focusing everything on the being. It was a male covered in white armor with yellow highlights along the helmet, shoulders, collar and arms. A round helmet covered his head, only the mouth being exposed through which he could see white skin. In his five-fingered hands was a boxy rifle, which the apparent human was holding at alert carry, ready to raise it up and fire at a moment's notice. Every fiber of Grave's being was screaming at him that he was seeing things as the guard patrolled across the top of the wall to the next tower, only for it to open and expose another native. This one wasn't wearing a helmet, merely a cap that exposed a head covered in hair. There was no questioning it now.
"Everest, be advised! Humans are on the planet! I repeat, human beings are on the planet!"
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! I hope you're all being safe. Here's the latest chapter of Dust and Echoes! Special thanks to NaanContributor and Jesse K for their help in bringing this story to life.
The UNSC are now on the planet, and as you can imagine, things are both very confusing to them as well as concerning. Humans, Dust, and most importantly, the Grimm Things are about to go down next chapter, you'll just have to wait and see what exactly happens.
Now, for the Q&A"
TOManm: I'm glad you like the story, and you are correct. My choice to set the contact so far back in RWBY canon allows me to play with the RWBY side of the crossover more than it would had it been around, say, Volume 1. I can do those conversations, make believable changes, etc. My creativity has more room by starting so far back. As for why the UNSC sent a ground force for recon and not drones, the problem is that they just exited a battle against the Covenant. Much of their ability to do what you said was severely diminished. Think of it as before the battle, they had the equivalent of unmanned drones to do recon, but now they're all destroyed. Coupled with lack of proper translation and a bit of a hasty arrival on their part, not to mention their outlook being a bit jaded, they felt the best option was to send a ground team before attempting to communicate. It was an overabundance of caution that caused their actions. As for HEV pods, originally that was the plan, then it got pointed out that they'd still need to get off the planet and HEV pods are for inserting behind enemy lines, not really recon, so it was best to send them down in Pelicans.
Shadowstorm-Vash: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much! Happy to have you with us!
Mkchief34: I do have plans for Alpha-9 and Buck. In fact, had the timeline allowed for it, I would have had Buck take the place of Sergeant Graves. However, Buck wasn't an ODST until at least 2545, and Graves was a canon character who was an ODST since the beginning of the war. As for landing on Remnant, you'll have to see. For now, expect a lot of dropships like Pelicans and Albatrosses.
Guest Isa: Yeah, not the best first contact, but as you said, where's the fun in that? At the very least, Remnant's getting a better first contact than their counterparts did. For as bad as the UNSC and ONI can be at times, the Covenant is infinitely worse. There will be butterfly effects, obviously. You'll just have to wait and see what they are.
BanzEye: Don't worry, I'm not dead. It may take me a while to update my stories, but I have 4 writing projects at the moment. As such, it takes me a while to get a chapter done for each. As for Johnson, no. He is not on the Everest.
Dragon lord Syed101: The problem with Summer is that we know so little about her character. I try to stay as canon compliant as possible, and until we know more about Summer as a person, I don't want to write her only to found out that my interpretation is completely off. It's the same reason why I only had Jaune interact with Saphron, his only named family member. I don't want to name or characterize his sisters, only to find out that they're completely different. That being said, there obviously will be canon divergences. With a crossover fusion like this, it's to be expected to help ensure everything meshes appropriately, as well as allow my creativity regarding the fused setting to run wild.
Steelrain66: Yep, things are about to go down. You'll just have to wait and see what exactly that entails.
That's it for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy!