PROLOGUE
Location: Space around Human Colony World, Liberia
October 21st, 2552 0900 hours (Military time)
Information regarding the planet: Under attack by Covenant battle fleet, three Spartan-IIIs sent to reinforce.
“This is Spartan Team Sparrow, what can we do to assist?”
“Spartan Team Sparrow, this is Captain Reagan of the Phoenix Class Warship Falcon’s Flame. We need assistance in evacuating the orbital defense platform Moria. It has been heavily damaged and can no longer fire its main weapon. Covenant forces are boarding it fast, get there ASAP.”
“On it!”
The Spartans in their specially modified Longsword Fighter race towards the station dodging several Phantoms and Seraph fighters.
“Moria, this is Spartan Team Sparrow, open your hangar bay doors so that we can assist.”
The doors to the hangar bay opened with the Spartans flying in, being greeted by five marines as they exited the ship.
“These guys don’t look like Spartans, there armor is a lot more different.” said one of the marines.
“We are a different type of Spartans.” said the leader of the three.
“What?”
“There is no time, we need to help the evacuation efforts.” said one of the Spartans.
“Right, lets go.”
The eight men left the hangar to help the rest of the crew escape. All of a sudden a Covenant Boarding ship blasted through a wall near them.
“Take cover! Defensive Formation!” said the S-III leader.
A pair of jackals came out of the ship first, firing at the squad using their shields to cover other troops coming out. One of the Spartans fires his battle rifle at a jackal’s hand, causing him to blow his cover. The marines gun him down, with the other cowering away. The S-III leader fires his SMG at a trio of grunts, killing them all. Another Spartan throws a grenade, blasting apart an elite and another jackal to pieces.
“All Clear.” said a Marine.
“Is there anyone out there? This is deck crew 5; we are trapped by covenant forces. Anyone, please help!” heard by a nearby radio.
“Deck crew 5; we are near your position. Hold on, we are on our way. said a Spartan. Lets go Marines!”
The eight men went into a nearby room, then were attacked by two elites. One of the marines was killed with three plasma bolts in the chest and one in the head. One of the Spartans does a barrel roll towards the two, firing his shotgun into one and then the other. They then headed up a flight of stairs, not too far away from their target. Just then a jackal showed himself at the top of the stairway and fired his carbine right into the head of another marine.
“Sanjoe!!” yelled a marine.
The enraged marine ran up to the top of stairs dodging fire from the alien. He jumped on top of the jackal and started to strangle him to death. He then pulled out a knife and stabbed the alien right on the top of its head. The marine went to the body of the dead soldier and held him in his arms. He began to weep knowing that his brother was dead.
“I’m sorry about your brother, Sandrez, but we must keep moving.” said the Marine Sergeant.
“How can you say that?! I’ll kill every one of those Alien sons of b-----s!” said Sandrez.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Marine.” said the S-III leader. “We’ll need every last able man there is for the final fight. We need to save those crew men.”
Sandrez wiped the tears from his face showing an angry look.
“I’m not leaving my brother!” said Sandrez.
“Then head back to the ship; take his body with you. said the Sergeant. We’ll continue on alone.”
Sandrez picked up his brother’s dead body and went back to the hangar. The rest of the men continued into the next room. They began to hear gunfire not far from them. They went down the hallway and opened another door. When the door opened, they saw an elite stab a marine through the chest with an energy sword; he then turned his head towards the group and charged for them. One of the Spartans fires his battle rifle into the head of the elite; its blood splattering onto his visor as it went down. Another marine that was in the room fires his assault rifle into two grunts with another elite charging towards him; and tackling the man down. The S-III leader pulled out a special black energy sword and jumped on top of him, stabbing the alien repeatedly in the neck. The Spartan got up, then shoved the alien off of the marine and helped him up.
“Thanks sir. said the Marine. I thought I was going to have to defend this deck crew by myself.”
“Deck Crew? Where are they?” asked the Spartan.
“Behind this door.” said the marine.
“We need to get them off this station. said the S-III leader. “This thing isn’t going to last much longer.”
“Alright, let me just open the door and we can get out of here.” said the marine.
The marine went to control panel and opened the door. As it opened, one of the men inside aimed his pistol right at the head of S-III leader; believing him to be covenant at first. The leader quickly shoved the weapon out of his face.
“Calm down crewman. said the S-III leader in an ordering tone. We’re here to get you off this station.”
“Thank God. said the crewman. I thought we were dead.”
“Well, your not; lets go.” said one of the Spartans.
Just then, the intercom of the S-III leader came on with Captain Reagan on the other side of it.
“Spartan Team Sparrow, we’ve just lost the U.N.S.C. Argentina. It was the last thing defending the Moria against larger covenant vessels. Two of them are headed straight for you; get off that station NOW. Get over to the Falcon.”
“Roger that. said the S-III leader. All right, let get moving! GO! GO! GO!”
The 4 crewmen and the rest of the team ran as fast as they could to back to the Hangar. When they arrived, Covenant Forces had begun to assault the Longsword Fighter. The three Spartans held off the Covenant as the rest of the team made it onboard the ship. The leader pulled a second SMG and shot down two jackals and an Elite Major before they could react. The second Spartan pulled out his Sniper and fired a headshot at two grunts, causing their heads to explode from the damage. The other Spartan ran up towards two grunts and fired at both of them with his shotgun before they could even aim at him; and causing their methane tanks to explode which killed a jackal near them. He then turned and fired at an Elite Minor, blasting its arm off. He ran up towards another Elite and jumped on top of it, forcing the alien onto the ground. He put alien into a headlock and broke its neck swiftly. Another Elite with an energy sword ran up to him preparing to stab him the back before he got up, but before it could react, his head burst into blood due to a sniper bullet by the long range Spartan.
“Thanks.” said the close range S-III as he got up.
“No prob.” said the long range S-III.
The S-III ran towards the remaining jackal and somersaulted over it, landing behind it then stabbing it with his energy sword before it could turn around. The three Spartans then regrouped at the ramp at the Fighter.
“Good work team. said the S-III leader. Now lets get off this”
“Sir, Hunters!” said the close range S-III as two pairs of hunters smashed through both doors to the hangar.
The Three fired their weapons at the large creatures as they approached.
“We don’t have time for this; we need to leave NOW. said the S-III leader. Get in the ship; start the engines!”
The Three Spartans went up the ramp just as the Hunters charged their weapons.
“Close the door!” said the S-III leader as he jumped in the ship.
A marine hit the switch to close the door. As it was closing, several drones busted out of the large vents in the hangar; firing their weapons along with the Hunters at the ship.
The ship started up and left the hangar just as the Covenant cruisers began to destroy the Moria. The fighter headed for the Falcon’s Flame. It entered the Warship’s hangar bay with light amount of damage. While on the bridge, Captain Charles Reagan watched as the Covenant moved in on the heavily damaged U.N.S.C. frigate, the Sun’s Nova, and fired at the human vessel.
“The Sun’s Nova has been destroyed, sir.” said the ship’s A.I. Waller.
The Captain sighed seeing the sight of another ship destroyed.
“Waller, give me a Situation Update,” said the Captain.
“We are the last active human vessel in the system. said Waller. Three Covenant CCS-class Battlecruisers, four Covenant Destroyers, and two Agricultural Support Ships are what have survived of the Enemy Fleet. They have begun to”
Waller stopped with a look of sadness and disapointment on his face.
“What is it Waller?” asked the Captain.
“They have begun glassing the planet, sir. said Waller. I am sorry, sir”
“D----t! yelled the Captain as he hammered the control board. Waller, tell the crew to prepare for Slipspace. I’m initiating the Cole Protocol; prepare the FTL drive for a random jump.”
“Yes sir. said Waller quietly. All crew prepare for Slipspace; I repeat, all crew prepare for Slipspace.”
The A.I. spoke over the Intercom of the ship three times to make sure everyone heard. The crew prepared for Slipspace with their safety measures. Waller then activated the Ship’s FTL drives; the “Falcon’s Flames” had left the system. As they did, a covenant Shipmaster watched as it left while being aboard the leading Battlecruiser. A Covenant Zealot approached him preparing to give him news of the battle.
“Rel’vas, our fleet has glassed the majority of this world, but we have found something, an artifact.” said the Zealot.
“Keep two Battlecruisers and an Agricultural Support Ship here to scout the location; I want the rest of the fleet to follow that Human Vessel.” said Rel’vas.
“But sir, it is only one ship; shouldn’t we”
“I gave You an ORDER Velk’tar; I expect you to follow it! said Rel’vas. Or do I need a new second-in-command?”
“No, my leader.” said Velk’tar faintly.
“Then track that ship and follow it.” said Rel’vas.
“Yes, my leader.” said Velk’tar.
The majority of the Covenant fleet went into Slipspace and followed the Falcon’s Flame.
END PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTIONS
Location: The bridge of the Falcon’s Flame; unknown space
November 4th, 2552 1341 hours (Military time)
Information regarding the system: No sign of Covenant forces; unknown sector of the galaxy
The Falcon’s Flame exited out of slipspace after the long journey, appearing in front of an unknown planet.
“Where are we, Waller?” asked the Captain.
“Unknown, sir.” said Waller.
“And the planet?” asked the Captain.
“There are few scans of life; probably animals. said Waller. Oxygen levels: 57%, Carbon Dioxide levels: 21%.” “Hydrogen levels: 17%, Nitrogen levels: 5%. Sustainable for human life. Shall I bring the ship down to the planet?”
“Not yet. said the Captain. Set a course around the planet; lets make sure there’s no Covenant nearby.”
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
Just then the three Spartans of Team Sparrow came through the door of the bridge with the sergeant that was on the “Moria” with them.
“Ah Spartan Team Sparrow, how nice that we could finally meet. said the Captain. I guess a bit of introductions are in order. I am Captain Charles Reagan, this is Commander Gabriel Donovan, my second-in-command, this is O.D.S.T. Sergeant Alex Carther, the A.I. over there is named Waller, and as you probably know already, the sergeant with you is Sergeant Major Robert Macintosh. Now who exactly are you?”
“Petty Officer First Class Sergio at your service, sir. My second-in-command is Markson; trained for long range combat. My third-in-command is Tyler; trained for close range combat.”
“Good, now excactly tell me how you are part of the Spartan Program.” said the Captain.
“That is classified, sir.” said Sergio.
“I don’t think that is what I asked, soldier. said the Captain. Don’t give me that crap; I want an answer.”
Sergio sighed and prepared to tell them.
“We are”
“Sir.” Markson interrupted.
“It’s alright. said Sergio calmly. We are part of the Spartan-III Program, a secret project created by ONI to make expendable heroes for the war. We are put on sucide missions to delay the Covenant long enough for more Spartan-IIIs to be trained to turn the tide of the war.”
“Oh, bloody hell. said Alex. Now we have to deal with a whole nother generation of freaks.”
“Stow that mouth, Seargent. said the Captain. So, ONI still has some secrets left.”
“Sir?” asked Gabriel.
“I’m fine.” said the Captain.
“Now we need to know what the plan is.” said Sergio.
“As soon as we”
“Captain.” Waller interrupted.
“What is it Waller?” asked the Captain.
“We’ve found something.” said Waller.
“What?” asked the Captain.
“See for yourself.” said Waller as he pointed out the front window of the bridge.
Reagan, Donavan, Carther, Macintosh, and the three Spartans looked out the window and saw what appeared to be a ring world.
END CHAPTER
CHAPTER TWO: HALO
Location: Near unidentified Ring World
November 4th 2552 1400 hours (Military Time)
Information regarding the system: nothing
“A Ring World? asked the Captain sighing after it. What the hell is going on with this Galaxy? What are its Readings?”
“Scans show no life on the Ring. said Waller. No readings of oxygen, carbon dioxide or any type of gas in its atmosphere. Its terrain seems similar to Mars.”
“Waller, see if you can find out anything about this thing in the U.N.S.C. database. said the Captain. If it’s classified, then make it unclassified.”
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
“Sir; I got a bad feeling about this thing.” said Tyler anxiously.
“That’s never a good thing.” said Sergio.
“Sir.” said Waller.
“What is it Waller?” asked the Captain.
“I have a bit of information regarding the Ring World. said Waller. Apparently, it is some type of super weapon, called Halo, that can cause destruction on a large scale.”
“How large?” asked the Captain.
“Unknown at this point; I shall see what else I can find.” said Waller.
“Alright. said the Captain. Gabriel.”
“Yes sir?” asked Donovan.
“Since there is no atmosphere for the ring, we can’t land the majority of our troops on it, but we can deploy our E.V.A. marines. said the Captain. Tell Sergeant Ellis to prepare her Combat Team for deployment.”
“Yes sir.” said Donovan.
“I wouldn’t do that just yet, sir. said Waller. I’m reporting a sizeable Covenant Force near the Halo. I believe it is from the Fleet that attacked Liberia.”
“How many are there?” asked the Captain.
“One CCS-class Battlecruiser, four Covenant Destroyers, and one Agricultural Support Ship. said Waller. This is odd.”
“What?” asked Sergio.
“The four Destroyers and the Agricultural Support Ship are headed towards the Halo’s surface.” said Waller.
“I thought there wasn’t any atmosphere for the ring.” said the Captain.
“There isn’t. said Waller. They could be deploying a special new E.V.A. trooper.”
“If Halo is a super weapon, then we can’t let the Covenant get their hands on it. said the Captain. Waller, send a transmission to the nearest U.N.S.C. fleet; see if they can send any reinforcements. We need to try and hold them off as long as we can.”
“Sir, I cant send out any transmissions. said Waller. Something is jamming the signal. I can only communicate with ships at short range.”
“Then maybe we can destroy that fleet on our own.” said the Captain.
“Sir; the possibilty of that is 5 billion to 1.” said Waller.
“Not if we gain an extra ship. said the Captain. The Battlecruiser; were going to take it. Carther, Macintosh; prepare your teams incase they board us.”
“Yes sir.” said the two.
The two marines left the bridge and headed towards their teams location.
“Waller, posistion the ship above the cruiser.” said the captain.
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
“Gabriel; tell Sergeant Ellis to prepare for bording action.” said the Captain.
“Yes sir.” said Donovan.
“Sergio; your team will be assisting Sergeant Ellis’ troops in boarding that vessel.” said the Captain.
“Sir; we might be Spartans, but even we won’t be able to take the Covenant vessel with just a small team of marines.” said Sergio.
“That’s why Waller is going to assist you.” said the Captain.
“What?” asked Waller.
“You are going to be needed for this, Waller. said the Captain . The team will only need to fight their way towards the bridge of the cruiser, then they will plug you into its computer and you will decompress the decks on the ship.”
“That seems a bit too risky, if the Covenant kill our boarding party and capture me, they will learn all of humanity’s secrets, including Earth.” said Waller.
“It’s nice to know that you’re A.I. is encouraging.” said Tyler.
“It’s a risk we’ll have to take. said the Captain. We can’t let the Covenant get their hands on this super weapon. Sergio; get your team down to Hangar B. Waller will appear on a holo-projector in the Hangar when your team is ready.”
“Yes sir.” said Sergio.
Sergio and his team left the bridge and headed towards the Hangar.
“Do I have any say in this?” asked Waller.
“I’m sorry Waller, but you don’t.” said the Captain.
Waller sighed, then continued to navigate the ship. Meanwhile in Hangar D, Sergeant Macintosh rallied his team together.
“Role Call, marines! yelled Macintosh. Mickey, Wilson, Cindy, Sandrez; front and center!”
“Sir Yes Sir!” said the team.
The Team lined up in an orderly fashion, with their weapons all ready.
“Men, today is yet another day where we will see those ugly deformed alien sons of b----es; and you know what we’re gonna do with them when we see them? We’re gonna fire at them with all the bullets we got. We’re going to shoot them so many times, that when more of their kind show up, they’ll think they’re in their Freakin HOLY CITY!”
“Ooh-rah!” the team shouted.
“We are called Fire Team Hellboy for a reason. said Macintosh. And that reason is because we will rain fire down on those creatures from hell. Lock n’ Load marines; we’re going to kick some a-s.”
“Sir Yes Sir!” said the team.
The Fire Team picked up the nearby ammo and loaded their weapons. Macintosh put his hand on Sandrez’ shoulder.
“You ok son?” asked Macintosh.
“Yes sir. said Sandrez quietly. I’m ready to shoot as many aliens that I see.”
“Good. said Macintosh. Now let’s get to our position.”
“Yes sir.” said the team.
The Falcon’s Flame was nearing the Battlecruiser while Team Sparrow got their ammo. Shipmaster Rel’vas watched as they came nearer.
“So; the fools wish to die. said Rel’vas. All batteries; Fire! Kill them before they can infect the sacred ring.”
The Falcon’s Flame came close enough for them to launch the Combat Team.
“Captain, the enemy is charging their weapons!” said Waller.
“Fire at them, with all we have! said the Captain. We need to bring those shields down or the team will crash into it.”
“Firing MAC blasts.” said Waller.
The two ships exchange shots at each other. Four Boarding ships came out of the Covenant Cruiser and headed towards the Falcon’s Flame.
“Four Covenant Boarding ships are headed straight for us.” said Waller.
“Intercept them with our Point Defense Guns.” said the Captain.
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
The guns fired at the craft, destroying them before they could even board the ship.
“This is Spartan Team Sparrow, the combat team is all prepped and ready.” said Sergio.
“Roger that. said the Captain. Waller; are you ready?”
“The ship’s shields are down; we can now board them. said Waller. Im ready.”
Just as Waller was about transfer to Hangar B, a large explosion hit the ship; causing almost everyone in the bridge to fall to the floor.
“Waller; what the hell was that?!” asked the Captain.
“Several Kamikaze Seraph fighters filled with explosives hit our Main Cannon. said Waller. Extensive damage throughout the ship.”
“Waller; get us moving towards that ring world, now! said the Captain.
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
The Falcon’s Flame started to move forward with the covenant ship still firing at it.
“Waller; fire all archer missile pods. said the Captain. If we can’t steal the Cruiser; then we wont let the Covenant keep it.”
“Firing.” said Waller.
The ship fired all of its missile pods; the majority of them collided with several seraph fighters. The rest hit near the cruiser’s bridge.
“Rel’vas; we have sustained major amounts of damage all over the cruiser.” said Velk’tar.
“I do not care; fire at that ship. said Rel’vas.
The cruiser fired four Plasma Torpedoes at the Falcon’s Flame; all impacting the same precise location.”
“Sir, damage is too heavy; the Falcon is going down!” Waller shouted
“D----t!” “Everyone; hold on to something!” the Captain shouted.
“Sir, the Falcon is going to collide into the enemy cruiser; I can’t pull out in time!” yelled Waller.
“Crap; all crew brace for impact!” yelled the Captain.
The Falcon’s Flame rammed right into the side of the cruiser; causing massive damage to both ships.
“Rel’vas; our ship has taken too much damage; we are going down.” said Velk’tar.
“Make way towards the holy ring; it shall provide an escape from doom.” said Rel’vas.
Both ships headed towards the Halo; using the last of their power systems to keep the engines going.
“Sir; without any oxygen on the ring, you won’t be able to survive.” said Waller.
“I know, Waller.” said the Captain.
“It’s been an honor serving with you, sir. said Waller. 11 seconds till impact. 10 seconds till impact.”
“I didn’t think it would end like this.” said the Captain.
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” said Waller.
The Falcon; instead of crashing into the surface, went through it as if it were a hologram.
“What the Heck?” asked Donovan.
“Waller, what just happened?!” asked the Captain.
“I don’t know; we’ve gone through some sort of hologram covering the real atmosphere. said Waller. I am now reading several scans of life; along with oxygen and several other gasses in the atmosphere.”
The ship was able to pull up a bit, due to the back being heavier than the front.
“Waller; tell ODST team 4 to get to their HEV’s. said the Captain. We need to scout this place out.”
“Yes sir. said Waller. ODST team 4; head to your designated HEV’s.”
“You heard the Man; let’s get moving marines. said Carther. GO, GO, GO!”
The ODSTs headed towards their entry vehicles.
“Captain; we are ready for deployment.” said Carther.
“Good. said the Captain. Waller; launch the pods.”
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
12 HEVs deployed out of the Falcon’s Flame and down to the surface of the ring. Just then, the engines of the Falcon malfunctioned.
“Sir; we’re losing power to the engines! yelled Waller. We’re going down!”
“D----t; pull up as best you can!” said the Captain.
The ship was heading down fast, with Waller only being able to pull up a small amount.
“Everyone; brace for impact!” yelled the Captain.
The Falcon crashed right into the ground and continued to slide on the ground for about ten miles until it came to a complete stop.
END CHAPTER
CHAPTER THREE: QUARANTINE
Location: Surface of Halo; crash site of the Falcon’s Flame
November 4th 2552 1600 hours (Military Time)
Information regarding the area: No sign of covenant ground forces; area is filled with grasslands and canyons.
“Captain; Captain!” yelled Donovan.
Reagan’s eyes opened up slowly with a blurry haze clouding his vision.
“Captain; thank God. said Donovan. He’s ok!”
“What happened?” asked the Captain as he got up.
“You were knocked out when we crashed. said Donovan. You’ve been out for almost two hours. We thought we lost you at first.”
The Captain got up to his feet and looked around the bridge. Waller’s hologram then appeared from his projector.
“It’s good to see that you’ve made it sir.” said Waller.
“Waller, what are the casualty amounts?” asked the Captain.
“There was around seventy-two hundred living humans onboard before the space battle; there’re are now less than fifty-one hundred humans still alive.” said Waller.
“D----t. said the Captain. What about Team Sparrow and Macintosh’s fire team?”
“They are still alive; the hangar they were in did not impact with the surface.” said Waller.
“What about Alex and his team?” asked the Captain.
“Unknown sir; we lost contact with him when we went down.” said Waller.
“How bad is the damage to the ship?” asked the Captain.
“Extensive and incapable of flying. said Waller. Though we still have three Longsword Fighters and five Shortsword Bombers in working condition.”
“What other equipment do we have left?” asked the Captain.
Waller then showed a screen of data showing what was left.
[Armories: 8 out of 16 armories completely intact; 1 other armory partially damaged.]
[Light vehicles: 14 standard Warthogs, 7 Gauss armed Warthogs, 5 Troop Transport Warthogs, and 19 Mongooses.]
[Heavy armor: 11 Scorpion Tanks, 4 Cobras, and 2 Armadillos.]
[Aerial units: 30 Hornets, 23 Pelicans, and 2 Vultures.]
[Support units: 6 Camels, 2 Pods, and 3 Cheetahs.]
“Is this all that’s left?” asked the Captain.
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
“What should we do, sir?” asked Gabriel.
Charles looked out the front window of the Command Bridge and knew the Covenant would eventually find the ship.
“We can’t stay here; we need to move out and set up a base. said the Captain. Waller; have you found any areas for setting up?”
“Yes sir. said Waller. A position halfway up the nearby mountain; estimated amount of distance would be 113 kilometers.”
“Good. said the Captain. Gabriel; tell everyone to prepare and load as much supplies as we can for the first trip.”
“Yes sir” said Gabriel.
“What about the ship, sir?” asked Waller.
“We’re going to leave a little surprise here for the Covenant. said the Captain. Waller, I’m going to place you in a portable holo-projector.”
“Yes sir.” said Waller.
The Captain then pulled Waller’s computer chip out of the projector and put it into the smaller one.
“We need to get moving before the Covenant find us; lets pack it up, people.” said the Captain.
The remaining crew packed up as much supplies as they could and prepared to exit the ship. Team sparrow exited first with Macintosh’s marines following. They scouted out the area to make sure there weren’t any hostiles nearby. Both teams finished scouting and started to head back to the ship, until they looked at the direction that aimed towards the edge of the ring.
“Uh, Captain.” said Robert in a confused way over the intercom.
“What is it, Sergeant?” asked the Captain.
“I think you should see this.” said Robert.
The Captain left the ship with Donovan following.
“What do you have to report?” asked the Captain.
“That.” said Robert as he pointed towards the edge of the ring.
A Massive wall was rising from the edges of the Halo. Several large blue lights activated at the tip of it.
“What the Heck?” said Donovan.
The Wall began to emit some sort of force field that covered the entire atmosphere of the Halo. Waller’s hologram then appeared out of his projector.
“Waller, you got any idea what’s going on?” asked the Captain.
“The wall seems to have covered the entire edge of the Halo; same with the other side. said Waller. “They have projected a type of force field that will stop any ship from leaving the ring’s atmosphere.”
“Looks like the ring is trying to quarantine us.” said Markson.
“We need to get moving; we can figure out what’s going on after we set up base. said the Captain. Gabriel, head back in the ship and prepare the remaining pods to set up a firebase on that mountain. Once we secure it, I’ll contact you.”
“Yes sir.” said Gabriel.
A large amount of Marines came out of the ship while Gabriel went back in. They stood at the ready; waiting for orders.
“Let’s move out Marines!” yelled Robert.
END CHAPTER
CHAPTER FOUR: BEGINNING
Location: Surface of Halo; crash site of the Furious Blade
November 4th 2552 1800 hours (Military time)
Information regarding the area: Crashed CCS-Battlecruiser; surviving crew prepare themselves on what to do next.
An Elite Minor on the floor tries to get himself up, but begins coughing up blood. As he is about to stand up, the sound of an energy sword activating is made where Rel’vas then stabs the elite through the back.
“You are too weak for Journey. said Rel’vas. Better to die now then face the wrath of the gods.”
Rel’vas then takes his blade out of the young warrior. Several other crewmen watch as the dead elite collapses to the ground.
“Let this pathetic Minor be an example for anyone who shows any sign of weakness. said Rel’vas. Get back to work.”
“Sir, around 3600 casualties has been estimated from the aftermath of the battle. said Velk’tar. All remaining Covenant vessels have landed in separate areas on the surface of the ring. There also appears to be some type of forcefield covering the atmosphere of the ring that is preventing us from leaving the ring.”
“This holy ring is preventing the human scum from leaving. said Rel’vas. We shall eradicate them before they can even flinch. Do we know of their location?”
“Our scouts have found the human’s crashed ship near a canyon not far from here. said Velk’tar. From its appearance, its seems we more successful in the battle than w---
“Success? You call this a success?!” Rel’vas interrupted.
Rel’vas activated his energy sword and neared it close to Velk’tar’s neck.
“You will always be a failure to me, Velk’tar, never a success. said Rel’vas. The only reason I haven’t killed you is because I would rather watch you die by human hands.”
Rel’vas deactivated his energy sword and left the bridge. He then arrived in an intact hangar.
“Warriors, line up.” said an Elite Ultra.
The nearby Covenant troops formed an even line.
“Warriors, today is the day we will crush the rats that are infesting the Great Halls of Halo. said Rel’vas. This filth will die before they can even witness the glory of our blades striking down upon them. They will burn like any other. Fight for your brethren, your race, and for the Covenant!”
The warriors cheered loudly with morale and prepared for battle. Rel’vas then walked towards the Ultra.
“I see your warriors can be easily motivated, Ra’chi.” said Rel’vas.
“Motivation matters not to me. said Ra’chi. I will kill humans the exact same way.”
“What support will we have?” asked Rel’vas.
“One wraith, three spectres, eight ghosts, and seven banshees will be used for first wave. said Ra’chi.
“Good; the humans will be expecting an attack. said Rel’vas. They have probably converted their ship into a fortress. But in every war, a fortress always has a weak spot.”
Velk’tar then entered the hangar and headed to Rel’vas with an elite in gray armor.
“My leader.” said Velk’tar.
“What do you want Velk?” asked Rel’vas.
“This is Scribe Jar’chei; he says that we can activate halo with something called an index.” said Velk’tar
“Is this true Scribe?” asked Rel’vas.
“Yes my leader. said Jar’chei. But first we must find something known as the Cartographer.”
“How do you know of this?” asked Rel’vas.
“During the battle of what the humans call Liberia, I was part of a ground team that stumbled upon a great holy structure that had much knowledge of the Great Seven Rings. said Jar’chei. I was unable to finished learning its holy archives due to a human attack.”
“If this is true, then we shall light this Ring.” said Rel’vas.
“There is one problem, my leader. said Velk’tar. We cannot seem to establish contact with the rest of the Covenant. It appears that something is blocking the signal.”
“No matter; we do not need the guidance of the Prophets to light this Ring. said Rel’vas. But before we activate Halo, we must cleanse it of its infestation.”
“But, my leader.” said Velk’tar.
“But nothing; this shall be the beginning of the end for Humanity. said Rel’vas. Now get to your Phantom.”
“Yes my leader.” said Velk’tar.
Velk’tar then headed towards one of the nearby Phantoms, as did the rest of the group while Jar’chei stayed behind. Then a group 20 Phantoms activated and left hangar.
END CHAPTER
CHAPTER FIVE: FOOTHOLD
Location: Surface of Halo; small valley around 25 kilometers U.N.S.C. base setup site
November 4th 2552 2300 hours (Military Time)
Information regarding the area: Small amount of fog covering landscape
A Warthog went down a small hill made of rocks with a Transport Hog following. They then went past a patch of trees with the fog getting worse.
“Waller, how much further? asked Sergio over the intercom. We can barely see out here.”
“Not far. said Waller. It should be just beyond the next hill.”
The Warthogs jumped off the hill and landed perfectly.
“Markson, stop here.” said Sergio.
“Yes sir.” said Markson.
The first hog came to a near complete stop, as soon did the other one.
“Pile out.” said Sergio.
The marines and Spartans got out of their vehicles and activated their assault rifle’s flashlights.
“Come on, we need to secure this valley. said Sergio. Waller, will we have any support?”
“Sergio, this Captain Reagan; we are still setting up our main base and can’t spare anything right now. You’ll have to go in alone.”
“Roger that.” said Sergio.
“Lets hope there isn’t a large amount of Covenant in the area.” said Tyler.
“All right, lets move out.” said Sergio.
The team moved up through an opening between a wall of rocks and into another forest.
“Keep quiet.” Sergio whispered.
“You hear something?” A Marine whispered.
“Jackals.” Markson whispered.
A Covenant patrol of four jackals came near the eight soldiers, but the team was out of their sight.
“Sparrows, take them out quietly.” Sergio whispered.
The Spartans snuck around the aliens. They silently came up behind the four; Tyler drew out his combat knife and stuck it through the first jackal’s throat, Markson quickly broke the neck of the second jackal, and Sergio swiftly beheaded the last two in one quick slash from his energy sword.
“Lets move.” Sergio whispered.
The group continued on through the woods until stopping at a small cliff.
“Look down there, sir” Tyler whispered.
Down the cliff was a small Covenant camp.
“What are those big ape like looking things?” asked a Marine
“Ah crap, brutes.” said Markson.
“Alright, this is going to be harder than we first thought. said Sergio. Jacob, take your marines and take cover behind those rocks. I’ll give you the signal to lay suppressing fire. Markson, how many are down there?”
“I count about eleven brutes; one of them being a Minor Chieftain. said Markson. Also fourteen grunts and nine jackals.”
“Alright, everyone get into position.” said Sergio.
The five Marines headed over to the rocks and waited. One of the Brute Warriors began to catch their scent.
“Sir, I think that ape smells us.” said Tyler.
“Wait for it.” said Sergio.
“I smell a human.” the Brute said.
“Sir.” said Tyler impatiently.
“Now!” yelled Sergio.
Sergio threw a Flash Grenade up into the air with gazing at its glow. Markson sniped down one the distracted Brutes, gaining the attention of the other ten. The flashbang went off, blinding the entire camp.
“Volley!” Sergio yelled.
The other five Marines fired their weapons right into the camp inhabitants, killing four Grunts, three Jackals, and one Brute before needing to reload. Tyler pulled out his shotgun and slid down the small cliff, Sergio following him down with his energy sword. Tyler shot the closest Brute warrior, breaking his power armor. The Brute threw a punch, but Tyler dodged it and blew the alien’s head right off. A Grunt Major overcharged his plasma pistol and fired it right at Sergio, depleting his energy shield. The S-III leader pulled out his SMG, fired it at the Grunt and a nearby Jackal, and then stabbed a Brute Minor in the chest with his blade. Markson sniped the head off of two Brutes in one shot and the Marines killed two Grunts and three more brutes.
“Ooh-rah!” yelled Corporal Jacob.
A Brute Captain noticed Corporal Jacob and shot a hole right threw the soldier’s head with his Carbine.
“Crap!” yelled a Marine.
Tyler threw a Frag Grenade at the surviving enemy forces and blasted apart five grunts and injuring the Brute Captain. Sergio ran up behind one of the Jackals, stabbed it right in the back with his sword, and took its energy shield. The Brute Captain got up and fired its Spiker at Sergio, but the Spartan blocked it in time. Tyler picked up a Needler off the ground and fired it right into the Brute, finally killing it.
“Let’s kill the rest of them.” said Sergio.
Just then, the Brute Chieftain showed himself and swung his Gravity Hammer at Tyler, barely dodging it. The Chieftain let out a loud roar and swung his hammer down at Tyler. The Spartan literally caught the hammer before it impact and held onto the stick area of the weapon. The strength of the Alien forced Tyler down onto the ground, still barely holding onto the hammer.
“A little help here would be nice!” Tyler yelled.
Sergio came up behind the Brute and slashed both of his legs with his energy sword. The Brute let out a roar of pain and turned his focus to Sergio. The Brute swung his hammer at Sergio, but missed. The S-III leader jumped on and tackled the Chieftain to the ground. The Alien quickly threw the Spartan off of him and got back up to his feet. Sergio quickly rolled out of the way from the Brute’s punch and quickly got off the ground. The Chieftain picked up his hammer and began charging at the lone Spartan. Sergio quickly got out of the way and picked up his energy sword. The Brute turned around, showing a face of rage and charged at Sergio.
“Tyler, now!” Sergio yelled
Tyler picked up his shotgun and fired it right into the chest of the Alien. The Chieftain fell to his knees, and Sergio beheaded the Brute before it could react. Tyler and Sergio, exhausted from the fight, felt relief that the threat was no more.
“Finally. said Sergio. Markson, what’s our status?”
“All enemies cleared out of the camp. said Markson. We have one casualty though; Corporal Jacob is dead, sir.”
“Well then that’s one more good soldier lost today. said Sergio. But the day is ours; and first thing we need to do is get rid of these bodies and setup camp. We can dump these corpses in a nest of animal predators, that way if anyone comes looking for them, they’ll think the animals killed them. Tyler; radio in Captain Reagan and tell him to send a Camel transport with supplies here so we can setup a foothold.”
“Yes sir.” said Tyler.
“Someone get those Warthogs over here. said Sergio. I wonder how things are going at the Falcon’s Flame.”
END CHAPTER