A Year of Battle

[blackshot]

Backstory: As a part of time skipping in Yappa's Halo Timeline, this thread was created to update Private Jonah Hauser before he got left out by the other members. The thread took place two days after the Dust In The Wind thread also posted here. This thread is all about Jonah's experience from 2548 to 2549. Don't delete this thread, please.

Private Jonah Hauser
ODST Trooper
153rd ODST Company
Orbit of Epsilon Eridani IV

December 31, 2548
--Aboard a UNSC Carrier--

Jonah sat on a chair as soon as he entered the mess hall. Marines, ODSTS and other UNSC Personnel littered the hall as they gather around to talk about their personal experiences before they became soldiers, their war stories and all sorts of stuff that can be discussed.

In front of him was his own teammates, Carmichael, The Leader and Lynch. Each Troopers were busy to whatever stuff they are doing.

"Seems like our actions were exploited." The Leader says as he read the headlines of the news in his Tactical Computer attached on his bracer.

Lynch gulped her soup silently as she nods at The Leader. Carmichael stood up in an instant as he watched something on his datapad.

"I need to connect to the Waypoint. There's a disaster in my homeworld and my family got caught up in the middle of it."

"Permission granted." The Leader says with a lazy tone.

Jonah just watched them do their own stuff until his Bracer rang. Raising his arm where a little screen is displayed, a transmission from the Captain was sent to him.

"Private Jonah Hauser, I need you to get to the Bridge, ASAP."

"Yes sir." Jonah says as he stood and left the Mess Hall.

[blackshot]

"Greetings, Private Hauser." The Captain of the ship says as soon as he entered.

Jonah saluted before walking up beside the Captain for briefing. Just like any other briefings, he was a little bit nervous of what the Captain might assign on to him.

The Captain's face became serious when he turned to face him. This gave Jonah a little scare. He wasn't sure if the Captain was power tripping him or if he was going to say something serious or even scary. This goes on for a minute so Jonah decided to ask him.

"What is it, sir?" He asked with a questioning look on his face.

The Captain heaved a sigh as he put both hands on the table. Jonah can tell that it was something serious.

"Have you heard of the word 'Covenant?'"

Jonah wanted to punch the Captain for keeping him hanging.

"Yes, sir. I've heard of them." Jonah answered tactfully.

"We lost contact to one of our Command Posts at Mount Washington. A transmission sent by a UNSC Personnel, before the Command Post was lost, says that the Covenant attacked, seeking for a Forerunner Artifact stored on the Post." The Captain stared at him. "Now, you'll be sent there alone to retrieve the artifact."

Jonah stared at him, wide-eyed.

"You'll be inserted on the combat zone via a Pelican. Good luck."

"Yes sir." Jonah replied as he began to leave.

"By the way, Hauser."

Jonah turned to face him.

"Keep this secret."

"Yes sir."

[blackshot]

Epsilon Eridani IV
Mount Washington
22:12

The Pelican slowly descended down on a plateau. Jonah felt butterflies on his stomach as fear rushed in. He jumped down on the ground with a loud thud, crushing the rocks beneath him. He raised his weapon as he did a quick sweep on his surroundings. He sprinted towards a nearby rock as soon as he found no threats around him. He ducked, hiding from plain sight. He watched as the Pelican ascends with a low hum.

Jonah couldn't help but to feel being watched. His paranoia kicked in, thanks to his previous missions, the stress and trauma affected him very much.

Standing up, he slowly walked down to the lower ground. He followed the direction to his objective in the motion tracker as he walked around the plateau. Spotting the command post in a distance, he jogged at its direction cautiously so as to avoid any Covenant troops spotting him.

He stopped on a safe distance as he searched for any enemies. Finding two Grunts standing on the entrance of the Command Post, he crouched to avoid being seen. Quickly, he searched for any covers near him. Luckily, he found one. He jogged at its direction, then hid behind it.

He studied the Grunts ahead of him. Jonah was fascinated by them. It was just his first time to see a real Covenant Alien up this close. Usually, he only see them in those hologramic images back at the Boot Camp. Most of the Marines who shares their experiences with the Covenant, says that they were vicious and violent.

Three more Grunts appeared from the entrancenof the Command Post. Four of them were armed with a Plasma Pistol while the other one was armed with a Needler Pistol, of which Jonah has no idea of what it was.

Three of them were outfitted with orange combat suit while two had those red ones. Their faces were covered with methane masks that gave off their creepy appearance.

Jonah was indeed, creeped out of the creatures. He thought of just running away rather than to fight since he has no chance of surviving this, especially when those big things they call 'Elites' joined the fight. Definitely, he's dead.

He thought that it was too late to chicken out. It would be stupid now that his hands was spilled with blood. Gathering all his courage, he sprang out of cover and aimed at one of the Grunts. But after a few seconds, he ducked back again. He thought that his Assault Rifle will be way too loud for this short engagement so he switched to his pistol.

He peeked as he took aim. He had his sight aimed at a Grunt's head. After holding his breath, he pulled the trigger.

The recoil of the gun shook Jonah as he fired his weapon. From a distance, the Grunt's head popped in a plume of blue gore shortly before it hit the ground, dead. The Grunts cried as they all began firing their weapons. Jonah hid to cover as green balls of plasma sped towards him. He took aim once more, sighting a Grunt's head. He fired a shot, hitting the dumb alien straight on the forehead. It slumped on the ground with a cry.

He hid back once more to avoid getting hit. Plasma streak overhead as the Grunts tried their best to hit the ODST.

Jonah sprang out of cover as he opened fire at the Grunts. He searched for another boulder to hide. As soon as he found one, he sprinted at its direction. He rolled, successfully reaching the rock. As soon as he gained his stance, he immediately hid as plasma fires chase him.

He took aim again, sighting the third one. He fired, hitting its body and its head. It let out a cry as the bullets' impact forced it to take a step back. He fired another shot that goes straight through its chest, finally taking it down. It flipped in the air before hitting the ground, dead.

Jonah unclipped a frag grenade from his belt. He tossed it at the Grunts and watched it lands between them. The Grunts, seemingly having a late reaction to the grenade, were thrown midair as soon as the frag exploded.

As soon as the firefight is over, Jonah sprang out of his cover. He jogged at the entrance of the Command Post, switching to his Assault Rifle. He prepared himself for the worst as he took every step that either leads to honor, or to his tombstone.

[blackshot]

He jogged inside the Command Post, did another quick sweep to find any lethal threats against him. Seeing none, he continued on.

He found himself walking straight at a long metallic corridor. At the end of it, was a sealed door guarded by no one. He pressed the access button and watched as the door opened up with a hiss. He walked inside rifle-first, immediately ambushed by a duo of Skirmishers.

He ran towards the nearest cover, a flipped chair. He knows he'll be dead if he put all his faith to his cover so he went back to the way he came in.

As soon as the door behind him sealed itself close, it shook as the plasma fire nearly hits him, only to be interrupted by the door.

He breathed deeply as he prepared himself for another dangerous assault. As soon as he pressed the access button, he rolled forward, avoiding the plasma fire. He raised his weapon at the nearest Skirmisher, horrified by its appearance. Its fish-like face gave Jonah goosebumps. Its muscles bulges out of its combat armor. It was equipped with a plasma pistol that was ready to fire at any moment.

Before he could empty his whole clip at him, Jonah noticed its energy shield attached on its left hands. He knew that his ammos could bounce back right at him.

With all his courage, he ran towards it. The Skirmisher raised its shield as soon as Jonah drew close. With a kick, the ODST managed to shove it on the ground. He aimed at its face at a point blank range. He fired at it endlessly, making purple blood splash everywhere, even staining his suit.

He slid his rifle back as soon as he picked up its Plasma Pistol from the ground. He snatched his M6D Pistol and held it on the other hand.

Quickly, he dashed towards the nearest cover as the other Skirmisher fired another plasma. Jonah charged the Plasma Pistol by holding the trigger button. The whole thing threatened to blow on his face so he decided to fire it before it does on its own. As soon as he aimed at the Skirmisher, he released the trigger. The overcharged Plasma raced towards the Skirmisher, which prompts the alien to raise its shield. The shield disabled upon impact. With a missing shield, Jonah took aim and fired his M6D Pistol at it, hitting it three times on the chest and two times on the skull. He reloaded his Pistol so that it wouldn't cause any problem of running dry in the midst of a firefight.

[blackshot]

He scanned his surroundings, immediately he spotted computers stacked up, crates, desks filled with holopad and flipped chairs. The coast is clear so he decided to move towards the other door. He pressed the access button and was moved by what he saw.

He screamed in fear as two Skirmishers walked inside the room. Jonah turned around and ran as the Skirmishers fired at him.

He aimed his plasma pistol, overcharging it as he held the trigger button. As soon as the pistol shook greatly, he fired it at the nearest Skirmisher, who caught it with its shield. Its shield deactivated which prompts Jonah to fire his M6D Pistol at it, hitting it on its chest and head. He jogged away from the remaining Skirmisher as it fires at him. Turning to its direction, he charges his Plasma Pistol and fired, disabling its shield as soon as the Alien tried to deflect it. Jonah fired multiple times using his own M6D Pistol, killing it as it slumped on the ground with purple blood oozing from its wounds.

As soon as the fight is over, Jonah tossed the Plasma Pistol on the ground. His HUD indicates that it was empty.

He switched to his Assault Rifle as he continued his walk, opening the metal door via the access button. Soon, he found himself walking down the identical corridor.

[blackshot]

He continued down the hallway, reaching the door at the end of it. Pressing the access button with a sweaty palm, the door opened up with a hiss. He released a heavy sigh as he did a quick sweep on the room in front of him. He took a step forward, hesitating of his sudden action rather than checking the room for a second time just to be sure. He scanned the room, finding himself inside a huge dome. In the center, a strange object was seen encased on a glass. It was guarded by an Elite together by three Grunts.

He took a deep breath. His worst fear is already in front of him. It glanced around the room with a malicious intent, watching for intruders. Jonah took aim at the Elite. It was now or never. If his luck runs out, he'll be erased in the face of the galaxy forever.

He opened fire at the Elite, wasting a full clip at it. The Elite yelled as the last bullet hit it. Its energy shield sparked, indicating that the Elite was vulnerable finally.

Switching to his M6D, he fired three times at the Elite, spraying blood in the air. He ran to his left then performed a barrel roll as he avoided streams of plasma. He continued his run to the left as the Grunts continued hailing him with plasma.

As soon as he found a clear shot to the Elite, he immediately stopped on his tracks with a screech. He took a knee to the ground and fired multiple shots at the Elite. It growled as it took a step back before falling, dead.

He threw a grenade on the Grunts, watching the frag roll towards them. Soon enough, the Grunts rolled away but were caught in the explosion, killing them all. Jonah, stood for a second, waiting if the aliens are still alive but to no avail, he proceeded to the artifact. Smashing the encasement open, he grabbed the artifact and exited through the other door.

[blackshot]

Pressing the access button, the door in front of Jonah opened with a hiss as what other doors do when they were opened. Walking inside, another long hallway greeted him. He ran across the hallway, eager to get out of the command post as soon as possible. He was afraid that the Covies down here might request an assistance. That could end his career as an ODST early.

Finally reaching the end of the hallway, he pressed the access button, making the door open up with a hiss. The barren earth of Mount Washington greeted his sight, together with a trio of Grunts, who immediately whirled at his direction with plasma pistols raised at him. Jonah immediately slid his back against the metal wall as the Grunts began firing. He aimed at the nearest Grunt and fored multiple times. Hitting it on the body many times, it shook before hitting the ground, dead. Blood spattered everywear. The second Grunt tried to flee but only to get shot by Jonah at the back, firing at him with a fury in his eyes. He aimed at the last Grunt, firing at it. Hitting it on the skull and on its chest, it fell on the ground, dead.

He walked outside the Command Post. Soon, he saw the Pelican that will extract him from the combat zone. He hopped aboard as soon as the Pelican let itself be boarded by the supposed occupant. Soon, the Pelican ascended and flew away.

[blackshot]

January 2, 2549
--Aboard a UNSC Carrier--

After surviving the last mission, Jonah couldn't help but to feel good. Surviving a mission, not to mention suicidal, has made him feel proud of himself. Luck is always on his side but he shouldn't let the whole thing go way over his head. Fate might get trippy and he might find himself dead one way or another. That thought itself just made Jonah shiver. If it wasn't, well, for luck, he would have been dead already.

Derailing his train of thoughts, he just set the whole thing aside. He don't want to think about work in his 'day off'.

Soon enough, his bracer rang. Another transmission from the Captain. He grunted as he stood up, going off to the Bridge. He wasn't sure what the Captain wants but he has a bad feeling about this.

[blackshot]

"Greetings, Hauser." The Captain greeted as Jonah entered the Bridge.

Jonah saluted at him.

"So, we've intercepted signals from the Covenant BattleNet. Thanks to those mutts you've dealt two days ago, we've tracked down their next destination, a forest Planet designated as Delta-Lima-227 or commonly known as Rez. Now, you'll be sent to another UNSC Ship near the Planet. You'll help the UNSC in the area fight off the Covies heading off in that direction. Good luck."

"Sir, yes sir!"

[blackshot]

January 5, 2549
--UNSC Bobby Singer--

Arriving at the ship's Hangar Bay, Jonah stepped down to the platform. The Hangar Bay back on the Carrier he was previously stationed on, it was identical to it. Same vehicles, same uniforms, but different people.

He was told to meet the Captain of the ship so he immediately went to the Bridge upon arrival. Jonah hoped that it would go well and fine and he also hope that he would survive the missions his superiors will hand him.

[blackshot]

Saluting at the Captain as he entered the Bridge, the Captain returned the acknowledgement with a nod. Jonah approached him as he waited for orders.

"Good day, Trooper." The Captain began. "As you can see, one of our forward bases below was currently under attack by Covenant Forces. They were a little bit ahead of you, newcomers. You will now be sent down below to eradicate the Covenant and retake back the base." The Captain paused for the explanation to sink in. "You'll work with a new ODST Fireteam and will have access to new weaponries. Good luck."

"Yes sir." Jonah replied with a salute.

"Report now to your new leader at the Armory. He's waiting for you. And also you'll be sent down there for a month if you managed to take back the base."

"Yes sir." Jonah replied again.

He turned away and left. He wasn't excited about being dropped below once more but he was looking forward to battling the Covenant aliens. At least, he gets to kill some of them and contribute to the efforts of being a guardian of humanity.

He walked along the corridor, heading towards the Armory where his team leader was supposed to be waiting. Soon, he finally arrived there, spying his entire new team, loading up for today's mission. He saluted at his new leader before entering.

"Gear up, kid. We have a fight to finish."

[blackshot]

The ODST sat on the cockpit of his Pod. Suited up in his own standard issued Combat Dress and armed with his Assault Rifle, Jonah felt confident as he worked on with the console in front of him. This time, he never felt fear anymore but rather excitement and inspiration that seems to be kindled inside of him like a candle lit with a fire. As soon as the sirens on the Bay rang, each pods dropped below like a speeding lightning. Jonah always felt that feeling of being disected whenever they drop down below.

Soon, they finally reached the ground with an impact.

January 6, 2549
--4 Minutes after Midnight--

Jonah pulled the lever of his pod, forcing the canopy to open up with a hiss as it threw itself five feet away from him. Springing into action, he drew his Assault Rifle from his magnetic harness, making a quick sweep of his surroundings. Just like what the Captain of the previous ship he was stationed on, the Planet itself was an entire forest.

He ran towards the nearest tree as he took cover. From the distance, he heard gunfires errupting. The Pods of his new teammates can be seen streaking past overhead. They never had the chance to introduce to one another but maybe the firefight ahead will give them a chance to know each other.

[blackshot]

Springing out of cover after assuring himself that no hostiles are around, he charged towards the sound of the battle ahead. In the horizon, he saw the huge base being hailed with kinetic bullets and plasma fires as both sides fought for the control of the base.

As soon as he finally reached the clearing where the base was located, he spotted a lone nearby Grunt. Jonah took aim and opened fire, hitting the alien multiple times. It slumped on the ground, dead with blood splattered everywhere.

Its nearby brethren, another Grunt, turned to Jonah as it took aim. It fired once, almost hitting Jonah with a plasma clip. Jonah fired back with his weapon aimed at its head. The Grunt rolled out of the way as an attempt to avoid its impending doom but it was useless because the ODST was already aiming at the spot where he anticipated the alien would be heading.

Firing multiple times, he managed to kill the alien with multiple bullets. He turned to his right as he noticed a group of three Grunts and two Jackals already heading towards him. Immediately, Jonah tossed a grenade at their direction while attempting to reach a cover, running at a certain direction. He dared to take a look back as he saw two Grunts got blown up to the sky as they got caught from the explosion. The remaining three continued their pursuit at the ODST.

Jonah, being guided by luck once more, found a Rocket Launcher lying beside a dead marine, who seemed to be unlucky to get pinned by a Needler round. He grabbed the Rocket Launcher and aimed it at the oncoming aliens. With a pull of the trigger, his pursuers were all engulfed in a huge fire.

[blackshot]

Snatching his Assault Rifle, he tossed the empty Rocket Launcher on the ground. He continued on towards the base and there, he saw the madness unfold.

Each side of the two storey base was planted with a Gauss Turret manned by UNSC Marines. Snipers can be seen with them as well.

On the ground, Marines and ODSTs alike were fighting off the nearest Covies attacking them. Vehicles from both sides can be seen firing at one another as their drivers tried their very best to kill their enemy counterparts. The Covenant nearby were eager to obliterate the UNSC Forces defending the base. It's either because they wanted to destroy the soldiers in the area or they found a Forerunner Artifact inside. Either way, they are going to be taken care of.

Jonah noticed the Covies around them. Their strengths may be unbeatable but their numbers are getting weaker. If they help, there's a chance that these guys will be crushed once and for all.

Joining in the fray, he took aim at a Grunt and fired multiple times, killing it. He turned just to see an overcharged Plasma heading towards him. He immediately ducked, evading the plasma just in time. He fired back at the Grunt who fired it, hitting it on its chest and face.

He turned to his right, spotting a Jackal who was unattentive of his surroundings. He fired at it, hitting it on its back and successfully putting him down.

An Elite charged at him with its energy sword at hand. Jona turned to run away but the Elite was very fast, reaching him within a second. Luckily, one of the Marines manning the turrets opened fire at the Elite, catching its attention. Jonah tripped off accidentally as he lose his balance, still in shock. He searched for anything around him that could help him take the Elite down. Perfectly, he saw a plasma grenade dropped by one if the dead Grunts. He picked it up as he stood, facing the Elite that nearly killed him. The alien was busy shooting at the Marine with its plasma rifle.

With all his might, he threw the grenade at the Elite, which automatically stuck itself on the Elite's spine. The Elite let out a scream before exploding.

Luckily for Jonah, the hilt of the Plasma sword was on the ground, dropped by the blown up Elite. He picked it up and activated it. Turning around, he saw another Elite choking one of his fellow Marines. He ran at a full speed towards the alien, eager to save his brother at arms, then drilled the two tipped sword at the Elite from behind its back. He bore it deep that the Elite let out a scream. It spitted purple blood before dropping on its knees, dead.

"Thanks!" The Marine says as Jonah helped him out.

Soon, the Covies were retreating back.

[blackshot]

Jonah and the Marine took aim at the fleeing Covies. They fired their rifles at them, eager to destroy them. Soon, the Covies were comoletely gone from their sight.

"Not bad for your first mission here." A familiar voice says.

Turning around, Jonah saw his entire fireteam covered in alien blood. The leader was holding a sniper rifle while the rest were equipped with Assault Rifles.

"Oh, how rude I am, the name is Cliff. This was Jackson and Barnes." The ODST Leader, Cliff, says as he greeted Jonah.

"Hauser." Jonah replied.

"Pleasure to meet you."

The sun on the horizon was high enough to shed light to the battle that took place seconds ago. They successfully took the base back from the enemies. Dead Covies are everywhere, covered in blood along with the dead Marines who happens to be bathing in their own blood as well.

Soon, the officer in charge of the Base came outside to meet the ODSTs sent to help. With a salute, Cliff and the rest acknowledged the Officer.

"Greetings." The officer greeted with a British Accent. "I am 1st Lieutenant Richard Mercer, one of the officers assigned here. Now that you are assigned here, you'll keep this base protected." Lieutenant Mercer says. "But for now, you may rest on the bunker inside. Tomorrow, you'll be sent out on a patrol."

"Yes sir!" The ODSTs answered.

[blackshot]

January 7, 2549
--Forward Base Epsilon--

Jonah woke up at the alarm of the siren. He sat up from his bed to stand but ended up hitting his head on the bed above him. Groaning, he forgot that he was sleeping on a double deck bed. Most beds in UNSC Spaceships were not like this.

He stood up, walking off towards the Armory. He passed by fellow UNSC Personnel, whom he nods at as a sign of acknowledgement and respect to them. Most of the Marines and ODSTs stationed here were much more experienced than him so they deserve more respect and a simple nod is the only thing he could ever give them.

Reaching the Armory, he saw his teammates already wearing their gear. Cliff, helmet-less, was wiping the visor of his helmet with a clean rag. Jonah only saw his blonde hair, he never gets to see his whole face as he wore his helmet. he then faced the Private behind him.

"Hauser." Cliff greeted.

"Sir!" Jonah saluted.

He walked towards his gear and began arming up, preparing for today's mission. His teammates left for the briefing room while he equip himself with the necessary armor parts.

As soon as he wore his helmet, the final missing piece of his armor, he snatched his Assault Rifle from the green ammo crate and slid it on his magnetic harness located on his back.

Soon enough, he turned and left for the briefing room.

[blackshot]

"Sir!" Jonah saluted at the doorstep of the briefing room as he saw the officer and the rest of his teammates discussing something around the holotable.

"come in, Hauser." The officer gestured for him to step inside.

The ODST complied, stepping inside. The holotable suddenly projected an image of a mountain, prompting the officer to start the briefing.

"A Covenant Scout Party was reported somewhere in this area. If they located this base, they might send another Strike Force to attack this base." He paused for his explanation to sink in. "Now, your objective is simple. Patrol the area and report anything suspicious."

"Yes sir!" They replied.

They left the room to begin their mission. While walking along the corridor, Jonah could not help but to feel uneasy. Though, the nervousness and fear inside his mind was gone, the uneasiness was already enough to distract him. He was hoping that the uneasiness would be drown off by constant mission and battles just like what happened to fear and nervousness. Although the adrenaline is always there, it was the only thing that helped him throughout his daily battles.

Soon, they finally reached Warthog. Cliff boarded a Mongoose, with Jackson behind him. Barnes pointed at the Mongoose, motioning for him to drive it.

"You drive, I'll ride." The ODST said.

Jonah nodded as he stepped on the vehicle. Powering it to life, he felt Barnes rode the vehicle behind him. Soon, they were out in the forest.

[blackshot]

"Hauser, how's it going?" Cliff asked as they came across a clearing.

"Fine, sir." Jonah replied.

"Good, because by the looks of it, it's about to get heavy." He said as they came across footprints that does not belong to a human's.

As they trek longer, they found dead Marines along with signs of a firefight.

"I knew it." Jackson says as he put his finger inside the trigger. "The Covies are out here!"

Soon, they spotted a lone Grunt aiming at them. Cliff immediately hit the brakes, making screeching noise in the process. He stepped off his vehicle, careless of his unthinkable action. Soon, an Elite came into view and immediately fired his plasma rifle at him.

Cliff rolled on his left then took aim. He fired short bursts, hitting the Elite which causes the flickering of his armor. Jonah decided to join the battle as he stepped off from his vehicle. He raised his weapon and opened fire at the Grunt before it reacted on shooting them. Hitting it on its chest and head, it fell down on the ground with a thud as blood sprayed out of its body. The Grunt was replaced by an Elite, followed by seven more Grunts and a trio of Skirmishers. Jonah watched his fellow teammates stood and retreated, leaving their vehicles behind.

Springing to action, he decided to follow his fellow ODSTs. He knew that heroics has no place in a battle like this. Turning around, he put a knee on the ground and held his breath as he aimed at a Grunt. He fired three short round bursts, hitting its face and chest. It fell down on the ground the same way as the previous one does.

He stood up and continued to follow his fellow ODSTs, who have took refuge on trees big enough to provide cover.

He ran towards Barnes' cover, panting as he catch his breath.

"Seems like we're going to stand our ground here." Barnes says as he tightened his grip on his gun.

[blackshot]

Jonah peeked out, spotting an overcharged plasma heading straight at their direction. He immediately took cover. He was glad that his reflexes were developed over time. Being in a kill-or-be-killed zone is not that enjoyable. You need to be quick witted and alert, not a lazy dumbarse who goofs around.

He let out a blind fire against the oncoming enemies. Most of his shots missed because he wasn't looking at whatever he was firing at. His efforts does not even stop them.

He risked a peek, spotting the advancing aliens. He heard gunfire from his teammates as they try to drive the Covies away. The Elites took cover as soon as they saw the humans fought back. The Grunts followed them, taking cover while firing.

"This is getting nowhere!" Jonah yelled as he broke away from cover.

"Hey, don't be stupid!" Barnes yelled as he watched his fellow teammate sprang out of his cover.

Jonah took aim and spotted a Grunt who was careless enough to leave his head in the open. He opened fire with a steady aim, hitting it on its head. it popped in a blue gore as it fell on the ground with a thud.

Switching his aim on a nearby alien, he spotted a Skirmisher firing at Cliff's position. It was confident with its shield that he put all his faith in it, standing like that in the open with a raised shield.

He switched to his M6D Pistol and peeked through its scope. Its left foot was left unprotected by its shield. He fired a single shot, forcing it to drop its shield. It also lowered its shield, exposing itself. Jonah grinned behind his obscured visor as he fired three times on its head, wasting it.

Another Grunt was foolish enough to expose itself in the open. Jonah took aim and fired rapidly. Shortly after being hit multiple times, it slumped on the ground, dead.

An Elite had a thought of taking Jonah out since he was causing a large amount of loss to his group. He fired multiple times at the ODST until his rifle overheated.

Jonah knew that it was time to take cover. Sprinting towards a tree just behind Cliff, he dashed towards it, cutting his distance to it in half. He finally reached cover before the plasma struck him.

The hot projectiles almost hit him. He swear, he could feel its radiated temperature from a distance. He watched Cliff as he took aim to a nearby Grunt and fired at it. Three bullet holes are visibly seen on its methane mask, killing it.

"That's three Grunts remaining!" Jonah yelled as he took aim at a Skirmisher, who had its side exposed.

Upon spotting its greyish flesh, he opened fire, tagging its ribcage. Purple blood oozes out of it. He continuously fired until the Skirmisher's shield flickers and die. Soon, he took down the exposed alien with multiple gunshots at its chest and head.

Jonah took cover as he reloaded his rifle. He heard a Grunt let out a scream as a voice cheered. As soon as he slapped his magazine on its loader with a click, he took aim at an Elite.

He fired multiple times, forcing the Elite to take cover. His shields caught all the bullets that Jonah has shot. Jonah wanted to kill the alien so badly that he tossed a frag grenade at its direction. The Elite sprang out of cover but it fired at Jonah to keep him from firing back. Jonah peeked on the other side of his cover and fired from there. The Elite's shield finally flickered, rendering him vulnerable. But unlucly for Jonah, his rifle clicked empty.

With a grunt, he switched to his M6D Pistol. He doesn't have much time to reload so he decided to empty the clip of the powerful M6D Pistol at its face. He wasted no time as he fired multiple times, tagging its chest twice, left leg and finally its forehead. Blue blood sputtered everywhere as the ammunition hit it. Jonah delivered the final shot that goes straight right through the Elite's head. The alien let out a blood curdling scream before down on the ground with a scream.

Searching for more aliens to kill, he was surprised to see that single Grunt along with an injured Elite only remained.

The Grunt was about to drop everything and run when Jonah took aim and fired, hitting it on the back of its head. Three bullets even goes straight through its spine. He fired more, ensuring its death. It flipped as Death's scythe reaped its soul.

The Elite, with a hand on its bullet wounds, fired its weapon with a single hand. Barnes decided to end its life by throwing a grenade at it. The Elite, losing its chance to escape, accepted its demise and waited for his death. As an explosion erupted, the alien was thrown in the air before falling down on the ground with its blood splattering everywhere.

[blackshot]

The ODSTs returned back to their vehicles. Jonah heard Jackson whistled upon seeing the vehicles still functioning.

"What do you guys think the Covies were poking around here?" Cliff asked.

"They are probably trying to find the Forward Base?" Barnes suggested.

"It could be, but it could be something else." Jackson replied.

"I'll go check." Jonah says as he broke away from group.

He followed the tracks that belongs from the Scout Team they had fought earlier. It led him to a clearing where the tracks just end there. It seems like a Covenant Dropship just dropped them off here to find any humans.

He returned back to his teammates and said, "Barnes is right, the Covies were just dropped off to find any human base."

After a few seconds, Cliff replied. "Let's report this back to the Lieutenant."

[blackshot]

January 8, 2549
--Forward Base Epsilon--

Jonah was already on the briefing with his armor on. The incident was already reported to the officer. By the looks of it, the Covenant has began their descent down here and now, their presence are growing in sheer numbers.

Gathering around the holotable, the team were being briefed once more by 1st Lt. Mercer for their second mission down here on Rez. Jonah knew that it's going to be bloody and violent for the most part, and it's not going to be easy.

"Our scanners have detected a Covenant Machine transmitting something on this location." A clearing of a forest came to view. "I want you to intercept the message before jamming it. The powers-to-be wanted to know what they are up to."

"Yes sir!" They replied as they head out.

[blackshot]

Boarding a Mongoose, Jonah took the driver's seat as usual with Barnes behind him. He watched as Cliff stepped on the gas pedal, accelerating across the field. Jonah followed behind him as he let Cliff took the lead towards the location.

After a few hours, they finally arrived at their objective location. Upon seeing a Covenant Dropship descending down on a clearing, Jonah's adrenaline kicked in as his reflexes and instincts automatically possessed him. He stepped away from his vehicle and took cover on a nearby tree log. He felt Barnes walk beside him with an increased pace.

"Ugh, I hate it when the Officers send us alone out here." Barnes complained.

As soon as the Covenant Dropship inserted eight Grunts, two Elites and a quartet of Skirmishers, the Dropship ascended and left. Jonah heaved a sigh as the Dropship left peacefully without spotting them.

Jonah heard a noise not far from him. He looked towards his left, searching for the source of the sound but only to find Cliff crawling towards the clearing to find what's going on down there.

"Oh, you gotta see this." Cliff says.

He sent an image of what he sees to their HUD displayed on their visors. Two Hunters were guarding a purple machine. They knew that it was the Covenant Transmitter the Officer was talking about.

"So, what's the plan?" Jackson asked.

"We fight these guys. Hauser, there's a Rocket Launcher on the Mongoose. Use it and take the Hunters down! We'll cover you!"

"Aye, sir!" Jonah replied as he grabbed the Rocket Launcher attached on the side of the Mongoose.

He crouched towards the clearing, careful not to be seen and mess this up, better yet not to get themselves killed. He took aim and pressed the zoom-in button of the scope.

He studied the Hunters carefully. Just like what the holobooks says about them, they had blue bulky armor on. The spikes behind their backs were sharp enough to impale a human with a single blow and the huge shield attached on their left hands were huge enough to deflect any projectiles shot at it. A huge plasma cannon was also attached on its right hand, big enough to intimidate everyone that tried to fight it.

"Okay," Jonah muttered as he released a deep sigh. "Here goes nothing."

He pulled the trigger with a loud noise. The recoil shook powerful enough that it almost trip him off balance. The rocket raced towards the Hunter as it turned to face the direction of the noise. As soon as it completely turned, it faced Jonah's rocket head on, blowing itself up. Orange blood splattered everywhere as the Hunter flew five feet away from them.

Just like that, the battle began.

Jonah quickly aimed at the second Hunter. Raising his weapon, he pressed the zoom-in scope, only to find the Hunter charging its weapon with its aim locked on him as well.

"Oh come on!!" Jonah yelled in frustration as he kicked off the ground and ran at the other direction.

Gun fires and plasma fires can be heard everywhere as the Covies and the ODSTs fought each other. A Grunt was firing at him but with hesitation in every move it made. Jonah knew that the Grunt would be an obstacle for the Hunter's defeat so he quickly switched to his Assault Rifle, landed a knee on the ground and took aim. With five short bursts, he took the Grunt, turning it into an alien donut.

He switched back to his Rocket Launcher and took aim at the Hunter. Seeing fire towards him, he released a desperate rocket fire. He dropped his Launcher and rolled to his left, avoiding the big ball of green fire launched at him. He snatched the Rocket Launcher from the ground and took aim at the Hunter again. He pulled the trigger and fired but the Hunter was quick enough to deflect the rocket fired by Jonah. It bounces off elsewhere and blew itself up upon making contact with a nearby boulder.

Taking aim once more, he knew that he has to make his final shot count or else they're dead. He saw the Hunter charge its weapon up. He can't risk losing his shot. An idea came up on his mind. Snatching a grenade from his belt, he threw it at the direction of the Hunter. He grabbed his Rocket Launcher and moved out of the way. Since the Hunter was distracted enough charging its weapon, the grenade exploded, engulfing it on the explosion. Orange blood splattered everywhere. Jonah took aim and fired at the stunned Hunter, blowing it up.

"Hoorah!!" Jonah yelled as he tossed the empty Rocket Launcher on the ground. He took aim at a nearby distracted Grunt and opened fire, hitting it multiple times on the head and body.

He never realized that he was already too close to the Covenant that he made himself an easy target.

"Hauser, get you butt down here!!" Cliff yelled as he opened fire at an Elite.

Hauser sprinted back towards the ODSTs with multiple plasma fires streaking towards him. He dashed, instantly reaching Cliff.

He stood up from a lying position and took aim. He counted his enemies to give himself hope that they can get out of here alive.

Four Grunts were taking cover to nearby boulders, three Skirmishers were still alive and two Elites were taking command as they bark orders.

Jonah had his sights to a nearby Skirmisher, who was dumb enough to keep his body exposed. He wasted no time as he fired three short bursts, taking it down as pruple blood oozes from it. A duo of Grunts had a foolish idea of flanking the ODSTs as they head towards them. Jonah decided to lay waste on them. At that point, he recalled his rejection from his girlfriend, how he got bullied at school very often and his disappointments and frustrations at life. He opened fire at the Grunts and emptied his clip at them. He cared not if the other Covies would fire at him but all that matters is how he take the Grunts down.

The sound of his Assault Rifle clicking empty woke him up from his delusion. He immediately took cover and reloaded. As soon as he slammed a fresh new magazine on the loader, he took aim once more and spotted a Skirmisher running to a nearby boulder. He aimed behind its exposed back and opened fire, taking it down as multiple bullets raced towards it.

He saw a Grunt being taken down by Jackson, who was firing beside him. Another Grunt stuck out. Jonah opened fire, stealing Jackson's kill.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me." Jackson says as he laughed.

An Elite desperately charged towards them, firing at Cliff with a decreased accuracy. The ODSTs aimed at the lone alien and fired altogether. They watched its shields flickered dead. Soon enough, it received enough damage to bleed in their bullets.

The remaining Skirmisher fired at them as it risked to take a peek. Jonah fired at it but it immediately took cover.

"Men, advance!" Cliff yelled.

The ODSTs sprang to their feet and began charging. Jonah had his sights to the Skirmisher. As soon as the alien saw them charging, it tucked tail and ran. Jonah fired at its exposed back, hitting it with multiple bullets. It shook as bullets hit it and then fell on the ground, dead.

As soon as they were about to reach the Covenant Machine, the remaining Elite appeared out of nowhere and then bashed Jackson on the head, throwing him off balance. The ODSTs reacted quickly as they rolled out of the way. Jonah fired at it, causing its shields to flicker. The Elite let out an annoyed growl as it charged at Barnes. Jonah snuck up behind it, retrieved his knife from its sheath and leapt at the Elite with all his strength. Assassinating an Elite was indeed a stupid move. Doing it to a human was very different. He was bouncing and shaking just like riding a mechanized rodeo bull.

He managed to put a headlock on the Elite. He slowly raised his knife at the rampaging alien then drilled it on the Elite's skull. It let out a scream before rampaging even more. Jonah repeated the action four times, letting blood spray out of its head. Soon, it slumped on the ground, dead. He retrieved his knife from its head. To make sure that it was indeed dead, Jonah drew out his M6D Pistol and fired at its skull three times, making more blood splatter everywhere.

As soon as the alien is dead, the team surrounds the Machine. Cliff poked on it but could not even understand what was written on it.

"Let's call this in." Cliff says as he communicated to the base.

Soon enough, an Elephant came in with ten more Marines mounted on the carrier.

"You guys seemed to put a hell against these guys." A Marine says.

"Yeah," Cliff says as they walk towards their Mongoose. "See you guys back at the base."

[blackshot]

--January 9, 2549--
Forward Base Epsilon

"Hauser, get your ass up, we're under attack!" A Marine shook him followed by a noise of explosion.

Jonah snapped his eyes wide as the explosion shook him. By the way it sounds, it seems like it does not belong to a crisp explosion of a human weapon.

He stood up and ducked as he watched the Marine who woke him earlier sped towards the door that will lead to a corridor. He took a step to follow him, watching him fire a shot at an enemy obscured from view. As soon as he was inches away from him, a ball of green plasma suddenly hit him square in the chest, sending him crashing down on the floor. Blood spilled out of his wound.

Out of fear, he pressed his spine against the wall, listening to the sound of the attacker's footsteps. Hearing it fade away, he cautiously walked towards the corpse, still on a crouching stance. He examined the poor bastard. The sight of death gave chill to his spine as blue eyes locked onto him, mouth wide open as if a suppressed cry tried to escape his throat but was too late.

He knelt down beside the Marine. Reaching for his dogtag, he whispered a prayer while plucking it out with a low click. He closed his open eyes that was still staring back at him. Then, he reached for his Assault Rifle and said, "You don't deserve this, brother."

Standing up, he whirled towards the direction where the attacker has presumably went. He began his jog towards corridor, spying blood covered walls. He halted at the end of the corridor and made a left turn. There, he spotted two Grunts talking to one another.

As the Grunts took notice of his presence, each yelled then opened fire with their weapons raised at him.

[blackshot]

Jonah reacted quick as he took cover to the nearby wall. Beautiful balls of light raced past him, hitting the wall in front of him. He risked a peak, spotting the Grunts in the open. He raised his weapon and sighted a Grunt's head, which he blasted with a well placed two round bursts. This startled the second Grunt as it raised both its hands and began screaming, running to the corridor on its right.

Springing out of cover, Jonah gave the Grunt a chase as he ran towards the corridor where he Grunt went. An absolutely foolish move, he spotted a duo of Elites and a trio of Skirmishers.

He felt a breath escaped him as he immediately hid to a wall. His heart literally skipped a beat as he narrowly missed his certain death. A wave of plasma hit the open space not far from him as the Covies fired. They were eager to wipe out the occupants of the base for Covenant's glory. Jonah was determined to do the opposite. They have taken lives of hundreds, if not, millions of billions of humans throughout the galaxy. Being one of the guardians of humanity, he won't let them accomplish their task, starting from here.

Taking a peek, he spotted the Grunt he chased earlier, now confidently firing missed shots at him beside its superiors. He fired three short bursts at it, hitting it chest three times. Blue blood oozed out from it. He took aim once more and fired the last shot, finally taking them down.

He pulled himself back to cover as the superior aliens fired back. Crouching down, he risked a peak and spotted the exposed legs of a Skirmisher. Wasting no time, he took the advantage of killing the enemy as he fired five shots, forcing it to drop its weapon. It also dropped to its knees, exposing its head. He stood up and fired a three well placed shots at its forehead.

He took cover as the aliens fired back. He can't waste more time trying to fight and kill them which he had low chance of doing so. The UNSC Personnel stationed in the base could have evacuated long ago and if he's lucky enough, he might miss the last batch of evacuees.

Looking up, he saw air ducts that he can climb to and navigate around the base. The first thing he has in his mind was to get to the armory and arm up. That way, he might have a chance of surviving longer and possibly get out of the base in case the UNSC has completely abandoned the base.

Looking at his right, he heaved a relief sigh as he saw crates stacked in a pyramid. The top of the stacked crates leads to an open vent grate that must have been pried open by a UNSC Personnel. He grinned as he walked towards the crates while the Covies opened fire at his previous position.

[blackshot]

Jonah hoisted himself up. He still heard the foolish Covies still firing at his position. As soon as he squeezed his whole body inside the vent ducts, he began crawling forward. He came across a T-junction intersection. He took the left side and crawled further. He knew that the Covies were now below him, their gunfires were becoming loud every second. He still kept on going until he reached the end of the duct.

[blackshot]

"Damn, I never signed up for this." Jonah muttered to himself as he jumped down to the open space below, hitting the carpetted floor with a muffled thud. He was glad that his fall didn't alert any enemies nearby.

He whirled to the direction behind him as he raised his weapon to bear, the muzzle trained at an invisible target ahead. He moved quickly and quietly as he glided across the corridor.

The hallway led him to the right, revealing more scenes of death and gore. This gave Jonah the chills he never had before. Most of the corpses comprises of dead Human soldiers. The only Alien corpses present were that of the Grunts and they could be amount could be counted with the fingers of our hands.

He pretended that he was not surrounded by corpses as he approached the door. He opened it up with a press of the access button. It hissed open, revealing a lone Grunt wandering across the hallway.

The Alien must have been separated from its squad and got lost in the maze of corridors of this base. Anger and hatred fueled the ODST as he aimed at the Alien and opened fire, boring hundreds of holes at its body. He crossed the hallway and reached the intersection in the middle of it.

He thought that reaching the Communication Room would probably a wise idea. Some UNSC Personnel could have left a message there, better yet, he could call on a Pelican and pick up him up. But with the use of a Sat Phone of course.

He walked a few steps when he heard low grunts not far from him. The source was not of human origins. He made a cautious step as he peeked around the corner and there, he saw a trio of Skirmishers.

He aimed at the nearest one, held his breath and prayed that he would survive this encounter. He opened fire, hitting the back of the Alien's head twice. It fell to the ground face first. Its brethren turned to his direction and raised its plasma pistol to fire. He ducked as the familiar green ball of light streaked overhead, almost burning him. The unlucky wall got scorched behind him. Jonah fired a couple of times at his target, disabling its shield at the expense of a single clip emptied at it. The ODST rushed towards the Alien and launched his elbow at its face. He then smashed its face three times with the butt of his rifle. He yelled as he proceeded breaking its skull.

All covered in blood, he saw the glowing muzzle of the Plasma Pistol aimed at him. The ODST reacted quickly as he lifted up the dead Skirmisher and used it as a body shield. Blood splattered everywhere in a gory manner even more. He tossed the corpse aside as he snatched the Plasma Pistol from the ground. He fired a couple of times at the Alien's feet, tripping it off balance. Jonah quickly stood up from a lying state and put a foot on the Skirmisher's chest. He lifted his rifle and aimed its barrel at its face, point-blank range.

"For the lives you took!" He yelled and fired, causing a flesh of purple blood and misshaped bones to scatter itself across the carpeted floor.

[blackshot]

He walked along the bloodied corridors, his mind set on killing everything on sight. He doubts that there are still any Marines remaining on the Forward Base. He glided across the hallway and reached the Communication Room without much trouble. He peeked his head inside and there, he saw a trio of Grunts messing around with the comms equipment. He approached the nearest Grunt quietly, holding his rifle up high. He was ready to gank the little turd violently. As soon as the right time has come, he smashed the skull of the Alien, splattering blue and cyan blood everywhere. He aimed at the Grunt on his left and fired before it could fire back. Jumping to the ground as the last Grunt released a hail of plasma, he returned fire with a squeeze of the trigger, hitting its chest and face.

He stood up and approached the only functioning radio sitting on the wooden desk. It was beeping endlessly, telling the ODST to use it.

Jonah pressed a button on the radio. A message was being played on a loop so he recalled it back and soon, the message played itself again loud and clear.

"All units get evacuate to Exit B2. A Pelican is waiting for you there."

Upon hearing this, Jonah raised his rifle up and left the room, returning back to the scary corridor once more. He walked a few steps when he luckily found a map of the base hanging on the wall. There, B2 is somewhere near to his location, just east of his location. He jogged off to that path and made a turn to the right. There, a lone Skirmisher is seen guarding the door. Its shield glowed brightly, cutting off the darkness that engulfs the corridor.

Jonah unpinned a grenade from his chest and threw it at the Skirmisher. He doesn't have time for it as he made a break for the freedom outside.

Soon enough, he saw the only last Pelican about to leave. The transport was filled with Marines, wounded and the survived. He approached the ramp and climbed onto it. The Pelican descended and left the area.

[blackshot]

"Today, the Covenant attacked the Forward Base Epsilon on Planet Rez. We have lost thousands of human lives. Friends, family, brothers-at-arms."

Jonah stared at the wide flat TV Screen of the hospital. Numerous personnel in green gown ran back and forth as they do errands for the wounded Marines and ODSTs such as himself. A handful of Army survived the attack and most of the able-bodied ones acted as security in case the Covenant might attack the Medic Bay. Located far from the FOB Epsilon, it will only be a matter of days or weeks for the Covenant to track them down. Right now, their superiors are thinking of the possible ways to prevent that from happening.

"They have started the war against us. They will destroy our planets, our home if we don't fight back! That is why, we shall begin our operations against them. This will be the beginning of the Year of Battle. Good luck." A grey haired officer says on the TV. Funny, the Covenant didn't intercepted that transmission. Maybe because they use encrypted signals? But Jonah never cares.

The ODST stood up, stared at his bandaged arm. Blood seeped out of it but otherwise, it's fine. He glanced around him. Many of the survivors had missing limbs. Some are dying and some had casts on their arms and legs. The medics frantically attended for their aid as they did all they can to resuscitate the dying. Blood were spilled on the white tiled floor. The crimson walls are smeared with bloodied handprints. The medical equipment used were also stained with the same liquid as they dying tried to escape the Grim Reaper's scythe, never accepting the demise fate has given them. The dead or the ones who were beyond salvation are tossed to the side. Some are already accepting their fate and just waiting for death to come.

At that point, Jonah exited the chaotic place. The beeping of the medical equipment, the yelling, and the wheels of the stretcher rolling against the floor echoed in his ears. He left the area, wanting to get some fresh air.

Soon enough, he finally arrived on a corridor. So quiet that it was the only peaceful area of the hospital. He sat on the blue bench attached on the left side wall. He dug his face to his palms. He felt tears flowed out of his eyes and was surprised by his body's involuntary action. It must be the adrenaline? Or maybe the emotion seated far in his heart. He stared on the white ceiling above and closed his eyes.

[blackshot]

--January 20, 2549--
Unknown Forest Clearing, Rez

"Alright Troopers!"

Jonah jolted at the sound of his Commanding Officer's voice. He was sitting on the soft cushion of the Pelican which was about to drop them in their objective.

"We found a Covenant installation not far from here. Your objective is clear, destroy the installation, gather any useful information and get to extraction located on the far north of the base. Good luck!"

At the sound of that, the ODSTs jumped off from the Pelican. Sound of battle overwhelmed his senses as the screams of agony of his fellow soldiers hit his ears. The comms was noisy today. He jumped down from his seat and ducked upon impact. His fall made a muffled thud as the soft green pastures silenced it. He jogged towards a destroy Ghost. He saw an Elite still inside it; dissected mandible were wide open. Its body limped on the side, blood oozing out of its huge wound found on its spine. The ODST ignored it as he felt the Ghost moving due to the plasma shots. He peeked over the Ghost and aimed. He spotted a trio of Grunts firing back at a single Marine. The ODST fired, hitting the first one in the head and chest. He switched aim and fired thrice, hitting the second one on the chest. It fell backwards with blood spraying out of the air. Jonah aimed at the last one as he fired multiple times, hitting it on the chest again. Its head violently rocked as the impact of the bullets shook its body.

Hiding once more, he heaved a sigh as he vaulted over the Ghost. He ran across the battlefield, running past speeding bullets and plasma. He raised his rifle as he spotted a duo of Skirmisher. He cursed himself for being so stupid. He could get killed of what he was about to do as he fired at the Skirmisher. It simply raised its shield, deflecting his all his attacks. The ODST slid towards it. He drew out his M6D with his free hand and raised it, aiming at the Skirmisher's chest in a pointblank range. He emptied his clip at it. Purple blood sprayed everywhere, staining his black armor. The ODST immediately stood up as he used the dead Skirmisher as a body shield when its brethren opened fire, deflecting the plasma back to it. The Skirmisher shook on the ground, meeting its demise in its own hands. Jonah dropped the dead Skirmisher and proceeded to his destination; his ODST Teammates. They were replaced by new ones, probably because the old ones are dead. But he missed his original teammates who are probably relaxing by now.

The ODST jumped over a dead Elite. As he lands, he aimed on his left, spotting a lone Grunt. He fired multiple times, ending its miserable life. He continued forward where he was met by an Elite. The Sangheili growled at him before charging. Jonah cursed his luck as he raised his rifle and opened fire but the seemingly immortal alien is still advancing towards him. It fired its plasma rifle to which Jonah responded with a roll to his left. He tossed one of his grenade at the Elite and fired again. To his relief, the Elite's shield sparked. It yelled in annoyance and was about to charge again when the grenade he threw exploded, sending the Elite flying. The ODST continued up the hill and found his teammates there, hiding behind a burned Warthog.

"Alright, the Covenant Dropship is just ahead. They converted is as a some kind of a base. That is what Intel probably talking about; an Installation." One of the ODSTs says.

"How could that be an Installation, it's just a Covenant encampment?" Jonah asked as he peeked at the Covenant in the other side of the field.

"They had that strange machine with them." The ODST replied as he pointed at a huge vehicle with a drill in the front.

"What the hell is that?" One of the ODST says.

"By the way, Lance Corporal Decker. And you are?" The ODST earlier introduced.

"Private Hauser." Jonah replied.

"Good to see you, Hauser. This one is Copley, Benson and Jacobs." Decker says.

"So what's the plan, sir?" Jonah asked once again.

"I was thinking about placing these charges over that strange machine there, and that dropship but we will need someone who'll cover us."

Jonah chuckled at his idea.

"Let's get to it." Jonah says as he nods.

The ODSTs sprang out of cover as they engaged the enemies in front of them. Jonah fired at a Grunt in front of him, taking it down. He whirled to his left and saw a duo of Skirmisher. Behind them was an Elite towering over them. It yelled towards them, ordering the Skirmishers to attack. Jonah turned to their direction and knelt a knee to the ground. He fired at the nearest Skirmisher many times, causing it to deactivate its shield. He emptied the remaining clip then replaced it with a new one. He turned to the other one and fired again. The Skirmisher returned fire, lifting its shield out of the way but as it was about to pull the trigger, it got hit in the face.

Jonah switched to his M6D and reloaded. He raised and fired thrice at the Elite. He switched to his Assault Rifle once more. Soon enough, its shield flickered dead. The ODST killed it with numerous shot to the chest.

Jonah finally turned to the direction of his teammates and sprinted forward. He never felt like this before.

[blackshot]

Turning to his right, he watched his comrades advance towards the Installation. Well, "Installation" is a wrong word, he thought. The smoke that billowed in the air originates from the destroyed Covenant and UNSC vehicles, add the smoking weapons of both sides fired upon each other. Screams of death and pain echoed throughout the comms, deafening the ODST. He was alredy used to it but the blood curdling screams of some of his comrade is just unbearable and disturbing. No wonder, he's always having nightmares.

The grass they were stepping on is already scorched from the battle, stained with the blood of the fallen. Bullet casings littered the area alongside with countless of bodies. Everything became silent as the ODST ran past bullets and plasma alike. His eyes are still fixed to his fellow ODSTs who are nearing their destination.

"Now is the time to protect us, Private Hauser." Decker says. Jonah couldn't help it but Decker reminds him of a WWII British Officer. Hell, he doesn't even know what World War II is. He whirled behind him as he spotted a group of Grunts being led by a Jackal.

Five of the methane sucking hippies with a Kig-Yar Major walking in front of them. The five consists of three Minors and two Majors, each were armed with plasma pistols. The Covenant File advances towards them with guns blazing, firearms are glowing in anticipation. Jonah knelt a knee on the ground and sighted the Jackal in the head. Without their leaders, surely, these idiots will be in distress. He fired twice with short round bursts, recoil threatening to send him on the ground. Blood sprayed in the air as the Jackal fell onto the ground, dead. He aimed at his second target; a Grunt Minor. Sure, it would be stupid to take out the lowest rank of them but reducing their numbers would solve an equation to the problem. He fired thrice, sending the Grunt onto its back. Blue blood sprayed everywhere. He aimed again and fired at the Grunt Major, his finger squeezed the trigger. The Grunt shook as bullets hit it. It fell onto the ground, dead. He sighted then second Major and fired numerous times, killing the pesky Grunt. The remaining two, finding themselves alone, has began to scatter. Jonah drew his M6D Pistol and scoped through it. He fired at the nearest one, hitting the back of its head. He switched the target and fired at the last one, hitting it on the chest three times.

The ODST reloaded; discarding the empty magazine and slapping a new one. He stood up and sighted another File consisting of the same ranks he faced earlier. He switched to his Assault Rifle and fired, emptying his entire clip at the Kig-Yar Major. Blood sprayed everywhere as bullets hit it. It fell down with a dying roar. Switching to his M6D Pistol, he slowly advances towards the Grunts as they turned to him and began firing. The ODST aimed his gun at the one with a Needler Pistol; a Grunt Major. He fired thrice, hitting its face. Head disappears in a plume of blue blood and gore. He aimed at the second one and fired thrice once more; bullets punching through its body. The ODST halted as he put a knee onto the ground. He aimed at the third one; another Grunt Minor. He fired four times, hitting its body. Rolling to his right, he sighted another Grunt Minor and put it into eternal rest with a bullet onto its head.

The remaining Grunt Major fell back with a yell but the ODST pursued it as he approached the dead bodies of its comrades. He lifted up a Plasma Pistol in one hand, charged it, then released it at the direction of the fleeing Grunt. It was thrown in the air with blood spraying out of it.

Turning to his right, he saw a trio of Kig-Yar Rangers accompanied by a trio of Grunts; two Grunt Rangers and a Grunt Ultra. Jonah shook his head at the crazy combination in front of him. How could have these guys, who were supposed to operate in atmosphere, fight here in the topside of the Planet? He shook off his thoughts. The Covenant must have been very deseprate this time.

Jonah opened fire at the nearest target, the Ultra. It took a step back as it received the damage inflicted upon it. The Grunt fired back, forcing Jonah to dive on his right. As he did so, he fired both his pistols and covered the Ultra with Plasma and bullets alike. The Grunt fell onto the ground, dead.

Its Covenant brethren began firing at him. The ODST ran to a nearby Warthog; ruined by plasma fire, purple flames lit it. He took refuge onto it. The heavy fire shook the vehicle accompanied by noses of blasts. The ODST felt it but he decided to ignore it. He peeked over the Warthog and fired thrice at the Grunt Ranger on the left. He charged his Plasma Pistol and fired at the Ranger on the right. He let the Plasma Pistol cool off as he emptied his clip at the Ranger in the left. He watched as the Grunt fell on the ground with bullet holes on its body. Jonah slid down once more as he reloaded his M6D Pistol. As soon as the Plasma Pistol is cooled off, he peeked again and opened fire at the remaining Grunt Ranger with his Plasma Pistol, finally killing it. He hid back as the Kig-Yars retaliated back at him.

"You stupid Jackals, you should know your place!" Jonah yelled as he unclipped a frag grenade and tossed it at the Kig-Yar Rangers. He successfully obliterated them, sending them flying everywhere. The ODST laughed as he watched the Kig-Yar fell onto the ground with a loud thud but the mirth of his laughter died down when the Warthog he was hiding on was blown up, green flames burning it. He glanced at the direction where the blast that destroyed his cover came from and there, his nightmares became true.

A pair of Hunters came charging at him with glowing guns. The living embodiment of every horrors the UNSC Soldiers faced is right there in front of him. Switching to his Assault Rifle, he reloaded it and aimed ahead.

"Bring it on!!"