Mission Nine - A Hairline Fracture

[Huka]

Covenant General Cav vo’ha ‘Olamutee of the Iron Discipline
Section E-5; Unknown Human Militia Facility
The Wall is Breached- Cleanse of Heretical Life


The Jiralhanae as done their duties as expected, the riders of the Shredder Lance were a vicious bunch and the General was placed to have their loyal destroyers of vehicular annoyances in his direct command. The sight of the Human armed vehicles were a sight to behold. Their armored frames and occupants’ bodies were chewed by the gory grinders of serrated blades and heavily-attuned farm equipment made into instruments of war. The savage aliens howled out as their bloody machines rolled about, chasing the few remaining to keep a clear path.


The Iron Discipline’s levies rushed into the facility, being the test to their internal defenses with the selective Kig-yar support units and Sangheili heavy soldiers coming in after them. Cav himself was escorted with his shielded bodyguards, armed with Sangheili arm-mounted shields to augment their already heightened personal shields and a couple armed with energy swords. The gilt general in his heavy-plated harness stepped over the path of earth, debris and death. Temporarily stopping, he looked over to see a Ultra laying in a pool of mangled gore - it was hard to tell who or what all of it used to be - but the Sangheili himself was still alive.


Barely.


Brushing through his soldiers, Cav approached at the fallen warrior as he choked on his pooling sanguine in his throat. A great portion of his right side was destroyed with the innards cauterized, ironically depriving him of a quick death. Now...the pain was so great, he could barely move. Reaching down, the general removed his soldier’s helmet. It was his Second, eyes glossy and pupils wide as they stared at him. Begging him of a warrior’s peace. “You have done well. Go and wait for us at the Threshold, Brother.” The General said, igniting his sword and impale the high officer in one swift motion. His Second lurched out, grabbing his former commander’s bicep tight. Then in a gentle sigh of thankful relief spurted with blood. “May his Spirit watch over us and guide us through triumph.” One of the guards said. “Yes. To victory.” Cav growls.


Their march quickened into the facility - it was almost a near twin to the Humans’ old pre-fabricated frontfield bases with more of a intention to occupation. Cav reached over to one of his flank guard, who obediently passed over the General’s concussion rifle. His orange eyes looked over the scarred weapon and fingers gripped familiarly, looking up at the environment. The several inches thick of Human metal hide away a short courtyard and in that open space, another battlefield was fighting. The stench of burning oil and vehicles in their motor pool was burning from plasma fire nearby. That was a mere glance to the sight of the Unggoy making a uphill fight to some of the defenders. Going to the downward sloop nearby was the locked doors of a possible garage. A small crowd of the Unggoy and a few Sangheili were keeping it as a checkpoint. “Get an Anti-matter bomb to that door,” The General commanded before aiming his concussion rifle and hurtling a spastic pair of superheated plasma over the suppressed levy, nearly blowing five humans apart from the explosive landing.


“I trained you better, Unggoy! You are not totally mindless!”

[SPARTAN-A120]

Corporal Fredrick Mitchell
120th MEU, ECo./2/15, 1PLT-2nd Squad, Fireteam Bravo
Streets of Lake Town
Esperanza II, Panis Eterni System, 2551
“Heads up.”
(Tag: Cabel)

The initial push against the Covenant was slow and unnerving for some of the Marines. No one expected to take on the aliens at close quarters and expect to win after which took a toll on morale, but order were orders.

The advancing Marines from the Community Center took contact from Elites that deployed through their versions of the drop pods. They were easily taken care of since they were outnumbered and outgunned by the platoons of Marines that were assaulting and pushing back the enemy lines. The amount of vehicles that were scattered on the street were used as makeshift cover when the Covenant tried to suppress their advance, but the enemy lines were thinning out. It seemed like for every Covenant weapon that fired, twenty rifles would answer back.

Mitchell and his squad stayed close to Captain Sorelson and reinforced their numbers with indirect fire, high volumes of fire from the machine gunners, and precision fire from the designated marksmen that made up the diverse squad.

“Echo Actual to all Callsigns coming from the Quad, this net. Don’t let the Covenant have a clear shot. Use your environment. Echo Actual, out,” Mitchell heard through his headset and from the source itself, Captain Sorelson.

“Preaching to the choir,” Mitchell thought. He didn’t want to say it out loud since the phrase was disrespectful towards the commanding officer.

As the Marines made their push forward, they were in staggered columns with a long stretch of sidewalks being occupied. When they received contact from the Covenant, they would use bounding overwatch to advance and force the hostiles to retreat. If the hostiles decided to stay put, they would either get flushed out by indirect fire from M301 or M319 grenade launchers or get killed from being in proximity of the high-explosive rounds. They felt unstoppable at this point. With every kill the Marines made, their morale slowly increased and the order that once sounded like a suicide mission became a order that fueled the adrenaline junkies and trigger happy folks habit.

“Don’t get cocky, Marines. Maintain your fundamentals and don’t expose yourself for too long,” Mitchell said over the squad channel.

The stand-in squad leader didn’t expect a response since it wasn’t necessary at this time. They were focused and had to maintain a their focus if they were going to make it to the hospital alive.

“Almost there,” Lance Corporal Carter said.

“Almost…” Mitchell trailed off.

His eyes and weapon traveled to scan the rooftops, but when he focused on the left side of buildings, he saw something large being partially concealed by the building that was in his line of sight.

“Incoming contact, ten o’clock - high. Very long range!” Mitchell called out on the platoon’s frequency. Since Captain Sorelson was close by, he would be able to hear Mitchell.

---

Gunnery Sergeant Michael J. Kim
120th MEU, 12th Recon Company, 49th Recon Platoon, Sniper Team Dagger 1
Hospital Roof, Lake Town
Esperanza II, Panis Eterni System, 2551
“Countdown.”
(Tag: Wax™ )

"Solid copy Dagger 1, watch over our men on the ground as best you can," Kim heard Captain Bowers reply.

“Copy that. But our air cover ain’t gonna be pretty in a few minutes, over.”

After the transmission, Kim kept the line open in case the CO had anything to say. They were in good cover, but if a Covenant ship was entering the atmosphere, there was a big problem. There was a possibility that the UNSC Navy were weakened enough for the Covenant forces to bring the fight ground side which was not what Kim wanted. The target-rich environment would not bode well for the personnel on the ground and anyone who were in exposed positions would be taken out by a bombardment. Worse-case scenario, that Covenant ship was coming to glass the planet which was bad news since there were very few transports that were active to EVAC everyone in the town.

“Ain’t nothing we can do, but to take as much of those bastards to hell,” Kim whispered.

“Oo-rah. Regroup in hell,” Campbell added.

“And come back up as Devil Dogs.”

“Damn right.”

“Now, let’s give some aliens a migraine.”

The Gunnery Sergeant relaxed in his sniper-sit and scanned for a target of opportunity to present itself while his spotter observed the friendly forces moving about on the streets.

---

Ensign Richard A. Chen
ONI Section III Tactical Field Operative "Panther"
Aboard Black Cat Subprowler “Shadow Sky”, In Pursuit of HVT
Esperanza II, Panis Eterni System, 2551
"A Change of Direction."
(Tags: SuperCommando, Spartan 999, & Llau )

A non-visible smile formed on Chen’s lips under his helmet. He lowered his left arm after he finished reading the reply from LCDR. Moretti and gave each of the SPARTANs a brief look before he said, “Top said that we have the green light to split.”

Turning his attention towards SPARTAN-009, the Agent continued, “Where you need to go, this bird will take you. Feel free to take any equipment from the armory. Support won’t be as speedy since the Black Cat will be with me and the other fellas at Lake Town. I have a feeling we’ll need all the manpower we can get over there since shit is about to hit the fan.”

After speaking, Chen checked the TACMAP on his TAC-PAD and studied it.

[MrKill]

(( OOC: I apologise for the long wait. I don't like writing 'two paragraph' posts, but I couldn't find enough energy to find more content to write my post. ))

Colonel Johnathon Killinger
120th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Hospital

"Help, eh?" John said, bringing his hand up to rub his chin in thought for a moment. Who did he have that could help the ONI Officer with his task that wasn't dead, in combat or securing a defensive line? Out of all the units that had been deployed, the ODSTs had been the least organised. He hadn't seen a single officer on the ground yet, which would explain why they were spread so thin and still disoriented.

"I can give you a squad of ODSTs for this shipmaster, Lieutenant Commander, but I'm afraid I won't be able to assist your..." John remembered GOLD, he had typed down the unit identifier less than a handful of times on his reports. For them, and what they were doing for humanity, John decided to risk some assets; the least he could do for those super-soldiers. "As for your SPARTAN team, I can help them out too, but we're going to have to wait until the Covenant air assets pull away. They've been engaging our pelicans and unfortunately the majority of them have been shot down, disabled or fled the battle zone."

"If there is any capable pelicans left, we'll send a squad of Marines to assist your second team." John said, committing a squad he probably couldn't afford to commit.

[edtosivaree]

Edto stood on her vantage point, watching the fight and figured it had gone on long enough. She would give the humans a choice now. Ombra would know that she wanted her insurance, and it was up to him to make the decision. Continue the killing... Or go on a wild goose chase? Slowly she pulled several small devices out of her pocket, smiling at them. A contingency she had set up for just such an occasion, knowing that the datapad could be tracked via a signal. The Huragok on her ship were able to replicate the tracking device easily enough, and this would make her plan all the better.

She walked to her Phantom Gunboat, looking to the Banshee escorts. She ordered one pilot to take her Phantom, giving all the pilots one of the devices. Like clockwork, Edto and the pilots turned their devices on at the same time. There would now be six separate tracking beacons giving the same signal. Now for the rest of her plan...

J:>>> No? I think you misunderstood me when I said people would die in this attack. I was not going to make this easy. You had me believe you were prepared. Still, I have little reason to trust you. So far, I have the most to lose, and I have not even been guaranteed what I had asked for with any insurance of value, so how about the lives of these soldiers? Give me what I need to contact Shipmaster Matvey. I can speak to you, I can speak to him. If you cannot give me him directly, the give me your fleetcom. Once I have spoken to him, I will call off my attack post haste, and allow you to capture me. Until then? Well, I believe your kind would say "Have Fun"

With that, Edtoto climbed into the Banshee Fighter and took off with the rest of the ships. They would stay nearby, but orders were orders. Avoid combat, but destroy anything that persisted with extreme force. Still, even when grouped together, six tracking beacons would make it a whole lot harder for anyone to come and find her. Even more so with her flying in a Banshee. Who would expect one of her status to be in a banshee?

[Cabel]

[Inner Colonies: System: Panis Eterni Sector: Esperanza II: Current Location: Surface: Lake Town: Pushing towards the Hospital: Hitting the Covenant‘s rear-lines: Captain Mark Seamus ‘Spade‘ Sorelson]

“Incoming contact, ten o’clock -- high. Very long range!” Corporal Fredrick Mitchell called out, catching Mark’s attention as well considering they’d been in range of each other.

Looking skyward in the direction Mitchell had called out, Spade had been able to make out a rather large and long sleek object breaching both the upper atmosphere and the lower atmosphere as evidenced by the flames streaking across its otherwise pristine and predatory surface. He knew the chances of his marines having attempted to take on or withstand a broadside from a beast of that magnitude would have been close to nothing and a sacrificial chance at most, and while staying out in the open would have seemed suicide it had been better than having been hunkered down in the fortified Quad where it would have resulted in even less of a chance.

“Keep moving. Keep to the buildings and mix with the Covenant,” Mark called out to the marines, including Mitchell nearest him. “Echo Actual to all Echo Callsigns, keep moving. We may have extra company soon, but keep moving. Use the buildings to shield your movements, Echo Actual, out,”

Taking up a spot behind an overturned off-road utility vehicle nicknamed a Spade, which he’d found ironic, the aging Captain quickly peered through one of the holes that had been either torn open when the vehicle had rolled over onto its side before skidding to a halt or had been blown off by a trigger-happy Covenant trooper. Careful to keep himself hidden while following the rule if he’d been able to see the Covenant they were able to see him, he’d spied a small group six squat Grunts and two of the bipedal Elites with one in blue armor and the other in red setting up a gun nest with a plasma turret -- a Type-42 turret -- if Mark had remembered the intel given to them over the years combined with his years in the field. The small Covenant group had set up the Type-42 turret in an open-ended side-alley way facing the street between two three story buildings to cover the Covenant falling back, and Mark knew if he’d allowed that nest to remain intact it would make the lives of his marines and those from the Quad very miserable. Giving a signal to the rest of the marines to come to a halt, Mark reached into his rucksack producing two of the potato masher grenades he’d managed to grab from a crate back in the Quad.

Carefully gesturing to Mitchell and his Squad to watch the rest of the Covenant gunnery crew and to provide cover, Spade counted how long it took for the Grunt manning the plasma weapon to sweep from one side of the mouth of the alley to the other with the weapon before darting out from behind the cover of the overturned Spade. Knowing the time it took for the barrel of a weapon, especially a squad support weapon or a plasma weapon to have trained on either a marine or the enemy, seconds could have passed providing an enemy or a marine long enough to have evaded the gunner’s attention or to have lobbed a grenade into the nest. Firmly in the knowledge the gunnery crew would be pinned down, Mark made for the other lip of the alley’s mouth before pulling the primer and quickly lobbing the potato masher -- stick and explosive cap -- with an overhand throw over the barricade set up by the Covenant to see it land just behind the plasma weapon and within less than a second detonated sending out a shockwave of force capable of liquefying anything organic in its path to which Mark hoped the shielding of the Elites hadn’t been able to withstand either. Looking past the corner of the concrete wall, Mark allowed a small smirk to form seeing the Covenant gun nest and its entire gunnery crew from Grunts to Elites had been taken out by explosive force and shrapnel of the potato masher.

[Wax™]

Captain Travis Killinger
120th MEU // 153rd ODST's // Call Sign: Angel Actual
Unknown Location; Accidents happen.
Laketown, Esperanza II, Panis Eterni System, 2551

Travis jolted awake at the sound of beeping coming from the inside of his helmet, though he didn't move much as he soon realised he was submerged in water. What, how could that be? He was inside his HEV? The last thing Travis remembered was dropping from the UNSCS Iowa as soon as it begun making it's quick sweep over the planet and 'drop-zone' then, he, impacted with another HEV. He remembers spinning rapidly before possibly passing out from the extreme stress of the G-Forces. He gritted his teeth as he stretched his legs out straight, he had been re-positioned into a weird twisted fetal position from the water he assumed, and was sitting curled up in the bottom of his HEV which was filled to the brim with water and was presumably submerged in water too. Travis thanked his lucky stars he was suited up in a vacuum suit and not just his ordinary black ODST BDU with surrounding armour pieces.

'I gotta get out of here.' Travis thought to himself. He started by shutting of the beeping in his helmet with a simple though through his neural lace. He then removed the warning on his HUD that indicated his, oxygen was low. How long was he out for? He couldn't be sure, but it meant his ODST pack was starved of all things oxygen and he needed to find the surface of whatever bed of water he was in. He started with positioning himself in his HEV so that he was standing upright and facing the door. He could hardly see one foot in front of his face due to the murky tint of the water. He then acquired his BR-55 and slung it over his shoulder, he then checked that his M6C/SOCOM was still secured to his chest which it was, he then checked his right side which had an additional M6G attached to his outside thigh. Both were still firmly in place.

Travis soon began working at removing the canopy to his HEV, all the electronics were dead, probably due to being waterlogged, but Travis was sure that the emergency explosive releases would still work. Lifting his right arm to smash his fist into the release at the top of the canopy and the mid section, he then braced his position by holding onto the hand toggles with both hands before extending his right foot out to hit the emergency release at the base of the pod. A second past before a loud concussive burst echoed through the water, stunning Travis and causing his vision to go blurry but he soon recovered. The canopy probably only sailed about a meter into the water before steadily beginning to float to the surface. Travis kicked out of the HEV and gripped onto the canopy itself, letting it raise him to the surface of the water bed but also kicking to propel his movement. Once he reached the surface he quickly hauled himself atop the canopy which sunk slightly due to his weight but maintained enough buoyancy to keep him afloat and his torso above water level.

Travis lifted his hands to his head and worked at removing his helmet quickly and efficiently taking it off and dropping it into the water, thankfully it floated. He couldn't care less at the current time as he was more interested in taking a huge breath or air which wasn't recycled from his suit.

"Where... Am... I?" Travis said aloud to himself as he looked left and right around the area. He looked to be in some sort of water reservoir / lake. On one half of the lake was a thick treeline with a thick canopy of tree's on it, whilst on the other side looked to be occupied farmland as no more than ten meters from the beginning of the reservoir there was what looked like a series of fully grown corn plantations. 'Great, I'm going to need to play 'maze' in a corn field, just my luck.' Travis thought to himself again. He looked to his side and grabbed his helmet before sliding off the canopy, keeping both his hands on it he began to kick his feet so as to make his way toward the edge of the lake.

"Holy shit." Travis said aloud again as he happened to look up as the sun seemed to randomly disappear. As he did so he spotted a huge Covenant warship lowering itself into the atmosphere of the planet. This was either a good sign or a bad sign. Good: Meaning he was at least in some sort of radius of the drop zone and Bad: They could be getting glassed real soon. Travis continued kicking till he reached the edge of the lake. He then proceeded to haul himself out and re-equip his ODST helmet once it was clear of water. As he did so two Banshee's flying in close formation flew over head across the corn fields, which meant Travis was no longer lost, he just had to follow the fight.

"Fun times." He said as he began a steady paced jog out toward where he assumed Laketown was.

((Sorry for my super late post, I've had stuff going on IRL, plus I work retail and it's the Holidays... I'll add my other characters in soon.))

[roachman34]

Corporal Connor Lawton
153rd ODST, 2nd Platoon, 2nd Division, Callsign Angel Two-Two, Fireteam Krieg.
And though I walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...

    Connor stared up at the horrifying sight of a Covenant Ship coming into the atmosphere and finally shook himself into action. He turned and ran to where he had set his kit and grabbed it. As he turned after readying his rifle he saw the rest of Fireteam Krieg, minus Sara, come out of the doors. 

    "Krieg, let's go, orders are to go mingle with the covenant under that ship, so let's get moving I for one don't want to be here anymore." He said as a waved the two men towards him. They pounded off down the street and into a branching alleyway off the main road. As they entered it they stumbled upon a grisly sight, it was the aftermath of a firefight, many bodies of human and covenant alike littered the path. It appeared a group of UNSC Army had stumbled into a covenant scout party and both were decimated. Connor looked around and sighed, "Collect their tags and put a round in the Covvies." Connor muttered as he scooped up an MA37 and the rest of the ammo off of the dead soldier. They quickly set about collecting the tags and after finishing that set out to go find some aliens to fight.

    As they moved they saw a large group of covenant retreating, "Let's get the bastards," James said as they watched them from the alleyway, as he said this he pulled back the charging handle on his rifle.

    Connor shook his head and muttered, "No they would cut us to pieces, though let's follow them see if they shine some light on the condition of their troops." He watched the covenant as a small group of grunts ran out from another alleyway close to the larger group.

    "We could take the sewers follow them without them knowing we are there," Xander said pointing to a manhole under the body of a grunt in their alleyway. Connor nodded and motioned for them to help him move the body and assist with the manhole cover. They descended into the water below and set off in the direction of the large group of covvies and kept low to avoid being seen through any drains or grates that lead to the surface. 

[blackshot]

ODST Private Jonah Hauser
153rd ODST Company
ESPERANZA-II, PANIS ETERNI SYSTEM
*static*Laketown Memorial Hospital*static*
Right Track

After hours of aimless wandering across the forest, the ODST's legs screamed in exhaustion as it sent burning sensation to Jonah's mind, prompting him to sit down beside a tree. Releasing a deep sigh, he looked up and saw the most terrifying view; a Covenenant Warship hovering so low that it gives Jonah goosebumps. He can see hundreds of Banshees flying out of the belly of the warship, floating in the sky on a formation.

The ODST tore his gaze away from the view as he snatched the canteen from his left thigh. He removed his helmet as he took a swig, then slid the canteen back on its place. He slid his helmet over his head and raised his rifle, preparing to walk again.

He walked for another thirty minutes on the same direction. Memories has been running around his head, his life before as an ODST and his hometown back on Earth. How are things there? His friends, how are they? What happened to them?

He derailed his train of thoughts because none of it has mattered now. He was on a war, and thinking about them wouldn't save him from the dire situation he was in.

He was staring blankly ahead when something caught his eye.

"Oh God, thank you!!" He whispered as he saw headlight of a warthog. The road was just up ahead.

When he was near enough, the Warthog exploded in bright green flames. Jonah was thrown on the ground. He crouched as he heard aliens babbling in the background.

"Stupid aliens." Jonah muttered as he hit his stomach on the ground.

He saw multiple Grunts; about five of them. A trio of Skirmishers in with shields are walking alongside them, all led by an Elite.

Standing up, Jonah heaved a sigh as he unclipped a grenade from his belt. He tossed it at the Grunts then crouched again. An explosion can be heard, Grunts toppling over. The remaining two has started running away but Jonah sighted the first one's skull and put a bullet on it. He sighted the last and second one and fired three times, its head disappearing in a plume of blue gore.

The Skirmishers, with a charged gun, fired green balls of light at the ODST. Jonah ran towards the nearest cover, a huge tree beside him, and hid there. The tree shook as it received the damages. Switching to his M6D Magnum, Jonah peeked and spotted at nearest Skirmisher. His bullets would do nothing to their shields. He decided to make a break for it, running towards the cover near the trio. As he did so, plasma fires chased him. He was successful in his plan, but the Elite just showed up and foiled it. The Alien raised its plasma rifle and trained it at Jonah in a pointblank range.

"AAAARRRRGGHH!!" Jonah grunted as he hit the ground to avoid the end of the gun that might explode any minute.

One of the rules of engagement against the Covenant, if ever there is one, is to avoid confronting an Elite in close quarters combat. Jonah made a mental note about that to remind him.

Crawling away, Jonah fired wildly at the Elite, desperate in getting away from the beast. The Sangheili had a wicked smile on its face as it let out a roar as it steps back. His bullets were denting against the Elite's shieldings. It sparked everytime it made contact on Jonah's bullets.

His luck runs out when his gun runs dry. Switching to his Assault Rifle, he fired once again but the Elite has taken cover beside the burning Warthog.

Jonah stood up as he faced the trio of Skirmishers, each were firing at him. The ODST doesn't wanna get killed in an instant so he hid beside another tree. He tossed a grenade at them, hitting a shield. Jonah muttered a curse as the grenade simply bounced off from the shield of the Skirmisher.

As the frag exploded, the Skirmishers were on a safe distance but their shields has been disabled, lucky for himself. He wasted no time as he opened fire at them, wasting his entire clip at the trio.

As the last of the Skirmisher fell down, the Elite fired at the ODST, missing his head by inches. The trunk of the tree beside him was scorched by fire. Jonah hid and thanked God again for his luck. He reloaded his gun, heaved a deep sigh, revealed himself and spotted the vulnerable Elite, shieldless. He fired at it, taking its entire chestplate down with a pool of purple blood.

Jonah let out a sigh as he followed the road. It leads him to a street with abandoned houses and destroyed vehicles. Bodies of aliens and humans alike laid on the floor. Up ahead, a white hospital can be seen. He's not sure if the place was captured by Covvies or was a Garrison of the UNSC. But either way, he decided to contact it just in case if they were friendly. If not, he could just run away.

"This is Private Jonah Hauser of the 153rd ODST Company. Can any UNSC Personnel in Laketown Memorial Hospital copy me?"

[Llau]

LT. CMDR Moretti, Michelangelo N.
ONI Tactical Field Officer
Inner Colonies // Panis Eterni System // Esperanza II // Lake Town // Lake Town Memorial Hospital
November, 2551
Tag(s): MrKill , Faclan , Therex , охотник , Bippwatt , Wax™ , SuperCommando , SPARTAN-A120 , Spartan 999


(OOC: Merry Christmas, everyone! Well, guess it's my turn to apologize for the long wait. As some of you may know, I've been sick, and was taking pretty strong medication for it. Now that I'm better, I can concentrate again, as well as write posts with a clear head. Without further adieu...)


“All right, Colonel,” Moretti nodded at Killinger after the older man told him who he can spare to assist the Lieutenant Commander's two HVT retrieval teams. “I appreciate the help.”

He looked at him thoughtfully for a couple of seconds before adding,” Oh, and...don't worry about not being able to spare any marines if you can't once things are clear. I'll understand perfectly if that's the case...just covering all my available options in a successful capture here.”

“Now, if you excuse me, Colonel...”

The Italian stepped away from him to head over to where Field Agents Brist and Hotem were standing around nearby to give them their orders. He stopped in front of the duo, acknowledged Hotem before turning his attention to Brist as he looked up at the taller ONI field agent.

“I want you two to go and locate an area outside of town on the higher terrain, and setup out there for reconnaissance,” he ordered, “Your main objective is to be my eyes out there on the Covenant for the time being, while your secondary objective is to provide extra support for the Marines around the town if needed.”

He glanced down at his TAC-PAD, skimming through the response from the alien, but didn't bother to reply to the Shipmaster. Maybe he will later. Maybe not. Who knows.

“I'll have Anansi continue to provide support for us from above, of course, but lets use your useful pair of eyes for real-time reconnaissance to our advantage, shall we?”

While looking at the map of the tracking device coming from the DATA-PAD the HVT was carrying, he noticed there were suddenly more than one of the signal moving throughout the area.

As usual, he smirked at the alien's attempt to not be captured just yet by him and the SPARTANs.

He scoffed quietly, muttering under his breath, “I love it when they play cat and mouse games...”

He pressed on his ear-piece to contact the Prowler. “Anansi,” he requested, “Do extrapolate the old signal and follow it from the mess of these other signals to find my Covenant HVT.”

“As you wish, Lieutenant Commander,” Anansi responded, “It will take me a few minutes to do so, sir, since the copied beacons of the original tracking beacon are both new and seemed to have been improved upon by the Covenant.”

“All right, Anansi,” he replied. “Once you're finished with the update on the HVT's exact location, send the information to me and to the CO's of the marines and ODSTs down here, as well as to Gold Team Two, ASAP.”

“Yes, sir.”

He glanced back up at Scope and Hawk. “Now, if you two don't have any questions, then you are dismissed.”

He soon waited for a few moments before he finally decided to communicate with Gold Three and Four, who were on the UNSC Doberman currently.

“Gold Three and Four,” he asked, “What is your ETA? The sooner you two get down here, the sooner we can apprehend this bloody Shipmaster.”

[Faclan]

Chris Hyde - ONI Linguist
Hosptial
Hai suggestion? Llau MrKill

Finally getting all the M7 mags on the vest he was wearing Hyde did a quick pull check on all of them. They stayed on! Good initial step that the nerd could work out how to work Velcro straps and pouches. With all that done he returned the M6C Magnum to his thigh holster and looked up to see what was going on. It seemed like Kill and MoronMoretti were busy trying to decide on what to do about the two objectives. The leader of the Heretics and then the one on Mikes pad. Did the Marines even know it was Heretics? Probably best to let that slip just in case they didn't know. The Marines didn't need to think about more than pointing their guns in the right direction...officers withstanding the Marines Chris had met in his life so far hadn't left a good impression on him. Mark and Kill seemed ok though, Mark more so though with the whole Big Bird incident...He would need to try and get into that report from his rescue one of these days. Hopefully Mike would get the stick out of his ass and let him see it - every day he didn't get to set up a message system with...Nek wasn't it? Was another day that Nek could be dead and such a valuable piece of information lost forever.

The nerd pulling a bit of a face as he thought about all that but otherwise just stood by and waited. He wasn't really qualified to comment on all the troop movement and personall assigning...but he did glance back at the sewer they came through after the talking seeming to have died down. Looking back at Kill he cleared his throat a bit, took a step away from Mike, and voiced his suggestion.

"Colonel - perhaps you could try to move some small teams through the sewer system to come up at different locations near or in the Covenant current lines to try and cause confusion and disrupt their movement? Or at least make them focus on something else to give your Marines a break or a chance to move some vehicles up to the front?"

It sounded solid to him, but then again he was just a Nerd. Thankfully Mike seemed busy talking to other ONI teams and so wasn't immediately on his case. But likely would be.


Pela Gel - T'vaoan Commando
Covenant Hunting Party, Phantom
Prove yourself, or fail us all. BetaWülf Sentinel

Due to the fact that both Kigs, Pela and Roh, were wearing helmets, it would be impossible for the Apes to see the tension between the two of them. They would likely be able to smell it though. Pela just nodded however at Rohs return greeting and then basic explanation of the mission - it was a good overall evaluation of the mission. But Pela would narrow her eyes at the Gel Scion under her helmet as he finished. She had heard of the time he had spent with the Humans, the time marooned on the planet, and so far she had seen no indication he was ready for active service again. On all honestly she thought that Kael was going a bit soft for allowing her son back to the front so soon.

"Correct, and you'll be instrumental in the mission to ensure a capture," a pause and glance at the Arrestor. "You best not fail." And with that she turned and moved toward the cockpit to check in on their location. It was nearly time to drop.

"Prepare for the chase!"

(Go ahead and have them land BetaWülf or Sentinel At least Vesa likes Roh D: )


Kael Gel - T'vaoan Champion
Covenant base
Wtf is happening?

Growling in the command tent Kael silently listened to the Phantom conversation through the small bug she had installed in Rohs armor - secret of course. Although there was a lot of background noise from the Jiralahane in there the conversation between her son and Commando was coming through crystal. Kael would have quite a few words for Pela and Vesa when they returned. Doubting her decision to have Roh there?! Roh may have been hurt but he was far from disabled or not combat effective...Kael had made sure of that. And this was all part of his recovery sink it! He wouldn't get better just sitting in a Keep reading or training. He needed to return his mind to where it was before. Changed yes, there was no doubt of that, but he was strong enough to do what needed to be done. His more merciful nature was fine with Mama Gel - he didn't need to kill to lead their people or to capture and interrogate Heretics. They had Kigs damn well chomping at the bit to be told to kill in their stead.

Just stopping herself from running her claws down the readout screen she was watching Kael took a breath and leaned her head back. She needed to relax. It was impossible to not hear Revuul's broadcast and then Garataus' angry response to it as he roared it out and then set out immediately to bring back his head. Leaving her in command of the main Covenant force sans his pack. She needed to have a more clear head for that. Sufficently calmed down she transferred the Phantom message stream to her helmet, specifically her left ear hole speaker, and slipped it over her head as she left the command tent to be greeted by Tal who seemed to be returning with a report. The male quickly saluting before delivering it.

"Mistress, the defenses are all set up and the troops are waiting in them in case the Humans arrive before we retreive Revuuls's skull."

"Good, no need for us to make this more complicated that it already is."

"Of course Mistress, the city assault is also going well with minimal losses."

"...What?"

Tal would, impressively, not gulp or step back as Kaels feathers raised as he replied. "Ado 'Urgomee is using his ship to assault the Human city. At least that is what we believe, he may have left the ship in his shuttle and put his first mate in Command."

Calm....Calm...CALM! Kaels right wrist blade would shink out as her hands shook a bit before she just nodded, directing Tal to follow her back into the command tent with the extended blade. The Commando quickly following as his own feathers were starting to puff with anxiety behind the storming Champion.

(Kael sneaky sneaky P: BetaWülf .)


Ado 'Urgomee - Jelly shipmaster (NPC)
Personal Phantom
The bitch is squawking again.

Smirking with his frankly dashing mandibles Ado glanced again at the Human tac-pad he had. Still no response. No doubt the foolish Human was too busy reeling from his fantastic plan and scrambling around like a Kig-Yar without eyes trying to figure out what to do. They were so easy to flummox and always had to rely on firing into the dark of their own useless existence and cowering in the dirt to escape the Covenant fire.

Soon his vessel would destroy the remains of the Human city and then they would scatter, allowing him to move and secure Revuul as well and be reckongised as the hero of the day. It was all coming into place.

"Shipmaster, message from base, urgent."

Glancing over at the co pilot Ado nodded and moved over to receive it, probably some report about the Heretics.

"Ado!" Oh Prophets it was the upstart female chicken..."Want to explain to me, RIGHT NOW, why you are attacking the Human city with a SHIP when you were not ordered to?!"

"Its called taking the iniative and moving on an unaware enemy, nothing you know about Kig."

There was a deep breath from the other end. "I've been fighting these humans since the time when you were just entering your precious little war college, you are disobeying orders and putting yourself and all of us at risk." Even Ado could tell that was forced, her loss for not just giving command to him.

"I dont need to listen to orders from you chicken, I will gain glory today while you stay safe in base." There was a series of screeches before he cut the call and nodded at his close group of officers on his ship. "Now, where were we?"

(Eugine still chilling at the Covie deployment zone after his little blessing and Cad is radio operating on the city limits. Probably the one who delivered the report to Tel.)

[MrKill]

Colonel Johnathon Killinger
120th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Hospital

"Of course," John replied. "I'll go round them up."

As the ONI Officer stepped away to brief his own guys, John moved down the corridor to an ODST watching out the window. He could hear the sound of the battlefield; the distant pops of the familiar MA5 series of assault rifles, whine of plasma from the Covenant small arms, and the different sounds in explosions from hand grenades and high explosive shells from the Marines' tanks.

It only took a moment to realise the Covenant wouldn't just run with their backs to the Marines outgoing fire, but the pressure was on. To him, from there at least, it sounded like the Marines were regaining ground after the initial confusion. But the fact remained: What was he going to do about the Covenant warship hovering over his AO.

Stray plasma splashed the hospital from a nearby hill, and Marines - including the ODST John was approaching - squirted the hill with a barrage of bullets and under barrel 40mm HE grenades. It only lasted a moment and when it was safe to proceed John called the ODST over.

"How many ODSTs do you have with you?" The ageing Colonel asked.

"None from my units, sir." The ODST replied.

John expected that. He already knew that the ODSTs were scattered and dis-organised. "Thank you, Marine. Round up any ODSTs in the building that are mission capable and report to the ONI Officers over there. You'll assist them in a VIP retrieval, so round up those who are willing to volunteer on this mission."

"Yes sir," The ODST replied. "I'll report back in a few minutes."

The ODST left his post to gather up who he needed.

John took the time to return towards the ONI Officer. The full-bird Colonel waited patiently for the man to finish his discussion with his team. When he was done, John took the opportunity to update the Lieutenant Commander.

"Moretti, you're ODSTs will report to you in about five or so minutes," John informed, though he made an uncertain facial gesture to emphasise it was probably going to take longer and that he really didn't know. "How do you plan on getting your VIP if I don't have any pelicans available?" John asked, he recalled saying that his pelicans were either shot down, too damaged to fly or had already fled the AO.

[Llau]

LT. CMDR Moretti, Michelangelo N.
ONI Tactical Field Officer
Inner Colonies // Panis Eterni System // Esperanza II // Lake Town // Lake Town Memorial Hospital
November, 2551
Tag(s): MrKill , Faclan , Therex , охотник , Bippwatt , Wax™ , SuperCommando , SPARTAN-A120 , Spartan 999 , Cabel


As he waited for a response from Gold Three or Four, he looked on as Killinger went off to speak to an ODST that was standing over by the window, where the sounds of a firefight continued briefly, before it was silenced for the time being. Seems like the marines were pushing back, he thought quietly to himself, while he turned around to face where Hyde, Bowers, and the other ONI operatives were standing at. He tilted his head a bit, when he overheard Hyde's suggestion, and quietly thought that it was a good idea to do. They might as well make use of those tunnels before the Covenant find out about them. If they haven't already. 

It was the voice of Siobhan-007, who responded to his question regarding how long it was until they arrived. "This is Gold Four to Ombra. ETA thirty mikes. Dinna worry yourself too much, sir. We'll be there."

“Thanks for actually having a voice and knowing how to respond to an Officer's question, Gold Four,” He replied sarcastically, taking a stab at Gold Three's silence. Then, in a mocking tone, added, “Dinna tell me not to bloody worry too much about this.” He grunted. “I'm going to worry until we can make a successful capture on my HVT – and that means alive, Gold Three and Four.”

When he ended the communication with the two SPARTANs, he then was contacted by a Lieutenant Grant, who was the Communications Officer for Commander Woods of the UNSCS Doberman. He closed his eyes for a few moments, and listened to what the Lieutenant had to say to him. Undoubtedly, it'll be something irrelevant to him now. Unless, of course, something suddenly changed up there with the Navy.

“UNSCS Doberman to Lieutenant Commander Moretti, Please be advised that the Doberman is now awaiting permission to break formation to commence drop, ETA: 30 minutes.”

He breathed in an agitated sigh. Of course, he thought.

Cry havoc, and let slip the arrogant asshole that you are, Moretti. Or so, Major Wagner said to him one day...not in a very friendly way either. Nothing new under the sun for him.

“Lieutenant Grant,” he asked, “You're not a parrot, are you? Repeating to me something that I already know from Gold Four...does Polly Grant want a cracker?”

The Lieutenant Commander then looked over at the Colonel, who had been waiting for him to finish speaking. Moretti smiled mischievously at him for a second or two. He then met him at a short distance to continue their discussion if needed.

"Moretti, your ODSTs will report to you in about five or so minutes," The ONI Tactical Field Officer picked up on Killinger's uncertain expression, and Moretti nodded and shrugged a little at that. He figured that would be the case, and didn't really mind it since he had to wait for the SPARTAN reinforcements, and then Chen to arrive with the Black Cat anyway.

“Thanks for giving me the ODSTs, Killinger,” he said, “I have to wait anyway. So no big deal.”

Killinger then asked him, "How do you plan on getting your VIP if I don't have any pelicans available?"

He tilted his head side-to-side a little. “Depending on how the two extra SPARTAN reinforcements that I requested arrive, I think we'll be able to have a Pelican we can use down here, along with my Black Cat that's currently being flown by one of my Operators who is going to head over to assist me, while Gold One and Two capture my other HVT.”

He then mentioned, “About the sewer tunnels, Colonel...? You should have your marines go down and use them to your tactical advantage against the Covenant throughout the town,” he said, “I can give you the area map of the tunnels. Though...I'm sure if Captain Sorelson is here with you, then he can take some of his Marines down there. He knows those tunnels very well...or, so I've been told when I met the Captain a few years back.”

While waiting around, it seemed that his insult he threw at Lieutenant Grant struck a nerve, when Commander Woods went on to communicate with him.

"Commander Woods to Lieutenant Commander Moretti. I'm not sure how they handle communications at ONI but if we can keep communications professional, that'll be nice. Please refrain from insulting my bridge staff when their doing their jobs. Break."

He pressed his finger over his ear-piece to reply to Woods. “You want to keep communications professional, Commander Woods? Sure thing, il tesoro,” Then muttered under his breath, “...Once you fuck off with the rank card shit, mate.” He didn't care if the comms picked it up or not before releasing his finger off of his ear-piece.

He then heard the Communications Officer reply with a status update. "Please be advised, SPARTAN assets unable to be dropped due to heavy Covenant activity in vicinity, pelican drop will be commenced instead. Meaning an E.T.A of forty five to fifty five minutes. Over."

Moretti sighed, rolling his eyes at that. “Fanculo questa merda” He muttered, and then replied to Grant with slight annoyance in his voice – as if it was painful for him to be nice to her, “Understood, Lieutenant.” He then added, “UNSCS Doberman. Requesting to have the Pelican on standby to transport ODSTs on way to retrieve HVT. Over.”

As he waited for a response, he announced to his unit and to Colonel Killinger, “SPARTAN assets will arrive via pelican drop instead of HEV drop, due to the heavy Covenant activity in the vicinity. ETA of forty-five to fifty-five minutes.”

Suddenly, Gold Three's voice filled his ear-piece, something he didn't expect. "I apologise, Lieutenant Commander, but not all of us have a thing for our own voices and hide behind our talent with words to mask our insecurities."

The Italian bristled at that for a brief moment, and then slowly shook his head with a small, but angry smile on his face. He scoffed at what she said to him, and arrogantly replied, but speaking low so no one else but her could hear him, as he stepped away from where he was standing by Killinger and the others, to have a more private conversation with one of the SPARTANS he also insulted minutes ago.

"Insecurities? I'm very confident in what I do or say, Gold Three. Sure, I like the sounds of my voice. I love communicating. I also love insulting people. It's funny, fun, and keeps people on their toes." He smirked, glancing over to where Hyde was standing around at. "Even more fun when you know someone, because what are friends for?" He chuckled. "Though, I do congratulate you on having a backbone and responding to me. Now then. I'll see you and Four soon. Cheers." He switched to another channel that the Doberman was using, and continued to wait.

[blackshot]

ODST Private Jonah Hauser
153rd ODST Company
ESPERANZA-II, PANIS ETERNI SYSTEM
Laketown Memorial Hospital
Lead Me To Heaven When We Die
Tags: roachman34 Llau MrKill Wax™

Jonah stared at the advancing Covenant Forces. The nearby explosion snapped his focus back into reality. He quickly took cover behind a destroyed vehicle as a stray plasma whiffed past him. He was tired and exhausted in the fighting and it seems like the situation would not let him rest even just for a bit. He took a peek and sighted a Grunt in the distance. He inserted his finger inside the trigger guard and supressed a deep breath from escaping his lungs as he squeezed the trigger, letting out a short burst of fire from his rifle. He hit the skull of his target thrice; its body limped to the side and fell. He switched his aim to his right and spotted another Grunt where he downed it with quick pull of a trigger; four rounds finding its way to its chest. He switched target as he spotted a Jackal with his Plasma Shield protecting him from fire. He recklessly opened fire without thinking. His shots bounced away as the reactive shield sent it away. He turned towards his position and started firing. The other Covenant Troops started firing at his way as well.

Jonah unclipped a grenade from his belt. He breathed deeply three times before cocking back and throwing the frag grenade with all his might. A loud explosion can be heard. He wasn't sure if he hit anything but just to be sure, he made a blind fire towards the enemies. He peeked, saw a quartet of Grunts dead but the Jackal has survived the attack, though its shield was already disabled; green sparks flying around it. Jonah sighted its head and fired thrice, head bursting in a plume of purple gore. The ODST reloaded his gun and took a peek again. A trio of Jackals and a group of Grunts replaced the Covenant File he defeated earlier. He knows that it was just mere luck, surviving in a firefight against them and thanks to the UNSC Personnel inside the building who were firing at the Covies as well, whoever they are.

He took a peek, seeing nothing but smokes of war. He pulled the trigger as he sighted a Grunt. His bullet whiffed past amidst all the chaos and successfully hitting the target, though it didn't kill the alien. He fired again, finally taking down the Grunt. He hid back as plasma raced towards his location. He walked around the car, going to the other side of it and sighted the Covies who have been shooting his previous location. The Jackals had themselves expose to their blind side. Nice. He sighted the Jackal and fired four times, hitting its head and chest. He switched to his M6D Pistol quickly and let loose a trio of bullets, hitting the alien in the skull. As the Covies started to turn to him, he hurled back and tossed a grenade at them. But as fate had it, one of the Grunts had managed to hit the ODST, but thankfully, its needler spike just scraped Jonah's skin but nevertheless, it burns like hell and it looked like a heated iron rod had touched his wounds.

"GODDAMMIT!" He yelled as he held his bleeding shoulder. A little splinter of the glowing purple crystal can be seen the size of a nail, sticking out of his wound. The more it glowed, the more it burned. He ran inside the Hospital where he was met by UNSC Marines and ODSTs alike.

"I need help!" Jonah muttered before falling to his knees and losing consciousness.

[Remnant]

Heretic Warlord Revuul 'Kasai
Sector E5 - Burning Wrath, Mine Approach
Raid on the Mines

Revuul stood beside the pilot of the Burning Wrath, looking onwards as they closed in on the far side of the mountains of Sector E5. The pilot looked up at Revuul, about to speak.

“Kaidon, we’re approaching the dropsite now. Orders?” The pilot asked.

Revuul opened a line of communications to the rest of the choir. “Pilots, dispense your troops at the dropsite and then head to the outpost being established at the edge of these mountains. We’ll need you on standby to drop off the Unggoy workers, as well as the Jiralhanae and Kig-yar foremen, after we clear out the mines.”

Revuul pulled away from the commlink as they approached the entrance to the mines. All Phantoms dispersed their troops, the entirety of the Kaidon’s Guard being deployed. A pair of Mgaelekgolo were released from their magnetic clamps on the underside of the Burning Wrath. After Revuul’s own phantom was cleared of his Guard, he deployed himself alongside his Nephew, Jule. Even as they’d just deployed, conflict had already started.

A trio of armed militiamen guarded the large entrance to the mines. However, they panicked, two retreating inside as a massive blast door sealed the entrance to the mines. The last one didn’t get beyond the door in time, and was trapped outside with the Creche. Revuul approached him, energy sword drawn. The man raised his rifle and fired a continuous burst at Revuul. In return, Revuul swung the sword and sliced the assault rifle, carving it in half and knocking it out of the man’s hands. A swift slash lobbed off his arm from the elbow down.

He stumbled backwards, falling onto his back. He started crawling backwards, away from Revuul as he began screaming in pain and fear. Putting an end to his misery, Revuul stabbed him through the chest, leaving two searing scorched holes at the sternum. Revuul deactivated the sword and placed it at his side. He looked up at the entrance to observe it. The mine had been built into the mountain, and surrounding the mountain was a path that encircled it, the path ending at the top. Whether the path was natural or artificial was unknown, though if it was artificial, it was likely carved as a convenience for mining.

Supporting that theory was that the entrance was massive, large enough to fit a vehicle or two specialized for mining. Perhaps this was the case. Regardless, the Creche could proceed on foot with hardly any trouble. Except for the blast door that sealed the entrance. Revuul turned around to address the Mgaelekgolo pair first, as the rest of the choir, minus the Burning Wrath and two banshees, departed for the soon-to-be-finished outpost at the edge of the mountain.

“You two will stay at the entrance with a Lance and guard it from any unwelcomed intruders.” Revuul spoke, as he began to turn to the rest of the Creche. “The rest of you will pillage this mine and kill anything that moves. We will secure this place so that our mining teams may extract whatever is available from here, as well as steal any already mined or refined resources present.” Revuul finished his orders, and two Guard members approached the blast door, setting a breaching charge. Everyone cleared far enough away, outside the detonation zone and blast radius.

The explosion pushed against the blast door, caving it inwards and sending all forms of debris and melted slag further into the mines. As the Creche charged inside, the Mgaelekgolo pair and a Lance guarded the entrance, with the Burning Wrath and two banshees encircling overhead.

As Revuul stepped through the destroyed entrance, he witnessed the smoldering corpses of several militiamen. He assumed it was the two cowards that retreated earlier. Sounds of plasma filled the cavern-like mines as the Kaidon’s Guard pushed deeper into the mines, slaughtering any miner or militamen that stood in their way. Revuul himself joined the fight, being at the centre of the Guard with Jule at his side. Both of them had their energy swords drawn, and they carved a delicate path of corpses through the mines.

Witnessing crude Human machinery extracting raw minerals and resources, Revuul spoke to Jule. “The time it will take to clear these mines should give our construction teams enough time to set up the outpost and garrison several mining teams. Afterwards we can contact them to send the teams here. With luck and due purpose, this should be a fairly swift extraction operation.” Revuul said with confidence.

“Aye, Uncle. Let us hope the Gods’ view us in their favor.” Jule replied eagerly.

“Jule, now is not the time to jinx us.” Revuul said, chuckling.


Heretic Ravager Xalek ‘Kas
Sector D2 Airspace - Phantom
Baiting the Beast

“Commander, your reinforcements are on approach. What is your stauts?” Xalek asked the garrison commander over the Heretic battlenet.

“Ravager, you may wish to slow your approach. The Covenant have not yet triggered the trap. We must have patience and let this be timed perfectly for the best results.” The garrison commander replied.

“Aye, in that we can agree.” Xalek said. He then went into the phantom’s cockpit and opened a line of communications to the rest of a choir.

“All pilots, reduce your speed appropriately. We can neither arrive sooner nor later than anticipated, otherwise we risk failure, and I can assure you, that is not an option.” Xalek spoke authoritatively. In response, the choir slowed down its approach promptly, allowing the trap more time to be activated. Xalek looked on at the viewscreens, observing the plains and hills as the phantom zoomed past overhead. The near-tranquility of this place provided a certain irony to the various situations taking place on the planet. Xalek returned to the troop bay, taking a seat and waiting out the ride.

[MrKill]

(( blackshot, John isn't near the entrance, so you'll have to wait for a reply from someone applicable to that situation. ))

Colonel Johnathon Killinger
120th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Hospital

John waited for Moretti to finish before talking again. The man was being rather... sassy to his comrades, and it was slightly irritating for John as it broke part of his own identity, but he'd keep it on the down low and mentally lock it away behind a motionless face. To him, mutual respect was extremely important; he ran the MEU he commanded on the principles of respect for one another. Being sarcastic was one thing, but he felt the ONI Officer had stepped across the line that split ass hole and sarcastic apart.

When the ONI Officer moved away, John followed with distance, but noted what the spook had said about rank.

He took his opportunity to reply when the ONI officer stopped talking and paused for a moment.

"Moving small units in the sewers would be okay, but the larger a unit gets the harder it'll be for them to move down there." John started. "A four man fire-team, sure, but they're hardly combat effective. I'd have to deploy at least a platoon behind enemy lines for them to inflict any actual casualties against the Covenant. They're good, but they're only Marines. I'd give the task to the ODSTs, but... well they're all over the place and the only other special force unit I have is securing this hospital." John finished.

"Navy should be here any moment if you're getting SPARTAN reinforcements, so maybe I can have the ODSTs that didn't deploy drop behind enemy lines in their HEVs. That is what ODSTs are trained for, after all." John added quickly. "In the meantime I think it'll be appropriate for you to grab some gear. Better rifles, ammunition, armour and ammo. There's plenty of it lying around, but you'll have to take it from the fallen."

Truth be told, John didn't know - nor care - how good ONI armour might actually be. He had his armour, and his armour had saved his life a few times. Good enough to absorb one shot and save your life if you were lucky to get it off in time.

[roachman34]

Patrol Officer Jason Sorelson
Laketown Memorial Hospital

    Jason stood in the lobby area of the hospital and was checking his ammunition after spotting the Covenant Carrier coming over the city. There had been a flurry of activity as the human troops scrambled and moved out, and in that Jason had run back inside gathering together what he could.

     Shortly after an ODST burst through the doors accompanied by the sounds of weapons fire and muttered "I need help!" before passing out. Jason stood there dumbfounded then rushed into action, waving over a pair of nurses and a doctor with a gurney, he checked the man over for any immediate wounds and found that he had a sliver of the purple needles the Covenant used, he noted this and then helped them lift him onto the stretcher and move him further into the hospital for treatment.

[Huka]

Field Marshal Til je’at ze’at ‘Muramai
En route to E5 - Establishing Covenant Position

The words of the Traitor filled his head, listening before cutting lines. The Harbinger drifted slowly from its course when its prey’s destination was becoming clear. The loud song of battle was close, Til looked at the pilot’s screen to see it was the Iron Disciple taking the northern facility. That will be useful. For now, he didn’t say anything immediately in foresight. Devising and keeping his attention on the Heretics’ directions.

His accompanied operators remained in readied composure, eager to leap into their leader’s battle and end another stain to their Covenant’s honor and unity. They have been trained to the loyalty of their brotherhood and the Field Marshal’s demand to keep the Redeeming Vigilance in structural functionality, black stealth harnesses scarred from past operations of testing capabilities and their share of battles.

The Yanme’e hanging over their heads were either crawling about with implanted wingcases buzzing communication to one another or docile in curled positions, curled hind-limbs clenching to bars. The younger members of the infiltration lances were nervous to the sight of the insectoids. Not for their unnerving appearance, but for what they carried on them. Pulsating in their dangerous azure lights running their carapaces like burning veins. Stories told of the Field Marshal’s tactics, but few believed them until they actually saw it.

The Harbinger made a graceful sided swoop along the mountainous wall, trained to keep away just enough to avoid disturbing debris and risk exposure.

When the Heretic Leader and his encourage started to the attack on the Human defenders, Til’s patience almost felt like burning sand running on raw flesh. He felt disturbed for some reason. The Spirits… However, he kept collected. The Hunter wasn’t going to let his mark escape him again.

The Heretic’s only visible transport and guarding banshees hovered overhead like carrion-eating raptors. Now is the time.

“Falling Retribution.” He phrases. Immediately, the pilot knew his commander’s maneuver. Angling the camouflaged Phantom into a skyward ascension, its internal gravity started to affect to save disorienting or risk falling out of the hold. They climbed higher and higher until they passed the hovering defense and over the mining facility.

“Tell the Brothers.” Til ordered before slipping the door open to see the back-door slipping open to stare at least several courtyards’ length of a drop, while his operatives all stood upright, looking in the same direction. “Release.”

With one press to a control glyph and the demands of the natural universe pulled the Gods’ chosen assassins to their prey. A cloud of seemingly inactive Yanme’e surrounded them and their pent pheromones hid their signatures as simply more of the falling swarm. Armored bodies melted away from light-blending camouflage before the multi-colored insectoids suddenly attacked the aircrafts with mad frenzy.

Their clicking mandibles and insane buzzes of ripping wings deafened the sky, greedy talons gripped at hulls and clawed as if they wanted to stripe the very metal of the banshees and Phantom. Several in the hundred made attempts to crawl into the troop carrier in murderous curiosity for anything inside.

A dozen continued to fall in limb docility as if their lives mattered as little as the heretics below. Their bodies starting to glow, humming nihilistically, and the tick that their hardened form smacked ground or person. The destructive sound of plasma charges exploded in superheated gases, atomized debris, and cauterizing gore.



General Cav vo’ha ‘Olamutee of the Iron Disciples
Section E5

Cav’s resonated roar screeched through the hall as he blasted through the retreating soldiers apart to nothing but a noxious cocktail of cooling plasma and cloud of gore, those there were unfortunate to survive were screaming and moan in agony. Body parts turn from their thickly clothed bodies, fingers clawing at eyes blinded by the superheated flashes, or the more farther were disorientated by the concussive power that crushed their ranks.

With a point of his claw, a small crew of Kig-yar rushed in with savage knives and plasma pistols to find them off. The General didn’t have the time nor the sadism to watch the coup de grace. Checking his ammunition and replacing it in two quick movements, he was confronted along the larger hall that was in a slowly pushing battle deeper in the fortress.

At first, his motion sensor in his battle-lenses didn’t catch it and that gave the grievous opening for something big to suddenly pounce him hard off his stride.

Roaring out in surprised frustration, ‘Olamutee stumbled over when the annoying weight pulled him through the momentum with his ears deafened by a wild cry. Strong, muscular arms were wrapped around his own thick neck. The surprise nulled his strength for a brief second, trying to catch himself on knee and free hand before an armored knee clipped under his armored jaw. Jerking his head up in the force and two clenched fists hammered the side of his head.

“Get him!” A desperate cry shouted, another smaller weight jumped on his armor’s hunched back. The familiar feel of a cold blade tried to slash, but the fools made the avid discovery that made Cav made common in his sect; the Iron Discipline armored their necks as much as anything else. In their time as wards to their maximum-secured prisons, closing as many weaknesses - even on personnel - was critical. Today, it have saved General ‘Olamutee’s honor as he snarled like a mad beast while the blade slip over Sangheili metal and the slippery catch of his powerful energy shields.

Letting his rifle go, one hand snatched over his shoulder and threw the would-be assassin several paces in a tumbling slam. However, the true wrath fell on his ambusher. Ramming his elbow into the side of assaulted knee that tried to collapsed his defended throat, the satisfying pop of joints and a pained grunt caught the Sangheili. However, it was used to loosen the childish grip and using the cutting swoop of his arm again with the other hooking under the Human’s jaw, the General flipped it around in one full spin and slam on its back. Hand still holding the offending leg,the visible amber eyes glinted in sinister intent before dropping all of his weight on one knee over the angled other’s.

The snap of broken bones and a horrid scream filled the hall before a oversized hand collected the dropped knife. In two lightning-fast thrusts, the blade plunged into where the kidney should be and right under the jugular. Both given a healthy twist for good measure before the General came upon the other now.

A pistol - from mere appearance, Cav recognized it as one of the heavier-bolted variants - was drawn and fired, but this time, the large killer was prepared and fast on his limbs. The Human in its suicidal bravado failed to notice the Unggoy support coming down the way. Plasma bolts streaked the air and sliced through flesh and bone with a bubbling sizzle. The weird-faced alien screamed its pain, but opportunity aroused the somewhat smaller slavish caste to attack in closer rank.

Defiant to the last moment, the collapsing human managed to blast one crustacean’s head apart like a blue-meated melon before a more proper Unggoy of the sect’s armored military smacked the weapon aside and slammed one big fist over the heretic’s head. Dazed and slammed to the floor in the brutish attack, the creature was left to the pent brutality of Unggoy that are given a higher position.

Two grabbed the male’s legs and yanked at them in an attempt to drag it off, but instead the plasma seared tendons and tore them off by the knee and thigh. The scream howling the intense pain did nothing but receive another heavy-handed punch to the face and bouncing cheek against the floor. Cav cringed in mild disgust, enough to draw his own plasma pistol and end the soldier’s misery clear to the heart.

“Do not prolong suffering.” he said sternly before sneering at the approaching majors and their lances. “You are late.”

The senior of the approachers quickly bowed his head in submissive apology. "The Humans had charges in one corridor and we had find another route." Cav jerked his hand outright in absolute dismiss. "Secure this building, the Humans are hiding something and I want it for our leaders now. Failure is not an option." 

Immediately, they sprinted off to do as commanded. Leaving Cav a moment as he looked down at the bloodied blade in his and. No more bigger than a eating knife, thick of blood and hanging with caught sinew in its tiny serrated teeth along its edge. A pleasant trophy and reminder.

[Faclan]

*ALERT* The Covenant ship over Lake Town is in the process of backing up to closer to the city limits to support the troops, not take such a front and center position near the Humans.

(No Hyde this time cause hes just puttering around near Kill and Mike.)

Kael Gel - T'vaoan Champion
Covenant deployment zone
Leave the proud to peril... Huka BetaWülf

The hail key was broken now, thankfully not shocking Kael when she had jammed her middle claw through the key after screeching bloody murder at Ado. Tal thanking Aecor that his Commando helmet protected his ear holes cause woo-boy that was loud. But he kept all those thanks to himself as he stood to attention and waited for Kael's orders. The female currently hunched over the console and huffing puffing as she calmed down. It thankfully didn't take long before she stood up and nodded, flicking the shards of plexiglass off her claw and a few flecks of blood before another nod.

"Alright, he wants to seek glory by himself, he will be left by himself."

"Mistress?"

Kael just held up a claw to Tal to quiet him down as she went back to the console and soon had herself broadcasting to the entire Covenant force; Til's squads, Garatus's pack, and the city attacking team. She was confident that Ado had cut communications so as to not be distracted, but even if he was still listening he would just learn of this sooner.

"Warriors of the Covenant; Shipmaster Ado 'Urgomee has put himself ahead of all of us, the Covenant, and the holy quest," ugh barf. "As of the end of this message he is stripped of his command in this campaign and is to be left to his foolish quest, alone. That is all."

That made Tal gulp as he stood near the door. There were a lot of things wrong with that. Not the least among of which was possibly letting the enemy intercept the order and letting them know the command was fractured. But also leaving a shipmaster of all people in the lurch. If Ado found out he could easily report Kael...the Mistress must think that he wouldn't survive or had some kind of backup plan in case he came to her senses. But Kael was just standing there smiling as she adjusted the damaged console and was soon contacting Ado's large ship.

"First Mate, retreat to cover the troops attacking the city. Make the Humans penned in and unable to stop the other teams from completing their objectives. You and your crew are still free of the taint of the traitor."


Pela Gel - T'vaoan Commando
Covenant Hunting Party, Phantom
Err...onward? BetaWülf Sentinel

While waiting for the final landing process to finish Pela and all the other troops in the Phantom were treated to the broadcast from Kael and base. It was...unexpected. For a Shipmaster to be abandoned and stripped of command was heard of. But not when given in an order from a Kig-Yar. The mood getting a bit more tense in the Phantom as this new info was mulled over. Before Pela cheeped to get everyone attention - standing up straight and for the moment forgetting about Roh.

"No matter the politics and possibly folly happening out there it is not our mission. We have our mission will complete it. The mission won't get more fractured because of us!" Thankfully the Phantom would ding at this point to give an emphatic end to her little speel as the doors opened, it was time to hunt.

"You all know the mission, move silent and swift!" Pela jumped off near the end, trying to keep an eye on Roh as she was confident Kadeius could keep his own troops under command. Tapping her helmet to contact the Phantom pilot as she headed off with the hunting parties. "Follow us at a distance, when we find out the needed information we will likely need to be quick to get to 'Revull in time. Unless he's already been found in which case the other hunters may need help.


Ado 'Urgomee - Jelly Shipmaster (NPC)
Personal Phantom (flying toward E4)
Onward to easy victory! охотник Bippwatt

With the stupid chicken out of his mind Ado nodded to his close group of warriors and moved back to the middle of the Phantom where he a small projector set up to display a map for him. His ship prominently over the tiny Human city likely already wrecking havok. Good, minimizing that, thankfully before he noticed it starting to back up, he opened up a larger map where the small movement would be un-noticeable. And instead scanned for a good area where he could watch his finest moment unfold. SO many good places...but he would need to get high to see the fires burn and humans melt. So the mountain range!

"Set a course for the mountain range, I'm sure we can find a nice little plateau to watch the battle from." The pilot would nod and set in the course, cut off from the other Covenant by Ado's orders. The Shipmaster looking back at some of the crates near the back of the Pelican. Accouterments and items just for this task; food, fine seats, and turrets to enjoy and protect his vista. Perfect for one of such noble birth as he.

(So heading to E4's bottom right corner to watch the fireworks - totally not intentional that Ado and the Herectic leader are only one square apart :3.)

[Llau]

After some discussion between staff, guardians, and gurus, I have decided to do a time-skip to move Mission 9 forward. 

If your character wasn't able to participate in the mission, now they can. 

Information is as followed:

- All ground PCs are now ground-side. (This includes the SPARTANs)

- UNSC fleet is engaged with the Heretic and Covenant formations

- The Covenant Destroyer is either destroyed or retreating from the AO (Area of Operations). (Will leave this up to Faclan , since he now controls the Shipmaster.)

- x number of UNSC Frigates are hovering over Lake Town, deploying troops, vehicles and supplies. 

- The Covenant legion that was ordered to attack is approaching. 

- ONI with GOLD Three and Four and ODST support are moving to capture HVT #2 (Faclan 's Shipmaster NPC)

- GOLD Team One and Two are moving to capture HVT #1 (Remnant 's Heretic NPC)

- Heretic and Covenant loyalist continue battling at various locations around the globe (with the Heretics winning slightly at this point).

[Faclan]

(The Human frigates probably took some damage from the Covie ship, but they would be able to overwhelm and shove it back without taking a causality. Damaged sure but not destroyed.)

Kael Gel - T'vaoan Champion
Covenant Deployment Zone.
Quiet around, but heating up.

Thankfully Kael had pretty much fully removed Ado from her mind and was focused on troop directing. And listening to Roh of course. Which at the moment was distracting for after turning it down during the hunting parties question time she could hear that he was under fire...but the shouting from Pela barely able to be heard over the roars of the Jiralhanae let Kael know that they were still doing well. And soon more troops would be there to reinforce them. Get them out and then join the third force at this point that were heading toward E5 to head of the Herectic leader. She really should try to get Til on the radio but knowing him, which she did pretty well, he was busy slowing peeling some heretics skin off or something else. Best not to disturb him. And besides that she had a job to do.

The Champion currently slowly moving around a holographic map of the area as she, as well as Tel, several Sangheili Majors, and one Unggoy in a big hat - all looking over the map and the icons for friendly and enemy troops as they issued orders and movements. The Covenant camp mostly empty now as the troops had moved out to support the city team and keep the Humans pinned or to ensure 'Revuul didn't get away.

Kael just hoped that the Covenant vessels could get the Human craft away from their Deployment zone as they had few bodies here to stop them.


Cad - Ruutian Radio Operator
City outskirts.
Not doing so well.

The ship overhead had been backing up for awhile to support the city troops more directly...but then the several Human ships descended from the sky. The Destroyer above being lit up hard by all of them and having to fall back to barely able to help distance as its shields failed and hull punctured in a few places by missile strikes. It wasn't destroyed but it was sure hurting. And seemed to be waiting for its shields to come back and some repairs to be done before able to try and shove back. But in the whole it didn't seem to be going great as now there were several Human ships in air strike range. Not good. But he dutifully reported the situation as best he could to the Commanders back at the deployment zone as he stayed with the city outskirts force who all despite their hesitation were moving to keep the Humans occupied.


Pela Gel - T'vaoan Commando
On the Heretic side of the Covie/Herectic line.
Well someone was prepared.

The netting had gone well, Roh sure showing that he hadn't lost all of his Gel skill during his capture and recovery time. He seemed happy to let the Jiralhanae and some of the Majors have their funtime with the captured Unggoy and their time with twenty questions and stab wounds but that was fine. He didn't need to do everything himself. She just hoped that he wouldn't hesitate when needed later.

That was of course until her worry was the rapidly approaching Heretic force that they were doing their best to have a fighting retreat back toward their transport. Not able to get airborne with that much fire present. At least not more than once so once they were aboard it would be rocky launch...if safe. If not they would need to try and use its guns to keep the Heretics at bay.

Thankfully at least the Hunting party had already been told they had support on route after they called in the Heretic leaders likely position. So their mission was done. But Pela at least, unlike some of these charging and swiftly cut down Heretics, wasn't going to throw her life away on this mission if she could help it. She was sure Roh had picked up a rifle or was using one he had as the party was currently ducked behind a grassy berm and firing at the Heretic until they decided to duck down themselves, letting the party back toward their transport.

"Drive them back! Make them worship the damn ground to save them!" The female screeched out, barely heard over the battle roars of the Jiralhanae, but the hunting party knew what they had to do. They just needed to make sure they didn't run out of hurt to hurl at the Heretics before they were safe.


Ado 'Urgomee - Jelly Shipmaster (NPC)
Plateau at E4
How dare the plan not work!.

The turrets had been set up, the food and drink laid out, and the Phantom hidden near the back of the plateau so it would hard to see unless the viewer was as the same level of the mountain plateau. But all of that stuff was mostly ignored but Ado now as he stormed back and fourth as he watched his pride and joy. His ship, get shoved back by pitiful Human vessels! It was even scratched! He had clearly thought too much about his first mate...he would pay for this. However by this time he hadn't attempted to contact anyway and was just being a big jelly weh pants. So so far wasn't aware of the orders concerning him. Or even entertaining the notion that his ship had done the right then when hit from the top and the front by several Human ships at, in space terms, point blank.

[Cabel]

[Inner Colonies: System: Panis Eterni Sector: Esperanza II: Current Location: Surface: Lake Town: Lake Town Hospital: Reinforcing Defenses: Captain Mark Seamus ‘Spade‘ Sorelson]

Having arrived at the Lake Town Hospital only a short time ago, or at least it had seemed a short time ago, Mark along with the Companies from the LZ in the town square had linked up with the rest of Echo Company, ODST and other marine units that had been isolated in the Hospital. The decision to have left the LZ had been a tough one, but with the Covenant ship having loomed over their heads the aging Captain along with an all-points directive over the encrypted net of the MEU had decided leaving the LZ had been the best course of action. His marines had pushed back the rear lines of the Covenant presence in the town and after the casualties had been tallied he’d found his losses had been light if none-existent compared to the Covenant gun nests and stragglers between the advancing marines and the Hospital. He’d made sure to see their wounded had been given proper medical treatment, with the available Corpsmen and surviving hospital staff. The wounded from the LZ had arrived under escort, armed escort with the small staff from the medical bay he’d had set up in the civic center’s basketball court and even his Corpsmen had known if anything had happened to the wounded by Covenant stragglers Mark would have seen to fitting them with pineapple boxer shorts.

The Hospital had been a hub of activity even after more than a few frigates had managed to deploy their marines and armor ground-side reinforcing Echo Company, the 12th Recon, and the other marine units that had first deployed from the Iowa. Rations, ammunition, medical supplies in addition to the marine reinforcements had only made his day better, as far as he’d been concerned. With the protective umbrella of fire provided by the point defense guns fitted on the hulls of the frigates, even Mark had to admit he’d felt sorry for the Covenant squid-lips and the methane breathers if only a slight bit. The Covenant had hammered the marines with their own version of orbital drop troops before having deployed their own ground troops in Phantoms, and had parked a destroyer in the airspace above the LZ. If that destroyer had opened fire, Mark had known his marines and John’s marines wouldn’t have had much of a chance aside.

He’d taken the time to have stocked up on magazines for the MA5C and the M6B magnum before having checked his supply of grenades including the few potato mashers he’d managed to keep from the LZ. The firefights leading to the hospital hadn’t been entirely easy, but they hadn’t been entirely difficult either as if the Covenant hadn’t even wanted to keep the real-estate by putting up only a token resistance. After he’d stocked up on ammunition and grenades, he’d taken the time to opened one of his field rations of spaghetti and meatballs with some tomato-based spaghetti sauce with parmesan cheese and a twelve-ounce chilled bottle of coke he’d managed to have plucked from one of the beverage vending machines. He hadn’t exactly had to pay for the bottle since the glass fronts of the machines had been either pried open or the glass shattered by the civilians survivors had fled to the hospital or so he’d assumed. Either way, he’d realized with the lull in place he’d had to take advantage to get off his feet for once and to at least have chow. Unfortunately, he’d found most of the tables, chairs and many of the benches had been used or torn apart to reinforce make-shift barricades to prevent the Covenant from reaching them. With the field ration still unopened with the bottle, he’d taken to wandering the halls to find somewhere to at least enjoy it although along a little girl had happened to have ran out into the hallway from someone or simply out of a case of seeing too many new faces and had slipped on the tile floor right in front of him.

Taking a knee, the aged Captain with a small smile helped the little girl to her feet making sure she hadn’t hurt herself and carefully dusted off the dress she’d worn. A part of him on seeing the little girl went back to how his own children had been that young at least at one time or another.

“Mommy told me not to talk to strangers,” the little girl said, looking up at the marine.

“Your mommy was wise to have taught you that. You shouldn’t talk to or even go with strangers. She is right, and you’re smart having listened to her,” Mark said, speaking to the girl and treating her with respect rather than having spoken down to her. “I’m a marine. I was sent here to protect you and your mommy and your fiends,”

“You were? You’re here to protect us from the monsters?” the little girl asked.

“Yes. I won’t let them get you or the others. Have you seen other marines…other people dressed like me? We were sent here to protect all of you,” Mark said. “We won’t let them find you,”

“What’s your name?” the little girl asked.

“My name is Mark. What’s yours?” he’d asked.

“Sarah,” the little girl replied.

“Well, Sarah. Let’s go find your mommy,” Mark said. “Are you hurt? You took a nasty trip back there,”

“I’m not hurt,” Sarah said trying to stand before Mark helped. He’d dusted off the dress she’d worn, and had made certain to have let her know and hadn’t touched her in any funny places. He’d offered to give her a piggy-back ride, which she’d actually surprised him in accepting and the aging Captain carefully lifted her to his shoulders. Making sure she’d been comfortable, he’d let her to keep a firm grip on him and after letting her know he’d rested his right hand on her right leg to make sure she hadn’t slipped off. Finding the little girl’s mother hadn’t taken long at all, and in fact when she’d seen her daughter ridding piggy-back on the shoulders of a marine she had almost freaked until she’d found the marine had been rather gentle with her.

“Sarah, what did I say about talking to strangers?” the mother asked.

“You told me not to talk to strangers,” Sarah began. “He isn’t a stranger. He’s Mark, and he’s here to protect us from the monsters,”

“Mark?” the mother asked.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m Captain Mark Sorelson. I spotted Sarah here taking a dive in one of the hallways, and helped her up. I introduced myself to her, ma’am before helping her up” Mark said, introducing himself and softly smiled when Sarah had almost done that for him.

“You’re here to protect us?” the mother had asked.

“Yes, ma’am. The 120th MEU was deployed here. Sarah’s right. We’re here to protect you, and to make sure the Covenant realize their mistake,” Mark said, before helping Sarah off of his shoulders and set her down gently on a medical bed her mother had stood next to.

“I’m a father, ma’am,”

“You are? Most marines I’ve met aren’t,” the mother said.

“I have three children, with my eldest daughter in her thirties and my youngest here in Lake Town. He joined the local PD,” Mark explained.

“He is?” the mother asked.

“Yes. I only recently found that out,” Mark explained.

“I know first hand what it’s like to not being able to find your child. I understand. You should know Sarah knew the lesson you taught her about strangers. She even called me one before she’d come to know me, and I’d come to know her. I’m only hoping that we can give her more of a childhood, and more of a life after this,”

“She did?” the mother asked. “Captain, you will. I appreciate your help, and I do thank you for bringing Sarah back here. I’ll try to keep her from bothering you or your marines,”

“Don’t worry about it,” he’d said with a smile. “I want you two to remain safe. There are marines, and even local police on this floor. If you have any problems, let them know and they’ll come find me,”

“Thanks, Mark,” the mother said, with a smile and held Sarah close.

“You’re welcome,” the aging Captain said before getting both of them something to eat. After insuring Sarah he’d be downstairs and that if she or her mother had needed anything, they could find a marine or local police officer that would in turn find Mark. Turning, he’d headed out of the room closing the door behind him and headed downstairs with the spaghetti field ration still in his pack with the bottle of coke.

[roachman34]

Patrol Officer Jason Sorelson
Laketown Memorial Hospital,
Time to find Dad...

    Jason sat next to a large crate of ammunition with one smaller one beside his person. It had been a long and bloody day but it wasn't over, they had received reinforcements which was a good thing, but his dad, Mark was here...That would be an interesting conversation and it was inevitable to happen. Jason finished loading the last round into a magazine and slid it into his commandeered tactical vest and rose to his feet. With a sigh, he looked around and spotted Mark coming down the stairs, 'Well now is as good a time as any...' he thought and began a walk towards the stairs his father was descending from. "Hi Dad," Jason said and then continued with, "Long time no see..."

Corporal Connor Lawton
153rd ODST, 2nd Platoon, 2nd Division, Callsign Angel Two-Two, Fireteam Krieg.
Returning to Laketown Memorial Hospital

    Connor trudged through the disgusting water of the sewers with the two uninjured members of his squad and looked around for the manhole closest to the hospital. "I hate water..." Connor muttered as he grabbed onto the ladder and began to climb.

    "We all do..." Xander said and followed suit. James just groaned and scanned each of the tunnels. Up the ladder, Connor used his back to shove the manhole up and out of the way before pulling himself up. Shortly after Xander and James crawled out and into the daylight. As they approached the hospital they noticed quite a bit more activity than when they left, "Place got busy," Xander mentioned as they continued at their brisk pace. When they entered the hospital, "Alright get some rest guy's you've earned it," Connor said turning around and unsealing his helmet. The two men nodded and Connor turned to go search for a doctor.

[Cabel]

[Inner Colonies: System: Panis Eterni Sector: Esperanza II: Current Location: Surface: Lake Town: Lake Town Memorial Hospital: Reinforcing Defenses: Captain Mark Seamus ‘Spade‘ Sorelson]

“Hi dad,” his son’s voice rang out, a voice he hadn’t expected to have heard. He’d known his youngest son Jason had joined or at least accepted a transfer to the Lake Town PD, and had most likely participated in the defense of the hospital and in the continued survival of civilians like Sarah and her mother. “Long time no see…”

“I could give you the typical what the hell you’re doing here speech, but after seeing the civilians upstairs and seeing you alive consider the subject dropped,” Mark said, with a smile on seeing his youngest son and cleared the stairs. “I shouldn’t have to guess your mother knows you’re here on Esperanza II. You’re a hell of a sight and you’ve done well. I’m proud of you, and I’m not just saying that,” Dismissing anything other marines would have said given the situation and knowing he was fine in his own reputation, the aging Captain slung his rifle over his shoulder and embraced his son with a man-hug. It had been too long that he hadn’t seen his own children, or even his own wife, though Mark knew the war would end either in the eradication of the human species given that they had been on the defensive for years or in the defeat of the Covenant in some fashion. He'd held his son close, in that man-hug, holding the embrace as he'd been glad his son hadn't been among the dead and had to have made sure he'd been real.

“I could say you’ve become a man, but you don’t need my approval for that. I wonder if the Old Detective has a photo hanging somewhere in the attic, or in his office of him in the uniform with a polished badge. You look almost like him. I remember when I was a kid seeing him come home after a long shift, and he’d look immaculate,” the aging Captain and a father said. “I know I wasn’t there for you, your brother or sister. I know that, and I want you to know just how much I think of each of you. You know I’m not the religious sort, but I pray for each of you every day,” He’d take a seat on a nearby bench, guiding them both in fact to an out of the way bench where they’d be able to talk without interrupting anyone else. “You’re starting to have that thousand yard stare. It’s something we’re all use to by now,”

Setting his rucksack down next to the bench, he’d fished for a second field ration and even a bottle of chilled coke he’d been able to pick out from another set of vending machines before he’d reached the stairs. He’d handed them to his son, or at least offered. “Don’t worry about utensils. The field rations come with their own. Take it. You look like you could need some hot chow and a chance to rest,” That said, Mark produced the field ration marked for Spaghetti with the first chilled bottle of coke he’d stuffed in his rucksack and set both on the bench space next to him which had been actually near the edge of the bench. Taking the time to open the ration, he’d also sprinkled a little salt onto it with some pepper and the spaghetti-sauce before mixing them with a plastic fork from the same ration pack.

[BetaWülf]

Jiralhanae War Chieftain Garatus the Deathless.
Leading the Front lines
Precious Arts of Warfare

While the battle was far from over, it was certainly leaning towards the Heretic’s favor. Due to the actions of the Shipmaster Ado ‘Urgomee, Garatus’ entire strategy had been thrown askew. The War Chieftain was however pushing an offensive against the Heretics, focusing his local forces to breach the enemy lines and clear a path to the Heretic leader Revuul.

On that note, Garatus was currently in the thick of battle; trading plasma and metal with the enemy. For the most part the warriors were fighting with projectile weaponry, but here and there were small clusters of melee fighters pushing and shoving for combat supremacy.

Not too terribly far away, the hunting party Kael had dispatched were fighting the Heretics as well. They were, unfortunately, trapped on the other side of enemy lines. The Kig-Yar and Ashwrought Jiralhanae made up the bulk of the hunting party, with a small contingency of Bloodstone Jiralhanae accompanying them. Garatus’ son Fenarious amongst them.

Garatus slowly aimed his spiker rifle, one eye closed as he lead the Unggoy Heretic he was targeting. With a deep inhale he made his final calculations, and with a slow exhale he gently squeezed the trigger. With a flash of the muzzle, a lone superheated spike rocketed forth, impaling the unfortunate pseudo-arthropod through the side of it’s bulbous head.

Garatus’ next shot was neither a lone spike nor was it taken with great care, for it was aimed at a trio of Sangheili Heretics. The volley of spikes dropped the individual in the lead, maiming the one behind, and left the third unscathed. While the wounded Sangheili crawled past the corpse of his comrade, the uninjured one made a daring and wholly stupid move.

He leapt forth, arms widespread, colliding with Garatus at the Jiralhanae’s waist. Garatus’ large bulk was unmoved by the saurian warrior’s attempted tackle. Garatus looked down and the Heretic looked up. The Heretic grimaced. Garatus grinned.

He drove his fist into the top of the Sangheili’s skull who fell harshly to the earth, the War Chieftain stooping to grab the Sangheili’s combat harness. He hefted the Sangheili into the air, slamming the reptile headfirst into a very large rock. There was a sharp spider web of cracking bone, accompanied by the meaty sloosh of rending flesh.

Garatus’ small victory was short lived as a spray of plasma fire lit up his shields, causing the Jiralhanae to take cover behind the smoldering shell of a Revenant. He took a quick glance over his hiding place, taking stock of his attackers. More Sangheili, but a lone Jiralhanae Heretic accompanied them. Garatus sneered. He replaced his Spiker on his hip and with one long drawing motion brought his hammer “Remedy” to bear.

Garatus rolled several feet from his cover and stood at the end of his movement, pulling back his hammer for a hard swing. He brought his hammer down and then up again in a “U” arch, slamming the head of the weapon into the remnants of the vehicle he’d been sheltering behind. With a discharge from the weapon’s head the body of the desecrated vehicle spun end over end, crushing one Sangheili while the other dodged.

Garatus let out a low growl as he took one hand off his hammer’s haft and grabbed his Spiker once more, letting out a duo of short bursts that killed the other Sangheili. The dumbfounded Jiralhanae Heretic raised his mauler, but another burst from Garatus’ weapon left a spike through the gunhand of the lesser warrior.

Garatus closed the distance quickly with a rumbling snarl, the other Jiralhanae looked up from his mutilated hand with terror in his eyes as Garatus brought his hammer down on the Heretic’s head. The blade of the Gravity Hammer sunk in the top of the skull, cleaving down between the eyes at a nearly vertical angle. The left eye lolled to the side and the right convulsed. Garatus put one foot on the Heretic’s chest and shoved off with it, grunting as the blade ripped free with a slinging of blood and brain matter.

Garatus roared his defiance in the face of the adversity of incoming plasma fire, thrusting his hammer towards the enemy lines with a fierce bellow. He looked back at the rallying Covenant soldiers, giving Remedy a circular wave above his head.

“Forward!” was all he commanded before charging into the fray once more with a horde of angry Jiralhanae and Sangheili to either of his sides.

[MrKill]

Colonel Johnathon Killinger
120th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Lake Town

“You know,” John started, talking to a nearby officer from his headquarter and service company as they watched UNSC Frigates hover over the Marine landing zone. “I remember reading about World War 2, how the British needed naval and air superiority over the English Channel before they invaded Normandy. I wonder if Roosevelt or Churchill ever thought that one day humanity would have the ability to do all those things with one vessel larger than the largest ship at the time. That, and they can hover too.”

“Well it was over five hundred years ago, sir.” The officer replied. There was about half a minute of awkward silence between the two before the officer spoke up again. “I apologise, but I don’t really know much about the time, sir.”

“That’s alright,” John replied. “Not many people do. You’d have to be a historian to know a lot about the century, but some of the tactics we use today in conventional warfare were developed that long ago if you can believe it.”

“I know we still use tactics developed by the Greek Spartans, so I can believe it.”

John chuckled. “Be honest with me. Only reason you know that is because of the SPARTANs we have right now, right?”

“Yeah,” The officer admitted. “Lot of publicity when the UNSC revealed they existe- Wait, actually sir, did you ever serve with one?”

John was caught slightly off guard by the question. “A few times, in fact.” He admitted. “In 2537, ‘45, ‘46 and ‘47. Haven’t really seen them since, though. I was lucky enough to serve under a few of them in my career.”

“I haven’t seen a single one, sir.” The Shop Officer said.

“They exist, Captain,” John replied. “Saved my life a few times.”

Speaking of saving lives… John had the rest of his MEU on the ground, minus the KIA and WIA too wounded to continue fighting, and the veteran officer intended to organise a well planned counteroffensive into Covenant controlled territory. His main goal was to liberate contested towns nearby and allow any trapped civilians a route to escape - thus be saved and evacuated.

Lake Town was practically a fortress with two UNSC frigates hovering over the area, but from the bowels of the warships spewed more and more Marines as the 120th was finally reinforced after the initial surprise attack, while pelicans and longswords screamed overhead.

John could count on one hand the number of operational pelicans he had left by the time the UNSC Navy arrived in orbit. A large chuck - the majority of the Marine transports - had been shot down or disabled by Covenant fire. The rest had either fled or were commanded by some damn fine pilots.

Not to mention the rest of the MEU and ODST leadership was finally groundside. John had assigned Lieutenant Colonel Clark to assist the ODSTs with their organisation, but for the most part his XO was free to do what she wished.

“XO”, John started, speaking over the MEU’s encrypted command channel. “Give me a sitrep, what are you up to?” John asked. While he was waiting for a response from the Lieutenant Colonel, John was already planning the second step.

He switched over to the MEU-wide command frequency the unit was using, though obviously only officers and soldiers with radios capable of accessing the frequency would hear it.

“Marines, excellent work in the last few hours.” John stated. He wanted to reinforce that he was truly impressed by how his Marines handled the situation. “But the hard work ain’t over yet. I want all companies still combat effective to prep for a counter offensive from Lake Town. A large Covenant unit is nearing the beachhead and the Frigates are going to be needed in space after their done deploying reinforcements.”

“When the Frigates do leave, the Covenant will undoubtedly attack, so I want to attack them before our literal big guns leave to join the orbital battle. All MEU staff and infantry officers with an O-3 or higher pay-grade, report to the hospital for an official briefing. Guardian Actual out.”

[Huka]

Field Master Hara ‘Dhakamee
The Legion of Inherent Responsibility
Marching to the Human Territory confirmed as ‘Lake Town’, seeing Fire at the Mountain beyond

The synched sound of marching boots, the humming drives of anti-gravital vehicles and the crawling stamp of the Legionary locusts filled their Field Master’s ears. It was a beautiful sound, even after decades of hearing it, it was a song of unity. Blind of species and differences, it was all the same. Order.

Ranks of his Field Marshal’s warriors behind him, he led their march with a stalwart formality. An archaic romanticism that he wore like a badge in this age of space and firearms. His gilt armor was a beacon of challenge and power, touched by four campaigns that he personally led and survived from. A warrior of the Chapter of Reticent Legacy, his armor was blessed by ‘Muramai’s acceptance and sponsoring in the Army’s holy quest to lead the ground operations when the Field Marshal was appointed to his original and holiest of tasks. To this honor, Hara was pulled from another region of this doomed world to oversee the interception of the Humans’ attempt reclamation.

Coming to the ridges’ end across for the enemy fortification, the settled Covenant forward position remain under protection of an energy shield for the time. The Humans were resilient, the military leader will give them that. What was a simple assault became a long enduring battle, especially by the folly of one shipmaster too ambitious for his own hide. Now the Humans had a ship hovering over them in protection and additional arms.

Taking through the cleared streets, Hara looked at the remnant of the first sect. Several waves in their assault, now their bodies were cut to a near half and that included the wounded. Few war-vehicles it seemed. Finally, he came upon a lone Ultra mercifully ending a legless warrior’s life by his blade. “You, where is your General?” He questioned. The helmetless officer looked over with a fatigued squint before recognizing the higher commander. Standing up in full height - no more than a few inches shorter than the Field Master - and was joined by a heavy-browed Jiralhanae holding his crested helmet under one burly furry arm.

“He was killed in the last push, sire.” The pearl-armored warrior claimed in stiff salute of stern legs and a fist to his right chest. The Jiralhanae had the knowledgeable respect to not look the Field Master in the eyes by his people’s custom. “Killed by a sniper after surviving an Imp ambush. I personally ordered the repositioning till our numbers were more suited for our next assault.” Hara was amused by the Ultra’s choice of words, eyes glanced once at his thoracic cage’s collar and clicked his mandibles in recognition.

“Ah, you are one of the Field Marshal’s elite chosen. The Poet I recall.” He mused and the other bowed his head once in the positive. “Fine work in preserving the remainder of these warriors. They might be about to be useful in the incoming assault.”

If there was surprise, the fellow Sangheili didn’t show it. “Sire, if I may. Our attempt to wane the humans have lessen our reserves. We can serve better as auxiliary or...more direct insertion to the enemy territory.” Hara squinted at that, before breaking a croaking laughter. “I like you, Commander. Very well, you have my permission. Under my direction.” The other bowed his head with resigning acceptance, “Of course, Field Master.”

“Now...tell me what you know of their defenses so far.”

[Washington]

Unggoy Ultra Mopyap
Unknown Heretic Town
First Blood

    Up until this point, Mopyap had been following the lead of his newly-met Commanding Officer, a Sangheili Major known as "Necro Shungzullee", as they trekked through a wasteland of forcefully abandoned Human structures. Mopyap, and the Sect his Lance was recently transferred to, began their campaign back at the Covenant Landing Zone with relatively simple orders, 'Capture the city'.

    “Easy say, hard do”, thought Mopyap. Still, the Ultra was itching to prove his skills on the field to his new commander, the Sangheili Major, so he made no protest.

    Mopyap and his troops were among the last to leave the LZ, and as a result positioned furthest from the front line of their Sect. The exodus was extremely long, or so he felt, which aggravated Mopyap since he was not a soldier built for continued marching, and the weight of his Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon (Halo: Reach Fuel Rod Gun) started to Bog down on him. Hours passed in silence as a seemingly never-ending wave of Covenant soldiers pushed onwards through the city. Mopyap could that that there was combat ahead because he had began to start seeing the mangled bodies of slain Heretics as he continued. They laid strewn across a battlefield soaked in red. From what Mopyap could discern, the Covenant were decimating the Humans up ahead of his position, for he couldn't make out any slain comrades among the dead. Slowly but surely, the crisp and deafening sound of battle could be heard ahead. They were close now.

    Mopyap looked behind, to the rest of his Lance, which was made up of 8 fellow Unggoy, two Majors and 6 Minors, to be exact. Mopyap was slightly worried about three of them, Linglin, Gagaw, and Pewpop, because even though they had been in his Lance for a few months each, he had never been in a Combat situation with them before. In fact, this was their first military operation before, and many Unggoy typically fell in their first Skirmish.

   "Quick!", screamed the Ultra to the rest of the Unggoy. "We still far to go!"

    "Feet hurt!", cried Linglin in the back. "Sit, rest!" he moaned.

    Mopyap sighed, sitting down and resting would spell horrid and cruel punishments at the hands of the Creche's leader, and Mopyap wanted none of that.

    “No quick, no food nipple!" Mopyap assertively hollered back. The sluggish thud of Unggoy feet against the coarse ground quickly sped up as Mopyap's Lance hurried to catch up to their Commander. Mopyap discretely chuckled under his battle-scarred white helmet, demotions, scolding, or even beatings seemed trivial to Unggoy when compared to the severity of food nipple suspensions. It was the one punishment which Unggoy could not tolerate.

    Mopyap started to notice that the number of dead Covenant had increased drastically, and the sound of firefights were no longer as distant as they had been before.

    “Get ready.” Mopyap growled in an aggressive but hushed tone.

    His two files, one led by Yayap, his trusted friend and ally, and one by Katnip, a first-time Major, flanked his left and right sides respectively. He surveyed the battlefield from behind the carcass of an overturned Human vehicle. Mopyap wanted to make sure that he had a strategy before entering combat unlike the other Unggoy who seemed to mindlessly charge the enemy in a frenzy. “It was as if they had never been taught what death is”, Mopyap thought to himself. The combat was fierce. Two Creches, or perhaps Lances? Mopyap couldn’t tell which they were because of the immense losses they had endured, were firing from behind overturned vehicles and sandbags onto

    A battlefield contained three zones, from what Mopyap had made out from his time in the Covenant, a Good zone, a Bad zone, and a Dead zone. The Good zone was always where Sangheili were. Nothing stood between an Unggoy’s life and the barrel of a heretic’s fire stick except the wits of Mopyap, and the bodies of Sangheili, and Mopyap prayed that he would never stumble upon a day where any of these two commodities fell short. The Bad zone was where the heretics were. They always seemed to burrow into cover behind installments, and cowardly fall back when they had been outmatched, but still, they posed a very real threat to the safety of Mopyap and his comrades. This was always a dangerous zone to be in, but it could be properly maneuvered around, and even lead to an advantage if he slipped in unnotices, as he had done once or twice in the past. Finally, there was the Dead zone. “The Tomb of the Unggoy”, as Mopyap liked to call it. Countless times had he seen entire Files of Unggoy either be ordered to advance, or unluckily pop out from behind cover, and find themselves in the sights of enemy fire. Mopyap thanked the Gods that his previous Sangheili commanders had never done this, else he would not be where he is today, saving the lives of Unggoy, and serving the advancement of the Great Journey. No matter what the situation was, Mopyap swore to himself that he would never sacrifice soldiers to save himself. He swore that he would not become the discraceful monsters the Sangheili were.

    Mopyap turned to his troops and did a final headcount, and ingrained the faces and personalities of all his soldiers into the back of his mind. He know for a fact that this campaign would lead to the gruesome slaughter of at least some of his Unggoy brothers. It was his job to make that number the smallest amount possible.

    “Okay. We go battle now. Minors follow Majors, Majors listen me. We no die if we work together. Stay safe!” Mopyap yelled out.

    Mopyap returned his focus to the battlefield. Both Covenant and aliens alike were exchanging volleys of fire towards one another, and Mopyap was looking around to where he was needed. Unlike previous engagements, the Heretics seemed to be more aggressive than usual. They were fighting with more vigour than he had ever seen, and Mopyap figured that they were trying to make a push. It seemed to be as good a time as ever to hold his ground and prevent the Heretics from flanking the position of the Covenant Sect, so he ordered Yayap and his File to stay with him, and Katnip and her File to move to the left behind the cover of a fountain. They fired at all Humans within sight, and while they focused on accuracy, Mopyap focused on safety, and as he took shots himself, he kept an eye out for his bumbling soldiers.

    Mopyap took aim and fired three volleys of superheated green projectiles at a squad of four Heretics moving from behind a building to a nearby wall of sandbags. One shot veered off to the left and struck the building ground near the building in which they had originated from, but the other two hit close to where the Humans were moving, killing one and searing the leg off of another.

    “There! On the ground!” screamed Mopyap to Yayap as he crouched back down behind cover. Yayap popped his head out from the shattered metal of the vehicle he was hiding behind, and fired a barrage of glowing pink needles from his weapon. They hissed as they rapidly zipped through the air towards the location of the downed Marine.

    “Chuck! Look out--!” roared one of the Humans behind cover near the needle’s victim. The injured man turned hit gaze from his missing leg to the projectiles whizzing towards him. There was a loud scream, but it was cut short by the piercing sound of a needler supercombine. The sound of wailing could be heard in the distance.

    Yayap crouched back down next to Mopyap with a sour look on his face, like he’d seen a ghost. Mopyap meet his gaze with an evil grimace.

    “You look like no kill before!” Mopyap chuckled.

    “I…. no kill before.” stuttered Yayap, almost crying.

    Mopyap stopped his laughter. It had been a while since he thought about what he was actually doing to the ones he killed, he really didn’t like to think about it. He shook his head and tried to erase the thought from his mind. The faces of killed Unggoy in the past flashed before his mind. Their happiness, their freedom, their life, all cut down and forever ended. Mopyap felt sad that he had to do the same to his enemies, even if they were unholy Demons. Then here remembered… they were the same people that cut down the lives of his brothers. They were the ones that brought nothing but sorrow and death to the ones he had learned to love. Why were they doing this? Mopyap shook his head against once more to relieve himself from the images.

    He looked to his right where the rest of the Covenant front line was, but he could only make out a few Kig-Yar soldiers falling back, and a bleeding Sangheili Major. Mopyap looked at the warrior clad in Red armor for a few seconds and then noticed, it was his commander. The Major layed dormant on the ground near a few hastily-placed sandbags.

    He coughed blood, and then shouted, “Fall back! Regroup!”

    The Heretics responded with a flurry of gunshots, and they hit their mark. A pile of mutilated organs remained where the proud warrior once dwelled.

Mopyap began to panic.

    Mopyap looked around himself for a few agonizingly long minutes as he viewed what was left of the battlefield. The Covenant Destroyer which previously was hanging above the city was badly damaged, and falling back. It was replaced by two UNSC ships rampaging through the town, their large fire-sticks firing sporadically at all Covenant in sight. With the rest of the Covenant falling back there were no more Sangheili to soak up the wave of bullets which the Marines continuously poured out. Nothing to protect his life.

    Yayap, now sobbing, shook Mopyap out of his trance. “Run! RUN!”, he pleaded to the Ultra.

    Mopyap instinctively made a tally of his troops, first looking at the File next to him, Yayap’s File. They were quite far back from the Humans, and seemed to be in order as of now. Then he tallied Katnip’s file, or what was left of it. Katnip was fleeing from where she was deployed back to Mopyap, two dead Unggoy in her wake. Pewpop was quaking in place near the wall, the blood of his former allies crawling to his feet. The Heretics were behaving more aggressively now, and rightly so, they noticed that there was no more front line except for the ‘cowardly Unggoy’ left. This statement would have normally enraged Mopyap, but today it was true, he had to fall back.

    Mopyap had two options, he could either move up with Yayap’s file and snap Gagaw out of his cowardice, or he could fall back and not risk taking additional casualties. The two Marines remaining from the squad that Mopyap had previously gunned down began pushing to Gagaw’s position. One of them raised his rifle towards Katnip, who was still running, back turned to her enemy. Mopyap lifted himself up from behind cover to reveal his Type-33 weapon, two rounds still in the Chain. He pulled on the trigger at least a dozen times, but only two rods fired outwards. One of the Marines noticed, and took a dive to the left, the other Marine, to the right. Both shots landed squarely where the Heretics once stood, and the explosion and sudden jolt left them in a daze.

    “LEE-DER DEAD! RUN AH-WAYY!!” Mopyap screamed to his Lance.

    Mopyap reloaded his Light Anti-Armor Weapon as he waited for Gagaw to make his way back over to the Ultra. Fire came from all around, but Gagaw, either in a moment of bravery or of luck, pulled out a Type-1 Antipersonnel Grenade and lobbed it at the two downed Marines. He then ran with a ferocity and speed which nothing but a squealing Unggoy could match. Mopyap turned around to start the retreat, and he noticed that he was alone except for the company of Yayap, his ever-faithful companion. In the distance down the road Mopyap could make out the bodies of the rest of Yayap’s File, along with Katnip, sprinting away. Gagaw then finally arrived at Mopyap’s location, and they all high-tailed it out of there, Mopyap dropping his weapon as he did so. The next hour was a blur of confusion and panic, but they eventually made it out of the city and linked up with the remaining members of the original Sect. Many of them were wounded, getting care from their allies, but Mopyap noticed that, same as always, there were no wounded Unggoy. Unggoy who got shot were always left behind by their commanders, their lives deemed meaningless. They were either in fighting shape or they were useless, and Mopyap wanted to scream because of this but didn’t, partially because he would have been killed, partially because he was altogether drained. He noticed the remaining members of his Lance were laying face down on the floor panting excessively, but Mopyap and Yayap maintained what little dignity they had and stood with their hands on their knees as they huffed and puffed.

    Mopyap looked up and saw a Sangheili Field Master approaching, a mighty sight to behold. Even Mopyap, one who despised nearly ever Sangheili he encountered, could not ignore the fact that they commanded a certain level of honor and respect that nearly no soldier in the Covenant could match. He quietly watched the conversation from afar.

    “You, where is your General?”, asked the Field Master.

    “He was killed in the last push, sire.”, responded the Jiralhanae. “Killed by a sniper after surviving an Imp ambush. I personally ordered the repositioning till our numbers were more suited for our next assault”[/font], the Brute continued.

    Mopyap turned his attention to his troops once again, still laying on the floor, one of them sleeping.

    “Up, up!” he screamed, causing the Unggoy to stir out of their relaxation. “We go back soon! Get up!”

    The Unggoy moaned and complained, but eventually stood once Mopyap threatened to take Food Nipple away again. So much had happened, and they weren't even started, there was so much more to do.

Casualties of War:
Unggoy Minor Linglin
Unggoy Minor Pewpop

You shall not be forgotten.

---

SPARTAN-A120 OOC: Washington , please abide by site color coding rules for the RPs. Darker Green is reserved for UNSC Comms, Yellow or Orange for character mentions or interactions, and Purple for Covenant Comms. Also please specify which character of mine you are referencing because I have 3 different characters in the AO.

[blackshot]

ODST Private Jonah Hauser
153rd ODST Company
ESPERANZA-II, PANIS ETERNI SYSTEM
Laketown Memorial Hospital
Back to Life

Jonah grunted as he tried to shift in his bed. His shoulder was a sore and he didn't know why which woke him from his temporary slumber.

"What in the--" he muttered as he found himself strung to a series of tubes that rejuvenates his healing shoulder. Around him, numerous medical machines is in operation. The white walls were smeared in red blood. That doesn't helped his situation. The scent of antiseptics that should be present was somewhat replaced with the smell of smoke and death. He tried to stand up but his whole body ached so bad that he was forced to lay again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice beside him says.

Looking at the owner of the voice, Jonah found a field medic dressed in green drab and tunic. She looked like she have gone through hell. Blood covered her clothes.

"How long was I out?"

"It doesn't matter. You need to rest. The chemical from your wound might posion your entire system if you didn't rest."

Shutting his eyes tight as he suffers silently in agonizing pain, Jonah glanced at her again and said, "Who brought me here?"

"Officer Sorelson." Was the only thing the Medic says.

He held his silence once more before finally saying, "I need to get back to the field."

"Could you? You can't even lift your body."

"Well when the hell am I supposed to get there? When everybody's dead?"

"If you really wanted to fight, you have to rest first. Right now, you've been...knocked out long enough for your body to heal and that is good enough." She says as she left. "Don't do anything stupid. You'll be back on the field ASAP if you make it easier for us." She warned, trying to stop Jonah whatever funny ideas he has in his head.

"Right." Jonah muttered as he shut his eyes again, dozing off to sleep.

[охотник]

SPARTAN-II: Courtney-021
Gold III
Esperanza-II, Panis Eterni System
En route in a Black cat

[Tags: Bippwatt Faclan Llau SPARTAN-A120 ]

Courtney sat next to her SPARTAN colleague as she stared silently at the wall between Moretti and Hyde whilst they flew to their destination. Her helmet acting as a very effective way of communicating the way she felt. Entirely indifferent. Moretti had already pissed her off to a degree, she had no dealings with anyone else in the craft past Siobhan so there was entirely no reason to look interested or be speaking or anything. Right now she just wanted off this so she could get to her job. Hunting this damn Split-lip.

It didn't take long, however, for her to start checking her gear. Not to make her less bored but just to make sure it was all working, and hopefully to signify to the others that she was not available to talk. Maybe they could make small talk out of themselves or something and she could just listen. And hopefully the ODST group that was with them didn't start anything either.

ODST Staff Sergeant Jessica Willowbay
Esperanza-II, Panis Eterni System
Also en route in a black cat

Willowbay stood facing her men idly chatting, not paying much attention to anyone else but those who were in the conversation and the darkened visor suggested she didn't want to either. She had no interest in ONI, none-what-so-ever, they did their thing she did hers as far as she was concerned. SPARTANs were the same deal. Nothing to do with her cause they always had some higher objective. Rarely there to just help unless they were there already and had no other standing orders. All they really were good for were suicide missions and boosting morale, nothing they do is what a normal soldier would do.

Distracting herself from her thoughts with the conversation Willowbay took a minute to look around but quickly got back to paying attention to her men. Well nothing to do but wait. 

"All Orbital Drop Shock Troopers within or in vicinity of A.O this is Lieutenant Colonel Clarks, all ODSTs are to report their current location and their combat effectiveness on this channel to allow for force evaluation. Any units immediately capable are to rally half click South East of Lake Town to prepare for synchronised offensive with Marine forces on Colonel Killinger's mark."

Willowbay rolled her eyes as her comm blared to life, a prep for counter offensive order from Killinger first then a rallying point for ODSTs and a demand for head count and combat effectiveness check from the XO. Urrgh, well she would ignore the first one, seeing as it demanded no reply. Whilst she clicked her radio on to respond. 

"Staff Sergeant Willowbay on babysitting duty for SPARTANs and ONI spooks. Current group size of 8, 100% combat effective, currently inside a black cat heading for HVT takeout, over."

She then clicked her mic off and listened for a response, nodding to her men to show she got it. 

Lieutenant Colonel Alisha Clarks
120th MEU Command Element
Esperanza-II, Panis Eterni System
Doing something.
[tags; MrKill ]

Clarks stood up over the desk she commandeered from a building in her impromptu command centre, and by that it was literally just a desk, a map for planning and a couple of her security detail. She was only a block or so outside the hospital where the CO was but she'd rather not go it alone, especially not in an A.O. That and she needed the space, organising the ODSTs when they were this scattered was a pain, she knew none of any of the ODST units on ground, nor how many officers there were or anything. Yes, most of the ODST leadership just landed and she was cooperating with them but too many units were scattered. Needed a head count. 

Right as she was about to speak, however, The Colonel spoke on the radio, asking for a sit-rep and asking about what she was up to. Okay that was fair enough, he probably needed to know. But as she went to respond he voice came over again on a different channel. Making her rub her eyes. He worked quickly but she still needed to respond. 

Taking note of what he said, and then the briefing notice Clarks still decided it was prevalent to do what she planned to. That was she could gather the ODST and use them as another attack force to coincide with the Marines push, providing she had enough. Still though, first things first.

"I'm about to rally the ODST forces South East of the town, whilst asking for a head count and combat effective review of the units, will head over to the hospital once this is complete if that's passable by you. Figured we could use the ODST forces as a second approach as apposed to congealing them with the rest of the marine forces."

She then switched channels and did just what she said she'd do. 

"All Orbital Drop Shock Troopers within or in vicinity of A.O this is Lieutenant Colonel Clarks, all ODSTs are to report their current location and their combat effectiveness on this channel to allow for force evaluation. Any units immediately capable are to rally half click South East of Lake Town to prepare for synchronised offensive with Marine forces on Colonel Killinger's mark."

It didn't take long before Staff Sergeant Willowbay responded but she knew about her situation and largely ignored it. And instead waited for the rest to respond. Standing to signify she was ready to leave for the hospital ASAP.


[OOC: I want to clarify I barely knew what to post in all three, and went with what I thought was best in the post with Clarks, if you have a problem with the post MrKill please alert me via PM. But if the quality is poor or I overstepped my abilities, it's cause I have no idea what's going on despite reading. I hope this is good enough though.]

[tetsu]

1St Lieutenant Luiz Javier Selva
120th MEU Marine Expeditionary Force // Echo Company Attachment // 2nd Platoon // Call Sign: Echo 3
Lake town, Memorial Hospital 1st Floor
Esperanza II, Panis Eterni System, 2551
Current Status: Green
“Waiting Game”

His boots echoed down the hallway of the makeshift FOB as he had just returned from setting his troop’s parameter and doing roll call. Casualties had been rough initially, but with the reinforcement of their current position, things had been looking up. His platoon had just finished transporting some of the remaining wounded from the LZ as Echo Company had been pretty shaken after the landing. It had been a heavy deal of fighting; however it was obviously still do able. He wasn’t quite sure what his men were supposed to be doing now, but be that as it may, he still found it appropriate that they stay ready for deployment, Force Recon was always ready after all.

“God this is the worst part of the UNSC, the damn waiting,” Luiz complained as he gesture for his Gunnery Sargent to approach. “Sargent Ames, Please make sure the platoon is feed, eat light, I have a feeling things could change any moment around here.” Lt. Selva commented as he was about to send his Gunny off to keep up with the troops as usual. Looking at his Comms Data pad, he noticed that there was some sort of meeting being arranged with the higher ups, which was fine with him. He was but a lowly 1st Lieutenant, who would even bother with his opinion anyway. Making his way up towards the make shift medical wards, Luiz figured he would probably be best off visiting the wounded before he missed the chance to see them before the real fighting began.