Operation ARROWHEAD

[blackshot]

Arjunay, home to 500,000 humans. Known for its manufacture of steel and wood. The western hemisphere of the planet was covered in hectares of green while the eastern part is where humanity built their civilization upon. Skyscrapers stood proud and tall, overseeing inferior tall buildings. In the bottom of these mega structures were domed habitation centers providing shelter for both the poor and the working class.

The rich took residence in one of the floors of the skyscrapers.

Grey pathways were imbued with anti-grav metal which accommodates flying vehicles. Few transportation services has took advantage of the commuting population, establishing mega companies that carries people from one place to another.

The city was a haven for opportunities and jobs. The Great Forest was even more.

Caves were filled with miners; the woods were filled with loggers, all men worked for the government for the betterment of the population. Arjunay was a planet loyal only to the UNSC.

Until the Secessionists came.

Carrying with them the banner of an Insurgent faction called, 'Saxtus Liberation Front', the Innies had sought to 'liberate' the planets of the Saxtus system from the control of the UNSC.

The liberation includes the death of the Governors of each planets who remained loyal to their enemies.

Governor Jackson was giving his speech in the town square. A lone Innie was plopped in some nearby rooftop. He lined his aim, the back of the governor's head, and pulled the trigger.

In an instant, his head was reduced into a crimson pulp.

A war was declared.

Shortly, the city descended into chaos. This, of course, has caught the attention of the UNSC vessels in the area.

Among them was the UNSC Dreadful Vickie.

Elements of the 153rd ODST Battalion was stationed inside the vessel. Private Jonah Hauser was expecting for action.

Armored and armed for battle, he sat on the cockpit of his ODST pod. He waited for the countdown before he and his team was shot planetside below.

[blackshot]

Jonah pushed the canopy open. He felt the bile rose from the back of his throat. Atmospheric entry was a bitch sometimes. Sure, he has done this a few times but each drop was almost just like the first one.

He put both hands to his knees as he tried to regain his composure. He removed the seals on his neck and pulled his headgear off. He watched as the liquid flooded out from his mouth.

Glancing around, the city has indeed fell to chaos. The metal linings of the gray pavement which suspends the vehicles in midair bled bluish sparks. Windows of the white tall buildings were smoking. Curtains from the windows of the domed habitation shelters were flown outwards as wind blew past. The skyscrapers remained resilient despite of the attacks. Social equality was one of the problems the planet has. No wonder, SLF Insurgents decided to assassinate everyone.

He put the helmet back on and consulted the Heads Up Display link. Their mission was simple, sabotage enemy tanks located not far from their drop point before the Insurgents mobilize them against the UNSC.

But of course, they need to converge in the plaza first, the place where all of this crap began.

He scanned the pavement ahead of him. So far, the SLF Insurgents hasn't blown anything to shit yet, which explains the absence of chunks of debris coming from devastated buildings. The Insurgency is at its beginning point yet, something they have advantage of. The earlier the insurrection quelled, the better. Less destruction, less casualties.

He moved forward, keeping an eye on his motion detector and the road ahead. He came across an intersection then moved to the right. There, he spotted a duo of Insurgents in red and orange Battle Dress Uniforms. Jonah deduced that the armors were smuggled; a trained Marine wouldn't wear their armors like that. They would always keep an eye ahead and around them, they would move in a disciplined manner, and most of all, they wouldn't train their weapons in a single direction always.

Jonah hid behind a flipped vehicle. The pavement starting from this road was filled with flying cars that had crash landed on the sidewalks. He grabbed a stone near him and threw it across the street, to a storefront. The Insurgents were distracted by the noise. Jonah took a peek and aimed at the nearest Innie.

He fired at the neck of the Insurgent. Three bullets shredded through flesh and skin. His partner turned to his dead comrade, only to get shot in the face. He stepped away from cover and advanced towards the direction he was facing.

He encountered more crashed vehicles and a few corpses of law enforcers. A firefight had clearly taken place in here. Jonah ignored it as he continued. After he made three steps forward, his radio intercepted a signal from one of his teammates.

"This is Sergeant Gray Bradley, can anyone copy, over?"

"This is Private Jonah Hauser, yes sir, loud and clear."

"Hauser, where are you?"

"On my way to the plaza. Encountered two Innies, sir."

"Alright, I'll meet you there. Any word from the others?"

"Negative."

A long pause before, "Okay, meet me in the plaza." Then static.

Jonah increased his pace before stopping and immediately taking cover behind a flipped vehicle. Four patrolling Innies were coming to his direction. They seemed to be unaware of his presence. But they were very close.

Jonah took peek and fired at the nearest one. Four shots penetrated through the face of his target. He aimed at the second one and fired relentlessly. 7.62 mm rounds had made his target flinch when it came contact with the hard parts of his BDU. The Innie returned fire but missed. Jonah knew that his inexperienced enemy was in shock. So he gave him a cure.

Three rounds penetrated the Innie's Adam's apple. The man fell, back first into the ground.

The remaining two had gone to cover that fast. Jonah switched to his M6D and fired relentlessly at their cover. His shots connected with the surface of the vehicle; their cover.

Each bullets were not meant to hit anything. The shots were supposed to keep their head down while Jonah moved to their position. He knew they were confused. Now he was using their confusion against them.

Switching to his Assault Rifle, he listened as the Insurgents opened fire at his previous location. They realized their target was close to them. Jonah walked around the vehicle until he was face to face with them.

He pulled the trigger, spraying their corpses with lead.

The firefight was over in an instant and he pushed further, eager to reach the plaza before sunset. He was lucky to find his entire team, waiting for him.

[blackshot]

The city was now bathed in the darkness of the night. Aside from the remaining lampposts, the moonlight served as their illumination. The VISR contributes to their enhanced vision, allowing them to see clearly in gloomy areas.

The night was young. Several vehicles remained in their toppled position since the Insurrection began. The ODST Fireteam used the darkened areas created by the shadow of the structures. Jonah gripped his rifle tight as he scanned his field of view.

"How long are we from the outpost?" Sergeant Bradley asked.

"Only three minutes away, sir." Came Lance Corporal Anderson's reply.

"We should expect heavy opposition, then." Corporal Jackson added. "They wouldn't leave valuable assets unguarded."

"Unless they set up a trap." Bradley responded back.

The walk across the war-torn city was short as they saw the military outpost in the horizon. It was more of a precinct of some sort than an actual military base. A huge courtyard enclosed in cable link fences with a single black structure in the middle. It was big enough to house a platoon-strength unit. Six Scorpion Tanks were parked on the left side of the huge outpost with two Mongoose parked in front of it. A single Warthog was parked to the right with an Innie mounted on the machine gun.

"Goddammit." Sergeant Bradley muttered as he saw numerous Innies roving on foot, aside from the five more that were seemingly approaching to their direction.

"What's the plan, sir?" Private Ingrid asked.

Bradley paused for a brief second. Hauser counted the Innies on foot inside and outside the compound of the outpost. Aside from the incoming five, there are eight men guarding outside the fences, travelling on two pairs. Seven more were inside, conducting drills and exercise. There are probably a few more inside the establishment and some Innies running maintenance checks on the Scorpion Tanks.

"Hauser, Jackson and Zhao, we will take out the enemy patrol. Anderson, Ingrid and Jones, provide cover fire." Bradley ordered.

Hauser knew that would alert the other Insurrectionists in the area but he has to trust the judgement of their team leader.

They begin to take up positions. Anderson, Ingrid and Jones entered the building to their right and occupied the balconies overlooking the streets below. Zhao and Bradley moved to the other side of the street, towards a dark alleyway. Hauser and Jackson took cover inside an abandoned store.

They laid in wait as the Innies walked into full view. Fire erupted from the other side of the street, taking down an Innie by surprise. Jonah aimed at the easiest target, aiming at the neck of his target and fired. Bullets penetrated through fabric, crude platings and skin. The other Innies returned fire at the store. Glass fragments showered the ODSTs inside. Jonah moved to the door of the store and took peek. He returned fire at the Innie, hitting his left hand and his neck. He fired three more at his face, killing him.

Jonah reloaded his spent weapon while Jackson fired at the remaining Innies.

Then complete silence.

[blackshot]

The outpost was now bustling with activities. The Innies outside has pushed the flipped vehicles to surround the base while those inside had set up sandbags around the outpost. The Warthog was mobilized and parked so that the gunner would be able to point it at all direction. They have the advantage of overwatch, thanks to machine gunner.

"Sir, it seems like your plan has compromised our position." Lance Corporal Anderson said.

"It's part of the plan." Bradley replied as he briefly glanced at his second-in-command. "Climb over that roof and take out that machine gunner. Anyone who will try to man it, you shoot down. Understood?"

"Yes sir." Anderson says as he unslung his Sniper Rifle and entered inside the building. His spotter, Private Ingrid followed him. Bradley turned to the rest of the team.

"Once Anderson took down the gunner, Private Zhao and Corporal Jackson will provide cover fire for us. Hauser, you and I will attempt to breach the enemy base. Stay close to me as possible."

"Yes, sir." Hauser replied. He was starting to question the credibility of this Sergeant due to the fact that he seems so eager to chase death.

Jackson and Zhao took positions behind a downed vehicle not far from the base. Hauser and Bradley were with them. Meanwhile, Anderson and Ingrid scanned the base below them.

Anderson raised the scope to his eyes and aimed at the head of the gunner. Ingrid whispered valuable measurements to his sniper. Seconds felt like eternity as Anderson suppressed a breath and fired. The head of the Innie was turned into a pulp of crimson in an instant.

Zhao and Jackson began to open fire at the men ahead, keeping them pinned in their cover while Hauser and Bradley used this opportunity to get close. Hauser released a deep sigh as he glanced to his left and spotted two Innies aiming at him. There is really something wrong with Bradley's tactics. This would definitely get them killed.

Adrenaline kicked in as Jonah aimed at the two and opened fire. Blood sprayed at the vehicle behind them. He felt movement coming from behind their cover. Jonah swings the butt of his rifle, hitting the face of the Innie. He ended his life with lead to the face.

Beside him, Bradley had took care of his own enemies.

"That's for Mathilda, you stupid son of a bitch!" He yelled but Hauser ignored him. He was more keen in surviving than to listen at the Sergeant's incoherent yelling.

Overhead, several shots were ringing. Jonah takes a peek inside the courtyard to see that a dozen of bodies had already fell. Three shots narrowly missed. Jonah was alerted as he tracked down the direction of the attacker. An enemy was firing to his left. He spun around and returned fire, killing him.

"Hauser! Provide cover fire!" The Sergeant yelled as he raised a pair of bolt cutters. He moved towards the fence and began cutting it down. An Innie vaulted over the sandbags and foolishly charged at Bradley. Jonah raised his aim and fired. Four bullets hit the man in the gaps of his armor. He went down just like everybody else.

When the fence was cut down, Bradley ordered Zhao and Jackson to advance and provide cover fire. Ingrid and Anderson remained where they were, sniping down Insurgents after Insurgents.

By the time Hauser and Bradley finally breached the courtyard, the firing had ceased. It seems like they have successfully killed every able-bodied Insurgents in the outpost.

Hauser didn't realize that he was wounded. Luckily, it was only a graze in his left shoulder.

Bradley led Hauser towards the Scorpion Tanks and began planting C4s on their fuel tanks. They did the same with the Warthog and the Mongooses.

"Let's get outta here." Bradley ordered. "We need to arrive in the exfil zone before sunrise."

[blackshot]

Arjunay's length of day only spanned 16 hours due to its close distance to its star. The outpost exploded in bright fiery flames just after the sunset. It was a beautiful sight for demolition experts like Sergeant Bradley.

The fireteam left the city in an instant, withdrawing to the woods to the designated extraction zone. The clearing where they could exfiltrate was secured by a few Marines in BDU armor.

Sergeant Bradley was the first to emerge in the clearing, followed by Lance Corporal Anderson, Corporal Jackson, and Privates Hauser, Ingrid and Zhao. The Marines were relieved to see the ODSTs so that they could finally carry out their mission and leave as soon as possible.

A Pelican flew overhead, circling around the clearing three times then finally descending. The ODSTs embarked inside the Pelican in a hurry while the Marines disappeared inside the woods.

*****

The mission was deemed a success. The city was liberated within weeks. The efforts of the ODSTs played a huge role in the reclamation of the city. Without the armored infantry to be used against the UNSC, the SLF Insurrectionists were defeated. Arjunay was controlled by the UNSC once more.

[END]