Post by Remnant on Nov 26, 2020 17:09:54 GMT -6
"First glassing? Me too." - Kat-B320
January 22nd, 2550
UNSC Outer Colonies - Novus System, Novus IV aka "Nyx"
0230 Hours (28 Hour day/night cycle, 'winter' season. Long nights, approx. 20 hours)
The last of the Outer Colonies breathe their last breaths. With the UNSC occupied on all fronts, most of the Outer Colonies were abandoned throughout the course of the war. Select few were deemed important enough to maintain a healthy garrison. Planet Nyx was one of those very few. A major refinery and mining outpost for Titanium-A alloy, Nyx was able to evade the shadow of the Covenant for over 25 years by virtue of being completely ignored for reasons unknown. Until now.
As the Covenant slowly surrounds the Inner Colonies and paves way for its massive invasion force, what's left of the Outer Colonies is being swallowed up by the encroaching darkness. In an effort to salvage what resources and manpower it could, the UNSC attempted to evacuate as much of Nyx as possible with it being a border world on the Inner Colonies' doorstep. The operation ended in complete failure. The Covenant's invasion was swift and decisive; all major cities were glassed within 72 hours, with the rest of the planet currently following suite. The majority of the Covenant fleet left after the initial glassing, leaving a task force of stragglers to finish the job. Progress has been delayed, however. A potential artefact has been discovered in the remains of the capital city, beneath the superstructure.
The remaining UNSC survivors have gathered in the crumbling ruins of the city's leisure district, turning the remains of a casino into a Forward Operating Base, known as Delta FOB. Neon lights fade in and out of existence as the city's unreliable power grid flickers. Signs dim and brighten, street lights blink slowly. Buildings collapse as their support structure fails. The city has become a dangerous place, a prime example of the apocalypse if there ever was one. Soot and ash fill the sky and blanket the ground. Night has fallen to near-freezing temperatures. Where city lights fail, darkness consumes like a pitch-black tar. All hope has been lost. Or has it?
Seeing an opportunity at the Covenant's careless departure, a small UNSC naval force has been redeployed in a last ditch effort to rescue the remaining UNSC forces. They are currently engaged with the Covenant forces that chose to remain in orbit while their brethren excavated the capital city's infrastructure in search of the artefact. Limited radio chatter has confirmed than an old military base still exists on the far side of the city, away from the leisure district at the city's center. It is not known whether or not any of the remaining aircraft are functional or space-flight capable, but it is a viable option. If anything, it'd make for a better FOB. It lies in the heart of the fiery industrial district. A fresh plasma strike has turned parts of the industrial district into rivers of molten glass, however it is still traversable despite being inhospitable.
Amidst the chaos, reports of a local insurrection cell having survived the initial onslaught have begun circulating. It would make sense, given the nature of the insurrection, that at least a small force would have made it past the invasion force. These insurrectionists have rallied fighters within the city, giving any able-bodied man or woman a gun and a spark of hope against the Covenant, small as that spark may be. Unfortunately, UNSC relations with these insurrectionists and civilian fighters are outright hostile. Tensions are very high, as it is a common belief that the UNSC is entirely to blame for the invasion and the mass genocide of countless civilians. Brokering peace with these civilian-soldiers will be very, very difficult for anyone wearing a UNSC uniform.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Covenant have set up their own staging area on the outskirts of the city in order to avoid the rhythmic and indiscriminate glassing strikes. Energy projectors pierce the horizon like clockwork as the Covenant attempts to excavate the artefact. There's no telling where, exactly, it's at. But the luminary has indeed confirmed the presence of one - and it's big. Phantoms and Spirits patrol the city constantly, eliminating any Human resistance. Foot patrols have also been established, avoiding the major excavation areas and prowling the dark, soot-draped streets. The only source of light is the occasional glassing and the failing city lights. Natural night vision for some Covenant species has also made traversing the area a non-issue.
Covenant forces have discovered tunnels on the outskirts leading underground. These caves appear to lead beneath the city, some even connecting with the outdated sewer system. Limited exploration has not determined whether or not these caves lead to the artefact, but even a small expeditionary force could, in theory, map the system and find out where the tunnels lead. Regardless of whether or not they do lead directly to the artefact, the connections with the old sewer system will make excavation efforts easier. One thing is certain: the artefact lies beneath the city, in the bowels and crevices of the planet itself. The artefact is big, but no one knows what, exactly, they are searching for. The deepest excavation site at the moment is a sinkhole near the city center. Several kilometers across, the superstructure beneath has collapsed under the weight of molten glass and crumbling ruins. Glassing has stopped in that particular area for the moment, while aerial search parties explore what they can in the massive sinkhole.
The only remaining issue is the artefact beneath the city. There's an unconfirmed, circulating rumor that ONI had a research outpost in the bowels of the capital city, beneath the sewers and overarching superstructure. There's no telling whether or not this is true, but if it is, then ONI would have a means of destroying the evidence and the artefact along with it. The fact that they haven't suggests the rumor is untrue. Yet on the other hand, if it is true, it would mean that the UNSC has a powerful means of asset denial. Potentially taking the whole city and the remaining Covenant forces with it, delaying the invaders even further.
Your objectives are simple and clear-cut.
UNSC Objectives:
-Link up with the remaining survivors
-Find a way off planet
-Rally with the naval forces in orbit
-Survive at all costs
Optional Objectives:
-Investigate the old military base. There's no telling what you'll find, but perhaps the path to your salvation lies there.
-Investigate rumors of an ONI Research Outpost. Risky, but perhaps you'll discover secrets beneath the city, if there are any to be found.
-Evacuate stragglers. Civilians are bound to have survived the initial glassing, but keep in mind that you can't save everyone.
-Establish contact with local Insurrectionists. A tenuous peace might be brokered, should the cell be able to see reason.
-Establish a secondary FOB. Cementing an additional foothold will reduce strain on our operations.
Covenant Objectives:
-Find the artefact and retrieve it
-Deny the insects from obtaining or destroying it
-Eliminate any remaining Human resistance
-Destroy the Human naval forces in orbit
Optional Objectives:
-Destroy the Human stronghold in the leisure district. Scouts report a major Human presence and fortification in the area.
-Prevent the Humans from centralizing their forces. Divided fragments are much easier to deal with than a unified resistance.
-Deny further ground. Without a true base of operations, we can easily root out and slaughter the remaining insects.
-Investigate the tunnels beneath the city. They may have the answers we seek.
-Investigate the massive sinkhole. Aerial search parties will prove effective, as well as ground patrols dispatched via aerial transport.
Addendum: This story is meant to player-driven. All objectives are free to pursue at your own choice and pace. This story will be forged by the players, not by pre-defined plot. Whether UNSC or Covenant, your decisions and choices will make or break your characters and all their efforts. I hope this mission will be enough to renew interest in roleplay and the Halo Community in general. As an interest check, if you're willing to partake in this, comment down below. I don't mind roleplaying with only one person or with twenty. The numbers don't matter, the spirit of the roleplay does. Hopefully we can keep the fire going.
Happy hunting.
