[Mission] On Burning Wings (Open RP)

[Remnant]

Information thread: yappashalorpg.proboards.com/thread/12763/check-ooc-on-burning-wings

SPOILER: Click to show

A partially glassed Nyx and her moon, Ashara.

SPOILER: Click to show

//Current Objectives\\

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.

SPOILER: Click to show

//Areas of Interest\\

-UNSC Delta FOB (Leisure District - City Center): The Leisure District houses the City Center, seat of the Capital City. It is filled with a wide variety of tourist attractions and nightlife entertainment. Casinos, clubs, arcades and all types of after-dark business dominate this landscape. It's considered the Jewel of the City. Within it lies a hastily set up UNSC base, known as Forward Operating Base Delta. Delta FOB remains as the UNSC's only centralized presence within the city. It's taken a heavy beating, outlasting one siege already. It won't last much longer without some much needed reinforcements.

-Maelon Air Base (Industrial District - Partially glassed, inhospitable): Chemical refineries and metal forges encompass this area of the city. Once an economic powerhouse, the Industrial District (nicknamed "Maelon Industries") now lies in smoldering ruins. Recent plasma bombardment has disintegrated much of the district, leaving rivers of molten glass and a near-constant ashfall. With the environmental hazards a constant threat, this district is traversable but uninhabitable. However, a small military base lies partially intact. It's old but completely abandoned, save for the vehicles and equipment left behind during the evacuation. Maelon Air Base provided a vital role in the initial evacuation of the city but has since fallen into complete disrepair.

-Market Plaza (Commercial District - Semi-intact, habitable): Once a land of merchants, traders and sinister corporations, this area was undergoing an economic boom right before the invasion. It's safe to say that's no longer the case. Similar to the industrial district, the commercial district was an economic powerhouse that kept the city alive. Everything from warehouses to superstores dominated this landscape. The Market Plaza was the most popular and most developed region of the district. Much of its infrastructure remains intact and hasn't suffered much devastation. The district itself has suffered mild trauma, but not nearly as much as the other sections of the city. Many buildings still stand well above the rubble around them, a testament to Humanity's stubbornness.

-The Sinkhole (Energy District - Collapsed areas, semi-habitable): Power-grids, fossil-based fission plants and nuclear fusion reactors can be located in this sector of the city. Located next to the city center as a "district within a district" this sector was intended to be semi-autonomous. Aligned in a parallel fashion, energy-producing buildings would be worked by skeleton crews guided by dumb AI's and machinery. Minimal manpower was needed to provide the whole city with power. The Covenant began excavating a large area of the district, creating a massive sinkhole several kilometers wide that has disrupted much of the energy grid. Power still circulates around the city, but not enough to keep it alive. Smaller sinkholes have also collapsed in and around the district, some a result of additional excavations and others because of structural instability. Without a reliable source of power, the city has fallen into total darkness.

-Hope's Cradle (Residential District A - Ruins, habitable): One of four designed Residential Districts, this area lies in ruins but is still habitable. The entire district is decrepit and crumbling apart, however a lack of concentrated bombardment means this place is still habitable. Much of the surviving populace unable to escape the invasion has gathered in a small settlement known as "Hope's Cradle". While friendlier than the residents of Graytown, Hope's Cradle is still unreceptive of the UNSC forces in the area and outright refuse to lend assistance.

-Graytown (Residential District B - Ash fields and ruins, habitable): Residential District B is plagued by a never-ending "ash-storm". Several inches of ash and dust cover every bit of ground in the district, with some places reaching as much as three feet. These areas are known as "Ash fields" and are very hard to navigate on foot. Graytown, so-named for obvious reasons, is a very hostile settlement of Insurrectionist sympathizers. They chose to settle this area in order to hide from the Covenant patrols and to avoid the UNSC altogether. Any attempts at negotiation have led to short-term exchanges of gunfire. Approach with caution.

-Pipe Dream (Residential District C - Glassed, inhospitable): This district has been almost completely glassed and is no longer traversable. There is, however, an 'oasis' of sorts. Known as the "Pipe Dream", a tiny section of the district remains untouched. No one knows what remains there due to a lack of access to the area. Oddly enough, very few stragglers will frequent what's left of this district here and there. These delusional locals refer to the Pipe Dream as a paradise - a promised land safe from the apocalypse. How or why this religious fascination developed is anyone's guess.
 
-Azure (Residential District D - Ruins, inhospitable): Plasma bombardment has destroyed most of this district, but not to an extent as to be considered glassed. Much like Residential District A, the area is covered in ruins and decay. The only difference is the area is saturated with radiation from the plasma strikes and is thus uninhabitable without hazmat protection. Prolonged exposure will lead to radiation sickness and a slew of unhealthy side effects. An area known as "Azure" suffered the most radiological contamination, now illuminated by an eerie blue glow. Any contact with this lethal area is almost guaranteed to be fatal.

-Sewer System/Tunnels (Underground Infrastructure - Fully intact, habitable): The underground infrastructure of the city is mostly intact. The sewer system is a labyrinth of tunnels and walkways that connect to every part of the city. Some tunnels lead to the city's outskirts while others lead further underground. The artefact is somewhere beneath all of it. Fully mapping the system would essentially give access to a city-wide hub of shortcuts, leading to a major tactical advantage. Civilian stragglers have also been discovered within the tunnel systems, seeking shelter from the ongoing apocalypse. No major settlement has been discovered, however.

-Farmlands/Tunnels (City Outskirts - Covenant Occupation): The outskirts of the city are dominated by farmlands and hills. The Covenant has mostly occupied these areas with staging grounds, intending to eliminate anyone attempting to escape from the city. Several tunnels connecting to the sewer system underneath the city have been discovered within cave systems. Whether these were intended to be ancient escape tunnels or simply oversized storm drains is anybody's guess.

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0230 Hours
Fighting Retreat

"Get down!" MacAddy yelled, ducking behind a concrete barricade. He yanked another marine down with him as waves of plasma soared overhead. The firefight was fierce, having already lasted half an hour. Gradually the Marines were being pushed back, one block after another. They just couldn't hold any ground with the Covenant's overwhelming onslaught. With every inch of ground given, another soldier fell. Yet if they attempted to hold their position, they'd be quickly and decisively overran.

The squad peppered their oppressors with semi-automatic fire, 'talking' with their rifles. Better to conserve ammo this way rather than waste it in full-auto bursts. Without warning, one marine went down with a single plasma bolt to the chest. An inhuman scream filled the air as the nearby corpsman rushed to the downed marine. Moving him away from the 'x' where he was hit, she barely had time to assess the soldier as another marine dropped to the ground. Doing what she could to tend to the wounded, she weaved in and out of the battlefield like a phantom of the wind. If someone hit the ground, she was on them like a fly on a pile of dung.

"Not liking the look of this, Sarn't." Corporal Sullivan shouted over the hail of plasma fire.

"You and me both, Sully." MacAddy shouted back, firing another burst towards the attackers. One Grunt fell, then another. That was the most MacAddy got before another plasma bolt sent him ducking behind his concrete cover. "Alpha team, pull back. Bravo, covering fire." MacAddy ordered over the short-range radio.

"Roger, Sarn't." Both Lance Corporals Kallighan and Burroughs replied. Burrough's Bravo team opened fire as Kallighan's Alpha team retreated another block. They had repeated this same tactic over and over in the past half-hour, attempting to break contact with the enemy. One team provides covering fire while the other pulls back in a tactical retreat. Yet the Covenant were persistent; they did not give up their prey so easily. MacAddy slowly began to realize that if they were going to have any chance in hell at surviving this encounter, they needed to regroup with their platoon - and soon. Time was running out for them.

---

OOC: Wooo! Initial post for OBW is up! Likely to add more to the main post from time to time, so check back frequently. Just wanted to go ahead and get this started. And so it begins.

Tags: NinjaBoss  MrKill  Faclan  Mr. Prezident

[MrKill]

CW2. Tia Young
Norvus IV
Waiting

Chief Warrant Officer Tia Young sat low in an isolated office chair within the ruins of what used to be an industrial complex, smoking perhaps the last cigarette she'd ever smoke, but the soothing relief didn't stop her leg from running away with her depressing thoughts. She unconsciously propelled her knee up and down, up and down, powerful enough to vibrate the tin of coffee she had placed near the precarious edge of an ammo can; the few mechanics left desperately collaborated with one another in order to finish the repairs her MECH needed, one of the rare HRUNTING MANTIS Command Armor Defense Systems.

"We don't have enough time for that," one of the mechanics shouted over the noisy environment; arc welders crackled as replacement armor was welded onto damaged areas, and rigid bars inserted into to the compromised left leg; electric humming of the four M68 Gauss Cannons releasing their charge, the magazine cycling as a marine lend his assistance in reloading what was essentially a walking tank; and the noise of a nearby pelican, laden with food and water for everyone who survived the city being glassed. "Just focus on repairing what you can. We don't have a large timeframe."

Young looked up towards the heavens, but there were no stars to gaze upon, the failing lights of a devastated city illuminated just how dirty the area was. Ash lazily floated down, smoke bellowed up into the air as fires grew unimpeded, and the dust of collapsed buildings caked everything. Quietly, after hours of holding it back, Tia began to softly cry into her hands and stopped caring who was watching. It was just too much for her to handle.

[Faclan]

Taq - Ruuthian Sniper / Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Attempting to locate high ground in Market District
One rung at a time.

Grunting in exertion as he hauled himself up the last few rungs before he could fold up and get his feet on the hanging ladder Taq nodded back down. "I have a foothold, one moment." He hissed as he worked on maneuvering his way up the ladder. With digitigrade legs it was hard but he finally managed it. Sunk Humans and their skeletons making them make items in this manner! Once at the bottom of the fire escape platform he laid down and pulled out his beam rifle. Holding the muzzle end tightly as he held it down for his spotter.

Both Kigs doing their best to ignore the gunfire and screaming from just one street over. Poc hopping off a dumpster and grabbing onto the grip of the rifle and a rung as the two Kigs grunted and strained but finally had both of them up on the platform. Taking a few seconds to catch their breath and return weapons to their backs they nodded at each other and started to ascend the stairs. Should the room still be intact which it sure looked like from the ground this would provide a fantastic view of the current street battle. Letting them rain fire down above on the Humans and hasten their defeat. Though the chickens couldn't stop their eyes wandering into the windows of the rooms as they clinked and clanked their way up the metal steps. Looking for loot most likely. Or maybe how these Humans used to live? Nah - likely loot.

(Could be Humans up there, or hiding in one of the rooms near the fire escape - if they die they die and I'll roll up another rando!)

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating

Onboard a UNSC Frigate above Novus IV
0230 Hours

Feet First Into Hell

    Moe went over his gear one last time before the drop. His M392 DMR and M6G were loaded, the former on the lone gun rack in his SOEIV pod and the latter tucked firmly into its holster on his right leg. Four extra magazines for each weapon could be seen in the pockets on his chest along with his combat knife, one can of biofoam, a flare, and five days of field rations. He had found three M10 stun grenades to carry on his belt as well. Tapping the side of his pod, Moe smiled nervously, before turning to his fireteam one last time.

    "They call us hell jumpers for a reason troopers, we're going in hot! We're going to set our pods down in the market plaza of Arkaus, Nyx's capital. The Covenant's already engaged our boys down there and we're going to help them out, so prepare to drop! Alien bastards won't wait for us to start the party so if we don't hurry up we'll miss all the action." Sergeant Gabriella "Gabby" Miller spoke first, and didn't leave much else to say. After all, time was short if they really had guys dying down there.

    "We know our objectives team. Let's get down there and see who's still alive." Moe spoke directly to his fireteam, Lance Corporal Suzanna "Deadshot" Smirnov, Private First Class Kele "Sparrow" Huera, and Private Kwame "Bougie" Boujettif. These were his trusted friends, and they each played an important role as sniper, marksman, and machine gunner, respectively. Each of the ODST's from Moe's and Gabby's fireteams filed into their drop pods, and Moe did as well. Gabby was the last one to enter her pod.

    Shoving himself into the cramped quarters of his drop pod, Moe took a deep breath as the hatch door clicked into place and the pod started to move. Slowly making its way toward open sky at the bottom of the frigate, the pod revealed what would likely have been a wonderful view of Nyx, if she wasn't burning from the Covenant's brutal bombardment. Moe gritted his teeth, having almost forgotten what was happening on the planet below, if only for a moment. This was a cruel reminder.

    "Those bastards. I swear, what I'll do to those fucking Covenant once I get my hands on them..." Sparrow angrily muttered, and though the whole team could hear him, they didn't say anything. They probably all felt the same way.

    As the pod prepared to drop from orbit above the planet, Moe prepared for his stomach to drop. It always did, as soon as the pod was let go, and today was no exception. The falling sensation was incredible as he rushed towards the planet at terminal velocity, the atmosphere burning the ceramic skin away from the pod and raising the temperature, slowly at first, but the warmer it grew the faster it raised, until the temperature was so hot it could only remind him of an oven.

    The fall lasted about a minute before the chutes on the squad's SOEIVs deployed, and they began to slow above the market plaza. They could see the firefight now, as two teams of Marines were trying to retreat from a larger Covenant force. Some of the enemies fired at the pods as they came down behind the Marines, drawing their plasma fire for just a moment. The rocket brakes engaged and abruptly Moe's pod stopped with a jolt. He quickly disengaged his hatch, then pulled his rifle off of the rack. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, Moe thought as he exited his drop pod and entered a combat zone.

[Remnant]

(OOC: Areas of Interest has been updated with a slew of information. Check it for background information on the various districts.)



SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0245 Hours
The Calvary Has Arrived

MacAddy's 2nd Squad gradually retreated another block, seamlessly regrouping with what remained of 1st Platoon. Under heavy fire, the platoon had taken severe casualties but managed to rally what manpower they could. Digging in, they pushed back the Covenant momentarily. Just enough to give them some breathing room. MacAddy had maneuvered his way to the center along with the other squad leaders while the rest of the marines set up a small perimeter along the street's intersection.

"That's it, I'm calling it. 0245 hours." Corpsman Keaton said, leaning over the XO's body. "Lieutenant got hit in the last firefight, took a bolt straight to the back. No pulse or breaths in the past five minutes, I've tried everything. He's gone."

"So who's still alive that'd be in charge?" MacAddy asked.

"Staff Sergeant Morales, I think. Status unknown."

"I'm still kicking, don't panic." Staff Sergeant Morales approached the group from behind, startling one of the squad leaders already on edge.

"Orders, Sergeant?" MacAddy looked at the gruff man. Mid 40's, graying hair. Weathered complexion.

"Covenant's preparing another wave. We're gonna have to hold this position for a while longer, but we need to regroup with the rest of Charlie Company and reassess. Hopefully Gunny and the Captain are still alive." Morales spoke with a grim resolve.

"CONTACT, 1 O'CLOCK, 200 METERS!" Lance Corporal Kallighan shouted from the south perimeter. The south line opened fire on an approaching unit of Grunts and shield-bearing Jackals. The Covenant troops returned fire as MacAddy returned to his squad, taking cover behind a concrete pillar. Corporal Sullivan ducked behind an overturned car and peppered the approaching Grunts with semi-automatic fire. MacAddy did the same, sending several rounds downrange with his MA5C Assault Rifle.

The firefight went on for several minutes, both sides neither gaining nor losing ground. Every exchange of gunfire was met with return fire. Sullivan paused to reload while MacAddy covered him. A moment later and they flipped the motion, MacAddy hastily reloading while Sullivan provided the covering fire. A Marine across the street pressed his luck and took a bolt to the shoulder. A Corpsman was on him before he could hit the ground. Just as the Covenant was starting to gain momentum, MacAddy looked up in disbelief. Several familiar streaks of flame lanced through the sky, heading right for them.

"When the hell did we get air support?" Sullivan asked.

"That's not air support, Sully. That's our reinforcements. I think this battle just turned in our favor." MacAddy replied.

"Helljumpers? You're kidding." Sully let out a breath of relief.

"Desperate times, desperate measures."

"I thought we were the desperate measures."

[MrKill]

CW2. Tia Young
Norvus IV
Waiting

There was no time for an alert, especially when no one saw it coming. The visual ceiling was so poor that no one anticipating an air strike, but everyone saw the Banshee's initial fuel rod strike on the FOB, but it was difficult to track them through the dark and grimy atmosphere. Just as quick as they bombed the marines, they had pulled up and back into the ash clouds and broke contact with the defenders, likely circling back for another attack run on the vulnerable resources below.

"Incoming, incoming, incoming."

There was a brief siren before the message repeated itself, and the FOB's lone operable M71 rotary anti-aircraft gun roared in response, thankfully tracking the fast movers through the dark sky above. Tracers filled the sky at six thousand rounds per minute, and the classic report echoed off the crumbling buildings. High above a pop of light flashed within the dark clouds and the screaming remains of what had been a Covenant Banshee smashed into a high rise moments later.

"Incoming, incoming, incoming."

The siren sounded again.

Everyone could hear the distant alien engines of the approaching strike, and everyone including Young had rushed to find cover. The pelican that held the supplies lifted off, the pilot trying to save the bird from pending destruction, but all they did was highlight their presence. The banshees came in fast and low, banked at the rising UNSC dropship, and launched a devastating salvo into the side of the troop transport. It banked down to the left as the forward engine pylon melted away, crashed lightly onto the pavement below, and skidding to a halt at the edge of the landing pad.

The M71 barked again.

The rotary autocannon sent a stream of bullets high above the FOB, but there was no explosion this time. The engines faded quickly, the remaining Covenant aircraft had disengaged from their assault... the strike was over; high in the sky above, however, numerous streaks of red lightning rained down from orbit. Young immediately knew what the streaking lines were, plasma didn't quite glow like that from an orbital bombardment, it was red hot metal drop pods entering the atmosphere. She had seen it once before in her career as a private, also at night, and had it not been for the ashy soot clinging to the air they would have illuminated the city... depending on how many launched, of course.

CW2 Young bounced into action, hustled over to her MANTIS, and clambered into the canopy. She sealed it behind her and slowly booted up the reactor, making sure the diagnostic reports she was reading were within the green. She flicked on her instrument display, and mentally read out the necessities; full ammunition, armor was serviceable, and the left leg was strong enough to move at a higher speed. Her MECH was combat ready, but not combat effective. Her optics were fried, so she could only use the white-hot thermals, and the MECHs command interface was FUBAR.

Now she had to get herself in the fight.

"C2, Roxy One-Three, looking to get back in this fight. Where do you need me?"

"One-Three, C2, what type of asset are you?" The radio operator replied after a few seconds.

"C2, Roxy One-Three, standby."

Young pinged the remaining Mech. No one was there to answer it.

"C2, Roxy One-Three, we're a mech platoon. I may be the last."

There was another, but Young couldn't guarantee it was still operational after the airstrike.

"Copy. We've got a rifle company beyond the wire; spread pretty thin. Follow the stray plasma bolts, you'll find them."

"Can you patch me into their comms?"

"Negative," the radio operator replied. "You'll have to do that when you link up with them, but I can open the doors for you."

"Understood, One-Three is Oskar Mike."

"Doors open, good hunting: C2 out."

Young accelerated her mech towards the fight, she just hoped to get there before it was over.

[Faclan]

Taq - Ruuthian Sniper / Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Market District, high ground.
lazors!

It was times like this that both Taw and Poc were glad they had a certain degree of operational freedom. They didnt have to radio in that they were in position and check if they had the clearance or whatever to start opening fire down on the Humans. Instead it was just 'hey do your job'. Which was fine by them! Besides, who even knew if a radio signal would be able to make it through all the interference from all the damaged structures and...stuff in the air. Yeah technical stuff!

Both Kigs prone on the mostly still in tact roof as they got out their weapons to look down at the Humans. They seemed to be falling back which was good as they looked for people with the biggest hats or shiniest shoulders. But through the smoke it was hard to see bloody anything! Besides the general shape and outline of human helmets and then flashes of gunfire.

"Just start picking?" Poc questioned as he set several carbine canisters near his prone form as Taq nodded in response.

"May as well, show we are doing out job and the like." The two Kigs about to open fire before there was a whistling screeching sound above and they looked up to see the hated black armored human pods landing near their targets. Both of them glancing at each other before hissing and nodding. That was a far better target than normal Humans. Adjusting their aim further back to where the streaks had landed the two marksmen took aim and as soon as the black shapes with shiny faces came into view they opened fire.

Purple and green streaks screaming toward the Helljumpers to try and cut them down before they give reinfoce the humans and provide them with a moral boost!

(Your bois being fired at NinjaBoss )

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating

Novus IV, Arkaus, Market Plaza

0245 Hours

It's Dark And Hell Is Hot

    The warm night air, heated by the Covenant's plasma bombardment, hissed with the fury of a particle beam, purple energy tearing a path through the dirty air directly towards Moe's squad. He had just stepped out of his pod when he watched the beam burn a hole through Dougie's shoulder, one of the new guys on Gabby's team who had been the first out of his pod. Shit, Moe thought. Two seconds in and we've already lost someone. Dougie had been eager to get into the action, wanted revenge against the aliens for what they did to his planet. Now the Private was probably dead. Even if that wasn't a kill shot, Moe had seen those kinds of wounds before. Fourth degree burns and radiation damage would likely drag him to the grave, it would just involve a bit more time and a lot more pain.

    The young Corporal did not have much time to reflect, however, his train of thought derailed by the green projectiles that almost instantly followed the particle beam. Moe quickly ducked his head down as the radioactive shards pierced the side of his HEV pod. It protected him for now, but he would need better cover, and soon. Not like he would be going very far with those snipers out there.

    "Medic! We need a medic! I have an ODST hit by a particle beam to the west of my position, and snipers on the rooftops to the south! Keep your heads down!" Moe yelled, hoping that someone could hear him. Perhaps if there was a medic nearby they could get Dougie some help, at least make his passing a little easier. Even if not, the warning about the snipers would likely save a few lives. He turned on his VISR to see better in the dark, trying to get a bead on where exactly the gunfire was coming from and hoping that if he could find it Deadshot could neutralize the shooters.

    The air should be crisp and cool at this time, the occasional burst of wind adding to the chill of the night air. Instead, it was warm and muggy, and the ash from the glassing reduced visibility even with the ODST's VISR, making it hard to see much at all. An ODST's wet dream, he thought. He even had some nice alien friends to help him on the last leg of his journey, reunite him with his parents. No, I won't kill myself like they did. If these ugly bastards want me dead, they're going to have to work for it.

    Nearly a minute had passed, and it was time to get things in order. With renewed energy and a sense of urgency, Moe sent a message out to his team on the comms. "Roll call, this is Corporal Keating and I need everyone who's made it out of their pods to send me their positions. Let's get the Covenant off our asses for a moment so we can regroup and rendezvous with Gabby's team." The message went out, and for a moment, no response. Not good. Please tell me I'm not the only one left. Then the radio came to life.

    "This is Lance Corporal Smirnov. I manage to link up with PFC Huera and we took shelter in a building to the north of your position. We're being cautious, but after a sweep of the building we think it's safe enough to move onto the roof and send a return message to those snipers. Orders?" Moe breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Deadshot's heavily accented voice. She was okay, and she had Sparrow with her. Good. Even better was the fact that they were now in a position to take out those snipers.

    "Confirm. Give 'em hell, trooper. You manage to run into Bougie or anyone else yet?" A few moments of silence passed, then a response.

    "Private Boujettif's pod is located between your position and the rooftop snipers, near the supermarket. The hatch has not been released. We have not seen or heard from anyone else in the squad, sir." That gave him something to think about. Perhaps if they could lay down some covering fire on those snipers he could make a run to Bougie's pod, see if he could help him out. Christ, I hope he survived. We need all the hands we can get out here, a trooper DOA would be just our luck. Another chime from the radio.

    "We've got visuals on two jackal snipers firing from a rooftop to the south. Permission to take the shot?" The calm request made Moe smile. The downside to the Covenant's fancy weapons was that they basically fired tracer rounds. And an ODST sniper did not often leave their counterparts unchecked for long.

    "Permission granted, Lance Corporal Smirnov. Take them down, and cover me. After those jackals are toast I'm going to make a move for Bougie's pod, see if I can't get him out of there. It's time to take the fight back to the Covenant."

    "Copy, standby." A moment passed, then the sound of an SRS99 Anti-Material Sniper Rifle reverberated off of the close knit buildings in the market plaza, or what was left of them.

(Returning fire Faclan)

[Remnant]

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0300 Hours
On The List Of Things That Should Have Been Expected, This Is Somewhere Near The Top

MacAddy silently thanked the Lord as the ODSTs popped their hatches and exited their pods. They were almost immediately met with long-distance fire from afar. With the way today was going, MacAddy wasn't surprised. Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong will most definitely go wrong and today was no exception.

"Snipers, rooftop!" A Marine shouted over the hail of plasma and ballistics. A green bolt pierced through his helmet and went straight through his skull. A spray of crimson coated the asphalt under his body as it hit the ground.

MacAddy poked his head up and immediately brought it back down as a bolt hit his barricade, burning a disconcerting hole in the concrete. Luckily, it didn't melt all the way through. Those snipers were giving them a hell of a time. At least one ODST was already down, with more to follow if they didn't think of something soon.

A low hum reverberated through the crisp night air. A very familiar hum that gradually got louder as it got closer. Looking up, MacAddy could see two distinct glows moving through the cloud cover. The humming turned into screeching, like the very air itself was screaming in anguish. Although he couldn't see them directly due to the thickened clouds, he knew the sound and the silhouette.

Without warning, two Banshees dived out of the sky straight overhead. They made a beeline for the ongoing firefight and sent two fuel rod rounds towards them. The first impacted with a crowded set of barriers, incinerating a whole fireteam of Marines. The bright flash and the loud explosion disoriented MacAddy.

The second round impacted the side of a building overhead. MacAddy rolled into a fetal position, trying to avoid the falling, burning rubble. A dust-storm kicked up, obscuring much of the already opaque fog that clung to the streets. He watched as the Banshees flew back into the sky, the glow of their engines illuminating the darkened clouds.

"They're making another pass!" MacAddy said into the comms as the Banshees circled back around and opened fire with their plasma cannons. The rapid-fire barrage sent everyone scurrying for cover.

A loud rumble deafened MacAddy's ears as more rubble collapsed from the building above. The building's foundations wouldn't hold long as debris fell all around the street. MacAddy just barely caught a glimpse of the Banshees retreating into the sky again as he was buried alive under a pile of rubble and debris.

[Faclan]

Taq - Ruuthian Sniper / Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Market District, high ground.
Blargl we dead!

"Hit a black," Taq reported as he adjusted his aim toward the next. He could have spent more time trying to ensure death but there were far too many target for him to waste battery power on that.

"Blasted a Green, headshot." Poc responded as the two moved from target of opportunity to target. Taq hissing as he missed a green ducking behind cover before he returned to focusing on targets he could easily see. A few more Humans falling to their combined fire before they looked up as Banshees started their attack run. Making both of them unfortunately miss the faintly glowing visor moving to standing on top of a building across from them and set up a rifle. 

They both cackled at the explosions however as the building looked like it was going to collapse! "Ha! That will bury their hope and trap them!" Taq triumphantly exclaimed as he got up from his prone position into a crouch. "Going to move to get a better angle." Scope zeroing in on his chest as Poc started to rise as well. 

"Aye - need a better anglZWWWWWIP!" The tiny bullet slicing clear through Taqs chest and spine. Killing him instantly as the bullet just narrowly missed Pocs neck. But the spray of purple blood went all over him as Taqs body was flung back into him. Bringing him to the ground and thankfully but painfully slamming his beak shut on the roof so he didnt call out. Barely able to see through the blood on his face Poc was about to move. Try to get to cover. Before he froze.

They had sights on them. Moving would be suicide. So he stayed as still as he could. Praying to the Gods he didn't believe in that the sniper who had sniped them had other jobs. No more alive Kigs here...nope. Move along!

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating
Novus IV, Arkaus, Market Plaza

0300 Hours

I Hate My Job

    "Lucky shot! Both Jackals are down!" Sparrow exclaimed, watching as the aliens' blood made a thick coating, like syrup, on the rooftop where they had been standing. "Hey, I don't mean to sound corny, but that shot was dead on!" He finished with a chuckle that quickly subsided once the realization that they were still in a very hot fire zone set back in.

    "Are you sure? Double check, just in case." Moe responded. He didn't want to take any chances, and a Jackal sniper was an enemy he wanted eliminated as soon as possible.

    "Already on it. Confirmed kills, both of them. Neither one is moving. The spotter must've gotten unlucky, I guess. Moved at just the right time." Deadshot quickly answered, an unsettling calm in her accented voice that revealed little emotion. Making a mental note not to cross her the wrong way, Moe decided it was time to advance and find out what happened to Bougie.

    "Watch my six. I'm going to move to Private Boujettif's location, see if we can't get him out of his pod. If you see anything that isn't UNSC, I want you to kill it." Moe gave his marksmen a moment to ready their aim, then took a deep breath. Time to save an ODST, he thought, and pushed himself out of his cover. Move, move move! Racing through his mind as he sprinted towards the silent HEV pod, an unmoving monolith of dark steel that struggled to distinguish itself from the night shadows, blending in with the combat zone in a way that made it seem as if it was meant to be there, had always belonged in this plaza square. But like the Covenant, and indeed the UNSC themselves, the SOEIV drop pod did not belong there, was not meant to be embedded in the asphalt that used to be a city street. It was an invader, a hostile intruder that had brought bloody, devastating war to the planet of Nyx.

    And it was to be his salvation. Pressing himself to the side of the pod, Moe hoped to avoid any stray plasma fire that came his way. The occasional sound of Lance Corporal "Deadshot" Smirnov's SRS99 Anti-Material Sniper Rifle helped his confidence, and after looking above and around the pod from his current viewpoint alongside it, failing to see any plasma fire close enough to hit him, he stood. The ODST Corporal took another look around from his higher vantage point, and when he made sure it was clear he moved to the front of the pod.

    The night was dark, making it difficult to see inside of Bougie's drop pod. Moe pulled the emergency release latches, refusing to waste any time, silently hoping against hope that the pod was in good enough condition to open. His eyes scanned the pod as he did so, taking in every piece of data his VISR would give him. And at the moment of truth, he stared directly at the hatch, waiting to see if it would open.

    It didn't move much, just a barely perceptible nudge, but he saw it nonetheless. And in a burst of excitement he slammed into it with his shoulder, finally wrenching the cover off of the pod. Yes!, he thought, standing upright and gazing at the passenger. He didn't move, and at first Moe couldn't tell whether his new recruit was alive or dead. What a shame, DOA on his first drop, he thought the worst. But when feeling for Private Kwame "Bougie" Boujettif's pulse it was actually there, and pretty strong too. He was just unconscious.

    "I'm gonna need you to tighten your cover on me, Lance Corporal. Bougie's out cold, I'm going to carry him to your location." Moe relayed orders to his fireteam as he began to pull Private Boujettif out of his pod, draping his left arm over Moe's shoulder.

    "Move fast, Corporal. Banshees." Deadshot quickly alerted him in that unwavering voice of hers, sending shivers up his spine. The shivers quickly turned to agonizing fear as several fuel rod explosions rocked the buildings around him, and the chunks of concrete dislodged from one of the structures buried several Marines, probably killing most of them. Gunfire echoed around the plaza square as Sparrow and Deadshot attempted to distract the aircraft, but it could not last for long. If they stayed out in the open the Banshees would kill them.

    Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Moe summoned all of his strength and began to run, or at least move as fast as he could with a 215 pound man draped over his shoulders. He made for the cover of the building to his north, praying to anything that would listen for his soldier's life. Please goddammit, just let us make it to the building. And where the hell is Gabby? We could really use some extra troopers right now. I guess this is why they call it hell jumping. Fuck, I hate my job.

[Remnant]

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0300 Hours
Rock In A Hard Place

MacAddy quickly regained consciousness after being buried under a pile of rubble. He struggled against the weight of the stones pressing on him, slowly crushing him. Under the darkness of the night sky, it was almost pitch black beneath the debris. MacAddy struggled some more, freeing one of his arms. He attempted to push the stones off of him, to no avail. He grunted as the pressure felt so much more intense the longer time went on.

Suddenly, one by one, the stones were pulled off of him as he was uncovered. "He's under here!" Corporal Sullivan's voice shouted, somewhat muffled. MacAddy breathed a sigh of relief as the weight left his chest. Sullivan and Burroughs managed to free him from the concrete prison. He was met immediately by Corpsman Keaton who assessed him for any signs of trauma or injury. She did a quick blood sweep and trauma assessment.

"You took a hard hit. How's your head? Dizziness, headache?" Corpsman Keaton asked.

"I just had part of a building fall right on top of me. What's your best guess?" MacAddy snapped, though he didn't mean it.

"Minor concussion." She jokingly replied with sarcasm.

"Right, we'll go with that." MacAddy shook his head. "Sully, SITREP. What'd I miss?"

"Helljumpers just put a dent in the Covie's forces, snipers on the roof taken care of. Haven't seen the Banshees since the first run, but I'll bet a shot of Whiskey that they're making another pass." Sullivan reported. "There's a downed Gauss 'Hog to the north, turret might still be working."

"Ordnance?"

"Sergeant Morales and his squad might have a tube or two left for the Spankers."

"Then we've got our ticket to turn this fight 'round." MacAddy looked northward. Down the street was indeed a wrecked Gauss 'Hog out in the open and an intact building with plenty of cover. The 'Hog was missing both front wheels, the windshield completely shattered. No telling from here if the turret still had power, but it was their only chance. MacAddy and his squad maneuvered their way down the street, trailing north. Cover to cover, positioning and repositioning. Everyone's adrenaline was up as plasma bolts and ballistics were exchanged.

MacAddy saw a Helljumper toting one of his comrades on his shoulders towards the building. The squad provided covering fire for the ODST as he made his way across the street. "Trooper! When you get your friend to safety, mind lending a hand?" MacAddy radioed over the short distance between him and the ODST.

"There's a downed 'Hog in the middle of the street and those Banshees are gonna be back soon. If that turret still works, it's our best bet to knock those bastards out the sky. Sergeant Morales might have a tube left for a Spanker, but they can't afford to miss at this rate." Neither can I, MacAddy thought to himself. "Give me some covering fire, I'm gonna make a break for it." MacAddy shouted as the roaring of alien engines got louder in the blackened sky.

[Faclan]

Taq - Ruuthian Sniper / Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Market District, high ground.
Revenge! Bloody revenge.

Still laying still as the gunfire continued around him Poc slowly moving his eye nearest Taq to look. But all he could see was his leg and one hand. Which as slightly clenched but not moving besides that. And with Poc laying over him he could feel that he wasn't breathing. He was dead...dead. His friend and sniper was dead?! His own hands clenching slughtly as he waited there. A black had done this, only they held the tiny bullet guns that snuffed out Taw and almost got him too. Smeared him with his friends blood. He would find the one that held that rifle...kill them dead! But for now he waited. Doing his best to not cough or blink too much as the blood was on him till he guessed they had moved on.

A little foot twitch...then a hand. Still nothing. Quickly getting up into a crouch the spotter would grab his and Pocs guns and sling the beam rifle onto his back as he held the carbine under his arm. Grabbing the shoulder of Taqs armor and pulling him back off the room into the small door that lead to the stairs. Getting them both hopefully out of the line of fire. Once they were behind the door Poc looked at Taq closer. Yeah...he was dead. Closing his friends eyes Poc sat him up against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he pulled out Taqs knife and left it in his hands. Sat and alert for Aecor to retrieve him, weapon in hand. Tapping his beak to Taqs he nodded and thumped a fist into his palm. It was revenge time.

With the beam rifle still over his back he held his carbine in his hands as he descended the level to go to a smokey window. Peaking through it to try and spot the blacks. Finally, there they were. Moving about erratically as Poc waited. They would move off eventually, and he would shadow them. Pick them off as best he could, or die trying. Join Taq on the eternal seas. The spotter still covered in a good amount of purple blood as he waited for his time to move out.

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating
Novus IV, Arkaus, Market Plaza
0315 Hours
It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A.... Oh Fuck

    The banshees shrieked in the air, a piercing sound that chilled the blood in Moe's veins as he laid Private Kwame Boujettif's unconscious body on the floor in a corner of the building that his sniper team was, until recently, providing covering fire from atop of. Corporal Keating had ordered them to relocate when he reached the entrance, and their heavy footsteps could be heard drawing closer as they descended the stairwell. Best not to leave a sniper in the same position for too long, he figured. That would make it too easy for the enemy to pinpoint their location.

    "Private Boujettif should be safe here for now. Lance Corporal Smirnov, stay here and make sure he stays that way. Wouldn't be a bad idea to give us some covering fire while you're at it, if you can. But try not to draw attention to yourself. PFC Huera, you're with me. Marines need some help taking down those banshees and we're gonna give it to them. I think I saw a corpsman with them too, so when that's done we'll see if we can borrow her to wake up Bougie." Moe wasted no time relaying his plan to his fireteam once they made it down the steps. Lives did depend on it, after all.

    "Corporal, what about Sergeant Miller?" Sparrow asked. Always the inquisitive one, he seemed a little nervous. Hell, Moe was wondering the same thing.

    "No sign of her yet, or anyone from her fireteam. Except for Private Douglas. He took a beam from one of those snipers. I doubt he's still alive, but we should take a look when we're out there, just in case. Went down near his pod." A quick reply was all that Moe gave before abruptly turning on his heel and striding towards the entrance he had just come through, quickly checking his DMR to make sure it was loaded, safety off, ready for combat. He'd already made sure of most of that before the drop, but it never hurt to double check. And it often hurt if you didn't.

    Corporal Keating surveyed the situation outside, and began to move in the direction of the damaged warthog that the Marine Sergeant was heading towards, once he spotted him. He also kept his eye out for any Covenant, assisted by his helmet's VISR. The Marines were a hell of a lot closer to the front lines than they were, but they'd quickly change that. Sprinting in a hurry, Moe pulled up the scope of his rifle as a trio of enemy grunts came in range.

    "There, engage." He said, pointing his finger at the Grunts before finding the trigger three times and forcing the closest Grunt, an orange, to eat three pieces of hot lead. Almost in unison, Sparrow's Battle Rifle spit two three round bursts into the red alien next to the first, spilling teal colored blood onto the city street. They were clean shots, all center mass, and the Grunts were dead. Staring at his recently deceased friends, the third Grunt panicked, let out a wail of anguish, turned tail and ran. Smiling to himself, Moe pulled the trigger again, and the trio was finished. Nice work, but certainly far from the most difficult they would do today.

    The way was clear for the pair of ODST's to advance into cover, ducking behind a semi truck that had once been used to deliver goods to the people of Arkaus. The label on the trailer was that of a popular trucking company, and Moe absently wondered if there was any food inside. Depending on how long they were down here, there was a good chance they'd end up needing it. That was a problem for later, however. For now they needed to focus on making sure the Marines had a chance to take down the banshees, which they were urgently reminded of when the Covenant aircraft's distinctive shriek began to grow in volume once again.

    "They're coming back for another pass. Shit, we're really knee deep in it aren't we Corporal?" Sparrow asked. Not that Moe needed the reminder, but Sparrow was right. They couldn't take much more of this.

    "See that Marine making a run for the Gauss 'hog? Don't let anything touch him, Sparrow. It's our job to make sure he makes it there in one piece."

    "That it?"

    "One other thing. Hope like hell it still works."

[Remnant]

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0315 Hours
Hit The Ground Running

MacAddy sprinted the distance between his crumbling concrete barrier and the partially intact Gauss 'Hog. What should have only taken a minute or two at most felt like an hour. His legs burned as he pushed his body to keep going. It was probably the fastest he ever ran in his life. A minute is one of the shortest units of time until you're counting every second of it like your life depends on it. Which it did, in MacAddy's case. He tensed up as a hail of plasma fire soared over him, lighting up the foggy night sky. The wailing screams of the Banshees' engines were getting louder. Closer. Like they were breathing down his neck.

He stopped just in time at the 'Hog, nearly running into the back of it. The 'Hog was a complete wreck. Both front wheels were missing, the hood was caved in and the entire front side looked demolished. The windshield had been shattered and glass covered the seats. The armored frame was blackened from plasma scoring and barely held itself together. Even the back wheels were both flat. It was a wonder if the turret still worked. MacAddy climbed on the back of the 'Hog and grabbed the turret handles. He fondled with the controls but the screen wouldn't turn on.

Please, please, please... MacAddy prayed as the shrieking got almost too loud to bear.

He looked at the steering wheel and got an idea. He knelt past the turret and reached into the interior, pushing a faintly glowing button forward of the gearshift. The 'Hog roared to life, the motor sputtering as the pistons grinded against the damaged engine block. The turret's panel lit up as it came to life. The barrel glowed a faint blue as it warmed up. "Eureka!" MacAddy shouted as he grabbed the turret's handles once more.

System booting... Please wait. MacAddy groaned.

The thermal imaging system came online and MacAddy swiveled the turret towards the sky. Just in time as a Banshee dive bombed right out the sky and came straight towards him. The auto-tracking system locked onto the Banshee as it glowed white-hot on the thermals. He pulled the trigger, sending a round right into the crevice between the fuel rod launcher and a plasma cannon. The round pierced all the way through, igniting the Banshee's fuel reserves and engulfing it in blue-purple flames. The massive explosion that followed almost completely vaporized the Banshee, showering tiny chunks of debris into the street below and the nearby buildings. MacAddy wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but the second Banshee made its appearance.

Without warning, the Gauss turret shorted out. One of the 'Hog's pistons blew through the motor, sending a rod into the sky. "No, no, no!" MacAddy shouted as the turret powered down and he was left helpless. The Banshee sped at him as fast as it could, a faint green glow emanating from its underside as it charged its fuel rod cannon.

MacAddy heard the tell-tale sound of a SPNKR launching one of its rockets. The rocket soared upwards from the street further down the ways, trailing the Banshee as it locked on to its heat-signature. The rocket smacked the Banshee in the side, the resulting explosion sending it into an uncontrolled descent. The Banshee barrel-rolled into the side of a nearby storefront, erupting the small three-story building into a mountain of flames.

"Morales, you just saved my ass." MacAddy said over the short-range radio in his helmet.

"Won't be the last ti- AAAAAAAAAAGH" Morales screamed.

MacAddy scanned the street in front of him. He saw a squad of Marines retreating as the Covenant pushed them back once more. Just past them, he saw polished white armor standing on top of a crushed car. The monstrous figure was holding the limp body of Morales by the throat. An energy sword was impaled deep into his chest, being deactivated a moment later. The Sangheili Ultra roared a battle cry, tossing Morales' corpse into the street like a ragdoll while the rest of the Covenant forces pushed forward. MacAddy looked on in horror but came to his senses. He took cover behind the ruined 'Hog, opening fire on the approaching Grunts with the rest of his scattered squad. He gave a silent prayer as what was left of the platoon made a final stand against the alien onslaught.

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating
Novus IV, Arkaus, Market Plaza

0320 Hours

If It Isn't One Thing...

    The ODST's eyes were drawn to the Marine Sergeant who fired the rocket, gratefully admiring the way it killed the banshee above them, steering it into an explosive collision with a building on the ground. The fireball was marvelous.

    "A flaming death for those flaming fucks," Sparrow said, not too loud but quiet, yet intensely and hatefully. That was when they saw the Elite, decorated with white armor. These were uncommon, but Moe had seen them before. Now he saw this one ignite its energy sword and turn the Marine Sergeant into a shish kabob. The scene was made more brutal when the Elite tossed him aside, and troops from its platoon began to push towards their position.

    "Oh, shit!" Sparrow yelped with alarm.

    "Don't panic," Moe replied, shaking from adrenaline himself. They needed to stay calm and focus or else this thing would eat them alive, he knew that. "Lance Corporal Smirnov, I need you to take down that Elite with the energy sword. We'll distract it, but do it now!" He radioed his sniper, who for the moment was back in the building with Private Boujettif. He didn't want to take her attention away from guarding the building, but they needed help.

    "Okay, PFC Huera, we have to draw that thing's attention. On my mark." Sparrow seemed tense, but didn't say anything, so Moe sighted on the enemy, getting the Elite in his crosshairs. During the last second, he hoped this wasn't a huge mistake. Too late as he squeezed the trigger, the first two rounds hitting their target. But this one was fast and experienced, dodging out of the way just after taking a burst from Sparrow's Battle Rifle.

    No sooner had that happened than an Elite in dark blue armor rushed forward with a fireteam of grunts behind it, blue and green plasma racing towards the ODST's heads.

    "Move!" Moe yelled, running for cover towards the front of the semi truck, since the enemy was now facing them from the broad side. He fired at the Grunts that followed the Elite, and watched one go down before he had reached the hood and ducked behind it, taking a quick look for Sparrow. He had also moved quickly and stood behind a nearby car, checking his ammunition count. Moe did the same, noting he had eight rounds left in the magazine.

    Pulling an M10 stun grenade from his chest, Moe tossed it at the oncoming Covenant fireteam, and waited two seconds for it to explode. When he heard the bang, he leaned out from his cover, catching the aliens off guard. "Open fire, now!" He radioed as he fired at the enemy Grunts first, quickly putting three rounds into the first ones chest, while Sparrow dumped two bursts into the other one. The Elite tried to take cover, but was slow in its disoriented state, and the ODST's were able to fire two more shots from their weapons before they were forced to take cover by returning plasma fire. Only two of those shots connected, and the Elite's shields were weak but not quite down.

    A war cry engulfed the plaza as the white Elite's shields recharged and it began to move towards the ODST's, staying out of sight from Moe and Kele Huera. But not from Suzanna Smirnov, who placed a shot from her SRS99 in the center of its back, completely breaking the Elite's shield and causing it to roar in pain. Not a bad start, Moe thought, but they weren't out of this yet.

[MrKill]

CW2. Tia Young
Norvus IV
Waiting

Young had been approaching the battle for some time now, her mech was certainly underperforming but the firepower the Marines desperately needed was moments away from arriving, and she hoped no one decided her sudden appearance was hostile. With her comms package out now, she had no way to communicate with the ground forces, she only had her own personal radio she used to contact the FOB.

Tracers lit the sky, and threat scans indicated numerous hostile contacts peering out of high rise buildings and firing down into the UNSCMC defensive position. She had to ignore those for the time being, though, and hoped they'd be dealt with by other means. The Chief Warrant Officer was worried a Gauss round would destroy the exposed support structures, which had a very obvious and negative outcome. Young didn't want to see the top of any skyscraper come tumbling down because she was trigger happy, so she'd leave it to someone else, and knew the decision could bite her in the ass.

In the distance a Banshee exploded, spiraled into a nearby building, and mushroomed outward after impact. Down the street the Marines were engaged, and by the FOF display she could tell they were spread dangerously thin and in serious danger of being overrun. There was no time to get close, she had to get stationary and start using her computer-assisted accuracy to level the battlefield. Numerous red outlines -- similar to how an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper's VISR worked -- rushed forward, joining a lone figure atop a ruined vehicle while it effortlessly discarded what had previously been ID'd as a UNSC Marine.

The alien creature was engaged shortly after by a group of Shock Troopers, seemed to be startled for a moment by the sudden gunfire it received, but quickly regained its composure and pressed its attack. Another Marine had taken cover behind a warthog, further information displayed it as //DISABLED; M12G1 LAAV, M68//. Good, that meant there were extra rounds for her to reload within in the AO, she could go hot and not worry about returning to the FOB to resupply. At the same time she knew the situation was degrading fast, cursed at herself for not arriving sooner than she did, and steadied her walking weapon platform in order to engage.

She achieved optimal stability, flicked her weapon safeties off and observed the situation further. The last thing she needed on her service record was friendly fire from a weapon that turned people into goop. The M68's hyper velocity impacts imparted more than a hundred times the ballistic energy of a standard issue 7.62x51mm cartridge, turning a 25mm entry wound into a massive exit wound that sent guts, bones, organs and anything else standing in the way directly to hell.

The lone Elite had been joined by his friends now, but the creature itself had appeared questioningly erratic. Its movements were unpredictable, but so fluid Young seriously thought it was dancing. It didn't matter, it was target #1, and its buddies were #2, #3 and #4.

All locked.

Zzzwooosh

One out... two out... three.

The M68 had fired three shots at a muzzle velocity of just under 13, 700 KM/s. They arrived instantly, imparted insane amounts of kinetic energy on whatever it hit, and continued through buildings at the end of the street... nearly a kilometer away, all before anyone could blink their eyes. The leading Elite peeled over, cut directly in half at the lower torso as the M68's 25x130mm HVLP/F round ignited sparks after passing through everything behind it, even though the projectile had been long gone.

Young's VISR went blurry for a moment, not from magnetic discharge, but from the software struggling to register the fountains of blood erupting from certainly dead bastards.

"I ain't the Calvary, but I'm all you got."

She launched a green smoke grenade to confirm she was friendly, but held her fire. She only had to many rounds, and targets of opportunity were critically important. She was hoping the Marines would IR lasso targets they'd like gone, but there was no way of communicating that directly.

[Faclan]

Taq - Ruuthian Sniper / Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Market District, in building
Well thats not fair.

It was an odd feeling this. Watching a battle unfolding with zero interest to take part in it. To the Covenant and to these humans he was a dead Kig. So why make them think otherwise? He would wait until those killers moved off. Doing that slapping each others hand thing they did and all their touching. Make them feel accomplished. Before a plasma lance would pick off one. Preferably their leader if he could figure out which one it was.

That is of course if they won this current street battle. Pocs hands gently tapping over the barrel of the beam rifle as he looked down from his closed dirty window. Ready to open it and start firing down if it looked like the Humans were doomed. That would also be acceptable if they died that way. But if he could get some extra shots in that would be better. One hand resting on the window latch as he watched it all unfold. Waiting for his chance to strike.

Before the building to his left gained a large hole and a spray of concrete and particles. Then a few ear ringing cracks from far down the street. Head tilting at this he barely paid the sliced in half Covenant forces any mind as he pushed open a ruined door to head to a different window with the scope out to peer at the cause of that.

And thankfully it wasn't hard to find. It was one of those accursed Human gun walking platforms. The ones so often sent toppling over after their legs were taken out. He could only see it however not any extra information as he had left Taq's sniper headgear on his body but that was a new piece of information he would need to keep in mind. That would complicate his assassination goals.

[Remnant]

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0330 Hours
Lead The Way

Seeing an Elite Ultra get blown to tiny bits from the waist down was definitely the highlight of MacAddy's day. Not to mention getting their asses saved by a walking mech. After popping green smoke to indicate friendly, the MANTIS began picking off targets, but it wasn't laying into everything in sight. It was probably running low on ammo and trying to conserve.

"Thanks for the save." MacAddy spoke into the short-range comms, curiously not getting a reply. MacAddy regrouped with his squad and began pushing up the street while the Covenant were in a slow retreat.

"Are there any more of you out there?" MacAddy radioed to the MANTIS pilot. Again, no reply. Comms unit must be down MacAddy thought.

"If you can hear me, take out priority targets and conserve your ammo. Any alien that looks important or particularly big, waste it." MacAddy spoke into the comms as he highlighted a couple of Elite Majors with an IR flash.

MacAddy, his squad and what remained of the platoon made another push up the street as the Grunts and Jackals began to fall one after another. Even their Elite leaders took several casualties as they too fell back to safety. Just as the two colliding forces reached a stalemate at an intersection, a pair of Hunters launched an overturned car into the sky. The car crashed into the middle of the intersection with a loud, roaring screech. MacAddy immediately highlighted the pair of Hunters with an IR flash as he riskily made his way to the new wall of cover in the middle of the intersection and ensuing crossfire, leading the way.

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating
Novus IV, Arkaus, Market Plaza

0330 Hours

Why Did The ODST Cross The Road?

    The two Elites in front of Moe Keating and Kele Huera were victims of high velocity impacts that left most of what was left of them streaked across the concrete. The ODST's watched in awe as their foes were obliterated without even the protection of their energy shields to soften the impact. Not that it would have mattered. The upper torsos of the Elites lie on top of what looked like piles of smashed blueberries, a shocked look of death imprinted upon their faces.

    "Holy shit," PFC Huera breathed just audible enough for Moe to hear. The carnage was incredible, and a little bit sickening. Moe just looked away, focusing on where they would be needed next. The battlefield dynamic had changed with the arrival of the mech, and it was a good thing too. He hadn't been sure if they were going to make it out of that one.

    "Tell me what you see, Lance Corporal." Moe ordered, waiting for more information before he moved out of cover. He scanned the plaza with his VISR, getting a good feel for what he could see, and making note of where his blind spots were. Until they pushed forwards they were going to have to rely on Smirnov's eyes for those.

    "There's not much close to you now. A couple of red Elites leading some Jackals. The Marines are mopping up a few squads of Grunts. Hold on," She paused, and several seconds passed before Deadshot spoke again. "There's a small concentration of reinforcements half a klick away from your position. They look like they're waiting for something." That can't be good, Moe thought.

    "Hunters!" The word of alarm instantly raised hairs on the back of Moe's neck, and he recklessly scrambled to the edge of the semi truck to get a better look.

    "Fuck me!" He cursed, watching the Hunters maliciously toss 2 ton cars around like children's toys. They were quickly lit up with an IR flash, and Moe noticed the Marine who had asked for help on his way to the Gauss 'hog was out there giving out orders. He seemed to be the one in charge.

    "Sparrow, let's meet up with those Marines! Won't hurt to coordinate. One at a time, we'll watch each others backs," then, activating his comms radio, Moe relayed the message to Lance Corporal Smirnov. "Watch our six Smirnov. I'm going to advance to the Marines' position."

    "Towards the Hunters?" Suzanna Smirnov asked, almost in disbelief. He had been trying not to think about it, but Moe could hardly believe it himself. The Hunters were behemoths, twelve foot tall shock troops that could tear apart almost anything. In fact, the mech was probably their only chance of defeating them. Without it, he knew, they were toast.

    "Affirmative, Lance Corporal." Was all Moe managed to say. He didn't even look at PFC Huera, the man who would be joining him into the thickest of the fighting. They don't call us helljumpers for nothing, Moe thought, not for the first time today.

    "Corporal? Private Boujettif's awake." The news surprised Moe, and he hardly had the time for it. But another trooper would be an excellent asset, and just in time.

    "Wake him up slow, Smirnov. Have him get his gear ready and do a weapons check. Sit tight, I don't want anything crazy. We'll rendezvous after we've dealt with the Hunters." Moe poked his head out from cover, eyes down the rifle of his DMR, searching for enemies between himself and the Marines. His crosshairs lined up with a pair of Jackals and he pulled the trigger, firing the last three rounds from his weapon. The first was caught unaware, and killed before it had the chance to raise it's shield gauntlet. The second turned just in time however, evading Moe's attack and returning fire.

    "Reloading!" He yelled, sliding back into cover as he yanked the empty magazine from the body of his DMR, tossing it into the rubble amongst countless other things that had been made useless by the current reality of war that gripped the planet. Sparrow waited a moment for the plasma to pass, then turned and fired his Battle Rifle, killing the surviving Jackal after his third shot.

    "The way's clear Corporal!" He yelled, turning to look at his fireteam leader for further directions.

    "Move Huera, now!" He ordered, watching closely for enemies with his rifle as Sparrow began to run towards the pinned down Marines, huge arcs of green plasma incinerating the air around them when they passed by in multiple directions, aiming for anything that moved. Walls of buildings collapsed when they were engulfed in the massive plasma streams, and Moe hoped that one of them wouldn't get a bead on PFC Huera.

    Sparrow made the run, however, and waved to Moe once he was there. Realizing he was next in line to dodge the green lasers, he mentally prepared to run towards them instead of away. And pushed with all of his strength into the ground, each leg pumping for all it was worth, running as fast as he could. At first everything went as planned, but then one of the Hunter's must've caught sight of him, as the verdant plasma lance began to move in his direction, slowly at first, but then fast enough to overtake him. No no no no no, not like this! He thought, internally screaming in frustration.

    Suddenly the air was peppered with the sound of fully automatic gunfire, and Moe could see sparks as bullets pinged off of the nearly impenetrable armor of the Hunters. The one firing at him roared in anger, and turned towards the building that Lance Corporal Smirnov and Private Boujettif were holed up in, and Moe turned as well to see Bougie firing his MK-280 LMG in an attempt to suppress the Hunters and allow Moe to make the wall. So much for avoiding anything crazy, Moe thought, though he was grateful for the intervention. Without it he may not have made it across the street alive.

    Slamming against the wall and saying a silent thanks for the moment of safety, Moe quickly turned towards the Marine, noting the Sergeant's insignia on his uniform.

    "Corporal Moe Keating, current CO of these ODST's. You in charge here Sergeant?"

[Remnant]

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0335 Hours
David And Goliath

Every one of MacAddy's rounds pinged off both Hunters' plated armor. Sparks flew off of each Hunter as they were battered with an overwhelming amount of small-arms fire. The Hunters just shrugged off the impacts, roaring with an inhumane shriek that sent chills down MacAddy's spine. One of the Hunters, the one on the left, turned towards him. He could clearly see the hate in the creature's four green glowing eyes on the sides of its helmet. It let out a loud, guttural roar as it brought up its fuel rod cannon and took aim. As its weapon charged, it glowed a bright, vibrant neon green that lit up the encroaching darkness and thick ashfall.

"Well, come on then. Get on with it, you son of a bitch!" MacAddy yelled, firing another burst as the hulking behemoth's cannon nearly finished charging. Just as it was about to unleash death, the Hunter exploded into an orange shower of gore and worms. The MANTIS had sent an M68 round directly into the Hunter's center of mass, pulverizing the creature into oblivion. MacAddy retreated behind the overturned car, dipping back into cover. He peeked his head over the crushed heap of metal.

The second Hunter turned to the source of its brother's demise, and roared with the fury of a grieving survivor. Raising its cannon, the Hunter fired towards the MANTIS. Taking advantage of the distraction, MacAddy maneuvered around and took cover behind a pillar in front of a burned out bank, still pushing up the street. The Hunter remained engaged with the MANTIS in the middle of the intersection. Just in time, an ODST slammed into the wall next to him, getting into his own slab of cover.

"Corporal Moe Keating, current CO of these ODST's. You in charge here, Sergeant?" The ODST asked.

"Yeah, something like that." MacAddy said as he pulled the pin to a frag grenade and lobbed it towards the Hunter while its back was turned. The Hunter vaguely looked over its shoulder and smacked the grenade out of the air with its plated shield, sending it further down the street. A loud BOOM ringed in MacAddy's ears as dirt, dust and pebbles were kicked up into the air. The Hunter turned its attention back towards the MANTIS and fired another blob of superheated plasma at the machine.

"Sully, gather the rest of the squad and regroup on my position. We're gaining ground but it's not enough with that giant freak in the way." MacAddy said over the comms, eyes on the Hunter. "How's your morning been so far, Corporal?" MacAddy asked Keating as nonchalantly as possible.

[Faclan]

Taq - Ruuthian Sniper / Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Market District, in building
One sided story time.

Pulling over a chair to the dirty window Poc set himself up to watch. Leaning forward so the carbine over his back wasn't jamming into his back against the chair as he watched the battle. It was still an odd feeling. Almost no fear despite all the noise and death down there for him. This was almost like hearing the story of a battle from someone else. And then the Lekgolo showed up! His brother would relate for example. Before the Human walking gun exploded one. Which sucked for the Covenant forces that seemed to be starting to lose heart as more and more of them were flattened by this walker. It was Odd, Poc thought and would reply to his brother in the hypothetical situation of him explaining the battle, that no Covenant vehicles had arrived yet.

Were they being held up somewhere? Currently mortaring some other target? Maybe they had managed to move around the city and were moving to bomb the Human base someway. That would sure put a dampener on the Humans who seemed to be winning this street battle. Pocs eyes keeping watch on the Blacks however as they moved and spread out. The one by themselves looked promising as some kind of leader type. His hands resting over the beam rifle over his lap. Some of his potential had been spent sure but it still had enough to send several more of them rapidly down to the sea floor. Just needed the right time.

So for now he nodded as his brother - please continue. Lets see if the story continues on his current track or gets a sudden twist that ends up setting the pages on fire.

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating
Novus IV, Arkaus, Market Plaza
0335 Hours
Tactical Withdrawal

    A splash of orange in Moe’s peripheral vision caused him to turn his gaze towards what was left of the Hunter that Private Boujettif had been firing at, which was actually quite a lot. A large amount of the armor was still intact, but it had been ripped into pieces by the impact of the gauss round. Some of the worms still moved, probably death spasms Moe assumed, but his focus turned to the battle at hand after a quiet thank you to whoever was piloting the MANTIS.

    "Yeah, something like that." MacAddy said as he pulled the pin to a frag grenade and lobbed it towards the remaining Hunter while its back was turned. "How's your morning been so far, Corporal?" MacAddy asked Keating as nonchalantly as possible.

    “Sunshine and rainbows, Sergeant!” Moe replied jokingly, but his voice did not reflect it, instead coming out firm and serious. “Listen, our orders are to evac as many people on the ground as possible. With the help of that MANTIS we should be able to make a tactical withdrawal from the plaza, but only if we move now! Covenant are gathering reinforcements half a kilometer to the South and it doesn’t look good for us once they come this way!”

    Moe paused and fired three more rounds from his rifle at the enemy. Thankfully the Hunter was distracted by the MANTIS, but other ground troops continued to fire at their position. Two of the rounds hit an Elite in the chest, and the third was a close miss as the enemy ducked into cover. The only good news was that the enemy had stopped advancing, for the moment. If they could break the assault for even a moment they would have a chance to regroup.

    “The only problem, Sergeant, is the rest of my squad came down somewhere in these streets and are currently MIA! I’d like to find them, if possible. Additionally, do you know of any other survivors in the area? Anyone still in the plaza when we pull out is as good as dead!” Sticky blue blobs of plasma hit the top of Moe’s cover and he ducked his head down, waiting for a break in enemy fire. PFC Huera used this opportunity to reload his weapon, tossing a spent clip aside and yelling “reloading!” for those nearby to hear.

    Machine gun and sniper rifle fire from Private Boujettif and Lance Corporal Sminov suppressed the aliens firing at Moe’s, Sparrow’s, and MacAddy’s positions, and Moe motioned to Sparrow to engage coordinated fire against the enemies before they could react. Counting down with his fingers, Moe closed his fist to indicate “engage” and the two ODST’s leaned out from cover. An Elite in blue stood in cover beside and slightly behind two Grunts who were not in cover but standing on top of it, making them almost as tall as the Elite. Keating and Huera fired in unison against the two Grunts, and both fell in unison as they were hit by the force of the shock troopers’ weapons. The ODST’s fired quickly in an attempt to neutralize the Elite even as the Grunts were falling but their deaths had tipped him off and he fell back out of their line of sight.

    Keating and Huera put the wall between them and the enemy as they took a deep breath and prepared to make their next move. As Moe had already said, time was running out. And he was beginning to fear it was already too late for Sergeant Miller and the rest of their squad…

Major John Maxime André
Novus IV, Arkaus, Residential District B - Graytown
0330 Hours
Soldier Poet

    Major John André awoke with a fit of coughing, spitting furiously in an effort to remove the ash from his mouth. Try as he might, he hadn’t been able to properly get the ash out of, well, everything, since they had moved into Graytown. It was downright irritating, all this ash, but a small price to pay in return for a relatively safe haven from the current invasion. It was extremely difficult to navigate this district of the city, and both the Covenant and the UNSC didn’t want anything to do with it, so far.

    Unable to fall back asleep the intelligence major of the URF procured a physical, paper journal from his bedroll and flipped it open to a mostly blank page. Paper had been obsolete for some time now, but André disliked the way everything digital made his eyes feel. Too much staring at a screen caused him minor but painful eye strain, so he avoided it as much as he could. Removing the pen from the binding of the journal, he looked down at the beginnings of a poem he had been writing and began to think, losing himself in the words.

    Kenopsia, a city abandoned
Markets owned by plasma cannons
Overlords that give us war
Deny us freedom; that and more

    Enemies on every front
Families that take the brunt
Of our supposed ‘leader’s” failings
Soldiers strong and worker’s ailing

    He paused, listening to the distant sounds of plasma beams glassing the planet’s surface, and pondered whether the Covenant could truly be reasoned with. This was his home planet, after all. But if the United Earth Government had simply allowed them independence, the Covenant wouldn’t be here right now, he was sure of it. He had spoken with the Covenant before. He knew that their true enemy was the UNSC. But it was easy to forget in the heart of battle, in the midst of this siege. The aliens were bloodthirsty, and had shown no discrimination or mercy in their slaughter. Everyone was killed, including families and children. It was atrocious. The very kind of thing that Major André was fighting to get away from.

    He felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, and for a moment it felt as if he might explode. Damn the UNSC, he thought, and thumped his fist on the table next to his journal. He didn’t have time for another thought when he heard quiet but solid sounds of footsteps approaching his tent. They got closer, then suddenly stopped, and he heard quiet talking outside of the tent.

    “Hold there, comrade. What’s it for ya?” This voice belonged to the man standing guard outside his tent, a loyal rebel named Rurik Borisov. He had served with Majore André for several years now, and John was glad to have him by his side during the current crisis.

    “Important news for the Major, Rurik! It can’t wait.” This voice was out of breath, and belonged to a woman. Major André did not recognize her voice.

    “How important? It’s early Lacey, Major André needs his rest.” Rurik was moving to stop her, by the sounds outside the tent. John pulled on his boots and his dress shirt, then stood and headed outside. No point in making them wait when he was already awake.

    “Rurik, the whole camp is in danger! I have to speak to him now!” The woman identified as Lacey was saying just as Major André was exiting the tent. She looked at the Major and froze, stiffening and saluting as soon as she saw him.

    “No need, Rurik, I’m awake now. What have you got for me?” John asked, and Rurik stood aside at the sound of his voice, though he still looked angrily at the woman. Rurik was not one that generally enjoyed being disobeyed, especially by a subordinate.

    “Corporal Lacey Morgan, Major. I’ve found information about the sewer system you’re going to want to see.” Without pause, Lacey pulled out a small holo-projector that displayed the beginnings of what looked like a large network of underground tunnels.

    “There’s a sewer entrance here in Graytown. It looks like a dead end at first, but if you keep going,” she moved the hologram with her hands and zoomed in on an area hidden in the corner at the end of a corridor, “you can see that here there is a pathway to the rest of the system. Sir, it’s the belief of me and my team that this system connects to the rest of the city.”

    “We could use this to our advantage,” Sergeant Borisov added, and Major André nodded in agreement. Corporal Morgan, however, shook her head.

    “One of our scouts managed to get a good look at the Energy district yesterday. The Covenant are excavating there, and have turned the center into a giant sinkhole. If they’re not already planning to stage an attack from the tunnels, they will be soon. Unless the UNSC beat them to it.”

[Faclan]

Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Market District, under the street
Heading to ground.

The gun platform kept doing its work as it seemed like the Humans were pushing back this street. Which was a shame as the more Poc sat and watched the more his immediate desire for vengeance for his friend was slipping away. It would give him satisfaction no doubt to send a plasma lance through the helmet of the leader but through the smoke and dust he couldn't determine which one that was. Which really sucked. Sure he could just start blasting and maybe hed get lucky but hed be blown apart for sure by that platform. And then sure hed be in Aecor's cannonade crew with Taq but he did like living. And these Sky Fallers were very unlikely to leave once this street was done. And so unlike the grand majority of Kig-Yar Poc nodded as he stood up. He would be patient, and wait.

Moving to the back of the room he was in he switched out the beam rifle for his carbine and held that at low ready as he headed down the stairs. Larger rifle snug on his back as he descended. Another opportunity would present itself to him and then hed take it. But he stopped to ascend again to take Taqs helmet and basic comms unit. Just in case it was needed later. Slipping the spotting visor over his face but leaving it off as he tapped the end of his beak to his friend and made sure he had a good grip of the knife. He'd make it up to him. Just not in an immediate fire back. Better to wait for the enemy crew to get confident so their loss could be all the sweeter. His own plasma pistol had more charge and so with that he left. And soon enough was on the ground floor of the street battle.

It didn't take long to find what he was looking for as he crouch walked around. An entrance to the tunnels so many of these Human cities had. And not only that but there was one of the Black Humans! Dead it seemed, and the cooked flesh and tiny entry hole showed it had been a beam rifle. Tore most of his left arm off! It had been an expert shot by Taq, well done friend. Well sucks for this human but frak um. Keeping his ear holes alert he moved over and prodded the helmet with a foot while pointing his carbine at it. Nothing. It would be a fine initial trophy as he quickly pulled that helmet off and clipped it on his belt. And then it was a simple matter of pulled up the manhole cover and dropping the tiny fifteen feet down to the small water. It smelt bad but not much worse than all the burning and death above.

And without ever considering replacing the cover the Kig sloshed off down the sewer tunnel. Letting his eyes adjust as he held that carbine ready. Plasma pistol and ODST helmet on his thighs, and beam rifle across his back. Sniper headgear alert but deactivated as he moved off to see what he could find. See what Aecor was going to have swell his way.

[Remnant]

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0340 Hours
Tick Tock, Said The Clock

"Sunshine and rainbows, Sergeant!" Corporal Keating replied to MacAddy's question. MacAddy listened intently to Keating's plan of action and nodded in agreement. They needed to be gone yesterday, but they still had Marines and potential civilians in the vicinity. MacAddy didn't take kindly to leaving people behind. Sullivan, Kallighan and Burroughs regrouped on MacAddy's position, Alpha team and Bravo team falling in line. 2nd Squad was up, minus two casualties; one from each team. Both Privates were caught in a volley of plasma that had cut them down before they could find cover.

"Son, I don't know where in Sam Hill you’re seeing sunshine at a quarter to four in the morning, but you let me know what you’re smoking so I can buy some next time I’m on leave.” MacAddy humoured the Corporal. “As it stands, First Platoon is in the shitter. Staff Sergeant Morales got kebab’d by that polished shitstain on the ground over there, courtesy of the Mantis. Naturally, I’m next in line in the see-oh-see. First’s scattered around this intersection, but the squads are close enough that regrouping here shouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, the rest of Charlie Company is somewhere around this block and there’s no telling who’s gotten lost where. On top of that, civilian presence is unknown. We towed a few stragglers as we were getting pushed back; they’re either charred or gone with the wind.”

As Keating and his comrade felled two Grunts, MacAddy peaked his head around the pillar. The blue-armored Elite retreated as the trio opened fire as it quickly disappeared from sight. Reloading, MacAddy turned towards Keating. “My squad and I will help you find your missing soldiers, but we better work fast. If those Covie reinforcements are as much of a threat as you say they are, we’re all about to be knee-deep in a creek of shit.” As MacAddy finished speaking, the remaining Hunter’s roar could be heard echoing through the streets. How in the hell is that thing not dead yet?! MacAddy thought to himself, as he and his squad opened fire on an approaching squad of Grunts and Jackals, no Elite leader in sight.

[NinjaBoss]

ODST Corporal Moe Keating
Novus IV, Arkaus, Market Plaza
0340 Hours
Marco?

    Sergeant MacAddy assured Moe that he would help him find his missing squadmates, which should’ve given him hope that they’d find them all in one piece. It didn’t help much, however, as Moe could only imagine what horrible fate the lone ODST’s would have met in the city streets, isolated and exposed. Thankfully the Marines’ 1st Platoon was nearby enough to regroup, but the rest were lost in the darkness of the city ruins just like the ODST’s who had been sent to save them. And while Moe had known that helljumping into the partially glassed ruins of a war-torn planet wouldn’t be a cakewalk, he had to admit that there weren’t many things that hadn’t gone wrong. Murphy’s law, or so they’d say in the 20th and 21st centuries.

    The sound of the Hunter’s roar faded as its massive fuel rod cannon began to glow menacingly, turning in the direction of the MANTIS. The two enemy behemoths circled each other in a deadly game of chicken, and there was no doubt that there wouldn’t be much left of whichever was the loser. Nearby the combined fire of Moe’s ODST’s and MacAddy’s Marines managed to halt the advance of the Covenant front line, but it was clear that it would not last forever. Hell, they’d be lucky if they lasted more than 20 minutes before being overrun if something didn’t change soon.

    “Bring your Marines back ASAP Sergeant! I’m designating this block as our rendezvous point!” Moe shouted as he reached into one of his chest pockets and ignited a flare. The red cylinder erupted with bright green light as it began to exhale clouds of green smoke, indicating a friendly presence in the area. “This should broadcast that to anyone without access to comms! My sniper and I are going out to search for any lost or wounded that can’t make it on their own, and in the meantime I’m going to leave you with my machine gunner and marksman, Private Boujettif and Private First Class Huera”. Moe gestured towards Bougie, easily the largest member of his squad at 1.9 meters and 97 kilograms, and Sparrow, more average sized, both currently firing at the Covenant wave.

    “I advise you to begin withdrawing no later than 10 minutes from now Sergeant. I don’t think we’ll hold much longer than that.”

Major John Maxime André
Novus IV, Arkaus, Residential District B - Graytown
0340 Hours
Sewer rats

    The soldiers of the United Rebel Front that had been chosen for the expedition into the sewer tunnels yawned as they gathered their equipment, quickly eating something for breakfast or drinking coffee or other stimulants to wake themselves up. Major André had decided to enter and explore the tunnel system in search of any advantages or secrets they may hide. At the very least there was the possibility of rescuing lost civilians that could join the cause. Not only that, but John loved his people. He would do everything he could to evacuate anyone still alive on Novus IV, but this reminded him of one further difficulty he and his rebels faced: They still had no way to leave the planet.

    Major André packed his journal along with the rest of his military equipment: His Model 2417 Assault Rifle, an M6B handgun, and two stolen M9 frag grenades and an M10 stun grenade. He also packed three extra magazines for each weapon and what was left of his field rations. The last thing he put away was a combat knife, and he lamented the fact that he did not have any biofoam to bring on the journey. Their supplies were running dangerously low, and unfortunately they would have to go without medical care until after evacuating the planet.

    “Are you sure this is a good idea Major?” Corporal Lacey Morgan asked again, having just finished readying her own things. Though she was staunchly against the expedition, she had volunteered to go just the same, perhaps out of a sense of duty. She was the one who found the tunnel systems, after all.

    “I’m not, Corporal. But we don’t have any choice. If we don’t find a way out of here soon, we’re never going to leave.” Lacey nodded at his answer, a look of grim acceptance displayed across her face. She had to understand, even if she didn’t like it. The rebels were out of options.

    “The men are ready, Major André”. This time it was Sergeant Rurik Borisov who spoke, another volunteer for the expedition. Rurik held Major André in very high esteem, and was unwilling to let him go on a dangerous mission alone. The two friends had been through difficult situations before, and John was glad to have him by his side. Quite frankly, he had never been in straits as dire as these, and the company of a trusted comrade with good judgment was reassuring.

    “Then it’s time for us to leave.” John spoke the words quietly, standing as he did so and tossing his Model 2417 Assault Rifle over his shoulder while Corporal Morgan began the long descent into the sewer tunnels. As the team’s cartographer she had been chosen to go first, leading the way and mapping the tunnel system as they went along. Sergeant Borisov went second, and Major André followed, climbing onto the rusty ladder rungs as Rurik disappeared into the darkness below. Eight others followed the Major, numbering eleven individuals in total. John felt his feet touch the cold, damp sewer floor after a descent that felt like forever. And just then Corporal Morgan activated a flashlight that illuminated the room.

[Faclan]

Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Market District Sewers, heading toward Residential B
Still a good idea?

As was the case with well...most decisions in his life as more time went on the more Poc was considering this was a really bad idea. Here he was, alone, in the sewers of a human city. Sloshing his way through the mid shin depth foul smelling water as he rolled it over in his mind. Alone, human sewers, and well in a warzone. So really was it that bad? He was alive right. Sure that was great but should the Covenant win? His body would likely never be recovered down here. And while Aecor didn't care much about that really as space losses were mostly forgiven it was still a little disheartening. But he was down here...when would he know to go back up? He had passed a few of the metal spike in the wall ladders like he saw when he came down here but the writing on the wall was just gibberish to him.

What if he finally picked one pretty much at random and it was right into a UNSC planning room? Then hed be dead if he was lucky or given over to those twisted Black Eye Humans. Making him shudder and unfortunately look back down the pitch black hallway he had just came from. He had no idea how to get back. Freezing mid step Poc gripped the carbine tighter as he took a deep breath. Calm down. He was safe here for the most part. There wasn't going to suddenly be humans out of the walls. He would be fine. Looking down at the damaged ODST helmet he took another breath and started to look up before he tilted his head.

Voices. Human. Coming...down one of the hallways? The deactivate sniper headgear looking one way then the other as he tried to work out where from? Behind or in front. His heart starting to beat faster as he tried to be still to listen. His eyes roving in the darkness to try and find a place to hide or escape. And there was no ladder here. Just a small depression in the wall that looked like it once held a piece of equipment. And there was now no time to considering what might have been there as the direction was confirmed as weak but still blinding light started to melt around the corner ahead of him. They were coming quickly. Taking the beam rifle off his back so he could stand with his back against the wall the spotter hopped up and thunked his back into the small depression as he tried to hold his beak against his chest so it wouldn't stick out. Both long arms resting stock first against the ground as he held them against his thighs.

He honestly looked a lot like a statue like this as the voices and light got louder and bright before the Humans arrived. From the tiny amount of them Poc could see with his light smother eyes and looking down they sure didn't look UNSC but that was a far concern from his mind really. They were still Humans - a huge ten plus line of them. Even if they were fishers they would likely still kill him for the fun of it. But...but they had walked past him? All of them!? Poc slowly letting out the breath he had been holding as he relaxed just a little. He may be good.

That was until the beam rifle tilted a bit too far to the side and knocked the ODST helmet off his belt. Which landed with a whump and a tinkle as some of the already damaged faceplate cracked some more. The helmet taunted the soon to be executed Poc by lazily rolling out of his tiny hiding spot and stopping right in the middle of the floor.

"Nfe'lan," the Humans would hear hissed out, a word that would get Poc smacked upside the head if any mother was around before there was a ragged breath as they had all turned to look before a few items would come to join that helmet. A beam rifle, a Covenant carbine, and then the slow out stepping of what seemed to be a Jackal Sniper. Headgear and all. Who had his hands up, open, and facing the Humans at just above shoulder level as he seemed to have his eyes closed?

Poc not only not wanting to see his death coming but also to keep himself from being completely blinded by the bright flashlight to his currently night adjusted eyes. It would be better to die standing that crouching in a corner after all. Right? His hands and knees easily seen to be shaking in the interrogation light.

[NinjaBoss]

Major John Maxime André
Novus IV, Arkaus, Residential District B - Graytown
0345 Hours
Sewer…. birds?

"Nfe'lan”, John and the rest of his squad heard in a voice too alien to be human. The language was unlike anything he had ever heard as well, and the Major felt certain it had to be Covenant. Slipping his finger onto the trigger of his Model 2417 Assault Rifle John prepared to fire at whatever beast they were about to encounter, and at the same he noticed the damaged helmet of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper lying on the cold sewer floor. He barely had time to wonder what the hell it was doing there when two sleek Covenant rifles quickly joined the helmet and a bipedal, bird-like creature stepped out from its hiding place, two trembling hands in the air. A jackal, he thought.

“Covenant! Should I smoke him Major?” One of the rebels, a woman by the name of Private Judith Collinger, shouted as she rushed forwards with an M45 Tactical Shotgun and nearly thrust it into the chest of the frightened alien. Everyone else had their weapons ready as well, and it was a miracle that none of the startled soldiers had fired at the jackal.

“No! Not yet, at least. He looks like he’s surrendering.” John lowered his own rifle and approached the alien, looking down at its weapons as an afterthought.

“Take his guns, private. And the helmet as well. Hopefully some of it still works.” Private Judith Collinger flashed Poc a bloodthirsty look and pressed the muzzle of her shotgun into his skin before finally lowering the weapon and doing as she was told. John made a mental note to keep a close eye on her and turned to the jackal, deciding to try and communicate with it.

“Um.. Are you surrendering? Because, well, we accept. I am Major John André with the United Rebel Front.” He gestured to himself, using his hands to try and get the meaning across to the alien. Unlikely, unless the creature had been in contact with humans before. “We are not enemies of the Covenant. We fight the UNSC too.” He looked dumbly at the jackal for a moment before getting an idea. Turning to the private that he ordered to pick up the jackal’s equipment, he reached for the ODST helmet and showed it to the jackal, then made a throat cutting gesture at the bottom of the helmet, where the neck would be. Hopefully the alien would get the message.

[Remnant]

SGT Gary MacAddy
Novus IV, "Nyx" - Capital City "Arkaus", Market Plaza - Commercial District
0350 Hours
Polo!

The green smoke illuminated the night, rising into the clouded darkness. That small spark of hope might be enough to draw in the remaining UNSC forces in the area, but they didn't have long. Ten minutes was all MacAddy could give them. If they weren't here at 0400 hours, he prayed for their safety and deliverance. MacAddy activated his comms, transmitting to Charlie Company's local frequency on the encrypted UNSC broadband. "C-Co, this is Sergeant MacAddy. Rally on First Platoon's location, look for the green smoke. If your asses aren't here in the next ten mikes, you're gonna have to find your own way back to Delta FOB. We're initiating a full retreat, I say again, we're initiating a full retreat." MacAddy shouldered his MA5C as he radioed on the local net once more. "Everyone, form a firing line! We're holding this position until the rest of C-Co regroups. Not one step back!"

Every remaining Marine in the AO dug into cover, whether it was ruined vehicles, collapsed rubble or the unstable buildings. They created a makeshift line north of the intersection, essentially barricading the narrow street with their numbers and firepower. MacAddy himself took position behind an elongated jersey barrier, Boujettif and Huera on either side of him. 2nd Squad took up fortified positions near them, forming their portion of the firing line. MacAddy mounted his rifle on the barrier and flipped the safety selector switch. Everyone held their breath as the MANTIS and the Hunter circled each other slowly around the entire intersection, like two predators poised to strike. The Covenant forces to the south held their position, joining the UNSC in watching the battle of the giants.

Without warning, the Hunter sent a green glob of incendiary gel towards the MANTIS, narrowly missing it. The blazing ball of superheated gel vaporized the side of a building in a massive explosion, raining bits and pebbles of debris on top of the Marines. Although it sped well past the MANTIS, the incendiary gel had come close enough to partially melt the armor plating on its right side, the metal fusing together in various places including the leg. The armor held up, but the damage done was clearly more than cosmetic. However, without being in the pilot seat, MacAddy had no way of making a true damage assessment. In response to the Hunter's first strike, the MANTIS fired off a round from its M68 Gauss but failed to acquire a proper lock-on. The Hunter, unexpectedly agile for its immense size, leapt out of the way. A crater was created where the beast formerly stood. The behemoth roared, sprinting towards the MANTIS in a fit of rage. It closed the distance much faster than a creature of its magnitude should have been able to, or so MacAddy thought. Plunging the pointed end of its shield into the side of the MANTIS, the Hunter tore through several servos, ripping out its shield violently. Chunks of metal, gears and parts splayed out into the street, streaks of oil puddling as it poured out of the machine's carapace. Side by side, the MANTIS towered over the Hunter as it fell into its combat crouch.

The creature roared once more, rage overcoming its senses. Before it could react, the MANTIS swiftly kicked the Hunter with the force of a speeding metro train. The machine's robotic hoof connected with the Hunter's upper torso in a downward strike, propelling it straight into the ground. The Hunter was dragged through the asphalt, creating shockwaves of broken rubble as the ground shattered beneath it. The titan tried to get to its feet, but it wasn’t quick enough. The MANTIS kicked it over onto its back, then executed a powered stomp through the Hunter’s exposed thorax as it bellowed one last time. Its outer shell exploded into a thousand pieces and a shower of gore as orange goo painted the surrounding area. Wriggling worms slithered off the MANTIS’ frame and from beneath the Hunter’s corpse, disappearing into the shroud of darkness. The machine whined and groaned, damaged servos and hydraulics grinding against each other. Raising its M68 towards the shell-shocked Covenant forces, it slowly backed up towards the UNSC’s frontline. It was much slower than before, the frame damaged and in drastic need of repairs. Although it maintained firepower, it wouldn’t belong until its durability became negligible in the face of overwhelming odds.

A single white-armored Elite stepped forward, calmly and precisely. Silence filled the chilled crisp air as the temperature began to rapidly drop. The glassings had stopped momentarily, the air around them no longer being heated by constant plasma bombardment. Even the glowing atmosphere began to dim, darkness consuming everything. MacAddy was forced to activate his helmet’s NVD filter, granting him limited night vision. With it he could see the Elite was now standing still, glaring at the UNSC forces and the MANTIS that now guarded them. It activated its Energy sword, its burning light piercing the darkness surrounding it. Pointing it towards its enemies, the Elite Ultra let out a war cry as it charged into the black, crossing the intersection. The rest of the Covenant forces followed suit, opening fire with a vicious volley of plasma. The Marines returned fire with a payload of assault rifles and SAWs, suppressing the incoming Covenant warriors with a wall of bullets and slowing their advance to a crawl. MacAddy opened fire on a fireteam of Grunts, as Boujettif laid down suppressing fire and Huera picked off the few Jackals providing support.

“Two behind the overturned car.” MacAddy signaled a pair of Grunts to Boujettif with an IR flash. Slapping a fresh magazine into his MA5C, MacAddy rode the bolt forward and fired another burst.

“I see ‘em, sending rounds downrange.” Boujettif said, aiming towards the flipped trigger and holding down the trigger. His MK-280 began chattering back and forth with MacAddy’s rifle, although the SAW was much faster than the AR.

“Four more coming left!” Huera called out, firing several three-round bursts from his BR-55. He felled a single Jackal as Boujettif shifted fire to the left, taking care of the three remaining Grunts.

“I’m runnin’ low!” Boujettif called out, maintaining fire superiority as his reserves depleted rapidly.

“I gotcha covered!” MacAddy offered, peppering a pair of Jackals with semi-automatic fire. “Roger, reloading!” Boujettif replied as the drum mag ran dry, the bolt remaining open with the last round fired. Ducking his head as he opened the feed tray cover, Boujettif pushed the chain-link rounds into the tray to be chambered. Brass to the grass, links to the sky. He closed the feed tray cover and rode the bolt forward. Mounting the weapon’s bipod to the barrier, he clicked the safety off and opened fire.

MacAddy took aim at a blue-armored Elite quickly heading their way, the leader of the group finally revealing itself. The Elite's shields lit up as he tanked a steady stream of bullets. It vaulted over a pile of rubble and into a fireteam of Marines from 1st Squad. The Elite took them by surprise and opened fire at point blank. Two blobs of plasma struck a single marine in the chest, while the alien grabbed another marine, lifting her into the air before it slammed her into the asphalt. The warrior tossed the now-limp marine beyond the barricade and into a waiting crowd of Jackals. They tore into her flesh and bone, feasting on the corpse that had become their prized meal. Alpha team from 2nd Squad, led by Lance Corporal Kallighan, surrounded the Elite and opened fire. MacAddy ordered them to fall back, but Kallighan foolishly pressed the attack. His glory-seeking cost him dearly, as the Elite quickly grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. His screaming only lasted hardly a second as the creature crushed his neck, snapping his spine with its massive hand. Damn it, Kallighan. MacAddy thought to himself. The Elite dropped his body, bull-rushing MacAddy’s position and swatting the remaining marines out of the way. Boujettif opened fire on the menacing threat, MacAddy and Huera joining in with their weapons. The assailant’s shields finally popped just as it was right on top of them. Corporal Sullivan and Corpsman Keaton arrived on the scene, round after round battering the warrior’s armor plating. It turned its attention towards them, shoving Sullivan out of the way. Quickly and effortlessly, the Elite placed both of its hands around Keaton’s head, snapping it violently but cleanly in a 180° motion. The loud Pop! her neck made was not a sound MacAddy would forget anytime soon.

The Elite moved towards Sully as he crawled backwards on the ground, trying to keep any distance he could. Taking advantage of the distraction, MacAddy drew his kukri from its sheath and clambered onto the Elite’s back. He climbed onto its broad shoulders and tried to force its head away, exposing its neck. He plunged the combat knife into the alien’s neck, then into its eye. The creature roared in pain, grabbing MacAddy and flipping him onto the ground, knocking every last bit of breath out of his body. Not at all the killing blow MacAddy thought he had delivered. The creature had him pinned against the asphalt, saliva hitting his face as it roared with fury. There was nothing MacAddy could do. His muscles ached, his lungs burned. His ribs felt as though they were fractured if not outright broken from the impact against the ground. Before the Elite could deliver the killing blow, Sullivan fired a round straight through the beast’s skull. It slumped over onto its back, twitching and seizing as blood oozed from the new wound. With renewed vigor, MacAddy rolled onto the creature and stabbed it in the other eye, making sure to strike as deep as it would go. Positive that the blade had reached its brain, he twisted the knife for good measure, before taking it out and sheathing it. MacAddy slumped against the jersey barricade, sitting with his back against the wall. He tried to catch his breath but once again, everything hurt more than words could describe. His adrenaline was wearing off and the wages of war were beginning to catch up to him.

“Thanks, Sully. I owe you one. Big time.” MacAddy said, wheezing and coughing. They only had a few more minutes before the area was compromised and they would be forced into a full retreat. The long night was almost over, but the battle - and the war to go with it - was far from it.

[Faclan]

Poc - Ruuthian Spotter
Residential B sewers
Still alive?

Bright light and silence. Was he dead already? The humans guns fired bullets at a very fast speed would he have not even heard it go off before he was falling backwards dead? Likely with blood fountaining from his large neck as the humans laughed and kicked his lifeless body. Thats what he had seen Humans do before through his scope before he and Taq would take aim at them and start firing. Taq...hed be seeing him soon right? In Aecors Canon crew ready to aim and fire at those who had betrayed or been cowards in life. But then the scuffing of boots and shouting?

Pocs bright pink eyes opening up a small amount more as the blinding light was still pointed at him as he could see the sillouted form of boots. With one heading right for him! Was this it?! Before he tried to look up more. Squinting as his eyes dimmed slightly to try and not blind him as he could see a shape pointing another shape at his lungs. Sounded female. Probably screaming about how he was an alien. But nothing. Just staring at him as another shape moved forward. Saying other things that sure were words before the first shape moved to his side before prodding the...shotgun? Yeah shotgun as his eyes slowly adjusted to the light. Into his neck. The Jackal urgling unhappily at that but staying still as his two long arms were picked up. Before the confirmed female reached out and snatched his plasma pistol too.

He wasn't dead yet. This wasn't any afterlife he had been told about. Ok this was good. Taking a deep breath he tried to remember what his old gang leader had told him. Not parents Aecor no they were never around. If the enemy doesn't open fire they want to talk. Its business now. So talk well. But he didn't understand what they were saying? And they likely wouldn't either?!

The shaking at least slowing down on the alien as he moved one arm back to his side as the other tried to shield his eyes from the light. He was almost back to normal but not quite yet as he watched the older human say some things before pointing all around himself and then the helmet. Motioning that he was cutting it? No he hadn't cut off the head as he clicked and hummed a little before trying to speak.

"I took that from a dead Drop Troop up top. Killed by my sniper...friend." Looking over the older human some more as he head tilted. "You do not look eUNessC. Are you some strike force?" Before he looked down at the helmet in the males hands as it spluttered and made some other noises. Quiet. Poc looking at it and then the human before licking his lips and looking at the angry female again. She looked the most angry. The rest he was starting to make out just looked confused.