Mission 3 Part 2: Setback after setback...

[hollowsaber]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Beneath Bracknell, Furrow and his ONI team were silent. Each stared at the map at Greenland to where ONI had sent Raptor in to handle the situation. From their last transmission; it sounded like the Covenant were handling it. Never a good sign. Furrow walked to the SPARTANs who were still trying to talk to their commander and looked to the microphone and the table.

“009, do what you have to do. We’ve got big problems right now. We need you down here ASAP. Do what you have to do, but right now; we need every fucking soldier we can get.” Furrow cut the COM to the SPARTAN leader and looked to the other three.
“As of this moment…. You’re all under my command…”

Furrow growled in the back of his throat as a new updated map was put onto the screen… The purple was the covenant, and the Green the UNSC…


There was a lot of purple.

“We’ve lost Greenland ladies and gentlemen. The Covenant broke the walls five minutes ago, and Raptor pulled back along with the UNSC forces there. They set charges and leveled the base. It’s a heaping rock of nothing now. At the moment, we’ve called them back for the defense of Glasgow. Foely has been told to do his mission that he was assigned, and we had planned to send you guys out to support. Things have changed obviously so he and Reaper are on their own. I’m unsure what they are doing upstairs; but I know what we are.” Furrow walked to the map and expanded it on Glasgow where several Green dots labeled different places where they needed to go.

“Gold Team you are to move out immediately after this and secure Gate Alpha. This is the main gate, and where everyone out there will be coming through. Link up with Raptor and other ONI personnel and hold this gate.” Furrow looked to the three SPARTANs sternly.
“Do not, I repeat; do NOT, let this city fall.”

“At the moment, top Priority is the Marines. Hold the gate and get them inside. When they are inside, the 8492nd will provide top cover. Call in strikes if you need them.” Furrow walked from the map a few feet then looked up at the SPARTANs.

“Do what you have to do, and get it done. Go.” Furrow gave a short salute then looked up towards where Reaper was.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Call them back…” General Tullings muttered as news finally reached his ears.
“Call every one of them back.” Tullings looked up from the table he stared at to the Map before him.

“All UNSC Personnel are to fallback to Glasgow immediately. Secure the city”

“Who got out?” Tullings asked as he focused on the squads that had reached Greenland.

“All of them, Sir. It seems like ONI had sent in a squad. All of our teams got out then the Outpost went dark. Reports say they blew it up.”

The General tapped his fingers on the table before him as he thought. The Task Force had obviously failed to saved Greenland, and he had to assume Zeta-One was gone as well. The Covenant seemed to be everywhere in that freaking forest, and there was almost no way to stop them. November barely got secured, and there was absolutely no one at October like he had hoped. His only option now was to save the city… Tullings hated being on his heels…

“Contact Sheffield. Have them shut their doors and go black. Send the civilians underground and have every soldier secure the gates.” Tullings looked to the Covenant’s progressions; they were heading straight for Glasgow except for the few reports up top by Sheffield. Sheffield should be safe, as well as Bracknell. He wished he could say the same for Glasgow…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“This is ONI Team Raptor to all UNSC Soldiers! We are retreating from Glasgow! We’ve got your buddies here!” A massive explosion blew into the channel as another soldier called out a Fuel-Rod.
“Johnny! Take that sunuvabitch out!” Sergeant Landy called over the COM, connecting to everyone on the field.

“ON IT!” A tight group of shots went off, followed by a loud roar by a falling Elite.

“We are falling back to Glasgow! Greenland is gone. Orders from our base in Bracknell. I think you all should do the same! Bowers! Get your head down you idiot and move!” Landy growled and smacked a soldier’s helmet before firing a trio of bursts himself.

“Sniper!!! 5 o’clock!”

“Take him out then!” Seconds after, a UNSC sniper rifle shot cut into the air. The shooter called the kill as they moved, but one shot didn’t stop the Covenant.

Wraith fire crashed into the trees, burying themselves around Raptor and the UNSC squads falling back. Plasma fire scorched over their heads and lead answered to attempt to slow them down; which wasn’t working. Their saving grace was the terrible terrain. Trees everywhere, thick mud, and brush to hold some of the plasma being fired at them.

“Move! Move! MOVE!”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“TULLINGS!” Furrow called from the door of the UNSC Operations Room in Bracknell. The room went deathly silent as the ONI Soldier, along with several armed men walked inside to the doors.
“This Operation is now under the wing of ONI Section-III. You are relieved of your command.” Furrow looked to the astounded General as he and everyone else in the room looked over to the Agents.

“What? Is this a joke?” Tullings said as he stood up from his lean over the table.

“It is not. I am sorry, General, you must leave the room.” Furrow walked forward and patted the General on the back softly.

Pissed, the General kicked the table and looked to the Agents as they walked inside. Furrow looked Tullings in the eyes and nodded to him. With a final sigh, the General stood up and quietly left with his assistant close behind. Furrow waited until he left the room then the door was shut, locked, and double locked. The Agents guarding put a small layer of sealant around the door as to make it sound-proof. Then, Furrow looked to the others in the room.

“Nothing… Leaves this room.” Furrow said in a blank ton, and almost a simultaneous gulp fell into everyone’s throat.

“All Units in the field; this is Agent Furrow from ONI Sector-III. You are all under my command. All Units, as stated previously by Tullings, are to return to Glasgow. Repeat, return to Glasgow. Gold Team will walk you in. 8492nd, provide overhead. Upon return, all squads are to report in. I want reports from every NCO and every CO. Every hour that goes by until I say otherwise, every officer is to report in. I hope I make my self clear!” Furrow cut the connection then stood up straight before all of the men and women in the room.
“Foely?”

“Sir.” Foely called from Furrow’s ear, his voice in his hidden headphone.

“Commence the plan.” Furrow turned to the map again.

“Roger. Code-Delta in effect. We’re oscar mike.” The connection was cut as the connection ended. Furrow got a slight grin but it went away.

“Get every one of those units back! I want all heads accounted for ladies and gentlemen!” Furrow looked back at the communications officers.
“We need to get a fresh foothold….”

“Yes sir!” Was his answer as all of them began their duties…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[COVENANT]

“Pathetic rats…” Guardsmen Varlumee hissed, stepping through the rubble of the now destroyed outpost.
“They dare try to run from their fate…”

“Let them run, Torum. I love the chase…” Guardsmen Suluuee grinned with his mandibles as he flexed his fingers near his two blades. One handle was already dripping with blood, the other still clean as he had only used one.

“We will just shoot them in the back my Brothers…” Fan’ulasai laughed, emerging from one of the buildings after finding nothing.
“The others have already been sent as you ordered, Field General.” The Sangheili bowed his head to the Golden armored Zealot who stood at the highest spot in the rubble, looking to the distant fighting. It was hard to see, but the flashes of plasma alerted him that they were advancing… quickly…

“Hold the advance… Let the humans fall back…” The Field General muttered, and his four guards all looked to each other.
“We must gather our forces ourselves. If we attack without order, we will surely be pushed back out… The humans are crafty beings, and are not to be taken lightly. I have learned this many times.”

“Rundimee… You do know what will happen if we let them regroup..” The fourth Guardsman, Vun’alessee, stepped up next to the General. Rundimee looked at Vun’alessee and a long sigh fell from his mandibles.

“I know… but we have no choice… I do not even know if the fight is ours in this madness!” The General threw his hand to the fight and shook his head.
“Many of them are to young for this sort of fighting. Many of them have rank, I understand, but very few have shown they have level-heads for that rank.” Rundimee spit on the concrete to his leg and growled low.
“Blood-thirsty children, many of them are… We must keep them on track.”

“Fan’ulasai. Gather them up and corner the humans. Stay to the shadows and wait for my signal to attack…” Rundaimee looked back to one of his more mature warriors, who nodded and stealthed away.

“The rest of you… We have someplace to go…” Rundaimee looked to the left of the outpost and into the distance of the forest. The four of them faded into their cloaks as they quickly moved off.

[/COVENANT]

(No, not much for the Covies. I'm not a real good Covenant Writer, but I do go into details on what happens with you all from the UNSC perspective. I try to go into detail of what you guys do, and what happens. I'll try to put in more Updates for you guys later on. No worries, I'm not excluding you guys, nor am I pro-UNSC. I'm just not as well versed in the Covenant as I was before. I'M WORKING ON IT SO I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY BITCHIN'.)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * An hour later… * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Static came over the COMs as gunfire picked its way through. Sirens blared, and battle echoed over the channel. Buildings in Glasgow had holes through the sides from artillery, craters littered the streets from mortar fire, and defensive positions destroyed from loss of footing. Bodies of fallen soldiers; Covenant and UNSC, littered the streets. Civilians amongst the masses laid motionless. Vehicles burned from being destroyed. The attack had started…

Amongst the dead, an ODST twitched. His hand reached for a pistol, and snagged it. With a click, he checked the safety, and pulled it to him. Beneath three other marines, he looked for any Covenant, then slowly got to his feet. The area was now clear, and not a single UNSC soldier or Covenant bastard in sight. He looked to his wrist-bound TACPAD and looked at the map Bracknell had given everyone.

Three objectives were given, and highlighted;

-Secure Radio-Tower Bravo.

-Keep control of the UNSC Airpad.

-Survive….

Survive eh? The ODST looked around at the carnage as butterflies seemed to take off from their trees in his stomach. They weren’t doing that all to well… He holstered his pistol, checking the clip on his HUD to make sure it was fully loaded, then grabbed his M7. The Trooper took a step forward, and from all around the courtyard, 12 other troopers emerged from the shadows. The ODST waved his hand forward and they began to move forward, back into the fight.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(OKAY! For this next piece I have something you ALL must be aware of; I have given names to everyone’s teams. I have updated the UNSC Roster with the Squad names, and if you didn’t have one before, you do now. I’m placing everyone in a spot on the map because it’s easier to know who is where and doing what. Especially since I just picked everyone up and moved them to Glasgow without giving ANYONE a chance to say where they went or what happened. So look in the Information Thread for your Squad’s name, then find out where you are before you post. Once everyone posts where they are, or a certain time goes by, you are free to move around. Though, I wouldn’t suggest it seeing as you have a better chance of living at the place I put you…

If you are Covenant, it's a different story. I didn't find a roster on you guys so just spread yourselves out so you aren't all attacking one place.

If your character is NOT on the list, message me ASAP. I‘ll slap you to the list and either add you an existing team or give you your own depending on your situation.)




“Agent! We’ve got contact with Snake Team! They’ve come back on the grid!” An Officer yelled as a once grey blip, relit with a green hue on the command map in front of the room.

All over the map of Glasgow, grey dots and red ‘X’s dotted it. The Grey Dots were fallen teams, the ‘X’s fallen positions. All they had left was the Radio Tower, the Command Post, and the Airpad where civilians were being shuttled out of the city.

The Covenant had attacked to fast, and by the time the city could be reinforced, the walls and doors had fell. The Covenant’s plan was flawless. Heavy Mortar fire covered stealthed squads as they slipped through the cities defenses. The squads did their job and sabotaged much of the heavy armor and artillery… Then the masses emerged as the Stealthed squads and mortars opened the doorway to the North. Ever since then, the Covenant had been picking their way through the city…

Furrow growled in his throat as he watched, from the safety of Bracknell. Bracknell and Sheffield were locked down and had gone black. False transports brought only the higher commanding officers and officials out of the cities, while they feigned being empty. Even so, the Covenant had focused on Glasgow… As if something was there… Furrow’s teams had done what they could, but the UNSC couldn’t hold its footing long enough for his strike-teams to do their jobs. He even lost contact with Reaper, but last he knew, they were executing their job as Planned…

Everyone else was on their heels. They only had three key areas to defend now… and the order was already sent. The Command Building of Glasgow, in which, Furrow had teams begin to fill with explosives while deleting every file that was there; as per Cole Protocol. Bifrons had already gotten the data they needed, and the rest was being deleted…

The next objective was the radio-tower. A distress beacon was being sent out, and reinforcements were popping in from everywhere. It was also a fall-back point where survivors were gathering. It was being held so far, and the Covenant were being kept at a good distance because of Apocalypse and heavy artillery that had been held from the fighting at Bracknell and Sheffield.

The final, third objective was held tightly by the UNSC. The Airfield. Defended by majority of the survivors with the assistance of several heavy vehicles, air-strikes, and artillery. The Covenant were being shredded to pieces here, so Furrow wasn’t to worried about it.

ONI was moving in from the North as Viper, and Lotus moved. Snake, now back on the grid, was to the North-East, moving to regroup. Alpha Company was at the Command Center, along with part of the Delta Destroyers. Inside, Rush Team was setting the explosives to level the building. Baker Squad, and ODST Lunar Squad, detached from Reaper, were all over that Radio Tower. Able Company wasn’t to far away. Gold Team and Raptor were at the airfield. Ghost Squad, along with Eclipse Platoon were on their way.

The 55th Air Wing ferried civilians out of the city as the masses clambered into their bays. The 8492nd touched down, rearmed, and took off the from the Airfield’s runway constantly as the calls for air-strikes flooded their channel. The UNSC could hold the city… They just need to hold out until reinforcements arrived… And Furrow had no clue when that would be…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

With a proud step, the Honor Guardsmen placed his hoof on the roll bar of the destroyed human vehicle. His blades burned the air next to his thighs as the scent of human blood graciously flowed around him. The gates were down, and the army was now inside the city. They had already beaten the Human’s to the center of the city and had almost completely cut them off. Fan’ulasai growled low in his throat as he feverishly attempted to calm himself. He wanted to fight, and he loved the thrill of it, but right now he could not. The Field General had left Fan’ulasai in charge of the fight while he himself went to handle something. Fan’ulasai wanted to go with the General, but orders were orders.

Fan’ulasai looked down to his left into the passenger seat of the vehicle as a Human Marine tried to grab his pistol. The nearly dead man still had some strength left in him... Fan’ulasai admired the human’s will to fight, but will never won a war. With a quick slice, Fan’ulasai’s blade beheaded the human soldier, ending his life quickly.

“Let us continue...” Fan’ulasai stepped from his perch and marched forward as several cloaked Special-Operation Warriors emerged around him.

“Alert the lances, we must cut off the Human’s ability to command, retreat, and call for reinforcements. We will surround them and slaughter them with the might that even the Gods will fear.” Fan’ulasai spoke confidently as he strode down the middle of the Human pathway with his team following close behind.

At the sound of roaring engines, Fan’ulasai tilted his head upwards as several Human Transport craft soared through the sky. The Guardsmen stretched his mandibles and moved them a little in thought before looking back down and ahead of himself.

“Dispatch a strike force. Find where those craft are coming in and destroy them. We will give them no way out...” Fan’ulasai growled as he activated his cloaking device, disappearing from sight as he and his team split up, but before he made it much further, he connected to the entire legion as to quickly give them his orders..

“All Warriors of the Legion. Give the humans no way of escape. Cut off their connection to the outside, kill their leaders, and destroy their supply line... We bury them here and now.”

(Let the Battle for Glasgow begin... The 'M3 Overview' thread will be updated shortly, A map for you all to use will be created and posted shortly as well. I'm not going to post actively anymore with NPCs so I can enjoy the mission as well so have fun.)

[Dutch]

Shit had gone done fast, even for Baker. Just two hours ago he and his squad had been enjoying some martinis around a blazing fire, and now they were fighting tooth and nail to keep the Covenant at bay, and away from the radio tower. Thank God for those artillery units and the Apocalypse flyboys, god bless ‘em. Their firepower had pretty much kept the Covenant from swamping the perimeter. They were still there of course, but they were being more careful, whittling away at the UNSC troops.

Baker knew they couldn’t last forever. They could, and they would, hold out for a fair long time. But unless reinforcement came eventually, airstrikes and artillery could only do so much. In the meantime, it was up to him and his boys to help the local troopers in holding a perimeter.

The extensive blasting of the area around the station had created a hundred or so yards of obliterated building around the radio tower, a no-man’s land that the Covenant kept darting in to, sending in small squads and stealth units to whittle away at the troops. The rest of their force, including their vehicles, were hanging back, hidden by the buildings.

Hell, the only way Baker even knew they were there was when an occasional plasma mortar from a hidden wraith popped in to cause havoc. Such as now.

“Get down!” Baker shouted, grabbing a nearby marine and throwing him to the ground. Just as they did, the hissing of the plasma mortar vanished in a brilliant explosion just meters away. The heat of it washed over his back, and only the concrete shambles next to him kept them from being cooked. Danger passed, Baker kneeled up, MA5 at the ready.

“You okay boss? That one looked a little close for comfort.” Patch’s voice came in over his headset.

“Copy that Patch, I’m okay. Did you see where the bastard shot from?”

“One fifty north of you.”

“Copy, callin’ it in.” “Baker switched frequencies, hailing command. “Command, Baker here. We’ve got a wraith siting cozy one hundred and fifty yards north of my current position, mark it and please give him something to chew on.” Hoping that Command would oblige and possibly send a few HE warheads it’s way, Baker darted over to a blasted wall and checked over.

Covenant, split up into small squads, darted across the no-man’s land. One in particular was getting close, a pair of blue Elite’s followed up by a quarter of Jackals. “Preach, you copy?” Baker keyed his mike.

“Aye, Graham here, holding position ten yards east of yah.”

“I’ve got two squids and a four of jackals moving in thirty yards north of me, spot ‘em and open fire when I give the order.”

“Copy boss, standing by.” Baker pulled a grenade from his belt and pulled the pin. One, two, three, four. He chucked the grenade, and it detonated in midair above the advancing aliens. The jackals had their shields forward to block incoming fire, thus the shockwave and shrapnel from above knocked them to their feet and made the Elite’s shield spark.

“Fire now.” Immediately the jackals were cut to the ground as four rifles opened up to Baker’s right. Baker had his own weapon up and firing as they switched to the Elite’s. At this range almost all of the 7.62 FMJ rounds struck home, and the Elite’s shields quickly popped open like balloons. Before they could even think of ducking for cover, their armor was rent through and through by several dozen rounds, shredding their alien insides before they could even roar twice.

They hit the ground with gargled moan, rifles discharging sporadically and sending several bolts of superheated plasma into the nearby concrete. Baker smiled lightly to himself.

“Hey boss, we’ve got the BMG set up, shall we get to work.” Sergeant Olson’s think Slavic voice grated through the headpiece. Again Baker smiled, he’d ordered Olson and fireteam Lance to set up a .50 MG up in a well-covered position in the debris, a well-covered position with an excellent field of fire.

“Light the bastards up sergeant.” He said.

“Aye sir!” Olson replied gleefully. From behind Baker there was a rapid thumping as the big turret warmed up to life, and began spewing hundreds of 12.7 AP rounds downrange and into advancing Covenant. The popping of Grunt’s methane tanks was music to Baker’s ears.

[Wax™]

Captain Travis 'TJ' Jenkins 0-3 Task Force 77: ABLE COMPANY En;Route to RADIO-TOWER and Baker position

"Captain... I got the radio tower in my sights"

Reported a Sergeant from First Platoon, Travis perked his head up from cover, cover being a wreckage of a Warthog, or what was a Warthog, Travis ran in a crouched position his MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System locked tight in his hands as he made his way to the front of the 110 man line, once he reached it he looked over and saw a cleared area, the Radio Tower in the middle, through his modified combat glass' he saw BAKER SQUAD's position, he then linked up with them via COM's.

"Baker... This is Captain Jenkins, I am about one hundred yards from your position just on the edge of the clearing, my first and third platoon will soon be securing the perimeter on the left and right flank of the clearing, second platoon and myself will be moving to your position with heavy weapons... Acknowledge"

Jenkins turned his head and gave a long series of hand signals telling First Platoon to go around and secure the left flank from baker, Third Platoon to go around and secure the right flank and Second move up along the middle to Baker's position with Heavy Weapons and set up shop with Baker Squad, all 110 men in his Company nodded before moving to their designated positions Second Platoon moving in-front of Jenkins and leading the way, as Jenkins walked in a crouched position with Second Platoon he opened up a link with COMMAND.

"Command... This is Captain Jenkins... I have reached the Radio Tower and am securing the left and right flanks as I speak, request the 8492nd do regular fly buys to ensure the area secure from enemy armor and air"

Jenkins closed the COM and listened carefully to see if Baker responded, they were now fifty or so yards from their position and Second Platoon was spreading out upon the rubble and cover of the area.

"Second Platoon Mortar Teams... Set up shop here behind this over turned Warthog... Machine Gunner Teams set up shop with your M247H Heavy Machine Gun's"

Jenkins vaulted a jersey barrier and ran a few meters before finding himself in Bakers position, he took cover with them and watched as Second Platoon took cover wherever they could the whole platoon consisting of at least 26 men.

"Afternoon Baker... What do you have... Speak to me?"

[Dutch]

Baker's ears perked up as Captain Travis's voice rang in over his headset. Holding position, he and his squad laid some some more cover fire to keep the Covenant's heads down while the captain and his second platoon advanced. He grinned happily as he saw men from the Captains company setting up mortars and LMG's providing a good deal more cover fire for the hard-pressed marines. That, and the Captains men doubled the strength.

"Afternoon Baker... What do you have... Speak to me?" The Captain crouched down next to Baker. Baker pointed towards the Covenant, who were on the other side of the clearing mostly and exchanging fire with the soldiers.

"Damn good to see you sir. We've got Covenant en masse over there, hundreds of ground soldiers plus armor. There's too much debris for their ghosts though, but the wraiths are hiding cozy back in the buildings, out of sight. They keep sending small units, widely dispersed, out into the no-man's land to chip away at us, so it's damn good you're here. With the mortars and MG's we should be able to hold a good perimeter the way things are going. The biggest trouble now is the wraiths, they keep peeking out to lob one at us, then they duck away before we can get a good lock on 'em. We don't have many jackhammers with us, and the rockets are too slow for this range. If you have any of the lasers of M29's, that'd do us a world of good."

((OOC: You all know the new M29? yappashalorpg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=acceptedarmoury&action=display&thread=4677&page=1 ))

[Wax™]

Captain Travis 'TJ' Jenkins 0-3 Task Force 77: ABLE COMPANY Defending UNSC Radio-Tower

"Damn good to see you sir. We've got Covenant en masse over there, hundreds of ground soldiers plus armor. There's too much debris for their ghosts though, but the wraiths are hiding cozy back in the buildings, out of sight. They keep sending small units, widely dispersed, out into the no-man's land to chip away at us, so it's damn good you're here. With the mortars and MG's we should be able to hold a good perimeter the way things are going. The biggest trouble now is the wraiths, they keep peeking out to lob one at us, then they duck away before we can get a good lock on 'em. We don't have many jackhammers with us, and the rockets are too slow for this range. If you have any of the lasers of M29's, that'd do us a world of good."

Travis listened in as Baker relayed all he knew to him, half of it was bad news but the other half was alright and Travis' Company probably made all of BAKER SQUADS dreams come true, and this pleased Travis.

"Alright... Well done for holding out this long Staff Sergeant, and do we have some presents for you... Second Platoon is well armed with Jackhammers and we have M29 Lasers on station, we got a few M41 SSR MAV/AW's and a couple of Spartan Lasers available, one in each Platoon..."

Travis paused for a moment and pulled out a TAC-PAD and activated the battle-field map issued to him and locked it on that page, he then handed it to the Sergeant and nodded towards him.

"Mark the position of that Wraith for me Sergeant"

Travis moved up about a meter and peeked his head over cover, a small group Grunts was moving into no-mans land lead by two blue colored Elites, in total there were about 12 Covenant Soldiers, Travis turned his head and nodded to the M247H Heavy Machine Gunners, they nodded back before pulling the triggers and lighting the Covenant soldiers up, the Grunt's fell like pin-balls and the Elites sparkled like fire-crackers before being turned into purple and blue mush.

"Captain..." Travis heard over the COM's from one of his Lieutenants. "...First and Third platoon's are both set up on the left and right flank, M247H Heavy Machine Gun's are set up and mortars are also, we have a good cross fire set up around the clearing and our spare Marines are watching our backs"

"Roger that Lieutenant... Keep me posted"

Travis pushed off from cover and moved back over to Staff Sergeant Baker hoping that he was done with his TAC-PAD so he could view what the Sergeant had observed over his period of time that he had sat here for.

Sergeant Jason Bowers Task Force 77: DELTA DESTROYERS Above GLASGOW Command

Sergeant Bowers ran up the steps of the Bracknell Command Building, the command was under a huge skyscraper and Bowers along with the rest of DELTA was running up the stairs of the office building so they could gain some high ground, outside plasma and automatic weapons fire was heard all over the place, once Bowers reached the fourth floor, Bowers kicked the emergency exit bar and stormed into the officer floor, moving over to a smashed window before engaging COM's with Alpha Company.

"Captain Sierra Lloyd... We have secured the fourth floor and are looking down from the floor now, setting up shop while you place the charges"

Bowers lied down and looked through the scope of his M392 Designated Marksman Rifle, he shot a trio of bullets and took down two grunts from the fourth floor, the rest of DELTA was lining the smashed windows and spraying the Covenant below with automatic weapons fire, the Covenant was about 100 meters out which was a lot of ground to cover for them, half the buildings around the Command was already leveled which gave the UNSC a lot of open area to take down the Covenant, though their sheer numbers would eventually overrun them.

"Claire! How's Corporal Thompson doing?!"

"Thompson is ok Sir... She can do her job"

"Good... Take her fire team and move to take the left flank, stop the Covenant from getting around us... Speirs! Go and cover the right flank, I want snipers up and ready!"

[thenether]

(NOTE: Edited and revamped to suit battle conditions and what the character should have done at the time. - Wax)

Corporal Ari Haskil

Corporal Ari walked with Second Platoon of Able Company, he was only recently assigned to Able Company when they were ordered to move out and help defend the UNSC Radio Tower now he found himself in the middle of a clearing with a group of other marines, he was under the command of some Captain... He had no idea what the name of the Captain was, if he did he had forgotten by now, the more annoying thing was he forgot which one of the many men was his leader, he spotted the Captain and crouched down and walked over to him to avoid Covenant fire.

"Captain Sir... Corporal Ari Haskil... I just got assigned to your Company... Orders Sir?"

The Corporal waited for a response from the Marine Captain, he couldn't see any Covenant yet, but he knew they were close by, only seconds ago he heard Automatic Weapons fire erupt around the clearing, probably towards the Covenant, and he was sure that the Marine shooting took them down.

[z]

-Lucy-

Each member of Lunar had their back to a wall, Jackson at the end, Cox watching their back. Raising his hand Jackson signaled they were clear to move up, the Twins went first being the ones with most ammo at this point.

The Snipers moved up next and Lucy covered the back, MA5C at the ready as she checked each alley.

Raising her hand to her COM she pressed down the button and spoke.

"This is Special Operations ODST Lunar Squad, moving up on the Radio Tower, if anyone is there, Respond, Over." Lucy said coldly. This was her "combat mode" no jokes, just kills.

"Boss!" She heard Anders say, DMR lifted and zoomed on the looming Radio Tower.

"Radio Tower in site, looks clear for now..." He said, running up to take point.

"Alex, Left Flank, I'll cover right. Coxxy, Jackson, stay in the back and cover our asses the best you can." The ODST's moved up, making progress towards the tower.

-Mira-

"Alright, ECLIPSE! LETS MOVE IT!" She yelled out, motioning her hand in a circle. Her Rocket Launcher on her shoulder. Abby, Cole, Joesph, Ben, and Brendon all moved with her. They had to reach the air field in enough time to deal with the Covenant...

She felt like making a big boom today.

Locking into COM she spoke. "This is ECLIPSE Platoon calling in, we are on our way to the air field, Repeat we are closing in on our air field, Over."

[Dutch]

"Alright... Well done for holding out this long Staff Sergeant, and do we have some presents for you... Second Platoon is well armed with Jackhammers and we have M29 Lasers on station, we got a few M41 SSR MAV/AW's and a couple of Spartan Lasers available, one in each Platoon..."

Baker flashed a grin behind his helmet, time for some payback. He grabbed the captain's tacpad, and rolled his eyes. Waiting for the captain to finish talking, he tapped him on the shoulder, handed back the tacpad, and pointed north of their position.

"There's the bastard, right under the collapsed overpass. Mortar's won't get him there, get a spartan laser or one of your M29 Gauss cannons and smoke 'im from here." Surely enough, about a hundred and fifty yards north of them was the dull, gleaming beetle-like shape of a wraith, lurking under a collapsed mass of concrete and well out of mortar's reach.

A signal worked its way into Baker's ear piece.

"This is Special Operations ODST Lunar Squad, moving up on the Radio Tower, if anyone is there, Respond, Over." He keyed the mike in reply.

"I copy you Lunar squad, staff sergeant Baker here."

[Wax™]

Captain Travis 'TJ' Jenkins 0-3 Task Force 77: ABLE COMPANY Defending UNSC Radio-Tower

Travis watched as the Staff Sergeant pointed out where the Wraith was hiding, Travis took the tac-pad back and slipped it into the right pocket of his cargo-pants, the Sergeant began to speak and as he did so Travis looked up from out of cover to where it was, as he looked up there was a series of Covenant trying to make their way to the radio tower, but the automatic weapons fire held them down.

"There's the bastard, right under the collapsed overpass. Mortar's won't get him there, get a spartan laser or one of your M29 Gauss cannons and smoke 'im from here." Travis listened to the man and nodded once he finished speaking, he then opened his mouth and began to speak. "...Good, i'll get a spartan laser on him... Keep up the good work Sergeant"

Travis moved over to a Sergeant who was holding a spartan laser, he was in a crouched position and once Travis made it to the man he crouched down beside him patting the man on the back of the shoulder, he turned and smiled at the Captain, his morale looked low, and the warm physical contact seemed to boost it only just.

"Corporal... Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Yes Sir?"

"Good man... See that area there..." Travis paused to point out of cover in the direction of the Wraith tank that was in cover. "...There is a Covenant Wraith hiding in that area under a collapsed over-pass, I need you to keep an eye on that direction and once you see that purple son ova' bitch shoot it... Can you do that for me son?"

"Yes Sir!"

The mans smiled at the Captain once more before taking aim in that direction Travis smiled and nodded before patting the man on the back once more before moving over to some other soldiers, and relaying the plan, he was then interrupted by one of his Lieutenants over the COM's.

"Captain Sir... First Platoon has dug fox-holes along the left flank and I believe Third Platoon are just finishing theirs"

"Good Work Lieutenant"

Travis closed COM's just in time to hear another Marine coming in over the channel, but Baker was quick to reply, once he was done Travis figured he would squeeze in a word.

"ODST Lunar Squad... Good to have you... This is Marine Captain Jenkins, I got one of my platoons covering the left and another covering the right flank, if you could proceed down the middle and link up with myself and Baker Squad... If you have snipers that would help us greatly"

[z]

-Lucy-

"Nice to hear your voice Staff Sergeant, We can't find our LT at the moment and we've been fucking lost since GREENLAND was taken. Came here when we were told objectives."

Lucy spun her arm and pointed to the radio tower to tell her squad to speed the fuck up. The complied and each of them took off in s full on sprint to the tower until they came to a stop near the Objective.

Keying the COM again, Lucy spoke.

"Some ammo and orders would be appreciated, Sir. I've got two snipers, a Rifleman, and one who knows his way around heavy weapons."

Turning her head to Alex, his white wolf design on his helmet peering back at Lucy wile Jackson checked the area around them.

When the Captain spoke Lucy pointed at both Jackson and Coxxy and motioned to them to moved forward to the middle flank.

"Your in luck Captain, my Snipers are two of the best shots around."

Lucy and the rest of her squad moved to the center, Snipers set up Jackson nodded at Cox before peeking down his scope. Anders loaded his DMR and peeked down the sights, and Alex waited for orders Heavy-Weapon-wise.

Lucy on the other hand moved up to the Captain and Sergeant Baker.

"Ready to assist, Sir" She said with a quick nod. "My squads going low on ammo, Lots of Covenant have been six feet up our ass."

[Wax™]

Private Dean Cox Task Force 77: Lunar Squad Defending UNSC Radio-Tower

Private Dean Cox sprinted down to the middle flank once ordered to by his NCO, Gunnery Sergeant Lucy Grey, once he finished running he vaulted a jersey barrier and looked around, Jackson was setting up among the marines of Able Companies Second Platoon, there were a lot of marines here at least thirty almost forty, Coxy ran to Jackson where he was setting up and as he did so he nodded toward a marine Captain.

"Sir"

Coxy watched as the Captain nodded back, he looked too busy moving around the ranks and trying to keep the morale of his men sky high, once Coxy made it to Jackson's position he dropped his Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel against a jersey barrier, he looked down the scope at the Covenant Line and watched, waiting for something to jump out of the shadows, hopefully Covenant, once something did he pulled the trigger and blinked as the butt of his weapon pushed into his shoulder, he watched down his scope as a Covenant Elite fell to the ground, it clutched it's chest, the sniper bullet embedding itself inside the Elites chest cavity, a few seconds passed and it died from loss of blood and shock.

"Gunny?!..." Dean said as he saw something emerge in his scope. "... I got eyes on a Wraith"

As Coxy said that he heard another marine about a meter away from him yell out.

"I got it!"

Dean looked away from his scope to see the Marine carrying a Spartan Laser, a powerful UNSC Weapon, Dean looked back through his scope at the Wraith who was preparing to fire a Mortar, as a second passed a high pitch noise screamed from the Spartan Laser before it fired a bolt of deadly red fire and intense heat towards the Wraith, a second passed and the bolt hit, a few more and the vehicle exploded into flames.

[Dutch]

Baker grinned in relief as the wraith vanished in a brilliant sapphire explosion. Served the cocky bastards right for being so flaunting. He turned as Lunar's gunnery sergeant arrived. Baker jerked his head back towards the radio tower.

"We've got bullets, rockets, grenades, all you want back there. Help yourself." The sounds of nearby fighting had died down now a bit as Able's newly arrived mortars started pounding the clearing, driving out the marauding Covenant squads. The thunderous sound of a trio of sniper rounds sounded off from behind Baker, up on the radio tower. The thought of Patch sent an idea to Baker's mind, he turned around to address Lunar's gunnery sergeant. "Hey gunnery sergeant, you up for a little wager? My sniper against your top shot, side with most kills wins. Losers buy everyone on the other squad a bottle of whiskey."

[z]

"Hmph" Lucy crossed her arms when Baker spoke, challenging her Sniper.

"You really wanna go therE?" She asked laughing. "Jackson is the best shot i know."
She thought for a moment and looked at her radar.

"Alright" Looking over at Jackson Lucy raised her voice. "Jack! Get a ton of kills, i have credits riding on this!" She said out loud. As soon as she said it a sniper shot fired though the air and tore through a Brutes head, the knocked off a grunts methane tank by hitting the tip.

"That's two" The Russian man said, reloading.

"Alright, Alex, get up there and take a Launcher. Blow some shit up."

Turning her head to look at the Staff Sergeant and Captain. "I don't think my Shotgun will be much help, I'll keep an eye on my squad..."

Lucy headed back and started picking up a few shotgun shells ad MA5C Mags. While Alex ran past her, Rocket Launcher on his shoulder as he fired of a blast and hit a few Grunts and an Elite.

"YEAH! SUCK IT YOU ALIEN FUCKS!" He yelled, firing a second rocket before bending down to load in another pair.
Lucy headed down to the Sergeant and Captain again and laughed.

"They are all a bit off their rockers, but they are good men..."

Lucy walked to the barrier and crouched down next to Cox. "How ya doin' kid?"

[Martial Virtue]

Captain Sierra Lloyd

Sierra couldn't believe the Covenant had gotten this far so fast. All their hard work and setting up of defenses on Phase-line November had been for nothing. Now, they were in the city, fighting for everything.

The Marine captain ducked her head against a concrete barricade in a body-littered street as plasma rounds whizzed past above her. From what she'd been able to see a moment ago when she'd risked taking a peek, the Covenant were being led by a magenta-armored Elite. Apparently he'd instructed his lance to barrage the shit out of Lloyd's Marines - and so far, they were doing a good job of it.

In a movement of barely contained frustration, Sierra popped back out of cover for a second to send two trios of battle rifle bursts the Covenants' way. A Jackal and two Grunts who'd been advancing on the opposite side of the Elite had their lives cut short in an eruption of multicolored blood. But that still wasn't anywhere near enough to secure the lines.

"Alpha! This is Captain Lloyd!" Sierra shouted into her COM, crouching down behind the barricade again in the street surrounding the Command Center. "Snipers, open up! Heavy weapons, get those mortars talking! I want two machine gun teams up at my position now! Move it!"

Captain Lloyd's orders were punctuated then by a low, incoming whoosh. The Marine company commander was barely able to duck her head even more before a huge, glowing blue plasma sphere impacted a building on the other side of the street, shattering windows and plascrete. That was damn close to where her second platoon and best friend were.

"Second platoon, report!" Lloyd barked as a cloud of debris enveloped the area. "You better still be alive, Lieutenant Koppre!"

The reply was filled with static, but Sierra was able to make out the hoarse words. "Still cracking and ready to kick Covenant ass, ma'am."

Sierra released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She still felt a great amount of anxiety over Dylan's well-being in this mess, but she couldn't check in on her husband now. Checking in on her platoons was just as important, and it was good to hear at least one of them was all right after a close hit like that.

Lloyd came up out of cover again and fired once the air cleared. She heard another thunk behind her at the same time, but this time, she knew it was one of her own. A friendly mortar. And it was about to say adios to a vengeful group of alien bastards. Sierra emptied her clip, placed a hand over her helmet, and pressed her body tight against the barricade.

Then she heard: "Captain Sierra Lloyd... We have secured the fourth floor and are looking down from the floor now, setting up shop while you place the charges."

The captain keyed her COM immediately to reply. "Acknowledged, Sergeant Bowers. You keep taking Covies from the high ground, Marine. The rest of Alpha will keep the streets around the Command Center clear."

Corporal Cassie Thompson

Cassie moaned low in pain as she attempted to stand on her wounded leg. It hurt like crazy. But she didn't want to let Sergeant Bowers down, or worse yet, the squad of Marines whose lives had been entrusted to her. It was the first time she'd held any sort of command position, albeit even this small, and she wasn't about to let them down. Especially when the whole city of Glasgow depended on them.

So she gritted her teeth, hefted her M7 submachine gun, and ground out over the COM, "Second squad! Let's cover the left flank! Sarge's orders!"

Captain Dylan Lloyd

Shit was already hitting the fan the moment Lloyd disembarked from the Pelican with his platoon of Helljumpers in tow. It wasn't the way ODSTs normally entered the fight, but this had turned into an abnormal situation. Things were dire in the city of Glasgow, where he'd enjoyed a couple of drinks and an evening out with his wife just hours prior. And as the old saying went, desperate times called for desperate measures.

His troopers weren't hitting the ground in pods tonight, but they were hitting the ground running, just like always. Captain Lloyd waited until he'd cleared the runway himself to open a COM channel to the rest of his platoon, holding his MA37 tightly in his hands. In the background, the Pelican began taking off again.

"Troopers, this is Captain Lloyd! Let's set up a perimeter around the air field, now! Expect Covenant troops to be entering the area shortly! Let's get machine guns and heavy weapons out and ready to go! Move!"

Dylan spared a moment to hail his XO privately after issuing orders. "Howard?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Get your squad on point. I want them to be the front line of defense. I know I can depend on you, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Lloyd out."

Second Lieutenant Laura Howard

Laura resented the fact that her Helljumpers had been forced to land on the air field in a Pelican, rather than drop in. That was an entry into battle reserved for Marines, not special forces troops. But sometimes you had to take one for the team...and today, it'd been the ODSTs' turn.

"First squad, you heard the man! We've got the top spot! We'll be the first to greet those alien son of a bithes, so let's roll out the welcoming mat!" Howard hefted her MA5C assault rifle and paused. "Corporal Fisher! Take your squad and place them near the front entrance of the air strip! Get that chain link gate open and set up behind that burning hulk of pick-up truck. Let me know when you're in position."

[Dutch]

Staff Sergeant Baker
'Baker's Dozen" SOG Unit
Glasgow Radio Tower

Baker smirked at Gray's claim, then keyed his mike.

"Patch, show them how the Dozen does things."

"Aye sir." Patch's icy tone came back. A trio of cracks split the air, and two hundred yards away an Elite and two jackals fell, both missing significant portions of vital body parts. Baker grinned, the game was on. He hit his mike and raised his squad.

"Alright boys, use the lull to make sure we're ready for anything. Keep your heads low and make sure the defenses are up to snuff."

Corporal Jonathan Fisher
Glasgow Airfield

Hey, if he wasn't going to slam into the ground at terminal velocity in a not-totally-safe melting coffin, that was fine with him. Fisher hit the ground and jumped out of the pelican with the other troopers. Damn, you could say a lot of things about the Covenant, but you couldn't call them lazy. One damn hour and they were already causing hell in the city. So much for best-laid plans.

"First squad, you heard the man! We've got the top spot! We'll be the first to greet those alien sons of a bitches, so let's roll out the welcoming mat! "Corporal Fisher! Take your squad and place them near the front entrance of the air strip! Get that chain link gate open and set up behind that burning hulk of pick-up truck. Let me know when you're in position." The lieutenant was giving out orders, and Fisher snapped too.

"Aye ma'am, we're on our way. Ring me up when you get to Valhalla, I'll buy you a drink." He put on a brave face, but his guts where quivering. He was fucked. Thank god for the visor. He turned to his squad. "Rhodes, Mossley. Come on, we've got shit to do." He waved his people on towards the entrance, shot off the padlock, and pulled the gate open. Their only cover was the burnt-out truck, so Fisher made the best of it, setting up Mossley and Rhodes on either side with him in the middle. Not great cover still, one grenade or fuel rod and they were boned.

"Aw come on Corporal, we'll get out asses shot to hell if we stay here!" Rhodes whined. Fisher shrugged, and was about to say something when he saw a trio of shapes off in the distance, about fifty yards off. Green, mean, and moving with a purpose. A sliver of confidence returned to him at the site of the SPARTAN's, and he pointed them out to the fidgety Rhodes.

"Like hell, see those guys? They're green mean killing machines, and they'll save our asses if we need it. Now shut up and get ready to shoot whatever don't bleed red. Got it?" Mossley didn't buy his shit.

"Hell, I bet we use all our rounds on the little guys, then they'll send the fucking squid-heads." She muttered in disgust. Fisher agreed inside.

"Like hell, I betcher sweet ass we'll get our heads popped by some jackass sniper." Rhodes retorted. Mossley was unfazed.

"Well hell, then at least I get away from you." Fisher was sure Rhodes grinned under his visor.

"Well then we'll just have to spend eternity together, just you and me, alone." He snickered, but Fisher could head the fear. "And then the real fun begins, eh Corporal?" He nudged Fisher on the shoulder, causing the big blonde to roll his eyes. Mossley Looked down her DMR's scope, scanning the direction of the Covenant threat.

"Rhodes, I doubt anyone would notice if you mysteriously vanished halfway through the battle. MIA's are sure a bitch aren't they?" Rhodes just shrugged and checked his rifle. Before either could say a thing more, Fisher held up his hand.

"Enough, just shut up and keep ready for anything. And since we will all survive and you will both be wrong, you owe me two drinks each after this is over, got me?" Fisher took slight comfort in their groans of disappointment and radioed in to the second lieutenant. "Fisher here ma'am, we're all set up. An LMG would be nice though."

[z]

Alex moved and crouched down next to Jackson and Cox. He fired off a shot and hit in the middle of a Jackal lance. Jackson on the other hand growled slightly at the competition and gripped his sniper. Aiming down the scope and in a rage fired off three shots. Down went an Elite Minor. "Three." Down went a Grunt. "Four." and Down went a Jackal "Five.".

Lucy just sat back and watched her sniper get angry, finding it quite funny actually as Jackson pulled back the trigger one more time and shot into an Elites head. "Six." the bullet flew through and hit another Grunts methane pack, the grunt shot up into the air and then fell back down, exploded and killed wounded another Grunt in which Jackson put him down with the last shot of his clip before reloading. "Eight..."

"Lucy, bring be a case of ammo would you?" Jackson asked loading the last clip he had on him.

Lucy stood, ran up the hill and dug around for sniper ammo. She had to make it fair and save some, so she was nice and took four. If Jackson needed more then so be it.

Jackson took a moment and looked over at Baker's sniper and spoke.

"Screw it!" Jackson yelled, dropped his sniper and grabbed the Launcher from Alex, standing and firing a Rocket into a crowd of Grunt canon fodder.

"Twenty.... I win.." Jackson said, tossing down the launcher before Lucy whacked him in the back of the helmet.

"Stop fucking around, Jackson. Snipers only, get back to shooting." Alex grabbed up his launcher, Reloaded, and fired again. Jackson was still obviously angry. Lucy mainly accepted this deal cause of Jackson's loathing for competition to his skills.

He aimed down the scope once more, pegging a Brute in the eye.

Lucy gave an evil laugh and looked at Baker. "You and your Sniper have earned my respect, you've pissed him off faster than I have in the long time I've known him."

Lucy clapped a bit before standing and lifting her MA5C and firing off a clip into the Covenant's relevant area just to feel useful... She did not like watching combat... She wanted to kick as too...

[Wax™]

Captain Travis 'TJ' Jenkins 0-3 Task Force 77: Able Company Defending UNSC Radio-Tower

Captain Jenkins walked along the line that Second Platoon of Able Company have now secured, the Radio Tower was behind him but the area was not secure, Jenkins stopped momentarily to shoulder his MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System and fire upon an ambitious Grunt, that had ran from it's Lance and tried to make it's way to the Radio Tower, a few seconds later the Grunt exploded, that explained why it was running, it was a suicide Grunt, Travis stood once more and began to walk past cover again, the battle did not really concern him, he was a veteran of the war, he walked to the far end of Second Platoons defensive line and took cover next to a COM's Soldier, gripping a hold of a hand held COM's mic and lifting it to his ear.

"BAKER and Lunar Squads... Keep an eye peeled I have identified that the Covenant are sending in suicide Grunt's to try and breach our lines, keep the perimeter tight as per Chain of Command you are both to take orders directly from me till you re-group with your respected officers"

Travis hooked the phone back on the COM's pack that the Marine Private was wearing, the Private didnt seem to care what the Captain was doing, he was too busy trying to keep the perimeter shut against the Covenant, Travis stood and began to walk back to Bakers Position, as he was walking a Private from Second Platoon was hit by a plasma bolt to the shoulder, the UNSC Marine Field Armor barely stopping the bolt.

"You alright son!"

Travis yelled as he grabbed the man and lent him against a Jersey barrier, the man simply nodded as a Medic began to treat him, a certain Corpsman Lucy Rodriguez, Travis just nodded to the women before moving on down the line, stopping to have small chats with soldiers in order to keep their morale up, physical contact and speech from a commanding officer always gave men that extra boost, once he reached Staff Sergeant Baker and Gunnery Sergeant Lucy he looked at the pair and crouched down.

"Staff and Gunnery Sergeant!..." The Captain screamed over the loud sound of plasma and automatic weapons fire. "...We need to start pushing the Covenant back, slowly once pace at a time, we need to make some ground and fast, under my command I want both of you to lead your squads ten meters down through no-man's land and take cover and secure the area... Men from Second Platoon will cover you with smoke barrages from Mortars and suppression fire from M247H HMG's..." Travis stopped for a moment only to catch a few breaths. "...Once you reach your position, I want you to take on suppresion fire against the Covenant so I can move up with Second Platoon and remember 'Marines Don't Quit'... Do I make my self clear Sergeants?"

Sergeant Jason Bowers Task Force 77: DELTA DESTROYERS Above Glasgow Old Command

Jason ran across the window's of the Office building that was hiding Glasgow Old Command, well it was not much of a secret any more, Jason skidded halt to level his M392 Designated Marksman Rifle and fire four bullets into the on-coming Covenant outside the building, after four pulls of the rigger a recognizable click was heard and his clip ran empty, it was his last one for the M392 Designated Marksman Rifle as well, Jason dropped the weapon and let it drop against him, the weapon not falling against the ground due to being strapped around him, he then lifted his MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System and fired a trio of bursts into a couple of Grunt's.

"INCOMING!"

Jason turned his head just in time to see an in-coming fuel rod round heading right in his direction, he had just enough time to dive out the way but was caught by explosive shrapnel digging into his right leg, Bowers fell hard against the officer building floor, he screamed but nothing seemed to come out, he stopped for a moment to catch a breath before yelling out.

"Medic... MEDIC!"

A few moments later Corporal Claire Hunt ran to Jason's position, kneeling to his side, Jason hauled himself up with the help of Corporal Hunt against a plaster wall, Hunt hurried to stick her hand into her medical bag and pull out a battle dressing and tweezers.

"Hold still!"

"Hurry up!"

Bowers moaned back in response, the medic leaning over him to pull out the large and small pieces of shrapnel one by one from his right leg, pieces going no more than an inch or half an inch at most into his leg, once done she unwrapped the battle dressing and wrapped it around his right thigh where the majority of shrapnel hit, tying a rough not around it to keep it on tight.

"Your good to go"

"Cheers"

Claire got up for a moment just to hear another Private from a different squad scream medic, the woman sighing before running off to help the Marine in need, Bowers hauled himself up and gripped his MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System close to himself, firing out of the officer building window as he limped over to Corporal Thompson.

"Cassie..." He said before dropping himself next to her and her fire-team which was covering the forward flank, the main area in which the Covenant was attacking, in total there were about twenty marines on the same floor as Sergeant Bower's squad.

"Your my 2iC from now on alright?"

Jason lent back against a plaster wall and pulled out a tac-pad and looked at a satellite image of the area around the office building, he could see Covenant and UNSC A like moving all about the city, Jason stopped for a moment to link up with Captain Sierra Lloyd.

"Captain, suppression and defense against the Covenant is going well, though we have a few wounded up here including myself and would love to know when those charges are finished being set?"

ODST Private Dean Cox Task Force 77: Lunar Squad Defending UNSC Radio-Tower

Cox lent against a jersey barrier with his Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel mounted just on top of it, he looked right down the scope and continued to fire each good chance he got, he was calm and ready, for a first timer against the Covenant the fighting did not really seem to bother him since he was so far away from them at the time, he pushed off the jersey barrier and ran to another position mounting his Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel there before fireing off even more rounds.

"Gunny..." Cox said into TEAM-COM. "...I don't to be a smart-ass and I don't want to ruin Jackson's day but I got eighteen kills in this field..."

Cox paused only for a moment to zone in on a Covenant jackal, he fired his weapon the huge sniper bullet soaring through the air with great velocity impacted against the bird like creatures shield causing it to over-load and vanish, another shot taking down the Covenant jackal easily.

"Nineteen actually"

Cox looked out from his scope and looked through his ODST helmet at Jackson, this was rather funny, Cox was the new meat and he seemed to have more kills than Jackson, he looked back into his scope and zoned in on another Covenant target, gently pulling back on the trigger he fired and watched as the bullet impacted against a brutes neck region, causing the huge beast to fall to the ground clutching it's neck.

"Twenty kills Gunny"

[Dutch]

Baker shook his head, was he hearing this right?

"...We need to start pushing the Covenant back, slowly once pace at a time, we need to make some ground and fast, under my command I want both of you to lead your squads ten meters down through no-man's land and take cover and secure the area... " Was the Captain loosing it? Baker got on the com with the captain.

"Sir, I mean no offense, but that's a bad idea. From what we can tell, the Covenant have at least twice our current number stationed over there, probably more, and who knows how many more of them are streaming in. While we can get across the open ground fine enough, I have no intention of taking the fight to the Covenant in CQC with them outnumbering us so heavily. They have the advantage in CQC sir, and you know it. I say we hold here, strengthen our position, and wait for reinforcements. Then we can advance and crack their position."

[z]

And here she was thinking that the Captain was almost a smart man, giving a snarl as she lifted her MA5C and shot down a Grunt that was getting too close.

"Hate to say it Captain but Baker is right, we do that we're going to get screwed over in the worst way and i refuse to die by something like that.

Jackson fired off another trio of sniper shots.

Alex fired a rocket

Anders fired off the quickening fire of his DMR

And the there was Cox, the kid who was out numbering Jackson in kills... He might be a good edition after all.

A sniper shot was heard and a large chain reaction of plasma grenades went off.... Which Sniper was it who did that...? That's when she saw Jackson's barrel smoking and him reloading.

"Twenty Eight...." He said before going back to his scope.

Lucy's attention had gone back to the Captain and the Sergeant.

"No offense sir, but yes, we need to wait for reinforcement otherwise we will loose the radio tower!"

[Martial Virtue]

Corporal Cassie Thompson

Cassie was spraying covering fire above the rest of Alpha Company from the Command Center building. Seeing as she had a close-range weapon, it was really nothing more than adding noise to the cacophony of battle going on below. But she hoped it would do the Marines down there some good - maybe make the Covenant think twice about outright assaulting the building and surrounding streets on foot. Everybody had their part to play in the fight.

The young corporal had just emptied the clip of her SMG when she heard a man's voice say her name beside her. She turned abruptly and saw it was Sergeant Bowers. He spoke urgently as he quickly knelt next to her position.

"Cassie," he said. "Your my 2iC from now on alright?"

Corporal Thompson looked back at him with eyes a little wide. Trying to direct a fireteam was more than enough to keep her busy. If Bowers needed her to be his second, though, she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. "Y-yes, Sarge," she replied.

Second Lieutenant Laura Howard

Laura smirked when Corporal Fisher's reply came over the COM.

"Aye ma'am, we're on our way. Ring me up when you get to Valhalla, I'll buy you a drink."

"You know how to treat a lady, Fish. I like that. But I don't plan on dying here."

Lieutenant Howard's grin evaporated then as she thought of someone who was already there, waiting for her. Dominic had been taken from her too soon. Maybe reuniting with him in the afterlife wouldn't make dying so bad.

Still, she didn't plan on it happening today. And hopefully not anytime soon, either.

The Helljumper lieutenant quickly moved in just ahead her squad of troopers, holding her assault rifle tight in both hands as she sprinted across the tarmac. Once she'd found some equally lousy cover of her own - the air field's main entrance booth, where an attendant would normally be checking IDs to allow pilots and crew in and out of the runway area - Laura stopped and crouched down behind the barrier. It wasn't much, but there was nothing better out there - and anything was always better than getting your ass shot in the middle of an open road.

Corporal Fisher hailed her again as she spotted three Spartans rush past nearby. That was a good sign, at least. They wouldn't be totally fucked with them around.

"Fisher here ma'am, we're all set up. An LMG would be nice though."

Howard responded immediately. "I'll get that sent over for ya, Fish. Let me get the captain on the line." The lieutenant switched channels. "Sir? Lieutenant Howard here. We could really use some more firepower."

Captain Dylan Lloyd

Dylan was busy getting the rest of his platoon set up, so he didn't answer his XO's hail right away. There was too much to get done, and he could already hear the first of the Covenant vehicles moving in from the west. His TACPAD told him as much as well.

"Troopers, rally on me! We're going to keep the entrance to the air field fortified by our best squad, while first and third will cover the flanks, respectively. Remember, we need to keep the Covenant out at all costs. So be ready to hold that damn line."

"Yes, sir!" came the resounding reply.

"Good, let's get moving then." As Dylan ran up ahead to provide covering fire for Lieutenant Howard's squad, he opened a channel to Agent Furrow. "Sir, Captain Dylan Lloyd with Wolf Team of the ODSTs. Your report, as ordered. We've landed inside the air field in Glasgow and have formed a perimeter around the entrance. The Covenant won't be getting through on our watch. Lloyd out."

Finally, it was time to respond to Howard. "Lieutenant, Captain Lloyd. Since you're going to start the party for us, I'll give you two LMRs. Send a couple of men from your squad to come get 'em."

With orders now issued, Dylan still didn't breathe a sigh of relief. He checked his TACPAD again and saw the Covenant were even closer. And somewhere out there in the rest of the city, he knew his wife was standing directly in harm's way.

Captain Sierra Lloyd

Captain Lloyd felt the ground beneath her shake when another friendly mortar crashed into the street up ahead, exploding right where it needed to - in the middle of a throng of incoming Covenant. She watched as a handful of Grunts were sent skyward in a geyser of blood, guts, and body parts, their methane masks shooting into the air. The bigger, stronger aliens, the Elites and the Jackals, held steady, but even their shields were left flaring after a hit like that.

"Snipers! Tag those bastards that escaped the blast, now! Their shields are down!"

A rapid succession of cracks echoed through the area, each shot finding its mark in alien flesh. Three Jackals went down in a muted heap, along with an Elite who'd been previously caught up in the mortar blast. A second Elite, whose shield had been left weakened but intact by the detonation, roared loud as its translucent layer of protection finally sparked out. It was able to duck away quickly into cover, however, and the sniper's next round missed.

Damn, Lloyd thought to herself. Over the COM, though, she said, "Good work, Marines! Keep at it! We're keeping them at bay for now!"

Seeing as the mortars, MGs, and snipers were working well now at holding off the onrushing aliens, Sierra figured it was as good a time as any to send a reply back to command. She had to yell into her COM over the sound of weapons' fire. "Agent Furrow, Captain Sierra Lloyd, CO of Alpha Company, Marines! We are in the streets now and have the Command Center secure. I repeat, Command Center is secure, for the moment." She sincerely hoped it'd stay that way.

Captain Lloyd turned back to the action once that was finished and rattled off another string of bursts from her battle rifle, taking out a number of Grunts coming up the street. When it was time to reload, she crouched back down behind cover, hearing Sergeant Bower's voice flood her helmet over the COM.

"Captain, suppression and defense against the Covenant is going well, though we have a few wounded up here including myself and would love to know when those charges are finished being set?"

"You sit tight for now, Sergeant. I'll send in an additional medic if you need it, but we're in no shape to evac the wounded right now. You do the best you can with what you've got. We're holding off the Covenant out here at the moment, but we're a long ways from pushing them back.

"And as far as those charges go, I haven't heard jack shit from Rush Team yet. You'll have to take it up with them."

[Huka]

Major Domo Til 'Muramee

Til stood in one of the top windows of a abandoned building in the assaulted human city, watching the battles unfolding throughout it like a fatal disease. He smirked at the vile beauty of it all. Once he saw useless destruction in it, but now, he feel a throbbing pride in destroying enemies of the Covenant. With a custom-fitted Kig-yar monocular sitting on his good eye, he tapped a button on the side, and it zoomed in to see a battle raging by a tower of some sorts. It must the communications tower that he heard about.

"Mentor." A noticable voice called. "What is it, Skor?" He asked back. "Why do we collect these disgusting bodies like savvae?" The young Sangheili asked as he appeared from the next room. "Why can't we just annilihate them? Burn them from the face of this infected planet like the cur that they are." Skor asked with growing aggression.

Til listened to his somewhat younger apprentice with amusement. Dispite being a few solar cycles older than Skor, Til felt so much older than Skor, maybe the Templar's Rest have gave him more than he realized, a fact he keep reminding himself.

"Have patience, my little warrior. Always have patience and your prey will come to you, remember that. As does glory." Til said before deactivating his scope and turning to Skor.

Skor looked to Til, listening. "My mentor have taught me as a youngling, that a arakha will sometimes have to wait many moons before a meal comes into its sneering webs. I have taught this technique as well and live by it now after..." Til said before gesturing his hand at his face. "This."

Skor seemed disturbed, possibly not wanting to meet the same fate as his more experienced kin. He would like to attract a mate one day.

"While my blood yearns to slay as many as these vermin as I can, my hunter instinct commands discipline and speak to me to wait till it is time to skrike like a sand prowler." Til said in determination, clunching a fist.

Looking at Skor, he saw disappointment in the young one's shoulders, and he lowered his mandibles in a sigh. Placing a comforting hand on Skor's right shoulder and shaking it slightly, he spoke more softly again, "Don't fright, battle will come to us soon. I know it. Do you know how?" Til asked.

Skor looked at the taller Major Domo's good eye, "No, Mentor." He answered truthfully. "Follow me." Til said.

The two walked into the other room, greeting by the quiet Unggoy. Igri looked at Til respectfully with a salute, but glanced at Skor with a more disliking emotion, moving aside as they approached Til's main ingredient to his grand plan.

A pile of human corpses, collected from the nearby streets by Skor and the Unggoy.

"Whilst there is no enjoyable honor or delight in collecting these foul things, trust me, I understand completely, but they are still prey to us. I have studied these creatures for a while now and understand that fortunately, like us, they have emotions. Emotions can give us great power, my student, and also give us our greatest..." Til explained before Skor finished excitingly, "Weakness."

Til chuckled with personal success, "Indeed. You are about to see another possible path of glory. Now it is time to be the arakha and wait."

[Martial Virtue]

Captain Sierra Lloyd

When Lloyd didn't hear back from Sergeant Bowers, she figured his squad must be in rougher shape than she'd initially realized. It was time to get the Delta Destroyers the help they needed. After reloading her weapon, Sierra turned to the Marine closest to her, a lance corporal. She gripped him by his uniform collar so that he'd set his attention on her.

"I'm heading to second platoon across the way to get their medic to our squad up in that building!" she shouted over the thunderously loud weaponry in the street. "I want you and your fireteam to provide suppressive fire on my mark! Is that clear, Marine?"

The young man nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"

Sierra nodded. "Good. Then get ready." The captain took in a deep breath to steady her nerves. "Three, two, one...mark!"

Lloyd took off running through the line of first platoon's Marines towards second platoon, who was on the other side of the road. She sprinted low and fast, plasma rounds dotting the asphalt near her combat boots despite the sudden increase in friendly covering fire. Her heart pounded hard and overwhelmingly loud in her chest as she gripped her BR55 with a white-knuckle grip. But finally, she reached cover again on the other side.

Debris still littered the area from where the Wraith's mortar round had exploded against the building overhead. Even through the sounds of battle, Sierra heard the crunch of broken glass beneath her boots as she moved in a crouch towards the closest squad of second platoon - third squad.

The Marine she'd taken cover with inside a crater showed up on her HUD as Private Sloan. He was a newcomer, but that didn't matter. Sierra roughly grabbed hold of his shoulder.

"Sloan! Get your sergeant to gather up your squad right now! I need you to escort a medic to Sergeant Bower's squad, in the Command Center building! We'll provide covering fire! Can you get that done, son?"

Then, before he could reply, she opened a quick channel back to Bowers. "Sergeant, I've got help coming."

[Wax™]

(NOTE: Hey Martial it would be pretty cool if you could call in a Pelican pilot to pick up the civilians from the roof, that way I could put my Pelican Pilot character back into the story)

Sergeant Jason Bowers Task Force 77: DELTA DESTROYERS Above GLASGOW Old Command

"Affirmative Captain Lloyd... Send the Medic up to the fifth floor, we got another wounded Marine and possibly two KIA from another squad"

Sergeant Bower's Squad and the rest of the marines up here were getting hammered by the Covenant down stairs, they seemed more focused on them instead of the marines on the ground, Jason growled and yelled at his marines, the marine he was closest to was Cassie but it was directed to everyone.

"Alright! We are getting hammered down here, let's move to the stair well and move another floor up"

Bowers pushed off a plaster wall divider and ran for the stair well, everyone from his squad hopefully following behind and the rest of the marines, Bowers hauled himself up the stairs and to the fifth floor which was a good two meters higher off ground level, he pushed into the fifth floor access door and heard a series of female screams and male yells, he then lifted up a closed fist, directing his team to halt.

"Cassie... Keep the team here"

Jason limped through the first corridor the fifth floor, this floor was surprisingly un-touched and the noise of battle outside was slightly drained due to most of the windows still being intact, Jason stopped at the first door and slammed in with his MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System shouldered and pointed it al around the room.

"Clear"

He whispered out to his team before moving out of the room and going to the closed door directly across from him, he kicked at the door with his good foot and it burst open, Jason limped in as fast as he can and pointed his MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System all about the room, he then lowered it as he saw a group of six civilians and two Military Policemen armed with M6D Personal Defense Weapon System's, Bowers lowered his weapon to his side and lifted his right hand to press a button on a head-set having lost his helmet before on the lower floor.

"Captain Lloyd... This is Bowers... I have a situation here, I have a group of six or so civilians and a couple of MP's up here on the fifth floor, but I can't walk them out of here with the Covenant on our front door step, what do you suggest I do?"

Jason looked at the civilians and dropped his hand from his head-set staring at each and every one of them through his orange combat glasses, there was six of them alright and, Jesus Christ a child, he mouthed to the civilians 'Stay Here' as he walked out the room and closed the door behind them.

"Cassie bring everyone up"

Bowers waited and looked around the floor for a moment and waited for his team to come to his position, once they were he turned around and looked to Cassie, speaking mainly to her but also to the rest of the team.

"Alright here's how it goes... I got six civilians and two MP's in that room along with a child, we need to figure out a way to get them out of this building unharmed, any suggestions?"

Captain Travis 'TJ' Jenkins Task Force 77: Able Company Defending the Radio Tower

Travis frowned at what he heard through the COM's line he thought the plan was an excellent idea, though once you get good at something you usually get sloppy at it as well, Travis was not angry at the marines dis-like to his new plan nor was he happy, he simply keyed into them via the COM's and gave another talk.

"You could both be right Sergeants, but think about this, with no sacrifice there can be no victory, think of the US Marines in WWII, they charged blindly into on-coming German fire and died for the country, knowing that other men would step up to take their place, they charge into the enemy line, risking their own flesh and bone, so that others could survive, think about that Marines... No Sacrifice, No Victory..."

Travis looked across the line at the two Sergeants before walking down the opposite end, occasionally ducking his head to avoid being caught by enemy fire, he then keyed into the COM's again and spoke once more.

"...But I must agree with you both, we shall wait out and hold our position till reinforcements arrive... God only knows how long that will be but hell... Marines Don't Quit"

Travis turned back to face the Sergeants again and he nodded towards them before shouldering his weapon and firing down range, taking out another suicide Grunt, these little cannon fodders were getting a little bit too ambitious for Travis' liking.

ODST Private Dean Cox Task Force 77: Lunar Squad Defending the Radio Tower

Cox could not give two shits what the UNSC Marine Captain was saying, he was too busy pegging Covenant down all over the place, Cox was not very competitive, most of his training superiors said he was a born and natural sniper, but this was a real push for him, mainly because his targets were running and half of them had shields on them.

"Twenty six..."

Cox said as he fired another round into a Grunt, the same shell flying even further to impact against another Grunt.

"Twenty seven..."

Cox smiled slightly as he continued to get more and more kills against the Covenant and against Jackson, though Jackson seemed to over-take him, but Cos just gritted down and continued to fire, he emptied his clip, and slid another one home before firing four shots down range.

"Thirty one..."

[Dutch]

Baker almost snorted at the storybook gung-ho attitude dripping off the captain. If he remembered his history right, the marines of the United States had usually had access to the Seventh Fleet, including unlimited airstrikes, artillery, naval bombardment, and fresh men and supplies. But he wasn't going to mention that to the captain, not yet at least.

Instead he just nodded in assent.

"Good call sir, I'd advise radioing in to command and getting an ETA on reinforcements so we can bust the bastards, preferably before they reorganize and counterattack." Another voice came in over his COM.

"Tell the Lunar's thirty-six." Patch's flat voice said, punctuated by another gunshot. "Thirty seven." Baker smiled and raised Gray.

"Hey gunnery sergeant, thirty seven over here." He said with a smirk. Then he raised the rest of his squad. "Dozen listen up. Plan's still the same, hang tight 'til we get enough reinforcements to crack the Covenant position. In the meantime, shore up defenses, bolt up some more MG's, and someone go bring Patch another crate of clips." There was a chorus of "Aye's" from his men as they set to work.

Fifty yards away in the clearing, Lance Corporal Chase was arming the last of the claymore mines he had spent the last several minutes setting around the no-man's land. The moment Able had showed up and had provided sufficient cover fire to kick the Covenant out of the clearing, he'd been out there mining the place. Normally he'd have been a bit nervous about his vulnerability, but Patch was covering him, so there was no doubt in his mind regarding his safety.

Sergeant Stridem had taken the chance, ordering him out into the field to prepare a hot surprise for the next wave of Covenant attackers to cross this portion of the field. To his right and left, Corporal's Lake and Warren kept watch, occasionally sending a few rounds downrange at any ugly head to poke over the ruins a hundred yards away.

Done. Chase set the last charge and signaled he was done. Stridem nodded and motioned for them to pack up and leave. Moving carefully and quickly, the four ODST's began backing out of the clearing and towards safety, moving from shattered cover to cover when Patch cleared them.

Finally they leaped over the wall and ducked behind the fortifications, back home. They exchanged quick high-fives, then Chase signaled to Baker.

"Boss, we've mined the central sector of the clearing, any split-jawed bastards come shambling that-away will get a quick and violent surprise."

Baker grinned, as long as the Covenant didn't work up the balls to attack, they would do fine. Of course knowing the Covenant, it would probably not work out fine. He keyed his mike.

"Good job, now help bolster the defenses and get ready, I don't want the Covie's catching us with our pants down."

[z]

Jackson popped off a few more shots when Cox spoke, and hearing Patch from the other team. Explosions rang off from dying suicide Grunts. "Thirty-One..."

Lucy let out a sigh of displeasure at the thought of sitting here when for shots range off, a rocket fired, DMR shots went off... All her squad was doing something important... Lucy wanted to rack up kills too...

"Thirty Seven..." Jackson muttered before shooting again. "Thirty Eight..."

He fired a shot that seemingly missed, but it flew through the air, bounced off the ground and tore through a Brute's chest, then an Elite's shoulder. He fired again and put the squid down before reloading in the same motion.

"Forty-One..."

[kel]

Kel crouched in the grass as she listened to her comm.
"All snipers or riflemen in the area! This is Major Domo Legra 'Adantee. We are gathered on a hill, upon which I am sending coordinates and a HUD beacon. Attend to your duty--assist us in disposing of the snipers in the area."

Kel glanced at her HUD, and looked about. Convenient. Her lance was just headed to that hill. Kel glanced to Kag and towards the trees where Zuk was, and nodded her head towards the hill.

With a swift pace, she blazed through the field to the hill, and began working her way up and through the underbrush at a good pace. They would be the first to answer the call.

[thenether]

Ari looked round, the captain had ignored him, but that didn't really matter, the man probably had better things to do than greet him. Ari looked over the top of his cover, a grunt kept charging, Ari shot him Why do these guys just keep charging... Is it zeal? he thought, he couldn't believe anyone would do that. Ari shot at the enemy, but kept his head over the top of the concrete barrier he was hiding behind too long and a grunt saw his chance. Ari just managed to get down in time. The incident had shaken him, and he remained down for sometime before he managed to mustering the courage to pop up and shoot again. He listened for a minute, the gun fire seemed to be dying down. Ari knew this wouldn't last long, so he took advantage of it to move to a better piece of cover, ducking under the few plasma bolts that were still shot at him. Ari ducked behind it, and peered over the top. He saw a Jackal running with it's shield on the other side of it's body, away from Ari. Ari smiled when he saw this chance, and dropped the jackal with a couple of bursts of fire. He ducked back down and waited for a while, wondering what would happen next.

[hollowsaber]

Task Force 77: Fireteam Ghost Glasgow; The Airfield

“Hold… Decker…”

With a curt nod, Decker moved forward towards the standing Elite minor. The Elite Warrior stood just inside the end of an alleyway that Ghost was moving through. With it’s beck to them, the alien didn’t even know what was coming to him. That is, until the sharp unsheathing of Decker’s knife alerted him. The elite spun and raised his plasma rifle towards the shadows. Now standing sideways, he scanned to the left, then the right.

Decker hid behind the massive dumpster just feet from where the warrior stood. The heavy breathing sounded almost like a horse, and with each click of the alien’s hoof, it could easily be mistaken as one. The Elite took several steps forward, then past the dumpster before it halted. Decker remained couched, keeping his body tight to the dumpster to hide in the shadows as best as possible. At the other end of the alley, Ghost tossed a can inside, letting the noise catch the Elite’s attention.

The second it stepped forward, Decker lunged from his spot and jumped onto the Warrior’s back. In a swift motion, he dug his combat knife into one side of the Elite’s throat, causing purple blood to gush out from the wound. The two looked into each others eyes; both soldiers just doing their jobs… but one just did his better. Firming his grip, Decker pulled the blade sideways and sliced the Elite’s throat in half. In a final gasp, the alien let out a silent roar as it fell to its knees then the ground.

“Clear front.” Decker whispered into the COM as he started to drag the massive body to the side, tucking it behind the dumpster as the rest of the squad moved forward.

“Good job..” Angel muttered, assisting Decker once he caught up.

“Thanks. Sarge, we there yet?” Decker pulled his rifle around from his back and moved up a little, kneeling down next to Shaker who was aiming to cover their six.

“Just up the street. Lot of gunfire though. 30 yard sprint away. Check ammo. We bolt in, take cover, and help shut the door. Those tanks look like they could use some help.” Ghost looked up the open street to the Airfield gates where the Covenant and UNSC forces were fighting. Plasma, lead, and heavy shells were going everywhere. It was a risky move, but it was either that or…

“Wait. Cryptic.” Ghost looked back for the soldier, who was actually in front of him aiming down the other direction of the street.
“You still got that wire-cutting spray or whatever in your pack?”

“Wire-cutter? Yea, why?” Cryptic looked back at the Sergeant curiously.

“We’ll make our own door. Let’s go. Stay tight on me. Head for the fence…. now.”

Out of the alley, the six Marines jogged out in haste. Ghost held up his rifle towards the fighting up the street as Angel crept beside him. Gus watched their back with Decker as Shaker and Cryptic moved to the fence. In haste, Cryptic pulled open his pack, yanked the can of wire-cutting adhesive out of it’s strap and popped the top. In a fluent motion, he traced out a small hole in the fence with the spray. When he was done, Cryptic recapped the can and stuck back in his pack. With a hard yank, Cryptic pulled the fence piece off and fell backwards from the tug. As he recovered, the rest of the team except for Angel moved through the fresh opening.

Once Cryptic regained his balance he patted Angel then moved through. The Six marines pounded the ground with their guns up as they moved to the fighting at the Airfield… what a sight it was… UNSC fighting for every tooth and nail while the Covenant had the intent of slaughtering them all.

“Good god…” Gus whispered as they got close.

“I thought you didn’t believe in god?” Angel looked at his squad mate who quickly shook his head.

“Only when I don’t want to get shot!” Gus cried in false terror. Shaker chuckled but Gus shoved him lightly.

“Make way ladies!” Ghost yelled over the gunfire once they got close.

The Marines moved up behind the makeshift sandbags and hastily took up positions within the other soldiers. Cryptic quickly connected his radio channel with the vehicles and started to spot shots for the artillery. Angel and Shaker dealt with the heavy weapons while Decker, Gus, and Ghost went to work doing what Marines did best.

[milostsamis]

Jake had taken cover in a small area of deflation, which had created a sort of a natural bunker. He held his MA5B assault rifle in his hands, and held it at the ready, aiming down over the no-man's land. Michelle and Lenny weren't too far away, ten feet possibly to the right. The corporal knelt directly beside Jake, his MA5C held up as well. They were covering the right flank of the radio tower, as ordered. The firefight had been going on for about ten minutes now, possibly more. It was difficult to tell time when you're fighting for your life.

A bead of sweat ran down Jake's face in anticipation. It had been a little over a minute since the Covies had sent another advance, and it was starting to make the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His anxiety didn't last too much longer as six Covenant lances came through the rubble of fallen buildings and began yet another advance on the marine position. "Fire, men." Ryan called to his small team.

A trio of bursts was heard as Michelle pulled the trigger of her standard issue battle rifle. Less than a second later, a dead Grunt hit the floor. It wasn't too long before the rest of the platoon followed her example and began firing as well. The Grunts dropped without a problem, and three of the six Elites went down in a hail of bullets.

The Covenant regrouped their remaining troops and continued their advance, their plasma weapons returning fire. Bolts of green and blue struck the marine position, and one stray bolt struck a young private in the shoulder. Jake fired his assault rifle, which drowned out the sound of the marines shouts of pain. Upon his two four round bursts, two Grunts lay dead, another wounded.

By the time the Covenant force had been dealt with, another, larger force emerged from the rubble and began advancing as well. Jake sent off another three four round bursts and took out an Elite's shield, and another marine then took a chunk of its face off with his DMR. Jake finished his clip by taking down another three Grunts and distracting an Elite long enough for a sniper to penetrate the alien's cranium. In one fluid motion he ejected the empty clip and slid in another.

Jake didn't see it, but he most certainly heard it as a Wraith sent a huge ball of plasma at third platoon. Jake ducked behind cover as the ball of heated plasma struck near his position, and he could feel the heat wash over his flesh. "We got a man down!" he heard someone call, and he saw a man's lifeless body not too far from him.

A Sergeant approached Jake and Ryan's position and gave them an order. "We need some support over here. I hear that the Captain might have just what we need. I need you to make a request for some support. Understand, Private?"

Jake nodded his head. "Yes, sir." He touched his helmet and keyed in on the COM. "Captain, we've got a Wraith giving us some trouble. We need some support, you got anything that could help, over?" Ryan and Jake both fired off their assault rifles and together took down a Brute that was getting dangerously close to their position. "It's getting hard enough as it is with just having to deal with the Covenant's infantry." Jake spoke into the microphone again.

[Wax™]

Captain Travis 'TJ' Jenkins Task Force 77: Able Company Defending the Radio Tower

"Captain, we've got a Wraith giving us some trouble. We need some support, you got anything that could help, over?" There was a slight pause as the marine probably took in a breath or two. "It's getting hard enough as it is with just having to deal with the Covenant's infantry."

Travis banged his head against the jersey barrier he was leaning against so hard it almost cracked his helmet as he heard a wraith mortar go off then the plead of Marines voice over the COM's as he requested some support, Travis lifted himself up and looked in the direction of Third Platoon, the man speaking was a PFC Jake Rotan from Second Platoon, Travis' favorite Platoon.

Travis lifted himself up and gripped his MA37 Assault Rifle tight as he fired a trio of bursts into the on-coming covenant, taking out a suicide Grunt, and two other Grunt's along with him, a few seconds later the recognizable sound of a plasma grenade rung in his ears and the screams and yelps of Covenant Infantry as they either exploded or burnt to death, Travis ran down the lines of Second Platoon and stopped at a Corporal with a Spartan Laser at his side, Travis picked it up before looking at it's charge, it still had four more shots before reloading.

Travis slid it around his back and shouldered his MA37 Assault Rifle again, firing off in the general direction of the covenant not sure if he really hit anything, in truth he took out a Elite that had lost it's shielding, Travis continued on down the line of Second Platoon till he reached Rotan.

"Well done Rotan!" He yelled over the sound of gun-fire. "...I need to make my way over to Third Platoon, take the laser and blow that S.O.B when he sticks his head out for another shot... Copy?!"

Travis waited for the PFC to reply before nodding, patting him on the shoulder and handing him the Spartan Laser, once he did he walked off and ran to the very edge of Second Platoon's line, it was a relatively short run, but in the mist of battle, it felt like an eternity, though once he reached the end he was fine, he knelt down next to a sergeant and his fire-team and yelled at the man over the gun fire.

"Sergeant! I need to make my way to Third Platoons location! I need you to give me suppression fire with your MG's and help me make it across... Do you copy?!"

"Yes Sir... Copy that"

"Alright... On my mark!"

Travis waited for a bit and took in a few deep breaths before he continued.

"Three... Two... One... MARK!"

Once he screamed out mark Travis pushed off the rubble and sprinted as fast as he possibly could towards Third Platoons position which was a good twenty meter run to the left, they were covering the left flank with MG's and Light Infantry, the run was taking too long, he had to vault jersey barriers and make his way around piles of rubble that were too big, and just as he was about to reach Third Platoon, he go clipped on his chest plate by a plasma bolt.

The force of the blow caused him to fall to his feet into a small ditch, in cover but out of site from all his men, he was about five meters away from Third Platoon, the plasma bolt had traveled a great distance and only clipped his chest armor and left a rather large burn mark about half an inch or half and inch deep going horizontal across his armor.

Captain Jenkins rolled onto his stomach and picked himself up, five meters left, he could make it, he took a breath in and exhaled slowly before making the rest of the run, this one was shorter and once he made it he dropped himself against a jersey barrier behind cover from the Covenant's range of fire, he then consulted with 2nd Lieutenant Haley Simpson, Third Platoons leader.

"How are you going here Simpson! Status report?!"

"Were alright, we got a few wounded but we are doing great on ammo, we a holding well against the Covenant but we might need air support or armor in here very soon if we want to hold them back."

"Affirmative Simpson... Good work"

Travis rolled over and patched in COM's with HIGHCOM and tried to get through to Bracknell Command.

"Command... This is Captain Jenkins of Able Company, we are trying to secure the radio-tower with Baker and Lunar Squads best we can but the Covenant just keep coming, requesting air and armor support and I would like to know how long till reinforcement's arrive... Over?"