Outer Colonies: Hammer, Anvil, and Tongs

[Deleted]

File: Terrestrial Planet Hephaestus

Gravity: 0.95 G's
Population: 1 Billion
Solar body: Blue Giant 4426 Galli
Other
Information: Hephaestus is an Outer Colony world very nearly resembling Earth; Gravitational pull, atmosphere, and Flora and Fauna are all reminiscent of Terra.  That being said, natural plant-life has adapted chlorophyll ranging from violet to black, allowing them to better absorb heat and radiation from the Blue Giant at the center of Eta Herculis.  Due to higher average temperatures than Earth, tall grasses and hedges are common, although forests still dot the landscape.  Large amounts of minerals present in the crust have deemed Hephaestus mainly a mining colony and therefore the economy is completely focused around such endeavors.  As opposed to a winter such as on Earth, Hephaestus has a rainy season from January to June on the Earth calendar, with heavy downpours being very common.

---

Fleet Master Suva 'Detomai
Destroyer Sacred Spoils - Warband of Resplendant Terror

The Fleet Master let a growl escape his mandibles.  The Nishum weren't supposed to be here.  This war had been drug out long enough; it was high time the Human parasite had been extinguished from the galaxy.  And yet more of their colonies were discovered.  A simple reconnaissance and excavation mission now became a matter of warfare.  Worse yet, artifacts had been detected on the surface and they must be retrieved.  A harrowing battle was soon to come, for both sides.

"All ships to battlestations, prepare to engage!  Ready all ground forces to be deployed to their planet.  We will secure any Relics and destroy the Human scum!"

---

Commander Eric Laslow
Aboard Destroyer Blood Maiden
9:00 AM April 22nd 2546

"Commander, remote sensor outpost XG2048 has just detected several vessels exiting slipspace.  Outlines match Covenant warships."

Commander Laslow's stomach dropped.  All these years...and now the Covenant had discovered the Colony.  He reasoned it had just been a matter of time.  After all, Hephaestus was one of only a handful of outer Colonies left. There was no option but to fight, and the Commander had the lives of over nearly a billion people on his hands.  He had to act quickly.

"Bring everyone to full alert.  I want all ships prepped and ready for combat.  Send word planetside, we need to commence a full-on evacuation.  Anders, what's that enemy Fleet looking like?"

"The Covenant Fleet consists of a destroyer accompanied by two frigates and three corvettes.  I take it they weren't expecting us to be here."

A faint glimmer of hope burned in Laslow's chest.  Then we can win.

---

Situation Report:
The Covenant have four targets.  The first, and highest priority for both sides, is several Forerunner structures at the center of the major city of Kyklopses.  Some of the artifacts are on display at the Colonial Museum just down the street.  The entire complement of Marines is housed in a military base just ten miles to the north of Kyklopses.  Heavy urban combat is expected.  Thirty miles south of the city, several villages lie around the second Covenant objective.  These areas are majorily grassy knolls and open for moving large numbers of troops. Two more Forerunner structures lie to the east and west of the villages by about fifty miles.  They are in remote areas, in the middle of a forest and among a series of natural hedgerows respectively.

---

NC= Not Completed
S= Successful
F= Failed

Current UNSC Objectives:
1) Begin evacuation of the Planet (NC)
2) Prepare defenses to stop the Covenant's advance (NC)
3) Protect or, if need be, destroy whatever they are looking for (NC)

UNSC Military Strength:
Fleet:
2 Destroyers
5 Frigates
7 Corvettes
Assorted Dropships, fighters, and gunboats.

Ground Forces:
1 Regiment (Three Battalions; ~ 1500 soldiers)
2 Grizzly Tanks
25 Scorpion Tanks
50 M12 LRV Warthogs
15 M12G1 LAAV Gauss Warthogs
20 M831 TT Warthogs
50 Mongooses

Current Covenant Objectives:
1) Establish deployment zone (NC)
2) Proceed to areas and identify possible Relics (Four locations) (NC)
3) Extinguish the Human's that Defile the planet (NC)
4) Secure and retrieve Artifacts (NC)

Covenant Military Strength:
Fleet:
1 Destroyer
2 Frigates
3 Corvettes
Assorted Dropships, fighters, and gunboats.

Ground Forces:
1 Legion with extra attached Sect (~1300 Soldiers)
30 Wraith Tanks
120 Ghosts
12 Revenants

What to expect Planetside:

Heavy Rains: Hephaestus is in the middle of it's rainy season, and therefore large downpours can be expected throughout the coming days. this will affect air operations and all pilot's must take extra caution when on the ground.

Grasslands: Much of the planet is covered in tall grasses and hills, making these areas superb for combined arms engagements.  Heavy armored battles supported by infantry are expected to take place, especially near the villages and within the city of Kyklopses.

Hedgerows and Forests: Cropping up in more remote areas, hedgerows and forests will severely limit armored columns and will cause infantry to move in with little or light vehicle support.

Weather Report:

Light rain is falling on and around the city of Kyklopses.  As it stands, aircraft are capable of free movement and engagement, although this is expected to change later in the day as the rainfall picks up.  Thunder and lightning are also expected to drastically increase, and there is a small chance of tornadoes within the area.

[Arbiter124]

Tibur 'Muramai

Holy Arbiter

Aboard Sacred Spoils

Tibur entered the bridge, where various ranks of Sangheili moved about, anxious. The Arbiter seemed to be the most comfortable. It made sense, though. These Sangheili were genius's, but they weren't fighters. They shot guns from a distance, while Tibur ran straight into the brawl. Because of this, Tibur did not insult them on their weakness. Although pathetic in combat, they fulfilled their purpose: Manning the ship.

Tibur strode through the bridge, reaching Suva's chair. The Sangheili turned around, looking towards the Arbiter. His eyes widened, and he saluted.

"Holy Arbiter! I - I had forgotten that you were aboard the ship!" 

"I tend to keep my presence on the down low." Tibur retorted, calm, but with a menacing tone that was always evident in his deep, rasped voice. The Fleet Master nodded.

"Well, good to see we will have a warrior who can potentially take down a Demon in combat."

"Or at least a large amount of Imps." Tibur responded.

"Yes, yes." The Fleet Master answered. He nodded to a Guard, who opened the main door, and let a small, lean, female Sangheili enter. She wore the steel black armor of the Spec Ops Branch, her helmet at her side, being held in her right hand. Much shorter than Tibur, she walked with a stride that made his blood boil. So arrogant, he could tell by her posture. Who was this fool?

"Who?" Tibur asked Suva, turning back to the Fleet Master. He looked over to her, nodding, apparently giving approval for her to introduce herself.

"I am L'eau 'Vadumee; Special Operations Minor."

"And why are you in the bridge with the Holy Arbiter?" Tibur asked, walking up to her.

"Because, you are my partner." She smiled. Tibur's eyes widened. He turned to Suva.

"...What?" 

"The Hierarchs ordered it." Suva explained.

"No, no, no... I work alone. Always have, always will. What about her file?"

"She was extracted to work with you." Suva said calmly, attempting to calm down the Arbiter.

"...She's that good?" Tibur snarled, confused.

"She's that good." Suva assured The Arbiter.

Tibur snarled, and turned back to L'eau. The two stared at eachother for a small amount of time, and then Tibur rolled his eyes, walking passed her, shouldering her and causing her to stumble. 

"Let's go Spec Ops." Tibur growled, moving into the hallways to the closest Hangar. L'eau ran to catch up, walking beside the Arbiter.

"Tibur... Tibur. I'd prefer you used my true name. Is that too much to ask?" She requested, a cool, smooth voice coming from her mandibles. Arrogant. Tibur looked at her, and then looked away, not answering.

This would be interesting.

[BasedGoody]

Wub-Wub

Special Operations Unggoy

Hangar

Wub growled at Giddud who mumbled of the war and it's unfair circumstances. The Unggoy should be happy of his position as an honorable Spec Ops! Yecath seemed to be uncaring, standing off to a distance speaking with other Sangheili. Wub-Wub decided to wander around rather than be bored. He stepped into the hallway and leaned against the wall. This mission would be a piece of cake, kill the putrid human filth, grab the relics and get out. But not before decimating the population first. Suddenly foot steps entered his ears.


"Hm?" Wub lifted his head to find Dip-Wup step into the hallway and lean next to the Major. "Nice to see you." He said, speaking in a grumbling voice.

"Ah lighten up, it's not as if Gid's moaning is effecting you." Dip said, spinning to him.

"I know. But why is he so damn annoyed at having such a high rank?" Wub questioned.


"Oh, don't even bother." He said and looked up at the ceiling. "Give it forty Rooks and we'll be on the ground, snapping the necks of those damn fleshy humans. I know how you loved pumping needles into the marine who brained Jadup," Wub looked to the ground, shaken. "So you'll have a great time ripping up humans for fun, ah?" The Major nodded contently. It would be an interesting experience to bash in the head of a Marine who could barely unhook his sidearm before his pink brain slid out and his face caved in.

More footsteps. Dip turned the opposite direction to see a large figure. He got silent. Wub turned too.

"What's so impor-" He stopped mid sentence to look in awe at the Sangheili before him.

The Arbiter.

Wub cleared his throat and bowed to the ground, pushing Dip along with him.

"Greetings, Holy One."

[Arbiter124]

Tibur 'Muramai

Holy Arbiter

Preparing for War

Tibur and L'eau walked along the hallways, silent. He didn't want to speak to her, and she must have understood that he was annoyed. The Arbiter has no partner. A henchman, a minion, sure, but a partner? A partner would signify the other member of the duo being an equal. Tibur had no equals. Only superiors and subordinates. There wasn't supposed to be anyone else in his league. 

He was cut short by two little stumps in the hallway.

Unggoy. Ugh.

Tibur knelt down. Even on his knees he was more than a head taller than this Spec Ops Unggoy. He got very close with his one red eye, a fiery passion in his iris. 

"Get out of the way." He snarled. He then felt the Spec Ops' hand on his shoulder. L'eau's. Tibur flew to his feet and turned around, flashing on his blood red energy sword.

"Touch me again, and I will tear you apart!" He snarled, getting into an offensive combat position. L'eau rolled her eyes, and pointed at the Unggoy.

"They're our escorts. Their file is working with us. Calm down, Arbiter." L'eau spoke. Tibur looked back at the Unggoy, and felt slightly embarrassed. No matter, he deactivated his sword, and let out a large snarl, moving passed all of the creatures.

"Let's board a phantom. I want to be down their shredding humans in no less than thirty five rooks." He snarled.

[BasedGoody]

Wub-Wub

Special Operations Unggoy

Hallway

Wub nodded and stood up straight.

"Yeah! I can't wait to kill those humans!" He smiled with joy and ran up to the front, leading the group. Dip stayed in the back and admired the Arbiter's armor. They stepped into the hangar and every head swiveled to them. The most noticeable was Yecath. He growled into the air and stormed up to Wub, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him into the air.

"WHAT do you think you're doing, Unggoy?" He cocked his head to one side before turning towards the Holy One and bowing down. Wub attempted to claw at his armored hands trying to escape.

"Let go!" He cried. Yecath lifted him up once again.

"Apologies for being interrupted by this bumbling idiot." He grumbled before dropping the Unggoy. He got up with the help of Dip an shot a glance at Yecath who shrugged it off and began walking with the Arbiter.

[Ward, J.]

0915 Hours Local Time, April 22nd, 2546 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \
Enlisted Barracks Housing C-15, Camp Aposcles, Hephaestus,
Eta Herculis System

Corporal Jonathan Ward leaned against the wall of the barracks room, his arms crossed over his chest, as he took part in and listened to the conversation being carried on by the members of his fire team. He'd dropped into their room after sending a letter to his wife from his own quarters. The privilege of being an NCO was that he was entitled to his own room, a luxury he greatly enjoyed. While he wasn't opposed to having roommates, he'd had to share a room with two other Marines before and it became tiring.

Especially when he was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but his roommates wanted to conversate and play video games through half the night. Thinking back to those days, it was a miracle he was able to get up for the company's morning formations at all. When he had first been promoted, the first night in his new quarters by himself had been heavenly. It'd been a long time since he had slept well without being woken up in the middle of the night by some jackass.

"What d'ya think, Corporal?" inquired Private First Class Allens, breaking his concentration from his musings.

"Repeat the question," Ward asked, his eyes focusing on the blue eyed Marine.

"MREs or Navy chow?"

Ward chuckled as a smirk creased his features. The conversations his Marines started when they were bored were comical. Pretending to think about his answer, Ward replied a moment later, "MREs."

Allens visibly cringed and shook his head. "How could you take MREs over nice, hot chow?"

Ward's response was immediate. "Because, frankly, the chow sucks. Yeah, MREs aren't much better but at least they have all the nutrients a Marine needs to stay in the fight; plus you only have to eat them once a day," Ward explained, then decided to add as an afterthought, "Navy chow you gotta eat three times a day and it always tastes like a steaming pile of shit. It may be a warm meal, sure. But rarely does any of the food satisfy me nor is it by any means as nutritious. I know MREs are shitty, but at least they don't try to pretend to be the best meals in the galaxy. Navy chow looks delicious, but it is just a clever ruse. The food deceives you."[/i]

Allens shook his head negatively and walked over to his rack. "Yeah, well, at least their chicken actually tastes like chicken."

Ward chuckled at his retort and nodded his head in a way to say "I'll give you that." Lance Corporal Jayson Furby, Ward's best friend, stood up from his rack and joined in on the little semi-circle that Ward and Private Krieg had formed.

"Any word from the El-Tee when we'll be going in the field? This boredom is killing me," Furby asked, craning his head towards Ward.

"Field ops suck," Private Krieg interjected.

Ward shook his head in the negative. "Sergeant Stone said that El-Tee and the Staff Sergeant are still coordinating with the First Sergeant on when the company'll organize another field op. I was assured that it'll be soon, and a long one."

Krieg cocked his eyebrow. "How long?"

"Three weeks," the Corporal answeres flatly.

A slew of expletives left Krieg's lips in his native Hungarian. Ward chuckled and leaned forward, patting the young Marine on the shoulder. "No worries, boot. You'll have plenty of ammo to carry for Allens."

Krieg offered Ward "the bird" to which the others laughed. Jon was about to say something further on the subject of field operations when the door to the room parted quickly, the burly form of Sergeant Stone standing in its threshold.

"Git yer gear on 'n report t' the armory!" He barked, causing Ward to stand up straight and cock an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's going on, Sergeant?"

Stone looked at Ward with an expression that told him exactly what was happening before the words had left his mouth. "Winter Contingency's been declared. The Covenant are on their way."

[Arbiter124]

Tibur 'Muramai

Holy Arbiter

Pissed Off

Tibur walked through the hangar, all eyes on him. He shouldered a Sangheili Minor out of the way, and snarled towards a group of Jackals. Tibur was a more aggressive Sangheili, and his tactics and methods are questioned by many. Because of this, he has earned himself a reputation that makes most Covenant soldiers fear him. He was fine with that. Tibur would prefer being feared rather than loved.

He turned to the nameless Spec Ops Minor, L'eau at his side.

"Name, soldier?" The Spec Ops bowed, bringing his head up slightly to see the Arbiter's holy presence.

"Special Operations Minor Yecath, Holy One. It is truely an honor to work with you, Arbiter." 

"There is not honor in working with me. I stalk in the shadows, I kill with no guilt, and I do what I must. Honor is a weakness, one that I hope you do not have."

Yecath looked up, completely confused.

"But... You're title is the highest honor! Why would you accept it not caring of your Honor?"

"My intentions are not needed for you to know. I am the Guardian of the Journey, but not some Zealot blinded by personal gain." He snarled, stalking off into the phantom.

"Spec Ops, file in. Let's get this shit going." Tibur snarled, preparing for manslaughter.

[Deleted]

Private Tristan "TT" Thorn
0917 Hours Local Time, April 22nd, 2546 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \
Enlisted Barracks Housing C-12, Camp Aposcles, Hephaestus,
Eta Herculis System

"Come on, Pee-Pee, you can do better than that," Mark said, causing Tristan to grit his teeth.

The Private liked his nickname very little as it was without the Corporal poking even more fun at it.  Not to mention that he had just lost another game of chess, which was supposedly timeless.  To TT, it was just another way for Smith to give him shit, "Yeah, whatever. Go bother Rez to play with you or something."

"Hey, now.  He wouldn't be half as much fun as you.  The Russian bastard barely even talks," LCpl. Smith said, dismayed.

Thorn ignored him as he laid back in his bunk.  Another shit day on this rock.  All there was was mining, mining, and more mining.  The purple and black scenery had been interesting for awhile, but it had lost it's intrigue as time wore on and the mundane processes of the base continued.  The Private had been in combat only once before, and he had been terrified, but he almost wished for it now after doing practically nothing of interest.  As Sergeant Radke came through the door with a solemn look on his face, Thorn would get what he wished for.

"Double time it to the armory," the Sarge said colorlessly, "The Covenant are here."

The color drained from all of their faces.  They knew what it meant.  All hell was about to break loose.

[BetaWülf]

Jiralhanae Captain Garatus

He trudged through the halls followed by the rest of his pack, he was heading towards the hangar bay for deployment. He stopped in the hallway due to a group blocking it, among them he noticed the Abiter. He'd heard stories about him and he was the only Sangheili he knew enough about to respect, which he did adamantly.

He watched the happenings before him and didn't care until the spec ops Sangheili grabbed the Unggoy by the throat, he was practically raised by one and is very fond of them in general. He started to go towards the Sangheili but he dropped the Unggoy and made some remark before Garatus was close enough to do something.

As the Sangheili dispersed in the Hangar Garatus made his way towards a phantom with his subordinates.
"Get ready for deployment you lumps of lard, check your weapons and comb your fur its time to bring death to the Humans!" he bellowed, half to get them going and half to impress the Arbiter which he doubted it would.

[Ward, J.]

0930 Hours Local Time, April 22nd, 2546 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \
Primary Armory, Camp Apostles, Hephaestus,
Eti Herculis System

"What would the Covies want with this rock," inquired Private Krieg from behind Ward.

The entirety of Oscar Company had assembled into the armory, divided by platoon into four lines. Each line went outside the door and along the side of the building almost. Ward's team was fortunate, they and the rest of first squad had arrived just after second squad. The quartermasters handed out weapons to the Marines from behind the "gun cages." Along with the weapons was enough ammunition to take on a small army.

Ward rested his right hand over the sleek nickle-plated M6D that was strapped to his side. Shortly after Sergeant Stone had made the announcement the Covenant were on their way, he'd returned to his quarters and went through the tedious task of donning his armor. Beneath olive drab armor were his woodland fatigues, the standard camouflage uniform they had been ordered to wear while stationed on Hephaestus.

"I dunno, Private," Lance Corporal Furby chimed. "I guess because it's a mining world they see it as a strategic military target."

PFC Allens shook his head slightly. "I doubt they're that smart, Lance Corporal."

Ward glanced over his shoulder to see Furby glaring at the arrogant young PFC. He knew what his friend were thinking. If the Covenant weren't intelligent, then humanity would have beaten them back a long time ago. Billions of lives wouldn't have been lost in a little over fifteen year time span.

He shrugged. He wasn't about to put himself in the middle of a debate that easily could turn into a heated argument in a second. Technically he had the authority to end it before it came to that and there was nothing anyone could say about it, but he believed that talks like these were healthy. He liked his Marines to feel comfortable expressing themselves.

So long as they knew when and where to do it and it didn't end up biting him in the ass.

"You severely underestimate the enemy, PFC. The Covenant aren't mindless drones that salivate at the mouth when they see a human world. They have reasons for why they attack and strategies for how to acquire what they want." Furby stated very matter of factly.

Allens, again, shook his head. "I just don't see it."

With a heavy sigh, Ward made the decision to interject. "You will one day, Allens."

Without regard for whatever retort the young Marine could throw at him, he looked straight ahead and stepped forward as the line slowly began to move up. The Corporal was three Marines away from being issued his weapon, and the anticipation was killing him. Sergeant Stone hadn't given them an estimated time table of when the Covenant would arrive groundside; he didn't want to be caught in an assault on the base without being handed a rifle and some ammo.

After a few moments his mind was put to rest as he finally reached the quartermaster's desk. The Corporal extended a card to which the gunnery sergeant behind the cage snatched from his hand and briefly read it. With a nod of self-assurance, the gunny walked along the weapon racks until he found what he was looking for. A moment later he returned with an MA5B in his hand and placed it gently on the table. Then he reached underneath the desk and grabbed a couple handfuls of magazines to go along with the weapon.

Ward seized the MA5B and pulled back on the charging handle, locking it into place so he could check to ensure the weapon wasn't loaded. The quartermaster had indeed handed him an empty weapon, so he slid the charging handle back into place and inserted a magazine. The characteristic click of the magazine fitting properly was satisfied, and he pulled back on the charging handle to chamber a round, then set the rifle to 'safe'. He grabbed the magazines lying on the table and stuffed them into the assorted pouches attached to his armor.

Then he moved out of the way so Private Krieg could retrieve -his weapon. "Meet me outside, guys. I'll standing by myself unless Sergeant Stone decides to talk to me." He waited for his men's replies and then turned on his heel and marched out of the armory.

The nearby roar of Pelican and fighter engines met his ears as aircraft lifted off of their landing pads or soared down the runway. Warthogs sped by carrying flight personnel and Marine officers to whatever their destinations may have been. Jon let out a low whistle. It had been a long time since he'd witnessed the total mobilization of UNSC forces. Then again, it had been quite awhile since he had been forced to do battle with the Covenant as well. The thought brought a sense of nervousness to light. While he was certain of his abilities as a leader and the abilities of his team; so far, the Marine had no intel at all on the enemy. No idea how big their fleet was or how many ground forces they would be sending to the ground. No one knew what their targets were to be or if the Covenant were planning on just glassing the planet. All of these questions would hopefully be answered soon; if only to alleviate his fears of the tactical situation they were being handed.

Five minutes passed before his fire team assembled with their weapons and gear. Lance Corporal Furby sported an MA5C with plenty of extra ammunition to spare. Private First Class Allens had his M247 General Purpose Machine Gun as was normal. And finally Private Krieg carried a BR55 Battle Rifle and several belts of ammunition for the '247 round his neck.

After about thirty minutes, the rest of Oscar Company had assembled outside. Captain Xavier, Oscar Company's commander approached the unit in full battle rattle with a confident stride. First Sergeant Evans marched by his side.

"COMPANY," First Sergeant Evans boomed as he halted before the unit, the Captain still at his side. "ATTEN-HUT"

Over a hundred Marines snapped to attention in unison, the chorus of boots clacking together resonating across the area. Captain Xavier inspected his men closely before clearing his throat, the signal that he was about to begin speaking.

"Marines," the officer began, staring at his company from platoon to platoon, "As you've been made aware: the Covenant are upon us. At zero nine hundred this morning, our early warning stations detected a small fleet of Covenant ships exit slipspace. The size of their force is incredibly small, leading us to believe they weren't expecting a human presence here. Whether or not this is true is not the point; the point is they're about to be welcomed by the greatest fighting force in the galaxy: the UNSC Marine Corps."

Almost as if it had been pre-planned, the entire company exclaimed "OORAH" exuberantly in unison. The Captain smiled and held up his hand to silence them.

"Our mission has been passed down from up top. We're to mount up as a convoy and proceed to the capitol. The governor of Hephaestus has ordered a full scale evacuation of the populace. In tandem with the Army, we're going to assist in evacuating civilians. First Platoon, you're to deploy to the space port and assist the Army in establishing a perimeter. Second Platoon, you will be sent to the Colonial Musuem area to evacuate civilians in that sector. Third and fourth will head into the government district in lock down a corridor that'll lead straight to the spaceport. Those are your orders, ladies and gents. That is all."

[BasedGoody]

Wub-Wub

Unggoy Spec Ops

Kind of upset but also angry, mixed in with a little bit of embarrassment 

Wub couldn't believe Yecath, that was so unfair! He wanted to make a good first impression rather than being manhandled and dropped to the ground. Dip nodded in understatement and lifted Wub up to his feet. The Major picked up his Needler from the ground and trotted up behind the group. Dip followed closely behind, while the rest waddled next to the Honorable Arbiter.

"It can only get better, right?" His friend asked.

"Well, maybe. As long as I get to destroy the fleshy humans on the ground I think I'll be fine." He responded.

"You sure? Yecath is kind of being a jerk. You sure that isn't going to interfere later?" The Minor came back.

"I'll be able to deal without him. Listen for orders and not much else." He said simply.

"I usually do that to, except I don't listen to anything." Dip joked. Wub chuckled and looked forward. The Arbiter stepped into the Phantom and turned to the rest of them.

"Spec Ops, file in. Let's get this shit going." They complied and piled into the Phantom.

[NinjaBoss]

Zaxax, Unggoy Ultra

    Zaxax looked around at the bustling covenant forces, and then back to his own file. They were ready for deployment, and a phantom dropship was waiting for them to pile in. Hurrying to board the phantom, Zaxax leaped in, his file right behind him, and one more lance boarded as the last of the occupants. The bay doors closed, and the phantom emerged from the ship, preparing to drop onto the planet's surface, all of the Unggoy eagerly anticipating the battle to come. Zaxax then looked to Nadad, Salal, and Tapap, seeing the fear and anger in their eyes. They were as excited to attack the humans as him, though scared. Zaxax knew it wasn't a bad thing, in fact caution would get them far in the war zone. He knew this from experience, and sat in the phantom with a smug look on his face, tightly clutching the needler he had been equipped with for the mission, a plasma pistol sidearm on his belt as well. Salal and Tapap carried needlers as well, while Nadad was equipped with the standard plasma pistol. Zaxax was the only of the four who carried a sidearm, a sign of his high rank as an Ultra. "Are you guys ready for battle?" Zaxax asked, and they all nodded, too anxious to speak.

[Deleted]

Private Tristan "TT" Thorn
Fireteam Callsign: Eagle Two-Two Bravo
Camp Aposcles; Preparing to deploy

The soft pitter-patter of rain accompanied the Captain's pep-talk.  At least they looked that way, but a sense of tension still fell over the group.  No one had expected the Covenant to be here, but it hadn't stopped them from arriving.  The Captain's orders were quick and to the point, and after he dismissed them Tristan regrouped with the rest of his squad.  Everyone was armed and looked eager to get moving and keep themselves dry.  TT had never gotten used to the rain, it was a nuisance that had always made him uncomfortable.  At least it was warm.

"Well, you heard the Captain," The Sarge stated, "Second Platoon is heading over to the Colonial Museum and begin evacuating the civies.  They're depending on us, guys.  Squad callsign is Eagle Two-Two.  Let's get moving!"

They all filed out, boarding Pelican Delta Two-Five-Four which promptly lifted off and headed to their designated location.  Tristan watched the rain fall on the purple landscape, passing the tall grasses that he had called his home for a long time now.  The ride was brief, but it gave them all time to relax and get ready for a long day.  Soon, Sgt. Radke was beckoning them out of the Pelican.  They stood atop the Colonial Museum on a landing pad made for who knows what.  They jogged down and out of the museum, passing cataloged plants and animals and forerunner curiosities located around the planet.  As they stepped back out into the cool morning, it was apparent that members of Second Platoon were just beginning the evacuation.  A few squads were moving into the buildings while a Marine Lieutenant was speaking with an Army CO of the same rank, seemingly figuring out how best to evacuate the civies quickly and efficiently.  I signed up for this?  I wish I knew what I was doing...Tristan thought.

[Ward, J.]

1005 Hours Local Time, April 22nd, 2546 (MILITARY CALENDAR) /
Aboard Pelican Delta Eight-One-Zero, en route to Colonial Musuem,
Kyklopsis City, Hephaestus, Eta Herculis System

The occupants of the "blood tray" of the Pelican sat (or stood) in perpetual silence. Tension had settled amongst them as the thought of urban combat with the Covenant loomed over them. Corporal Ward stood uncomfortably as he clung to the straps along the ceiling of the compartment, having opted to stand so that others could sit. Fitting thirteen Marines in a vehicle that only sported ten seats was not a comfortable experience. But, in retrospect, it could be worse.

The Pelican could be under fire.

Fortunately, recent intelligence reports stated the Covenant had not yet begun to land ground forces. Whether this was a good thing or not, Ward didn't have an answer. However, it did make him more than a tad nervous. It unsettled him to think they might be mobilizing ground forces in vain; the Covenant could swoop their ships upon them and glass the planet with the press of the button as opposed to landing troops on the ground.

Decidedly, either option would be costly. Only the former option would be rather one-sided as opposed to the latter. Jon exhaled a heavy sigh and looked to his best friend. Jay was sitting in front of him (as he was facing him) with a distant look in his eyes. The Corporal some light conversation might help ease everyone's nerves, so he opened his mouth to speak.


"Some shitty weather we're havin', huh?" he inquired to his friend.

Furby nodded absentmindedly, but opted to remain silent. Jon's lips curled into a frown. It wasn't like his friend to be so quiet. But, then again, this was the first time they were on the receiving end of a Covenant invasion. All of the unit's prior engagements involving in the alien hegemony had been where their battalion had been sent in as QRF to a planet already under siege.

"Think we'll get reinforcements, Corporal?" Private Krieg asked, the nervousness plain in his tone.

Ward nodded reassuringly. "I'm sure a message has been sent out. QRF'll probably be here in a few hours."

He wasn't quite sure he fully believed that; but, he had to at least look like he was convinced that was the truth. Krieg nodded with a small grin and mumbled something in Hungarian that Ward didn't quite catch.

It didn't matter anyway. Second Lieutenant Durant stepped into the compartment from the cockpit. His posture ans expression eminated an aura of confidence. The Marines of First Squad straightened up at his presence. "Marines, we're roughly a minute out from the LZ. Recon reports Covenant ground forces are being deployed and are on their way. Erase all doubts and hesitation from your mind. We are going to come out of this as the victor because the gods decree it so."

Ward resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yet again Durant was about to ramble on with his religious babble. "I will not lie to you: some of you may not make it. And in the event none of us do, the first rounds of whiskey willl be on me when we meet in Valhalla. Let's kick ass out there and show the Covenant who the true warriors are!"

The compartment erupted into cheers for a moment before the noise died down. Moments passed by in amiable silence before a shift in gravity was felt by everyone. The Pelican was landing.

The rear hatch lowered revealing the rainy world outside the confines of the vehicle. As soon as the vehicle stopped to hover less than a foot off the deck, the Marines piled out and secured their assigned sectors. The platoon found themselves outside the museum proper on the street. Already there were vehicles left abandoned and a squad of Army troops approached the Marines.

Durant ordered the platoon to take up defensive positions along the outside perimeter of the building. Sergeant Stone clarified his orders by telling First Squad to guard the main entrance. Ward set his team up at the top of the archaic marble staircase.

He noticed a lone private whom he didn't recognize simply standing there, watching the exchange between Lieutenant Durant and the Army CO. He decided to say something to the young Marine.

"Hey, Marine," Ward called, getting his attention. "What're you doing? What unit are you with?"

[BetaWülf]

Jiralhanae Captain Garatus

He boarded the phantom with his pack, fighting Valorus for the best seat. He plopped down and stared at the Unggoy and Kig-yar that were being deployed as well, he leaned on one hand and sighed as he watched them scuttle and scurry around in anticipation of combat that would, in his opinion, be their deaths. He was tired and slightly hungry and not at all happy with his life thus far, he wouldn't be chieftain of his clan or progress to some other lofty rank because of the Sangheili and the fact they couldn't share.

*What insecure pricks* he thought as he sat there in the phantom that slowly lifted off the hangar floor and drifted towards the humans that "Needed" eradicated. *It is odd that the San'Shyuum haven't offered them admittance into the Covenant, I wonder why?* before he could come to a conclusion he was interrupted from his deep thoughts.
"I wonder how strong the human forces are here?" Fallus said raising and eyebrow.

"I don't know, the Sangheili never tell us anything anymore" Valorus said with a grunt. Garatus noticed the ship slowing slightly, probably meant they were nearing their deployment. Garatus watched the others bicker about the Sangheili and how they were an aggravation to all, he sighed and tried to ignore them to no avail.

[Deleted]

Private Tristan "TT" Thorn
Fireteam Callsign: Eagle Two-Two Bravo
Colonial Museum Sector; Civilian evacuation

Tristan stood there, unsure of what to do as he took in everything that was happening.  Everything seemed surreal; before now the threat of Covenant invasion had seemed such a distant and secondary thing to the tasks of every day life.  He could see the fear in the eyes of the civvies, and the other inexperienced soldiers.  Only the veterans of the war had a steely look in their faces, and even that was disconcerting in it's own way.  The Private could feel his hands trembling slightly as he thought of all the possible scenarios, all the possible ends to the coming fight.  None of them were good.  He felt like he was drowning in his own thoughts as the falling rain increased slightly.

So deep in his worries was he, that he nearly jumped when another soldier seemingly spoke to him, "Hey, Marine, what're you doing? What unit are you with?"

Tristan turned to the other marine, responding weakly, "Second Platoon...I guess you could figure that out.  I guess we're, uh...second squad.  Callsign is Eagle Two-Two Bravo.  I just kind of let my nerves get to me.  I've never...I mean I've been through exercises, but I've never been in some shit like this.  I mean Covenant, here?  All these civilians? I don't know..." TT trailed off, unsure what else to say or what to think.

[Ward, J.]

Corporal Ward listened to the Marine's weak response. His face creased into a deep frown. The kid standing there looked no older than eighteen or nineteen. This was most obviously his first tour with the Marines and definitely his first real combat situation. Simulations and exercises were good to teach the steps to fighting a war, but were nothing compared to the real thing.

The chaos of combat was never something you could simulate. No matter how hard people tried to prepare their troops for combat, their efforts were not entirely successful. There was no substitute for the real thing. What this kid was going through was the fear of the unknown.

"Jesus Christ, what a boot," Furby whispered beside Ward.

Ward unconsciously nodded in agreement. "Come here, boot," the Corporal ordered, and waited for the Marine to approach him. "How long have you been in, Marine?"

His eyes met with the Private's own. Subconsciously Jon felt the eyes of his team on him as he waited for the young Marine's response. They were likely wondering what it was he was going to say to the obviously green individual before him. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure.

All he knew was when he looked into the young man's eyes he saw a part of himself in the kid. Back when he, himself, was a boot Marine fresh out of boot camp and the ITB. Whatever he said, it needed to be motivational; something inspiring to curtail the fears that plagued the Marine's mind.

He hoped that he had the right words in him to do just that.

[NinjaBoss]

Zaxax, Unggoy Ultra

    The phantom slowly descended towards the planet's surface, and when it reached a safe distance Zaxax and his lance leaped down to the ground. He raised his needler, looking in every direction to be sure there were no humans in the area. There weren't, and he immediately began sniffing the area for the human stench. "Find the humans, we must begin the battle!" He ordered, and continued in the direction of the scent. Rain poured all around them, making the scent difficult to pinpoint, but it was strong as always on a human planet. He continued into the hedgrerows and forests, searching for any sign of the enemy.....

OOC:Sorry for short post, not totally sure about when and where or if the battle's begging yet.

[BetaWülf]

Jiralhanae Captain Garatus

The phantom slowly dipped and hovered as it went down, soon it hovered in place fifteen feet above the ground. Garatus stood up and filed to the gravity lift behind the Unggoy and Kig-yar, He slowly descended from the phantom to the ground, he looked at his surroundings. There was nothing but grass for a mile or so in all directions but the ground he stood on for about a fifty foot radius had shorter grass and intermittent dusty patches. The phantom dropped a Revenant from its underside and Garatus hopped into the passengers seat

"Valorus! Want to drive?" he said waving him over. Valorus jumped in to the drivers seat and it lifted about foot off the ground
"Go in a circle, I want to get this staging area setup quick, Were I point, we go"

"Will do" Valorus said with a grin, the sooner this was setup the sooner he could kill things. The Revenant started going in a tight circle while supplies and troops were being dropped from phantoms Garatus started giving commands since he was the highest ranking soldier there at the moment.
"You three! Get those turrets up! Kig-yar scout for a four mile radius! Unggoy make a patrolled perimeter, no not that way! Durkus, Fallus, help those Unggoy!"

his voice carried well and he felt very good about the situation at hand, the staging area was going well and nobody had died yet which was nice, not necessary for a good staging area, but still nice. More phantoms approached with more troops and more supplies, the assault would soon begin and they'd be ready.

[Deleted]

Private Tristan "TT" Thorn
Fireteam Callsign: Eagle Two-Two Bravo
Colonial Museum Sector; Civilian evacuation

"Come here, boot," the Corporal ordered, and waited for the Marine to approach him. "How long have you been in, Marine?"

Tristan did what he was told without protest, answering him quickly, "Not long, no more than six months.  I was sent here not long after I got outta boot.  I didn't think the Covenant would come to this backwater-ass planet," He didn't say anything else.  Eyes were on the pair, and TT didn't want to make himself look like a jackass in front of the others.

[Ward, J.]

Ward listened intently to what the Private said. This was essentially the Private's first real mission since becoming a Marine. The memories of his own experience as a boot Marine flashed through his mind. The battles had been harrowing and to this day he wasn't quite sure how he made it out of them alive. But, he'd made it, and he was certain this Marine could to.

"I know it's scary, Marine," Ward began, choosing his words carefully, "But all you gotta do is stay sharp, follow orders, and keep your finger near the trigger. I've been through some pretty nasty shit... most of us have. But, we're still here. Pay attention to the salts and don't do anything stupid or overly heroic, and you'll make it out of all this just fine."

He noticed the Private's demeanor change. It seemed he was a tad more confident in himself after what he said. Deciding it toss the icing on the cake, he said, "If you've been paying attention in training, then you know what to do. Keep everything you've learned in mind. And remember: you made it through boot camp. You're a Marine. We're the best there is and the Covenant know it. We're the Few and the Proud for a reason, Private. Now return to your team and show the Covenant who they're messin' with."