FC Interactive Story Topic

[GhostHammer]

Alright FC it's time for another story interactive! Verboten Donkey wanted to get this going but has been super busy, so he asked me to start it up so we can get it all going! So full props to Donkey for getting this going!

If you're new to RPG/Interactive Writing click the button below for an overview on how it all works.

So you're new to this eh? No problem. Basically how it works is like this. Read the rules and the back-story first. This will ensure you know what not to do, and what your jumping into.

Once you've done that, be sure to create a character. Yourself, someone fictional, a combination of both, it doesn't matter! Be ready to stick to that character and write on them.

Make your first post! Introduce your character. A flashback, maybe an opening "scene" to show us who they are beyond their basic stats. Once you do that, be sure to read what others post after you. You don't want to fall behind!

Here are some other tips to make sure you're apart of the interactive in a good way...
1. Don't come across other characters too fast. Let it flow naturally.
2. Don't make your character jump forward too much time in your post. The minute you say "The next day" you've just pushed everyone up a day.
3. Don't try to steer control of the whole story and don't let others do the same. Write your story, the rest will all blend well.
4. Ask questions! PM's or Quote boxes at the top are good for a "conversation" within the thread.
5. Enjoy it! If you don't think you're going to enjoy it don't post! Likewise if you decide you want out, let the thread starter know so the posting order can be adjusted.

Any other questions ask a creative writer!

If you're experienced in this type of thing, feel free to jump down here and check the rules for the interactive. EVERYONE PLEASE READ.

1. You must play/post as your own created character. Therefore you may not be characters from the Halo/FC universe.

2. Your "kit" my be customized with anything that is documented canon within the Halo/FC universe OR with something that is reasonable to believe. For example, you may add a suppressor/flashlight/laser to your weapon, but you may not pickup a Lancer from Gears Of War.

3. You may fight anywhere within the FC Interactive that is in the back-story. This includes ground and space. You may however, include flashbacks/dreams/flash-forwards that take place in other locations.

4. You may not kill off someones character without first discussing it with them via PM.

5. Please keep all posts on topic. If you need to express something outside of the interactive, such as an explanation or question, please put it in a "Quote" box at the top of your post. This will just help keep everything clear.

6. Please wait for another three (3) members to post after your last post. This ensures everyone is able to move along at a good pace without things taking up too much time.

Here is a list of all registered characters. If you did not sign up and wish to participate, fill out the blank form at the top of the list and PM it to me and I'll add you in.

Name: SPARTAN - G253 (Jack)

Faction: Himself

Soldier Class: Spartan III

Weapons: M739 SAW; M395 DMR; M6CSOCOM Sidearm; M7S SMG

Rank: Operative

Personality: Jack is all about the mission. He has his own agenda in this war, and so he feels no sympathy for either side. As a former Imperial, he has respect for the Imperial Spartans, though he is a bit prejudiced against SPARTAN IV's. He believes in planning ahead, and knowing his enemy, and so he goes through great lengths to gather as much intelligence on his objective. He trusts no one but his personal AI, Grace, who is only seeking to help Jack survive his missions, but secretly wants him to leave the life of war behind, and to forget his vendetta against both the Empire and the Brotherhood.

Appearance: Jack utilizes MJOLNIR Mark VI armor with a TACPAD on his wrist and a Tactical Hard Case on his thigh. His armor is jet black

History:

Jack was born to fight. As a child, he was never afraid to stand up for himself, or for those who could not defend themselves as aggressors. His homeworld, Athens, was glassed in 2542, when he was six years old. He was enlisted into the SPARTAN III program. By the age of ten, he had earned unit leadership of the entire company of Spartans he had begun training with, earning the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the UNSC military. By the time the Emperor's seize of power, Jack's unit had been the only unit of SPARTAN III's to keep a casualty rate bellow 6%. That all changed when the Empire, in an effort to seize Brotherhood assets at Eridanus II, send in Jack's entire company in an all-out assault on a heavily fortified Brotherhood fort. The Brotherhood was tipped off about the attack in advanced, and Jack's unit received little to no support in the assault. As a result, the entire company was slaughtered on that battlefield and Jack was taken prisoner after being knocked out by an explosion during the battle. Jack endured nine months of torture while being held captive. At the first opportunity, Jack escaped the facility, but not before stealing the facilities' most advanced prototype smart AI (The original objective of the attack had been to secure the AI), and he stowed away on an Imperial frigate responsible for blockading the planet.

Jack spent the next three months on the frigate, each evening attempting to speak to the AI about why it was so important. The AI, who had been witness to the entire attack and was privy to information regarding the attack, had pity on Jack. The AI wanted to be named, and Jack called her Grace, after his sister. In the many years afterward, Jack acquired more and more intel on the tragedy that had befallen his company. He learned that the Empire had deployed his unit to the fort without support on purpose, and had even leaked information to the Brotherhood about the attack beforehand. He learned that Imperial Command did not want a unit that was highly successful from the old regime to continue their service together, as it would be a strong argument for opposition to Imperial military doctrine.

From that point on, Jack vowed to take down the Empire and Brotherhood together for what they had done to his men. He knew that the only way he would be able to bring his vengeance to fruition is through asset denial, and to steal the intel on the Forerunners.


He had lost everything. He would have his vengeance.

Name:Cole R House A.K.A. blue devil
Faction (REDD or BLUE):BLUE
Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): ODST
Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): One pistol on his hip, two mags for this weapon, one of which with one bullet for if captured. Two grenades on other hip, one grenade strapped to his chest so he will never be captured. A DMR on his back, preferred weapon. lastly one knife on his waist, about 9 in long.
Rank:High ranking officer of some kind (your choice)
Appearance: 5"11, medium deep voice, dark blonde hair with short very curly hair. Dark brown eyes, almost black seem to be watery at times. Has a single scar running,across right cheek. then back is crisscrossed with scars. about 29 years old
Personality:Loyal to a fault, he does what he says as hard as he can. Natural leader who has an air of authority around him. able to stay calm and collected no matter what.
History:He joined the BLUE army when he turned 18, he started as a simple marine until they learned he was a cut above the rest. On his first mission though his squad was ambushed. he was taken to a base where he was severely tortured. Right when they were about to kill him though a spartan squad saved him but he was sliced deep across the cheek. he has never told anyone what happened that day but it is obvious to tell he is troubled from something that happened.

Name: Ramirez(DUST)
Faction (REDD or BLUE): BLUE
Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): Spartan
Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): Battle Rifle and Magnum
Rank: General
Appearance: 5'11" light skinned Hispanic. Built body. Short hair. Shaved facial hair. Black Scout Armor with blue shoulder pads. Black visor.
Personality: Very sarcastic but strict. A friendly officer with a strong will to liberate the human race from Imperial Control. When he is on the battlefield, nothing can stop him. His hatred for the emperor will only push him forward more and more. He will set his life first before any of his brothers or any innocent being.
History: His father was a first class special operation soldier. He never had a chance to seen him. Only heard stories and voice mails. His mother died giving born to him. His two other siblings, or brothers, were killed during a riot in Mumbasa. Ramirez was left under the care of the UNSC. He quickly became known as one of the most lethal and deadliest Marine in the force. He soon was trained and perfected into a First Class Spartan, he became better than his father ever was. When the Empire rose to Glory, the Emperor chose DUST as one of his personal hitmen. He did not question his orders, only killed to be rewarded. As Ramirez became more aware of the Emperor's ruthless plan for domination he began questioning his allegiance. A rebel force began forming and DUST was among the first to retaliate against the Empire. The Emperor saw his young fruit betray him as he spat in his face by wiping out an outpost of 50+ Enforcers. DUST became respect within the Brotherhood and eventually earned his place as General. Although he holds such an important place, he is not afraid of stepping into the field with his fellow soldiers.

Name: Ian "Coda" Brant (an alias I created for stuff like this)

Faction (REDD or BLUE): REDD

Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): Spartan IV

Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): M395 Designated Marksman Rifle, M6C/SOCOM, upsized for SPARTAN units (It's pretty much just a larger version of the magnum from H3:ODST)

Rank: Warrant Officer (Just what I am now)

Appearance: 6'4''. Dark brown hair and eyes. Hair is longer than expected for a soldier. Large scar across my chest. Muscular, but not extremely muscular.

Personality: Not the best shot out there, but a decent soldier, and a good leader. Will do anything protect his soldiers.

History: Before becoming part of the Royal Enforcement Deployment Division, I lead a small squad of marines into a Covenant Super Carrier, commanded by BLUE forces. I left the carrier, relatively unscathed. None of my men left the carrier. They are all KIA. I got an energy sword through the chest, which caused the scar. Loosing my men shaped who I am, and caused me to be so protective of my platoon members.

Name: Cody-528

Faction (REDD or BLUE): UNSC

Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): UNSC Spartan-II

Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): MA5D Assault Rifle, M6/SOCOM Pistol, various grenades/equipment.

Rank: Lieutenant

Appearance: When outside of his standard MJOLNIR Mark VI Armor, Cody stands just under 7ft tall, weighing about three hundred pounds. Typical of all Spartan-II's he is very pasty and covered in multiple scars from combat. Uniquely however, Cody's extreme time in deep space has given him time to allow his human nature to re-take him, thus making him more of a "human" and less of a Spartan machine like his counterparts.

Personality: Cody-528's extended time in deep space alongside his team and AI attache has pushed him to his mental limits, making his interactions with non-Spartans rather awkward. Becoming more "human" during his career, Cody finds himself lost in the new world of the Empire. Questioning loyalties and purpose, he struggles to decide between what he is ordered to do, and what he feels is right. Something that has started to affect his team, and other Spartan-II's around him.

History: Kidnapped at the age of 6 and replaced with a flash clone, Cody, along with his fellow conscripts, were forged into Spartan-II's during the events of the Insurrection. Upon the start of the Human Covenant War, he joined his fellow Spartans in protecting humanity in their campaign against the Covenant. Shortly after that battle of Sigmas Octanus IV, Cody was deployed with his team into deep space to engage in guerrilla warfare against Covenant targets. Leaving behind John and the others, Cody was dispatched alongside Douglas-042, Jerome-092, and Alice-130 into deep space aboard a Human Stealth-Frigate Prototype and placed in Command of the newly formed Indigo Team.

During the Human Covenant War, Indigo Team found themselves quickly fighting a losing war. With orders to shadow Covenant ships and preform reconnaissance, they often arrived in systems shortly after glassing, too late to assist their comrades in battle. These orders however were changed via scheduled COM with UNSC Command just before the Battle of Reach, and the team was ordered to rendezvous with the UNSC Pillar Of Autumn and rejoin their fellow Spartans for an operation into Covenant space. Arriving at the RV point alongside Black Team led by Jai-006, they waited three days before returning to their standard operations engaging the Covenant, placing a COM beacon at the RV point with their current status.

After the formation of the Empire, an Imperial Cruiser picked up the COM Beacon while engaging B.L.U.E. forces near Reach and recalled the two teams. Arriving at Reach, Cody and the rest of team Indigo were brought to the Imperial High Command and debriefed on the past twenty-odd years. Overcome with emotion, Cody and the others immediately questioned the legitimacy of the Empire and were arrested. Failing to learn the fate of their surviving brethren, Cody ordered the others to accept the Empire in an effort to avoid execution. Now being deployed to the grounds of Reach, the newly formed ISOC Spartan Team is about to make the biggest discovery of their lives.

Name: Ender Shardaeon

Faction (REDD or BLUE): BLUE

Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): Spartan II

Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): Sniper, Pistol, Energy Sword

Rank: Spartan Officer

Appearance: Stands 6'8" outside of his battle torn MJOLNIR armor. Shaggy, dark-brown hair accompanied by bright amber eyes. A lithe build, still muscular but for the most part deadly speed and quick reflexes. His strong eyebrows are usually drawn down in concentration, making him appear to always be in deep thought. He often dons his signature half smile, only the right corner of his mouth rising in amusement. Ender's MJOLNIR armor is slightly battle torn, but not near as much as most of the Spartans. The armor is onyx black, accompanied by white secondary dashed through out the armor plating.

Personality: Ender is quiet and reserved, allowing himself to speak only when needed, or when a subject of great interest to him is brought up. Idle talk is not something he usually participates in. Polite, respectful, and self sacrificial. Though slow to speak Ender will defend anyone if they are being bullied. He is quick to laugh, but often drifts off, his attention seemingly sucked away to some distant event.

History: There is much hidden in Ender the world does not know. He is haunted by a dark past and dark decisions, the things of his youth bring back chilling memories. He was taken when he was 5 and replaced with a clone to be a part of the SPARTAN-II project. Ender was one of the brightest in his class, but often found his mind drifting off towards things he thought more important, thus nearly flunking the educational part of his spartan training. There was one thing Ender thoroughly enjoyed, and that was the training for war. He would not hesitate to put his speed and reflexes to the test in front of his classmates. Ender was not the strongest, nor could he run the farthest. He excelled in battle strategy but never studied it in depth, rather choosing to hone his physical combat skills to a razor edge. No one could react as fast, run as quickly, or shoot a sniper more accurately than Ender. Ender was born for one thing. Raised to accomplish one goal. Become death to his enemies.

Name: (unknown) Alias: Juggernaut

Faction (REDD or BLUE): Merc

Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): Pilot

Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): Shotgun, Magnum, DMR, and a combat knife

Rank: Freelance Mercenary Pilot

Appearance: 6'4", Slick black hair and a full beard, Casual clothes are a trench coat, cargo pants, and combat boots. when doing a job he dresses up in whatever he needs to so he can do a drop wherever it needs to be, regardless of REDD or BLUE.

Personality: Holds no grudges to either side, just wants to increase his smuggling skills and take jobs from both sides, doing whatever it takes to get the job done, whether that is just a drop off or getting his own hands dirty.

History: From a young age he was taken into the life of smuggling. From age 10 he could hack into most encrypted channels and could steal minor starships and weapons. At age 18 there was almost nothing that he could not get his hands on and steal. He earned the name "Juggernaut" from a mission that went wrong when a group of marines crashed one of their jobs and he took on about 10 well trained marines by himself and came out on top. The same could not be said for the other 3 on his team. At the age of 22 he became a freelance merc doing jobs for both the Empire and the Brotherhood. He switched from smuggling to mercenary work because the rest of his smuggling ring were brought down by a group of Spartans before the UNSC split into REDD and BLUE, so he has been uneasy of all spartans an either side. He tolerates their presence though so he could get the job done and get his pay. Before each mission he has a minute of silence to remember his smuggling family before they were taken down.

Name: LUCK

Faction (REDD or BLUE): Royal Enforcer Deployment Division

Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): Spartan

Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): Standard Arsenal includes the Covenant Carbine, with a Shotgun as a secondary. However he will take advantage of any Heavy Weapon when given the chance.

Rank: Sergeant Major

Appearance: use sig as reference.

Personality: Gets along easily with allies, strong leader who values the lives of his men and celebrates the deaths of his enemies.

History: He originally joined the imperial army after witnessing the terrorist attacks by the rebels in the news as he grew up. Not long after basic training he was secretly chosen for Imperial Special Forces where he was placed into the Firesnake squad. After a few deployments he was promoted to squad leader when his old CO retired to a desk job. He continued his training of heavy weapons and explosives which lead him to become highly proficient with grenades (the squad standard) and heavy weapons.

He is currently engaged in a classified mission with an ONI detachment of ODST's.

Name: James Gallaton(Penguin)
Faction (REDD or BLUE): BLUE
Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): ODST/pilot too
Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): sniper, magnum, and smg. combat knife
Rank: Major
Appearance: 6'2", brown hair, frail except for his upper body strength, black primary, green secondary, blue visor( his helmet reads his name, and below that in smaller print is "This is for respect, peace of mind, and FREEDOM". Sniper rounds all around my chest and grenades on my lower belt. Combat knife on the chest easily excessible to get in a hurry.
Personality: stays in the shadows, doesnt let anyone know what he is up to(so they dont find out ;D). second thinks everything he does(doesnt go for the first instinct[which might be his downfall])
History: Joined the ODSTs when he was young, him and his brother rose through the ranks very quickly until the mission after being promoted to Major. Him and his brother were on a dual mission when, James' flank got overrun. He grabbed the info and without second geussing it, he had to run. He told his brother, but he was taking fire from his side too. The last words James heard were "This is for respect, peace of mind, and FREEDOM" as he ran into the swarm of red troops. He never saw his brother again and James always thinks that his brother could of made it. Now he thinks twice before his actions, now his helmet reads what his brother told him, and now he knows its not just for his brother, its for freedom.(Got the name penguin, because of his brother always calling him that.)

Name: [CLASSIFIED] Tagged by IONI simply as "Raider"

Faction: REDD

Soldier Class: Spartan IV

Weapons: Anything Close Quarters Focused but the usual are Magnum and SMG (both with HAZOP modifications to withstand various environments)

Rank: Gunnery Sergeant

Personality: A martyr. Would take a bullet for his comrades and believes in morality over honor. The only people he can trust in the war are his closest comrades. Questions High Command's actions and motives. Joined REDD for the belief that BLUE is too corrupted and tyrannical (at least more so than his side). Often questions the motive of objectives and people too often. Enough to be judgmental and cautious of people. Doesn't trust the Empire but he knows its the best hope of protection for his homeworld. On the bright side, his careful nature proves well on the field when protecting or mending his comrades.

Appearance: Short and slim for a Spartan. Tanned skin, black hair (longer than it should be for the REDD). Has a tattoo of a fox running on his arm (the emblem of his old platoon back on Naryu). The picture is basically how it looks like. Also has a modified hard case pack on the lower back containing medic supplies.

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History: Before he adopted his codename, Raider lived in a colony on an ocean planet called "Naryu" in BLUE controlled space. When the war reached Naryu, BLUE struck the ocean planet in hoping to acquire its rich resources and a rare element on the planet known as Mikanium found only in the planet's most inscrutable depths. The BLUE occupied and enslaved Raider and the colony when he was only 17. Once devout supporters of BLUE, Raider and other rebellious colonists began spying for the REDD and collecting intel for their arrival. When the REDD managed to break through the BLUE's orbital blockade, an all out naval war spread across Naryu.

When the REDD finally reached and liberated the colony from the BLUE, the small native resistance gratefully joined the REDD enlisted and underwent through the Empire's Spartan IV project and two years later they joined the fight. Raider (being the team's medic) and his team were designated to breaching enemy underwater vessels and boarding action at extreme depths. And one year after that, the war had been won.

After the war on Naryu was over and BLUE left the ocean planet empty handed of the precious marine element, Raider was abducted from his planet by IONI against his own will. From there, Raider was sent to perform classified missions and escort operations. It was there that he was transferred personally by the Brigadier General Ryan Webber to the REDWATCH to retake Reach. The codename "Raider" was tagged on him for his odd breach and clear methods that are a deadly reminiscent of the war on his homeworld.

Name: Marcus Drake
Faction (REDD or BLUE): R.E.D.D.
Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): ODST
Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): MA5D and an SMG
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Appearance: 5'9", silvery blue eyes, short brown hair, and stocky.
Personality: Very introverted excepted with squad mates, boots on the ground kind of grunt.
History: Born and raised from a long line of ODST's, joined when he was 19 and has worked his way up the ladder by throwing B.L.U.E. bodies down it.

Name: Alan Conn
Faction (REDD or BLUE): REDD
Soldier Class (Spartan, ODST, Marines, Pilot, etc): ODST
Weapons (what weapons does your character carry on them): The silenced SMG (M7S) and the M6C/SOCOM pistol.
Rank: Private First Class
Appearance: 6', short, brown hair, 206 lbs
Personality: Sometimes violent and headstrong, but loyal and reliable.
History: Raised as a youngest child in a house with a strict father, you can imagine I got a lot of bruises. I was beaten into line. I don't mind jumping feet first into hell, 'cuz it sure is better than this one.

FC Writing Interactive Back-Story & Details

As the final major battles on Reach between the Royal Enforcer Deployment Division and the Brotherhood Legion Of United Exiles start to come to a bitter end, things are looking bleak fort he battered and disheartened B.L.U.E. With numerous Imperial ships arriving in system daily, the onslaught of reinforcements and support for the R.E.D.D. have left many rebels feeling like death is right around the corner. With the last major pocket of B.L.U.E. resistance holding out in the continent of Eposz, it seems as if the R.E.D.D. are about the wipe the last of their opponents off the planet for the final time.

However, while looking for a secure location for a command center, the B.L.U.E. stumbled across an ancient secret. A cavern where a vast abundance of Forerunner data had been lost during the Human-Covenant. Containing everything from weapons schematics to the location of other Forerunner installations, the rebels scrambled to secure the information and move it to an undisclosed rebel base off system. Managing to get a message out to their leadership, the B.L.U.E. dug in and prepared to protect the information and, if needed, destroy it before the R.E.D.D. secured it for the Empire.

Now, as the R.E.D.D. discover the rebels secret, a last-ditch effort of the B.L.U.E. comes full swing as a contingent of rebel ships arrive in system in an attempt to retrieve and remove the data planetside and prevent the Empire from obtaining it. With each side wary of large scale ship-to-ship combat, the two sides deploy large ground forces to the continent in an effort to secure the data.

Now, the final battle for Reach, and the most important one, has begun.

I will now open the FC Writing Interactive with the first post!
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Cody-528 held a closed fist up beside his MJOLNIR helmet to signal "freeze" as a half-dozen blips crept onto the edge of his armor's motion tracker. Moving forward to a downed acai palm tree he edged up enough to peak towards the contacts, half a ton of armor and solider moving silently amidst the jungles harmony. Spotting the refugees trudging along the old path, bags overstuffed and slung over their shoulders, he slinked back to his team and motioned the "all clear" sign before motioning for them to continue towards their objective.

Cody, and his team, were one of the few remaining Spartan-II's still living. Veterans of the Human-Covenant war, the foursome had, for the most part, been uninvolved in the majority of major battles in the wars final years. A team deployed to deep space, they were ordered home by the newly formed Empire and pressed into service within the R.E.D.D. Uncertain of the legitimacy of the Imperial Command now facing them, the Spartans protested and were quickly restrained by newer Spartan-IV's after multiple confrontations. Recognizing the threat, the Empire gave them two choices, execution, or service, to which the Spartans of Indigo Team elected. Now, the four super soldiers moved through the jungle towards what they hoped, would be answers.

Pushing past a fern, Cody stole a glance sideways at his brothers in arms. Douglas-042 moved between a pair of trees, his Suppressed M7 SMG up and sweeping the jungle ahead of him. An expert with navigation both in space and on ground, Douglas had proven invaluable in their years in deep space together. Past him, Jerome-092 shadowed him. An amazing technician and first class mechanic, "Jerry" as he was called by his teammates could fix and operate any vehicle he got his hands on. Glancing to his left, Cody lot sight of Alice-130 before she slipped back into view among the foliage. A master of covert operations, she was one of the few Spartans who could turn invisible at will. Luckily for Cody, his team had to acquire a good handle on a variety of skills to remain operational for so many years without contact with the UNSC ONI.

"Contact, eight hundred meters, right flank." Douglas whispered across the COM. Cody wheeled right and pushed forward to the NAV marker on his HUD where Douglas has marked an old, battered truck. He slung his MA5D Assault rifle and drew a liberated M6 SOCOM from his thigh, the weapons scope and firing reticule synching with his helmet instantly. He signaled the Spartans to take positions flanking the truck as he reached the clearing, a Falcon flying overhead, the emblem of the B.L.U.E. flashing from the side. Three green lights winked on his display as he lowered the pistol and rose from his cover. Even with his enhanced vision and helmet's optics, he had trouble seeing the person behind the tinted windshield.

Three steps into the clearing, the truck door opened and a man stepped out. An amber light blinked on Cody's display as Alice confirmed weapons sight on target. The man wore the uniform of a B.L.U.E. Officer, his hair close cropped and silver. He took the cigar from his mouth and puffed out thick, grey smoke. He cocked his head. "You can call the rest of the out Lieutenant, I'm not about to jump into a firefight with the four of you."

Cody signaled his team to come forward and pulled of his helmet, holstering his pistol. "Sorry sir, just being careful."

The man nodded. "Mendez would be proud." He turned as the other three Spartans came forward into the clearing. "Alice, Douglas, Jerry, good to see you all. It's been too long."

The Spartans simply nodded and moved to get into the back of the truck. Cody stepped forward and held out a hand to the B.L.U.E. Officer he took it and shook. "I hope this is worth it sir. We can't keep dodging the Empire's hunt and kill teams forever."

The man cracked a smile, the deep scar running down his face flexing in protest. "Don't worry Lieutenant, we'll get you squared away."

Cody nodded and slid his helmet back onto his head and jumped in the back of the truck with his team, wondering if he had made the right call. Would this get his team back to Command? Would they be able to find their fellow Spartans? He didn't know. What he did know, was that this conflict, the Empire and the Rebels, was between them, and he had to find out where his command and teammates went.

[Juggernaut9473]

Juggernaut was skulking around a prison, dressed as a REDD Interrogator, on Earth, the heart of the Empire, in an attempt to free a BLUE major from the prison and get her to Reach. He received a job offer from a Brotherhood General requesting to bring a Major Maria Cantori. He was told that she held information that was vital to helping the Brotherhood maintain their footing on Reach. It didn't pay as much as the job the Empire offered him, but it did put his skills more to the test than the Empire job. He was pushing "interrogation suppies" her cell to extract "information". Knowing he had to go through Cell Block J-46, he could easily spring her, cause a distraction and get the hell out. He was carrying just his magnum with a silencer and sleeping darts, each concentrated with enough of a dose to knock out a spartan, let alone a few guards. Once he got to her cell, the door opened to reveal the Major strapped into an interrogation chair with three other guards there waiting for him. One of the guards looked over to him.

"Ah I see our new Interrogator is here. Pleasure to have you here Mr. Salcion."

"It's good to be here. Now lets see what I can get from our dear Major here" said Juggernaut.

"I am not going to tell you anything you Empire scum. I would rather die then give up information about my beloved Brotherhood."

"Don't worry Ms. Cantori. You don't have to say a word."

As soon as he said that he pulled out his magnum and shot each of the guards with the sleep darts. They fell over instantly.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Major Cantori as Juggernaut released her restraints.

"A Mercenary and Smuggler known to everyone as Juggernaut. I have been hired to get you out of here and back to Reach as soon as possible."

"Thank goodness. It will be nice to get the hell away from here. So whats the plan?"

Juggernaut opened the crate he was pushing to reveal a holographic projector and many cases of explosives. "We are gonna place these explosives in this room, set the holographic projection, and then it's gonna blow once we get to the hangar so it will create a distraction so we can get out of here.

"I like it." She said as she took the last case of explosives out of the case and Juggernaut was setting the projector.

"Ok now that that's all set up I'm gonna need you to get into the crate. It will be easier to keep you hidden in there."

"Ugh, fine, but we better make it out of here" Maria said as she climbed into the crate and he closed it on top of her.

He then exited the room. After walking down a few halls he made it to the security checkpoint.

"Gonna need to see some ID sir" said one of the guard at the check point.

Juggernaut handed his fake ID to the guard.

"Ah Mr. Salcion. How was your first interrogation here with us?"

"It was a little to easy if you ask me. It was almost a disgrace to use some of my...'methods'."

The guard handed back the ID and then looked at the crate rather suspiciously. This made Juggernaut almost just pull his gun and shoot everyone, but then he got the all clear to go and he proceeded to the hangar. Once he got to his ship and closed the hatch he let Maria out of the crate.

"Well that took you long enough."

"I did a lot better than you did in your escape attempt."

"Damn...you heard about that?"

"They warned be before they hired Mr. Salcion to Interrogate you. Now lets get to the cockpit so we can get out of here."

They ran to the cockpit and buckled in as fast as they could while they were greeted by an AI dressed in greek clothing in the cockpit.

"Welcome back Juggernaut. Another successful I'm sure."

"Not successful yet Juno.We still have to get out of the system and get to Reach."

"Ofcouse Juggernaut. Shall I set off the explosives now?"

"That would be helpful. Just remember to turn on the stealth settings as soon as we get out of the hangar."

"Would I ever forget something like that?"

"Just double checking Juno, you know how it is."

Just a few seconds later they heard a loud boom and then the ship turned on and they shot out of the hangar like a bat out of hell. Thanks to the stealth setting he stole off of an covenant base back in his days in the smuggling ring, as soon as they exited the hangar the ship went completely invisible. Once they got out into space and shot into slipspace Juggernaut was finally able to calm down.

"Well that was fun." He said as he got up from his chair.

"How long is it until we get to Reach?" asked Maria.

"It should be about 3 standard days travel." said Juno.

"Ok so where do I stay?"

"Your more than welcome to stay in my quarters. After a few months in an Imperial jail I'm sure you could use the comfort. Juno can lead you there. Just follow the lights."

"Ok, I think it will be good to finally be able to sleep and not worry about being killed by some Empire dogs. Thank you for getting me out of there."

"Just doing my job. I will be here if you need anything. Goodnight Major Cantori."

"Call me Maria. This isn't exactly an official BLUE vessel so there is no need to be so formal. What should I call you?"

"Just Juggernaut. That's been my name for a long time now."

"Hmm, remind me I'm going to have to ask about that. Well goodnight Juggernaut."

As she left the cockpit Juggernaut talked to Juno.

"Juno, let the BLUE General know that we have Major Cantori and we are on our way to Reach. Then I would like to be left alone for a few hours."

"Ok Juggernaut, I will let you know about any important developments." then the lights signaling that she was active in the cockpit went dark.

He then turned on a monitor and started flipping through pictures of his old smuggling ring. There were seven people in particular that were in all of them. Jack the leader was the one who pulled Juggernaut off the streets and took him to the only thing he knew as home. Jack was like a father to him. Then the others, Mark, Melissa, George, Steven, Hannah, and Renee. All of them were like brothers and sisters to Juggernaut. There were others that he wasn't as close to, but the seven in the picture were the ones that meant the most to him. Renee most of all, she was the little sister that he never had. He was always protecting her from the others and showing her tricks of the trade that he himself had perfected over the years. One day he was coming back from mission he saw a group of Spartans leaving the den that the smugglers had called home. After watching them leave he went in through a back entrance, and what he saw horrified him. Everyone was shot to death. Jack, Mark, Melissa...everyone was dead. But he didn't see Renee. He looked for her frantically in every room in the den. Then he finally found her in his room, in a pool of her own blood barely clinging on to life. She was glad to see him one last time before she died, then she died right in his arms. The next day the UNSC had become the Empire and not long later the Brotherhood came into formation. Juggernaut didn't care much for each side, but he hated all Spartans. He lost his whole family because of them, and now he was all alone. He missed them all dearly, and wished that he had taken Renee on that job with him like he said he would on the following mission.

[Coda]

Warrant Officer Ian Brant ducked down behind a concrete barricade. Him and his team of marines were attacking a small rebel outpost on Reach. He rose to a crouch and shot a round into the head of a BLUE marine with his Designated Marksman Rifle. He ducked back behind the barricade as a bullet shot over his head. The BLUE soldier got marked on his HUD. He knew exactly where he was. Warrant Officer Brant rose, and shot the tango in the head. Several blips appeared on his motion tracker. A REDD marine saw them coming, and turned to the large SPARTAN IV and said “sir...”

“Got ‘em” Brant replied.

As the BLUE soldiers appeared in Brant’s sight, he pulled out his pistol, and shot each one twice in the chest. A grenade flew over his head towards the BLUE outpost and triggered a fusion coil to explode

I whipped around the corner, and shot a BLUE in the chest. My men turned the corner and started shooting. Something behind me exploded. It sent me and my men flying. I knew there was no way they could have made it. They were too close to the blast zone. I saw my DMR on the other side of the room. Luckily, there was only one tango left. He pulled something off his hip.

“Oh god” Brant mumbled. I have to stop having those flashbacks.

He turned to the soldiers behind him. They had only lost one or two in this firefight. That was good. They were winning.

“Keep moving, men! We have to push on into the building!” Ian yelled at the soldiers.

They responded by moving from their cover and started pushing into the building. A bullet went past Ian’s head and into the chest of one of his soldiers. The shooter became indicated on Brant’s HUD. He got up and shot a round into his head. There was another soldier beside the newly fallen one. Brant shot another round. As it grazed his arm, he started to fall. Brant shot another round into the chest of the BLUE soldier before he could hit the ground.

“Courtyard clear” Brant said into the COM. “Kilo Team, SITREP.”

“We’re doing fine over here, sir” The Kilo Team Leader responded. “All clear. Hacking their systems now. The door should be open in a moment”

Kilo Team was the name designated to a small group of marines that were in charge of hacking the BLUE’s system and getting the doors open. They were the nerdiest soldiers Ian had ever seen.

Ian Brant proceeded up to the door. He lowered his gun and awaited it to be open. He heard it unlock and begin to open. Ian immediately raised his DMR and got ready to fire. The door opened to reveal an empty lobby.

“This can’t be right. No one is guarding the door” Ian said to his marines behind him, as he turned around.

The marines’ eyes widened with realization. Their smiles quickly faded.

The Spartan told the marines to guard that area, and to let him go in alone. They were reluctant, but agreed that it was best. Brant shouldered his DMR and pulled out his pistol. It was the same model of pistol commonly used by ODSTs. He had to be fast, and prepared to fire at close range. His rifle wasn't good for that. The ground shook as Brant charged into the lobby.

[Lol its James]

*Bang* The sniper fires from the distance, *bang* *bang* fires off again. Three Moa drop to the floor with out even getting the chance to flee. The colorful bodies of the now dead birds are now overwhelmed by the dark crimson color of the blood. It was night, even darker than the visor the rookie was wearing.

"That should be enough food for the next day" James whispered as he motioned his recruit to follow him.

He waved his arm in a motion that the recruit couldn't remember, "It means move!" James said.

The recruit shook his head and walked up to him not missing a single beat. James got up from his sniper position and asked the recruit to hand him the binoculars. The recruit reached into the bag that read Gallaton on it in black sharpie.

"Come on, we don't want to miss this chance" said James.

The recruit quickly gave him the binoculars and went back into his position. James put it to his head and found the birds he killed.

"Okay, lets stick together, I don't want you to die and I'm sure you need me here" James said trying to make small talk.

"The name is James, James Galleton, Major of the Arctic division, I am and always will be an O.D.S.T.. Call me Penguin if you want, that is what my brother wanted, He died a few months back in a stealth mission. So many things have changed since then, I always double think things now because of my stupid decision back then." I recited to the recruit.

"I... M sure it was not your fault sir" said the recruit stammering and stuttering.

"As much as I know you are trying to make me feel better, its okay" said James. " I know you think I don't see eye to eye with you, but that is because you are like a brother to me.." James tackled the recruit to the floor.

"Whats wrong sir" said the recruit scared. "Don't peek your head up, sniper 200 meters, R.E.D.D solider, looks to be a marine." James said.


"What do i do sir" the recruit said slurring his speech trying to get his mind out of the situation.

*bang* goes another sniper shot. This one hits the side of the rock and ricochets off into the air.

"STAY DOWN AND DON'T BE STUPID" James screamed.

The recruit put his hands on his head and was shaking. James knew he had to do something and something quick. He crawled to his bag that had Gallaton written on it and pulled out two incendiary bullets from the pouches inside. He then scurried back to the perch where the recruit was. He took his flashlight from his sniper and set it down to the rocks to his side.

"Okay man, you have to trust me, when I tell you to, turn on the flashlight."

The recruit nodded and waited for the command. James positioned his sniper just right so it was camouflaged into the rocks that were surrounding him and his assistant.

"NOW" James said while his arms held steadily on the gun and trigger.

The recruit got up and pushed the black button on the side of the flashlight. Time slowed down now, as James positioned the shot, the R.E.D.D sniper smirked and shot the flashlight. James put the scope on his head before he could of known he was tricked, blood splattered the back of the wall behind the R.E.D.D solider. Red blood surrounded the now dead R.E.D.D solider and the time turned back to normal.

“You never told me your name” James turned to the recruit.

“ Recruit Blake Hatchway” said the recruit, saluting James all together.

“ You don't have to do that, put you hands down, you are my brother now, don't get killed” James said smiling.

The recruit gave a smirk back and they started walking down the cliff side to wear the dead Moa where. They were stranded, two days without food so far, B.L.U.E did not do it on purpose. The falcon James was flying went down and crashed in the middle of the this Arctic wasteland. They still have not found where they are located, comms went down, all the two know, is they are on Reach. The last known B.L.U.E stronghold. This was also the first mission the rookie was in, first mission away from his friends back at the camp. James thought this over asked the same question over and over, while eating the cooked Moa over the starry winter night. Was I to hard on him?

[MayoNugget]

As Private First Class Alan Conn and his squad plummeted down to Reach, his squad-mates were silent, bracing for impact. Their SOEIVs abruptly stopped, but they were prepared. They had trained for this. Alan Conn got out his M7S as a B.L.U.E. rebel came charging at him. He reacted immediately, and shot the rebel in the chest. He saw his squad's pods all throughout the valley in which they had dropped. He met up with Mark, one of his brothers-in-arms, and they both got fresh mags and set out for the rest of the squad's pods.

After finding the rest of their brothers, they were ambushed by a squadron of blue soldiers. Alan found cover behind a large rock, as the battle raged on. He drew his combat knife, and leaped out from behind his cover. He was the rookie, but was determined to prove himself. Alan's knife was thrown into a rebel's helmet, distracting him as Alan brought his M6C/SOCOM to the rebel's throat. Alan fired two rounds and took his knife from the now dead rebel. "I'll be needing this." He muttered. As his squad was pinned down, he snuck around to flank them. Alan's SMG quickly cleared out the rebels, leaving them dead.

Alan and his squad moved out, only to find more blues, this time at a distance.

[GhostHammer]

The old truck bounced down the jungle road, the wooden benches made for regular men creaking under the combined weight of the Spartan-II's. Cody watched his team from behind his visor. Douglas sat motionless, helmet bobbing as the truck rumbled along while Jerome held his rifle loosely out the back of the canvas covering. Alice tapped her fingers on her knee causing Cody to smile inwardly. She's always the impatient one. he thought as he opened a private COM to her. "Something on your mind Spartan?"
Alice shook her head slightly. "It's nothing sir. I'm squared away."
Cody placed a pair of fingers across his helmet near his mouth, Alice returning the gesture as the engine growled and the truck came to a stop. Cody snapped his head up, hand instinctively reaching for his rifle before he checked the motion. Relax solider. he thought to himself, you can trust the Colonel.
"We've got your back sir." Douglas said, placing a hand on Cody's shoulder.
Cody nodded and pushed open the canvas flap, jumping out of the truck and into the morning sunlight.

A dozen rebel ODST's stood in front of the Spartans, weapons held pointed at the ground. Cody's HUD flashed warnings as his squadmate's heart rates increased, a natural reaction for Spartans when around the Helljumpers. Cody remembered watching the video of John engaging the trio of ODST's in the weight room years ago. His motion tracker pinged another half-dozen contacts to their flank. They're not taking any chances he thought. The two groups stared at each other, fingers floating just over the triggers, sweat beading down the necks of both parties as the truck's driver reach them from the cab. "Easy boy's, they're not here to cause any trouble," the man said rubbing the top of his silver crew cut. "Lieutenant? Follow me."
Cody turned and followed the man, eyes checking his motion tracker as the ODST's followed them ten meters behind. "How far Colonel?"
The man pointed, "We're here now."

Cody and the other Spartans turned the corner down the path following the B.L.U.E. Colonel leading them. A large complex sprawled before them, bristling with watch towers, barbed wire, tall walls and machine gun bunkers. A Scorpion Tank sat idling outside the gate, it's heavy main gun sweeping the road as the group approached. A guard stepped forward, an ancient MA3 Assault rifle slung across his back. As the Colonel passed over his ID, Jerome pipped through on Cody's COM channel. "Sir, I've got contacts, friendly, two dozen FOF tags just appeared four clicks west of our position."
Cody brought up a TAC-Map and checked the surrounding area, confirming Jerome's report as two squads of Imperial Spartan-IV's began moving towards them. "Confirmed Jerome, I see them." Cody replied as he placed a hand on the Colonel's shoulder in front of him. "Colonel, we don't have much time, it looks like we picked up some tails after escaping from the Mombasa. You got two squads of S-Fours coming at you due West."
The Colonel took back his ID from the guard who quickly opened the gate. "Alright Spartan, let's get you the answers you're looking for. The Admiral needs to be gone before those squads hit us, so we'll have to make it quick."

[Juggernaut9473]

Juggernaut was in the kitchen on his ship making something to eat when Maria walked in and greeted him.

"Good morning Juggernaut."

"Morning Maria. You sleep ok?"

"After six months in an Imperial prison I could sleep anywhere. I will admit though it was nice to be on a bed."

"That's good. Can't be hearing that I am not a gracious host."

"Hah that's true."

Then Juno winked into the room.

"Major Cantori, I believe you requested to be reminded on how Juggernaut got his name."

"Ah your right Juno. Thank you for reminding me. So Mr. Juggernaut, how did you get your name?"

Juggernaut let out a sigh. "I guess I can tell you, but I might as well tell you the whole story. Me and 3 other members of my smuggling ring were on a mission to steal back an heirloom that was stolen from another family. Little did we know it was actually a trap."

(Flash back)

Marcus and Juggernaut had just hacked into the network and turned off the security system.

"Alright man, looks like were golden, no need to worry about any alarms going off now" Marcus said with a smirk.

"Nice work Marcus. This will make the rest of our day a little easier. Now lets get back to the door with Jerry and Elise so we can get the package and get out."

"Right behind you."

They snuck from the room they were in back to the area where the heirloom was being kept. They opened the door and crept down the stairs to the safe that was supposed to be holding the package. It was one hell of a treasure room. Dozens of pillars and areas to hide.

"I should have the safe open in a minute." said Elise as she crept over to the safe to try to open it.

Then there was a loud BANG and before anyone knew what was going on Elise fell with a bullet to the skull. Then a group of marines rushed from the stairs and ended shooting Marcus and Jerry on their way down. Juggernaut dove behind one of the pillars in an attempt to hide from the marines. *Shit what are the UNSC doing here* he thought to himself. The marines then started talking between one another.

"That's three confirmed kills. There should still be one left around here. Spread out and find him."

The marines then spread out to look for him. He pulled out a combat knife he kept tied to his arm and readied it to strike anyone who got to close. One marine came through the pillar he was behind and looked the opposite way of Juggernaut. Before he even had a chance to turn around Juggernaut had already covered his mouth and plunged the knife deep into his throat. Knowing it wouldn't be long before the rest noticed that one marine was missing he quickly dropped the body and pulled out his magnum. He quickly popped out of cover and shot off 6 rounds. Each hitting a marine square in the head. Once the others knew what was going on Juggernaut was back in cover. He dropped his magnum and pulled out the shotgun he kept hidden in his trench coat. Waiting a few seconds for the other marines to get in closer he then moved back out and shot two more with his shotgun. The last one charged him and tackled him to the floor. They then got into an intense fight. The marine was focusing on Juggernaut's ribcage. Then once Juggernaut saw an opening, he grabbed hold of the marines leg and cratered the marines kneecap. The marine screamed in pain holding his leg. While the marine was curled up on the floor, Juggernaut walked up to the marine, and snapped his neck. Juggernaut couldn't believe that they were sold out to the UNSC. He then heard coughing from Marcus' direction. Running over to Marcus he was hoping that he was alright. Once he got to him, he knew that was not the case.

"Dude you took them all out by yourself. Your a freaking Juggernaut man. I don't know anyone who could pull off what you did."

"I'm just sorry I was unable to save all of you."

"At least one of us was able to survive. You had better get home. I'm sure Jack will want to know what happened. And Renee will want to know that your ok."

"Ok. So long brother."

(End flashback)

"Oh my god. That's terrible" said Maria.

"That's not even the worst part. When I had gotten back to the smugglers den, I saw a group of Spartans leaving the den. When I had walked in, everyone was dead. Jack, Mark.....Renee. Everyone was murdered by those Spartans. So naturally since I lost everything I ever knew to them I generally hold a bit of distaste for Spartans. And then the next day the Empire was formed."

"So instead of doing jobs for the Empire as a merc why don't you join the Brotherhood?"

"Both sides have Spartans...and besides, it could have been Spartans on either side that pulled the trigger."

"Well I'm asking you, not as a Major for the Brotherhood, but as someone who is genuinely in awe of your story, we could use someone with your talents in the Brotherhood. Please at least think about it."

"I'll think about it. It's getting late. Better get some sleep. We should arrive at Reach sometime tomorrow."

"Umm, ok. Goodnight Juggernaut."

"Goodnight Maria. See you tomorrow."

Once Maria had left the room, Juggernaut started talking to Juno.

"What do you think about this Juno?"

"If my data about reach is correct, the Empire does hold the advantage there so far. But with a soldier and pilot of your skills they might be able to gain the upper hand. Plus she did make some valid points. For all we know it could have been the Emperor himself who ordered the execution of your smuggling family."

"Ugh I hate mental chess games."

"If this were chess I think I would have won by now."

"Haha very funny Juno. Well this is certainly something to think about. Better think about it while I'm trying to sleep."

[PhoenixPrime(GEN)]

Jack hated orbital entry. He couldn't figure out why Grace insisted that they invest their resources into personal orbital drop pods, when they could have gone into paying off a local smuggler for a ride. He figured it was because Grace wanted to leave no loose ends, and he respected that. Still, he had trouble remembering his respect for her methods while he was plummeting to the planet at incredible speeds.

He was crammed into the drop pod in full MJOLNIR Mark VI armor, M7S in hand. All the research and intelligence that he had gathered with his AI, Grace, over the last year pointed to this jungle as the best place to start his operations on Reach. Around two years ago, he had procured an old UNSC stealth Prower by the name of the Raleigh, and he had spent most of the time since then retrofitting and redesigning the thing for his purposes. Grace was housed in the ship, which was in high orbit and engaging full stealth measures, while still gathering intel by listening in on both Imperial and Brotherhood channels. To this day, there was not a single signal encryption she hadn't been able to crack.

"Thirty seconds until impact. Imperial deployment about twenty kilometers north of you, and their targets are twenty-two kilometers northeast of you. How shall you proceed?"

"We'll engage the Imperials. Don't want to lose my targets before I get a chance to make contact," replied Jack.

"Impact in five...four...three...two ...one..." BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!

Jack's entire body was jarred from the impact, but he pushed through the discomfort as the exterior hatch shot from the drop pod and leaped from the pod, brandishing his M7S in case any Imperials were able to calculate the trajectory of his pod and arrange a welcome party. He figured the Brotherhood did not have any assets this far south.

Once he was convinced that his immediate location was secure, Jack doubled back to his drop pod and prepared his kit. He loaded an AI interface into his tactical hard case on his thigh, which housed a secondary conduit for Grace, in case he needed to hack into a local network. He shouldered his M395 DMR, and holstered both his M7S SMG and M6CSOCOM. Lastly, he loaded a fresh drum magazine into his M739 SAW, and engaged the firing bolt. He stored extra ammunition for all his weapons, and grabbed a large duffel back that held even more ammunition and even some shaped charges for demolitions work.

"SPARTAN - G253 online. Moving toward an interception vector for Imperial task force. I have an idea of what they're looking for out here, but that doesn't mean we let them live long enough to report back to whomever sent them." said Jack to Grace on the COM.

"I'll continue tracking their movements, and will alert you if anything comes up," replied Grace.

Jack felt nothing but focused discipline. It did not matter that this mission was against the Empire, and it did not matter that he was operating alone. Yes, operating alone was difficult after fighting alongside hundreds in battle for his whole life, but the Empire and Brotherhood had taken that away from him.

The worst part was having to check all vectors, all the time. In the past, he could always count on his squad to be looking in any direction that he wasn't looking. Now, he always had to watch his back.

It didn't take Jack long to catch up with the Imperials.

"Twenty-four SPARTAN IV operatives confirmed. What are my options?" said Jack.

"I would suggest you go ahead of them and make some good use of those charges. If you lay an ambush, and detonate the charges in the middle of their group, you'll effectively split them up, which would certainly make things easier in dispatching them. Still, the odds are long. Another option is to let them make contact with the Brotherhood base, and just mop up the survivors," said Grace. Jack could hear the worry in her voice.

"Negative. We can't let them reach the Brotherhood, too high a risk," replied Jack.

"It's much more of a risk to take on twenty-four Imperial Spartans, Jack," argued Grace.

"What's option number three?" asked Jack.

"Option three is to lay the ambush way ahead of time, and not to engage. Let them split up, and lead one group away to engage, while the other group engages the Brotherhood. Their chances of survival in both engagements are dramatically reduced," replied Grace.

"Option Three it is then. Why didn't you just mention that in the first place?" asked Jack.

"Because, I wanted to see how far your need for suicidal ideas went," said Grace, who laced her comment deeply with sarcasm.

"It isn't a good day unless I've had a challenge, Grace," said Jack, who smirked inside of his helmet.

"Don't I know it?" replied Grace.

Jack ran ahead of the Imperial operatives, taking time only to lay the plastic explosive charges on the ground and camouflaging them, and then uploading their detonation frequency to Grace to ensure they would all detonate when they needed to. Once he was satisfied that he had placed enough explosives, he ran as far as he could from the blast zone, electing to going prone on a hillside overlooking the ambush site. Jack pulled out his M395 DMR, sighting in on the Imperials as they moved in.

He had to admire their training. The way they scouted ahead, and moved in loose groups while staying in communication with each other was very well executed. Had they been hunting soldiers of their caliber, their tactics would have been sound, and they would have been successful. Their targets, including Jack, however, were far better trained, with far more combat experience, than any Spartan IV in the Empire. Jack would have expected them to think outside of the box a little more, considering what they were up against.

Jack waited until the majority of the Imperial group was inside his field of explosives, then Grace detonated every last one of them. First, she detonated the most forward ones, driving the Spartans back, then she detonated the ones in the rear, which herded them all in the middle of the field, and then she detonated the explosives in the middle last, causing the most casualties. Jack sighted in on the attack with his M935 DMR, noting each and every casualty.

"Ten targets eliminated. That leaves fourteen left. Now for the next part," said Jack, as he fired five rounds from his rifle, taking down another Spartan IV. Their leader pointed in Jack's direction, and six Spartans broke off from their group to track Jack down.

Jack shouldered his rifle, grabbed the M739 SAW, and ran in the opposite direction of the Brotherhood base, leading his six pursuers further into the jungle. Once he reached a particularly dense part of foliage, Jack fired his SAW at his assailants. One Spartan IV was caught out in the open, and buckled under the pressure of Jack's hailstorm of fire.

The other Spartans, predictably, took cover, though Jack had the advantage of firepower. He tossed a grenade just behind a tree that a Spartan had taken cover behind, and brought his SAW to bear on the Spartan who leaped away from the explosion. Once his SAW ran out of ammo in the drum magazine, Jack switched to the M7S and dropped low into the foliage.

"Patching you through to their COM system," said Grace.

"Antonin, you see him?" asked one Spartan IV.

"Lost sight when he went low between those two trees. I suggest we toss grenades in a spread pattern from there to there. We'll have to catch him then," said another Spartan, apparently Antonin.

"Grenades in three...two...one..." said the first Spartan IV.

Jack heard the click of primed grenades, and took the opportunity that presented itself when a Spartan moved out of cover to toss it. He fired his SMG into the Spartans hand, forcing him to drop the primed grenade, which detonated right at his feet. Jack rushed to the Spartan's position to escape the counter-attack the last three Spartans were giving. Jack holstered his M7S, and brought out his M395, and sighted in on one Spartan, firing several rounds into his chest. The Spartan ducked behind cover, and Jack charged. He tackled the Spartan before he could react, and rammed a knife through the Spartan's visor. The last Spartan fired an assault rifle at Jack, who was now exposed. Jack's energy shielding flared, and he rolled back, dropping the DMR in favor of the M7S. He returned fire with the SMG, forcing the last Spartan IV back behind cover. The Spartan IV maneuvered out of cover, not wanting to be pinned down. Unfortunately for him, the side he chose to exit cover on was the side Jack had thrown a grenade at. The grenade blew up, sending the Spartan sprawling in the air. Jack fired a round through his visor, just to be sure he was dead.

"My group is down. What about the other group?" asked Jack, who reloaded his weapons, and began moving toward the Brotherhood base.

"They should be moving in on their target soon. Their chances aren't good," said Grace.

"Their chances weren't good to begin with," said Jack, and he moved through the jungle.

[Coda]

As Ian Brant charged into the lobby, multiple BLUE soldiers turned the corner and opened fire. Brant’s pistol rose, and shot several. He continued to shoot, as bullets bounced off his shields. A single punch to the face finished off the last man, equipped an assault rifle. Brant reloaded his pistol, and checked the rooms that the men came from. It was all cleared. He called his men back in, and they continued to check out the building.

“You all right, sir?” A Marine asked as they searched a room.

“Just fine. They all hit the shields. Nothing got past it.”

The Marine looked back with disbelief.

Brant and the Marines searched every floor of the building (which wasn’t much) to look for any useful information, or for any more men. They concluded there wasn’t any useful information being stored there. The marines left the building, and Ian went to the lounge. He needed to sit before he immediately hopped in an Evac bird for debriefing. He sat down on the couch. His heavy armour compressing the couch, near it’s breaking point. He took off his helmet, and tilted his head back. Thoughts rushed back into him.

I saw my DMR on the other side of the room. Luckily, there was only one tango left. He pulled something off his hip. It wasn’t a pistol. Light flooded the room as the energy sword deployed. Fear flashed across my face. I stood up. The extremely muscular swordsman ran at me. His sword dug into my chest, and lifted me into the air. The man smiled at me as my blood poured down his hand.

“I’m not out,” I mumbled, as I lifted my pistol into the air.

I held the pistol to his head, and pulled the trigger. As he collapsed, I did as well. The energy sword dug in farther as I hit the ground. The world around me turned black.

A large crash snapped me out of the flashback. The couch had collapsed under the large SPARTAN IV, and his helmet was rolling away. Brant quickly grabbed it and put it back on.

I hope no one else saw that.

As Brant walked out of the building, he saw a Pelican approach the BLUE outpost. Luckily, Brant was the only Spartan on this mission. Otherwise, there would be need for even more pelicans than what were already en route. There was already about five or so in view. Ian Brant got into one of the first dropships to land. After it took off, all he could think about, was how nice it would be to be back home on Mars again. He knew he wasn’t going to go back there for a long time.

[Nocte]

Reach’s Orbit
Prowler ISS Nightfall

“It’s going to be a night drop.” Gunnery Sergeant Greyson said, pulling up the list of objectives.

“While you were asleep, and before we jumped in ONI finally gave us a Huragok. He’s been busy, the SOEIV’s have been modified. For the first time we can expect to not have a welcoming party when we land.” A city was on screen now.

“This city is currently labeled as neutral, however we think it is a forward op center for the Brotherhood. Our objective is to infiltrate the city unnoticed and figure out if it’s a forward op center or not. If it is, we’ll place a beacon allowing the fleet to target it with their MAC’s.” Greyson said emotionlessly.

“Should we pack for full combat?” Corporal Jace Stewarts asked, making a mental list of things he’d need to bring.

“Yes, things could get fuzzy if we don’t have time to place the beacon.” Greyson said.

“So that brings up the question, AR or shotty?” Sergeant Marcus Drake joked.

“When have you ever carried a shotgun?” Stewarts asked eyebrows raised.

“I was thinking about starting today.” Drake grinned.

“Are we clear?” Greyson interrupted.

“Crystal.” Stewarts said, and Drake nodded.

Greyson closed the holo window and the three headed off to the armory.

________________

Buckles clasped, and zippers zipped as the ODST’s readied themselves. Each of them checking over ammo and yanking on the weapons they had strapped to themselves.

“Let’s get moving.” Greyson said, each of them secured their helmets and headed down the hall to their SOEIV’s.

“Captain, on your mark we’ll drop.” Greyson said.

“Very well, tell me when your all strapped in.” Captain Nelson replied. He was on the bridge having the ship’s A.I. Eternal Eclipse run over battle scenarios of the two fleets stationed over Reach.

Two green lights winked on, in Greyson’s HUD.

“We’re set.”

“On my Mark, three, two, one, mark.” Nelson said and the pods were released.