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Chapter 1: The Betrayal
Niokiljolmee tightened his grip on his plasma rifle. He saw Sanheili being lined up by the Brutes from the rocks he was hiding in. The Brutes unslung their plasma rifles and executed his brethren nailed to the wall. Niokiljolmee closed his eyes at his comrades' lives being wasted. when he opened his eyes, blood stained the sand and made it seem like a blue carpet. The grotesque beasts laughed at the massacre they created. Niokiljolmee could not let these vile things get away with this. The enraged Niokiljolmee activated his camouflage, his brilliant silver armor faded into the heavily forested environment. three Brutes were conversing at the murder site.
Niokiljomee ignited his sword and walked behind a Brute. He activated his energy sword a cut into the Brute's back. The other Brutes, shocked, swept their plasma rifles around, and Niokiljolmee mercilessly eviscerated one of the beasts, their entrails spilling out like snakes that were drenched in purple liquid. The two other brutes opened fire, but they did not hit him. In a sudden flash of light, both of the Brute's heads hit the ground with a clunk. Niokiljolmee deactivated his sword and was about to leave when he heard a faint cough from the body pile. he proceeded to the pile. A blue armored Elite gazed at him and said "Avenge us, brother, spill those traitors' blood and make them pay". The Elite coughed. Niokiljolmee watched his eyes darken. He was dead. Niokiljolme began to tred into the forests of Delta Halo.
Rain fell from the Heavens, and a Phantom buzzed overhead. It was unlikely controlled by Sangheili, so Niokiljolmee activated his camouflage generator. The jungle foliage would disrupt his outline, so it would be difficult for the Brutes to spot him. The Phantom hovered over a clearing tin the thick jungle. Two Jackals dropped from the Grav-lift. A sniper and his spotter. Niokiljolmee unslung his plasma rifle. Blue plasma slashed through the jungle and hit the Jackal spotter in the back. It dropped and the sniper turned around, beam rifle ready. Niokiljolmee burst from the thick undergrowth right at the Jackal and ignited his plasma sword. The Jackal's head hid the ground. Niokiljolmee took his Beam rifle. Lightning flashed in the distance. He could see the Phantom patrolling the air, and a blood splattered fuel rod cannon on the grassy ground. Nioliljolmee dropped the beam rifle and grabbed the cannon. The Phantom saw him, and fired bright orange blobs of plasma, which Niokiljolmee dodged with ease. He fired a blast of green plasma which hit the belly of the craft, all three cannons fell.
The Phantom veered away and tuned for another pass. Niokiljolmee prepared himself. He unloaded his fuel rod cannon on the Phantom. Seven hits. the Phantom spun wildly and began to lose altitude. It hit the ground and a blinding blue flash of plasma and a shower of debris. Corpses of scorched Brutes rolled out of the Phantom. Niokiljolmee dropped the smoldering cannon and pick up the beam rifle. "That is for my brothers!" Growled Niokiljolmee.
Niokiljolmee Surveyed the jungle. Animal screeches and plasma fire echoed across the vast ringworld.. There were only 5 elites with him, balanced against the thousands slaughtered here. There were 2 minor, 1 major, and 2 honor guards in his squad. "Be careful, there are bound to be snipers." Niokiljolmee cautioned his allies. A flash of Purple cut through the jungle and a blue armored Elite fell onto the jungle floor lifeless. "Scatter!" growled Niokiljolmee. He readied his Beam rifle. He saw a red dot through the leave and vines. A Jackal's eye. Niokiljolmee held his breath and squeezed the trigger. The Jackal fell to the ground with a loud smack. Niokiljolmee moved up the rocks for a higher elevation. He found his spot when a beam hit him in the leg, and he howled in pain as he fell of the rock and hit the ground unconscious.
Niokiljolmee began to wake up. His eyes began to clarify. He was in a bed made of strange materials, it was very comfortable. He did not realize the face looking at him. It was a human. Niokiljolmee was shocked. "Die Heretic!" he growled as he got out of the bed. "Calm down big guy." The human said as he was about to strangle him. "We're on good terms now." Niokiljolmee sat up in his chair. "Your buddy Half-Jaw is engaging the remaining brutes. You've been unconscious for a day. I administered the meds, you're lucky to be alive." Niokiljolmee realized where he was. He was on a Cruiser, the human saved his life. "Thank you Human, I would have surely bled to death without your assistance" "No problem" he replied. Niokiljolmee began to walk out of the medical station and through the purple corridors of the cruiser.
Niokiljolmee made it to the bridge where a Sangheili clad in brilliant gold armor sat in a command Chair. "Ah, Niokiljolmee, or should I say Niokiljolm. Welcome aboard the Concealed Blade of the Separatist Fleet. I am Shipmaster S'toarem." The shipmaster spoke in an unusually commanding voice, even for a Sangheili. Niokiljolm' queried "What happened to our position in the Covenant military?" The shipmaster paused, then replied. " Our Arbiter uncovered the secrets of Halo. The Prophets are filthy liars that used us to accomplish their martyrous goals. The Halos are not holy relics, they are super weapons constructed by the Forerunners to wipe out all sentient life in the Galaxy." Niokiljolm' pondered for a Moment. It was hard to comprehend, but his train of thought was disrupted when an Sangheili Major began to speak. "Shipmaster, Three brute ships, two frigates and a destroyer." The Shipmaster thought for a moment, his deep red eyes narrowing. "Move the fleet into firing position, monitor their communications chatter. Do not Fire until my mark" "Aye Sir." The major replied. The Brute ships began to turn and meet the fleet. A long pause of a moment seemed to transcend into hours. "Fire," the Shipmaster growled. The Cruisers' sides glowed red and purple and plasma beams arced across the vacuum of space. The beams impacted the side of a Brute Destroyer, Shorting out the shields and damaging the hull. The Sangheili cruisers fired plasma torpedoes at the crippled Destroyer. The torpedoes impacted into brilliant flashes of blue, and the midsection of the destroyer blossomed into a ball of fire. Ion trails spewed from the vaporizing hull of the ship as it boiled into molten metal. Scratch one the Shipmaster thought. The ensuing explosion shorted out the other two brute ships' shields, forcing them to break off. The Brutes knew they were outmatched.
"Lateral lines hot," the Major informed. "Recharging in three." Three seconds felt like three minutes. "Fire!" the Shipmaster shouted. Plasma torpedoes followed the two ships, swerving to strike their targets with ferocious force. Two torpedoes struck the bow of the ship, causing the reactor core to go nuclear. The ship flashed, instantly ionized, sending molten metal from the shattered frame into space, atmosphere from the ship's interior dissipated into a beautiful psuedonebulae. The other ship was struck, and it's engines flashed twice before going out. It has been disabled. "Finish them." The shipmaster ordered in a cold, spiteful voice. The Concealed Blade eased over above the wounded cruiser, and mercilessly glassed over the top of it, leaving the passengers to literally bake in the intense heat, a sure sign to other brute ships to fear the Sangheili.
"Plot a course for Earth," ordered the Shipmaster. "Bring the one called Johnson back to his desired location. Near the ruins of the human city, we must secure the Ark." Niokiljolm looked confused. "The Ark?" he asked. "It is a sort of a bomb shelter from the Halos. The Forerunners placed all of our species in it when they activated Halo." the Shipmaster replied. " The Prophet has it well defended. Anti-air batteries line the excavation site." "Then I will find a weak point in the defenses so we can secure the Ark." Niokiljolm' said with great luster in his voice. He was ready to prove himself to the right path, unclouded by the Prophet's lies. With that, the Concealed Blade's streamlined hull entered slipspace and was en route to the Human homeworld.
The Concealed Blade exited the slipspace vector and halted, followed by his fleet of five craft. Human forces were engaged with the Brute fleet. They had the Brutes off guard. Plasma bolts and MAC cannon rounds were exchanged in the battle raging on. "Concealed blade and Twilight Compunction, fire upon the wounded Brute vessels, be aware, do not hit the Human warships." the Shipmaster ordered.
The Two cruisers fired at the Brute ships, sending lightning-like flashes through space. A brute vessel detonated, reeling it away from the rest of the fleet, incased in a ball of flames. It shook, then exploded into three separate chunks. The Human ships weapons systems recovered as the surprise attack caused the brutes to become momentarily dazed. MAC rounds impacted the brute ships, Puncturing large holes in them, causing a de-pressurization that sucked all of it's crew out into the cold of space. The ship's lights went out and it began to drift away. Two other ships were destroyed in the barrage of Archer missiles that followed. The remaining ships steered away from the battle, speeding into the Earth's atmosphere. They had ran. The Human ships began to approach the Sangheili battle cluster.
A Human frigate docked with the Concealed Blade. The Name of the frigate read The Forward unto Dawn. A few minutes of speculation passed, then the doors slid open soundlessly, as a group of human warriors and warlords entered the bridge The Crew of the craft reported to The Shipmaster. He spun around in his Chair and gazed at them with trust in his eyes. His gaze was met by the one the Humans called Lord Hood. "Humans, we come to assist you, and I speak for the entire race of Sangheili." With that said the Elites all growled in approval. Lord hood sighed in relief, and removed his cap. "I am deeply relieved to hear this. These ships you see are all we have left. The Brutes have brought us down to twenty ships." The shipmaster nodded solemnly. "I will do all I can to help preserve your race." the Shipmaster and Lord Hood shook hands.
The Sangheili ships and the rest of the human ships began to descend down to Earth, the Home of Niokiljolm's former enemies, and his current Allies. They were Headed for a mountain named "Kilimanjaro." The Human Attack force is accumulating there, and they will sit and wait. Wait for the Demon to come. The Carrier broke the atmosphere and descended into the war-torn planet.
Niokiljolm' sat on top of an olive drab crate. He was in Crow's Nest, a UNSC mountain outpost. Human war machines called 'warthogs" rolled up and down the circular roads in the base. Medics rushed wounded Sangheili and human warriors up and down the road. Niokiljolm' was gaining a respect of the valor of these creatures. Humans fought until the end, through the horror and trauma of the battlefield, much like his own race. A pair of Sangheili warriors wearing blue combat harness approached him. Human soldiers were accumulating, preparing for an assault.
Niokiljolm' was tasked with disabling anti-air batteries dotting the crater, which was widely presumed to be where the Ark laid. It was shrouded in a dust cloud, due to the glass particles of the glassing being kicked up into the air. "Warrior, we must meet with a man known as Pete Stacker. We are tasked with disabling AA gun 5." Said a Major Domo Sangheili. Fire teams of marines and Sangheili Warriors loaded into their respected dropships outside the tunnel. Pelicans and Phantoms load and unloaded furiously, bringing and recycling fresh troops to the plains of battle. A man wearing a distinct cap and a scruffy beard walked in the cavern.
He spoke with a twang in his voice. "Alright gentleman, I'm Major Sergeant Pete Stacker, But you can call me Big Pete. Pop, drop and lock. We're boarding Phi-21 in a jiffy, you have 5 minutes. Grab your guns and report to me when you are ready. Niokiljolm' slid off the crate and a human warrior unlatched it. He passed out Human long rifles, that had an eye assistor and an ammo cartridge that was loaded into the back. He recalled them being called "Battle Rifles." A Marine handed him a rifle. Niokiljolm' grabbed it into his hands, it was an awkward handle at first, but he grew used to it's long form, unlike the smaller plasma rifles and needlers he was used to. The Marine gave him a quick tutorial how to handle the weapon. "You must reload after the clip expends. You can keep track of the amount of bullets in the magazine with the counter under the optical sight. Once you insert a fresh clip, twist the bolt back and you can resume firing." Niokiljolm' kept his energy sword as a backup. The Human and Sangheili warriors reported to Stacker. A dropship began to descend, it's engines screaming.
"We're goin' to blow the hell out of some AA guns in sector Alpha-03. We will drop 10 kilos from the site and sneak up on the Bravo-Kilo's. Now, all aboard the victory train!" With that. The man stepped onto the Pelican, and was followed by his men. The Sangheili reluctantly stepped on the strange contraption. Niokiljolm' took the last available seat and racked his rifle. The Pelican shook, than took off and left the top of the mountain and zoomed into the savannah.
The Pelican was smoothly flying over the bare savannah. Niokiljolm' glanced down to see an earthly predator with a hairy mane feasting on a dead brute. The other pelican flying next to them began to pick up speed. All was going well. The first battery was in sight, poking out of the foliage a few kilometers from where they were. The flight was disrupted when the Pelican next to them took a fuel rod to the -cockpit and veered off to the left and crashed. A plume of smoke began to rise in the desolate plains.
"Banshees!" The pilot shouted as they took a hard turn. "Someone man the gun! I going to pick up the survivors." Niokiljolm' manned the 50. Cal in the back of the Pelican. The flight doors opened, leaving a strong wind whipping at the passengers. Niokiljolm' squinted and gazed out the back of the craft. Two purple, insectoid craft were gaining on them. Banshees. Niokiljolm' let loose on the gun. The first banshee was torn to shreds, exploding in a brilliant blue flash of raw plasma, letting loose a charred brute corpse to plummet to the ground. The second banshee did a barrel roll away from the craft. The Marines in the Pelican let out a huge cheer and encouragement for him. Niokiljolm' took a deep breath and prepared himself.
It was not fit to celebrate yet, as the other Banshee looped back in front of Niokiljolm's sight. A large, glowing green ball began to collect under it's bulbous canopy. It was charging up It's fuel rod gun. Niokiljolm' began to fire frantically at the Banshee, shredding off a wing in the process. A large, blinding red flash streaked across the sky. At first, he though he had been killed by the fuel rod, but on second glance, there was no Banshee, just debris plummeting to the ground. Niokiljolm' was puzzled. Was this an intradimensional phenomena, or a new human weapon?
"So that's the new Laser they've been working' on." said Stacker "We're entering the crash site in 10 seconds. Make room for some extra passengers, Marines."
The Pelican's engines roared as it began to descend. A marine holding a large weapon with steam still emanated from the tip of the barrel stood in the crash zone. The weapon that destroyed the banshee. A few bodies lay scattered about, but there were 4-5 survivors. "The Covenant know we are coming," Said the Marine holding the Laser "They are going to shoot you down if you get closer, we have to drop off here.
"We got Bravo-Kilos!" shouted a Marine in the crash site. A pack of brutes were galloping towards them. Marines poured out of his Pelican and let loose with battle rifles. Niokiljolm' got out of the Pelican and joined them. Bullets pinged of the brute's armor, until the armor of one gave way to the bullets and collapsed. Niokiljolm connected with his battle rifle, all three bullets connecting to his forehead, splitting his head like a melon and dropping him into a heap. Two brutes lay dead, succumbed to the might of the continuous fire. A minor brute snuck around the Pelican and fired at a marine. A Spiker round hit him in the leg. He fell back screaming, and a medic rushed to him. Niokiljolm' put his rifle away and ignited his energy sword, brilliantly reflecting off of his silver combat armor. He sprung himself into the air with his powerful Sangheili legs. The Brute, gaping in awe did not realize that Niokiljolm' was jumping in front of him. He took a horizontal swing with his sword, disconnecting the Brute's head from his neck. The corpse fell stiffly backwards and blood poured wildly from the wound.
The only thing they had left to deal with was the Chieftain, who had just pulled out his Gravity hammer. The beast took a swing at a pair of marines, knocking them both backwards, and they impacted the sand behind him. One of them was knocked unconscious, and the other one got back up and continued fighting with his assault rifle. Niokiljolm' picked up the laser from the unconscious Marine's grip. His nametag read: O'CONNOR, FRANK. Niokiljolm' turned around and saw the Chieftain charging towards him, rage apparent in his apelike eyes. He fumbled with the laser, looking for the trigger. It felt awkward in his hands, like most Human weapons. He held down the trigger until a red bead erupted into mighty red thunder, setting the brute ablaze and blowing the flesh off of his bones. It began to rain ashes, pilling back on top of the heap of blackened bone.
Niokiljolm' let out a sigh and stooped to the ground, letting go of the Laser. The smell of burned flesh assaulted his nasal openings. Stacker stumbled towards him. He took a plasma bolt to the leg. "Damn, friend. I'm glad we have you on our side." Niokiljolm let out a smile. "It is a pleasure, too human," he said in a warm voice. "Come on, we gotta get to the AA gun by sundown, when the Chief arrives." said Stacker. One word entered his mind. The Demon.
The Marines moved a silently as snakes through the late afternoon sun. They were I the heart of the African jungle. UNSC activity began to increase closer to the crater. Niokiljolm' traveled with his long time friend, Goro 'Lykxan. The two Sangheili traveled with the humans, towering above them like guardian angels. Animal cries broke the eerie silence as they entered the Covenant camp. Niokiljolm' was puzzled at the sight. The Unggoy had diverted to the Brute's side, along with the two Lekgolo that guarded the base of the cannon.
"Nice and quiet." whispered Stacker. The marines screwed thick cylinders to the end. Niokiljolm' and Goro activated their active camouflage generators and faded into the environment. "Niokiljolm', sneak around and take out the Hunters. We'll take out the grunts and brutes." A Marine pulled out a rocket launcher. The situation was set, and all was well. The two Sangheili dropped of the edge and sprinted around the hunters. They positioned behind the exposed worm colony on their backs. Niokiljolm' motioned Goro as they disengaged the active camo. The Marines above the small cliff nodded at them. They swung there swords at the hunters, slicing them in half from the waist. Screaming orange eels withered from the corpse, and a split second latter, hisses rang out from the trees and most of the Unggoy slumped over lifeless. A smoke trail from the forest impacted a brute captain square in the chest, detonating into a purple mist of flesh chunks and rubble.
"Yeehaw!" Shouted the Marines as they charged down the hill unloading on the remaining Covenant forces. Brutes began to flee backwards where they met a quick demise at the hands of the two Sangheili. In a flurry of gunfire, every enemy laid dead or dying.
"Demo crews, take down that gun!" Ordered Stacker. Marines began to set up charges at the three legs of the cannon. All was going well until a purple form began to approach. A Phantom had shown up. An Unggoy waddled to the turret on the side. The marine fired a rocket at the craft, impacting the side, sending the craft in a slight drift, but soon put itself back on course. The grunt on the cannon let out a volley of plasma fire, cutting down Goro, who stood unprepared. "Damn it!' shrieked Niokiljolm'. Now fueled with rage, he sprinted towards the cliff at the edge of the crater and leaped on board the side of the Phantom. The grunt soiled itself. Niokiljolm' tore his mask off and stuck a plasma grenade from his belt onto it's face. He threw the grunt into the cockpit, where a brute turned around to see a screaming bomb of a creature land on him. Niokiljolm' rolled from the side bay back onto the ground, as the Phantom's cockpit detonated into a blue flash. The hull split in half and exploded, propelling half of it into the cannon. The cannon tipped over and slammed into the jungle, snapping trees like measly toothpicks. The cannon then went up in flames, exploding in small segments. Niokiljolm' snapped back into reality, and rushed to Goro, who was being worked on by a Medic.
"He might make it. Stacker, call the Pelican." said the panting Medic. "Roger that. Mother Goose, this is Big Pete. We need a pickup ASAP!" Niokiljolm' gazed into Goro's eyes. He eyed him and nodded, a sign of respect if he did not make it.
The Pelican descended down into the clearing. It was time to go back to base. Stacker put his arm on Niokiljolm's shoulder. "The Shipmaster wants to speak with you." He said. Niokiljolm' boarded the Pelican. He looked back up on top of Kilimanjaro. The Fleet carrier Concealed Blade loomed ominously above the summit, accompanied by the four cruisers. It was matter of time before the Brute Craft attacked them. Niokiljolm's train of thought was disrupted as the Pelican lifted into the air. Sweaty Marines pulled out thin white tubes. They lit them, inhaling the substance emitted from them. A human handed him one. Niokiljolm' curiously lit it with the tip of his sword, and fumbled keeping it in his four mandibled mouth. His stress was relieved as he took a drag of the object.
The cycle of darkness had arrived, leaving a moon and shimmering stars out. The Pelican began to drop altitude, landing on the strip of road on Crow's Nest. The Marines hopped of the deck, followed by the Sangheili. The Shipmaster stood in the mouth of the cave, accompanied by two Honor Guards and Lord Hood. His strong gaze beckoned Niokiljolm' forward. He trotted towards the cave with his hoofed legs, clacking along the asphalt. He stood in the shipmaster, invigorated by his commanding presence.
"Niokiljolm', you have undoubtedly showed your valor and might in combat. I have made the decision to declare you the Commander of my ground forces. I have seen never a more true and honorable Sangheili in my lifetime. You will be the best Field Commander I have ever worked with." Said Shipmaster S'toarem. The two honor guards kneeled as a warthog carried a purple capsule in the back The two guard carried the object in front of Niokiljolm'. They plopped it onto the ground and the top sprung open with a hiss. Black and gold armor laid in stunning contrast to the white interior of the case. Niokiljolm' bowed down.
"Shipmaster, I am deeply honored. I will uphold my position as a Field Commander and will not fail you,"
promised Niokiljolm. The Ship master nodded. "You are a true Warrior. You have risen from the ranks and proved yourself. You are now in command of Lord Hoods forces until the Spartan is recovered, than command must go back to him."
Niokiljolm' saw a bright fireball plummeting to the face of the Earth. A smaller fireball disconnected from the main one and swerved into the horizon. The demon has arrived.
Lord Hood pulled an intercom from the wall. "All forces, mobilize and look for the chief. Intel from America says he crashed in the Kenyan rainforest."
Pelicans scrambled around the base. It was an all out frenzy of machine and man. The Shipmaster gestured Niokiljolm' to put on his new armor. He slipped his shin guards and leggings off, and slid on the onyx ones, who's orange highlights on the side shimmered in the moonlight. He removed his Torso Carapace and shoulder pads, replacing them with his new garments. He removed his old Spec-ops major helmet and laid it aside He slid his new helmet on his head, and his body surged with a newfound feeling of power.
"You must secure the town of Voi. Do what you must, Commander," Lord Hood solemnly nodded. "You will take the best human and elite soldiers with you. Take out the head Chieftain, Muragor. Return back when you finish the deed." A lime green phantom, newly spray-painted to avoid friendly fire, beamed down it's gravity lift. Niokiljolm walked aboard, and his flesh tingled as the force of attraction pulled him on board.
There on board with him were the Human Helljumpers, clad in black armor and jumpsuits, and Sangheili special operations unit who wore the pitch-black combat harness. The Humans were armed with Longbarreled guns, battle rifles, and SMGs. Plasma rifles and energy swords were side armed by both Humans an Elites, a sign of trust between the two races. The Phantom reeled away and headed for Voi.
The Phantom disengaged it's exterior lights, and slipped into active camouflage. The Sangheili pilot looked at the Human copilot. "We're entering Voi's perimeter defense zone. Get ready to drop out if necessary." The Phantom slipped into the city without notice. Weapons clicked and buzzed as they were loaded and charged. The circular section of the floor opened, and a transparent purple beam spilled to the ground. The first Helljumper reluctantly plunged down the device that was unfamiliar to him. The rest of the team followed him down onto the shattered concrete street.
The soldiers made a beeline into the closest building. Distant clattering of assault rifles and other weapons were apparent. Human forces were still engaged with the Covenant in the city. Niokiljolm' slowly walked up the stairs, carbine raised. He saw a trio of sleeping Unggoy. Niokiljolm' outstretched his fist, signaling the soldiers to halt. Niokiljolm' walked over to a sleeping grunt and wrapped his reptilian fingers around the creature's stocky neck, twisting it in a full circle, killing it silently. He motioned a marine to take the other two, who were blissfully unaware of their imminent demise. The Helljumper unsheathed a combat knife, and held it up. The knife glistened like an otherworldly jewel in the moonlight filtering through the window. The man quickly swiped the blade under each grunt's neck, ending them.
"Soldier, take point in that window. Give us support," barked Niokiljolm' to a Marine eagerly toting a sniper rifle. The Sniper fixed up his rifle on the window overlooking a long street. Intel said that the Chieftain would be holding a sermon at the end of the street. The sniper was eyeing through the scope. A purple beam sliced through the wall. A jackal was watching them. "Hot Damn, we got hostiles. Too may of them!"
Niokiljolm' looked out the window. A flood of grunts were rushing down the street. "Everyone, open fire!" Niokiljolm growled. The house erupted into the noise of gunfire. The Marines and Sangheili
Took up defensive positions in the house. The grunt horde was gaining on the house, the front lines of the stampede succumbed to the fire of the soldiers. Methane tanks on the grunts ignited and burst into flames, lighting other grunts on fire. The remaining grunts recovered and regrouped, firing plasma pistols wildly as the charged. Niokiljolm sighted down his carbine and let out precision shots on the grunts' gasmasks. The masks exploded, taking chunks out of the creatures' heads. The fell backwards, gurgling from their larynx. The last grunts turned backwards and fled, getting plucked by sniper fire. A quick moment of silence after the grunt exodus, A Lekgolo pair thundered forward from the end of the street.
Strings of explecitives rang out from the soldiers. The beast fired a green fuel rod at the base of the house. A Marine rolled to the side, but was caught in the blast, and was blown aside, violently impacting a nearby fence. The soldiers lacked the firepower to destroy the hunters. Gunfire and plasma bolts pinged off of the arm mounted shields. This armor was graded for starships, and they had no chance to crack it. As the other hunter charged forward, a rocket that originated over the house detonated, leaving the hunter in half. The greasy worms the hunter was made of ignited and squealed. Minigun fire pinged off of the hunter, but sent it staggering. The hunter exposed his torso for a precious second, and the sniper took the shot. The impact of the bullet tore a hole through the hunter, and it ripped apart due to the sudden lack of worms to support it's immense weight.
An aircraft descended down to street level. It was a human Hornet. Scattered human forces began to arrive, remnants of the original force in the city. It was no longer an assassination, it was an assault. Niokiljolm's force exited the house, and walked onto the street where the forces were congregating. The sun began to rise, shining brightly on the street.
"We are tasked with killing the Chieftain of this area, I am Commander Niokiljolm' X'toss. We must find him and eliminate him, and Covenant occupation of the area will falter." After Niokiljolm' finished speaking, a plasma mortar struck a warthog filled with passengers, detonating into a ball of flames and spewing it's passengers on the ground. The smoldering crater hardened into glass. The Covenant had found them.
All hell had broken loose. Machine gun fire and plasma bolts turned the crisp morning air into a death trap. The Wraith slammed through a debris pile, the gunner mowing down Marines fleeing away. Niokiljolm' felt a deep nervousness build up in his heart, but he cast it aside knowing that the lives of his men depended on him. He pulled a plasma grenade, a favorite means of destruction of the Sangheili. Niokiljolm' dashed to the Wraith and grabbed on to a joint on the left wing. He swung his legs around and slugged the brute in the face with his iron footpads. The brute's jaw snapped and hung loosely from his skull, gushing blood. Niokiljolm' climbed up on top of the Tank and pried the top off the Wraith. The brute looked up to see a glowing orb meet his eye socket. Niokiljolm' did a flip off of the Wraith as the cockpit erupted into blue flames, licking the air with a burning scent.
The chaos still ensued, Brutes and Sangheili evenly matching each other. A nearby Sangheili fired at a brute with a plasma rifle, hitting him square in the chest, burning him. The ensuing chaos was far too much for the dwindling UNSC forces. Fuel rods began to scatter into the sky.
Thwump
Thwump
Thwump
The Hornet in the air was struck by a fuel rod, blowing off the left engine. The Hornet was thrown into a tailspin, and throttled down into a group of spiker toting Brutes, killing them all. An enraged brute whose power armor was blown off charged toward Niokiljolm'. Niokiljolm ignited his sword and cut down a brute with an uppercut, slicing his arm clean off. The brute continued to run until he tripped over a grunt and ceased moving. A Marine in the gunner seat of a warthog was laying down supportive fire, and paused for a minute to motion the rest of the soldiers to get out of here.
Niokiljolm' nodded and fired his carbine at the mob of advancing troops climbing over the debris pile. The marine was easily mowing down the grunts, and managed to weaken some brutes that Niokiljolm' could pick off with his carbine. The Marine ceased firing. He had ran out of ammo. The Marine did not get off of the turret. He only stared. Every Covenant attacker laid dead. A large form climbed over the building. A hellish, four legged machine that struck fear into Niokiljolm's heart. A Scarab. The Marine ditched the gun in a heartbeat and ran. The Scarab's massive foot crashed down on the warthog, crushing it like a tin can. Niokiljolm' ran with the Marine, catching up to the rest of the squad. A large hole in the ground blocked their escape from the city.
"Excellent Gift, this is Niokiljolm', a Scarab is in our midst. We need pickup immediately." With that a horrid shrieking noise disrupted the call, and a huge yellow beam glassed over the building across the street, shattering into a pile of magma, glass and metal.
The Marines hopped over a nearby fence and dashed into the forest. Niokiljolm' did not hesitate either, springing over the fence right behind Cpl. O'Connor.
Wet leaves whipped Niokiljolm's face as they danced over tree roots and rocks, escaping the reach of the Scarab. The pace slowed down as the Marines lost breath. Voi was out of sight. The Marines settled in a clearing, pulling out cigarettes. The weary troops, solemn expressions aplenty, took sips from a canteen and passed it around. Niokiljolm' took a cigar that was handed to him and lit it. This "smoking" habit was turning into a vile addiction. Perhaps he would never fully understand humans. He found it easier to fit the burgundy stogie in his mouth than the cigarette.
He eased his tense muscles and sat to the ground next to O'Connor. "I'm thinking about leaving the UNSC." He said with a quiver in his voice. Niokiljolm' looked at him with disappointment in his eyes. The Marine bowed his head. "I can't take the dying, destruction and misery. Damn this war!" The young man sobbed and kicked his rifle aside.
"Do not fret, Human." commanded the Sangheili. "Our races were forged by war. You are a part of what could shape our fates. You must embrace your role in this conflict. I need you, warrior." The human inhaled and let out a puff of smoke. He realized that Niokiljolm' was right. Even though he showed courage in his voice, Niokiljolm' could not help to feel a deepening feeling of hopelessness and despair growing in him, and it began to worry him.
A Phantom located them from the air like a metallic vulture, and it shot down the gravity beam, shimmering like a diamond in a sunset. The collective of soldiers ascended into the craft. With a heavy heart, Niokiljolm flicked out his cigar and boarded the craft once again. Unbeknownst to him, The Demon was entering the road to Voi as they departed, about to finish what Niokiljolm' begun. The Phantom exited the city limits and flew towards the Concealed Blade. It was time to engage the Brutes in the air.
After a long ride back to the Concealed Blade,The Phantom eased into the shield barrier on the bottom runway of the Assault Carrier, the human passengers of the Phantom were not used to entering electromagnetic fields, and they all gasped as their hair stood straight up on end. The Sangheili in the craft chuckled at the humans, deep guttural sounds resonated through the cramped passenger bay, leaving the humans blushing.
The Phantom decelerated, and was pulled to the top of the hanger via a super magnet. The side bay of the phantom opened, pouring artificial light into the ship. A catwalk extended from the second floor of the hangar. The Shipmaster stood at the tip. Niokiljolm' and the Elites exited the craft first, and proceeding across the thin walkway. Warthogs, Hornets, and Banshees were fueling up and arming down on the floor below. Echoes of Marines' orders and Sanghelian chatter rang out.
Niokiljolm' kneeled in the presence of the Shipmaster, along with his Spec-Ops team. "Warriors, the Brutes have finished digging up the Ark, but it is not safe for us to break into the brute lines. AA guns still plague the skies. Rtas' Vadumm sent out a distress call shortly ago, I do not know what he was warning of, but it seemed urgent. Niokiljolm, I want you t-"
A large tremor shook the hull. A Brute ship had fired upon the Sangheili fleet. Two CCS class battle cruisers slipped from the Ark's dig site and launched a volley of plasma torpedoes. The Projectiles harmlessly impacted the Assault carrier, but a Sangheili cruiser was not so lucky. It's shields dissipated in a blue-white flash. The Sangheili returned fire, bright plasma rocketed across the sky. The brute ships took the hits like a relentless beast, it's hull melting as it entered the Sangheili lines. The Brute ship slammed into a CCS class cruiser, tearing it and half. The two pieces drifted away and slammed into the African plains below, and the brute cruiser impacted the ground, blossoming into a blue mushroom cloud, glassing over the area around it. Niokiljolm nodded to the Shipmaster. They both began to run towards the bridge that laid further above the massive ship.
After ten minutes of sprinting, the pair reached the bridge, where Sangheili officers were frantically manning the ship's controls, keeping it in formation with the rest of the fleet. The final brute ship was managing to keep alive, using suicidal banshee pilots to collide with the plasma torpedoes. This strategy was unusually clever for the brutes. The Sangheili finally got the upper hand when two human frigates fired Mac rounds at the ship. The first shell, a supersonic projectile the size of a family car, blew clean through the ship. The cruiser quivered, and the second shell cut the head off the snake. The cruiser went critical, and tore itself apart in a violent explosion.
The Sangheili cheered at the sight on the bridge view screen, yet the two frigates continued moving towards the Ark, firing their cannons at the Forerunner Dreadnaught at the base of the structure, and two more frigates joined, along with a full wing of long swords.
The MAC rounds and archer missiles detonated in direct hits on the narrow craft, shrouding it in a furious ball of fire. When the fire extinguished, the huge ship stood unscathed by the barrage, and sunk into the dome. The Dreadnaught let a blinding blue beam into the swirling Maelstrom above, erupting into a blue flash. The Sangheili in the bridge watched with deep nervousness as the light cleared, leaving a glowing orb looming above the extended dome, which now had expanded into a starfish-like state. No words were muttered as the crew continued to gaze at the object. It was the beginning of the end.
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