Call Sign "Topher"

Topher

Topher's pod exploded open. He dove forward and took two quick shots at the first enemies in front of him. Two grunts fell from the first shot of his Battle Rifle, the triple shot spreading as he turned his weapon. The second brought down a sniper in one of the trees above. He quickly spun on his heel and ducked to the side as an Elite smashed at the ground where he stood only moments ago. The Elite turned toward him and bent lower, opening its mouth and roaring at him. He reached down to his boot and pulled out a knife, leaping at the Elite and shoving the knife into its eye. The Sangheili warrior didn't fall to the ground, but pulled the knife out of its eye and tossed it to the side. It picked Topher up by the neck and smashed him down to the ground, crushing him for a few seconds. Another ODST came up from behind the Elite and pushed his shotgun against his head.

"Say goodnight, asshole," the soldier said ominously. He pulled the trigger and the Elite's head blew apart into pieces. The body fell onto Topher and he turned it to the side, using it for cover for him and the other ODST. Topher grabbed his fallen rifle and took four more shots at the enemies before him in the battle. He saw the wraith tank on the other side of the battle and vaulted over the corpse. He ditched his weapon and sprinted around the back of the vehicle. When he was on the other side, he began climbing the deadly machine and pried open the cockpit. He pulled his other weapon off his back and aimed it into the enclosed area, opening fire and shredding into the Covenant soldiers. The tank lay still after they were killed and Topher jumped off. He turned around to see three jackals with shields and plasma pistols pointing at him. He aimed his rifle and began firing, killing one and sending the other two scattering. Several of his rounds bounced off their shields, one hitting his leg, crippling his shin. He fell to the ground and limped over to the tank. He climbed back on top and mounted the turret, taking short controlled bursts of fire at the enemies on the battlefield.

He heard a whirring noise and turned around to see two Ghosts come over the hill and start firing into the crowd of human soldiers. "Ramirez! Rockets on those Ghosts!" he shouted to his ODST trooper. He saw one of the rockets smash into the machine, blowing it apart, but watched the other glide by as the second Ghost caught on. Topher turned the turret toward the Ghost and opened fire, plasma bolts splashing against the Elite's shield and burning it away. Ramirez ran up next to the Wraith tank and opened fire with his Battle Rifle, snapping a head shot once its shield was down. Topher felt a hot pain in his left arm and ducked into the turret seat. He saw blue plasma fly overhead and he grasped his arm. He grabbed a tube of bio foam and stuck half of it into the bullet wound in his leg. The other half was applied to the plasma wound on his arm. He lifted out of the turret seat and spotted his Battle Rifle. Topher jumped off the tank and rushed toward his weapon, ignoring the pains of his injuries. He picked up his weapon and smashed the butt of the rifle into a grunt's face, killing it. He saw the two jackals that he shot at before in front of him, their back to him and shot them both in the spinal cord. He turned around to see a massive Elite in his face and stood in shock for a moment. The Elite raised a fist and swung in a wide circle into Topher's jaw, sending him flying onto the grass. His vision was blurred, spinning in every direction. He rolled onto his back to see the Elite stalking toward him. His sight was blacking out, closing in on what he presumed to be his killer. He heard a Sniper Rifle fire and was splashed with a warm sticky fluid before blacking out.

Yapyap

Yapyap sat there for hours. He stared at nothing, taking in the deep breaths of methane as he tried to stay calm. Today was the day he was being taken into the Covenant fleet inbound for Earth. He was recently promoted to lead his own group of Grunts after his squad leader, Kaidon, was transferred to a special ops team of his own. He was training with his Grunts on his home planet, trying to keep them ready for battle. Yapyap was a somewhat gifted individual of his race. He was smarter and more precise than other Grunts and was almost considered an equal to the other lesser races in the Covenant. He had killed several humans himself, but that was due to playing it smart in the battlefield. He often hid and attacked his enemy from behind when they weren't looking. Some might call it dishonorable, but he called it survival.
He heard a com blip and he answered it immediately. "Yes? Is it time?" he asked, dreading the worst. He hated the idea of having to go into the heart of the humans' establishment. He feared that this would be the end of him. A single shudder went down his spine before standing and assembling his armor again.

"It is. Get ready and we'll meet you at the designated location to pick up your team," the Elite responded. His team along with eleven others were boarding Without False Hope, a ship led by Elites inbound for Earth. Yapyap found his Needler, his plasma pistol, and scattered ammo and batteries for his weapons. He gathered everything and found the members of his team.

"It's time. We need to leave now," he told them ominously. The other Grunts looked to the ground and sighed simultaneously. They all knew that none of them would make it back alive. They only hoped that The Great Journey awaited their arrival. Only with an honorable death could they hope to follow the Forerunners on the path to salvation. They all thought to themselves their last goodbyes to their home world and got into the transit carrier. Yapyap held onto the low railing and looked into the sky, spotting the hovering cruiser in orbit that they would soon be aboard.

Kaidon

Kaidon rushed across the icy wasteland as fast as his long legs allowed him. He fastened his Carbine against his back and led the squad of Sangheili warriors at his disposal through the canyon. When the alarm was triggered, the entire base was alerted and his team was the first to be out the doors and on their way. He was excited to finally fight the humans again. Kaidon came to a hill and was accompanied only by his top two soldiers. The rest of his squad didn't have the stamina to keep pace with them and were about ten feet behind them. When they cleared the top of the hill, Kaidon fell to the frozen ground immediately, seeing the bright flash of a pelican's lights. He held up a fist to warn the others behind him and they fell into formation around him. He signaled Lak, his most talented sniper, to get eyes on the enemy and see what they were up against.

"Honored one, I count four enemies. Perhaps one injured... Kaidon, I see Demons. Two. Conflict is ill advised," Lak reported. Kaidon snapped his head to look at Lak sharply, disturbed at the thought of fighting two of the feared ones. He did not fear the ones in armor such as the ones he commanded. They had nothing he did not. Kaidon would not let them scare him away from a battle. From victory.

"This changes nothing. Take out the Demon," he ordered. Lak hesitated for a moment before nodding and mounted his sniper again. He frowned and looked up and back to Kaidon.

"Honored one, they're gone," he said in bafflement. Lak quickly scanned the area again, not seeing any of the soldiers, though the pelican remained. "They must be inside the dropship." Kaidon thought for a moment and looked back to his men. There were only six of the humans against his dozen. The Demons could easily count as three of a regular human, giving them the strength of ten against his twelve. He didn't like the odds, but he never backed away from a fight offered to him so grandly.

"Activate your invisibility. We will take them when they least expect it..." he said to them, fading into the cold dark night as he activated his own black armor. Kaidon parted the mandibles of his mouth and clicked them a few times, growling a bit at the thought of fighting a Demon once again. It took four of his men to kill him. And he was the only survivor. He hoped he did not have such casualties this time, but was ready to die for his cause at a moment's notice. His camouflage was complete and he stood in the snow, avoiding large amounts of soft ground where footprints would stand out. He removed the Carbine from his back and slowly began to stalk toward the enemy before him.

Topher

Topher awoke with a start, reaching to his boot for his knife at the lack of a sidearm. He looked around and saw that he was in a green tent, a makeshift medical center he presumed. Topher looked around and then felt the pain. God, the pain. His jaw felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces and then smashed into dust by a Gravity Hammer, which almost happened once. He saw a dozen other marines in the tent with him and one of his ODST men. He identified the ODST as Johnson, callsign "Ripcord." The ODST had his helmet on, but was asleep. Topher made it a point to his men that an attack could happen at any time and putting the helmet on is another ten seconds that they're late to a battle. He didn't seem to be bleeding or have any biofoam, so he relaxed his worries. Topher always made a point of having a personal friendship with all of his men. He lay back on the cot, waiting for someone to come in. When he saw a coreman, he made a grunting noise. He couldn't speak because of the brace on his jaw.

"Helo, callsign "Topher," you're a lucky guy. That Elite almost smashed your face in in," he said. He looked at Topher's leg and inspected his arm before talking to him again. "Basically, you're down for the count, but only for a few days. Your arm has a second degree burn and shouldn't be used too much or it could rupture the skin. That bullet in your leg tore through a tendon, so that'll take some time to heal, and I think you already know what happened to your jaw. Nothing's broken, but just to be on the safe side, I put a brace on you so it doesn't get knocked loose or anything. Trust me, you DON'T want a dislocated jaw," he finished. Topher sighed and nodded with difficulty. "You can walk around, though. Just be easy on the leg, alright?"

Topher got out of the bed and grunted. He ignored the pain and went to Ripcord's cot. He looked at the soldier for a moment and saw that his leg was broken in two places and that his left arm was burned almost completely from the elbow down. He was alive, but probably in a lot of pain, despite the morphine. Topher put a hand on his shoulder and sighed again. He walked out of the tent and looked around. He saw a marine sitting on a fallen tree with his face buried in his hands. He walked up to him and removed the jaw brace. He flexed his mouth a little bit and figured it was fine. "Are you Meta? The corporal that called in the ODST unit?" he asked, trying to distract him from his lot squad.

Meta turned his attention to the soldier. "Yes, and that’s corporal to you," he said. He looked around until he saw his face. "Is there a problem soldier? If so just tell me." He asked coldly.
Topher clenched his jaw in a brief moment of anger. "And that's captain to you, corporal. Mind your place. Now tell me what happened. I'm in charge of these men, I lead the ODSTs. I'm the one that needs to know what other opposition we're facing here. I don't need you to like me, just cooperate," he said in a final tone. He flipped off the polarized visor on his helmet to look him in eyes, not taking his helmet off. He didn't want to risk having it loose if the Covenant suddenly attacked. "Let's get inside. We're in the clearing, too easy for a sniper to pick us off during a counter attack."

The soldier scoffed at Topher’s comment. He looked around at the trees with his arms spread and laughed a little. “You really think we’re going to be hit by a sniper? The Covenant wouldn’t dare come this close to our position,” he laughed, getting cocky.

Topher narrowed his eyes a bit and depolarized his visor. He turns around and walks back toward the tent. He retrieves his weapons, attaching his assault rifle to the back of his armor and holding his battle rifle. He rested it on his knee as he sat on the cot, looking at the corporal. He didn't like his attitude, but he was glad at some of the soldiers had their spirits. Ever since the Covenant had attacked Earth, things were going downhill. Their forces were spread thin enough as it was, and the last thing they needed was to not have the spirit to fight anymore. "I need a casualty count. How many men we lost, equipment that needs replacement and the number of camps established in these woods. I'll have my men ready within the hour to move out for a further scouting party. You're welcome to join us. Get me those numbers fast," he said to the man, thinking what to do next.

Yapyap

Yapyap slowly crept down the sidewalk, leading the five other grunts. They all nervously fell in tow with Yapyap as he continued on and he jumped in surprise at the sound of gunfire from four or five blocks away. He froze in his steps before moving again and took cover behind some kind of vehicle that looked similar to that which had large guns on the back. This one was just thin and shiny, however. Yapyap turned around to the other grunts and was about to speak when one of them keeled over and the others were splashed with blue blood. "Run!" he screamed in a high pitched squeak. The grunts scattered and two more were killed before the remaining three took cover and hid in silence. They saw four pairs of shadowed footsteps walk past slowly, hoping they wouldn't be discovered. When it was clear, Yapyap came out from under the car and pointed his Needler at the marines. He began firing, pink shards piercing the human's body and penetrating the armor. When about seven of the shards were shot and near each other, they overloaded and exploded from the reaction, shooting pieces of meat in each direction. The marine right next to him was blown forward, smashing his exposed forehead into the curb and instantly killing him. The other two dove for cover, but by the time they turned around, Yapyap had already started running behind cover again. He fastened the Needler to his side and wielded his plasma pistol. He started to overcharge it and pointed it over the vehicle he hid behind. He aimed straight at the marine in front and released the bolt, hitting him straight in the face and slagging his skull to molten bits of flesh. The last marine took two shots with a battle rifle, but missed, shattering the glass of the thin, shiny, piece of metal. The other two grunts with Yapyap dove out of cover and opened fire with their weapons, hitting him several times. After several shots, the marine fell to the ground, not breathing. Yapyap exhaled, relieved to be alive. He looked around one last time and began to creep down the street again.

Yapyap saw some soldiers running across the street, heading towards a regiment of Mgalekgolo bond brothers. The massive warriors hoisted their shields to block the incoming fire from the humans, raising their cannons to return fire. One of the marines shouted out to the others, “Get down!” Another marine was blasted by a plasma bolt. The top part of his torso was vaporized, blowing the rest of the border across the street. One of the Mgalekgolo rushed forward, swinging its arm shield upward at a marine, bashing it into the air. The marine landed on his back, the back of his head bashing against the curb.

Yapyap squealed as he bolted and darted across the streets. There were explosions everywhere and the Mgalekgolo weren't doing much good hiding behind their armor. A couple were killed form the chain gun until one of Yapyap's surviving Grunts pulled out a fuel rod cannon and shot down the helicopter. It landed near them and they all scattered, looking for something to hide behind. He turned around to see a human laying on the ground pulling out his sidearm. Yapyap froze for an instant, but the human turned behind him after another called to him. He took his chance and darted for the hulking bond brothers closest to him. He hid behind the Mgalekgolo for a few moments before peeking out to see a squad of humans backing off away from the explosion. He opened fire with his Needler, hoping to hit something, but to no avail. The tracking rounds scattered everywhere as the enemies backed out of range. Yapyap sighed in relief at the close call to death.

He watched as a marine rushed through the street at a burning helicopter in the center of an intersection. He faltered at the flames, but jumped into the wreckage, searching for something. There was a small explosion and the soldier hopped out of the cockpit, carrying a large green weapon over his shoulder. He pointed it at the bond brothers nearest to Yapyap and began charging the weapon. A red glow appeared in the center of the weapon and Yapyap screamed, realizing what the soldier retrieved from the crash. The soldier released the trigger and a great red bolt blasted past Yapyap’s head.

Yapyap shrieked as he saw the stringy worms of the Mgalekgolo vaporize, sending the Hunter's armor toppling over. The Spartan laser shot straight through the massive colony and destroyed the bond brother, singeing its partner next to him, sending him into a blood-fury. One of Yapyap's remaining Grunts was killed in the blast, hiding directly behind the Hunter. His entire head and most of his upper torso was burned to a crisp and vaporized. Yapyap's leg was crushed under one of the pieces of armor from the Hunter and he cried out in pain. His other soldier, the last remaining Grunt besides himself ran to his aid and pulled him free, carrying him away from the battle. They began to retreat when they saw large black pod falling from the sky, landing near a temporary base beyond the streets before him. Yapyap limped on the sidewalk and held an arm over his comrade's shoulder, traveling back to the nearest camp of Covenant soldiers.

Yapyap was recognized by many of the Unggoy and a few of the Sangheili. The Kig-Yar paid him no attention, considering all Unggoy as if they were trash. There was an explosion nearby, artillery from a few miles away. Yapyap saw a Sangheili warrior fly from the ground, arms twisted at odd angles and blood spattered everywhere. He flinched as the body went tumbling past him. A few more explosions popped up from the ground around the Covenant soldiers before a squad of human marines charged forward, a few in black armor with concealing helmets. He recognized these soldiers as equivalent to the Sangheili as if regular soldiers were the equals of the Kig-Yar. He pulled his pistol from his side and fired at the enemy, hitting a few as they retreated further. The Sangheili warrior closest to him drew his Energy Sword and let loose a great roar as a battle cry. He hunched over and leapt at the soldiers, tearing through them. The humans concentrated their fire at the great warrior, but their ammunition ricocheted off his reflective armor. After perhaps fifteen seconds of combat, his shield overloaded and began taking hits through his shields. Blood spurted from each hole in his body as an assault rifle ripped through him, pushing him back toward the ground. When the warrior was dead, the sword extinguished, the marines turned their attention back toward the cluster of grunts and opened fire. Several died within seconds, but the return fire cost them greatly.

Just then, a Banshee fighter pilot swung overhead and shot a Fuel Rod Cannon at the squad, blasting them apart. One of the last remaining marines grabbed a discarded rocket launcher and aimed. Yapyap pointed his pistol at the marine's back and started pulling the trigger as fast as he could. The rocket went off and the marine fell to the ground, plasma burning through his spine. The Banshee exploded in the air and fell to the ground in a pile of crumpled slag and fire. Yapyap was dragged through the surviving members of the base and taken to one of the shuttles heading for a carrier. Yapyap's soldier told him that it was a carrier about to leave for Eayn, the closest inhabited establishment by the Covenant to drop off wounded soldiers and to recuperate from the unanticipated losses and injuries. The transport took off and slipped into orbit, boarding the carrier. A mere five minutes later, the ship entered slip-space and was on its way to Eayn. "We will be dropping out of orbit in approximately two hours. Eat and sleep as needed before we arrive, for you will be implemented back into action after we resupply and drop off severely injured soldiers," the captain of the ship announced. The Forerunner technology still baffled Yapyap, so he didn't know how the speakers worked, but he shrugged and cared not for the future, as he was told to eat and sleep.

Kaidon

Kaidon waited as he watched the two soldiers talk. He watched them, waiting for an opening to make his move. He dared not close in on his prey, lest they notice the blur of his camouflage. Kaidon stepped around the two Demons avoiding patches of snow and ice. He didn't want to leave a trail. He felt soft footsteps behind him, at least three pairs. He knew that the rest of his men wouldn't be far behind. They slowly crept forward, their blades drawn. Saal, a promising young Sangheili recently added to his command stepped up to Kaidon and followed close. Saal made a grave mistake and grew tense, wishing nothing more than to destroy the humans before him. He kept his hard earned discipline and stayed his blade however, awaiting his leader's command. Kaidon began to walk forward, slowly, while crouching low to avoid the shimmer in the snowy wind. He came close to the warrior, within fifteen feet when Saal, perhaps five feet behind him, stepped on the ice and clicked against it with his foot. The two warriors froze and spun on the heels, weapons drawn. Kaidon froze, not breathing.

Saal was not so fortunate. He slipped on the ice and fell forward, landing in the snow and revealing himself to the enemy. His invisibility faltered and he drew his plasma rifle, firing blindly as he rolled to one side to recover himself. He led their fire away from Kaidon and the others, accepting his failure and fate. He knew his death was imminent, as revealing the rest of his comrades would be a shame to his bloodline. Kaidon whispered the prayer of passage for his youngest warrior to himself and wished him safe journey while following in the Forerunners' footsteps. Saal took his rifle and hit one of the Demons several times due to lack of cover, but to no avail. Suddenly his forehead exploded, blue blood splashing the ground. His body fell forward, revealing a third Demon standing perhaps thirty feet back with a sniper rifle. Kaidon was terrified at this point. Saal had done at least one good thing just then: he revealed a hidden danger that would have killed them all had he not known it before.

Kaidon saw the first two Demons look around for others, wait a few minutes, and resume how they were. They began to eerily back into the pelican and seal up the door when Kaidon rushed forward, silent in on the ground. He grabbed the side of the dropship and flung a plasma grenade inside, sticking it to a marine. Just before the hatch closed, the grenade exploded, sending a gust of wind and explosive force out the opening, blowing him off the rim. He saw the three warriors, still alive and undamaged open the hatch again and fire down at him as he hastily sprinted back to his squad, activating the camouflage again. He saw large stains of blood against the inside walls of the Pelican before it was out of sight and knew that he'd at least taken out a few of the human soldiers accompanying them. Kaidon growled in a low voice and ran back over the hill, leading his men back to the base. He wanted off this planet so badly, but he had to report that there were Demons about. He could not allow them to slip by and take the Forerunner technology that was discovered here.

Kaidon watched the dropship fly away, and he cursed his missed opportunity. He grieved for Saal momentarily before continuing his thoughts. He didn't know where the human base was nearby, and he couldn't tell which way the ship had flown off to. Kaidon grumbled to himself again and stalked toward his squad, angry. "Get back to base,” he ordered. “Our enemies have left us in this wasteland. We're leaving this damned planet. We're going to find the Demons and destroy them!" he shouted to his soldiers, giving them further meaning for their life.

Topher

Meta came back ten minutes later, rushing through the tent. Topher turned to him. “Corporal, report!” he ordered, impatient to get the casualty numbers. Meta saluted and relaxed when he asked for the numbers.

Meta looked down at the paper he’d written on and began reading the numbers off to him. “I’ve counted two hundred fifty-nine presumed dead, a hundred and twenty-six wounded, and only a few M.I.A. We have five camps set up beyond the valley and an HQ set up at an abandoned building five clicks to the East. Plenty of guns and ammo to keep us supplied for at least a few more months,” he reported seriously.
Topher nodded when he heard the report. "Get what men you have right now ready to move. Give me four Warthogs and try to salvage a Ghost or two from the fight. We're going to need them. I was briefed up top that we'd be heading into hot territory. They were drilling for something as I'm told. Our mission is to find out what they're after, stop them, and take it for ourselves. What's your specialty? Heavy arms, support detail, or point guard?" he asked, knowing that Meta already had a qualified sniper. "Ramirez!" Topher called. A moment later, the Hispanic ODST soldier rushed through the tent flaps and saluted, rifle in the offhand.

"Sir! Ramirez, reporting for duty! I have a debriefing of the battle, sir. We were able to obtain three working Ghosts from the fight, but only have working weaponry. The Wraith tank exploded shortly after you were knocked unconscious due to a remote detonator. The Covenant must not want us getting a hold of their tech," he reported, knowing exactly what his commanding officer was going to ask.

"Ramirez, assemble the men. We're going on a scout run, four 'hogs and two Ghosts. Get them," Topher replied. He nodded as the ODST saluted again and left the tent to get everything he'd asked for. He turned back to the corporal and asked him if he was ready, snapping a clip into his battle rifle as he did.

He turned to Topher, snapping his Shotgun to one side and his Magnum to the other. He filled his belt with ammunition and grenades and a Battle Rifle strapped to his back. “Ready as I’ll ever be, sir,” he replied with a laugh as he grabbed his helmet, pulling it down over his head. He slapped a clip into his Assault Rifle and ran to the other marines off in the corner of the tent.

Topher nodded, slightly irked at this marine's nonchalant attitude toward everything. Topher was too high strung about everything, it seemed. To him, war wasn't something to get cocky about. No one is invisible. Everyone dies. He sighed to himself before leaving the tent and looking around at his ODST troopers. He pointed to Ramirez and five other soldiers and gathered them around the Warthogs and two working Ghosts. "Alright, here's the deal. We're going on a scouting run with the marines here, four 'hogs and two Ghosts. Two and one for each of us. Ramirez, hop in the side seat. I'm driving. O'Ryan, get on the turret. You four figure out who's doing what on the 'hog and who gets the Ghost," he ordered. With a snap of their feet, their simultaneously saluted and got into their positions. "Corporal! Get your men, we're moving out ASAP!" Topher called, not waiting for the marine to get situated. He wanted to show him that there wasn't time to waste sitting around.

Topher looked up and sees the marine running toward the Scorpion. "Marine, at the attention!" he hollered, ordering the marine to a halt. The marine frozen, slapping his fingers to his forehead. "Where are you going? I didn't authorize anyone for tank access. The Scorpion stays here. This is just a scout mission, we're going to need to move fast," he said once he'd caught up to the soldier. "Go back to the tent and tell your commander officer to pick out the men for the scout run," he said finally. The marine started running back to the corporal and relayed what Topher had told him. The corporal looked up at Topher for a moment and looked away. Topher raised his hand above his head, forefinger extended and waved it in a circle, signaling for everyone to mount up.

Yapyap

Yapyap woke up a few moments before the speakers came on again. "We have arrived at Eayn. Prepare to board your transports down to the surface," the shipmaster blared once more. Yapyap got up and limped back to the transport with his ally's assistance. He looked to his side and thanked Pipit for everything he'd done, saving his life. He offered the seat next to him for his companion, but he shook his head. "I am not injured, sir. It was my job to see you to safety. You have saved my life more than once," he said optimistically. Yapyap would not forget this Unggoy easily. He enjoyed his company and wished him well. The transport's doors closed slowly and he felt the small ship drop from the carrier and enter the cluster of asteroids. They soon landed near the closest Covenant establishment in Eayn and found another dropship nearby. Yapyap was puzzled at this and then heard gunfire beyond the street and rushed to see what was happening.

Kaidon

Kaidon arrived at the makeshift citadel that his people had established on the planet. It was a base not worthy for his stature, but on a wasteland planet such as this, resources were not to be wasted on headquarters that were not a key part of the war. His team didn’t exist. He led them on his own will, bringing them wherever he pleased. Kaidon looked up to the base and halted, his warriors falling in behind him. He looked back, spotted Zhar, his second in command. “Zhar, take the men back to the dropship. Get them ready for transit. We board With Good Intent within the hour,” he ordered.

Zhar nodded with a half bow and led the men past Kaidon into the keep. They turned left once past the plasma gates and headed to the barracks and dropships. Kaidon went straight to the fortress and stepped into the gravity lift. He was raised to the top and faced the commander of the base. “Raal,” he greeted him, nodding his head curtly. He wasn’t fond of the Sangheili in charge, but it was his base and he respected his position if nothing else. Raal had honor in his family and he dared not smear another’s name.

“Kaidon,” he replied. “What news from the front? What triggered the alarm?” he asked. That was the one thing besides his position that Kaidon approved of. Raal was strictly on top of everything that occurred under his roof. If Raal was in command, he’d know the next time each soldier reloaded their weapons. He stood straight, clad in his golden colored armor. He towered over most of the soldiers here, yet was only an inch or two taller than Kaidon himself. He appeared leaner, but only slightly. He didn’t have the level of muscle strength as Kaidon and would not be able to best him in a fight, but would give him a fight to remember if it came to that. He’d been in the military since coming of age and had twice the experience as Kaidon.

“Demons… Three of them,” he reported ominously. “They took off from the planet’s surface nearly a quarter hour ago. I plan to take my men and track their slip-space current to the system they’re headed in,” he told the commander, hoping that he would not interfere. The last thing he needed was a group of inexperienced Sangheili recruits tagging alongside his Special Ops team. “A small group of marines were with them. I believe they have a structure established perhaps twenty miles to the west. I advise sending an attack battalion before they realize that they patrol squad will not be returning,” he suggested, hoping he would lean in favor of the sneak attack.

“Very well. May the Prophets be with you when you confront the feared ones,” he said, giving his own prayer for Kaidon. He did not disapprove; even Kaidon realized what a threat the ‘Spartans’ were to him, despite his experience and physical strength. He nodded to Raal and gave a respective, but not submissive, bow. They made eye contact before Kaidon spoke again.

“I will be leading my team immediately. I request that you forward any information regarding Forerunner technology to me should anything be discovered,” he said, knowing that the commander could not deny him. All Sangheili warriors of high status had a right to the discoveries along with his team in particular. He was specifically ordered to track human threats and eliminate them, along with recovering Forerunner artifacts for the Prophets. He would not let his leaders down.

He stepped into the gravity lift and activated the terminal. He altered the lift to send him to the ground level so he could board the dropship and leave this icy wasteland. Kaidon could not get the images of the Demons out of his mind. He pictured the sniper blowing Saal’s skull to pieces. The other two spun on their heels at the exact moments of Saal revealing himself. For a brief moment he felt doubt that he could defeat such an organized and precise enemy. He shook off the feeling and resumed his tactical thoughts of how to properly coordinate his troops.

Kaidon reached the ground and ran full out to the prong-shaped ship. He entered the Spirit and the doors closed behind him. He felt it take off as he turned his head to watch Zhar pilot them into orbit. They broke through the atmosphere and saw the cruiser above the planet hiding behind one of the moons. They sped through the void of space toward the ship and slid through the plasma gates in the hangar. The doors opened slowly with a pop and they hopped out simultaneously. Kaidon reached the bridge and gave the shipmaster new instructions.
He closed his eyes and thought to himself about the Demon he faced so long ago. He sat in the chair beside the shipmaster and zoned out, his thoughts fading away.

Topher

Topher drove the Warthog up to the other two ODSTs with him. The Ghost and other vehicle followed close behind him as they reached the tents. He saw Meta off near the medical center and waved in his direction. Once Ramirez and O'Ryan were situated in the car, he pressed his foot on the gas and turned to the marines. he approached the corporal and halted the vehicle. "Meta, did you pick your men for this run? We're just scouting the perimeter to see what else we're up against to see if they're sending a counter attack. Four 'hogs and two Ghosts. My men are already set up. We'll move out once you're ready," he said to him, relaxing the chain of command attitude.

Topher figured that as long as they were working together, he should make all the effort he could to keep things civil between the two of them. He drove off and the other Warthog and Ghost fell in behind him. Once the marines caught up to him in their vehicles, they took off and rode for about half an hour before they skidded to a halt, hearing construction work beyond the next ridge. Topher clicked the mic in his helmet and gave passed along the orders to the rest of his men. He looked behind him looking for Meta. He saw him and flashed some hand motions alerting him that they had contacts up ahead.

They slowly crept forward, ready to veer off the hill into the crowd of Covenant. They got to the top and floured the engine, skidding beyond the next ridge as O'Ryan firing the turret on the Warthog at the enemies beyond the front line. The vehicle smashed into the grunts in front of him, causing the tires to skid in other directions as Ramirez opened fire with his Battle Rifle at some of the Jackals at the machinery. Two of them keeled over, the tops of their heads blowing apart from the triple shots penetrating their skulls.

The other Warthog hopped over the ridge and opened fire as well, tearing through some of the Elites closest to them. The ODST in the side seat of the Warthog pulled the pin from a grenade and dropped it next to an Elite who dove to the side of the vehicle as it rushed past. The alien looked down as he heard the clink of it hitting the ground and roared. The explosion blasted the alien back, its shield overloaded and flickering. The Ghost was the last to come over the hill and rammed straight into the back of the Elite, cracking its spine in half and splattering blood across the hood of the advanced technology.

Topher slid the vehicle to the side, causing the back tires to slam into an Elite in front of him that dove to the side. He hopped out of the driver's seat, rolling on the ground and wielding his Battle Rifle. Topher took a moment to aim at the wounded Elite, its shield powered down, leaving it vulnerable to penetration. He fired the rifle twice, hitting the monster in the face. The back of its head exploded with a splash of blood and bits of bone trailing across the grass. "Meta! Now!"

Yapyap

Yapyap turned around the corner, crouching behind a pile of trash for cover. He saw a group of Kig-Yar natives having a street war. All he saw was a local gang firing their projectile weapons off in the opposite direction of the street. He walked forward, stopping just before reaching the edge of the alley. He saw the return fire and realized that the bullets were of plasma. Either this gang is fighting Covenant forces or a rival gang got a hold of Forerunner technology. Yapyap drew his pistol ready to fire at whichever seemed to be the bigger threat.

When Yapyap saw the gang get pushed back and a pair of Kig-Yar with blue shield armbands took cover together, he realized that the enemy was a squad of Covenant troops. Yapyap smiled to himself and led the Unggoy further into the alley, joining the Kig-Yar. They emerged into the street and opened fire at the gang of bird-like aliens. The Unggoy behind him followed in suit, firing in their general direction. None of them except Yapyap hit anyone, but he only singed the arm.

Yapyap turned and saw a group of Kig-Yar troops march across the street after the gang. They raised their shield and forged a phalanx, aiming their pistols through the holes in the sides. They took a steady stance and aimed. They opened fire simultaneously and blasted into the gang’s ranks. The survivors scrambled amongst themselves before taking cover behind alleys and dark passageways.

The grunts following the Kig-Yar in charge turned to see Yapyap and his soldiers approaching. They rushed him and the others up to the grouped phalanx and the one in the center turned his attention to the little leader. “Who are you? What is your squad doing here?” he demanded. He stood as tall as he could, towering over the Grunt and flaring his feathers. He looked back to the street and shot a few more times at a dying Kig-Yar.

“My name is Yapyap. We’re injured survivors from the battle upon Earth. We were transported nearly an hour ago. I was told that the closest establishment to recover was based on Eayn,” he replied hastily, not wishing a confrontation with his superiors. Yapyap looked around, noticing that these soldiers were not top line in their ranks. They seemed to be the group that was mistreated by the Sangheili warriors and put at a significant disadvantage.

The leader grunted, accepting his reason. He waved his arm through the air, signaling to the others to follow him. They began marching on and Yapyap and his soldiers fell in line.

Kaidon

Kaidon awoke with a start. He was still seated in the chair beside the shipmaster’s and had drifted off in his stillness. Apparently he was more exhausted than he realized from his constant patrols and tracking on that icy wasteland of a planet. He looked up at the shipmaster, who was standing at the front of the bridge, watching out the thick glass window. Kaidon had become friends with the shipmaster over the past year. His name was Veer, a middle aged Sangheili warrior that had reached the limit of his military career. He had gained his family name much honor and glory in his day and deserved his seat at the head of a ship.

Veer in particular had a different sense about the universe than any other Sangheili he’d met. He kept his honor and his prestige in place of course, but he found all things to be sacred and beautiful. It was an odd concept. Kaidon considered it nearly heresy, but said nothing to his superiors of the matter. The shipmaster kept it to himself, therefore so would Kaidon. He did enjoy watching the leader stand at the bridge and watch the stars, though. It even dazzled him sometimes to see the patterns in the sky, or the colors of the galaxies spinning together. He shook himself from the trance and stood. Kaidon walked to where the commander stood, standing upright and taller than him by at least four inches.

“Shipmaster,” he greeted. He inclined his head, showing his respect to the commander. He was greeted in kind, but the warrior never took his eyes off the star patterns. “Where has the slip-space current led us from the human ship?” he asked, hopeful to snap him out of his trance. The shipmaster looked up to Kaidon and turned around, putting his back to the view. He paced slowly back to the pair of chairs, Kaidon following behind him.

“So far the human starship has led us closest to Eayn. Kaidon, I must warn you, the ship’s supplies are running a bit low. Eayn is under control of our forces, no matter how uncivil the civilian Kig-Yar may make it seem. We have established supply stations throughout the asteroid belt,” Veer informed him. “We should make a stop just in case we run into human resistance in our pursuit. I’d rather not be short on supplies should we come into contact,” he advised.

Kaidon thought to himself for a moment, considering what Veer told him. He nodded after a moment, agreeing with his reasoning. “Make it so. We will drop to the surface of the closest base and restock what we need. Perhaps recruit some extra soldiers while we are here. By the Prophets, we’ll need them,” he said, quieting his voice at the last part. Veer turned his head, giving Kaidon an arch look. He remembered then that he hadn’t told Veer about the Demons, only that they were to follow the human ship leaving the planet’s orbit. “Veer, there’s something you should know,” he said, turning to him. “This ship we’re following. It carries something in particular I want,” he continued. “There are three Demons presiding on that ship. We ran into them on the planet’s surface.”

Veer waited a moment before speaking. He looked up to Kaidon’s eyes from the floor. “Saal? He died by their hands?” he asked, considering what they were up against. Kaidon nodded slowly, understanding Veer’s grief. Saal was Veer’s oldest son, assigned to Kaidon’s unit for his family’s reputation of true honor and his demonstrated skill in battle. Veer sighed heavily before straightening again and addressing the issue. “Then we will gather as many forces as necessary to deal with the feared ones,” he said finally. He stalked away with clenched fists, taking a seat in the center of the room. He slammed his great fist on the intercom on his armrest and barked an order to the decks below, “Bridge to hangar, prepare a half dozen dropships for departure. We arrive at Eayn within half an hour.”

Kaidon left the bridge, heading for the gravity lift. He activated the console again and was sent down to the barracks, meeting the rest of the warriors under his command. They stood at attention, showing their respect. He gave them ease and they resumed preparing their equipment for battle. “We arrive at Eayn within half an hour. We will board the surface, resupply, and take as many stationed soldiers as we need to defeat the Demons,” he informed his men. He nodded curtly to each of them before leaving the room and waiting in the hangar for the duration of the trip.

Topher

Topher got on one knee, mounting his Battle Rifle across the hood of the Warthog and aiming at a charging Elite. He fired three times at the alien as it charged, the bullets flickering against his enemy's shield. O'Ryan swiveled on the turret and opened fire on the Elite, overloading the shield and tearing into the body when it was vulnerable. Topher took two more shots at a group of Grunts on their way at him and spun on his heel to take cover again. Meta came sprinting across the field to Topher, diving and taking cover behind the parked vehicle as well. Topher turned to him and began shouting orders."Get your men together, we can't get too spread out," he said to the corporal.

Topher turned to find Dexter, "Spade", mounted on the Ghost, hovering in a circular pattern around a pair of Elites and firing at them. "Spade! behind you!" he screamed as he saw a group of Grunts with anti-armor weaponry. They hauled massive Fuel Rod Cannons over their shoulders and took position slowly. One aimed at the back of Spade's Ghost and began firing. He looked over his shoulder, spotting the great balls of plasma headed his way. He dove from the vehicle, barely escaping the explosion, but getting blasted through the air when a second explosion hit the ground next to him. He landed near Topher and was dragged behind the Warthog for cover.

Ramirez turned his attention to the Grunts, pulling out his rocket launcher. He fired into the center of the group, killing four of the little bastards. Two survived the explosion, jumping to the sides, but were killed when the second ODST Warthog started opening fire with the turret. Topher turned his head to watch the two marine Warthogs riding through the Covenant forces, only taking a few shots. He smiled deviously, thinking of how badly they'd taken them with the element of surprise. The 'hog that Meta jumped out of when it passed by was short one person and turned to drive toward the parked Warthog which he was taking cover behind. The marine parked the vehicle next to the first, making a 120 degree angle so they could all take cover behind the metal. Ramirez made it around the car, taking a position next to Topher and bringing out his Battle Rifle. He mounted his rifle next to Topher's and shot at some of the Jackals running across the field. He killed two out of the three and O'Ryan finished off the third with the turret.