Futuristic Halo: Operation SHATTERED SKY (IC - CLOSED)

[GhastlySquash]

Larsen had been admittedly quiet. She was still with Barnes, having joined the SRG as Marine reinforcements. All the while, keeping herself appraised of the reports. ONI research station. Admittedly, the clearance might even be beyond her if she was honest. But a spy embedded in the ranks to motivate the troops wasn't privy to what really went behind the scenes. She just needed to make sure there was no chance of desertion.

"Well Barnes, as luck would have it, you and me are still somehow managing alright." She said under cover, dodging the fire from Covenant forces as they engaged.

 

[Worthlessplebian]

King dryly sighed as his vision scanned through the gun's mounted camera. Being stuck in a steel hold with several other warm, fleshy bodies gave the disgusting sensation that they were sardines in a can, waiting for something to pry off the top lid. The air felt thin as well, a partial consequence of so many people being crammed into a small space, at least King was imagining it as such. Only, this tin-can is mechanized with four wheels and two machine guns mounted at the sides. The ONI Agent permitted a smile to toughen his face, wondering if he should've been a mechanic instead of a radioman.

He raised his head when he heard Lyster called him a lunatic. "I may be a lunatic, Lyster, but you'd be lying if my driving didn't save the moment." Fingers slow-tapping the side of the turret controls, a morsel of pain wormed its way in King's head. Eyes shifting to the spiker-wound in his forearm, patched over by the Doc's work, a mish-mash of gauze, biofoam, medigel. It felt numb, perhaps, the pain is phantasmic, self-induced by King's expectations instead of his nervous firing off pain-receptions to his brain. This quiet or the pain made his gut churn.

Just as he shook his arm, the distinct zipping sound of a Covenant carbine rifle blew up the fragile peace they maintained, causing King to mutter an unintelligible curse in his native language. King caught his breath, almost bating it for Black's weapons free order. Then he received it. King nodded.

He scanned the ramshackle buildings hemming them in, each storey could potentially house a purple-clad Elite or a shrieking Jackal ready to tear their heads off with a well-timed carbine shot. Despite the fast-paced activation of Black & company, King did not lose himself to the fervor. It was getting infernally hot in his black-grey body suit, sweat began to pool at the base of his neck, the internal heating system is well-equipped to handle environmental atmospherics, but when the heat came from wearer's body? That was another matter entirely.

The agent's fingers rested gingerly on the weapon's trigger. Ready to fire the moment a blur of purple or screaming beaks pops up in his view.

Interaction: Viper Actual 0stinato
Mentions: The group in the X24.

 

[Solar Daddy]

Bassett never let off the gas, like a lead weight bound his foot to the floor. He kept his eye out for the scraps of Covvies looking to get a lucky shot on the SRG team as they trampled through Al-Saif's tracks, but his breakneck pace kept them moving and free of too many hail Mary's from the combatants on the sidelines. Alongside the X-24 Bassett was ready to turn any threat into purple mist with the primary weapon of his Sun Devil. It was no secret the breacher was enjoying his time making the Sun Devil his own personal battle station, turning obstacles into little more than a road bump. Owen could give credit to everyone on the SRG team, but when the objective was annihilation, putting Bassett in the seat was the wisest play. He'd consider himself an expert in turning buildings to rubble and combatants into statistics. Damn, maybe he should've been with WMD.

All was calm for the time being until Bassett's gunner started receiving fire, to which Owen instinctively tucked his head into his shoulders beneath the Sun Devil's windows for a split second. Upon hearing Tremell's callouts, Bassett held forward to keep them moving while adjusting the primary weapon of the Sun Devil to the right. It took an agonizingly slow turn before the weapon was primed for fire, but once it was, Bassett held the trigger in long bursts while keeping the barrels still; he let the movement of the tank as they passed by do the aiming for him. The entire chassis of the tank rattled as the quad barrels of the AA gun melted everything between himself and the next 4 streets over.

In response to Black, Owen chirped, "Yes sir, Engaging hostiles, not slowing down. X-24, keep those wheels spinning." Bassett called over comms while his Sun Devil turned the husk of a civilian car into sheet metal as the treads passed over it.

 

[Grim Wraithe Stjerna]

Verent City - Enroute to Discovery Complex, Initiative Street

'Too many damn dead heroes!' Was the thought that ran through the Chief Corpsman head at hearing the Majors, essentially last wishes. Looking to the Staff Sergeant and letting out a deep sighs and matching her nod. "Aye Aye Sir!" Turning his attention back the road ahead and sounds of combat and retreating Covenant forces.

"CONTACT RIGHT! BASSETT! SHIFT RIGHT!"

Over the SquadCom caused his rifle and eyeline to shift to the right and his finger pressed on the trigger, taking up the slack and holding at the wall, the point just before the mechanism took over and started the process of firing. "Weapons free aye! Eyes up and call out contacts!" He watched the X-24 in front of them start to move evasively and felt the vehicle he was in also lurch from side to side, forcing him to lean against the wall plating and flexing his legs to help hold him steady.

Interaction: Viper Actual
Mentions: Solar Daddy , and the crew in the X-24 (@ DrabberRogue e @ GhastlySquash @ 0stinato @ Worthlessplebian )

 

[0stinato]

"Phantom Actual, Darkstar. New update from Oracle; Target is tracking and holding at the planned position. Maintain current heading and speeding. Expect minimal enemy resistance. Darkstar, out."

"Let's hope 'minimal enemy resistance' entails three or four Grunts," said Grey.

‘However minimal it is by Darkstar standards, that Sun Devil’s gonna reduce those numbers even—’

"CONTACT RIGHT! BASSETT! SHIFT RIGHT!"

Hearing the half-scream, half-command from Tremell come bursting through the comms, Lyster decided not to finish his sentence. Evidently, all he’d done with his words was invite Murphy and his unwelcome law into the situation, and they hardly needed further suggestion to stick around. Was having a nice, uneventful drive entirely too much to ask for? Did the Covenant forces really need to contribute more to the headache brewing at the base of his frontal lobe?

He was allowed to take an entire war personally, right?

And, thinking about it, the crew of the Sun Devil would likely go mad without some action in front of them. Thinking further about it, he probably would too.

The heavy mass of his reinforced armour plating made Davis’ evasive driving slightly more uncomfortable for him than it would the average ODST; he might as well be a big, urbanly-camouflaged brick in a glorified washing machine. And his damn leg hurt.

Despite it all, he brought up the screens provided by the recon cameras to perform his assistive spotting duties. Racing towards their objective had to be done with the secondary goal of eliminating hostiles, because enemy reports on their progress and positioning would just make their next span of the mission trickier. He settled his mind as best he could into focus, factoring in the presence of the Sun Devil and its crew, and the other vehicles around. There would be no point yelling something out that Tremell would be likely to get, or having Rose swing his gun around to aim at something a hog’s passenger could take out. Their moving kinesphere was the main consideration. As a singular unit, the X-24 had to clean up after the Sun Devil; all together, they could be quite a force.

Well. They had to be quite a force. No other choice, really.

‘King, Rose, I’ll call ‘em like I see ‘em for you. We're relying on you guys to save this moment.’ Lyster said, electing to hijack King's previous words. ‘And you too, Davis, if you want. Like… Davis, Jackal with a needler, 1 o’clock,’ he grinned as his voice dropped a few tones. ‘Hit them.’

--
Interactions: Viper Actual Worthlessplebian DrabberRogue

 

[Viper Actual]

Verent City - Enroute to Discovery Complex, Initiative Street

"Yes sir, Engaging hostiles, not slowing down. X-24, keep those wheels spinning."

As the turret of the Sun Devil moved into place Owen's destructive retaliatory strike ensued at the press of a thumb-sized trigger...

Rolled: 7 (!)

Spinning up, the Sun Devil's rotating weapons opened fire to the right of the convoy, unleashing a long and deafening volley of destructive explosive flak best suited for soft targets. The destruction was immediate and many of the buildings- having already suffered direct or indirect damage from both the Covenant and the Scorpion MBTs that had recently pushed through- started to creak and crumble.

Enemy forces either partially obscured or entirely concealed within the structures were absolutely decimated and in a grisly show of just how effective Bassett's attack had been several pieces of former Covenant came flying out onto the street as something- most likely a Grunt- exploded.

Tremell was sprayed with purple and cyan blood from one such explosion, painting his black ODST armor like it had been an empty canvas while also putting him in close competition with Lyster regarding who looked the most terrifying. In spite of this unforeseen paint job Tremell kept firing as well, utilizing short bursts of machine gun fire to keep enemies pinned.

Rolled: 2

Unfortunately most of the bullets missed their marks, serving only as lethal deterrent and temporarily preventing the enemies from taking their shot at the massive lead vehicle.

The agent's fingers rested gingerly on the weapon's trigger. Ready to fire the moment a blur of purple or screaming beaks pops up in his view.

Fortunately for King such a mark would soon reveal itself in the shape of three Jackals- two with cyan shield gauntlets and one with a long, dark-blue rifle- appearing on his side of the X-24. The three avian-like aliens were too focused on the Sun Devil to realize their mistake of coming into view of the rest of the convoy as indicated by several shrill shrieks and by the quills on their necks rising.

Rolled: 8 (!!!)


For King the Jackal's mistake turned into three additional chalk-marks as well as bragging rights as his vehicle-mounted machine gun mowed them all down with little to no difficulties. The shield gauntlets exploded as kinetic force overloaded them, followed by the Jackals themselves being subjected to a lethal dose of high-power lead-poisoning courtesy of the Office of friggin' Naval Intelligence.

‘King, Rose, I’ll call ‘em like I see ‘em for you. We're relying on you guys to save this moment.’ Lyster said, electing to hijack King's previous words. ‘And you too, Davis, if you want. Like… Davis, Jackal with a needler, 1 o’clock,’ he grinned as his voice dropped a few tones. ‘Hit them.’

"Never thought you'd ask," replied Davis from behind the wheel. The veteran trooper used the X-24 to skirt a piece of debris, angling the entire vehicle towards a lone Jackal taking aim to engage the convoy while both King and Rose opened fire on their own targets in the back.

Rolled: 8

The Jackal looked up from its scope and cawed as the armored personnel carrier pummeled into it, scraping it alongside the left side of the X-24s large and slanted windshield. For a brief second it looked almost as if the alien stared directly at Lyster with a shocked expression but as the corpse slid off and got subjected to the weight and force of the Warthogs behind there would be no way to tell.

Davis let out a hearty laugh. "Bastard never saw it coming, good call Lyster!"

"Well Barnes, as luck would have it, you and me are still somehow managing alright."

Barnes glanced at Larsen with a wide-eyed and slightly panicked look of disbelief. "How can you be so calm?" He asked aloud as the Verent Militia Warthog they were sitting on zipped from left to right, narrowly avoiding both weapons fire and debris as the SRG team's heavy armor punched through the destruction left behind Al-Saif's forces- while also causing their own.

Unlike Larsen, Barnes was less than calm and seemed to struggle between holding on to his weapon and taping the vehicular action with his camera, fumbling both in his lap.

"Weapons free aye! Eyes up and call out contacts!"

The Marines and members of the militia seated alla round Grim were already springing into action before his words had been properly voiced. Major Kovac gritted his teeth as he let out a short burst right before Grim did.

Rolled: 2

Unfortunately for Grim, be it due to the speed of vehicle or because of the many objects blocking the enemy, his own salvo pinged harmlessly off of some concrete debris. A yelp seemed to indicate that someone or something might have been grazed but without eyes-on there was no way to be sure.

Meanwhile, as the enemy infantry reeled from the second attack at the hands of the convoy, Lyster would become aware of several approaching enemy vehicles highlighted by the X-24s sensor suite. The software was a bit old and initially identified them as a trio of quad bikes before a UNSC software macro kicked in, properly ID'ing them as Ghosts.

All three of them were rapidly approaching from the left with a fourth, thus far unknown vehicle, following them.

DrabberRogue GhastlySquash Grim Wraithe Stjerna 0stinato Solar Daddy Worthlessplebian

 

[Solar Daddy]

Bassett let the rotary cannons on his Sun Devil cool for the moment after melting a half block of concrete and cowering Covenant forces. The red-hot barrels of the quad-turret suite made Owen hot in his helmet just looking at it. Still, it was probably leagues colder than the burn those Covvies felt on the other side of his trigger. Poor bastards stood more of a chance if they just charged him; at least it wouldn't be child's play, striking them all down in a row with ease.

Once the nest of Covenant occupiers seemed nothing more than a smoldering mess, Bassett keyed into his line with Tremell. "Don't worry, maybe next time I'll leave a grunt or two for you. Looks like the glory's all mine for now." His grin felt maniacal, incorrect. But Bassett didn't care. That was one less squad of alien bastards who'd soon be pointing their plasma weapons at innocents. For every Covvie he killed, that was at least ten people spared from their warmongering. That was good enough for Owen.

Owen was thrown from his mental victory lap when the sensor suite on the Sun Devil lit up with pings and red dots before him. Bassett had to adjust his view to get a proper look down at the pad, but quickly acquiesced the information before him.

"Lyster, you pickin' up what I am?" He asked as he begun the slow process of turning the main weapon to the opposite side of the tank. "Stay clear of the main gun, I'll see if I can't also melt their hides with this beast too." He propped the quad cannons in the direction of the incoming contacts, ready to unleash hell once again in the name of Humanity.

Interactions: Viper Actual 0stinato

 

[0stinato]

Davis let out a hearty laugh. "Bastard never saw it coming, good call Lyster!"

‘Hm, hm,’ Lyster agreed. It had been a good call. Good for his morale, good for his dreams.

He liked to write down the interesting dreams, leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the psychiatrists to pick up and use to explain to him exactly how damaged he was. Given everything Lyster had been told was abnormal about his brain, it was a wonder his full-frontal cortex hadn’t dribbled out of his ears yet. He made a mental note to ask that medic, Grim, if such a thing was possible. He had always wondered.

’I’m not just a pretty face,’ he continued to Davis. ’Uh, which would be much funnier if you could actually see my face.’

Throughout it all, his eyes had been darting this way and that over the screens, occasionally glancing up to the fragments of live battlefield he could see past Rose and King’s positions with the guns.

‘Keep making them pay for that injury, King,’ Lyster said. Apparently he had a bit of time to breathe given how much hell the Sun Devil was raising ahead. Add to that Davis’ demon driving and King’s aim, and the end sum was pretty hot. They were punching through the forces like an raging teenager’s fist through their bedroom wall, but unlike the hypothetical teenager, they were being encouraged to do so.

The X-24 gained some ground, and Lyster’s screens began to flare up. Reinforcements, or just the second layer of unwitting defence? No matter: more walls, more fists.

"Lyster, you pickin' up what I am?" He asked as he begun the slow process of turning the main weapon to the opposite side of the tank. "Stay clear of the main gun, I'll see if I can't also melt their hides with this beast too."

Bassett’s query came across with a good plan, which put the X-24’s role as backup.

‘Seeing it all crystal clear, Bassett,’ Lyster replied. ‘Keep that gun’s range contained, we’ll mop up whatever gets past you. All clear with you, King, Rose? Let’s blow some heads open.’

He wasn’t going to tell Davis to keep hitting stuff. He imagined the man would take the chance to if he could, but not risk it if he couldn’t; if it turned out, he would risk it, Lyster wouldn’t bother thinking too much into—

Good God, what was wrong with him? Maybe he should abandon his job of spotting now, take his helm off and check if his brain was leaking out through his ears.

It’s prefrontal. Prefrontal cortex.

--
Interactions: Viper Actual Solar Daddy DrabberRogue Worthlessplebian
Mentions: Grim Wraithe Stjerna

 

[Worthlessplebian]

The thunderous report of King's machine gun joined, almost, harmoniously with the rest of the convoy's weapon discharge, the intermittent flashes from the barrel's lit up the war-ruined, soot-covered streets, sometimes reflecting back from the windows not shattered from combat. For his efforts, three birds went to the big chicken coup in the sky, torn to shreds by pitiless lead. Should've stayed in cover. Should've stayed in their nest-beds, King bit back. Relishing the retribution he dealt, just as the barrel started smoking like a tobacco addicted young adult.

King started breathing heavily into his helm, adrenal-induced sweat painted his brow, dripping down his nose and cheeks. For a moment, out of his viewport, there were no sightings of chitinous armour or glowing energy shields. He unclenched the machine gun, prising his fingers away away from the grip, letting the hand cool off.

He wanted to shake it, but thought better than to risk opening up the Doc's work. Still it shook. A tremor sliding down his shoulder, around the hole of muscle, through his wrist and out his fingertips. It was like the recoil from the gun jumped up his arm, bounced from his back then back to the MG. From the relief of butchering the enemy came the sorrow and sorry he felt at himself for enjoying too much.

He wishes he could say that it was rare, but the cold, clinical, and unyielding discipline only served to chain—lock down the rawness in him. "God, the psych-evals are gonna be fun." King whispered to himself.

‘Keep making them pay for that injury, King,’

King could feel his anger again. Rising. Bubbling like molten sugar. Lyster's words seemed to pin a filmy bow on top of it. He opened his mouth. His breathing rasping in the helmet's filters, as he resumed operating the turret, swiveling around the vicinity, scanning for targets in the poor environment. Truth be told, he couldn't direct it at Lyster. The ODST's words were... Cheerful, or so King believes they were.

"That's like telling a cow to graze, Lyster." King replied, though his voice had been drier, rougher than before. Expression turning dark beneath the opaque visor. Feeling the humour drain from him as he said the words.

‘Seeing it all crystal clear, Bassett,’ Lyster replied. ‘Keep that gun’s range contained, we’ll mop up whatever gets past you. All clear with you, King, Rose? Let’s blow some heads open.’

"Understood." King answered coldly. Ready to unleash the throaty growl of the machine gun again at the alien filth.

 

[Grim Wraithe Stjerna]

Verent City - Enroute to Discovery Complex, Initiative Street

Shaking his slightly at the errant misses, and newly pockmarked concrete. However hearing pained yelp helped ease the uncomfortable feeling all Rifleman feel at missing. 'Heads down or dead, bullets are doing their job.' Shifting his sights forward and up slightly lining another shot on what looked like the blue-ish purple barrel of a carbine. Giving the stiff military grade trigger a squeeze just long enough for a three round burst. Which was all the time he could allow for the potential target, with the speed of the X-24 and target rich environment they were in.

"MAJOR! Keep breathing and squeezing!" Was the only the Corpsman could offer the gravely injured senior officer. The barrel of his rifle shifted forward and down slightly squeezing off a pair quick bursts on a pair windows, aiming where center mass should have been. 'If you kill the enemy or just keep their heads down, that's the best field medicine you can give.' The voice of a previous tactical combat casualty care instructors spoke up. With nod, he squeezed the trigger once more into the second window, for good measure.

Interaction: Viper Actual
Mentions: Solar Daddy , and the crew in the X-24 DrabberRogue GhastlySquash 0stinato Worthlessplebian

 

[Viper Actual]

Verent City - Enroute to Discovery Complex, Initiative Street

"Don't worry, maybe next time I'll leave a grunt or two for you. Looks like the glory's all mine for now."

Tremell replied with a nervous chuckle, offering the slit visor of the cockpit a quick glance as he did.

"Yeah, real funny. Wanna switch places? No? That's what I thought," said the trooper while using one hand to wipe off the blood which had covered a portion of his helmet visor.

"Lyster, you pickin' up what I am?" He asked as he begun the slow process of turning the main weapon to the opposite side of the tank. "Stay clear of the main gun, I'll see if I can't also melt their hides with this beast too."

‘Seeing it all crystal clear, Bassett,’ Lyster replied. ‘Keep that gun’s range contained, we’ll mop up whatever gets past you. All clear with you, King, Rose? Let’s blow some heads open.’

As Bassett and Lyster confirmed the inbound contacts Tremell silently adjusted his aim as well, directing the muzzle of his mounted machine gun to point the same way as the Sun Devil's fearsome rotary cannons. Inside the X-24 Davis grunted in a way an old man reacts to a poorly told joke;

Being severely unimpressed.

"I don't think they know what they're trying to intercept," he muttered, barely audible. "Maybe they think we're stragglers? Either way, keep your seatbelts on people."

"MAJOR! Keep breathing and squeezing!" Was the only the Corpsman could offer the gravely injured senior officer.

Major Kovac grinned- though it was unclear if it was meant to be humorous or a direct response to his pain- in response to Grim, all while maintaining short bursts at any enemy he could spot.

"Don't worry about me, son. I'll see this through." To the end, if I have to.

As for the rest of the Warthogs everyone appeared to be unscathed so far with both marines and militia alike keeping their heads down and their weapons firing. Thankfully opposition was relatively light as whatever managed to survive the Sun Devil and the X-24 was smart enough to duck when the three Warthogs came roaring at the rear of the convoy.

Up ahead came a large crossing which was currently inhabited by a destroyed Shadow engulfed in bright, blueish, plasma fire with several Covenant containers underneath the cargo carriage looking to have been struck by heavy weapons, forcing an unknown liquid within to spill out all over the road.

Black, monitoring the situation through hull-cameras, nodded towards Lyster. "Keep us away from that vehicle. It could just be another one of Al-Saif's kills but it could also serve as an ambush and we don't need t-"

The Shadow exploded in a violent blue light with the liquid being near-instantly ignited as well, covering most of the four-way crossing in a raging fire that blocked the road ahead.

"EVADE! EVADE!" Yelled Tremell from the front of the convoy as the shockwave shook all of the vehicles and their occupants.

Black, caught off guard momentarily, pointed at Lyster with a hardened look. "Sergeant, lead us out of here now!"

With the way ahead set ablaze and the Ghosts and their fourth, unknown, ally approaching from the left there were nowhere to go but right as the Warthogs and their occupants would never survive pushing through a fire that intense.

In the back, Black turned to Ray- whom had been busy listening in on battlefield chatter between Al-Saif's units. "Person, while Lyster guides us out of here I need you to get on the horn with Darkstar. We're gonna need some air support really soon."

While Black delegated new orders the convoy neared the crossing at a rapid pace. As they did more and more Covenant infantry dared to show their ugly mugs, lining various windows and roofs dead ahead. It would appear that they hoped to draw the SRG team into a shooting gallery of their own making.

Too bad they didn't have a tank of their own.

DrabberRogue GhastlySquash Grim Wraithe Stjerna 0stinato Solar Daddy SpazTheButcher2 Worthlessplebian

 

[SpazTheButcher2]

Ray responded with a wolfish grin.


"Finally need my expertise?"


He began patching channels and checking the Battlenet that was installed into his prosthetic arm. He began sending his team's position, patching them into the HUDs and maps used by air assets. He needed support, but didn't wanna risk being turned into tomato paste by some 'unsure' pilot. Next, he put himself into Darkstar with a few demands. He didn't see them listed, but he needed UAVs on station. Preferably Foxtrot Niner Niners. Useful for combat and aerial recon. He figured if they could come on station, they'd be better suited to engage the threats before them.


"Minuteman to Darkstar, we have Troops in Contact. Requesting Uniform Charlie Alpha Victors (UCAVs) to our position and Hades One Heavy on standby. We need eyes in the sky. Think you can patch us in with marked targets?"

Waiting for a response, he thought of a song, and without thinking, played it into his helmet all low, and accidentally, patched it into SQUADCOM.

Interactions: Viper Actual

 

[0stinato]

Black, caught off guard momentarily, pointed at Lyster with a hardened look. "Sergeant, lead us out of here now!"

Couldn’t argue with that.

Letting his posture state an affirmative so his voice didn’t have to, Lyster took in the scene before him, eyes darting across aerial maps, the footage he had access to, and the steaming fire on the road ahead. Each purple blaze licked away at the Shadow’s fragmented form that had spilled its innards over the crossroad, giving a new hue to the imagined appearance of Hell: purple, white, and the gnarled texture of plasma-burned skin.

The convoy had two demands it needed to fulfil to make it to their destination: keep the speed up, and don’t die - a tall order when the Covenant forces here to greet them had made the most of their available position. Black wanted the group out of here, to regain ground and time. Their adversaries knew where they were headed, so all they could hope for now was that ignorance reigned in the subject of the SRG team’s goal. As a result, time was precious; time was life.

Minimise time loss, maximise firepower.

So easy to say.

Person was rallying air support, but Lyster wasn’t about to count that yet. Whatever happened in the next ten seconds had to be precise, weighed and stuck to. It had to recognise the convoy’s biggest asset in the Sun Devil’s barrel, acknowledge the X-24’s relative manoeuvrability, and factor in the Verent Militia’s presence as support.

All while not forgetting the expertise of every Covenant ground troop with plasma weaponry and—

Fuck it. Out of time.

‘Bassett, gun it to that corner of the building at 2 o’clock and travel along the wall. Get that barrel on those Ghosts. All other ground vehicles, keep to the right, give him space to fire, and gunners, focus on infantry - do not let them stick us. If the Sun Devil isn’t prepared, keep the Ghosts back. We do not slow down. Person, when your—’

He was interrupted when the stupidest introduction to a song to ever grace the fringes of space began jangling around in his helm from the SquadCom. So unfitting was it to the scenario, so juxtaposed to the screen full of tangoes he was looking at, it was almost poetic, but he failed to mute himself from the comm before spluttering into laughter.

As the Sun Devil and X-24s continued screaming towards the crossroads, he unmuted long enough to tell Person, ‘When your air support gets here,’ he had to pause to wheeze out a giggle, ‘have ‘em focus on the infantry. Or whatever, I don’t really care.’

Now, if only Lyster could tell whether that little ditty had inflated, or decimated his morale.

--
Interactions: Solar Daddy SpazTheButcher2

 

[GhastlySquash]

Larsen had to agree with Barnes. She was being unusually calm about this situation. It wouldn't do good for her cover if she started acting like she wasn't a starry-eyed rookie. Then again, this wasn't your average situation. Adjusting the cam, she sighed and gave a knowing smile to Barnes.

"Just hold tight, Barnes. And in case we don't make it...maybe start begging forgiveness for whatever plethora of crass remarks came out of that mouth of yours."

 

[Solar Daddy]

If Lance Corporal Owen G. Bassett was not Annihilation and Damnation by himself, he sure was while in the seat of the Sun Devil. An itch in his fingers burned hot as the next eager chance to flatten a building - along with Covenant invaders - neared once more. There was almost a rhythmic thump at his temples, like a devil in his ears whispering slay them all on a deafening reverb in his skull. The SRG team was threatened by such a bold ambush, and Bassett had the means to level the playing field for his side. Ghost be damned, he'd get every last mile out of the Sun Devil he could.

Acknowledging Lyster's command, Bassett radioed in. "Copy, taking the corner wide. Slip by while I jut into the courtyard. Gonna take a hot sec to get the gun spun around 180." Bassett's vehicle was slower than the nimble X-24, and it's turn radius was not nearly as tight, so Owen had to take the corner wide even if he didn't want to, especially at it's max speed. He rotated the cannons the moment his hands were free, blasting through some of the Covenant occupied positions in the ruins up ahead, though he did so prematurely and ended up skidding the front left treads against the façade of the building and running directly over a bent Innovation Road sign. The Sun Devil traversed the rubble caused by the small collision easily, but Owen still made a "whoops," under his breath.

It probably only took seconds, but the turret's spin felt like ages. By this time, the X-24 had well passed him and now Owen could, at least partially, obscure any shots meant for the X-24 with the hull of the tank as he primed for fire. That's when Owen thought he must really be going insane, as he heard a beat and a run-on sentence go through his mind. Owen only smirked when he realized someone must've hooked up their music to comms. Any day was extraordinary when you were an ODST.

"Come get some, you purple bastards." Owen spoke his mind to assure the rest of the team he was primed to fire the moment the Ghosts arrived.

Interactions: 0stinato
Mentions: SpazTheButcher2

 

[Worthlessplebian]

The convoy of the Sun Devil and X24s streaked through the war-torn street like buffalo through a canyon, the olive vehicles dogged at all sides by predators lurking in the desolated bones of concrete buildings, hemming their path towards a singular point - The destroyed Shadow, wreathed wholly in shifting plasma-flames, at the centre of a crossing. King could not see that. His eyes were focused still on the buildings, darting from one to another. His hands twitched, tense around the handles of the gun turret. The quiet thrum of the X24's engine, throbbing through the titanium chassis, was a strange comfort to the ONI Agent. The precise quiet in the eye of the storm.

He heard Black's voice, ordering Lyster to give wide berth to the downed Shadow. Then the mixture of alien fuel and flame ignited, an explosion ripping through the air, causing metal to scream and rock to crumble. King braced, gripping the machine gun and bunching up his shoulders. He felt his teeth rattle in their gums, eyes quiver in their sockets. The blast's effects were felt for long seconds, before King shook his head to clear the confusion.

He turned in place, looking over his shoulder as Lyster listed the strategic plan. "Copy that, neutralizing infantry." King said, the faintest trace of anger colouring his voice a dangerous hue. He shifted, looking out through the viewport, scanning the surroundings for the prowling hunters clad in violet and metallic blue.

 

[Viper Actual]

Verent City - Enroute to Discovery Complex, Initiative Street

"Minuteman to Darkstar, we have Troops in Contact. Requesting Uniform Charlie Alpha Victors (UCAVs) to our position and Hades One Heavy on standby. We need eyes in the sky. Think you can patch us in with marked targets?"

There was a slight delay before a response chimed through, which in turn was preceded by brief static;

"Minuteman, Darkstar. Roger wilco, diverting UCAV-assets to your pos. Stand by, over."

While Darkstar rallied air support for the SRG team and its allies, Lyster began to organize the charge into and through the Covenant battle-line;

‘Bassett, gun it to that corner of the building at 2 o’clock and travel along the wall. Get that barrel on those Ghosts. All other ground vehicles, keep to the right, give him space to fire, and gunners, focus on infantry - do not let them stick us. If the Sun Devil isn’t prepared, keep the Ghosts back. We do not slow down. Person, when your—’

Davis remained silent aside from a low grumble as he listened in on Lyster's plan while remaining observant of the shitstorm ahead of the convoy. The odds were stacked in favor of the SRG team, though with their open-top vehicles the Verent Militia were bound to take some casualties- assuming air support didn't get in position ASAP.

The music played by Ray offered a brief but humorous distraction which lightened the mood. Black's serious expression cracked slightly, as did his focus.

As the Sun Devil and X-24s continued screaming towards the crossroads, he unmuted long enough to tell Person, ‘When your air support gets here,’ he had to pause to wheeze out a giggle, ‘have ‘em focus on the infantry. Or whatever, I don’t really care.’

"Just tell them to keep hammering them," said Black, nodding towards Ray. He then looked back at Lyster. "We need all the time we can get right now, otherwise this mission will go FUBAR real quick!"

"Come get some, you purple bastards." Owen spoke his mind to assure the rest of the team he was primed to fire the moment the Ghosts arrived.

Outside, seated inside the gunner seat and atop the two rear treads, Tremell, Wendell and Hayworth silently steeled themselves for the coming shock & awe. Tremell's thumbs were drumming the triggers on the mounted machine gun whereas the two junior troopers were tightening up their shooting stances as best they could.

Then- just as everyone expected- the Ghosts appeared in the convoy's line of sight as soon as the Sun Devil and the X-24 reached the crossroads...

Rolled: 2

Immediately, the heavy barrels of the Sun Devil began to track the newfound targets. The terrifying anti-aircraft weapons began to hum as they spun up and unleashed a salvo of high-explosive projectiles. Unfortunately for Bassett- and everyone else- the Ghosts were quick to evade, hugging the southern side of the road as Bassett shredded the street.

"No joy! No joy!" Yelled Tremell. "Fire again!"

At this point the X-24 was within engagement range as well;

"Copy that, neutralizing infantry." King said, the faintest trace of anger colouring his voice a dangerous hue.

From King and Rose's perspective the buildings occupied by Covenant forces were now perfectly visible with the tall silhouttes of Elites, trapezoid-shaped Grunts and bright circular shields of Jackals all being perfectly visible.

Rolled: 6

King wasted no time and as the Sun Devil engaged the Ghosts the X-24 opened up on one of the buildings, strafing it with heavy machine gun fire. The exact number of casualties would remain a mystery though based on the mixture of panicked screams and dropping shapes King managed to thin the enemy numbers very effectively.

Following closely behind the Sun Devil and the X-24 came the militia Warthogs, thundering across the debris-covered tarmac with Marines and Verent Militia alike still opening fire on anything and everything that moved.

"Just hold tight, Barnes. And in case we don't make it...maybe start begging forgiveness for whatever plethora of crass remarks came out of that mouth of yours."

Barnes turned towards Jackie with a look of disbelief, mouth agape. "What?"

One of the Marines elbowed him and muttered something, forcing Barnes to fire off another two shots before looking back at Larsen. "What do you mean? I'm nice!"

As the ComCam crew argued Kovac ordered his men to keep firing. Meanwhile, high above the convoy, a dark shape began to move into position...

*
​

"Hades 1 Heavy, this is Darkstar."

The gunnery chief- bearing the inscription 'Gunny' on his reinforced gunship helmet- looked up, nodded and adjusted hus mouthpiece. "Darkstar, Hades. What can we do for you, over?"

In front of him were the gunner and assistant gunner, both seated at a dual-seat terminal covered in screens, buttons, lights and other gizmos- as well as armed with two joysticks. Meanwhile, behind the gunnery station, stood the five-man loading crew all positioned and at the ready inside the heavily modified Vulture gunship.

Ammunition racks, hydraulic tubes and a plethora of other technical and non-technical systems filled the inside of the gunship with most of it being arrayed towards the left side of the heavy aircraft.

"Calling for strike package X-Ray. Multiple hostiles, danger close."

Gunny nodded. "Copy Darkstar, I read you. Relay the grid and we'll head on over."

As Darkstar followed through by relaying the exact coordinates of the SRG team the Vulture, bobbing up and down high up in the cover of clouds, began to lurch into position. She wasn't pretty but she had enough combined firepower to level a cityblock.

Slowly but surely the Vulture came into position just as the convoy pummeled through the crossroads in a violent blaze of mixed-caliber gunfire.

"Eyes on," said the assistant gunner.

"Yeah I see 'em too," replied the gunner.

Gunny nodded and tapped the two men on their shoulders. "Alright boys, let's get this party started." With that said the gunnery chief turned around towards an old disc-player secured to the interior via tape and cargo straps, hitting the 'Play' button with his thumb...

​

As the music began to blare through the gunship Gunny leaned in towards the gunnery station with a grin. "Minuteman, this is Hades 1 Heavy on approach. Be advised, fire support will be danger close so I suggest you keep your IFF on at all times, over."

He chuckled. "For now however I suggest you enjoy the show."

Thermal imaging switched on with the click of a button as the assistant gunner began to locate and 'tag' enemy combatants on the ground. At the same time the loading crew were waiting for the command to get to work- something they didn't have to wait too long for.

"I'm counting multiple foot-mobiles on the ground, make it twenty to thirty in strength."

"Engaging?" Asked the gunner.

"Looks like it," replied the assistant gunner.

Gunny nodded. "Load the forty Mike-Mike, HE."

In an instant the crew knew what to do with the gunners preparing to engage while the loaders began to slide 40mm high-explosive shells into one of the onboard weapons. One of the loaders- nicknamed 'Blitz'- did an OK-sign and nodded towards Gunny. "Gun ready!"

"You're cleared hot," said Gunny. "Lase."

Nodding, the assistant gunner flicked off the safety on his joystick and engaged a powerful IR-laser which he beamed directly at one of the buildings occupied by Covenant infantry. "Lasing," he said, nodding.

"Fire," ordered Gunny.

The gunner nodded and mimiced the gesture of his peer, though in his case the trigger being pressed down unleashed a series of powerful 40mm rounds.

Rolled: 7

*
​

Down on the ground the effect of air support was loud, fast and explosive. There was barely any time to react as several white-hot projectiles came flying down from the clouds, striking left office building at the crossroads and engulfing it in flames. For the Covenant infantry inside there had been no warning of the strike which left a seemingly deep psychological impact with the remaining infantry as they temporarily halted their ambush and began to scan the skies in search for whatever was shooting at them.

"Splash," said Hades 1 over comms to Ray. "Ready for a new target, call it, Minuteman."

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[Worthlessplebian]

The spray of hard rounds from King's machine gun cracked against the concrete walls, finding vague silhouettes of alien forms interspersed in the buildings. Though King could not see the carnage he unleashed, his mind imagined the flying chunks and odd-coloured blood splattering the cold gray surfaces. The throaty tattoo of the machine gun died down, white smoke streaming from the barrel's tip, zigzagging, as King continued to work the gun pintle, barrel sweeping the perimeter. He felt his wound pulse for a moment, sending a sting to his mind, tauntingly.

Then as King settled in the storm's eye, finding balance in the chaos, an explosion rippled. Ground effect of air support, he remembered. Fast, hard, and violent. The faded force of the ordinance crashed into the convoy of the sun-devil and X-24s, the metal frames of the vehicles vibrating a grating rattle in King's ears for the briefest of seconds before subsiding. The ONI Agent's hand went up, reflexively rubbing the side of his helmet. "Never let it be said I don't appreciate air support's efforts." King said, half-jokingly.

King's helm shifted, half-turning over his shoulder. "How much farther from our target?" He asked, still ready to deliver bursts of gunfire should they be required.

 

[SpazTheButcher2]

Ray watched with grim satisfaction, a dark smile crossing his lips as the watched purple and blue blood streak his live feed of the battle outside. He muted himself temporarily, but the guys in his vehicle could hear him,

"YEEEEEEE-OW! SUCK IN THAT YOU BIG BLUE DOUCHEBAGS!"

He pounded his fist against the roof in excitement, and then the team could hear his distinctive click as he returned to comms. Even without speaking his energy could be felt, and Ray began fiddling with his devices and began talking to Hades, turning down his music as he did so.

Spoiler: Song in the background

Well, I dropped on down to granny low, and I made a hard right turn
My big ol' fat Commando tires went slashin' through the corn
Well, the tassels blew, and the kernels flew, and it looked like yellow hail
Just cookin' alive in a four-wheel drive with Smokey on my tail

"Minuteman to Hades 1 Heavy, good fucking effect on target. We still have troops in contact. Fire again for effect, and the degress along route Zulu."

He kept the channel open, humming to himself as he awaited further carnage. All he could think of was something his dad once said.

You do not fuck with the UNSC.

 

[Solar Daddy]

Damnit, Owen's only thought pounded in his skull as the intensity of the fight heightened like wild fire. His volley of red hot lead missed its mark almost completely thanks to the deft speed of the Ghosts and the slow turn of the Sun Devil's cannons. Not to mention, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him and trying to acquire the targets was turning out to be a bitch for the shock trooper to multi-task. Luckily Owen was a man fueled by little more than rage and the need for blood, so the inconvenience of the Ghosts living a few seconds more was just more conviction for his desire.

"No hit on target," Bassett called out, though his AA fire peppered the passing buildings - and some Covenant forces inside - quite nicely. Owen focused on the road ahead of him for a moment, making sure he wasn't about to get the tank stuck in the side of a crumbling building before once again attempting to re-acquire the Ghosts.

Before he finished focusing in on them, the callouts in his ear scrambled more than before, and within seconds, the block in front of him lit up in tremendous white smoke. Rubble plastered all over the Sun Devil and the roll cage Owen resided in rattled endlessly until the quakes of the air-to-ground explosion settled. If Owen didn't have a helmet on, he'd have checked to make sure his eyebrows hadn't been singed off. Regardless of the danger close, Person's air support had destroyed a nest of entrenched enemy forces and that was always welcomed by the shock trooper. He laughed to himself as a Grunt's methane tank flew off into the air and popped above the street.

Bassett lowered the turret of the Sun Devil, once again aimed for the Ghosts zipping through the street alongside the UNSC convoy. He attempted to lead the shots for where the Ghosts might veer off to, and pulled down the triggers, letting the quad cannons once again light up the street and spray a deadly volley of bullets in the Ghosts direction.

 

[Grim Wraithe Stjerna]

The bolt slammed to the rear as the last round exited the chamber, on instinct the Corpsman's hands worked the rifle upright as the his thumb ejected the empty magazine and his free hand grabbed and slammed a fully loaded magazine into the receiver and as the rifle was brought back to his shoulder, the bolt group was released and stripped off a new round of 7.62 and fed it into the chamber ready to find a new home in some non-human unwilling target.

This all happened in a couple of seconds, and all without the Chief Corpsman having to think about or look at what his body was doing. In those few seconds of not actively firing he looked first at the status indicators on his VISR's HUD and then at the Marines and Militia and the Major in his Warthog. 'So far, so good.' He thought.

The call for and acknowledgment of heavy airsupport and concise coordination rolled through the command net he had linked to. "SQUAD, HEAVY RAIN IN BOUND! PICK OFF THE GAWKERS AND BRACE! DANGER CLOSE FIRES!" They all knew what danger close meant and all got just a touch smaller, or tried to, behind what limited cover their open topped warthog had to offer. Taking aim and firing any humanoid or alien shaped object still up after the barrage swept through the area.

As he finished calling out the warning and commands the high explosive rounds ripped through and shredded the buildings, vehicles, and any other soft target. Leaving them in much smaller pieces then they were mere moments ago. Grim lined up the integrated sights and found a target the rough shape of a Grunt and squeezed off a short burst then quickly shifted to another next to the first.

 

[Viper Actual]

Verent City - Enroute to Discovery Complex, Initiative Street

"Holy fucking shit," exclaimed Tremell as the Sun Devil was showered with debris, dust and pieces of former enemy combatants. The effect of the air support seemed to have had an effect on the Ghosts too as they seemed to slow down momentarily and adjust their formation- just as Bassett readied himself to re-engage them.

Bassett lowered the turret of the Sun Devil, once again aimed for the Ghosts zipping through the street alongside the UNSC convoy. He attempted to lead the shots for where the Ghosts might veer off to, and pulled down the triggers, letting the quad cannons once again light up the street and spray a deadly volley of bullets in the Ghosts direction.

Rolled: 8 (!)

Before the Sun Devil passed through the crossroads altogether the turret let out one, final, devastating salvo. Its cannons roared and unleashed hell on the enemy scout vehicles, shredding two of them in a near-instant before the armored vehicle lost visual.

Tremell slammed his fist twice on the hull with a cheer; "Damn fine shooting, Owen! Keep it coming!"

"Never let it be said I don't appreciate air support's efforts." King said, half-jokingly.

"You can say that again," replied a grim-faced Davis as he attempted to maneuver around the falling debris. Just then King spoke up once more;

"How much farther from our target?" He asked, still ready to deliver bursts of gunfire should they be required.

"We just passed the 500 meter-mark," said Grey, looking up from her datapad. "Resistance should be lighter up ahead, past their defensive perimeter." She shrugged. "I hope."

Grim lined up the integrated sights and found a target the rough shape of a Grunt and squeezed off a short burst then quickly shifted to another next to the first.

With both the Sun Devil and X-24 now in the clear after having passed the formerly entrenched position at the crossroads it was now time for the militia vehicles to follow suit, with both Verent Militia and UNSC Marines being ready to resume engagement with the severely shocked enemy still lingering in the structures around them.

Rolled: 2

A couple of disoriented Grunts made their way out from the ruined office building- only to be met by rifles firing a them.

Grim and the others engaged and while their aim was disrupted by the rocky movement of the vehicles their shots did graze the Grunts and scare them off, forcing them back into cover.

"Minuteman to Hades 1 Heavy, good fucking effect on target. We still have troops in contact. Fire again for effect, and the degress along route Zulu."

"Copy," came the reply. "Re-engaging."

*​

As the call for additional air support came in from the SRG-convoy Gunny noddy and tapped his gunners on their respective shoulders. "Prepare another salvo, let's get rid of that enemy tail shall we?"

The gunner and the assistant gunner both grinned and nodded, zooming in on the remaining Ghosts. Thermal imaging also revealed that more Covenant infantry were about to make their way out from cover to take pot-shots at the rear of the convoy.

"Target the crossroads, call contact," said Gunny.

The assistant gunner nodded as his IR-laser was beamed to the center of the crossroads. "Contact."

Gunny glanced towards the loaders. "Load 40mm, HE, five rounds."

Complying, the loaders began to work with the gunner watching the interface on his terminal update in real-time to show the number of shells currently loaded and ready.

"GUN READY!" Yelled Blitz.

Gunny nodded and tapped the gunner. "Fire mission, danger close. Fire, fire, fire."

"Firing," replied the gunner as he squeezed his trigger.

Rolled: 5

*
​

Much like the previous barrage the effects of the second set of HE-rounds was near-instant, without warning and a very effective showstopper. The remaining Ghosts were absolutely pulverized- as were a number of infantry loitering on all sides of the crossroads- as Hades 1 delivered swift and divine justice on the Covenant ground forces.

The air support sent shockwaves through the convoy, with the brunt of it causing the militia Warthogs to shake and rattle for a bit before settling.

"Splash, looks like we got most of them." Said Hades 1 over the comms.

Having passed through the crossroads the road ahead was more or less open for the SRG-convoy as they continued to approach the Discovery Complex's large skyscraper. In a few minutes they would arrive- putting this tense part of their journey behind them for a moment's respite.

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[Worthlessplebian]

Soon, the storm of ordinance and shrapnel subsided, debris pinging hard off the vehicle's rugged surface. King grit his teeth, pulling away slightly from the machine gun's grips. His hands trembled, possessed by the intoxicating adrenaline that surged through his body. He clenched his fists, trying to will away the searing poison that flooded him like a river of ice. But it would not leave him. Abruptly, however, something detonated. Then there was a crack, and a shock wave of concussive energy ripped through the air, rolling over the transports. The hull vibrated harshly, causing King to grip the handles of the turret tighter.

Then came only the low growl of the X-24's engine, a ferocious roar in the quiet dead that followed air support's destructive effect. In fact, the engine's hum soon fell away and King's ears could only hear the sudden silence. The armoured vehicle rocked back and forth, King felt the rhythmic swaying as the thick tires churned the refuse of concrete, metal, and alien wreckage. For a moment, King took a cold breath and turned his shoulders, dispelling the ache that settled in his muscles.

His wounded arm went up, hand pressed against the side of his helmet, features inscrutable behind the grey, opaque visor. "Aliens." King murmured. "I realise I'm tempting fate here, but I can't wait to stretch my legs again." He said, a spark of consternation crossed his voice.

Viper Actual

 

[Solar Daddy]

With the heavens firing down upon the entrenched Covenant and the subsequent rout of their forces, Owen kept the quad barrels of the Sun Devil pointed at the location of his last target pre-barrage in case anything dared move amidst the rubble. The treads of the tank rolled over the charred purple fuselage of one of the ghost's wings. The weight of the tank crushed the alloyed metal into a small plasma blast beneath the tracks and rocked the hull a bit.

"Looks like we're in the clear, Cap." Owen radioed and repositioned the turrets to face straight ahead towards their goal. Bassett had to actively quell the urge to run over any civilian vehicles left in the street, instead choosing to barely move out of the way for them. He then spoke aloud to his crew mates aboard the tank. "Everyone still got their jaws attached? Wendell and Hayworth didn't get knocked off at some point, yeah? I'm not even gonna try to do a K-turn in this thing."

Ahead, the Discovery Complex was within sight. This was just the prelude to their objective and Owen was eager to reach the tower.

 

[Viper Actual]

Verent City - Enroute to Discovery Complex, Initiative Street

The dust began to settle fairly quickly following the last strike made by Hades 1 and soon enough the streets and their immediate surroundings were once again void of anything but the hum of engines and the echos of distand weapons fire.

"Looks like we're in the clear, Cap."

"Roger," replied Black. "Maintain heading and speed. We're almost there."

"Everyone still got their jaws attached? Wendell and Hayworth didn't get knocked off at some point, yeah? I'm not even gonna try to do a K-turn in this thing."

Tremell chuckled and shook his head lightly before taking a quick glance across both shoulders which was followed by a thumbs up. "They're still here, don't worry!"

"Yeah, no thanks to your driving!" Said Hayworth with a hint of sarcasm. Besides dust and some minor purple-colored blood-splatter he appeared fine, still perched on one of the rear track pods of the Sun Devil. On the opposite side of the armored vehicle sat Wendell who appeared unscathed as well.

The trooper shook his head. "I've experienced danger close before but this, well, this was something else!"

"Aliens." King murmured. "I realise I'm tempting fate here, but I can't wait to stretch my legs again." He said, a spark of consternation crossed his voice.

Davis let out an amused snort from his position in the driver's seat and nodded. "Bad juju or not, I agree wholeheartily. It'll be good to get out of this metal coffin on wheels," he said, referring to the X-24. Grey and Johansen both grunted in response whereas Black appeared to be deep in thought.

The radio suddenly crackled to life as Hades 1- still in orbit above the SRG-convoy- hailed the convoy once again;
"Minuteman, Hades 1 Heavy. I have a priority call from a commander near the defensive line around the spaceport. I'm afraid we have to break off."

Black looked up at Ray and nodded before activating his mic. "We appreciate the help, Hades. Good luck."

"Good luck to you as well. Hades 1 Heavy, out."

"I'm feeling lonely already," said Grey.

"Don't," replied Davis. "We're here."

* * *​

Verent City - Discovery Complex, Main Entrance

The Discovery Complex stood out from the many other nearby buildings in a number of ways. Firstly because of its onyx black color, due to a combination of tinted windows and reflective panels concealing any and all external utilities, maintenance hatches and would-be concealed landing pads for VIPs. Secondly because of its design, as the designers and architects had opted for something that looked more like a sharpened dagger than an actual building with the skyscraper's very profile resembling a pointed blade jutting out of the ground and reaching for the sky.

Lastly, the Discovery Complex was taller than any other structure in the area. Most of the surrounding structures were block-offices that peaked at around fifteen or twenty stories tall whereas the SRG team's destination appeared to be around a hundred stories tall, much like the smaller skyscrapers at the heart of Verent City.

As the Sun Devil-led SRG convoy arrived at the complex they were met with a mostly empty parking lot leading up to a plaza lined by rows of fountains and plants that ultimately led to the main entrance of the skyscraper itself.

Beyond a small sedan sporting minor damage- appearing to have been quickly abandoned in the middle of the parking lot- the immediate area was empty. There weren't any other vehicles around, nor were there any Verent City Constabulary cordons or UNSC fortifications which suggested that the entire area been evacuated and then left for the Covenan to advance through.

A distant PA-speaker repeated the message to evacuate, this time in french, as the SRG team and their allies dismounted their respective vehicles.

"Alright, listen up people." Said Black, gripping his MA5K tight as he stepped out of the X-24 with members of the SRG team standing around him in various states of readiness. "We'll make entry into the complex- slow and steady- and clear the lobby before moving up into the office levels. If possible we'll locate Dr. Kinsley using the internal security systems and in the event that he never reached this place we'll need to estimate what ONI left behind during the evacuation and decide whether we need to demo the entire building or not- but I leave that to our breachers."

By now Major Kovac, his marines and the accompanying members of the Verent Militia had also joined in. Black looked towards Kovac and Sgt. Smith- the militia team leader- before addressing them.

"Major, have some of your people hold here next to our vehicles. The rest of you will need to join us and hold down the lobby."

Kovac nodded. "We'll watch your six, agent." He quickly turned away to cough twice before barking out orders which prompted most, if not all, of the militia members to take up positions around the parking lot.

The relative calm was shattered as the Covenant SDV-class heavy corvette still sitting outside the city-limits began to unleash a barrage of plasma fire down into the city- most likely in response to Al-Saif's aggressive counter-assault.

Black's expression hardened.

"Let's move."

*
​

The plaza leading up to the Discovery Complex had been void of anything and anyone, just as initial observations had suggested. Now the SRG team- alongside a small number of Kovac's marines, including Grim, Radankovic, Barnes and Larsen- were positioned at the base of the stairs leading up towards the main entrance.

"Anything?" Asked Grey.

"Not sure," said Davis. He looked at Black and Grey. "There's some overturned office furniture inside. Looks almost like a barricade. I think I saw a helmet but I'm not sure." He grimaced, his transparent ODST-visor revealing the full extent of his dismay. "Could be hostiles."

"Only one way to find out," replied Black before slowly standing up to reveal himself. "Blue!"

There was a moment of silence. Everyone seemed to hold their breath. Then came muffled chatter from the lobby.

"Eagle!" Yelled a voice from inside. Black visibly relaxed.

Suddenly some parts of the barricade parted way to reveal several men in black armor, similar to the riot control armor worn by the officers of the Verent City Constabulary. A pyramid-like symbol had been stamped on the front of the helmet.

ONI.

Several armored figures stepped outside with Black approaching them calmly. One of the figures- donning a sergeant's chevron on his vest- tilted his head upon seeing the mixed group hunkered down at the stairs. "Who are you guys? Army?"

"ONI," said Black. "Sensitive Recovery Group."

The sergeant relaxed. "Thank god, you must be here for Kinsley, right? We've tried to get him moving but he refuses to evac."

"Lead the way," said Black. He turned towards Kovac. "Send some of your guys with us. The rest of you stay in the lobby."

"And so we enter the belly of the beast..." Muttered Davis jokingly as the group entered the lobby of the Discovery Complex. Office and lobby furniture had been tipped over, stacked and moved to block off the main entrance's five pairs of double-doors. Inside were more ONI security forces, all dressed in riot control armor with all-black fatigues underneath.

Tinted visors prevented anyone from seeing their faces but some were wearing balaclavas underneath to further enhance their anonymity. Besides ONI markings on their helmets and simple callsign patches on their uniforms and vests the guards bore no other identifying markings, such as names or unit designation.

Motioning towards a rather large central elevator which amazingly fit the entire SRG team alongside Kovac, Grim, Rad, Larsen and Barnes the security sergeant and two of his men escorted the group inside before following them. Swiping a keycard at the elevator controls changed the digital button layout, revealing as many as fifteen sub-basement levels. The sergeant clicked on level -14 and as the elevator doors closed he sighed and removed his helmet, revealing someone who looked almost as weathered and scarred as Black himself.

"Dr. Kinsley arrived here just as the area had been cleared for evacuation. My men and I had just finished preparing our demolition charges per our standing orders when he barged in and asked us to hold down the fort instead."

The sergeant shrugged. "According to him one of his projects- Project Dreamcatcher- can win us the entire war, if he is to be believed that is."

"You think he's lying?" Asked Grey.

"No, but Kinsley is very... Eccentric."

Black remained silent. The elevator rumbled and bobbed as shockwaves from the bombardments on the surface seemed to intensify.

Then, the elevator stopped. As the doors opened the security sergeant donned his helmet once again. Outside the elevator was a raised platform lined with terminals and monitors which in turn was followed by a gargantuan space covered in insulated metal panels. At the center of the room stood a metallic shard of an intricate and complex design, surrounded by mobile terminals and tables.

"Welcome to Dreamcatcher," said the sergeant just as the shard pulsated with a vibrant blue light across its silvery surface.

Standing at the foot of the shard with a datapad in hand was none other than Dr. Bernard Kinsley. He turned around, adjusted his glasses and squinted. "Ah, finally. What took ONI so long?"

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