44 Chapter (40) Nukes and ambushes a ballad (10)
Before we start I think I forgot to upload a actual pic of the 'Heart of Midlothian' (besides the remains seen on the cover) so here is one of the concept art.
Also wtf is with webnovel authors and NTR!?
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(Mc Pov)
(Author's note: Going to rearrange this scene a bit)
Making my way through the automatic doors leading to the hangar I was greeted with the sight of a platoon of ODSTs bearing the color scheme and insignia of the 41st. There were in total 20 to 25 members lined up shoulder to shoulder in rows standing at attention. In front of the rows of the ODSTs were two pelicans painted gray with a nose-mounted M370 autocannon their pilots were also standing at attention beside their craft.
(Honey Badger Insignia placed on the shoulder pauldrons)
As I continued walking towards the group the platoon commander stepped out and made his way to greet me, "So you are the big guns on this mission huh?" he spoke with his head cocked to the side before extending his hand, "Nice to have you Spartan,"
I shook his hand but didn't move or say anything yet. I was still staring at the scene of pelicans trying to understand where this fit in the initial plan. Luckily it seemed the 2nd Lieutenant picked up on this saying, "Yeah I don't know why we are here either," he rubbed the back of his helmet, "According to the mission plan we are supposed to be aboard 'The Reliant', but we were sent to you based on orders from the Rear Admiral himself. All I know was that we were to stand here and wait until Lieutenant Colonel Butler came to give a brief,"
I sighed, "I wasn't told anything either about a change in orders," after giving one more glance we both made our way to the front of the bored-standing ODSTs. Internally I was glad that it seemed I was paired with a platoon of ODSTs not blinded by the false rivalry between them and Spartans.
Unlike the leader of the Neanderthals that let them act however they wanted during my last stint on a prowler, this guy seemed to be a good bit better. Though he hasn't said or done much his first impression was leagues better than the other guy. From what I have seen so far the guy's personality is laid back but he definitely runs a tight ship for those under his command.
'Though there could still be some bad apples,' I mused, 'I will hold off on final judgments till I finish this mission,' I concluded my thought and maintained my straight position waiting for the Lieutenant Colonel.
A few minutes later the Colonel and his assistant carrying a datapad and an ominously big briefcase entered. The man wore a casual dress uniform with gray khaki slacks and a gray officer shirt that indicated his rank on his upper left chest and had silver shoulder pauldrons on the sleeves.
(Something like this?)
At the same time the terminal to my immediate left lit up casting a hologram depicting Mo Ye, "Greetings once again Lieutenant," she said to which I responded with a small nod.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen gather around. I don't have much time because I have four other companies that I have to manage and I am only going to say this once so pay attention," the Colonel stopped by the terminal projecting Mo Ye and looked around sternly staring at everyone's eyes through their helmets.
"First things first if you haven't noticed you Honey Badgers are in for a treat," he gestured towards me, "You will be accompanied by a Spartan on this mission you may call him Lieutenant or 'Ace'. Some of you may have reservations about working with a Spartan but keep those thoughts to yourself. You are ODSTs so act like it and leave whatever petty rivalry you may think you have back up here in space. I will leave possible repercussions for causing problems during the mission to 2nd Lieutenant Pierce here,"
"Now that introductions are out of the way," the Colonel turned back toward the terminal, "Mo pull it up," the AI nodded and the projection altered along with the lights darkening a bit to better fit the lit-up display. In the AI's place came a 3-dimensional layout of the target…. with a new factor added to it.
'Oh great I was really hoping for some more difficult shit to do ya know?' I sarcastically complained internally with an annoyed frown etched upon my face.
"Uhh, sir? Are you sure this is the correct staging ground?" asked one ODST nervously hoping that there was some mix-up with the intel.
"Negative, private. You are all looking at the target as it currently is," he said, clearing up any possible confusion.
The silence after the statement was deafening. Of course, it was to be expected because of two major new problems that have popped up, one of which was caused by the other. But one thing was certain among all of the ODSTs. The chances of making it back home had just gone down significantly.
Because the calm and inactive valley-based heavy armor assembly point now looked like a cracked-open hornet's nest and the hornets were pissed. The sky was covered by a massive shadow that loomed over the ground like a storm cloud.
A Covenant Battle Cruiser had newly decided to take residency above the enemy base. There were multiple patrols of banshees clogging the airspace and the ground was filled with infantry and tanks looking for anything suspicious.
"As you can all see, the mission details have changed," the Lieutenant Colonel spoke while looking around at the surrounding helmets, "It seems our ground invasion shook up the confidence of our dear neighbors in the sky. Causing them to prematurely begin transferring forces to just outside sector Gamma in a bid to break through our defenses before we finish evacuation,"
The 2nd Lieutenant looked at the man and posed a question, "Do we have confirmation that they plan to move armor via the Battle Cruiser?"
The Colonel immediately replied, "Yes, we have a positive I.D. on an unloading sight thanks to a couple of Wombats in the area," the ODST nodded in turn thankful for the answer.
(F99 Wombat Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle)
He then gestured to his assistant carrying the ominous-looking briefcase, "Getting back on track me and the Rear Admiral decided that this would be a perfect time to take out two birds with a single stone," the briefcase opened to reveal a foot-long egg-shaped device. It had the letters and numbers [MFDD-411] painted in white on the side. The football-like piece of metal had a screen with a touchpad that had buttons for all numbers 0 through 9, a backspace button, an enter button, a @ button, and buttons for the letters A and B. It took me a second before I realized what I was looking at due to its odd shape.
It was a 𝘕𝘶𝘬𝘦
Specifically, I was looking at a Fury Tactical Nuclear Weapon the same thing I saw depicted in the deliver hope trailer advertising Halo: Reach. From my own experience, I knew that football made of metal and fusible nuclear material was one hell of a thing to play around with. It was practically a nuclear grenade that delivered a one-megaton load or a million tons of TNT worth of explosives and is eighty times more destructive than the bombs used during world war 2.
(Fury Tactical Nuclear Weapon)
'And to think that the M in MFDD stands for Medium…In that case, what the fuck is L for large for them?' I thought silently looking at the big thing contained in a small package. (Author's note: -_- don't even)
All the ODSTs silently stared at the briefcase and the Lieutenant Colonel as he pulled it out of its case and approached me. While slowly walking over to me he began clearing up the new mission details, "As you can see we decided to use a shortcut for your reign of destruction. The new plan is to ambush the forces surrounding the lift and for our tall, gray, and stoic friend here," he gestured with his head shaking it towards me, "To deliver our little present and 'tactically borrow' one of the aircraft located in the nearest hangar," he then extended his hands holding the gift I was to deliver. To which I promptly placed on my lower back magnetic clamps
The Colonel then put his hands on his hips standing tall finishing his short brief, "By that time all other UNSC forces should be out of the area if all goes according to plan. Once the MFDD detonates it should take out the cruiser all of if not most of the armor sitting below it in the subsequent blast. If not, the flaming wreckage from the ship will finish the job. Now, any questions?"
"Have those marines that are attached to us been informed?" asked the Staff Sergeant the second in command of the platoon.
Lieutenant Colonel Butler shook his head in response, "Negative, as of right now the Marines are in a dead zone due to Covenant Jammers. Therefore we were unable to tell them about the sudden change in plans," He then pointed to the leaders of this operation namely the Staff Sergeant, 2nd Lieutenant, and Me, "You three will be in charge of notifying them of the new mission details,"
I didn't know why, but hearing his words gave me a sinking feeling in my gut. I couldn't tell if it was due to his words or some unseen threat. So I decided to throw it to the back of my mind because either way, it wasn't like I could do anything about it right now.
After a couple more questions where I held my tongue, I decided to pose a question that had been on my mind so I turned to the Colonel and calmly asked, "With all due respect, sir. Wouldn't it be better to send me in alone for this mission?"
My question didn't come from a place of malice toward the ODSTs. Sure I had my fair share of bad apples but this bunch seemed alright. No, instead I was more worried about their safety.
In Combat Evolved the master chief boarded the Truth and Reconciliation with additional marines to rescue the survivors and specifically Captain Keyes from the Pillar of Autumn's crash site. But the Truth and Reconciliation was heavily damaged during the Pillar of Autumn's escape. It had also lost a substantial portion of its infantry defense due to boarding parties. That combined with the night raid aspect and the inability to deploy armor from its repair point made it a simple mission to climb aboard and rescue the Captain.
Those factors aren't even mentioning the factors of my luck nor the fact that John is still probably stronger than me AND was wearing Mjolnir Mark V. All in all this mission is looking like a wash from the start and we haven't even made it out of the debrief.
Hearing my conjecture about an alternative solution, the Colonel then swiveled his torso to face me and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "And you Lieutenant think that you can make it through all that heavy armor and up the lift. While also making sure to come back in one piece?" He made sure to emphasize the last part of his statement by drawing out each word a bit longer than what would be normal.
I took a moment to contemplate, 'I stand no chance running through all of that without support so a full frontal assault is out of the question… The best option would be stealth.. but good lord there has to be at least twenty different methods of detecting intruders besides the infantry seeing me,' seeing as I was having trouble coming up with a plan I decided to ask for more time to come up with another plan.
To which the Colonel gained an annoyed look and replied with, "Look Lieutenant we are out of time. I know this plan isn't the best but as of now it's the best we can do with the resources available. We MUST hit that Cruiser before it reinforces the front line, otherwise, we are going to hand in a lot of paperwork to the Medical examiners," he paused before switching from an annoyed expression to a cold glare and began to speak through his teeth, "And are you willing to answer for all that blood Lieutenant?"
I was pissed at his insinuation, "No, sir," I replied curtly through my helmet.
He smirked at my response, "It's a good sentiment to have son, but not one that belongs on the battlefield," he said commenting on my intentions, "But don't worry too much because I am not throwing you guys out into the cold alone while being blind and deaf," finishing he looked towards the terminal to which the mission hologram changed back to the avatar of Mo Ye.
He then walked next to the terminal and stood beside the smart AI and jabbed his finger towards Mo while speaking, "Mo here will be accompanying you on this mission Lieutenant. A certain Dr who's name begins with a C and rhymes with atherine told me that your suit allows for a 'co-pilot' feature or whatever." he used air quotes on the word 'co-pilot' before he just shrugged stating, "I am sure Mo and you know more about it than me so I won't bother recalling the science gobbledygook that she tried to explain."
Having said that, the Colonel said a few closing words and departed after giving us a heads-up that we were to dust off in an hour. I watched as he slowly walked through the door before turning back to the terminal. Mo, seeing that I was now facing her, bowed her head, "It's an honor to be working with you, lieutenant. I hope that we can get along,"
I nodded in response, "Likewise Mo. Before we move forward, however, are you certain that your absence won't be detrimental to the battle group? I know you are the one in control of the calculations and other vital systems, would you not be severely weakening the space power by partaking in this mission with me?" I asked with my arms crossed over my chest while gesturing with my right arm.
She shook her head elegantly in response, "Not to worry Ace. I have already detached a fragment of myself just for that purpose," her expression then morphed into a kind grandmotherly smile, "I am more than prepared for the mission. If you are ready to proceed then please remove the data crystal chip from the rear of your helmet and insert it into the port at the top of the terminal,"
I in turn did as I was told and removed the data crystal chip and inserted it into the small port at the top of the terminal's tower. Mo flashed for a second and after a moment her avatar disappeared from the terminal and into what I assumed was the data chip. I removed the chip from the newly powered-down terminal and injected it into the port that was at the base of my scalp.
(Data Crystal Chip)
…
It was silent for a moment and I thought perhaps I would be without her voice until-, "It's cozier in here than I was originally told by Dr. Halsey," there was curiosity in Mo's voice as she spoke about her new 'living arrangement', "This might take some getting used to Lieutenant so if you have any questions feel free to ask. Otherwise, I am ready whenever you may be Ace," she spoke in her grandmotherly tone.
"Understood Mo, hopefully with both of us together we can do some more damage," I spoke with a bit of eagerness in my voice to which she just replied with a short and kind laugh.
Before I could move from the spot I was standing in I felt a pat on my right shoulder pauldron. Turning to my right I looked down to see the platoon commander speaking up, "Thanks for looking out for us Lieutenant but have some more faith. Whether it's a tank battalion or an entire fleet we honey badgers simply don't give a shit! Am I right, boys?" He called out to the surrounding ODSTs.
"HOORAH!" They all yelled out collectively in affirmation.
I didn't smile or feel relieved at their enthusiasm.
I had read the reports about ODSTs and their casualty reports. All it would take is one well-placed spiker bolt to the chest or head and they would be getting 'the shot' or would at least be out of commission for the rest of the mission.
And being out of commission on a job like this usually forces everyone to make tough choices. The type of choices that follow a man for the rest of his life in the form of regrets. Which are becoming all too common in this age of war.
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(??? Pov)
"My liege what are your orders for your humble servant," a new pack brother kneeled down with his right arm covering his chest.
𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘴
(Decimus)
The Brute had shown his worth in the few assignments I had sent him on. Though he had a tendency to allow his emotions to cloud his judgment from time to time he had proven valuable and as of now, he could be considered my right hand.
Of course, if he was to be found to be a liability I would find his replacement without hesitation. I am staging a rebellion against the greatest power in the galaxy. I do not need a dog who would willingly bite the hand of his owner.
I looked at him from the corner of my eye and nodded at his arrival before continuing to scrutinize the tactical map hologram I had stripped from my executioner's body.
"Ridiculous," I mumbled to myself. Those arrogant fools had been caught flat-footed by the humans' surprise assault and were being forced to retreat due to the fresh reinforcements. Though they are starting to regroup and mount stronger assaults, the humans will most likely accomplish the evacuation of their runts before the Covenant can reach them.
And that premonition seemed to be coming to fruition if the word of my spies and scouts were to be trusted. According to them, the humans had already been launching shuttles in an open-air space unimpeded by Covenant air units. This news was NOT to my liking and I displayed that by ripping the arms off of a particularly tight-lipped Elite.
As much as I hate to admit it, my newly founded faction was in nowhere near a position to handle the Covenant or the humans at this moment in time. I need them to be focused on fighting each other while my brothers ambushed and procured commandeered supplies.
And if the humans were to accomplish their goals and retreat sooner rather than later, I would either be forced to ditch a golden opportunity or be forced to deal with the brunt of the religious fanatics for my treachery. Therefore the best plan of action to remedy this problem… is to impede the humans' actions and slow down their forces.
Looking down at a message I smirked, because it had just so happened that Yapyap had delivered exactly the information that I needed, "Decimus are you ready for your next set of instructions?" I asked my Lieutenant who was still kneeling.
"Of course my liege I am ready to act on your will whenever you call," he said respectfully while looking down at the ground.
"Then stand and pay close attention," I said to which he nodded and looked at the hologram that had shifted to a forest area, "According to my scouts there is evidence that human forces have made their way into the forest. As you already know this area is a dead zone for our communications due to the Covenant jammers in the area," he nodded at my statement in acknowledgment of the validity.
"But the same can also be said for those humans. Therefore I want you to exploit this advantage and ambush the humans with your men, kill them all, and be sure to leave no survivors," I made sure to emphasize the last part of my command. Decimus nodded but looked as if he wanted to ask a question, "You have my permission to speak your query," I said.
"If I may, why would you want us to just eliminate a random group of humans? Would it not be better to have us commandeering more supplies or attacking the frontlines to weaken the human reinforcements?" he asked
I turned away from him and faced the console displaying the image to hide my displeasure at his question. The fool's words reminded me of another fault he had.
Close Mindedness
Decimus was unable to see the bigger picture and that reflected in his lacking ability as a commander. On a few rare occasions, he would question or not completely follow my commands leading to small failures that I severely reprimanded him for. He did not understand however which is also why he uttered such stupid alternatives to my plan.
I zoomed the picture completely out to show what I had deciphered to be their plan, "The humans plan to annihilate the tanks in this valley if they follow the path I believe them to. By ambushing and eliminating them the primary forces will be forced to either go in without reinforcements or call off the engagement altogether. Either outcome is preferable to our cause," I said before shutting off the hologram display, "Now that your questions are answered Go. Go and bring death to all who oppose me," I called out looking down upon him
"By your orders…
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Atriox"
(Atriox)
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Sup Bitches it's your boy memes here dropping another chapter.
This chapter is about the size of two chapters so hopefully that makes up for the delay a bit.
Yeah so again I am hoping I am doing well with Atriox's personality. From what I can gather Atriox is a cold, ruthlesss, yet brilliant tactician who like all Brutes admires strength above all.
Lets see what else...I guess you could say we are starting to get into the meat of the arc to be honest this arc has like four main stages and we are just now starting the first... Hopefully you guys don't crucify me over the pacing...
I think thats it for now so if you have any questions feel free to leave them
Song of the day is "Cumbersome" by Seven Mary Three
Question of the day is: What game has your favorite soundtrack? Mine has to be Reach with Halo 3 ODST being in second. Especially with Epilogue, We Remember, and Tip of the Spear those 3 are bops.
Anyway I hope you all have a blessed night/day and I will See You Star Side.
