34 Chapter 33

A/N: This is the actual image for the MCU's posted below and also the image for the defense station.

(MCU Model image)

(Orbital Defense Station Image)

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Over the following months, Axel tirelessly developed and tested his innovative technology in real-world scenarios. To assess the effectiveness of his new Infantry armor, he enlisted a group of willing Marines to put it to the test. Similarly, a team of volunteers from the ODST were chosen to trial the newly designed ODST armor.

The two armored teams were placed in a field test, with the objective of capturing the flag. The field test took place inside of the Main research and development facility within the training grounds section of the facility.

The field was a massive, bio-dome shaped environment, housing various terrains that were strategically designed to mimic the harsh conditions of different planets. Tall hills and dense forests, wide open plains and intricate cave systems were all incorporated into the field. It was within this controlled chaos that Axel's new armor designs were to be tested.

The Marines, outfitted in the new Infantry armor, were placed at one end of the battlefield while the ODSTs, wearing the latest ODST suits, started from the opposite end. A single white flag was set on a hill among a patch of forest right in between both teams.

With a stroke of a keyboard from Axel's control room overlooking the field, a loud horn echoed across the bio-dome announcing the commencement of the test. Both teams broke into fast-paced sprints towards their objective.

The first interaction came at a ridge near the flag where an advanced scouting party from each group clashed. The Marines new armor design held up impressively under fire from the ODSTs.

In return, their counterattack displayed new offensive capabilities of their suits; firing high-velocity projectiles which proved devastating for the ODST scouting party. Of course they weren't using live ammo since they didn't want an accident to happen but instead the damage was detected through the hit detection system of the suit.

It wasn't something normally incorporated into the suits and was just for training purposes only.

As the field test progressed, even more impressive aspects of the new armor designs revealed themselves. The ODSTs were agile, moving through the terrain like spectres. Their suits had been tweaked to enhance stealth and speed, allowing them to silently eliminate some Marines and outmaneuver others.

The Marines, on the other hand, held their ground with unwavering determination. The new Infantry armor was robust and efficient in taking and holding positions. Advanced weapon systems integrated within the suit allowed them to deliver powerful counter strikes against the attack.

Eventually after 4 hours had passed the field test came to an end. The ODST had ended up capturing the flag and winning the game. At the end the two sides shook hands as a show of comradery and mutual respect between the two sides. But also they were excited about this new armor that proved to be much better than the standard armor.

Axel and the engineers took down the data collected from the field tests and also jotted down the responses from the soldiers since they would be the ones wearing it and it was important to have their feedback on the new armor.

In addition to the armor, Axel also created a single Orbital defense station above Algolis to test it's capabilities. This would be the first time that he incorporated the energy shielding into a massive structure, But with the core located inside of the Orbital Defense Station it was not too difficult.

Though Building the Orbital Defense Station would take time and it would not be completed until March of 2525. In the meantime Axel just spent time with Catherine and focused on developing new innovative technology to introduce once the war starts.

He would also equip his battlegroup with energy shields since they were no longer a secret creation since the entire UNSC security council knows about them at this point.

A/N: And Just to clarify I did misread the halo wiki and saw that energy shielding was created later in the war after they captured and studied covenant technology. But this had not affect on Axel creating the energy shields so it shouldn't affect the story at all just wanted to clarify and point out my mistake.

And so a few months had passed and now it was the year 2525. To be exact it was February 3rd, 2525. Somewhere in the Outer Colonies a freighter under the UNSC Department of Commercial Shipping had exited Slipspace due to a malfunction while transporting cargo from outer colony world Harvest to Madrigal.(Not all ships have the Warp drive at this point)

Soon after exiting Slipspace the freighter was discovered by an unknown ship of unknow origins. The unknown ship didn't waste any time and raided the freighter. And it didn't stop their as a few hours later another ship was raided by the unknown ship and it's crew.

Thinking it was the insurrectionists, the Harvest shipping operations AI named Sif, had investigated the raids and reported them to an undercover ONI agent of section three, Jilan al-Cygni.

Within the same day as the attacks happened, Lieutenant Commander Jilan al-Cygni devised a trap for the raiding parties believing them to be insurrectionists attacks. She lured them to an unmanned vessel above Harvest where Staff Sergeants Avery Johnson and Nolan Byrne, both of whom stationed at Harvest to train Colonial Militiamen, were to ambush the expected Insurrectionists.

Johnson and Byrne, armed with XBR55s and outfitted with vacuum suits, moved into position but quickly saw that the boarders were not insurrectionists or human at all.

"Ma'am the boarders or not human at all, they are Aliens" Reported Johnson. Byrne looked at the 4 Aliens in front of them in shock since this was the first time that he had seen aliens, in fact this was probably the first time any living human had seen them.

"Staff Sergeants, you will continue with the plant and neutralize them but try to capture one of them, and under no circumstances are you to allow any to escape" Ordered Lieutenant Commander Jilan al-Cygni

"Copy that Ma'am" Said Johnson as he and Staff Sergeant Byrne moved into position.

The pair of soldiers stealthily advanced, their suits dampening their footfalls. Weapons raised, they maintained a tight formation, covering one another as they moved to intercept the alien intruders.

The ambush was swift and brutal. Johnson and Byrne burst from cover, letting loose with their XBR55s. The rounds spat from the rifles, tearing into two of the alien intruders before they could react. However, the remaining two quickly recovered from their initial surprise, retaliating with blue bolts of energy that narrowly missed Johnson and scorched the metal wall behind him.

"Damn it!" Johnson cursed as he took cover behind a bulkhead. In response to his outburst, Byrne let loose another volley from his rifle, temporarily forcing one of the aliens back, but in the process he injured by one of the aliens wielding some type of energy sword(A energy cutlass for reference).

Johnston shot the third one injuring it, and then ran to tend to Staff Sergeant Byrne injury. Once he Byrne was stable Johnson finished off the injured alien and ran after the last one who attempted to retreat back to it's ship.

When Johnston caught up the last one was interfacing with the ship probably to try and leave, so Johnson didn't waste any time and shot the final one in the back. He didn't remain on the ship and had returned back to Staff Sergeant Byrne, meanwhile a few minutes after he left, the alien ship had self destructed.

The only surviving crew of the Alien ship were only two Aliens who managed to to escape the ship on an escape pod before the ship exploded.

Following this event the UNSC High Command after learning about this attempted to make peace with the Aliens whom they learned were known as the covenant. But negotiations failed during a meeting on Harvest when one of the Covenant attacked a member of the colonial militia resulting in a gun fight.

The Covenant retreated back to their ship and fled the planet.

Days later on February 11th the UNSC had lost all contact with Harvest including Tiara, the space station orbiting the planet.