Vandread Fan Fiction ❯ VanDread - Halo ❯ Falling Hammer ( Chapter 14 )

VanDread Halo

Disclaimer: I do not have any ownership of VanDread or of Halo…

Chapter 14

Falling Hammer

< >: Thoughts

**************

In the void of space…

The Nirvana was cruising along the sea of stars and was busy making it's way to the system that had Tarak and Megele and at the moment…the Nirvana crew were taking it easy for the time being…most of them were busy doing their usual practice runs and routines and things seemed to be normal…ahead of the Nirvana were the Clarion Spy Drones the Cortana routinely deployed to act as the ship's forward scouts and early warning systems should things get too dicey…

In the bridge…Magno and Buzam were doing their collecting of data while the bridge crew were currently working getting data from the Clarion Spy Drones and the scanning gear of the Nirvana itself…at the moment the former AI was in her AI form and was busy recording the data that she picked up from the drones and relayed them to the bridge crew…at the moment…things were peaceful…but Cortana and just about everyone in the Nirvana's bridge crew knew that sooner or later…things were going to get hot the very second they thought nothing was going to happen.

“Oh my…I feel so sleepy…”

Ezra said as she yawned and rubbed her bulging tummy as she felt her daughter kick a bit and she couldn't help but smile at that. Cortana looked at her and smiled.

“The little one sure is active, isn't she Ezra?”

Ezra smiled in response and nodded.

“Oh yes Cortana…and she really knows how to make me sleepy…I think I need to lie down and get some sleep. Captain…I'm sorry but I…”

“It's all right Ezra…go ahead…after all…you need to rest and be strong for your daughter.”

“Thank you Captain.”

Ezra got off her station in the Nirvana bridge and Cortana decided to help Ezra with her trip back to the living quarters and as the two left the Nirvana command bridge, the young mother smiled as she rubbed her belly and felt her baby react with a slight kick and she looked at Cortana who was very much curious about how the young mother was handling the fact that she was pregnant…the young mother noted the way Cortana would look at her and she smiled and spoke.

“Is there something bothering you Cortana?”

“No…nothing really, I was just curious on how you feel about being a mother…”

Ezra was about to ask what she meant by that until she recalled Cortana's origins as a former smart AI and realized that since she had once been a computer program before she had somehow been miraculously transformed into a human woman by the Nirvana's Paeksis, and she had never felt the unique feelings of being a pregnant mother. She decided to help Cortana better understand what it's like to me a mother with a soon to be born baby.

“It's an amazing feeling Cortana…to know that inside of you is a new life…a soon to be born baby and the child who will be your legacy…it's a feeling that is hard to explain at times and I will do everything I can make sure my daughter will be given a future.”

“I see…I wonder…could I be able to have a child myself someday?”

“Why do you ask that Cortana…you already have a human body right? I think you can have a child of your own yourself someday.”

“Maybe…But I know nothing about being a mother…at least not right now…”

Cortana was deep in thought and Ezra couldn't help but feel a level of sympathy for Cortana as she had a point…as a military smart AI before in their own world…Cortana had been created to handle many tasks needed by the UNSC in times of war and was considered one of the best under UNSC service…but now she was given a human body and could really FEEL human…and the idea of having a child of her own was truly alien to her. This made Ezra realize how lonely Cortana was compared to any of the other women on the Nirvana…even the women of Talvern no doubt had loved ones and unlike them all…Cortana had no other place to go.

With that in mind the young mother calmly held Cortana's hand and she replied.

“Maybe someday…when you find the person you love…I can help you feel what it's like to be a mother.”

Cortana was very much surprised by the offer from Ezra but she could see that Ezra's offer was strong and very sincere. And with that the former Ai smiled and replied in thanks.

“I'll take you up on that…besides…there's already someone I like…”

Ezra smiled warmly as she knew already just who the former UNSC Ai was referring to at the moment. It was then that Hibiki arrived and with him was naturally Dita and the two were heading for the UNSC section of the Nirvana and Ezra was rather curious as to why that was the case as the Master Chief was supposedly busy in training…she could understand Hibiki's travels there as he had been placed under the Spartan's command and was in truth…the Master Chief's protégé, but what was Dita doing there?

**************

In the UNSC section of the Nirvana…

The women who were part of the Nirvana Fire Teams were currently undergoing yet another fire drill in their close quarters training yard…a large maze of easy to assemble structures that could be assembled in less than twenty or forty minutes and was quite durable though they did use blanks and laser pointers for their training in what the women of both Megele and the men and of Tarak called the Maze of Death…while the soldiers of Talvern had a more appropriate name for it…the Kill House.

The Master Chief had every intention of training the women to be at the top of their games should there be a battle on their hands and the missions required that ground combat teams…The women were there in the Obstacle Course to keep sharp and the rest of the Fire Teams were currently observing the situation in the Kill House through the Helmet Recorders of the two opposing teams.

Fire Team Delta was facing off with Fire Team Bravo at the moment and both sides were armed with BR 55HB SR Battle Rifles, MA5C ICWS Assault Rifles, M90A Shotguns, and M7/Caseless Submachine Guns in the battle…and as mentioned…the weapons were loaded with blank rounds and were armed with laser pointers…the object of the exercise was how to maneuver in tight locations and areas and how to engage threats in such locations and sure enough…the mission was to hunt down the other team…the last team left standing won the mission.

As the teams split up…the Spartan observed every movement through the Helmet Recorders and kept track of the situation not just through video feed but with biological scanners in the armor of the participating team members, the armor also had a sensor system for showing just where the laser pointers would hit and determine if it was a glancing wound, a crippling hit, or a fatal one. He was not alone as the other NCOs watched the situation while the other members of the Fire Teams and their Talvern allies were training in their own scenarios as well. It was then that Hibiki and Dita arrived on the scene to see the fire fight.

As the teams in the Kill House reached the situation where the fight would start…the firing began as the sounds of blanks going off were heard and the sounds of shouting were somewhat heard and the situation was turning quickly into a full scale fire fight…and after what seemed like three hours…was actually three minutes…the fight was officially over and the two teams activated the safeties of their weapons and made their way to the general exit and they were now sitting down and talking about how the mock battle turned out.

The NCOs for each Fire Team, Carla and Hilda were looking over each other for injuries and such as they knew that despite being on opposing sides in this test mission…when they were hot on the ground they were on the same team and the Spartan approved of that policy as he walked over and slid in the data chip into a nearby monitor and revealed that Fire Team Delta had come out with only one member being able to fight…as soon as the cheers stopped as they congratulated each other…the Spartan spoke to them all.

“You all did well…keep up the performance in the next exercise…but let me remind everyone that there will be no competition when the real mission starts…we are in the same team here and we all fight the same enemy…is that understood?”

“Yes Master Chief Sir!!!”

“All right…carry on.”

The Spartan saluted them and they trooped off to rest and continue the hourly training sessions before they were done for the day and relaxed back on the Nirvana's crews quarters. The Spartan looked and spotted Hibiki and Dita who walked up to him and the young Tarak teen saluted the Spartan and he saluted back and Hibiki spoke to his mentor.

“Master Chief…you wanted to see me?”

“I did…I figured it's time you start learning how to defend yourself with a weapon apart from your Combat Knife and the M6G Magnum I gave you…let's head for the Armory.”

The three left and there they arrived at the Armory of the Forward Unto Dawn and there was a whole row of weapons there for anyone to get and the Tarak teen looked for a suitable weapon for himself and as he walked over the weapons…his eyes were now on a MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and then a BR 55HB SR Battle Rifle and he was unable to choose which one…he had been trained long enough by the Spartan to know the usefulness of each weapon before him and he knew the strength and weakness of each weapon and decided that he would stick to the MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle for now and hefted the weapon…the weapon was not loaded at the moment and was dry of any ammunition and the Spartan looked at Hibiki's choice…it seemed his protégé wanted to emulate even his taste for weapons. He didn't halt that as he stepped forward and looked at his student and protégé.

“Made your choice?”

“Yes Master Chief!”

“Good, now remember what I taught you about weapons…they are part of you now and you must treat them with respect and maintain them properly so they will work fine…treat your rifle the same way you treat your Vanguard…but never forget…YOU are the weapon…without you in command…none of the maintenance and care in the universe will matter at all…YOU are the weapon, do you understand me?”

“Sir! YES SIR!!!”

The Spartan nodded and the two were then able to leave as Hibiki was given some ammunition to work with and was told by the Spartan to wait for him in the firing range as he got his own weapon to join his student. Dita then stepped forward and spoke to the Spartan.

“Mr. Green Alien…”

“Yes?”

“I know I shouldn't pry…but did you give Cortana a present on Christmas?”

The Spartan looked at Dita with some surprise…he had thought the young girl would not ice the new item that Cortana wore around her neck…however, he kept in mind how seriously Dita would hound his student, ward, and protégé and that would mean that she would not entirely notice the necklace he had given Cortana a few days before…and he decided to reply in answer to her question.

`I did…did you see the necklace she wore?”

Dita thought about it and realized that she did see Cortana with a new item in her wardrobe and she gave a look of recognition as she saw how Cortana would fondly touch the necklace and she then gave the Master Chief a smile.

“Wow! You really are a nice alien Mr. Green Alien! I should have guessed that necklace Cortana likes came form you…Mr. Alien gave me a pair of beautiful flowers on Christmas too.”

“Really now? Hibiki gave you flowers?”

“Yes! You want to see them Mr. Green Alien?”

“Not right now Dita…but I am happy for you.”

“Thank you! I have to go…Meia's going to have another planning session on the Dread combat formations later…and I have to be there. Good bye Mr. Green Alien!”

**************

The Nirvana crews were already getting used to having the Talvern men and women aboard though there were some natural difficulties between them as the women from Megele were still not entirely used to having men and women living together…even more so when they were with women who were so comfortable with men that there were even casual relationships between them and at the moment….the women were still getting used to such things.

Barnette was naturally not very welcoming of the idea of men and women mingling together, even after a very long time….but she had developed a strong respect for the Spartan in particular as she had seen him in action more than once….despite her more aggressive stance towards men she steered clear of attacking the Spartan…knowing full well how lethal he could be if he was facing an enemy.

At the moment….she and the other Dread pilots were with Meia, Jura, and Dita were having another planning session on their new formations and attack patterns…however….while this had been an exclusively female gathering….Hibiki was there….and wearing his armor as well. Barnette didn't focus on that as the briefing went on.

Gascogne was also having some time adjusting to the presence of the men onboard….she had struck a friendship with the Commander of the Talvern men as well as a present relationship with the Spartan who would pass by and help out t when the need came for his assistance and of course….it still amazed both her and her crew to see the Spartan lift and carry certain supplies that they normally would have used cranes to lift at the moment.

So far the crews were adjusting slowly but surely and the Captain was happy at least that things seemed to be calm….

It was then however that the bridge crew got an incoming data stream….it seemed that there was a nearby system ahead of them and it had residents at the moment….hostile residents. As the crews began getting all the incoming data….they called the elderly captain and all the key officers….including the Spartan.

**************

In the Conference Room…

“So this is a Harvester refuel, re-arming, and repair station?”

Buzam asked Cortana as the former AI was in her current AI form and was in front of them at the moment in a holo-emitter that was installed for her by her request….inside the room was not just Buzam…but John, Meia, Magno, Gascogne, and Captain Garret. The Talvern high ranking officer was placed in charge of the units that comprised of himself and his fellow Talvernians. His respect for the Master Chief and his admiration of the Spartan's talents as a fellow Ground Pounder though the Spartan was a holder of a Navy Rank made him refer to the Spartan as Master Chief….like the rest of his unit.

Before them was a strange facility that resembled an old style shipyard with massive arms and there seemed to small urchin like drones flying about in the area. There were also glowing spheres on the facility along with pipes and more…giving the facility the look of some giant…multi-armed single cell organism…and to keep to the taste of it's apparent owners…the facility had some pseudo flesh like covering on certain areas of itself.

“That is correct…..the incoming data from the Clarion Spy Drones have confirmed that the space borne facility orbiting the planet a few light years away happens to be a major center of Harvester activity at the moment.”

“However…the planet below us is very much intact…there appears to be a breathable atmosphere for human life forms and it seems to be in par with planets like Talvern, though apparently uninhabited at the moment as there is no sign of any human habitation on the surface….no cities…nothing…this planet is similar to the one we had been to when the Fire Teams had their first real ground engagement…but like before…this planet is quite a lush one. Like the first planet it appears that the Harvesters have full ownership of the surface and have established facilities here…namely those that are of importance…”

“And geographical scanning on the planet's surface shows that the planet is filled with a high concentration of high grade industrial metals and minerals…perfect for repair and construction. Apart from that…we've located large amounts of convertible fuel material that's also available to be harvested. And from what we saw of the surface through the scanners…we can tell that there are mining complexes and refining/processing facilities in several key nodes on the planet….all controlled by the central command hub and space elevator here…”

The image revealed a giant ziggurat style structure that had several large support buildings to it and considering the size of the facility it was no doubt something of grave importance to the Harvesters and the massive tube going upward was no doubt the space elevator used by the Harvesters to ferry the supplies and materials that they needed to maintain their forces in deep space and on the ground..

“Judging from the ion engine trails the Clarion Spy Drones have detected…this location is frequently used by Harvester forces in need of repairs and fresh supplies of fuel and materials for their war efforts…the mining facilities on the planet's surface are all apparently automated and seem to harvesting a large quota of resources to fuel the Harvester forces in this region.”

“Any sign of an orbital defense fleet Cortana? I can bet a key facility that important would have some for of defensive force to shield it.”

Meia asked as she looked at the data before her.

Cortana nodded and changed the image from the surface of the planet to the area of space in the area of the planet and there near the orbital facility and there were large numbers of Cube Fighters in the area as well as Seed Ships and Space Urchin ships, but no sign of any larger scale vessels at the moment.

“There is a very sizable detachment of Cube Fighters and Seed ships in the area as well as supporting Seed Ships and Space Urchins so this facility is very much of prime importance for the Harvester war efforts.”

“There's also no doubt that considering the material wealth and strategic importance of this planet to the Harvesters' war efforts and plans…that there will be a sizable garrison in the surface, meaning a fully armed and ready division worth of Harvester Troopers and vehicles… we have also determined that there are shield generators protecting the installation as well, the only good news is that the Clarion Spy Drones have detected no signs of those mammoth Command Spiders in the area….since there is already a working central command center on the planet.”

The others looked at one another and Magno spoke to Cortana…

“How far are we from this planet?”

“We could be there in at least six to eight hours flat if we took a direct route due to the distance between our current location and the planet in question….however….staying in the planet's shadow and away from possible Harvester patrols…we could be there in at least six to seven days.”

The elderly woman sighed and sat back and thought over the situation carefully at the moment. Buzam then spoke as she studied the data before them.

“This facility is no doubt key to the movements of the Harvesters here…and considering the fact that it's one their key repair and re-supply centers for their fleets in this region…Cortana…are there any other planets that can support the Harvesters' forces on the off chance the planet is not able to supply them with resources?”

“No Commander….previous scans on all the resident planets show mediocre amounts of metals and minerals underground….and any fuel sources are hard to locate there…the planet we have on our sights is the most viable they had on hand.”

Buzam nodded and looked at the data while John thought it over as well….and so did everyone else…they were facing a tough choice…this location was a vital cornerstone of the Harvester war machine and was heavily defended….it would be a great gamble to dedicate themselves to attacking the planet and the orbital station…as well as the mining complexes and the central command hub below on the surface.

In simple terms they had two choices at the moment…

The first was to ignore the location and move on….while that was good idea….they knew that with those resources…fuel and supplies….the Harvesters in this sector would be able to continue their operations and many other worlds would be attacked by the Harvesters and many other innocents would be lost in the battles…lives that could be warned and either told to reinforce….or evacuated..

The second was to launch an attack on the area….destroy or disable the repair and re-arming station and destroy as much of the Harvesters' infrastructure as they could….doing so would hamper the Harvesters' expansion operations in the region and slow them down in some fashion as their forces would have to either take longer routes or waste time setting up another location for their facilities to maintain their momentum….but this was going to be to some degree similar to the mission in Talvern….very high risk and there was the fact that they were going to waste a lot of resources on this mission and there was a very high risk of injury or worse….

These choices had strong pros and cons and the teams had to decide carefully their decisions at the moment. It was then that Cortana had an idea.

“Captain….do you think that it might be possible we can disable the facility….but take over it?”

This made everyone look at the former UNSC AI with some great surprise….and Magno looked on with a slight smile.

“That's a very interesting idea Cortana….but how do you plan to do that?”

John however had a rather accurate idea what Cortana had in mind at the moment, they had done this before when he and Cortana had rescued Sgt. Avery Johnson, Corporal Locklear, Linda-058, Petty Officer Second Class Sheila Polaski, and Lieutenant Haverson, and then reunited with Dr. Catherine E. Halsey, Fredris-104, Kelly-087, Will-043, Grace-03, Li-008, Anton-044, and Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb. He lost good friends in the operation but they succeeded in the mission to destroy a large number of Covenant ships that were making their way towards Earth itself. He had come up with the daring and successful plan and he knew just what Cortana had in mind.

“You want to use a copy of yourself as the new AI we can insert into the Harvester mainframe….am I right?”

“Right John….we did it before after all….and it worked well. In this case….it will be a different outcome and result.”

Cortana then explained her plan….she planned to have an exact copy of her AI form's subroutines as an AI `ghost' to take over the information network of the Harvesters….she was designed for such a purpose in her time as an AI and she knew how to make a copy of her Ai form….they were to use a specially crafted EMP bomb that would be used to disable the central command hub and then user the copy to hijack the database of the central command station….effectively taking down the entire Harvester Garrison stationed there.

Buzam thought it over and asked a question.

“This would mean that we could very well take out the Harvesters in one fell swoop.”

“That's true commander….but that also gives us another opportunity….to get those resources ourselves, once we take over the facilities down there….we can use the equipment to gather supplies and resources to replenish our own stocks of materials and supplies….and with the Harvesters' own equipment under our command we would already have a working industrial infrastructure to bring the supplies to us….that way we can be able to get the resources and do it without a heavy amount of time and labor.”

The others began to see the potential of the plan. If they were able to take over the harvester complex on the surface….they would be able to gather much needed fuel, materials and resources….and with the manufacturing facilities on the planet that would be under their command….they could very well have new parts and more for ALL sections of the Nirvana's operations….and ironically enough….the harvesters would be funding their own enemies' operations against them. However….

Magno asked the question on everyone's mind.

“Will it work?”

Cortana nodded.

“It can be done Captain….I've had experience with this kind of mission before and I know what the risks are….but this could be our best chance to use the very resources and supplies of the Harvesters against them.”

Gascogne nibbled her metallic rod in her mouth in thought and spoke.

“I have to agree with the logic in Cortana's plans Captain…we have supplies but with the constant fighting we're in and the need to repair and supply not just the Dread squadrons but also the Nirvana's own needs and that of the Fire Teams, we might run short soon….and I can bet that Cortana will need to replenish the stocks of materials she needs to outfit the ground teams as well….am I right?”

“I'm afraid so….we have enough resources….but the extra supplies and resources will be welcomed greatly….not only that….we can be able to trade those spare supplies in case we need food and water. This third option is risky….but it CAN be done Captain.”

Magno thought it over and looked at Buzam and her second in command replied.

“It's risky Captain….I'll admit to that….but this could very well help us in the long run.”

Magno knew that to be true and thought it over….and after half an hour of silence, in which the crew waited….she gave her answer to Cortana.

“Cortana…you and John start making the operation plans for the ground teams and get as much supplies as you need. Meia…I want you to get into contact with Hibiki and the other Dread pilots…I want all of you ready for this operation, Gascogne….I want you and Parfait to work with Cortana on how to make the program she has in mind. This is risky….and dangerous….but if this can be done right….we can strike a blow to the Harvesters and buy other human worlds time to be warned and be ready for combat. And there is an appropriate name for this mission we are about to undertake…Operation Falling Hammer.”

**************

In the Hanger…

“You want me to do what?!”

Barnette looked at the Spartan with incredulous eyes as she looked at the number of Vanguards that were currently being re-assembled, retrofitted and refueled for combat operations. The Spartan had been given a ton of authority for this dangerous mission at the moment and he had decided to have the Vanguards be included in the main assault force for ground operations.

He had a feeling that the Vanguards had a lot of potential….he had observed the Vanguards for some time….namely Hibiki's Vanguard and the Vanguards piloted by Barnette, Jura, Dita, and Meia and felt that the potential of the Vanguards was not fully used at the moment and now was the time to see how the units performed when given a serious overhaul. He had talked it over with Cortana and she was agreeing with the whole idea as well and decided to have her be the head of the operation to have the Vanguards retrofitted and remodeled.

The Vanguards were being given a massive overhaul by Cortana with the aid of Gascogne, the Register crews, and lastly with Parfait and the engineering teams. The Vanguards were being equipped with a variety of weapon systems and armor that further improved their overall combat performance. Cortana also went to improve the reactors of the Vanguards to be better in power output and functions….further improving the operational time window of the Vanguards and provide power to the DEWS or Directed Energy Weapon Systems that she planed to install into the new Vanguard models.

The Vanguards were also upgraded with advanced targeting computers and hydraulic systems to improve them and also better armor….light weight alloys that Cortana had been able to study along with an improved ablative coating to further protect them from energy based weapons and the alloy was strong so it could handle the stress….Cortana also had the Vanguards' natural carrying capacity upgraded so they could carry heavier loads that were easy to remove and improved booster packs for increased flight.

The UNSC had the original prototype of the first powered exoskeleton armor unit that was the ancestor of the MJOLNIR series and it had been retooled as a support and utility unit to carry supplies and equipment as he and his fellow Spartans outclassed it. However….the Mark I to Mark III series of the MJOLNIR had spawned the Cyclops unit….a powerhouse close combat unit that was rather useful in the UNSC-Covenant Wars long ago in the early days of the conflict. In a way the Vanguards were what one could say was the ideal form of the Cyclops….and the Spartan wanted to see how the Vanguards would perform if they were truly used in combat by those who were trained by them. The Vanguards were being equipped with ranged weapons as well to help them in combat apart from their melee weapons and utility equipment.

The basic weapons were the M41 LAAG which were in a pair on the right shoulder and were on a mount and had the ammunition in a nearby pack that could be easily stored the Vanguard to make it easier to store the ammunition and controlled remotely and fired by the pilot. And then they would have the M68 Gauss Cannon in a heavily shielded housing on the left arm and there were two of them just like the M41 LAAG to add double the fire-power and it's tungsten rounds could be stored as well in a housing magazine to ease on storage load and would be fired in the same way by the pilot.

The next weapon was the NA4 Flame Thrower….designed to deal with entrenched troops. This weapon also saw action in the early years of the war between the Covenant and the UNSC and was used by the specialized Marine forces known as the Hellbringers….these brave men and women had very high attrition rates but their contributions were heavy as well as they would risk their lives to flush out entrenched Covenant troops and destroy them with deadly precision… The NA4 Flame Throwers would be used by the Vanguards to clear out large areas that could be used by Harvester forces as temporary havens to ambush the Fire Teams. The Flame Throwers were stored in the right arm and the fuel tanks were hidden away and shielded as well to protect the pilot and the Vanguard itself.

The M41 turret could also be removed and replaced with the heavier and more powerful AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun for battles with deadlier targets and could also be remotely fired by the pilot inside the Vanguard and the system could be replaced by a remote controlled Missile Pod for deadlier use on heavy vehicles and air-craft with the missile's tracking abilities. And for more deadly effect Cortana had begun work on designing a mountable version of the Weapon/Anti-Vehicle Model 6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifleor the Spartan Laser itself which could be attached with the Vanguard for use.

That and the other upgrades made the Vanguards more deadly in combat and would be more than a welcome addition for the Fire Teams and with their close combat weapons….they would prove valuable where there would be situations where they could truly stand out.

However….there was a shortage of Vanguard pilots on hand….Hibiki was the foremost Vanguard pilot around but he could not be assigned for ground combat operations due to the fact that his Vanguard formed the VanDreads and was a tactical asset best used in deep space combat than land warfare….Jura was a good pilot but the fact that she was the pilot for her Dread which could form into a VanDread that shielded a whole world made asking her for help a bad idea…the same could be said for Dita, and Meia's claustrophobia made her a poor choice for the mission…and the Spartan knew of only one person who could serve as trainer and if needed in a pinch….Vanguard operations leader for this operation. However…he knew that he was going to have some difficulty in convincing the said pilot.

And he was right...

“Barnette….I need you to help train the Talvern members of the Fire Teams on how to operate the Vanguards.”

“Why me?!”

“In case you have forgotten, out of the group that worked with Vanguards in the mission we had months before…you scored well enough to be a Vanguard pilot.”

“Why can't you ask someone else? Like your student Hibiki for example, he's piloted the Vanguard more times than me.”

“I cannot ask Hibiki to be part of the ground operations, as he is needed here to form the VanDreads in case the Dreads need heavy support….the same can be said for Jura and Dita…they performed well enough as Vanguard pilots but their Dreads from the Vanguards along with Hibiki's Vanguard. Meia's in the same situation…plus the fact that she has claustrophobia and she is best as Dread Squadron leader makes her a poor choice…that leaves just you.”

Barnette glared at the Spartan and replied in a defiant tone.

“What if I don't want to? I AM a Dread pilot and NOT a member of your Fire Teams after all.”

“That's true….but out of everyone here in the ship…you have the qualifications, I cannot ask Duero or Bart either….Bart has little to no experience with Vanguards and his post as Navigator and helmsman of the Nirvana makes losing him in a ground battle a bad idea. Losing him will leave the Nirvana helpless to attack…I can't ask Duero either, despite his high qualifications as a Vanguard pilot being a military student from Tarak, he is needed here to treat the wounded. As it stands….I need your help.”

Barnette had no idea how to react to that….the fact that the deadly and very talented Spartan was ASKING for HER help was unexpected and would have made her smile at the thought of a man asking for help from a woman. But she was still unsure about her qualifications as the trainer of the Vanguard crews.

“Also Barnette, you were recommended to me by Buzam, Magno, Meia and Gascogne to help with this operation. They know you have the needed experience to do this operation and training as well.”

“They recommended me?”

“Yes. If you do not believe me then you can speak to them about this….but the bottom line is that you are the only one we all trust to help with the operation against the Harvesters. Meet me in the UNSC section of the Nirvana when you come to a decision.”

With that the Spartan left….allowing Barnette time to think on her answer to the Spartan's request.

**************

Author's notes:

I figured that it was time for the Vanguards to see action….the one thing that grated my nerves a bit in the original series was the one time use of the normal Vanguards and that was on episode 5 Sweet Temptation. I am a mecha fan and while I loved the Vanguard Hibiki piloted….I was not happy with the use of the other Vanguards and it was only near the end of the Second Stage that they were put back to use.

I wanted them to have a more prominent role in the story of VanDread-Halo in the same way they had been in GunDread SEED and GunDread SEED the Second Stage but not following the same path as well….but it was then that I had found out about the UNSC Cyclops.

The Cyclops was an offshoot of the MJOLNIR Series…based from the Mark I to the Mark III as was mentioned and was deadly in the missions it was in as a massive melee unit. I had planned to have it constructed but then I figured that the Vanguards would be more than adequate for the role played by the Cyclops, but with them being larger and more robust than the Cyclops and with the fact that they were flexible meant that I could take the design further than it was intended. As you all have seen…these new Vanguards will now be a fixture in the Fire Teams should they be needed in serious missions.

But they will NOT be the only things I get to work with on this chapter…no….these new Vanguards are just the tip of the iceberg.

**************

The Spartan oversaw the preparations being made by the crews in his command…he had made sure that all available materials and resources were ready for use in the coming operation. This was by far a very deadly and serious mission with no margins for error in even the initial stage…in order to minimize their impulse signature and therefore the risk of being detected by the Harvesters…the Nirvana took the long route….this took them a lot longer to reach the system at the time frame of at least several days….hopefully enough time to ready the ground assault Fire Teams and their weapons and the Dread crews for the coming mission.

The UNSC Super Soldier knew that the mission that he and his teams were taking part in was very high risk…unlike the mission that they had taken on Talvern….this was a vital area for the Harvesters and the enemy would no doubt defend this location with all that they could spare at the moment….and for a very good reason…a resource rich planet like this one was worth the time, effort, materials, and military assets to take over and command to fund their war effort…

They would have destroyed the facilities….but such an action would have consumed too much time and resources at the moment and they would ill afford those losses, and the Spartan knew that mounting a heavy assault would leave the crew severely shorthanded…and for that he was thankful for the Talvern reinforcements that he had with his Fire Teams. The Talvernians were already trained military personnel to they had something of an advantage over the pirates, including those in his Fire Teams as they already were professional soldiers.

At the moment…the Fire Teams were already deep in training in the firing range and were double checking their gear. The Spartan had also issued the Tarak Assault Rifles and their full loads….the weapons were going to be back-up weapons and were very much useful in key situations just in case either the modified Megele rifles or the UNSC weapons failed as well. He looked at them as they were shooting the targets and nodded to the NCOs of the Fire Teams and left them to do their work.

As he walked over to the training area which had the Vanguard simulators, he was greeted by the sight of none other than Barnette walking towards him with a serious expression on her face….he could tell that she had something important to say to him and she was now ready to say it….he was bare of any weapons at the moment but everyone on the Nirvanas knew that the Master Chief didn't need weapons to make a point…plus his augmented strength, with or without the MJOLNIR was enough to make him state his point. The Spartan looked at Barnette squarely in the face as she stopped before him.

“I'll do it….but don't think I'll agree to being the commander of this operation.”

“That's up to the Captain and the Commander Barnette….you'd better hurry….we've got at least a week to prepare…and if the Harvesters catch us….we have even less to deal with.”

Barnette turned about and headed off to the training simulators and the Spartan merely shook his head a bit and whispered to himself.

“That's one issue resolved….now for the next one…”

He then headed off to the Engineering Bay for an appointment with Parfait as she had asked him to go there. The head engineer had recently approached him and asked if there was a way she could design portable shields for the ground teams. The head engineer had developed a fascination to the Mjolnir Mark VI shield system and with the advanced technology they had….she had decided to test the idea of creating a less expensive version of his Mjolnir Mark VI to be issued to the Fire Teams. It was going to be a very ambitious project and was no doubt going to be heavily expensive in time and resources….but could very well result in great dividends for the pirates and their forces. She had incorporated the designs of their normal space suits and that of the Mjolnir and the Marine Body Armor he issued to the Fire Teams…and this project could coincide well with their mission.

If this worked….then Parfait could have enough material to create the suits directly and not strain the resources of the pirates….and while the suits could not match the Mjolnir directly….it would give the Fire Teams a needed edge should things get too dicey for normal armor. As soon as he stepped in…parfait arrived and she was tired….very tired.

“Man….all those upgrades on the Vanguards had better be worth it….”

The bespectacled engineer grabbed a water bottle and drank a good portion of the contents and it was then that she spotted the Master Chief there and she smiled as she finished her drink.

“Great! You made it Master Chief! Are you ready for the scanning?”

“Yes….do what you can Parfait.”

“Got it! All right crew! Time to get busy!”

“ROGER!!!”

The present engineering staff went to work as the Master Chief was placed on a special scanning unit that the Spartan saw resembled the shield charging unit that he had been subjected to when he got he Mark V and the Mark VI all those months before. But these were scanning systems….the Megele women used this to scan for any radiation contamination on their engineering staff when doing seriously risky repairs on their environmental suits to determine if the suits were usable or had to be replaced… Parfait had redesigned this one to scan the Mjolnir to get an idea of the construction designs that she could use as the test bed for the mass production versions of the said armor though she admitted that there was no way she could fully copy the systems themselves directly.

As the Spartan got into the scanner and began the process…the rest of the crew were well on their way….meia knew about Barnette not being present in the usual Dread squadron meetings and the reasons behind it. While she didn't like the idea of Barnette being absent she could not blame the situation….compared to her and the others, despite her dislike for the machines….Barnette had the most aptitude for the Vanguards and was by far the best choice to train the Talvern crew chosen to pilot the modified and remolded Vanguards.

She had to agree with the Master Chief's decision to have Barnette as the teacher for the Vanguard pilots…. and the facts that she was the only Vanguard pilot to spare added weight to the decision as well. They could not ask her since her claustrophobia would strike her out quickly, and while Jura and Dita had the same level of experience….they were not to be part of the operation as their Dreads formed the VanDreads which provided the Nirvana a serious edge over the Harvesters in space battles….and the same went for her as well. Hibiki was considered the best vanguard pilot as he was the one who used the Vanguard exclusively and was a Vanguard mechanic himself and knew the intricacies of the of the Vanguard….but he was needed in space to form the VanDreads.

When Hibiki was informed of the decision, the Tarak youth was mature enough to not argue with the decision. He knew that he was going to be a key player in the soon to come operation and complaining about not being on the ground mission was pointless…and besides….the Master Chief told him that he was needed with the Dreads….and the ground teams needed his help to clear the way for them.

Meia had to admit that the Tarak youth had come a long way from being the rash and hot tempered loudmouth youth that he was months before, it was now true that putting him with the Master Chief was the right move made by the Captain.

As she entered the Dread meeting room…everyone there got ready and there was naturally Dita and Jura, along with Hibiki….though both women were glomping Hibiki and glaring at one another yet again. She had no idea just how things had progressed this far between the two women and the Tarak youth but she placed that aside for a much better time as she had a briefing to give.

In Barnette's case….she was greeted by the other Talvern recruits and she knew that now was the time….the Captain, the Commander, and Meia had faith in her ability to train the Talvernians how to operate Vanguards and she had to hurry….they will not have much time and unlike their recon mission before….they were fighting a well trained, equipped and

**************

As the days passed…the preparations were going well as can be expected….the Fire Teams and their Talvern allies were now being issued their equipment for the mission and since they needed as much fire power and ordnance as can be used for the missions due to the dangers….the groups were really busy to get as much practice as they could in order to be at the top of their games.

The Spartan had outlined Cortana's plans to them and reviewed them carefully and the Fire Teams were very much aware of the high risks they were taking….they understood that this was a vital site for the Harvesters and their operations and the enemy would do whatever they could to defend the installation zealously and without any regard for the number of units they would have to sacrifice in this venture. And that was the reason why the women and the men of the Fire Teams were going heavy….

They were allowed to carry as much weaponry and fire-power as they could use without sacrificing mobility and flexibility. The Spartan knew that there would be no way his forces could go toe to toe with the Harvesters in a straight forward and no doubt prolonged battle….they didn't have either resources or man-power for that kind of heavy fighting, and they would risk heavy losses….they had to lure the Harvesters and trap them in a battle that will allow them to close the gap and use the special copy that Parfait, Gascogne, and Cortana had designed to disable the command center for the Harvester forces.

At the moment the women and men were equipped with the usual assortment of UNSC weapons, Covenant based energy weapons, Tarak issued rifles, and Megele weapons, and the Talvernians used the same mix and their own weapons. The Talvern laser rifle known as the lacer was modeled after an old Earth style rifle design….the M16A2 and was rugged and reliable and amazingly enough was easy to maintain and was useful as a replacement for the still somewhat delicate Megele laser rifles. And the Talvern soldiers….both men and women were now wearing the modified UNSC Marine Body Armor and were busy running through their drills.

Cortana had also planed improvements on not just the Tarak Vanguards but also the vehicles that were going to be used in combat for the operation.

The first vehicle would be the mobile medical treatment and armory center for the pirates….and it was the UNSC Behemoth-class Troop Transport….or commonly known as the Elephant in the UNSC forces….it was used in the early days of the UNSC-Covenant wars and had served well in those situations where heavy armor, fire-power and endurance was better against speed and mobility. It was used as a mobile Command center and as a repair station and troop transport. It had firing ports on it to allow passengers to unleash their weapons on the enemy when the needs came to that and it had it's own weapon system….a mid left AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun that could be detached by the Master Chief and a top right M41 LAAG Machine Gun like the ones mounted on the Warthogs.

The Elephant would be used as a mobile command center for most operations and to ensure that UNSC Marine, and Army forces would be able to reach the battle field with minimal fuss and danger at best. However….for this mission….it would be used as a medical center for battle-field treatment for severe injuries and serve also as a spare area for weapons and ammunition resupply as there would be a chance the Harvesters would be able to assault the Pelicans and cut of aerial resupply for the Ground teams. As such….the space needed for normal repair parts were replaced with containers for ammunition, power packs and spare weapons….and the modified Elephants were equipped with medical areas and supplies of UNSC issued medical materials and both Tarak and Megele medical tools, supplies and equipment.

Due to the sheer size and weight of the Elephants….they were to be brought in by Albatross transport and not by Pelicans as there would be no way the Pelicans could handle the sheer size and weight of the Elephants at the moment and the Albatross would serve well as a mobile command center from the air. However….this would not be the only vehicle in the arsenal that would be deployed this time.

The woman had been recently constructing a new vehicle for combat use for the Ground Teams and it was a very useful weapon for the UNSC….the SP42 Anti Vehicle/Fortification System Vehicle….or commonly known to all UNSC military personnel as the Cobra. The Cobra was constructed with two roles in mind….the first was as an anti vehicle system as it was armed with the heavier M66 Gauss cannons….an older but highly effective and reliable version of the M68 Gauss cannon used on the Warthogs. The vehicle had a chassis that had similarities to the Warthogs but it was in a half track system and therefore was heavier and more rugged and it had armored panels to deflect solid rounds and explosive shells and nominal protection against energy rounds.

The M66 Gauss Canons were larger and could fire heavier projectiles and at greater speed than the M68 but it had to do them in regularly timed salvos as the energy required to fire the heavier slugs meant that one canon must be fired at a time to prevent damaging the vehicle's systems. The Cobra proved it's worth as a weapon of war as synchronized fire from the canons it had could easily rip through heavy armor with the power to outclass even the 90mm canon of the Scorpion Tanks….and in a more agile package….but that was not the only valued system the vehicle had as it was not just used solely for hunting vehicles..

The Cobra got it's name as it could deploy special stabilizer systems and unleashed a compact but very powerful 125mmm rail gun designed solely as an artillery weapon system. The secondary function did have the weakness of cutting away the mobility of the Cobra….but the overall range and devastating artillery fire the unit could bring to the fore was considered a worthy sacrifice when the fighting got really heavy. More than one overconfident Covenant commander had his base facilities wrecked by a concerted barrage of fully deployed Cobras and their tank formations shattered by the Cobra and the long range it had in this mode.

In Cortana's mind….this meant that the Fire Teams now had a deadly artillery unit of their own use and with it working with the Warthogs, Scorpions and the Mongooses….the Nirvana Fire Teams were proving to he more than ready for a serious battle even if numbers were not on their side.

Another vehicle that Cortana had been working on and planed to field with the Nirvana Fire Teams was yet another vehicle that proved it's worth and power during the 30 year war with the Covenant….the MAA-9 Wolverine.

As she had no doubt the Harvesters would have new weapons. She had no doubts in her mind that the enemy would have ground based aircraft so the presence of a vehicle to support the ground vehicles exclusively as an Anti-Aircraft weapons was a needed part of the package….and she could find no other vehicle suited for this role than the Wolverine. It had proven it's worth when the vehicle proved able to swarm the air with missiles from it's specially made pods to shoot down Covenant aircraft that would arrive and cause untold chaos to UNSC ground forces and even the Covenant were cautious with their airborne assets when these were around. The Wolverines however could also angle their Argent Missile Pods to strike at ground targets though this was used as a last ditch move as the Wolverine was not designed to fight as a standalone unit without proper support from other UNSC assets….be the assets are from ground or air forces. The Wolverine had the XM511 Heavy Grenade Launcher that could be used to deal with soft targets like infantry and light vehicles….but sending groups of Wolverines alone without dedicated anti-armor as well as anti-infantry support was considered as being wasteful and suicidal.

Cortana planned to have at least two of these vehicles ready to lend a hand just in case anti-aircraft support was desperately needed by the Ground teams at some point in the mission. She also decided that even the Scorpion Tanks would need an overhaul…at least some of them….she recalled one variant that saw prominence in the Second Battle of Harvest…the Grizzly…

The Grizzly was a special order vehicle that was used by the UNSC Marine Corps when much greater fire-power was needed for the already deadly Scorpion Tank….the single canon turret was replaced with a double barreled turret that naturally boasted a pair of the same 90mm High Velocity Gun and a specially made turret mounted M7057/Defoliant Projector or the M7057 Flamethrower. This vehicle was used to crush even the most determined Covenant formations and forces and proved deadly to the said forces….making the cost in modifying the Scorpion to this variant worth it. Cortana had a feeling that the upgraded Scorpions would play a key role in evening up the odds against the numerically superior Harvester forces the Nirvana Ground Teams would be facing the very second they hit the ground fighting.

As she worked on the machines in the assembly area in the Forward Unto dawn….the former AI wondered on how this situation would play out once everything was on the stage. This was a very delicate and risky operation….there was no time to set up a base, they had to attack while on the move and hit the Harvesters hard at the same time the Nirvana's Dread Squadrons and Hibiki's Vanguard would lead the overall attack.

Cortana turned and there was Dita who was carrying a small beautiful necklace and she couldn't help but smile at her perky friend.

“Dita! What brings you here?'

The redhead smiled at her close friend and replied.

“I wanted to give this to Mr. Alien as a good luck charm, but I don't know where he is at the moment….have you seen him Cortana?”

Cortana thought about that and replied in answer.

“Try seeing him in his quarters….he should be there and busy relaxing….he had a heck of a training session just a few hours ago and he's really tired so be gentle with him when you decide to wake him up. Most tired guys are very cranky when they get woken up from what they see as a well deserved snooze.”

Dita nodded and moved on….allowing Cortana to smile at her young friend as she went back to work on the design plans.

**************

In the Engineering Bay…

“Hmmm….if we can create a relatively easy to recharge and repair power pack system for the suit….then we're in business.”

“What about the shield system….we can't rely on sheer armor alone Parfait.”

“I know….the shields the Master Chief have on the Mjolnir are the Golden eggs on this project…..but we'll just have to create a weaker but still useable system.”

Parfait was busy running through the design mockup simulations of the suits she had in mind to be cheaper mass production versions of the Mjolnir Mark VI. The spunky head engineer knew this was her most ambitious project to date and would no doubt be something that would be near impossible to design. The UNSC scientists were absolute geniuses in her mind to have created the Mjolnir Mark VI in her mind….and she had not taken back her estimation months before and knew that under normal circumstances….there would be NO way she could design something like this….however….she did have an interest in the armor and wanted to see if she could make a replica….crude in comparison to the original….but worth the effort in her mind.

In truth….there were rumors back on Megele that the Government had toyed with the idea of designing power armor suits, but those were scraped and the current suits they had were considered a far better result. But she had no doubt in her mind that compared to the Mjolnir….the suits they had were nothing but mere chump change compared to the master Chief's life long choice of armor….and she could not blame him.

Compared to the space suits they used….the Mjolnir was the ultimate Armor system….it was highly resilient to damage, it could amplify the strength and speed of the user, it had a self charging shield system that was absolutely impressive, it had onboard medical systems, a fully equipped communications system, a powerful reactor for supplying all power needs, an advanced locomotion system, and finally, in her mind the crowning achievement….a core system that could transport an AI. The Mjolnir Mark VI Armor Suit might be frightening at first, but in the eyes of an engineer like her….it was the Holy Grail of all armor design. Parfait knew that she would have no chance in replicating it down to the last detail due to several key factors.

The most obvious was the fact that no one in the pirates could handle the sheer power of the Mjolnir Mark VI as they didn't have the Master Chief's genetic and cybernetic augmentations to handle the sheer power of the system directly, and trying to operate the suit without the said enhancements were tantamount to suicide. And she had the information to back it up as the simulations she had run previously resulted in many of the users who were not enhanced like the Master Chief were all either critically injured or were fatally crippled by the sheer power of the suit itself….she watched those very carefully in order to remind herself of the limitations she had to deal with at the moment.

The head engineer therefore decided to cut away some of the noted Mjolnir Mark VI features in order to make the replicate suits be easier and simpler to use for the women. The liquid metal crystal layer was off limits for her to tamper with….but she could try and use special micro motor systems that they used in the space suits….though they would have to be improved for extra power. The motors would be run by a small computer to interface with the user and allow the user to move the arm and the motors would aid the user as well. This would mean that the suits would have to rely on not just motors in the joints that had to move….but layers of nano-fiber cords in order to provide the artificial muscles in order to provide lifting power and more to the suits.

The suits would also need a fusion power pack system to handle all the core systems and therefore….she would have to design a power system that could be able to provide the power not just for the suit's systems, but for the shield system that she would be able to install into the suit should she figure out a more effective replication of the highly advanced Mjolnir Mark VI shields. The power system would need to operate for long periods of time in the field and also would provide the same level of power for the shields to work at the moment. The woman knew that until she could have all the time and resources that were needed to make actual prototypes to test and use in practice, the power supply would have to be different from anything their own space suits would use and a fusion pack like the one used by the Mjolnir Mark VI would be a good choice as the power system, though a cleaner and more efficient one, thanks to Megele technology and knowhow.

The head engineer knew that replicating the material used by the Spartan to house a ship borne AI would be impossible for her to properly create as the memory processing superconductive weave was unknown and she had no idea on the construction of the system. Thus she had to rely on a modified computer system that she would have to create from scratch in order to achieve a small portion of the functions that were offered by the material that was granted to the Spartan in combat operations and when hacking into computer systems was needed at the moment in the battle field situation. The computer system would be powered also by the new power system that she would use that was modeled from the fusion power system for the whole suit. The computer system would then by able to handle communications medial status, friendly combat updates and more….just like the memory processor weave in the Spartan's Mjolnir Mark VI.

The head engineer than would have to come up with a viable solution to the medical systems inside the Mjolnir Mark VI, the technology was highly advanced and therefore was hard for her to replicate but she knew that an onboard medical system was needed to ensure that anyone of the Fire Teams who were going to be wearing the prototype didn't have to remove the armor to receive medical treatment and leave themselves vulnerable to injury and worse when in the battle field….on the chance that both the shield and the armor would fail to block incoming attacks.

The shields of the Mjolnir Mark VI however were the cream of the crop and she needed as much data as she could….the shields were made in such a way that was amazing. Most Megele based shield technology was used on Dreads and their war ships, it was never intended for the use of infantry as the military heads of the planet of Megele deemed their space suits more than adequate to deal with the weapons of the men, though Barnette's previous wound from a Tarak rifle round proved that theory otherwise. The shields of the Mjolnir Mark VI were in Parfait's mind the very first sign that energy shields for infantry squads was a big possibility. However, the complex design of the energy shields and their Paeksis enhancements…. meant that there would be no way she could copy them perfectly,…however, Cortana had provided a solution as she told Parfait about how the shields of the Mjolnir were made….she was now aware that the Mark V, the armor series worn previously by the Spartan had reverse engineered Covenant shield technology, namely the arm mounted shield of the Jackal troopers, this allowed the UNSC a basic understanding of shield technology to create the Bubble Shield and the Mjolnir shields.

She decided to have the project placed on ice for them time being and allow herself the time to think the process over carefully and made sure to wait until the mission that they were going to be in was a success and as soon as it was a success, then she would get to work with the idea of creating the pirates' own Power Armor suits that would be very useful for the Fire Teams should they need heavy armor and firepower if they were to head into heavy combat by the bucket loads.

**************

As the crew went to work on the mission before them….everyone pitched in as Duero was busy helping train several more of the Fire Team members and the Talvern soldiers on the methods of Emergency First Aid and medical treatment on the field to ensure that the Fire Teams were able to keep each other from suffering fatal injuries….apart from the training, the Tarak medics were also stocking the medical supplies they needed to support the ground teams, the Master Chief thanked Duero and the Tarak teen was all right with the whole thing at the moment.

The crew were all ready by the end of the second to the last day….Barnette had done her best and both Duero and Hibiki watched the whole thing and they saw that the Talvern men and women who were going to pilot the newly completed and tested Vanguards were ready for the mission. Duero and Hibiki had to admit that the newly upgraded Vanguards were certainly impressive weapons as they were now better armored, armed, and equipped by Cortana and Parfait's work. The Vanguards were not as high tech as the Dreads….but their abilities as flexible war machines more than made up for that lack of high tech firepower….and now with their newly installed weapons….these Vanguards were going to be a real handful for the Harvesters to challenge head on.

The Nirvana was already in combat position as the crew got down to initiating the plan that they had been working on for the past few days and Magno was ready for the mission as well as Buzam and the rest of the bridge crew….they knew that the mission would be the most critical they would ever take at this point and time in their careers, and the rewards were certainly looking to be worth the risks. The elderly woman had great faith in her crew and a strong sense of respect for the Master Chief….he had led their forces through several victories already and his abilities, experience, and talents were helpful when the chips were down.

As the crew got ready and the players of the mission were getting ready for their parts in what will be the most risky battle they had ever been in….they took the time to organize themselves and settle into the coming battle. Barnette was with the Dread Squadrons….her task done and she hoped that it was worth the time and effort.

**************

In space…

Hibiki checked his Vanguard's systems as the Dread Squadrons were getting ready for the soon to come battle….next to him was Dita's Dread as she and him were going to be the very first to lead the tip of the spear. They were to go in and unleash their VanDread's heavy firepower and support the Dreads and also when they might encounter any threats like the Space Urchins…..then he would separate from the redhead and merge with Meia's Dread in order to use their VanDread's combined speed and power to their advantage when the situation called for it to be done and was unpredictable at best….and should they need to increase their forces' defensive abilities, he would merge with Jura's Dread and the VanDread Jura's shield would prove invaluable to increase their survivability.

Cortana would also provide the Dreads with support fire like before with the aid of the Nirvana's heavy weapons and systems and the controlled Longswords, with Bart acting as her support in maneuvering the ship….the two were getting along well as Cortana and Bart, while being in their respective duties would trade stories, with Bart telling the former AI about his world and how he thought of the alliance and of women, while Cortana served as his rival in regards to women though the two were not hostile at all and Bart later said to him that Cortana was certainly someone he didn't mind wasting time with.

The Tarak teen knew that he had to do his part and help with the risky plan that the officers had come up, he knew he could trust both his mentor and Cortana to pull it off and that was what gave him the drive to plan out his own strategies at the moment while he was in the cockpit of his Vanguard. It was then that he was being hailed and he activated the communication system of his Vanguard and there before him was none other than Dita.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering if you were all right Mr. Alien?”

“I'm fine….just have a lot on my mind at the moment.”

“Oh I see….tell me, would you want me to make you some hamburgers later when this mission is over?”

Hibiki was somewhat confused at that, this was the very first time he had heard of a hamburger before, and he had a feeling that this might be a food item, the second he thought of that, he was smiling and had a tiny amount of drool on the corner of his lip. He wiped it off and got his attention back to where it was needed at the moment.

“I guess so….but we'll worry about that later.”

“All right! So I'll see you in the galley later! Bye Mr. Alien!”

Hibiki nodded and took the time to relax when all of a sudden, he got an incoming call….and this time it was from none other than Jura herself, the seductive blonde gave the Tarak teen a very curious and knowing look, one that made Hibiki look at her with some level of confusion and suspicion.

“What is it this time?”

“Oh nothing serious….I was just wondering if you know that you'll combine with me soon…”

“I know that! If it comes to it I'll…combine with you okay? You happy now?”

“Oh yes….and I've got some new food for you to try…ever heard of deep fried mutton chops?”

The mention of food was naturally Hibiki's Achilles heel and the Tarak teen didn't disappoint and he looked very interested at Jura,

“Not really….are they good?”

“Oh yes….you'd love them….plus I do know how to cook a very good set of food items, namely a great Caesar salad and several desert items. Tell you what Hibiki….you combine with me and my Dread a bit more often and I'll make sure to have those said food items for you to try out when we get back to the Nirvana….deal?”

Hibiki thought it over and decided to agree….on a condition of course.

“Fair enough….but keep in mind that we're on a mission so we'll have to wait and see….”

“All right then….I'll be waiting Hibiki.”

Jura then gave Hibiki a seductive wink and kiss and Hibiki couldn't help but feel a strange sensation hit him right in the guts and he couldn't help but blush a bit for some unfathomable reason. He then placed that out of his mind for the time being as he focused on doing his last check up and was in time to get a call from John.

“Hibiki….”

“Yes Master Chief?”

“I want you to keep your focus on the mission at all times and be there to support the Dreads when they need the support and fire power. And make sure to buy the ground teams enough time to sneak into the surface of the planet and begin the attack. We're always vulnerable at this stage and considering the high risk of this mission…we need all the cover we can get….do you understand Hibiki?”

Hibiki understood clearly….even with the Longswords acting as support….there was no way for the Fire Teams to accomplish their goals if the Harvesters were able to get the drop on them and attack them when they were vulnerable. He and Meia knew this already but considering the high value of the facilities on the surface of the planet before them, then the protection of the Fire Teams until they were planet side was paramount for the mission's success.

“I understand Master Chief!”

“Good.”

In the head of the small Assault Fleet and in the main ship, one of the newly manufactured and supplied Albatross ships that carried the Elephant and the other vehicles such as the newly created Grizzly Tank, the Master Chief was running through the diagnostics of the ships once more to make sure that everything was working the way they should be at the moment. The Spartan was armed with his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle that was in a weapons locker near him at the moment, and a SRS 99D S2 AM Sniper Rifle was also nearby for him to use at the moment and it was in a full combat load out so the weapon was ready for combat use the very second of the ship landed on the surface of the planet. On the back were a portion of the Fire Teams that were ready for the mission while the rest were in a small fleet of Pelicans and a pair of spare Albatross Drop Ships to give the Fire Teams greater degrees of flexibility and power at the moment.

As the ground teams got their gear organized the Master Chief did a run through of the mission plans in his head and made sure to check the landing zone in advance, all they needed was the Clarion Spy Drones to send in the latest combat information on the Harvesters and they would soon make their move….the Dreads would make the first strike as the Nirvana would use the MAC Guns to fire a first salvo to cover the attack…the target was naturally the re-arming, repair and resupply yard that was in orbit so that it would be badly damaged and would not be able to support the orbital Harvester Fleet….as soon as the attack went underway….the Fire Teams and their Talvern allies would make their move from the far side to make sure that they were not caught by the Harvesters on their ay down….though he had no doubt the Harvesters would be getting ready to defend themselves on the ground.

As soon as the groups got the go ahead from the Captain as the Clarion Spy Drones gave the information they needed at the moment….the Dread Squadrons with Hibiki's Vanguard in tow made their move as the Nirvana moved ahead and they escorted their ship….and the Spartan and the ground teams….all fully loaded and ready for combat on the ground moved in as the Longsword squadrons were now unleashed and were on their way to support the Dreads and the small fleet of the ground teams,

As soon as the Nirvana was moving into position….Cortana spoke to Bart.

“Bart….move to these coordinates….it's time to see how the Harvesters react to this.”

“Got it!”

As soon as the former UNSC AI got the data that showed to her that the Nirvana was in the perfect firing angle for a MAC strike she ran the command to load the three tungsten slugs into the MAC Cannon Firing chambers and as soon as she was assured that the rounds were in….she locked in and quickly got the firing solutions recorded, double checked, and readied.

“Captain….firing solutions are locked in and confirmed! Awaiting orders!”

Magno nodded as she spotted the Harvesters repair facility in space and saw the massive space defense fleet that the Harvesters had on standby to defend the installation, there were Cube Fighters there, along with Space Urchins and Seed Ships….fitting due to the value of the location her crew was about to attack and she knew that now was the time….the Dreads would make the spear attack after the MAC rounds were fired….as soon as the Dreads were there and fighting as well as the Longswords, the Nirvana itself would come in and lend fire support to the Dread Squadrons with Hibiki, Jura, Meia, and Dita providing heavy support in their VanDreads….it was go time.

“FIRE!!!!”

The pirates in the Nirvana braced as the MAC Cannons were primed and charged and moments latter the MAC Cannons unleashed their heavy tungsten projectiles and the three high powered rounds glowed from the cannons and streaked right at the Harvesters and their forces….allowing Hibiki to say something sarcastic at the Harvesters just for the fun of it.

“Knock! Knock!”

**************

The Harvesters barely had time to react when the first bits of data came to tell them that the Nirvana was sighted from the dark side of the planet….evading their sensor nets, they were about to turn and attack as the tungsten slugs from the Nirvana's MAC Cannons came right at them. The projectiles ripped through several squadrons of the Cube Fighters….the fighters were either ripped apart by the sheer kinetic force of the projectiles, or were sent flying by the shockwaves…. Several Space Urchins are blown to kingdom come as they were in the way or were ripped apart and the Seed Ships in the firing path fared little better…as despite their higher level of mass, their armor was no defense against the MAC rounds.

The three rounds slammed into the repair installation and the resulting devastation caused the Cube Fighters and their fellow defenders in space a great deal of confusion and difficulty for a moment and that allowed the Nirvana pirates to hit them hard as trails of missiles and beam bolts from the Dreads were accompanied by Archer Missiles from the Nirvana and the fight began in earnest with VanDread Dita leading the charge and unleashing a large amount of beam shots at the now recovering Harvesters….

The battle in space was on…

**************

The ground teams in their ships got ready as they began to hit the atmosphere as the Spartan guided the Albatross and their forces to the ground….as soon as they hit the atmosphere….the Fire Teams braced themselves for the rough ride down and they were not disappointed as they felt gravity come right at them as they were still strapped in.

There was no sign that the Harvesters were expecting them yet but there was no doubt in the Spartan's mind that the Harvesters knew that they were coming and would no doubt get all their available forces on the ground to get ready and defend their key installations and facilities, such places like these are the kinds they would do anything to defend and that was going to be one heck a battle. As soon as the small fleet were clear of the atmosphere…..he guided at Albatross Fleet down to the ground and as soon as they were in position. He turned and called on the inter-com for all the ground teams.

“All Fire Teams get ready for combat! We are boots on the ground people!”

The Spartan's orders were easily recognized by all under his command as the Firte Teams unstrapped themselves and their vehicles to get ready for combat and it was then that Cortana's voice came on his COM system.

“Chief….we've picked up energy fluctuations that tell us that the terrestrial shields are now online so get ready for a hell of a fight….before the shields came online, scanners picked several large groups heading for defensive patterns on the ground areas.”

“They were expecting us….”

“Roger that Chief….John, I don't have to say this too many times…..but be careful.”

“I understand.”

He got into the back and quickly raised his Fire Teams and told them that the Harvesters were ready for them and the planetary shields were active at this moment and time was now against that as the Harvesters would be toughening up their defenses in preparation for their incoming assault. The Master Chief then turned to the NCOs of his Fire Teams and then to the Talvern officers who were charged with leading the Talvern soldiers into battle.

“The Harvesters know we're coming and they know that this is a key sight for their military war machine….and they will defend this location with whatever forces they have at the moment….this time we have to be the fast moving ones….because the installations are too valuable and too numerous for us to destroy….we are not going to get any heavy support with the exception of taking out the forces of the Harvesters here on the ground. Let's get this plan into action.”

“YES SIR!!!!”

The Fire Teams quickly got their gear together and the Fire Teams got out their vehicles….the Talvernian soldiers, under the command of their own officers were equipped with their own weapons and gear for combat, but were using the same comm. systems of the pirates to maintain field contact with one another at the moment. As the groups got ready for combat and they were now moving out, the master Chief then ordered Fire Team Alpha to perform initial recon of the area and they were quick on the situation ad they were now onboard a pair of Warthogs, one armed with an M41 LAAV and the other was a Troop Transport Warthog and they were moving out and that allowed the others the time needed to get the rest of the vehicles deployed… the Spartan hoped that the initial recon team would be all right.

**************

Out in deep space…

The Nirvana was currently unleashing a massive barrage of Archer Missiles and 50mm rounds into space as the Harvesters and the pirates closed the gap….with the Nirvana providing heavy support for the Dreads and Hibiki's Vanguard which was in VanDread Dita's form as the pair worked in tandem to attack incoming Cube Fighter formations and then they would use the cannons when they were on the forearms and acting as blades to cut down incoming Cube Fighters, As soon as the Dreads fought the first wave of Cube Fighters, the Harvesters unleashed their Seed Ships and released more of the Cube Fighters and the Urchin vessels came into the scene and while VanDread Dita was able to take out a number of the Seed Ships and the Cube Fighters….the Urchin Ships used their speed to their advantage to avoid the incoming shots of the VanDread's guns.

Meia quickly saw that and called out to Hibiki…

“Hibiki!!!! We need to take out those Urchin Ships quickly!!! Form up with me so we can match their speed!!!”

“Roger!!!”

Dita was not happy with the idea of being separated from her Mister Alien but she was not about to argue at the moment as she and Hibiki separated….the VanDread glowed and was now in the basic pair of Dita's Dread and Hibiki's Vanguard….several cube Fighters were on the move to attack, but Hibiki's training with his Vanguard allowed him to move his Vanguard quickly through the battle and he used the sword of his Vanguard along with the secondary sword to fight with both blades and cut through them incoming Cube Fighters….three were cut down with powerful arcing swipes and two others were cut down with powerful charging slashes….one more tried to blind-side Hibiki but he turned about and tossed his secondary sword and it struck the Cube Fighter right in the eye…. Destroying it with one hit…

“ARGH!!!”

Hibiki shouted as his Vanguard was hit on the shoulder but the armor held and he turned to face his attacker….but the Cube Fighter had been cut down by Meia's fire power as her silver-grey Dread came on the scene and Hibiki was called in by Meia.

“You all right Hibiki?”

“Yeah….damn Harvester jerk managed to blind side me….I really need to sharpen up on my training.”

“At least you're all right….”

Meia was about to say more but it was then that two more communiqués came online in the communication system and sure enough, the first speaker was Dita who had a great look of worry on her face, and Jura was there as well and she was somewhat concerned. And naturally Dita was the very first to comment on what had happened at that moment.

“Mr. Alien!!! Are you all right?!”

“I'm fine….just a bit banged up….nothing I can't handle…”

“That's good…”

Jura also joined in and spoke as well to Hibiki.

“Yeah….it would be bad you got into worse than that.”

Hibiki had no idea why they were so concerned about him that much, but he had learned to be thankful for the caring and support and accepted it either way, as soon as that was out of the way at the moment, he and Meia wasted no time and created their VanDread and quickly smashed their way through the Urchin ships as the two used the speed advantage to evade the attacks and fight back accordingly when the Urchin Ships tried to skewer them dead on at the moment with their spines. The Dreads took that to their advantage as the Longswords controlled by Cortana loaned their support for the incoming assault at the moment and that was enough to allow Cortana to handle ship defense for the time being….and since the Harvesters had no Boarding Craft in the area as they were not expecting the Nirvana to launch an attack here of all places….Cortana had little to worry about and so did the rest of the crew in the ship, though the Security Teams were ready to respond the very second something bad was happening.

Cortana saw that the Dreads could handle the situation and quickly spoke to the Captain.

“Captain….request permission to send the Longswords planet-side.”

“Go ahead….something tells me that they are going to need the air support.”

Cortana nodded and quickly sent the Longswords down to the planet's surface and with VanDread Meia now separating and forming VanDread Jura to create a shield for the incoming barrage of weapons fire from the Harvesters to allow Gascogne and her crew to refuel and replenish a number of the Dreads in battle safely, the Dreads could handle things from here as most of the Urchin Ships had been totaled by attacks coming from VanDread Meia earlier. The Longswords that were now hitting the surface of the atmosphere were now accompanied by new Longsword squadrons to support the incoming assault and were now on their way through the atmosphere at the moment.

**************

Back on the ground at the moment…

John was busy working on the formations as the armored forces were being brought i….it was not easy getting the Elephants out of the Albatross Drop-ships due to their size and weight and they were the longest to get out and operational as things were well on their way….it was then that he got an incoming distress call from Fire Team Alpha at the moment, he tapped in and spoke to the voice on the COM…

“This is Spartan-117!”

“We've encountered the Harvesters Master Chief!!! There's a massive force heading out and we go into a fire fight with a forward element of theirs….we've been hit bad….”

“Casualties?”

“Three wounded including myself….but not critical….we're at least six to twelve clicks north from the current location and our rides are totaled…The Harvesters have got airborne assets here Chief….BOOOOM!!!!....we need backup now sir!!!!”

The Spartan turned and the faces on his crew made him know that they had gotten the same call as well….he wasted no time and saw that one Hornet was ready for movement and he grabbed a spare Spartan Laser and one of the Fire Team members of Fire Team Delta was quick to volunteer and she quickly got into the cockpit and the Spartan boarded the gunship and gave his standing orders for the teams.

“Head for the designated location as quickly as you all can and great ready for some serious fighting….we'll head out and get to Fire Team Alpha as quickly as possible and get ready to assault the Harvesters….move out!!!”

The Spartan readied his secondary weapon, as the Hornet took off and headed towards the location of Fire Team Alpha's transmission and the Spartan was hoping that they would make it in time to help the Fire Team and get them to be rescued in time, he then contacted Cortana and was happy to be informed that she had planned ahead and sent them a large number of Longswords to back them up at the moment as he had a feeling that they were going to need all the firepower and armor they could get their hands on at the moment and air power was certainly a must at the moment….even with the air force they had managed to ready on the surface….they were going to need the Longswords down here at the moment.

**************

In the location of the ambushed Fire Team…

The smell of burning rubber, melted metal, steaming coolant, melted circuitry and wiring was joining the smell of gunpowder as the Fire Team in question were fighting back as best they could at the moment. The Fire Team had been able to make it far when they were suddenly attacked by plasma bolts and they were quickly forced to fight and their enemies came out and there was actually a force of twenty Harvester Troopers that they encountered….no doubt a recon team like they were at the moment…t was their bad luck that they had stumbled into this trap.

But the training and discipline the Master Chief had imparted on them proved to be a real saving aid at the moment as they fought back and several of the Harvester Troopers were quickly cut down and several more were even run down by the women in the wheels of the two Warthogs while others were sent flying when they were hit by the bodies of the heavy vehicles….however the battle was not over as more plasma bolts came at them….forcing the Troop Transport Warthog crew and passengers to evacuate from the vehicle to be better in fighting close quarters and the move proved to be a good one as they were able to evade a massive barrage of heavily focused plasma bolts that smashed hard into the vacated vehicle and the warthog's armor couldn't hold it and the vehicles succumbed to the barrage and was ruined and it finally was blown to shreds….some of the women were able to make it into a ditch nearby and were able to escape most of the blast from their totaled vehicle….but some were cut and wounded by shrapnel though the armor they had one protect them well and hiding in the ditch helped.

However the concentrated barrage came once more and the attackers finally revealed themselves to the women as another forces of Harvester Troopers came out and this time, they were accompanied by several bands of Heavy Gunner Troopers. The women unleashed their weapons fire while the ones in the still working warthog supported them with assault fire from the M41. The battle was turning very bloody and fierce for the group as they were fighting with all they have as several were wounded as well as their NCO, however….they held on and unleashed a grenade volley that blasted a good number of their foes apart and allowed them to recover….as the Fire team fought off the enemy, they gained a quick respite and tended their injuries….as they hoped that backup was on the way as the other Warthog was badly hit….the metal armor in the front was charred at the moment from the plasma assault that was unleashed on them at the moment.

However…just as things seemed to be calming down in some fashion, they heard the incoming whistles and that told them right off the bat that they were about to get hit real hard and when they looked at the sky, the sight of the incoming plasma bolts told them that the real battle was about to begin.

BOOM!!!!!!!

 

“GET DOWN!!!!!”

The dust and debris flying everywhere made Nirvana Fire Team Alpha duck as a cloud of dirt, stones and mud pelted the sky as the groups ducked in the trench. The fighting was pretty intense as the sky was filled with plasma bolts and more as the bombardment was hitting the area they were in pretty hard. The women were able to stay safe as the smell of ozone and more were everywhere at the moment and things were getting hectic as the surviving team members tried to patch up the wounded and injured at the moment and things. However….that did not last long as they looked and spotted another advancing element of the harvester Troopers heading right for them at the moment. They managed to patch up the wounded and got ready to fight.

Plasma bolts and bullets flew everywhere at that moment as the Fire Team fought off the incoming groups of Harvesters….they were doing their best despite the hailstorm of plasma bolts that came at them, the fighting was hellish in a way….as there were only seven of them and they were vastly outnumbered, but the women were not giving up and they would not retreat at the moment as they held their line to defend the wounded and to wait for back-up. No one knew how the women of Megele back home would have handled this kind of fighting as this was unlike normal combat for them….the Fire Team however were trained well and their previous experiences under the Spartan told them well on how to hold the line and they knew that back-up would be on it's way.

As soon as the dust settled the Fire Team was able to fire back and take out several more advancing Harvester Troopers, the women were able to see the rest of the open battle field and then they spotted something that made them feel fear…an armored spearhead of Harvester Main Battle Tanks heading right for them…the team members looked at one another and wished that they had some heavier ordnance to deal with them. To make it worse…several unknown fighters appeared in the air right above the Harvester armored column…The unknown aircraft resembled old Earth stingrays and were apparently well armed…

The women looked at one another as three of them were badly hurt and it was not looking good as backup was not going be there in time.

However…before things could get even more grim… a barrage of missiles and lasers came out from the other side of their make shift foxhole, the missiles slammed hard into the approaching armored column and reduced several of the vehicles to scrap while two of the unknown Harvester fighters were sent smashing down to the ground in burning heaps.. Kara then turned and took out her binoculars and looked and she whooped in joy.

“ALL RIGHT!!! BACK UP IS HERE GIRLS!!!!”

And sure enough an incoming Hornet came into the area and there was the Master Chief armed with a Spartan Laser got off and ran to their position to lend them back up…just as the sky was now filled with Longswords fresh from the Nirvana. And to their surprise…the latest weapons made by Cortana and piloted by their comrades were now on the scene…

The Spartan turned and looked at the incoming air support some were piloted remotely by Cortana such as the Longswords…the others were piloted by the Fire Teams along with their Talvern allies and he began to distribute Medical Packs to the members of Fire Team Alpha…and he heard the arrival of the Nirvana's own answer to the Harvester's armored spearhead.

It was time for the Harvesters to say goodbye to another installation.

The battle exploded outward as Kara and her wounded comrades were brought towards one of the lumbering Elephants by several of their Talvernian allies who were onboard a Transport Warthog, thankfully Kara's injuries were not enough to stop her from doing her key duties and she led the rest of the squadron as they joined up with the armored spearhead….which was led by the Scorpions and the small but lethal number Grizzly Main Battle Tanks, the Warthogs unleashed volleys of Gauss rounds and M41 rounds as the Harvesters unleashed their own assault to attack the pirates and halt their attacks….the Spartan was in the lead as those members of the Nirvana ground forces who were not on vehicles….his battle prowess once more seen as he unleashed hails of rounds from his MA5C ICWS and cut down several more Harvester Troopers….and they focused their attention on the Spartan at the moment to finally eliminate him for good….and the Master Chief knew that for a fact as several more Harvesters began to focus elements of their ground forces to target the Spartan.

The Spartan turned and fired several accurate bursts on a pair of Harvester Troopers that came at him and he quickly ducked behind several large boulders nearby when a Heavy Gunner Trooper unleashed a hail of plasma bolts at his location….the Spartan looked a bit and saw the location of the Heavy Gunner and took out his Plasma Grenade and tossed it quickly and it landed before the Heavy Trooper and exploded….the plasma explosion was enough for the Heavy Trooper to back away quickly and The Spartan took the initiative and used his super human speed to rapidly move forward and fire several rounds as the plasma cloud began to dissipate and the rounds he had fired struck the Heavy Trooper dead center and forced it to back away with holes in the body and the Spartan then took out his Combat Knife and with one massive throw….struck the Heavy Gunner Trooper dead center in the head….the Harvester unit's CPU was skewered by the knife and it died quickly as the Master Chief ran on and with amazing precision…..took up his Combat Knife in stride and then re-sheathed it on his back and quickly turned to fire another burst of rounds from his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle on several more Harvester Troopers as he was now being attacked by a Harvester Main Battle tank….he moved out of the way quickly as the shields on his Mjolnir Mark VI flashed from the plasma discharge.

The Spartan quickly rolled to the left and got up to show the Spartan laser and just as the Harvester Tank tried to turn….it was gutted alive by the blast of the Spartan Laser's laser bolt as it sliced through the armor like it was nothing but mere butter being cut by a hot knife. The attack had also sliced through the vehicle and cut down several harvester Troopers….ripped into another Harvester Heavy Tank….and then through the side of a Troop Transport….allowing the Spartan to slaughter a large number of Harvester units with only one shot alone….the Spartan then was supported by incoming support fire from the other members of the Fire Teams as M41 and Gauss Cannon Rounds tore into an advancing wall of Harvester Troopers.

The Spartan quickly got on the move and tossed one of his plasma grenades right into the turret of another Harvester Trooper Transport and the plasma grenade exploded….making the vehicle reel as it was about to unleash it's payload of troops, and as the door opened, the Master Chief quickly tossed in a his Frag grenades into the Transport and the two grenades exploded inside….causing all sorts of hell in the vehicle as the blood of the Harvester troopers inside were splattered all over the place. The Spartan then moved away as several high powered tungsten rounds from one of the Grizzly Main Battle Tanks finished off the vehicle with only a single salvo of it's dual cannons and then Spartan led the charge as several of the Fire Teams who were not on vehicles came in to follow him.

The newly modified Vanguards were showing their stuff as they unleashed their ranged weapons on the incoming Harvesters and due to their close combat design….they were more than a match for most Harvester Troopers trying to come in close for a more direct attack on them. The Talvern pilots were more than able to hold their own though this battle was the very first time any of them were using a mecha in combat as mecha was not used for such purposes back in their world before it fell to the Harvesters. The Vanguards were in ways a lot more mobile than the other forces in the arsenals of the pirates and the women from Megele who were piloting a small band of these mecha had to admit that they were really challenged by the machines as they had no idea how to properly use a Vanguard….however they had to admit that the Vanguard was perfectly suited for this kind of fighting….as their Dreads were near useless in battles like these.

The Vanguards' added mobility played a good factor in getting into very unique but helpful attack angles as they were supported by the rest of the UNSC arsenals….behind them main attack force were the Cobras who were now unleashed their heavy rail-gun artillery weapons and the battle field became a sight of wrecked vehicles and ruined Harvester bodies, the Vanguards were also able to take a considerable amount of damage at the moment as they continued to mount their assault on the Harvesters…

The Wolverines and the Hornets came into play as more of the Harvester manta ray like fighters came on the scene and strafed the ground forces and while the Fire Teams in the Warthogs, Vanguards, Scorpions, and Grizzlies fired back, the Wolverines and the Hornets unleashed their arrays of missiles and several salvos slammed hard into the enemy as the Longswords unleashed their missiles and cannons at the ground and air forces in the area…the Harvester Forces were wiped out eventually though the Master Chief cautioned the ground teams not to be overconfident and they agreed….there was chance the Harvesters had another force ready to attack once they got closer to the ziggurat that served as the main command center for the Harvester garrison they were fighting with at the moment.

The Fire Teams moved in and finally managed to reach one of the shield towers and they attacked it….fighting through the Harvester garrison there….but not without cost as several more vehicles bit the dust and had to be abandoned…several of the Talvernians were badly injured and had to be evacuated and the arrival of Elephants was indeed welcome as the wounded were taken onboard for protected field medical treatment at the moment as the rest of the Nirvana assault forces moved in towards one of the shield towers so they could clear the area for aerial reinforcements… t they all focused their fire power on the shield tower….the structure was not able to last long as the pounding came at it hard and the Master Chief took a Damage Pack and fought his way to the Tower after replenishing his grenades and using the Spartan Laser to take out both a Harvester Tank and some Heavy Gunner Troopers who were in the way and he fought with the small garrison in the inside area of the tower and then set charge and the explosion sent the Tower falling down to the ground with a mighty crash as rocks and dust were everywhere. As soon as the shield was down, they moved out and kept moving forward to the area where the main facilities were located and sure enough….the Harvesters had much larger force ready to fight and that force was heading right for them all….the Master Chief quickly gave orders to set up a quick kill zone and the Fire Teams got ready to comply as the land before them at the moment would work well as a site for an ambush….no matter how hard it was going to be to set up because of the time frame they had to deal with at that moment.

The Spartan was now armed with his Spartan Laser and it had charges left as he waited for the enemy to make their move and sure enough….the enemy was coming as hordes of Harvester Troopers came in the battle zone….accompanied by Mortar troopers, harvester Tanks, Heavy Gunners and their officer units as well. The Spartan did a quick head count and spotted the incoming Manta Fighters and focused on them as the Hornets were on hover mode….he waited and as soon as the Harvesters were in the kill zone….unleashed the assault he had been planning.

The Wolverines unleashed hails of missile on both ground and air threats while the Scorpions, Grizzlies, the Warthogs, the Vanguards and the Cobras unleashed their combined fire power as the Fire Teams who were on foot unleashed bullets, missiles, and lasers as they fired at the Harvesters that were coming right for them at the moment….just as the Hornets unleashed their missiles and the Longswords unleashed their own weaponry….the battle field was filled with missile trails, plasma bolts, lasers, bullets, Gauss rounds, and more as the Harvesters were mowed down but kept on attacking as the Harvester Fire Teams continued to move forward to engage the Harvesters in a leap frog style assault on the area….with he vehicles supported by the infantry moving forward and being supported by the mobile Cobras and the Vanguards…

The Vanguards used their jet packs to close the distance and support the main assault force at the moment with their jet packs to attack from both the ground and the air and they were able to engage multiple enemy forces and Harvester Troopers were either swatted aside or crush, or were cut down by the weapons of the Vanguards that Cortana had re-designed from their original layout and function without sacrificing their mobility, versatility and power. The Harvesters resisted and the ziggurat reveals a deadly surprise as turrets came online and fired powerful streams of plasma bolts at the advancing pirates and their Talvern allies….the Nirvana forces are beaten back at first by the surprise and scatter to avoid being bunched up and taking fatalities and while many more are wounded in the fighting….no losses had been reported.

The Master Chief knew that they had no choice at the moment as this was now the make or break moment as he used his Spartan Laser to destroy one of the turrets and he then moved to eliminate the other and moved through the plasma storm….his shields flickering from the impact as he used cover and then as he closed the gap….tossed a Frag grenade into the turret's main underside and the explosion causes the turret to suffer considerable structural damage, and the Spartan quickly moved in to take it out and rushed it….moving in quickly before the turret could aim at him. He leaped over the turret using his training and enhancement plus the Mjolnir Mark VI and drops his last Frag Grenade into the gaping maw and luckily the grenade was right in the plasma bank and the explosion forced the plasma to leak out and ignite….the Spartan had time to roll out of the way and move for cover as the turret exploded.

The pirates used the attack of the Spartan to fight back and evacuate the wounded to the lumbering Elephants while the hornets and the Longsword continued bombing runs on the enemy forces….it seems that there were other hidden numbers of Harvester Forces in the area and they were now being unleashed as they began to surround the Nirvana forces.

The Master Chief then contacted Cortana to bring the Albatross Drop ships to the ziggurat and he was told that the space battle was now over and they had won, it was now their turn to hurry and accomplish their mission. The Master Chief nodded as he got out of his cover and fired his Spartan Laser at another turret that was spewing out plasma bolts at him at a rapid speed and was glowing from the massive heat generated by the shots, the Spartan Laser struck home and blew the ting to scrape….unleashing a gout of igniting plasma….however, the Spartan's shields were drained and he had to hide for the time being to let his shields recharge…just in time for a pair of Harvester Troopers to engage him as they emerge from the ziggurat. The Harvesters activated their arm blades and charged at the Spartan….and the Master Chief went to work in fending them off as he used his MA5C ICWS to parry away the blade of the first Trooper and smashed his knee in the stomach and sent the Trooper a few feet back, a testament to how powerful Spartan was in close combat….though he knew he didn't have the physical strength of Sam or the martial arts prowess of Li, or the knife combat skills of Fred.

The Spartan quickly uses the butt of his weapon to smash the face of another attacker and sending the Trooper into a bloody heap as it's face was crushed by the strike. The other Trooper aims to take John's head clean off but fails as the Spartan ducks and fires his MA5C point blank and shred the Trooper in the midsection, spilling out the internal pseudo-organs and blood and forcing the Trooper to fall in a bloody heap.

The Albatross Drop Ships arrive under escort and the pirates and their Talvern allies are given a chance to re-arm and heal themselves as they form a perimeter around the ziggurat and then they got ready as the Harvesters mounted a counter attack, the still intact Warthogs, the Wolverines, the Grizzlies, the Scorpions and the Cobras were all in good formation while the Vanguards provided mobile support and the Elephants took in the wounded to allow for safer treatment and support.

The Spartan quickly gathered fresh supplies as well as replacing Spartan laser with a M90A Shotgun with spare grenades as his shields were now online and he had the pack that had the program made by Cortana, Gascogne, and Parfait, he ordered the Fire Teams to hold the line as he made his way into the ziggurat and moved through the area. He then contacted Cortana via comm.-link to get an idea of where the main command node was for the Harvester forces and the facilities as well

“Where's the man command node Cortana?”

“Scanning….it's at least three to four floors down Chief….watch your back….I get the feeling the Harvesters are aware you're in the area.”

The warnings proved true as he moved through the floors and found himself being attacked by Harvester Troopers and the taller variants that served as the officers of the groups….the battle was proving to very tight and heavy and he used his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle to handle medium range fighting while his M90A was used to clear out any foes trying to go for a close range hit on him. The corridors had their own dangers as plasma turrets….smaller ones would appear and force the Spartan to destroy them quickly and efficiently in order to avoid getting blindsided as he fought his way through the first floor and then managed to reach the access shaft to the second floor.

Inside he was able to encounter even more resistance from the Harvester Troopers as the floor turned out to be a stasis center to store the Troopers who were no doubt the security detail and no doubt they had not been fully active since an assault on this world was not expected by the Harvester AI. However that mistake was rectified as more of the Troopers were coming to life…forcing the Master Chief to hurry and fight his way through the area before he got surrounded by the enemy forces….he quickly reloaded his weapons and moved through the area as more Harvester Troopers began to close in on his current location. He fought his way past the turrets that came out to pin him down….just like the first floor, the second floor was soon coated in the magenta colored `blood' of the Harvester troopers slain by the Spartan.

He made it to the fourth and final floor and there he faced a heavy guard of Harvester Troopers and fought them down….cutting the normal troopers and then faced their officers. The Harvester Trooper officers were tougher and he had to rely on a combination of close combat attacks, hand to hand with his Combat Knife, and shooting tactics with both his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and his M90A Shotgun. The officers were finally finished and as soon as he was able to use the Motion sensors in his HUDS to scan for anymore threats, he took out the program pad and locked it into the nearby control port and watched as the data program began to hack it's way into the Harvester mainframe..

The Master Chief watched the computer screen in the main control node as the computer program Cortana had created with the help of Gascogne and Parfait made it's way into the archives of the Harvester data drive and to the admiration of the Spartan, the copy was able to do all of Cortana's hacking functions with 300% efficiency and it didn't take long for the Harvester data drive system to try and counter the program….but the Harvester fire walls were easy prey for Cortana's copy and soon enough the program revealed the words…

“System overwritten….hacking complete….”

Outside of the ziggurat….the remaining Harvester forces were suddenly shut down and halted their attacks as their CPUs were hacked by the program that the pirates had been able to make prior to the attack they orchestrated on the planet itself.

The pirates in both the ground and space cheered as well as their Talvern comrades as they saw that their desperate gambit had finally paid off.

**************

Hours later…

The battle had proceeded well for the pirates despite the heavy injuries for the Fire Teams as they were still on the ground….many of the women and men of the now co-gender Fire Teams were busy patching up the wounded and salvaging whatever they could as wrecks of vehicles and bodies were all over the place….thankfully though they lost a number of vehicles….they did not suffer heavy casualties and lost anyone yet….thanks to the timely support they gave each other to get out of the mess they were in.

Security teams combed through the locations to make sure there were no other still functional Harvester units in the area and used their remaining vehicles on patrols as the pirates sent Parfait and her crew down to make any last minute adjustments to the now converted AI central computer core of the Harvester Command Center. Parfait was happy that the location was relatively intact for her and her teams to do all the work that had to be done in order to get all the supplies they needed….the pirates made sure to send several teams of Vanguards out into space piloted by those of the Engineering teams left on the ship as well as several members of the Security teams who were able to learn how to use the normal Vanguards to ferry the recovered supplies from the space elevator that was left relatively intact and functional after the space forces had managed to overwhelm the garrison, thanks to the VanDreads who came in when it counted. At the moment, the pirates were moving large numbers of materials and supplies out from the space elevator's main cargo hold that was also left intact by the assault and apart from the Vanguards….the Dreki was also helping in ferrying the supplies as well, along with the spare shuttle being piloted by some of Gascogne's Register staff..

Magno looked at the reports coming in and turned to Buzam who was coordinating the supply retrieval operations.

“How is it looking BC?”

Buzam turned and reported

“The supplies are being ferried in as we speak Captain….and Cortana's scans proved to be correct….this world is indeed rich in resources and we could be bale to ferry as much as we can in a few days….hopefully our actions will not reach the Harvesters before then. There are large amounts of metals here on the planet Captain, copper, iron, titanium, tungsten, lead, platinum, gold, silver, aluminum, and more besides….there are also valuable minerals and chemicals that we can use as well for whatever projects and spare parts we need. There are also materials which we can convert into fuel, coolant and more underground as well.”

Magno smiled and spoke.

“Now this is what a pirate's haul should be like…and we're doing humanity a favor as well….these supplies will go a long way in the trip back home….anything else?”

Buzam nodded as she scanned the reports.

“The planet appears to have considerable wild life and plant life….all of which appear to be ideal for human consumption, wild fruits, animals, fish, sea life, vegetables, grains and more….why the Harvesters would not tap into these resources I do not know….but we can take advantage of this….If I have clearance Captain, I can have the Fire Teams who are all right for duty to go hunting and gathering whatever they can find to replenish our stocks for the kitchens.”

Magno further smiled and couldn't help but feel that despite the risks they has taken….this had proven to be the most bountiful haul she and her crew ever had underneath their belts at the moment….not only did they have metals, minerals, and more….they also found valuable food items and more to replenish their supplies, plus, if they had spares….they could be traded or given to those who were in need…and they were able to strike a harsh blow to the Harvesters at the very same time.

“Go ahead Buzam….take all that we need and make sure to get as much as can be allowed….we're going to have even more battles ahead and we have enough room here on the Nirvana for the needed supplies and more.”

“Thank you Captain!”

Magno then turned to Cortana and spoke to the woman who was currently in her AI form in the holo-tank.

“Any sign of Harvester activity Cortana?”

Cortana touched her forehead and shook her head in response.

“No sign of the Harvesters yet Captain….they will be here so I have posted a small number of Longswords on medium and long range patrols as well as the Clarion Spy Drones….the very second we detect the Harvesters….we have to bug out.”

“How long will it take form them to reach the planet?”

“If they are in a hurry….about the same time we took getting here Captain.”

Magno nodded and turned to Belvedere, Amarone, Celtic, and Ezra…

“We're to remain here for as long as possible until we have gathered all the supplies and materials we can possibly find a use for….until then we are to remain on combat standby until then.”

“Roger!!!”

“Ezra….get me in contact with the Master Chief.”

“Yes Captain!”

As soon as Ezra was able to establish contact with the Spartan the Master Chief responded.

“Spartan-117 here….what's the problem Captain?”

“Chief….we're not picking up any sign of Harvester activity out here in deep space….but we have doubt in our minds that they know we've hit this place and would no doubt be on their way her with reinforcements….there is no way we can fight them at this point and time so we will have to pull out when we have the chance….however, we can't leave these facilities intact for the Harvesters to use again….there's an old Earth term for this….'Scorched Earth' I believe….”

The Spartan nodded as he knew what that meant….he had read a lot of military history in his day and the history of this dimension's Earth would no doubt be the same as the one on his own dimension.

During the attack of Nazi Germany on Soviet Russia in World War 2 in the years between 1940 to the end on the year 1945, the Soviets destroyed equipment, railroads, farmlands, houses, warehouses, factories, mines, telephone lines, and more….this was to deny the invading Germans any supplies, both food and materials, plus housing and resources to fuel their advance into Russia….this tactic was old but highly effective as it ensured that it would force the enemy to rely on resources they had on hand and when those ran out, they had to get resources from other locations, which took time and more resources and effort.

This would prove a useful tactic as this would force the Harvesters to gather resources elsewhere, and should they decide to reclaim the resources on this planet….they would have to spend time, effort, and resources in order to rebuild their destroyed facilities, as well as dedicate a larger and more effective force both in space and on the ground to defend it properly. It would not guarantee a complete victory and they didn't have the ordnance to make this planet truly hostile and the Spartan knew that they didn't have time on their side at the moment so they had to make due with the situation at the moment….and while it would take a while….the fact that it would be a good number of days before the Harvesters came back to reclaim and re-fortify this planet would give them plenty of time to get the traps set in….they had enough ordnance to destroy all the key facilities that were owned by the Harvesters on the planet….as well as making sure that if the Harvesters decided to reclaim the resources and supplies in this area…they would have to contend with traps that they could and would set up to trap and surprise them.

“I'll have the explosives set up to deal with what we can at the moment Captain….this will take time, but the facilities will be smoking rubble by the time we are done here.”

It took several days in which the pirates and the Talvernian soldiers were able to set charges and explosive traps all over the place and in the meantime….the pirates were able to get vast amounts of supplies made. The pirates had to admire the highly efficient automation of the Harvesters' manufacturing facilities and technology as they had to only input the new design data into the computers of the manufacturing plants on the surface and in time they were now fully restocked with all the spare parts, munitions, fuel, and more for the Dreads, Vanguards UNSC vehicles, weapons and more. They were able to haul new rounds for the MAC Guns as well for the Nirvana's main cannons and spare Archer Missiles and 50mmm rounds for the Nirvana's defensive and offensive arsenals. Plus the extra parts and materials were worth the extra time they had spent on the planet's surface. Parfait was also happy for the materials as she could begin work on making her own versions of the Mjolnir Mark VI.

As well as supplies, parts, and materials for their forces and equipment….the Nirvana's food stocks were also filled up with meat from fish, fowl, and land animals…the planet actually had an abundance of wild life that were herded off by the Harvesters and after testing the meat to see for taste, health, and compatibility with most meat products eaten by the women on Megele….small numbers of the animals were harvested and prepared for transport….the fact that in a way, they were doing the same thing as the Harvesters made the women a bit uneasy….however, they were not the same as they only took what they needed instead of wiping out the animals in the planet. The hunting expeditions were led by the Fire Teams and the Talvernian troopers who were too badly injured at the moment and they were able to use their spare weapons and ammunition to do most of the hunting work, as well as using Warthogs and Mongooses to herd the animals. Apart from meat, they gathered wild fruits in the planet which were all right for human consumption and avoided those which were discovered to be poisonous to them, as well as wild grains and vegetables which were also compatible with human biology and needs. This allowed the Nirvana to replenish their food stocks and were able to do so in relative safety.

As soon as they were able to load as much as they could into the Nirvana's spare rooms and reactivated storage facilities in the old Ikazuchi section as well as that of the Forward Unto Dawn, the Clarion Spy Drones detected an incoming Harvester strike force….and judging by the numbers….they were apparently there to evict the Nirvana….Cortana ordered the Longswords to engage and hold them off for a bit despite the fact that the Fleet was still far away and the delay would only last a few hours….but it was enough for the Fire Teams to be able to finish any last minute traps and get their supplies and equipment from the surface….they also took the time to get their still working vehicles out of the area and followed procedure to destroy any vehicles that could not be used in battle.

As the Nirvana left….the Clarion Spy Drones were able to record the returning Harvester forces….just as the pirates activated the explosive traps that they had been able to set up. The Harvesters on the process of deploying their forces when the facilities they had been sent to re-secure had been completely destroyed by the traps left behind, The attack had caught the Harvesters completely off guard and they were helpless as the Nirvana made' it's escape.

**************

In the bridge…

Hibiki looked at the data as well as the explosions and looked at the Master Chief and Cortana as well as the Captain and the Commander.

“I'll be honest about this….the minute the Harvesters find out about this raid we pulled and the destruction of all those vital installations….they are going to be really after our blood.”

**************

Hibiki had no idea how truly correct he was….for at this very moment…

**************

In the Harvester home-world…

“THEY DID WHAT?!”

The Harvester Council were in a very serious discussion as they heard that one of their key supply and repair stations had been attacked and raided by the Harvesters and the pirates had been able to steal massive quantities of precious metals, fuel, resources and more from the planet when they were able to override the AI guarding and overseeing the location at the time and the pirates had even the audacity to rig the place with high grade explosives to level the complexes that would take months to rebuilt….they had other locations similar to this one….however, it was still a major blow to the Operation Harvest as it would deprive them of one their most resource rich worlds and that was something they knew they would need in order to fuel their war machine.

“Yes….the Nirvana's forces were able to raid the key installations on Planet Y-90 and took out a large amount of all available resources and materials from the location and had set up a trap for our forces when they attempted to recover the location from them. The installations were completely destroyed….”

“How long before we can rebuild on the planet and get our operations back on track?”

“Estimates are at least three to four months….we do have other resource planets in our areas of control, but planet Y-90 was a major contributor to our war machine in the sector and it will take time for forces in that area to get fresh fuel, parts and munitions, thus hampering their operations in some considerable fashion.”

“That is a delay that will prove costly….our war machine will be delayed and that gives our targets time to fortify their positions…making it more expensive for us to mount a full scale force for a counter attack….the pirates are becoming a much greater threat than we realized.”

“More than a threat….they are becoming a scourge….we must deal with them now!!!!”

The others in the Council couldn't help but agree with the words spoken, the pirates were at first an annoyance….something that could be easily swept aside….but they were more than a thorn….but a true threat that had to be dealt with swiftly and effectively to finally silence their threat to the stability and power of the Harvester Armada.

They had to counter this situation and soon…but for now….even with the damage they had suffered….there was still much left to do at the moment as they had other human worlds to deal with.

Namely the planet where they got the supplies for skin…

**************

A day later in the Nirvana…

The Master Chief was busy with the usual rounds in the Forward Unto Dawn….many of the Fire Teams were currently busy relaxing and the Talvern recruits who were with them were also taking the lull in the fighting to take a break at the moment. He was also taking the time to warm up in the shooting range as he worked on several targets with a BR.

The Spartan then wondered just how things were developing with his charge, he had not seen hide nor hair of Hibiki for a while now….and that was what made him curious, though he knew he was not causing any trouble yet as the Captain had not called him on anything to deal with the Tarak youth who was under his wing at the moment. As soon as he was done with his rounds in the shooting range….he decided to go and see just what was the young Tarak teen up to this time of the day and it didn't take long for him to find out.

In the moment, Hibiki was basically chatting with some of the Talvernian men and wondered what was it like to be living with women since they had done so all their lives…..Felix was naturally the guy he talked to since he knew the man more than the others at the moment. The Talvern soldier was more than willing to tell Hibiki what it was like living with women and the young man listened and instead of reacting the way Bart normally did, the Tarak teen kept an open mind….no doubt a result of all the training that he had under the Master Chief and the friendship he had with Cortana.

As John watched his charge he wondered just how Hibiki would handle knowing more about women at the moment.

Elsewhere…

“I wonder just what is it that Dita sees in that guy?”

Paiway grumbled as she took pictures of Hibiki at the moment and wondered just what was it that got Dita so interested in men, namely that one who was the Master Chief's student, she hung out with some of the other men, including the Spartan but mostly with Hibiki, though for reasons she didn't know about….what was it about men that fascinated Dita so much, and why was she deeply fascinated with Hibiki of all people?

As she took pictures she was unaware that she herself was being approached until…

“Spying on Hibiki again?”

“GAH!!!!!!”

Paiway turned to see none other than Cortana who was giving her a very interested look as the former AI was curious what was Paiway's motive for stalking Hibiki and always taking notes as well as pictures….while she did find it amusing she was sure that sooner or later….it would result in something that would be considered bad and inappropriate, but for the time being she decided to find out if the young woman would explain at least a portion of her recent actions aimed towards Hibiki.

“You know….you really need to explain to me why you are stalking him.”

“I am NOT stalking him!!! I just what to know why Dita is so fascinated with him….and….”

Cortana saw something in Paiway's eyes and recognized it….she was angry towards Hibiki, and she had a very accurate idea on why that was the case….after all, from what she understood of the situation….Paiway and Dita were close friends when the pirates started out and Dita's actions towards Hibiki would no doubt be sending bad vibes towards Paiway….she thought over her options and decided to speak.

“You're jealous of his being close to Dita?”

Paiway glared and looked away and Cortana sighed as she spoke.

“You know….if you really want to know something about how things are between the two of them and why Dita is fascinated with Hibiki….I could help you understand.”

Paiway looked at Cortana and spoke.

“How?”

Cortana nodded a bit mentally to herself and decided to lay all the cards on the table and spoke as she looked at Paiway.

“Follow me. I think it's time you had a chat about men and NOT in the way your world sees them of course.”

**************

To be continued…

**************

Author's notes:

Well that's over and done with….took a while and with all the things going on right now….I am happy I can finally call this chapter finished.

It's a lot shorter than some of my other stories….but I wanted to make use of enough content without adding too many details that might not work well with the original story so I hope you will all forgive the deal of the chapter being a long one to wait on.

The addition of the new vehicles was a touch I got from looking at Halo Wars and decided to add the information as well. Though I hope the upgrading of the Vanguards was not wrong….like I stated before….I liked the Vanguards in the original VanDread and while the women look down on them, they are actually more flexible than the Dreads….Dreads might be the best in space warfare…and more heavily armored, armed and technologically better than Vanguards….but the Vanguards are flexible, customizable, all environment friendly, can be used for more than just warfare and most of all….are able to go places the Dreads have no way of moving in.

The Harvesters are royally pissed now…with the destruction of their key mining and manufacturing facilities on the world destroyed and taking months to rebuild….their operations in the sector have hit a snag, a rather large one at that as well, and no doubt they will dedicate their forces to hunting down the Nirvana….

We are now moving to the chapter that most would be familiar with in the old series….which is the mutiny on the Nirvana and the men being imprisoned and Hibiki gone….however, that will not be the case in VanDread Halo….rather….things will take a much more unique turn…

How will the people of Melanos handle the appearance of not just Hibiki on their ship….but the legendary Spartan, who as you might have guessed….is already getting to be recognized in this side of the universe….how recognized?

Wait and see…

And how will the conversation between Cortana and Paiway play into this….wait and see!!!

**************

Trailer:

The people in the Melanos cruiser was looking at both Hibiki and John, they couldn't help but stare as Hibiki carried his MA5C ICWS Assault Rifle and wearing his custom made Marine Body Armor….Hibiki was a bit unnerved to see the people as they were all pale….though being with the Master Chief when he was out of armor made him a bit more used to the sight of pale skinned people.

However the rumors were already circulating the moment the people saw the Spartan who was moving along with his protégé.

“Is that him?”

“Is that really a Spartan?”

“I heard he fought ten Harvester Trooper by himself….and killed them all!!!”

“No way!!!”

“It's the truth I swear!!!”

“You think that's amazing….I heard he's able to punch so hard, he could splatter his enemy's face with one hit!!!”

“Ouch….”

“He so tall….”

“What kind of armor is that?”

Hibiki couldn't help but smirk a bit and look at his mentor and commanding officer.

“You're pretty popular on this side of the universe Chief!!”

The Spartan merely shrugged, though he was rather curious on how these people knew him…