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Rogue: Chapter One
Date: 6 July 2006, 1:53 am
2557
Jericho City, Jericho IV
Two years ago…
The Covenant and the Humans had finally switched places in the Human-Covenant War, striking where the humans were vulnerable, pulling back from lesser colonies, aiming for the populated, military-based planets….such as the Jericho System.
Victory here was by the skin of the human warriors' teeth. This left the Human High Command in turmoil, with the loss of a half dozen officers vital to the war-effort. Leaving the deceptive, power hungry, Brigadier General William Battings to seize power and execute the remaining officers that had survived the Covenant assassinations.
Military forces under his command pulled away from major fronts, allowing
Covenant troops to remain powerful, under the premise of 'the loss was acceptable'.
Countless rebellions arose from the fear of a military dictator ruling the Human Empire. Jericho IV was no different, Covenant forces soon reoccupied most of the planet, and Spartan 117 had led a battalion of ODSTs to liberate its capitol, Jericho City.
Battings' men ordered them to fall back when the battle was clearly theirs. The General's men were ordered to fire upon any who disobeyed the order, many of the Marines reluctantly backed away, though the Spartan and a small squad of Marines resisted and were fired upon.
The Spartan and several members of the team escaped, though three were killed and one was captured.
Jericho City was burned along with its inhabitants soon afterward, and the UNSC continued to corner itself back towards Earth.
Many believed Battings was under the Covenant's pay roll or something to that effect. But it made no difference, he who controlled the Military controlled the Empire…leaving only pockets of resistance to truly resist the Covenant….
2559: New Istanbul, Earth
"Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Kendal, you are here by charged with treason against the United Nations Space Command….your actions on Jericho IV were…admirable at best son, but despite your intentions, you were responsible for the deaths of three of your fellow Marines…and the escape of Spartan 117…for that…I regret to say…that you are sentenced to death." An older Colonel stated from the pedestal high above where he stood.
Ryan Kendal stood alone in the center of an oval room, lowered beneath a theatre of spectators concealed in the darkness that shrouded the higher levels of the wood paneled court room.
"This court is adjourned," The Colonel's hammer struck the small platform on his desk with a clap.
Kendal lowered his gaze to the floor beneath him as two firm hands grasped his triceps. He lifted his head to stare directly at the Colonel's eyes as the MPs guided him out of the court room and towards the landing platforms.
A long hallway opened to reveal a blast door at the far end of it. One of the MPs released him and strolled ahead to type several commands into the wall-mounted door controls.
After a moment, the door obeyed to illustrate a storm raging through Earth's city of New Istanbul. The urban expanse stretched across the entire peninsula, littered with the wreckage of a Covenant Cruiser on the South banks of the Aegean.
The wreckage was a stern reminder of the Human-Covenant War that raged just above Earth's atmosphere.
The platform was slick with rain, and completed by the dead hulk of the Phantom drop ship lying on its side near the far edge.
Ryan shivered as the cold quickly bit through his jacket and fatigues. The MPs shuddered as well and hugged themselves. They positioned themselves on either side of Kendal, and calmly waited there.
A Pelican drop ship soared in from far above the cloud and settled on the deck before them. Two more Marines emerged and stood on either side of the troop bay.
The MPs nodded to each other and prodded Ryan forward towards the drop ship.
Last chance…
The thought continuously rushed through his thoughts with every slosh of his boots through the puddles on the platform.
Now or never…do it.
It felt as though another consciousness urged him forward, he obeyed. Ryan threw his elbow back with as much force as he could muster with his restraints. But the blow still caught the MP to his right unawares.
The man dropped heavily to the ground with a splash. Everything seemed to move slower as Kendal watched the Marines raise their deadly M3 rifles, and the second MP draw his pistol.
Ryan leapt forward and tackled the MP the ground and wrestled his pistol away from him. The ex-Marine clouted the MP in the side of the head and leveled his new pistol towards the Marines.
Kendal pulled back the trigger twice. Both Marines faces went white as they staggered to the floor. Non-lethal wounds, but the Marines would not be posing any more of a threat.
Ryan's heightened senses began ebb away as he found himself looking upon the prone forms of four UNSC soldiers. Guilt among other emotions slithered into his mind, but he pushed them away with justifications. He paused to heft one of the groaning Marine's M3 rifles.
The Pelican sat dormant without a pilot; Ryan puzzled over this for a moment but pushed the thought away and brought the craft up and rotated so the nose faced the doorway, and sped away over the Black Sea.
Hours slid away as the rouge soldier's eyes began to shudder between opened and closed. Jarred wouldn't be far now, the small NAV mark that glistened on the main view screen grew larger by the moment.
"Finally" He breathed as a small island seemed to grow out against the sea, not ten miles from the mainland of Bulgaria.
Ryan set the Pelican down in the water a third of a mile off the shore. The soldier strode to the weapons locker and collected two more magazines for his M3 and a lightly armored vest.
Kendal stepped to the edge of the ramp and let himself fall into the icy water.
After several minutes of cautious swimming, the soldier waded up onto the forgotten beach.
The island's far side was obscured by a small mountain dotted with firs. Ryan frowned and removed his vest and his jacket so he could move more quietly, and piled them further up the beach head near a clutch of trees.
The soldier left his M3 propped against his belongings and settled with his pistol. Ryan hunched slightly and jogged along the crest of the beach, eyeing the mainland's coast for any sign of military activity.
Two Pelicans startled him as they roared overhead, but did not notice him. The cautious rogue rose to his full height and let his gaze drift of the sea…it was a mistake, for all he knew from then on was a sharp pain in the back of his head and a velvety blackness that he could not find his way out of.
Rogue, Chapter Two: Reunion
Date: 14 July 2006, 3:02 am
2559
Location Unknown
Time/Date Unknown
Ryan Kendal stirred to a clouded reality of awareness. His eyes flickered back and forth until the blur started to clear.
He lay in a crumpled heap at the feet of a large black clad warrior.
"What was that for?" Kendal asked angrily.
The Elite declined his head slightly to look down upon him. "It was necessary to our mission's success,"
The Elite refused to further explain his reasons for striking his compatriot.
"Fine Jarred…where are we?"
"Observe your surroundings, Sergeant." The Elite replied, Jarred had been an abbreviation for the Elite's true name, 'Jerridee.
"My rank doesn't have any meaning anymore….I know we're in the Pelican but where are we headed?"
"Two of my kin and several of yours are awaiting us in orbit above the planet…on one of your defense platforms I believe."
"Are you mad? Those platforms are swarming with UNSC troops! We'll be killed."
"It is to my knowledge that the platform is badly damaged, and your people have secured a safe zone for us to land." The Sangheili stated.
Ryan grunted disapprovingly and growled a stream of curses directed towards the large bump that now resided on the back of his head.
The time between their destination passed quickly, and the two soldiers began to ready their weapons for the likely occurrence of resistance. Ryan slipped a fresh magazine into his M3 rifle and buckled his pistol around his waist.
'Jerridee declined the offer of a weapon and settled with two plasma pistols and several grenades.
"You ready?" Kendal asked.
"I am prepared for what is ahead." The Sangheili replied calmly, placing one pistol on each of his hips, that stuck there by a device that Ryan could not detect.
The MAC platform appeared shortly after, a beaten hulk drifting calmly, though set alit with hundreds of small fires within its interior.
The Pelican soared unnoticed towards a small opening concealed by the overhanging gun ports of the stations. Ryan could depict small figures of Marines and Covenant locked in combat before dropping into the launch bay.
The Pelican came to rest in the deceptively large bay, where a group of rag tag soldiers were awaiting them.
Kendal stepped off the ramp in the rear of the Pelican to observe his comrades and his surroundings. The walls were covered in ruptured conduit and fallen catwalks, smeared with blood, the floors were blanketed with cargo containers, depleted weaponry, and countless corpses. The Marines with outfitted with old, torn fatigues and dented, UNSC issue, ballistic armor, the right shoulder plate of each man was marked with red paint, to show legion affiliation. Some wore helmets, others only caps, or none at all.
Two Elites stood near the door behind the Marines, clad in armor just as beaten as the humans'. Jerridee strode anxiously forward to converse with his kin, while one of the rogue humans stepped forward and addressed Kendal.
"It's good to see you again Sarge." The lead Marine stated.
"Even better to see you Hayes, I'm glad you boys found your way out."
Corporal Darren Hayes flashed his perfect white teeth at his appreciation. The soldier's ebony skin glistened with a thin film of sweat that had begun to generate on all of the humans in the room.
"I do not mean to interrupt your reunion with your kin, though I believe it is time for us to leave." One of the Elites stated sternly.
"He's right, the Seattle is waiting for us just outside the Covenant's kill zone," Hayes inserted. The two factions hsatily piled into the dropship and exited the MAC platform without any problems.
The Seattle was a UNSC Cruiser that belonged to the feeble navy of the Resistance. The port and starboard sides of the ship were dotted with deck guns, which had proved most effective is close combat with larger ships.
Though UNSC troopers under Battings' command rarely confronted Resistance forces, and let them slip by, the Covenant posed a major threat…though unfortunately confrontations with human soldiers occurred frequently enough.
The Pelican full of the diverse squad of combatants soared forward and banked into a small launch bay on the frigate's belly.
The crew chief in the launch bay was exuberant at the sight of another captured Pelican for the fleet, and an Elite sentry showed them to the weapons deck where they were to meet with the Resistance's tactical officers for redeployment.
Kendal's eyes studied each one of the battle-hardened crew members that worked about the weapon's deck. A final blast door slid away with a metallic creak to reveal a line of four massive deck cannons whose barrels pointed out into the vacuum through a liquid shield that allowed the gun to aim freely, but held atmosphere in.
The magazine of each gun curved up away from the cannon and towards the ceiling, much like a slide in appearance and design. The massive rounds would fall into place directly after its predecessor had fired, cutting down the precious time it would take to manually load.
A ragged group of Marines manned the cannons, their shoulder plates splashed with green paint, as was the designation for a gun crew. Most wore ODST helmets, which would allow them oxygen if an enemy shell punched through the shallow armor in this section.
Two Lieutenants stood conversing several meters behind the third deck cannon, "Those are who you wish to speak with…is that all?" The Sangheili that had guided them asked.
"Yes, thank you." Ryan replied. Jarred and Hayes with their squads had separated to interact with their own kind leaving Kendal to the official business. He sighed deeply and strode forward.
Both Lieutenants wore ragged grey cloaks draped from one shoulder to their waist on the opposite side over their armor. This and the golden stripe down the center of their shoulder plate signified command. Officers within the Resistance had to be carefully chosen, balancing each rank with both Human and Sangheili counterparts.
"Sirs," Ryan addressed both the human and the Elite, "Ryan Kendal reporting for a position of duty."
The Elite ran his fingers over his lower mandibles in the human fashion and hummed quietly. "Yes we have had reports of you Kendal; it seems you had best report directly to Tactical Command within the Bridge."
The human Lieutenant nodded as well and directed him towards a pair of burly looking Marines that would show him the rest of the way. "I'm Lieutenant John Dominic by the way, I can't tell you much, only that I'll be seeing you around, good luck."
The bridge wasn't far from the weapon decks, though the corridors were full of people.
With how many blasted people are on this ship, it's a wonder how we can't already have enough strength to overthrow Battings' now.
The Bridge was heavily guarded by four black armored Elites standing shoulder to shoulder in the first entry way. They let him pass after a moment of careful scrutiny and then allowed him to walked only three paces before being confronted by a pair of fully armored ODSTs with a stripe orange adorning their right shoulder. Both held a powerful M3 rifle in their tense arms.
"Ryan Kendal?" One asked, his American accent slightly altered by the electronic voice piece inside the helmet.
"Yes, sent here by Field Lieutenant Tyr Deramee."
"Alright, the top dog is waiting for you inside," The other said, his voice altered as well.
The soldiers stepped aside and Kendal proceeded.
The Bridge was twice the size of the other ships Kendal had served on; this one had two stations for every category, along with a small desk where its officer sat.
Kendal observed the various stations, awed by the shear size of the bridge; it took up the better part of this deck. Ryan's eyes rested on medium sized white lettering that read: TAC .
The Tactical Center was submerged into the 'pit' as the crew knew it. It was laden with four stations, two on each wall, while the sides were open to the rest of the floor. A fully armored officer strode back and forth in the center of the pit, wearing a command cloak over his iridescent green armor, though the golden stripe on his shoulder had been worn off.
The Spartan swiveled around when Ryan caught in his peripheral vision. "Sergeant Kendal, it's good to see you again," Ryan stuck out his hand and the Spartan shook it. The squeeze pressed his knuckles together painfully, though Ryan's face betrayed nothing.
"It's good to see you as well Chief Petty Officer."
Fred 104 grinned slightly and turned to the list of readouts on his PDA. "Master Chief Spartan 117 went planet-side three days ago with two platoons, pushing back Covenant forces marching on Rome. He's wrapping things up there, but I need you to take a squad down and neutralize a cluster of gun emplacements that protect Victoria."
This caught Kendal off guard seeing that Victoria was a tactical command point of the UNSC and one of William Battings' personal retreats.
"You mean to strike at Battings now? When he is at full strength?" Ryan asked incredulously.
Fred dropped his gaze and bit his lower lip. "That campaign will hopefully not fall on your men's shoulders…we need a small team to soften the defenses as a distraction for a covert squad to go in and capture or kill Battings."
"Right, I'll need a team, who can I take?" Kendal asked.
Fred allowed himself a small smile and handed the Marine the PDA.
Mission Roster:
1ST SQUAD
Field Lieutenant: TYR DERAMEE
CPL. Hayes, Darren
CPL. Kane, Daniel
PFC. Mahler, Richard
SGT. Kimmel, Michael
2ND SQUAD
Field Lieutenant: JONATHON DOMINIC
PFC. Allen, Matthew
CPL. Layton, Jeremy
SSG. Laiho, Alec
SGT. Harris, Anthony
"Alright then, I better get moving…"
Rogue, Chapter Three
Date: 4 August 2006, 11:34 pm
2559
On board the Seattle
Ryan Kendal pulled his jacket over his broad shoulders and buttoned it up. He then went about assembling the remainder of his armor about himself, pausing to consider what gear would be most effective for the mission.
We could take out the guns with Jackhammers…but it wouldn't do us much good….bummer….we're going to have to go all the way in and spike them.
Ryan struggled out of his thoughts and looked at his reflection in the mirror positioned in the back of his locker. His once short brown hair now hung half way onto his forehead, and had begun to regain its curliness, his jaw and chin were blanketed with a forest of short whiskers, and his tanned face was adorned with a long white scar that had taken his left eye in 2553, which was now a cybernetic implant. He sighed, placed his helmet in the crook of his arm and closed the locker door.
Next stop: Armory.
The newly reinstated Sergeant strode into the Armory where his Sergeant, Kimmel, tossed him a M3 rifle with a belt of armor piercing round magazines. Ryan grinned and gave him a small nod.
The M3 was an expensive, new addition to the UNSC troopers…unfortunately that meant that there were a lot of them lying around. The UNSC was indirectly funding all of the Resistance's needs.
Hayes stood at the end of the trough that held a line of rifles, studying a SM2 sniper's rifle. Ryan walked over to him and pulled one off the rack for himself.
"UNSC's sure outdoing itself with all this new weaponry…nice rifle though, new favorite of prison sentries." Ryan said and turned away. Hayes grinned and began to fill his pouches with SM magazines.
Planet-side
Victoria, Canada: EARTH
"Alright boys show time! No touch down, we're dropping low, thirty seconds!" The crew chief shouted over the roar of the Pelican's engines.
Each Marine gave a high thumbs up indicating they understood.
"Alright go, go, go!"
Tyr Deramee was the first out. The Elite dove and tucked just before he landed into the dense snow. The Marines followed. Ryan hugged his M3 to his chest while he collided with the blanket of snow beneath him.
Ryan stood shakily and watched as the Pelican roared overhead, away from the target. He wore a ski mask under his helmet and goggles to protect his eyes, as did his comrades. Kendal tugged his scarf higher onto his cheeks and began to trudge through the snow towards Deramee.
The Elite's black armor had adapted to its surroundings and turned to white. The Veteran's cloak was stained with blood though he was not injured, an old injury, he supposed. Tyr crouched low overlooking a small bay fed by the Juan de Fuca Strait, and then the immense city stretched across the island a dozen miles away.
"The General's retreat is three kilometers north of the city," Tyr said pointing a gloved finger towards the Northern tip of Victoria, "And our target, is two kilometers north-west of our current position…" The Sangheili pointed to a small clutch of buildings at the base of a snow capped mountain.
"Right then, is Dominic on his target?" He asked.
"Yes, Lieutenant Dominic is close to his objective as well."
Kendal took one last moment the watch as the moonlight glinted across the frosty bay and then turned to his squad.
Private Mahler stood closest to him, loosely holding a MH3 LMG, being the support gunner of the squad. The soldier was sliding a fresh one hundred round drum into place as Kendal was inspecting him. Kimmel and Kane both sported M3Ks, cut down M3 rifles suited for close combat. Finally his gaze drifted to Hayes, who lay on his belly at the crest of a snow bank that overlooked the distant gun emplacements.
"Let us move, while the night remains young." Deramee's deep voice resonated against the silence of the night. The humans obeyed and began the long trudge across the snowy plains.
Eleven Kilometers South West of 1ST Squad's location
Field Lieutenant John Dominic shook himself dry of the freezing water of the Juan de Fuca. Four other wetsuit-clad humans emerged from the icy strait several meters behind him.
"Audio and nav check," he ordered.
"Bravo here, nav confirmed…" Laiho's voice crackled across the COM.
"Charlie here, nav confirmed…" Allen's voice followed, seasoned by an Australian accent.
"Delta here, nav confirmed…" Layton replied.
Dominic waited for the final drawl of Harris before moving on.
"Theta, respond, audio and nav check." John repeated.
"Report, unit Theta is deceased." A computerized male voice answered.
Anger festered from Dominic like an open wound. "Affirmative…Bravo, Charlie, take the gun on the first bunker, Delta, with me."
The commandos had been dropped into the Juan de Fuca an hour before and were sent to neutralize the second trio of guns that sheltered the General's retreat. Since these cannons were only two kilometers away from the city, their demise required stealthier tactics.
Dominic and his remaining team removed their fins and rebreathers, along with their oxygen masks. The four commandos hastily pulled black ski masks over their faces and snapped back the actions on their M3K carbines.
A short run brought them to the face of the southern bunker. The marines pressed themselves as close to the wall of they could, to conceal their presence from the constant enemy patrols.
"Clear." Delta reported.
The commandos skirted the bunker to the ridgeline that led to the entrance.
Dominic edged along the lip of the bunker and prepared to swing in through the gun port. Delta would neutralize the sentries at the door and flank the gun crew.
John took two quick breaths and flung himself into the bunker, his M3K at his hip. Two figures turned to him and let loose a hail of red plasma. Dominic rolled immediately to the floor behind a storage crate.
What the hell are Covenant soldiers doing defending a human artillery nest?
The two Brutes were just behind the loading mechanism of the cannon, raining plasma down on the beleaguered soldier.
"Delta here….pinned down tight, sir there's two Brutes at the door, what are they doing here?"
A plasma bolt seared over his head and he groaned in annoyance, "Two of them in here too…the hallways pretty tight, toss 'em a frag and give me some cover." John replied.
"Cover your ears…" Delta answered, followed by a dull whoosh and the heavy splash of liquid against the door.
The second commando burst through the door seconds later and rolled a second grenade inside. It landed between the Brutes and tossed them several feet into the air while cutting them to ribbons.
Dominic rose and looked to his squad mate. "So much for stealth…set the charges, I'll contact Bravo and see if their having better luck."
"Roger." Delta drawled.
"Bravo, report."
Static crackled across the COM but Laiho's voice finally resonated back. "….gun is spiked Alpha…. Charlie took a bad hit, I don't think I can move him," he sighed deeply; "…we're holed up here Chief."
"Roger that, Delta and I will take the last gun and we'll call evac from the Pelican on sight," John said as he signaled to Delta to move out.
"Here we go again." Layton complained.
"Stow it soldier, we've still got a job to do."
Three kilometers north of Victoria
The General's retreat
A middle-aged man sat quietly in an overstuffed chair at a mahogany desk. The man's features were touched with wrinkles at the edges of his eyes and mouth, and his dark hair the tint of silver about the ears. His grey eyes held little emotion, only the fierce glint of cold ambition.
A large mahogany door at the opposite end of the room creaked open.
"Pardon my intrusion Sir." A figure in the doorway asked.
"What is it Seamus?" The man asked.
"Two teams of rebel militants are carrying out strikes on our artillery emplacements surrounding the city."
"Were you not in command of security for Victoria, Seamus?" The man asked accusingly.
"Yes Sir that I was." Seamus replied.
"Take my Fourth Legion and the contingent of Covenant troops in the barracks and clear out the Resistance's combatants…and take them yourself Seamus, you have a debt that needs to be paid…do not fail me." The man ordered.
"The Fourth Legion Sir? Surely I could accomplish the task with my security tam already on site."
"If I meant for my orders not to be followed why would I give them?"
Seamus lowered his gaze ashamedly and murmured a gentle: "It will be done, General." and strode from the room.
The door shut and the man sighed deeply, running his finger along the back of the C3E .45 pistol that lay on his desk… "I should have saved my self the time and shot imbecile before he had the chance to fail me once again…"
Seamus cursed quietly and he bounded down the stairs, "The Fourth Legion! I'd rather be lost in slip space! Those soldiers can't be trusted to watch your back! And the Covenant Brutes, well I guess if they don't fancy you for a snack…" The young Captain grumbled to himself and he jogged towards the barracks.
The Fourth Legion were Battings' personal Special Forces unit, they had no affiliation with the UNSC, and no allegiance to anyone but the General…they were well paid, and weapons of war. The Fourth Legion were those responsible for the assassination of the UNSC's previous leaders and Battings' rise to power along with the behind the scenes involvement of the Covenant Juggernaut.
The Fourth Legion were stationed with most UNSC positions, to keep the soldiers in line, and more importantly from defecting to the Resistance, though in the battle that raged above the planet, Battings' had little control…control that waned by the day. With not enough of Battings' personal commandos to go around, the Covenant remained in the UNSC's crosshairs while the Resistance 'slipped away' time after time.
Such activities kept William Battings busier than ever, and constantly running short of competent commanders. He reached past the .45 and pressed the key marked INTERCOM .
"Send Marcus in please." He spoke crisply.
"Yes Sir." A soft female voice answered immediately.
The wooden door opened moments later, its frame filled with a tall, bulky figure. "General?" The figure asked in a throaty voice.
"Yes Marcus, come in." Battings replied.
The other man strode into the room obediently. He stood at the height of six foot three, his face was that of a man who could kill without discretion, his blue green eyes seemed to behold the countless stares of those he had executed. The sides of his head were shaved away, leaving a short Mohawk running along its middle. He was dressed in paramilitary black fatigues and sleek ballistic armor not issued by the UNSC.
"Your command?" Marcus asked as he stood before the desk.
"Yes Marcus…I would like to have Seamus, my executive officer, killed in the line of duty…accompany him on his mission and kill him once you are underway." Battings ordered.
Not a single emotion flickered across Marcus's face; he simply nodded and turned to the door.
1ST Squad's position
"Yee-haw! First gun is spiked!" Kimmel reported with a Texas drawl.
"Good work Mike, move on to the guard house outside and hold off any hostile reinforcements." Kendal breathed through the COM as his M3 rifle tracked a pacing sentry across the small courtyard at the base of the next bunker.
Kendal reached forward and flicked the safety off and selected the launcher attachment under the barrel. He slid a disk-like airfoil round into the receiver and fired on the sentry. A dull thump was the only sound that followed as the limp sentry collapsed to the ground.
Deramee rose to his feet beside him, brandishing a Covenant carbine. Kendal followed him as the Elite kicked in the bunker's main door.
Two stunned crewmen sat at a table playing cards. They reached for their .45s buckled at their waists, but Tyr left them lying on their backs with sizzling holes in their chests.
Kendal strode past the corpses regretfully, though he knew that Deramee was not one to exercise restraint. "The cannon is just ahead, set your explosives and let us hasten to leave this place." The Elite stated.
Ryan shook himself back to his job and nodded an affirmative.
2ND Squad's Position
"Okay…everything's set, let's get back to Bravo's position and blow this taco stand." Layton said as he finished with the final gun.
"Alright, take point…but keep your eyes open, something doesn't feel right." Dominic replied.
"You got it Chief." Layton reached for the door's controls at the wall and punched in several commands. The blast door slid open and Layton crouched to survey the hallway. "Looks good…moving up."
John followed him cautiously, carbine at the ready. Layton arrived at the door leading to Bravo's position quickly, after only two short corridors. Delta hit the door control and the blast slid away revealing a dark room beyond.
Layton's aim relaxed as he turned to look at his commanding officer, "Power's down in there, but it—"
The distinctive report of a .45 caliber pistol interrupted the young Marine and blew two holes in his chest. A startled gasp escaped his lips, before it was washed away by a torrent of blood spilling from his mouth.
Delta collapsed to the ground, terminated. The power switched back on, which seconds later illustrated a tall man with a Mohawk holding a C3E pistol still pointed towards Layton's prone form.
Dominic found himself looking dumbly at the bodies of Bravo, Charlie and Theta, who they believed lost in the drop. Before he could come to grips with things to burly Fourth Legion troopers disarmed him.
John struggled fruitlessly, and finally looked his captor in the eye.
"Your team was…much weaker than I had expected, Lieutenant Dominic? Was it?" Marcus asked.
John responded with spitting at him.
Marcus laughed humorously. A shorter, uniformed man entered the room from the adjacent doorway. "You've done it! Excellent, I'll report back to—"
"Oh yes, Seamus? The General had asked me to give you something…"
"Wha—"
CRACK! CRACK!
The two pistol shots tore wide holes in the man's face and he slammed onto the floor.
John looked to the fallen officer but his expression of rage did not diminish with surprise. Fourth Legion troops were ruthless, and, staying true to their reputation, their allegiance was fickle at best.
"This is how your 'resistance' comes to an end Lieutenant…" Marcus said as he calmly leveled the C3E at John's head and fired.
Rogue, Chapter Four
Date: 22 August 2006, 12:08 am
2559
1ST Squad's Location
"That's the last of the guns Sarge, ready to move out." Kimmel said with a crisp salute.
"Alright good work…is the perimeter secure?" Kendal replied.
"So far so good Chief." The other Marine answered.
Ryan nodded and strode to the sinister figure of Deramee.
"We're ready to go sir, awaiting orders." Ryan stated, standing at attention.
"Very good Sergeant, contact Lieutenant Dominic and coordinate an evacuation point."
"Right away." Kendal turned away and signaled to Kane to come forth. The young revolutionary nodded and jogged forward. Kendal turned the man around and grasped the receiver for the radio mounted on Kane's pack.
"Second squad Romeo, this is first squad, objective complete, requesting coordinates for extraction." Kendal said into the phone.
Static crackled across the connection in response. Kendal repeated the message and waited.
"No good…I'll try and reach them on the COM." Ryan said as he tapped Kane on the shoulder, signaling him back to his post. "Second squad, please respond, over."
Static once again washed over the COM. "Nothing Sir, orders?" Kendal asked.
"Hmm…it seems our comrades have been eliminated, we need to move to the plains and call for extraction there." Tyr said, his deep voice only slightly tinted with concern.
The squad barked an affirmative and headed for the main doorway that led out of the artillery complex. They froze as the blast door burst open and a platoon of Fourth Legion soldiers openly fired on them.
Kimmel's rifle came up a half second too late and his chest was torn apart by machine gun fire. Mahler and Hayes ducked into a service corridor while Kane and Kendal lay flat on their stomachs firing their M3s.
Three Fourth Legion troops collapsed to the ground before Kane took a burst of ammunition to the skull. Ryan rolled behind supplies crate and reloaded, cursing profusely.
A white clad figure flashed forward brandishing an ice blue energy sword. The terrified screams of the enemy troops followed closely. "The way is clear!" Deramee shouted. "More of them are sure to be close behind, I will cover your retreat, go!" Tyr ordered.
The Marines hesitated but reluctantly followed his command and dashed down the corridor. The crackle of gunfire erupted close behind them, followed by the screams of human soldiers.
Kendal burst through the doorway that led to the courtyard, which was littered with bodies from the earlier assault. Mahler and Hayes were close behind. Deramee's final wail resonated through the hallway behind them.
The trio raced towards the main gate, rifles up as they ran. A Brute and a Fourth Legion commando emerged at either side of the open gate, spraying the scene with weapon's fire. Mahler took three rounds of M3K ammunition to his thigh and crashed to the ground.
Kendal looked back to him, and then back to his assailants. He fired his rifle from his hip pinned down the nearest commando. Ryan then spun on his heel and heaved Mahler onto his shoulders.
Hayes covered them as best he could as they finally broke through the barricade at the gate and sprinted towards the fields.
Kendal accessed the emergency COM channel and shouted into it; "Eagle two! Eagle two! This is Romeo first squad; we need immediate evac one hundred meters from my location!"
"Negative Romeo, negative! We've got troubles of our own…I'll try and get to you but—Baxter to our left!" Static roared across the connection and Ryan watched forlornly as a flame engulfed Pelican fell from the sky and plunged into the icy waters of the Juan de Fuca.
"Keep going!" Ryan barked. "Head for the beach!" Hayes obeyed, but lagged behind to cover them.
The beach loomed ahead, as did two Fourth Legion sentries.
"They're guarding the RIBs. Hayes, take out the sentries, then frag the second boat, we'll take the first and hide out in the city until we can arrange pick up." Kendal said softly.
"I'm on it Sarge." Darren said as he shifted to level his SM2. The sniper practiced switching targets twice and pulled back on the trigger. The two soldiers fell limply into the snow and ceased to move. "Clear."
The trio trudged down the bank, Mahler supported by Kendal's shoulder. Ryan set Mahler in the first boat while Hayes unsheathed his knife and went about sabotaging the second.
The beleaguered troops stared blankly at the city ahead as the small boat skipped across the water. Mahler was doing well, the bullets hit nothing vital, but the mission had taken its toll on them all. Nearly two entire squads had been terminated on this mission…success came at a high price Kendal supposed.
"I have a contact in Victoria, and a place we'll be safe…once we're there, I'll arrange for someone to pick us and escort us to safety…"
"Behind you all the way Sarge…just promise me a hot meal, I think my stomach's frozen…" Mahler grumbled.
Ryan grinned and returned his gaze to the city that lay sprawled about the Canadian island ahead.
"Almost there…keep your eyes open in there; Victoria is crawling with the Fourth Legion." Kendal warned.
The boat ran aground moments later, the trio dismounted, then shoved the craft back into the surf. Two black Pelicans with red emblems splashed upon their wings soared overhead.
"Alright, the outskirts are only a few hundred yards away…that area is barely watched, we'll enter the city there and contact my friend Krueck…if he's still alive." Ryan said quietly.
"That's reassuring…" Mahler grumbled.
Most of Victoria hadn't changed, other than the fact that it had been six years since Kendal had been home. Though born in New York, he had lived in Victoria all of his civilian life. The buildings had gotten taller, and a Fourth Legion barracks stood threateningly at almost every city block.
"I have a house on Seventh Street; we'll hunker down there and then contact Krueck tomorrow morning."
"Sounds good to me Sarge…but how do you propose we get to Seventh Street
dressed as rebel troopers?" Hayes asked.
The Marines cautiously dashed from alley to alley, concealing themselves in the shadows as sentries patrolled the streets.
"I haven't seen one UNSC trooper yet…and Martial Law has been in effect since '52." Mahler commented.
"It looks as though Battings has pulled UNSC Marines away from every critical position and left it fully in the hands of the Fourth Legion…in Istanbul, I noticed their dropships, the small black ones armed to the teeth, coming in all morning on the day of my trial." Kendal replied.
"Istanbul got hit yesterday…Covenant strike, took out most of what's left of the UNSC hierarchy…no doubt Battings gave them the perfect opportunity." Hayes stated forlornly. "I always kind of hoped that once Battings was gone, we'd be able to restore the UNSC to its rightful state…now theres nothing left of it…" he finished.
Ryan agreed quietly and led them along a side street that dumped into Seventh. A large residential development lined the street, though no one stood outside.
"The second house to your left Hayes, make sure its clear…" Ryan cautioned.
"Two sentries on the far side of the street…not paying attention though." The sniper replied.
"Okay, let's move out." Kendal ordered.
Ryan slid to a stop before his house and placed his hand on the scanner to the right of the door. IDENTITY CONFIRMED flashed across the small screen and the door unlocked with a subtle click .
"Okay, Hayes get Mahler inside and make him comfortable…we're safe for now, get some rest for yourself as well."
The next few hours brought a sorely needed secure night's sleep for the three soldiers. Mahler was laid in a bedroom on the first floor, Hayes slept on the third, and Kendal had fallen asleep on the couch near the front door.
Ryan opened a bleary eye and looked at clock near the doorway. 4:13 it read in civilian time. He barely remembered the fact that at 0430, Fourth Legion soldiers inspected every household. When the thought jogged his memory he bolted upright.
"Hayes!" Kendal shouted groggily.
"Yeah?" Came the bored reply from the third floor.
"There's civilian clothes in the bedroom, hide your gear and change, quick. Then help Mahler!" Kendal raced to the second floor, which was a large loft between the first and third. He yanked open a dresser while shedding his fatigues.
He struggled into a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and threw on a light jacket. Hayes vaulted over the staircase and landed next to him, dressed in a similar fashion, and then raced down to help Mahler.
"Richie! Wake up!" He shouted as he ran. Hayes threw open the door to find Mahler sitting quietly in a pair of jeans sitting on the end of his bed.
"Morning." He grunted and buttoned up his shirt that he tugged on. Minutes later a harsh knock thudded against the door.
Hayes strode calmly to the door and opened it. Two Fourth Legion soldiers shouldered past him and into the house. They wore urban fatigues, with grey, white and black camouflage, with a red emblem on the shoulder. Their belts held holsters for their drawn pistols.
They said nothing; they simply checked each room and then met again in the foyer. One of them addressed Hayes.
"Strange…there were no residents here yesterday…" he said.
"Just came into town…this was my brother's house, he died back in '54…but I keep the house, for a place to stay when I need it." Kendal replied to the question entering the room.
"This house was registered to 'Ryan Kendal' it says…" The second soldier stated.
"Yes…my brother, I got a letter from the UNSC that he was killed in action on Jericho IV." Ryan replied.
"Hmm, interesting." The soldier began. "Now I may be wrong…but I did not receive the Gate's report of you and your compatriot's entry to the city last night."
"Now we would like to believe that you and your friends simply forgot to check in…so I'll call it in, but if your identities do not check out…" The first soldier finished threateningly.
"It won't be a problem I assure you." Ryan answered, almost immediately.
Hayes shot him a look but kept quiet. The soldier smiled, "Fine, go get your identity papers and bring them to me, then we'll be on our way."
Kendal nodded, turned and took the stairs up to the loft two at a time. Once he was sure and soldiers were out of view he opened the dresser and recovered three UNSC passports. Each was a small PDA-like device, modified for the Resistances use. He typed in the names of Mahler, Hayes and himself and it matched them with identities of people within the city that had similar attributes. Kendal smiled and went back down the stairs and handed the slender devices to the soldier.
The soldier looked them over skeptically, then spoke several words into his COM, then handed them back to Kendal. "Welcome back from Sweden Mr. Williams, I'm sorry we wasted your time." He said reluctantly and the pair turned and exited the house.
Hayes let out a noticeable sigh of relief and looked to Ryan. "Man, I thought we were cooked…how'd you pull that off?"
"Yeah Sarge, I mean, I was so close to blowing holes in those traitors…" Mahler added.
"Well it's a good thing you didn't my friend….I was curious about Battings' rise to power during my tour of duty at Jericho…so I contacted several secure sources and gave up my home for the Resistance to use as they see fit…its been key to our operations in Victoria…as I've been told." Kendal said without sign of pride.
"So they stocked it with fake IDs?" Mahler asked incredulously.
"…and weapons, explosives, security clearances, Legion uniforms and communications equipment." Kendal finished, "Of course I didn't have a clue that they would stock it so heavily…Andre Krueck is the director of Resistance Operations in Victoria…I'll get in contact with him today and arrange a pickup from the Seattle ."
Hayes let out a low whistle and a sigh. Kendal signaled to both of them to follow him upstairs to the loft. Hayes helped Mahler up the stairs and Ryan pushed the dresser out of the way and felt his way into a small gap between the wall panelings.
It submitted, and slid away, revealing a long metal table in a large hidden closet. On the left side of the table were stacks of folded urban fatigues, embroidered with the red emblem of the Fourth Legion. Behind the uniforms were sets of Legion armor. A rack of rifles was set upon the table and against the wall that ran down the remainder of the table, and it surface was covered with a combination of pistols, compact assault rifles, sub machine guns and COM equipment.
Kendal buckled a holster under his arm and chose a pistol from the table and tossed an identical one with a M3K to Hayes. Mahler began assembling the COM unit, and sweeping an arm full of pistol magazines into a bag he found downstairs. He felt their stares and looked up halfway through the chore: "What?" he asked.
Hayes shook his head and slid a magazine into the M3.
"Okay…Krueck isn't far from here; I'm meeting with him in the Square, stay here and I'll contact you when I know more." Kendal said seriously and strode out the front door.
Andre Krueck walked out into the crisp winter morning air of Victoria. The shop he had just left opened into the City Square, which was dominated by a large fountain at its center, and City Hall at its northern end. Legion troops patrolled the grounds, while others congregated before the pair of Scorpion tanks seated at City Hall's entrance, of course the tanks were armored in black and bore the insignia of the Fourth Legion.
Krueck glanced across the scene seriously, finally seeing a familiar face.
"What do I owe the pleasure of your visit Ryan?" He asked as Kendal approached.
Kendal smiled slightly and shook his hand. "Its good to see you Andre, but I'm afraid the nature of my visit is far from happy."
"Ha, as I had guessed my friend!" Krueck replied, his voice tinted with a faint German accent. "Come…I have a place we can talk."
Kendal returned his smile and followed him silently. Krueck stopped before the door of a small internet café, which was devoid of Fourth Legion surveillance. Ryan stepped inside just behind Andre, carefully looking over the interior of the building. The room was large…especially for a shop off of Main Street…behind the counter there was no one, several lounge chairs had been arranged in the room's centre, while smaller tables and wooden chairs clung to the walls. One man in a black leather jacket sat at a bar stool to the left of the duo, sipping a cup of coffee. Soft music played in the background…it seemed like any other coffee shop.
Andre pulled a chair away from a nearby table and motioned him to take the seat opposite of him. "So Ryan Kendal…how may I be of service to you?" He asked without lowering his voice in the slightest bit.
Kendal gave him a startled look. Krueck understood, "No worries Sergeant, that is Eric Bolen, one of my security operatives, he is no threat to our organization." Ryan relaxed and began to speak.
"I am here with two of my teammates, we were running an operation to spike the batteries that shelter Victoria…we succeeded, but both of our teams were terminated by Legion soldiers upon preparing for extraction….we're the only survivors. Hayes and Mahler are at my house…we need to arrange extraction without raising too much suspicion…the Resistance can't afford another bird going down in this sector."
Krueck was quiet for a moment and then raised his head. "I believe I can be of assistance…but as for a Pelican flying you out of here…that is highly improbable." He replied seriously, his jovial tone extinguished.
"Whatever you can give us would be help enough…" Ryan stated.
"Alright then…we need to get in touch with the Seattle immediately…a battalion of Fourth Legion troops have been mobilizing here for the last two months….and our reports show that four Legion Destroyers just pulled in to port in orbit." Krueck informed.
"So the Legion has a Navy?" Kendal asked.
"I am afraid so my friend…but we don't have a clue where they are coming from." Krueck added, "But that is a problem for another day, for now we need to focus on getting you back to the Resistance."
"Any ideas?" Kendal asked.
"A few, Ryan, a few." Andre began. "My first point is only that the Fourth Legion amassing troops in the city, as I said before…this can only mean the UNSC is loosing every grip it had on Earth and the Empire."
"I expected as much…with much of the UNSC's military hierarchy with the Resistance…and the others killed by Battings…it wasn't looking good from the start." Kendal replied with little emotion.
"Though this could work a little to our advantage…with the UNSC military nearly eradicated on the surface, the UNSC Navy won't be extremely loyal to their new commandants." Krueck stated.
"I see what you're getting at…who's in charge up stairs?" Ryan pondered.
"That would be Fleet Admiral Harper…."
"The Resistance will send him a diplomat, we haven't had many run-ins with the Navy, and he should comply."
"Good, with that out of the way, I may have a way to get you out of Victoria." Krueck said. "We'll need to wait until tonight, there's a Fourth Legion convoy moving out at midnight….did you find the uniforms at your house?"
"Yes, so once we're out of the city…."
"Explosives set in the vehicles go off; your squad cleans up the survivors, then move towards the extraction point and head back to the Seattle ."Krueck said in a in matter-of-fact tone.
"Sounds fine to me…any backup?"
"I'll send three of my operatives with you, to give you more of an edge on the enemy troops. But I can only guarantee that the Pelican will be there, anything beyond that…is up to you."
Rogue, Chapter Five
Date: 30 August 2006, 9:07 pm
2559
Victoria, Former UNSC Earth
Ryan Kendal slipped back into the house on Seventh Street, evading the gazes of the Fourth Legion patrols. He had called Hayes from a phone booth on Fourteenth, so when he entered the residence, the two soldiers were already struggling into urban fatigues.
Ryan acknowledged them both and took the stairs two at a time to the loft. He pulled the dresser aside and removed the paneling that hid the arsenal. He shed his civilian attire in seconds, and quickly changed into a set of urban fatigues. Kendal selected a pair of combat boots and began lacing them up.
Hayes and Mahler arrived in the loft a few minutes later, dressed in near-complete Fourth Legion attire. Kendal stood and slid a set of armor to each of them; they accepted them and began assembling it about themselves. Kendal followed suit, strapping on the light weight matte black body armor over his fatigues.
"How's this going down Chief?" Mahler asked.
"Krueck had five legion troops taken care of, so we will be taking their place in the convoy." Kendal replied.
"As simple as that huh?" Hayes asked skeptically.
"As simple as that." Kendal repeated. "The troopers we're replacing are running convoy security, so we'll be clear of the explosives…and be provided with a good vantage point to take out any survivors."
"Fish in a barrel Sarge…but if you mind, I think I'll take a seat in one of the Warthogs until the fireworks start." Mahler stated, nursing his thigh.
"Just make sure you're clear when they do."
"Piece of cake Chief."
The Marines placed the helmets over their heads, which included an armored mask that protected their nose, mouth and chin, and lowered goggles over their eyes. "Let's get this over with boys…convoy is assembling at the Gate Plaza, we wouldn't want to be late." Kendal informed.
Gate Plaza
Fourth Legion Convoy
The Resistance Operatives met them as planned, a block from Gate Plaza, they introduced themselves as Abreu and Dominguez, and then led them into the plaza.
The entire square was bustling with at least one hundred Fourth Legion Marines, each one of them dressed identically to Abreu, Dominguez, Mahler, Hayes and Kendal. Four troop transport trucks rolled into the plaza, followed by another four M41 LRVs.
The security detail was flown in by Pelican seconds later, dropping in another platoon of troopers. Kendal began to get nervous. He cast a glance towards Abreu. The operative understood. "The explosives are well placed….don't worry."
Kendal nodded and took his place in the side seat of a nearby Warthog. The entire plaza seemed to roar to life as the troopers began to climb aboard the massive vehicles. The Warthogs led the way out of the city and out on the heavily barricaded roadway that led to the mainland.
A message came across Kendal's Dismounted Data Automated Communications Terminal moments later. It was Abreu. Explosives set to go off once we enter the mainland of North America, best of luck. The message read. Kendal hit the acknowledgement button and shoved the small D-DACT PDA back into a pouch on his breast plate.
When nearing the mainland the convoy slowed and the security team dismounted. The five revolutionaries briefly acknowledged each other through the use of their newly issued D-DACTs. The small PDAs were effective ways of discretely transferring information among UNSC and Resistance squads and platoons. Each of the operatives had been issued them before they had left Victoria.
The convoys slowed to a crawl as the MSG squad took up positions about the line of vehicles. Kendal walked five to seven meters behind Hayes as he snapped back the action of his M3 rifle.
The lead vehicle passed over onto the mainland moments later. The countdown on each explosion of every vehicle began to tick. A small collection of numbers appeared on Kendal's HUD. 00:03:52
Mahler stepped out of the slow moving M41 at the head of the column and began to walk shakily away from it. He concealed his limp well, though a small circle of blood began to spread across the thigh section of his fatigues.
One more minute…
That was the only thought that went through Kendal's mind. The last vehicles came away from the bridge and onto the land which was the United States in centuries past. The five operatives began to spread away from the column.
00:00:00
A dozen simultaneous explosions tore the convoy apart and left most of its passengers corpses. Kendal was thrown to the ground, along with Hayes who walked in front of him.
He blinked away the stars that clouded his vision and brought his rifle to bear. His HUD marked Dominguez and Mahler near the head of the charred column, and Abreu near the end.
The crack, crack of rifle fire split the silence as Dominguez terminated a Fourth Legion Lieutenant that crawled towards his fallen rifle. A brace of Legion troops from the security squad noticed Dominguez's action and open fired. Ryan's rifle came up and fired twice, felling one of them. Abreu took the second.
Another hostile leveled a pistol at Abreu from behind and pulled the trigger. The shot was off, but still hit him in the side and caused him to collapse. His wounded assailant approached for the kill, but Hayes took him down.
Kendal's head was on a swivel; he flicked the thermal setting on the side of his goggles and surveyed the scene. Dozens of corpses littered the ground that would've been hidden to the naked eye. A figure from behind charred Warthog prepared to take a snap shot at Mahler. Ryan's goggles located the soft point of the 'Hog and riddled the vehicle's passenger side. He lifted his goggles and watched as the blood pooled away from the unseen corpse.
Hayes ran to Abreu and heaved him onto his shoulders. The Resistance drop ship roared overhead and set down in a snow covered clearing just off the road. The sunrise revealed a small extraction team of rebel Marines securing the LZ and signaling for Kendal to hurry up.
The small team raced towards the Pelican and past the Crew Chiefs that swept their rifles from side to side, searching for targets.
With their cover undoubtedly blown, Abreu and Dominguez took their seats inside the Pelican's troop bay and strapped in. The Gunner and the crew took one last sweep before turning and hopping inside.
The bird's belly jets fired and the Pelican was hoisted into the air. Far below, Fourth Legion tanks and armored vehicles secured the perimeter around the smoldering column. Pelicans lifted off from Victoria in the distance and began their flight towards the convoy. A medical detachment, these were no war birds.
Krueck was sure to have his hands full after the events of the morning; the Legion would be relentless in their search for the culprit of the operation.
The medic onboard inspected Abreu carefully, and began to fill the wound with bio-foam, it would stop the bleeding until they arrived at their destination and the man could have a new kidney cloned for him.
Kendal leaned his head back and let the events of the past few days scroll through his mind. The Resistance had lost two brilliant tacticians, along with a score of Marines.
"Sergeant Kendal?" The pilot asked.
"Yes Lieutenant?" Ryan asked over the roar of the engines.
"We'll be docking with the UNSC Flagship Patton in five."
"Roger…has the Resistance sent its ambassador?"
"I believe so Sergeant,but they only said you'll be meeting with Admiral Harper to discuss what you know…but several of our leaders will be there as well." The pilot replied.
Nearing the UNSC Patton
0537 Hours
Two UNSC crewmen waved the Pelican into the forward launch bay of the Patton , which was usually reserved only for the Admiral's ship. The war bird set down in the center of a small platform to the right of the pedestal that harbored the UNSC Osprey , the Admiral's personal shuttle.
Several crewmen helped Abreu and Mahler to the Medical wing, while a detail of six ODSTs escorted the rest of them to the Bridge. Kendal realized that the Marines shoulder plates were adorned with an orange emblem, showing they belonged to the Resistance.
The three men followed the Marines down a short corridor and passed into the airlock that opened into the bridge. Two UNSC Marines stood at either side of the blast door. They gave a crisp salute and hit the door control.
The blast slid away and the door opened silently. The ODSTs stood to the side and allowed the trio to enter the room.
The Bridge was huge, there was no other way to describe it…easily twice the size of the Seattle 's and utterly immense.
Two figures clad in SPARTAN Mark VII armor greeted Kendal as he entered. He recognized them as Chief Petty Officer 104, and Master Chief Petty Officer 117. He shook both their hands in kind, enduring the grueling experience without showing any pain upon his face.
In a way, Ryan Kendal had allowed the formation of the Resistance, while suppressing Fourth Legion advance during the 'Reformation', he allowed SPARTAN 117 to extract the last of his platoon and escape. Kendal had served with both 117 and 104 on Jericho IV, and on many operations beforehand, on Reach and the East African Front on Earth.
The soldiers exchanged several words in which 104 congratulated him on the success of the mission, and his apology for the loss of his men.
Hayes and Dominguez were excused, while Ryan was escorted by the Spartans to the command deck of the Bridge.
Like many warships he had served on, the fore of the Bridge was open to the stars, but protected with heavily reinforced glass.
A tall man in a crisp naval uniform stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Kendal knew him to be the Admiral, and another officer near him to be Captain Xavier.
Harper turned to him and outstretched his hand. Kendal shook it.
"Sergeant Ryan Kendal…I've heard a lot about you, and I understand we owe you a lot, in light of the events unfolding before us." Harper said.
"Thank you Sir." Kendal replied simply.
"Kendal we need good men like you out there on the ground…in a manner of speaking…and I understand that you uncovered several secrets about our pal Bill Battings in North America."
"Yes Admiral…Fourth Legion troopers are in complete control of Victoria, its people and its assets…in addition to that, as you surely are aware, Istanbul was glassed by Covenant forces last week…terminating the remainder of the UNSC Military Hierarchy."
"So you're telling me…."
"That you are the only UNSC officer of significant rank alive as of today."
"…I was sure that this was coming…ever since our government was taken out in '54." Harper said forlornly.
"Though its not as bad as it may seem Sir…many former UNSC high ranking officials defected to the Resistance as you may remember…officers who are a crucial part of our tactical operations….we ask that you, and those under your command that are willing, join our cause as a part of our High Command…" Kendal addressed, somewhat unsteadily.
"I would be thrilled to accept your proposal Sergeant…but we need to organize our forces and either make a move on Earth…or abandon the system and jump out of here." The Admiral stated.
The Spartans stepped forward as if on cue. "Sir, I believe that we can regain Earth for the UNSC…and I would be happy to take part in the operation." The Master Chief said sternly.
"That's excellent news Master Chief. If you would have your senior officers onboard in two hours from now we can begin organizing our offensive."
"Yes Sir." The Master Chief said and placed his helmet back over his head and strode towards the doorway to the launch bay, accompanied by 104. Kendal turned to leave as well.
"Sergeant Kendal, before you go?"
"Yes Sir?"
"I can't be sure how events will unfold once our forces are on the ground…but I would like to offer you the choice of taking the promotion to Sergeant Major , and being assigned a unit to take down to the surface once proper decisions are made." Harper said.
"I would be honored Admiral…but a promotion after only knowing me for a few minutes?" Kendal asked incredulously.
"I understand the audacity of the concept…but I've read your report that was sent to the Resistance just before you left Victoria, if you had the ability to get anyone out of that mess alive, you've got the right stuff to lead men into battle."
"I can't say I expected being reinstated into the UNSC Military two days after being sentenced to death by it…" Kendal said shaking his head.
"Yes, but Battings isn't in command of the UNSC any longer." Harper countered, though without malice.
"Regardless, I accept your offer Sir."
"Excellent. Then go ahead and report to TAC 1 for a cabin and a bunk and I'll have someone come get you once the decision for further action is made." Harper said smiling.
Kendal snapped a crisp salute and followed the Admiral's directive until he found himself falling into a deep sleep in his small room aboard the Patton .
Someone rapped a knuckled on the outside of Kendal's door three hours later. The Sergeant Major stirred and rolled off his cot and onto the deck with a thud. He groaned quietly and stood up, striding to the doorway.
The door slid away and revealed a young Navy Ensign holding several documents in a folder. The ensign gave him a nod and silently handed him one of the documents.
Kendal broke the seal and extracted the piece of paper from the folder.
17 October 2559
UNSC Military Calendar
Sergeant Major Kendal, Ryan J.
[REGIMENT]
58th Armored Division
FOLLOWING: [Squad: Conditions: Attachments]
Echo Squad- Snipers: 2 Support Gunners: 2
- Riflemen: 4 NCO: Staff Sergeant Castle, Jeremy A.
Conditions- Raining, cold. Visibility up to 600 meters
Attachments- [Elements of 12th Knife: CO- CAPT Golden, Eric S.]
Alpha Squad: NCO- SSG Rhodes, Derrick C.
Bravo Squad: NCO- SGT Halladay, Daniel W.
Charlie Squad: NCO- SSG Oliver, Francis A.
[Elements of the 58th Armored: CO- CAPT Zampelli, Dustin A.]
[Operation Description] stated by: Lieutenant Colonel Callahan, Jarred M.
Alright Gentlemen, this isn't going to be any cake walk. Our primary objective is to secure the city of Cerbere. Accurate intelligence shows that Battings moved to Cerbere shortly after his convoy to Vancouver was dispatched….thanks to you Sergeant Kendal. Anyway…The mobilization of the Fourth Legion in Victoria has drawn the defense of Cerbere to a thin line of Legion troopers. Though rumors tell that Covenant transports have been seen touching down inside the city for the last few hours. If it's true…its bad news.
Cerbere is not a Military city, its defenses are decent, but nothing worth taking time with, the city is surrounded by four foot titanium reinforced walls, with bunkers every one hundred yards equipped with plasma cannons and light machine guns. Fourteen Scorpion MBTs are rolling in with A-Company, thirteen with B-Company.
'A' will hit the northern front of the Cerbere, while 'B' will hit the eastern. 12th Knife is both companies only air support, use them wisely, because once they're gone, they're not coming back. Keep your eyes open for Banshee fliers if Covenant forces are present, and anti aircraft guns regardless….
This is the last straw boys, if we don't get Battings now, we never will. Once you are inside the city with the CP secured, light your signal and second phase will go into effect, you'll be briefed further in Cerbere. Good luck Gentlemen, Callahan out.
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