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"Thank you corporal."

Lipton nodded to the man and linked into the COM channel with his personal headset.

"Alpha-Bravo Two Kilo this is Echo One Lima, what can I do for you Karr?"

He braced slightly as the Pelican settled down on the small island below the Shadow of Intent. There was a hiss as the rear hatch opened and the troops on board piled out for a brief pause in the fighting. The assault force was still waiting for the 305th to join up and Lipton wasn't sure he could take the generators with half-strength. The 301st and the 105th had already sustained tremendous losses. Without the 305th there was a good chance that they wouldn't be able to pull this off. Keyes had been very specific in her orders. Either everyone was there or no on was. This attack couldn't fail. But it also couldn't wait.

Lipton was still on the COM but he turned and waved down one of the Privates who was holding a cup of what looked like coffee.

"Private, can you get me a cup of that?"

"Sure thing sir." The Private smiled and walked back to the small "mess" that had been thrown together between the cluster of Pelicans. An Albatross dropship left the SoI and landed nearby. Its doors opened and revealed large fuel tanks. The Pelicans were going to get the fuel they needed.

Mendez shrugged and scratched his stubble of hair.

"I guess i've been all right, same old same old. Get off Halo, fight the Covenant, get random, unexpected promotions, that kind of thing. What about you Karr?"

"Belfast was a long time ago, it seems. I can't believe he got hit on the day of his promotion...i'm not going to have s**t luck like that." Scratching his head, Mendez thought out loud. "Karr, how many missions have we been on together?"

((Just a head's up, there is no land route, and everyone is using Pelicans. Honestly, there aren't that many humans left. The four Pelicans that were with the Master Chief in Halo 3 are all they have and however many we have are all the ones we have. We get more because the Elites aren't helping us out with this.))

"Karr, Commander Michael Hammer is MIA. As of Oh-three-fifty tactical command for this operation has been given to Commander Keyes. Orders were relayed to unit and company COs. You should know by now. Although there's no harm in telling you the plan. Elements of the 105th, along with the 301st and the 305th will secure and hold a series of backup generators that provide additional power to the primary generators being targeted by the first assault element. We are to secure and disable the backups to ensure that the shield wall goes down long enough to enable Sierra 117 and the Arbiter to punch through with Marine support to the Prophet's hiding spot."

Lipton's COM pinged on the priority channel.

"Karr, I've got to take this call. You'll get word when the second phase is about to begin. Echo One Lima out."

He switched frequencies and listened to Lee's report.

"Confirmed Alpha Two Lima. Stage two commencing in t-minus twenty-five and counting. Echo One Lima out."

He straightened up and stretched. He opened the unit wide command COM and spoke clearly to the officers of the 105th.

"Time to pack it up ladies and gentlemen, stage two begins in t-minus twenty five. Be ready for fast deployment before then. Recon team mobilize in ten. I want status updates every five minutes. If you see any sign of Covenant activity you let us know."

He received a dozen confirmations and checked his own gear. Technically he'd be in the rear coordinating attacks, but it never hurt to be prepared. And he intended to set up a CP inside one of the generator facilities. It would give him some better cover and let him stop worrying about getting shot down by the Covenant AA.

Mendez cut his conversation with Karr when his HUD started beeping at him. "I'm on this first wave, Karr, so i'll see you groundside." Picking up his helmet and tossing a casual wave, Mendez jogged out of the tent and headed for the Pelicans. Sliding his helmet on, Mendez brought up his Pelican's rosters. All personell were accounted for, and on board their pelicans, except for him. Jumping on, Mendez strode to the cockpit and patted the Pilot's shoulder. "You ready for this?" The pilot nodded. "Yessir. It's my job to fly you into hell and back." As Lee finished his prep speech, Mendez turned to the crew bay and keyed in his COM. "You heard the man, We're going in hot, and I want to see guns blazing. Hoorah?!" The chorus given to him was heartfelt from the men, some voices wavering, and some stronger than he had ever heard them.

"God help us." Mendez took a seat and laid his head back on the wall.

"First wave, you are cleared for launch."

Lee watched silently as the 31 pelicans lifted off, and sped to their destination. Humanity's best and finest, going up against a race that could only be described by it's universal nickname: Brutish. Realizing that he was slipping into tangential thoughts, the Captain snapped back to awareness and sought out Karr. A WIA that was going to play a key part of this operation...

Finally finding the man in his wheelchair, Lee came this time without any aides to pester the Chief Warrant Officer. No, this was going to be entirely confidential.
"CWO Karr, do you consider yourself fit for co-piloting a pelican?"

"First wave, you are cleared for launch."

Mendez felt the obvious feeling of his gut reaching down to the bottom of his abdomen. It always happened when he started a mission, and it helped keep him on his toes. "

Mendez gave the go command and the pelicans lifted off the deck, easing out into the sky.

"Try to fly with rusted bones, and wings made of dagger's souls..."

One of the marines looked over at him, and Mendez realized he had his external speakers on. Quickly switching them off, he continued.

"Swarm in numbers, I dare you all. In a blazing fury i'll go down, yet your army will suffer, to hell it's bound."

It was an old battle hymn, sung to him by his great grandfather who had it passed down through generations. The marine who heard him looked curious, and suprised. Finally seeming to get the guts to ask, he asked, "Sir, where did you learn that?" Mendez just shrugged. "Passed down through my family. Battle Hymn." The marine looked startled. "Oh. Okay."

His COM crackling into life, Mendez heard the pilot's voice. "Generators in site, preparing to deploy at LZ Delta."

The pelican lurching downward, Mendez's boots lifted off the deck for a moment with the steep descent. "Marines, grab your weapons. You heard Captain Lee. This may be our final fight. Don't waste it."

Cpl. Jon Coenen A.K.A 'Hawk Eye' stood in one of the pelicans of the first wave, he figured this would be the last mission he went on, but of course, he felt that way on every mission, survival odds were never good these days, but he was a marine, he would follow orders and deal with it.

As the pelican flew towards the LZ, Jon readied his MA5C and his M6G and sighed "ugh, i always get the crappy weapons, this thing doesent even have a scope...oh well, i didn't join the corps to whine, i just gotta hope for the best" he said, loading a clip into his Assault Rifle and grabbing 5 other clips and 2 frags to make sure he was prepared.

"Nearly exctinct or not, the Loyalists were screwed the second the elites joined us, the Elites are almost as strong, and twice as intelligent and twice as good at aiming, still, the sheer force of numbers is a powerful thing..." Jon always spoke of odds and complained when he thought no superiors were listening, but he was a good soldier and his superiors knew it, besides he was a good shot, they didn't call him "Hawk Eye" for nothing