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-Marines-

"Alright! Time to get to work!" As the order to board the shuttles was called. He had finished helping with the ammo crates, and gotten in one shuttle, he rechecked his weapon. Properly oiled, locked and loaded. Electronics working fine. He joined the many other Marines piling into pelicans. He had gotten inside one that held 4 Elites. Being the last one in, he was going to be one of the first Marines out when the Pelican landed.

Karr gave a swift nod and started the main thrusters. Then checked the motion hydraulics and electric gyroscopes. All were clean.

"Ok, sir, so we're landing hot. The continent we're touching down on is crawling with hostels."

Anthony sent a package to the Commander's AI through the ships main computer uplink.

"Sir as you can see, the area we're all landing on is perfect for an LZ and main base of operations. We're landing here so we can clear it out, and give our boys orders. From there, we're going to hightail a few Pelican's out to a basin not far from the position, and set up rally points. And since we now have a SPARTAN, hence you on our side, we're gonna give you men and head you up Commander.

Now, the Chief is somewhere within the cartographer; a map room that I heard the radio chatter over. While Commander Keyes' main force moves to the next rally point, we're gonna try to give them support. Maybe match SPARTAN's and have you two give those bastards hell eh?"

With a jolt, the springs in the hydraulic arms holding the Pelican in place snapped out of locking position and let the Pelican loose. The gravity within the Pelican shifted to the front, and brought Karr's back into the seat's main support bar. Rough, but effective.

It was time to fly...

"All wings, this is Bravo Leader, delta formation on me, and move in to the tightest spaces you can fit. Its gonna be a close one gentlemen."

Anthony kicked in the main thrusters and plunged to the artificial structure below.

Winter was on the joy ride, the Pelican bobbed like a little boys toy. One word within his head revolved around twice over, 'oh joy'. It wasn't irony in fact it was truth. It was one experiance you never became used to just one you learned to deal with. At that point it became something.. Fun? Exhilarating was perhaps a better word. They swung, or Anthony swung the bird through the debris and lances of plasma fire. He'd finally excepted that his life for now was in another's hand. He just had to let them do their think and pray to the gods for a safe landing. So he then could kick some major a**..

((Just a couple of comments, CCS is the designation for the standard Covenant Cruiser. CSS is the Covenant Separatist Ship. The Shadow of Intent is not a CCS class cruiser. It's an assault carrier.))

Lipton sat in the cockpit of V55 as it and the flight of Pelicans holding Gold Team, composed entirely of ODSTs from the 105th, lifted off of the cool alien metal in the launch bay of the CSS Unyielding Reverence. While the Elites had been one hell of a host, he was glad to be leaving. He still didn't feel right inside Covenant ships. As soon as they were outside of the ships A-grav field a sensation of weightlessness filled the human drop ship. The Pelicans shot toward the alien installation with speed otherwise impossible to achieve elsewhere. This installation, this Ark, had a massive gravitational pull. He had never seen anything the size of it. It was enormous, bigger than even the largest Covenant vessel or station. It was on a scale incomprehensible to humanity's engineers, and it was still active.

At last he understood the Covenant's devotion to the Forerunner. Anything that could build this was worthy of some degree of praise. His view of the structure became obscured by the prow of a Covenant Loyalist ship. He glanced to his sides and watched as two other flights of Pelicans descended. One from the Forward Unto Dawn, another from the Unyielding Reverence. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the Dawn's birds descend into the fray. He knew the Chief was on one of those Pelicans, and he knew that there was nothing that could stop them. The Flood hadn't stopped the Chief in Voi, even when it had decimated the Marines stationed there. The Prophet of Truth was going get his due. On a dish served by humanity.

He watched the installation and the ship rotate as the Pelican rolled to avoid incoming plasma fire. A command crackled through the radio. It was from Bravo Leader. CWO Karr. He was ordering all the pelicans to follow him through. Lipton shook his head and watched Bravo Lead show off. Flying through the wreckage of a Covenant ship was cool, but it was dangerous. Gold Team's birds flew cautiously through the battle. Everywhere there were Plasma torpedoes or single ships. He couldn't tell which were which but he knew that someone did, and that was what mattered.

The pilot of V55, one CAPT. Brown, was an ace who had been with the 105th for a while. He could handle a D77H-TCI like no one Lipton had ever seen. The bird shook and bounced with every explosion and close call, but Brown got them through. He checked the unit's status once they cleared the firefight, and all of Gold Team's birds had made it.

He watched lances of flame spit up around the nose of the bird and knew they were hitting atmo. The Pelicans cut through the air like a hot knife through warm butter. Once they were within the full strength of the Installation's gravity, he felt his stomach appear once again. They were heading down at almost a ninety degree angle. CAPT. Brown, or "Sea King" leveled them out and equalized the pressure inside the cabin. The rear hatches remained closed until they were at a lower altitude, then the hatches were opened. Sunlight filled the troop bay as the men of the 105th double checked their equipment for the coming conflict.

Anso stood in his OIP. The coffin like pod was disposable and produced on board the ship. His weapons were ready, his blade prepared, and his heart set. Truth would have to be found before he could be killed. The Arbiter and the Spartan would see to that. He had another task, one that was of equal importance. There were rumors of a Temple of sorts on the Ark, one which resembled the archives found on Halo. The one destroyed by the Spartan 117. He would lead his warriors there and secure it until the knowledge of their Forerunners could be successfully extracted. There was much to be done and very little time in which to do it. The Brute ships fell before the Sangheili weapons. He calmed his mind and steeled himself for the next task. He felt gravity leave him and a sense of inertia as his pod was fired out the bottom of Unyielding Reverence.

It fell and fell until it pierced the atmosphere of the Sacred Ark. He and his warriors fell to the location marked by 'Fulsam. He was one of the many who had suffered dishonor after the destruction of the first Halo ring. All of the Sangheili had suffered dishonor simply by being duped into joining the Covenant. Blood would paint these sands a crimson hue. The San 'Shyuum would pay for their crimes. And Truth would meet a most unpleasant end. However he yearned for the chance to learn more about the gods. If there was indeed another archive, he would claim it. The sacred knowledge was far too important for the Brutes to see. Their eyes were not fit for such wonders.

As the clouds parted from the Pelican's path, Anthony could see the small crater like bowl that was to be their LZ. He could also see the plasma fire from Anti-Aircraft Wraiths flying straight towards his right thruster.

"All wings, evasive maneuvers." He said into his COM and banked hard left, missing the plasma by 2 feet at least.

"Lima-Seven-Nine-Seven, land your units on the far lip of the basin. Bravo-One-Nine-Three, follow me into the middle. Watch those AA guns."

"Copy that."

The leveling computer screen to Anthony's right read 200ft from the ground when suddenly, his right thruster gave way. Alarms blared, and computations began running through the screens as the right thruster was his hit by plasma fire. A plume of Black smoke began to belch from the thruster. Hell was breaking loose.

Anthony stabolized the left side, and caused the Pelican to begin a slight 360 motion as it began falling diagonally from the air.

In the rear, Corporal James Harland, and First Sergeant Hal Mokrey were flung out of the Pelican. Through the BIO-meter in the Cockpit, Anthony could see Harland's Vitals go red, Mokery only went yellow.

"Sir, I dont have much time before this boat flies into the wall! GET YOUR a** OUT OF HERE!" He barked, struggling with the controls. "I'M SORRY SIR BUT THATS AN ORDER! GET OUT NOW!"

With the thoughts of getting the Commander out, his own life began to come into question. He had a minute before he would become part of the rock face.

It came down to the wire...

He unholstered his pistol, and unloaded three rounds into the glass cockpit window. The glass littered the cabin and flew outside due to the G-forces.

"NOW OR NEVER SIR!"

As smoke plumed unpleasantly from the Pelican's hull Winter was up and about. Hell, it was breaking through the earth like the bird was doing. That scaring and unpleasant sound as metal started to bend against the G forces. He'd been in this situation before. Meaning he lived. Who knew about this time though?

Shrieks filled the cabin, marines became sucked through the rear, now what about him? What about Winter? His armor was made for such a jump from the sky. s**t. Decisions.

Such a decision was stripped away from him like he was from his seat. With a jolt, a bump he tumbled past the marines. Hands reaching out for any hand, groping for any hole against the floor. Past the lip of the rear he flew through the rear into the plasma filled sky.

Spreading his hands eagle he starred at the approaching earth. Coming fast. From his chest he pulled a wee little pin and an explosion of cloth filled the air. A transparent tarp flooded the sky. Tugged by invisible strings the now parachutist popped up as his fast decent turned into something slower, but none the less scary.

Hard and fast he came half a click west of the LZ. His body slammed hard into the earth, a painful streak of pain piercing up his body.

There was a noise. Clouded by strings of annoyance he arched his head, a grunt turned, startled all lonely and by himself. This wasn't usual. This meant there were more. It pulled up its plasma pistol but came to the ground with a painful crunch, for it. Winter's fingers sticking into were once it saw its enemy from. Turning, amped by adrenaline the man bounding into the nearest place of foliage. Into a throng of low trees and bushes he bounded. Past dying grass and mellow scrawny trees as shrieks of grunts floated behind him.

"This is Sergeant Winter. Hard fall," the throe of discomfort against his ankle started to boil. A welt, a bruise coming from his right turned his eyes to the HUD. Sarah was already done, "a sprained ankle."

"But.. I'm alive. I'm half a quick east. How many KIA?"

Pelican CHARLIE EIGHT TWO is down. VECTOR FIVE FIVE can you render assistance?

Lipton listened to the radio chatter. Bravo team was loosing Pelicans left and right. Apparently their drop zone had been in the middle of an AA field. Gold team had been lucky. C 82 had been hit on the way in, the crash site was not in a hot zone. He keyed the TEAMCOM and replied.

"Affirmative, VECTOR FIVE FIVE moving to assist."

Sea King hit the thrusters and the Pelican banked left. Lipton strode back to the Troop bay.

"Guys, we're going on a Search and Rescue mission. One of the pelicans that got hit in orbit made it to the ground. We're going to search for survivors before heading to our drop zone. Does everyone understand?"

The ODSTs replied with a comforting, "Yes sir!". Satisfied, he returned to the cockpit and planted his feet as the bird banked hard left and swung out of formation, the other birds in VECTOR flight continued to their destination. The ODSTs were being behind enemy lines and away from the AA guns. They were to move in and disrupt the enemy operations, allowing the 301st to disable the AA guns and give humanity one more step in achieving air superiority.

He watched as the Pelican covered the alien ground quickly. A plume of jet black smoke rose from the base of a mesa. Lipton looked down with a sigh. It always hurt to see crash sites. He returned his eyes to the site and keyed the radio. They had left behind a command and observation unit on the Unyielding Reverence to coordinate operations.

"VECTOR FIVE FIVE To Unyielding Reverence, CHARLIE EIGHT TWO crash site found. I can't see any survivors, but there's a forest on top of the mesa nearby, and they may be in hiding. We'll keep you informed. VECTOR FIVE FIVE Out."