Battle of Adachi

=The dropships landed soon, gangplanks lowering for troops and Mortar Sentinels to march off. Zeus, Ares, and Hades battalions were positioned 5 km outside the Reclaimer base, their landing zone an ancient, dried up river bed that provided ideal cover. Thor, Odin and Loki battalions were dropped north of the first three, their landing zone a rocky patch of land, boulders and large rocks scattered in their path save for open spaces large enough to unload on=

*Zeus Battalion Commander*
Alright Zeus, let's move out. Runner teams, you're working as scouts, so move ahead of us and keep your eyes peeled. Anything fishy, you report it back to me.

*Runner Leader*
Sir yes sir.
=The runner teams, four in total and made of three soldiers, were adorned in specialized combat skin. Energy had been devoted to speed and agility, while the suit joints were modified to allow for greater movement than standard skin. The only draw back was a reduction in shield strength, and the suits were lighter, so they wouldn't stand up to heavy fire. Still, they move out, treating the terrain like one of their parkour training courses, running over rocks and putting significant distance between themselves and the other battalions=

=The mortar teams within Thor, Odin and Loki battalions began a steady march, their destination being within firing range of the base. Phalanx teams, soldiers wearing armor outfitted with modified hardlight shields, took up position on the front and sides of the formations, a tactic that ended up saving their lives. Reclaimer forces, fire teams hidden among the rocks, lay in wait. When the Haven soldiers got to a decent ambush location, the Reclaimers opened fire=

*Thor Sergeant*
"Enemy fire! Phalanx teams, form up!"
=At his words, the Phalanx teams turned to face the direction of the enemy fire, arms raised in front of them, and blue hardlight shields forming in the air. Reclaimer fire was either dispersed, or deflected off the shields. Phalanx teams had an advantage in this instance, their own armor modified for higher power output and shield emitters tuned to allow more cohesive barriers....at a cost of strength and mobility=

=Loki and Odin battalions went to work as well, the sergeants in charge spewing out orders over the comm link=

*Loki Sergeant*
"Mortar teams, get set; fire on their position, flush them out!"

*Odin Sergeant*
"Snipers and fire teams, when Loki flushes them out hit them hard!"

=Roughly half a mile South of an engagement between Haven and Reclaimer forces, a squad of Life soldiers was hunkered down behind a small, steep hill. There was some brief Comm chatter between the Life soldiers in a language foreign to forerunner records=

"Alpha teih vraidr riir'bat ni'tah."

"Vrii'si Beta teih vraidr, ahrvatiin ourt'hrr'tah."

"Vraidr'vo Theta, riir'hat vrror aschk'tah."

"Delta vraidr hir'tah. Retuuts kittehm'tah."

"Ahr riir'teh'sah?"

"Se'tah."

"Git'tah."

"Riir'tah."

"Mohrviinot'tah."

=The mortar Sentinels suddenly took on a different stance, their legs locking in place as small spikes shot down into the ground, their bodies on a swivel, and the cannons aimed in the direction of the enemy fire. There was only a seconds warning, as the tops of their backs warmed, plasma gathering, and then was released, bright red blobs of plasma discharged in an arc, the air hissing from the heat. It traveled a good distance before impacting the rocks where the Reclaimers hid, and they scattered, soon picked off by fire teams=

=Another group of Reclaimer forces began to advance from the opposite side, weapons firing and impacting on the hardlight shields of the Phalanx teams. Haven soldiers returned fire, but to their surprise despite being hit the soldiers never flinched, even when a sniper bolt melted off one of their arms=

*Panicked Soldier*
"GESTR'S!!!!"
=There was a panicked tone in his voice, this being the first time any of them had faced the Reclaimers abominations. He would have turned and ran, but a soldier next to him shouted at him=

*Brave Solider*
"You run and I'll shoot you myself!"

=Morale within the ranks was shaken, but the mortar teams were able to fix that as their shots took out the GESTR squads with well placed salvos. The regular Reclaimer soldiers fell back, and the sergeants of Thor Odin and Loki were screaming into their headset=

*Thor Commander*
"Runners what the hell? Where was our heads up?"

*Runner leader*
"Sorry sir, we didn't see them under their cover. But we've got an advance warning here: something big further off. Maybe new troops or something, I don't know. Maybe half a mile south of your position."

*Thor Commander*
"Paint their position Runners, we'll shell them from here."

=The Soul squad south of the Haven forces wasted no time packing up and getting out of the area, moving North towards the humans. The radio chatter continued, shifting more into human language=

"Alpha leader here, shields up and weapons ready. Hk'avr gkungnursa tavrondh'tah."

"Beta squad, moving."

"Theta out."

"Delta, on the go."

"Stay vigilant, shoot to kill on sight. Have your heavy blasters prime bolts."

"They use the same armor as the tests, yes?"

"I believe so."

"And the same weapons?"

"As I recall. Regardless, keep watch. Schankh nakriil'tah."

=Alpha squad moved closer and closer, their lights flickering between whites, reds, blues, and greens=

=Runner team saw that the new soldiers were moving north, towards their fellow soldiers and wasted no time painting their position, sending the information back to the mortar teams=

*Thor sergeant*
"Mortar teams, you have new targets. Uploading information now, and fire when ready."

=The Mortar Sentinels pivoted a little, their cannons aiming upwards. When ready, they loosed two salvos of red plasma into the sky, and it arced downwards towards the targeted area=

=Alpha leader pointed up at the sky towards a hail of bright red mortars=

"Nikhan mi'kah!"

=The Souls quickly scattered behind rocks and trees as the mortars rained down. Their shields flickered from the force of the blasts, as well as the heat, but they had managed to get to far enough cover that they held fast. They waited until the last of the bombs had fallen before regrouping and resuming the route north=

*Runner leader*
"Runners to Thor, mortar teams missed. Continue firing!"

*Thor sergeant*
"You heard them! Mortar teams keep the pressure on, Phalanx move up and squeeze them. Runners, split off, have one of your teams flank them!"

*Runner leader*
"Understood sir. Three stay here and continue painting them, the rest of you split to their left and right flank!"
=They never said a word, but followed the orders and split off, running over the terrain=

=In the meantime, Zeus, Ares and Hades battalions began a steady march from the West, and they themselves encountered advance Reclaimer forces. They seemed more like scouts though, and they were easily beaten back as all three battalions continued their advance=

=The two groups that split off from the team leader moved off to the flanks of the new enemies, one to the right the other to the left. Weapons drawn, they began to advance in a classic pincer move while the Phalanx teams up North drew closer, mortar teams still shelling the location=

--Adachi Orbit--

=The stalemate in orbit had continued. Repairs had been made to the Haven ships and fighters were still on patrol but for the most part neither side moved to engage. On the bridge of the Hyperion, the admiral was busy monitoring the situation on the surface=

(Jason)
"If need be, we could send down fighters to perform surgical bombing runs and clear a path right to their base."

*Lt. Lake*
"It's an option, but we still don't know much about their defenses. They could shoot our birds out of the sky."

(Jason)
"That and we still have the enemy ships to deal with. What's the word on them anyway?"

*Sensor Officer*
"So far nothing. They're staying in formation, and there have been no slip-space signatures. Those frigate are still at the front though."

*Lt. Lake*
"Admiral, we could take them on. The Hyperion's shields and weapons are more than a matc--"

(Jason)
"For the frigates alone sure, but we still have the rest of their fleet to deal with. Our ships can supplement us yes, but we can't afford a head on attack."

*Navigations Officer*
"Then perhaps we use Covenant tactics sir?"

(Jason)
=I walked over to the terminal, eyeing my Nav. Officer. She looked nervous yes, but confident in her suggestion=
"What did you have in mind?"

*Nav. Officer*
"An intra-system sir. The Covies used to use that tactic to close the distance to UNSC ships very quickly during the war. Perhaps we can use a similar tactic to place some of our ships behind them? Besides, once in slip-space, we can pass right through them."

(Jason)
"But to perform that precise a jump, a lot of our power would be drained. I remember that detail from UNSC engagement reports, of how Covie ships would be dark when they did ultra precise jumps..."

*Nav. Officer*
"Those were Covie vessels, and their specs while advanced pale in comparison to our own."
=She hesitated for a moment, clearly more nervous than before, but she continued=

"Granted, my best calculations show a moderate power draw, though I'd need an AI to run the calculations to get a truly accurate idea."

(Jason)
=I leaned back from the terminal, no longer looming over her. What she proposed....would give us an edge no doubt. But without a clear idea of just how much energy we'd be using up, it was too risky to perform=
"It's an idea.....but for now, we need one with less unknowns."

*Nav. Officer*
"Alright sir...."

(Jason)
"Keep up the good work though Lieutenant. We're going to need ideas here."
=I walked back over to the command chair, eyes focused solely on the digital display on the main view screen=

"What's the word on the surface?"

*Lt. Lake*
"Thor, Odin and Loki battalions have encountered enemy forces using asymmetric warfare tactics."

(Jason)
"Guerrilla warfare eh? Means they don't have the numbers for a standup fight...."
=But they knew the terrain well enough to use to their advantage=

"Send a message to the f.o.b. and see if they need air support."

*Lt. Lake*
"They already stated they don't need it yet, their mortar teams are doing a good job so far."

(Jason)
"Good."

--Adachi Surface, Forward Operating Base--

=Reports were already coming in of light engagements between the advance battalions and the Reclaimers. So far only minor casualties, no fatalities yet for Haven troops though=

*F.O.B. Commander*
=The base commander was rallying the other battalions over the comm, shouting orders in quick order in a loud voice=
"I want Zeus Ares and Hades battalions to meet up with Thor, Odin and Loki battalions here, Grid H-14."

*Zeus Commander*
"Not going to be easy sir! We've got Reclaimer forces working guerrilla tactics down here, and Thor's saying something else is down there with them. They're shelling whatever it is but so far nothing."

*Thor Commander*
"This is Thor! Phalanx teams are moving in now for the final squeeze while Loki's mortar teams continue to shell the target area, keep them holed up."

*Base Commander*
"Good job, keep the pressure on. Once you all meet up, head towards the Reclaimer base. Going to send you a battle plan of the next step."

*Odin Commander*
"Sir, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't appreciate some air support here just to flush these guys out."

*Base Commander*
"No can do Odin, we need to hold our air power for the base itself."

=The soldiers kept moving in loose formation, largely avoiding the explosions, and bearing what they were hit with. Alpha 3 and 4 yelled into their comms to the rest of the squad of incoming enemy forces on their motion trackers. The group hunkered down into a crevice in the rock and readied themselves for a firefight=

*Odin Commander*
"Dammit....alright, we'll make do with what we have here. Odin out."
=Ending the call, the commander resumed issuing orders to his sergeants, who were still out in the thick of it. It seemed wrong for him to be safe and sound back in the dropship, while his men were fighting out there, their lives at risk. But he was doing more good giving orders than firing a rifle=


=The runner teams, now in position, began their advance from both flanks towards the enemy soldiers under mortar fire. In the direction of the battalions, the soft blue glow of the Phalanx teams hardlight shields was visible through the dust, showing their proximity. More red globules of plasma rained down on the target area, and the runners were for once glad that the enhanced speed and reflexes of their combat skin made them more than capable of dodging. The mortars would have melted them like wax=

=Phalanx teams were now well within range of the enemy soldiers, the fire teams behind them prepping their weapons and waiting for the signal=


*Runner Leader*
"Strike teams, on my command......attack!"

=At the order, the two teams surged forward, weapons drawn as they advanced over the terrain, their target the crevice where the enemy was currently hiding=

=The five soldiers fired out at the incoming Haven runners as soon as they were in sight. Their MCR-IV heavy blasters were just larger than a Covenant Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon [Fuel Rod Gun], and would tear the humans up. Alpha Leader aimed a shot for one of the runners coming in on the West flank and pulled the trigger, the giant bolt flying straight and true, tearing a hole right into the Human's chest. They continued their barrage=

*Runner*
"Gah fuck!"
=Smoke billowed from his chest as the bolt of energy burned into his armor. The shields, despite being at low power, were able to disperse enough of the energy that when the energy actually did hit the armor, the worst of it never touched him, though he was still incapacitated: the energy heated up his armor, fried most of the electronics beneath the weave, and practically disabled the suit=

"Shit, my suit's locked!"

*Runner Leader*
"Stay down Rob, we'll get a medic for you. Runners, evasive maneuvers! Do not close with the enemy, keep them distracted."

=The Souls kept firing, not giving the runners a chance to stop and recouperate, and aiming to kill. Once they were close enough, Alpha squad member [Designation 1011] climbed out of the trenches to engage the runners on the West flank in CQC. Standing nearly a full three feet taller than the Humans, he brought his huge armored arm back and swung it like a bat, cracking one soldier right in the head, no doubt having broken his skull. His outer lights flared red as he let out a loud bellow at the Runners before taking his rifle in both hands and aiming to smash the humans with the butt of it. Two of the soldiers in the trench kept fire on the West flank, hoping to keep the Runners dodging enough that they would not have time to retaliate, and the other two, including the squad's Heavy Gunner, focused on the East=

=The vital signs of the runner who took the hit to the head flatlined, and at that two of the Runners tried something new. They decided to use their advantage of speed and agility and their opponents size against it. One moved off to flank it while the other charged head on, counting on the others to distract the solitary one's team. He ducked under the first swing, ending up right inside his personal space=

*Bravado Runner*
"Hi there."
=The hulking things weapon was already at the peak of the swing, no time for it to come down of react. He used that time to take out his weapon, the small SMG type weapon, and fired right into his opponent's chest=

=The Soul's shields dropped, and armor was pierced. Blood seeped through the hole, but it did not seem to flinch. It brought the Rifle down on the Runner's skull before taking it up again and firing a few point-blanks to the rest of the squad, while at the same time raising its foot and stepping down onto the Runner's back. A few seconds later, it turned and began to run back towards the trench, blood trailing from its chest=

=While the Runner's death shocked his partner, his sacrifice was not in vain. His partner, using the distraction, planted a plasma grenade, Forerunner variant, on the back of the enemy soldier. Having retreated to a safe distance, he waited for the inevitable boom=


=Phalanx soldiers were now close, and the fire teams behind them began firing through the space between the hardlight shields=

=The grenade went off, tearing a hole in the Soul's thick outer armor. It stumbled and bled profusely, but quickly recovered and was able to limp back to the Trench. It took up its rifle again and resumed firing, slowly dying and likely beyond the help of a Medic. A minute or so later, it fell back into the trench, leaning against the wall of it, and slipped out of conciousness. The other four quickly devised a plan, and concentrated their fire on the runners, quickly dispatching them one after another, before turning their attention to the Phalanx approaching=

=Out of the ten Runners, only six made it out of there alive and unharmed, their injured companion recovered and pulled back to the main battalion. Phalanx teams held their ground, shields flaring as the enemy rounds were deflected, and the fire teams behind them moved to lob grenades over the shields toward them=

=Shock Trooper training would come to serve them well as the remaining members of Alpha squad readied themselves for a ballsy, and incredably risky, move. The four Souls climbed up out of the Trench, diverting their armor's power away from every internal system, including Life Support, and dumping it all into Shields. They charged forth into the enemy line and rammed the Phalanx head-on, knocking a few of the soldiers onto the ground. Now in close enough quarters, the Souls engaged the Haven forces in Melee combat, using their size and weight to break their enemies' bones with each swing and punch. Alpha Leader went over to one soldier and placed his hand on his head, squeezing with all his strength, and did not stop until his skull caved in. Alpha 2, the Squad's heavy gunner, did not stop firing his massive rifle until he was sure every soldier he aimed for was dead and partly melted=

=When the first line broke, the soldiers moved back for a better position. Their weapons fired, aim focused on the torsos and heads of the enemy combatants. And not SMG's either. Powerful weapons, plasma bolts firing and illuminating the area as they impacted the enemies shields, wearing them down. Some even lobbed more grenades at their feet, silently praying their fellow soldiers, who were already in the grip of the enemy, were dead as the grenades went off=

=The grenades went off, and Alpha 3 and 4's shields dropped. They fell back behind a few jutting rocks to take cover while they recharged. At the same time, Alpha 2 and Leader turned their attention to the back lines of the Phalanx team, angling their rifles over and around the shields of those not smart enough to angle them up, and bashing the shit out of those who were. At one point, Alpha leader came up to a soldier who had moved his shield out of the way to fire, which ended up being a big mistake. He kicked the soldier's leg, breaking it easily. As he dropped he kicked him in the chest, shattering his ribs, before picking him up by the head and looking him in the eyes. A strange, yet familliar voice would come through the Soul's body. That of a long-hated race to the Humans=

AL- You will be taught the meaning of despair!

=Alpha 3 and 4 popped up over the rocks to continue firing. Alpha Leader held the dying Human high off the ground with a great bellow, almost like a trophy of battle. He then dropped the body, raised his leg, and brought it down on the soldier's chest, a mixture of blood and vomit splattering the inside of his helmet as his body was crushed violently. As he drew up his rifle again, a not-so-foreign emblem could be seen on it's Shoulder pad=

=As more soldiers died, the ferocity of the Haven troops increased. But they all remembered words of wisdom from their drill instructors. "Fight with your head, then your heart." They regrouped, falling back to a safe distance as the mortars locked onto new targets. Grouping behind their shields, they relied on the snipers who stayed behind to fire off shots at the hulking troops. And the symbol they all saw on the shoulder of the lead monster was not lost on them, nor the sound of the voice. They remembered all too well both the symbol and the voice, and the fires of rage inside them burned hotter, fueling every move they made. Not once did they abandon their training, their focus, or cohesion. But they let the fury of their rage pour out towards the enemy, as the all fired more and more plasma at them=

=Alpha Leader's shields broke, and shots pierced his armor and body. Blood seeped out, but he remained steadfast. He took more and more hits before dropping to one knee. Time seemed to slow for him as he thought. He knew he was beyond aid, and it would have put his team at risk to come save him, so he took the most logical course of action. He took something off his belt, stood and sprinted as fast as he could into the enemy lines, and just as he hit their center, he disappeared in a flash of light and an intense explosion. He fell to the ground in a heap of twisted metal and shredded flesh, and white-green blood covering the ground and armor of soldiers near him, both those hit by the blast and those not. His vital signs ceased a few moments later. Alpha 2, 3, and 4 continued to hail the enemy with heavy blaster fire, their staggered line now leaving them openings to get some good hits in=

=Those that could not reform the line were cut down, left either dead of injured, by the hail of fire. Sniper teams from afar kept painting the area for more mortar fire, directing it all on the enemy troops. Phalanx teams and runner began a strategic retreat, never showing their backs to the enemy as they regrouped, fire teams still hailing them with plasma=

*Odin sergeant*
"Commander, we could use some air support here. Requesting an air strike on these coordinates!"

*Odin Commander*
"Negative sergeant, we don't have clearance for an air strike. Zeus Ares and Hades battalions are moving to converge on your location. Just hold on till then."

=The remains of Alpha squad did not relent. They kept firing at the Haven soldiers, moving up and from cover to cover behind jutting rocks and boulders. They followed the humans closely, occasionally landing in a few hits on the soldiers themselves, and throwing a grenade or two every so often while dodging the Mortars that hailed them from above=

=Advance Runner teams from the other three battalions were already on the scene, their commanders ordering them to assist in any capacity they could. But they were already informed of what happened to the previous team, so they went with a different strategy. They came from behind, moving too fast for the enemy to really react, as they ran past them, dropping more grenades at their feet while they stayed out of melee reach=

=The Souls' shields flared and dropped as the grenades went off, and they ducked behind the rocks to avoid enemy fire as they waited for them to come back online. This would be an optimal time to retreat, having sustained heavy losses, but Alpha 3 wanted to send one final message to the Humans first. He ran back to the last rock formation they had been behind and to one of the Human bodies that had falled. Placing his foot on the body's chest and one hand on its neck, it gave a hard push, ripping the Human's head and spine away from the rest. He ran back up to his squadmates and used the momentum of his running to lob the head and spine forwards. It went over the Phalanx and hit one soldier in the arm. Their message was sent. Went that, they continued firing as they retreated back Southwards until they were out of sight from the Humans, and far off their scanners=

*Thor Sergeant*
"They're running! We sent them packing boys!"
=The men gave a cheer.....but the elation they felt was shortlived, as they soon had to tend to the wounded and gather the dead=

--Adachi Orbit, Hyperion Bridge--

(Jason)
=Word had come up from the surface. The fight had gotten very hairy by grid H-14. We lost a lot of people, and had a lot more wounded. Commander Strickland, the one in charge of the ground operation from the F.O.B. cleared a group of dropships to be sent down to recover the dead and wounded for a return to the base. What had me worried though was footage from one of the cameras mounted on the soldiers helmets. Their opponents, were not Reclaimers. They were something more....brutal, and when pressed they devolved less into a well trained unit and more like wild beasts. They seemed like a different version of the Brutes within the Covenant. Perhaps that same brutality could be exploited, but for now we'd need to regroup. Already the six battalions were converging on Grid K-13, almost outside the front doors of the Reclaimer base=

--Adachi Surface--

=Dropships were flying all over the area, either dropping off reinforcements or picking up the wounded and the dead. Those that stayed remained empty, as they would serve as the air support, performing small bombing runs against the base. Back at the F.O.B. Alpha Team was already prepared and aboard their own dropship, the Blacklight=

(Conner)
"Okay Alpha, here's the plan: while the main brunt of our forces hammer on the front doors of the Reclaimer base, we'll work as a scalpel from the other end. Our goal is to extract any intel from their archives, and if possible plant explosives in key sections of the base."

(Chris)
"Any back up?"

(Conner)
"No. We're doing this job solo Alpha, and for that we need to be extra careful. Chances are they'll still have security in the base, so we need to be quiet and make sure they don't catch on."

(Crowe)
"Sure thing sir."
=I hefted an explosives satchel, having it hang over my shoulder like a messenger bag=

"Any idea how long the flight will be?"

(Sam)
"Yeah maybe around 20 minutes at top speed. We're taking a long way around to make sure they don't see us."

(Wierzbowski)
"Not sure how much use a sniper is going to be in there James. Close quarters isn't my thing..."

(Conner)
"Go for a carbine class weapon Trevor. It'll work in close quarters."

(Wierzbowski)
=I picked up one of the weapons in question, shorter than the standard sniper rifle I used, and when it was synced with the combat skin's systems a digital display appeared on my HUD, showing how many shots I had in the power cell=
"Guess it'll have to do. When does the assault start?"

(Conner)
"We're still waiting for the main force to get in position."

(Chris)
"And how much longer for that?"
=While I spoke, I checked my gear to see if everything was there: spare power cells for my weapons, data pad for hacking through doors and into computers, and first aid kit and standard survival gear=

(Conner)
"Well, we lift off in ten minutes, and the assault begins in fifteen. Eta to the base itself is going to be maybe the same amount of time."

(Sam)
"Buckle up Alpha, I just received word. The attack has started now!"
=Without waiting for a response, I began activating the engines, prepping the dropship for liftoff=

(Conner)
"You heard her Alpha, let's strap in."
=We all got in our seats, safety harnesses securing us in our spots. It wasn't long before there was the all too familiar tug as the dropship took off into the air, and shot off along the flight path=

--Frontlines, Battalion Encampment--

=Blobs of red plasma arced across the battlefield, impacting the walls of the Reclaimer base. They melted in spots, but not enough to create holes; they were dense enough to resist that level of heat. Before the walls themselves were more Reclaimer soldiers, organized into lines of small tranches and gun emplacements. They returned fire to the front lines of the Haven soldiers, their own mortars firing, while groups of GESTR units crossed the field, braving the "no man's" land it was turned into, as they charged the front lines=

*Odin Commander*
"Air wing, I need a bombing run on those GESTR's! If they reach the front lines, it'll be as bad as those behemoths!"
=In response, three Trident transports came in from the side of no man's land, initiating a bombing run. Main plasma cannons lit up as they loosed blobs of plasma onto the ground, while their own missiles impacted the ground. Fire and plumes of smoke erupted from the surface as dozens of GESTR units burned=

=While the Reclaimer forces were occupied with the Haven army at their doorstep, the Blacklight dropship moved around the battlefield, staying under the radar as they moved for the rear of the base. The flight was quiet, Alpha Team silently anticipating the drop off=

(Sam)
=Piloting the dropship through a canyon was no easy task, let me tell you that right now. We had to make the eta, so that meant flying at a decent speed without crashing my bird into a canyon wall. That kind of damage does not just buff out. I was hearing all kind of chatter from the front lines though: most of our own were slaughtered by these big hulking things we never expected, though we killed some of them in return. The siege of the base was going as expected--no real breach of their defenses. Admiral Shepherds was sure we could have broken through, but that would have given them time to erase the files on their computers, the same files we were after. Granted, I had no idea what was on them, but command had a feeling that at the very least, there was info on other bases in the Haystack. My thoughts were interrupted as I had to swerve to the left, avoiding the corner of the canyon wall. Damn I didn't see that one there=
"You guys okay?"

(Chris)
"Oh yeah, I love being tossed around in a tin can!"

(Sam)
=Grinning inside my helmet, I couldn't help but feel an all too familiar feeling of fondness for Chris. She and I were a lot a like: tom boys=
"I'll take that as a yes."

(Conner)
"Cut the chatter. Sam, what's our eta?"

(Sam)
"We just cleared the canyon now Conner. Only two more minutes before touchdown, so get ready. I'm going to kiss the ground for maybe six seconds, enough time for you guys to get off before I high tail it out of here."

(Conner)
"You heard her Alpha. Unstrap and get set, we're jumping ship in two minutes!"

=The dropship began to slow down, circling a flat patch of land roughly 1 mile east of the Reclaimer base. It was lightly defended on the Eastern front due to the density of rocks and boulders that would have made large scale military movements impractical. It was just luck that there was a patch of land large enough for a quick drop=

(Conner)
=The moment the ramp started to descend, I started barking out orders=
"Move Alpha, let's go!"

(Chris)
=I didn't even need to respond. Trevor, Crowe and I immediately marched off the ramp, weapons aiming in every direction we could manage=