Scenario Simulation #1 : Base Raid
It was a bright sunny day. Tree leaves and vivid green grass glistened to the sun's shining rays from dew of the early. Nothing seemed wrong in that morning as the UNSC Science Security teams performed their daily morning patrols. The LRVs were purring as they settled under the vehicle yard's protective roof next to the monstrous gray and elegant structure. Spires and struts jutted from the ground surrounding the ancient building, firing seemingly eternal beams of energy into the base of a floating column the stretched kilometers into the sky. The structure below the column was one like bowl with rapidly rotating rings that seemed to also unleashed unlimited power to the entire complex itself. Other less sightly attachments dotted the complex. These were the science facilities that were stapled to the base structure for study and research. A great wall surrounded the concentration of human built complexes, grafted against the walls of the Forerunner mosaic of technology. Anti-Air railguns and turrets spread over the UNSC base, protecting it from bombardment. They knew the Covenant would never bombard such 'holy relics.'
Of course, when the first swarm of banshees made a swift run with their fuel rods, they were surprised. The surprise quickly fell, though, and the active AA pieces opened fire as the UNSC personnel prepared for brutal combat. As phantoms poured troops into the research complex and conflict started, the teams of scientist fired off SOS's. What that signal caught, they would have never expected.
"Help! Site Phi Omega on the Forerunner power complex Sigma Terra is under heavy Covenant fire. We need reinforcement and immediate evacuation! If you can hear this message, please help us immediately!"
Kayap studied the planet and the several Covenant vessels that hovered a safe distance from the area of interest. N'Jero studied as well, planning for various measures that could be taken. The deacons were also studying around the holographic table.
"What we going to do, High Deacon?" One of the lesser deacons questioned.
"We are going to help. Get the troops ready, we're going in." Kayap said.
"Are you sure? You know we still too small a force to go about throwing our kin to maybe bad combat." Another deacon said.
"But it would be worse if we leave and Covenant get the big Forerunner building."
"Kayap is correct," The first deacon to speak agreed, "If they get the tools, that will bring survival chances down much more."
"Navigation, order fleet to prepare for combat. Send coordinates and jump in two minutes. Order concentration of fire on bigger ships first," Kayap turned to N'Jero, "Give Dawjaw topographical map and rough layout of human base."
N'Jero nodded and tapped the various glyphs that dotted the holopad in his hand.
Two CCS-class battlecruiser slipped into existence around another battlecruiser. The lateral plasma turrets spat out raging red bolts of plasma, smashing the shields of the Covenant ship and turning the vessel itself into molten slag. Just then, three destroyers guarded by a dozen heavy corvettes slipped in. The corvette formation opened and the flagship 'Righteous Faith' came. The battle fleet of battlecruisers, destroyers, and the one flagship engaged the enemy as the corvettes tore a war path through the atmosphere. Of course they had to keep distance from the base to keep the humans from opening fire upon them.
Kayap, Popad, Dawjaw, Kadab, and Kadap prepped their phantom. They peered out into the room as huragok transported crates and maintained equipment, alongside the grunts. Kayap turned and looked at his brethren. Dawjaw was conversing with a number of Unggoy commanders, Popad was speaking to several Special Operations officers, and Kadab and Kadap were discussing the various ways of turning a starship inside-out.
It wasn't long till the bay doors closed and phantom shot out of the hanger. The fleet of phantom raced out and stopped several miles before the great wall the UNSC had constructed. The Covenants forces had infested the airspace and any landing zone near or inside the walls were encamped. They would have to go through the jungles to assault the Covenant and assist the humans.
The phantoms spread dropped off their cargo. Kayap and his crew dropped down, "Move forward! There were report of stupid brutes and jackal!" A grunt broke into the communications. They moved forward, stepping over various roots and pushing through bushes.
"Me going this way. Spec Ops are gonna sneak in and get the gates open. Good luck, grunty brethren!" Popad broke away with a complement of Special Operations unggoy and a huragok.
Kayap and the rest pushed forward. Weapons fire was becoming more and more apparent as its echoes became louder and louder. They stopped on a small edge that peered over a large pond. Beyond the pond, they observed a crew of unggoy step out and reveal themselves to the forces there.
"Sangheili? I thought they were allies to human?" Kadap broke the silence.
"Me think something else at work here." Kadab grunted.
They saw the elite roared and speak out to the unggoy. They saw other unggoy within the elite's rank as well, of whom were watching the opposing grunts intently. Just then the elite pulled out a plasma rifle to the leading white armored ultra grunt. The grunt itself pulled out a plasma of its own, along with the other lesser ranks grunts who had their own assortment of weaponry. The elite's grunts shouted in surprise, pulling out their guns.
"Why they aiming at their brethren!" Kadab whispered exasperatedly.
"Not all our brothers are with us, Kadab," Dawjaw spoke, disappointment laced his voice, "Let's move, we need to help them."
They headed there, and seconds later weapons fire echoed. The Unggoy Republic grunts dove for cover behind a rock formation as the Ultra's shields absorbed the elite's fire. The elite stepped back in surprise and roared, pulling out a plasma sword. It charged as one of the orange armored minors blasted it with an overcharged plasma shot, draining its shields. The elite changed trajectory and slashed through the unfortunate grunt. The others bore down on the elite, killing it.
"Bad grunts killed the good elite, no!" The leading Covenant grunt yelled in rage, opening fire on the Republic grunts. They other grunts ducked behind their rock formations as plasma bolts and needles blasted and chipped away at the rocks. "You'll die traitors!"
Kayap and the other grunts came out, leveling their weapons on the grunts. The grunts halted fire, "Drop your guns!" Kayap yelled and he approached with his carbine. The others followed closely, eying other areas where a threat could be.
"Is th-that Kayap!"
"It's Kayap! The grunt of legend!"
"Impossible!"
"Spare us mighty grunt, spare us!"
The grunts dropped their guns like they had burst to flame. The dropped to their knees and held out their hands to Kayap in shame. Kayap shook his and approached the unggoy. These grunts were certainly of a different variant, but nonetheless they were brothers.
"Forgive us! Elites took from our homes, promising great journey. We wanted to refuse, but they would kill us!" One lesser ranking grunt barked. "We will fight for you Kayap, not this stinking Covenant."
The leader of the squad of Covenant grunts roared in rage, and leaped at Kayap, "For the Great Journey!" Kayap instinctively fired, ending the grunts life. Silence filled the air, and then one of the fallen grunts approached the body. He dropped to a knee.
"He believe stupid journey, and get him killed. Sleep eternally and peacefully, Kopop."
An unggoy phantom flew in, indicated by the green sheen. Kayap motioned the former Covenant grunts to board it, and they did. Several robed unggoy left the phantom to retrieve to two bodies of the grunts who lost themselves to combat. The Republic squad who had fallen under fire came from cover, which cued Dawjaw to walk over to speak with the white-armored individual.
"Kayap," the last Covenant grunt stopped, "There Covenant base down that valley. Beware sniper birds, radical brothers, and big stupid elites and brutes."
"Elites and brutes working together?" Kayap was given a confirming nod and then the grunt rode up the phantom anti-gravity beam. The phantom dropped off its payload, a wraith with a crew compliment. This wraith in particular was shielded, its turrets controlled by the operator. The wraith was also slightly smaller and rounder, being able to rely more on its anti-gravity drives. The huragok were amazing creatures.
Dawjaw was finished speaking with the other squad of grunts and then the wraith operator. They exchanged nods, salutes, and then brotherly handshakes.
"They're ready. Wraith will stay back and bombard the base. Mokmok and his squad will cover the wraith. Kadab, ready to blow up stuff?"
Kadab cackled and pulled out his fuel rod guns, "Oh yes!"
The grunts crawled against the ground. They looked like bushes to the untrained eye, as they had attach an assortment of brush to their methane tanks. Albeit their reduced sizes, methane tanks would still be a dead giveaway of their positions. They had to improve, and nature provided them the necessary tools and a very busy environment to hide in. Kayap looked down, his helmet’s vision screen zooming in as he eyed the various components of the Covenant base.
“I see… holographic elite? Do they follow prophets? N’Jero, you know anything about these guys?” Kayap said as he eyed the elite in question who was giving what seemed to be a rather encouraging speech to his following. Or she? Kayap could never distinguish the two, but that may be due to lack of interacting with female sangheili.
“I been keeping touch with my brothers, Kayap, and in doing so I’ve be blessed with information of certain… conflicts. The sangheili you see is most likely Jul M’dama. He has been trying to revive the old Covenant, and destroy the humans. He openly opposes the Swords of Sangheilios. I suggest you tread carefully, I have received transmission speaking of a particularly large and highly dangerous brute leading this assault.”
“Titanus…”
“Precisely. Move unggoy, the humans are not going to be able to save themselves.” N’Jero grunted. Then the transmission cut out.
“You heard elite. We kill these bastards.” Kadab transmitted over their squad communications network. “For Balaho!”
That was when hellfire met earth. Globs of green raced down upon the base as well as plasma mortar. As soon explosions were onset, Kayap and Dawjaw raced down the slope. They stopped upon a smooth, purple wall.
“We rather close.” Dawjaw stated, peering around the corner and eyeing the nearby sangheili who was bellowing out orders. “They use the old language of the covenant. Their armor looks weird.”
“Probably new armor they were coming out with near the end of the war.” Kayap nodded, pointing towards an armory. They raced over to it, but not without catching the attentions of several jackals. These were not the usual jackals though. They were more heavily armored and without shields. These were the Covenant’s next standard of cannon-fodder.
“We got chickens following us.” Dawjaw stated, glancing at the motion tracker in his helmet. Soon enough, the jackal skulked into the room, licking their teeth.
“You lot are the bird freaks’ butt ugly cousins.” Dawjaw taunted, raising his plasma rifles. The birds opened fire and the grunts jumped for cover as their shields lit.
“They have shields! The grunts have shields!” One of the jackals growled.
“The raptors talk! They can actually speak intelligently!” Kayap retorted, “Speak birdies, speak!”
With that, the grunt unclipped his plasma grenade, pressed the built-on glyph, and threw it to the Covenant troops. He tensed as he heard the screeches and the ensuing explosion. Shrapnel shot around the room, as well as a few guns caught in the blast wave. Kayap grunted as a half melted carbine pattered past him. Dawjaw looked across the walkway at Kayap and nodded. With that the two grunts rose from their cover and opened fire upon the remaining jackals that were unfortunate enough to have survived the grenade.
“Let’s go before the elite gets here.” Kayap said, backing up.
“Too late, you filthy grunt.” The baritone voice of the elite at the doorway behind them boomed. “You think you can come in here and enact chaos upon my encampment? Foolish unggoy, I’ll rip off your arms!”
The elite, whose golden armor shone, roared as his energy sword crackled to life. The grunts eyes widened as they faced the elite warrior. The elite thrust forward, swiping the blade. Kayap leaped away at the nick of time. Dawjaw fell backwards, the momentum of the elite having knocked him off balance. The elite spun on his heel and stabbed at Kayap. Dawjaw managed to stand up and have enough clarity to identify the situation and pull out his trust plasma dagger. Kayap took the moment, now that the elite was hunched with his sword jammed into crate, to land a punch to the warrior’s face.
Humiliated, by the fact that the hit caused some sort of pain while also having had a grunt land a punch to his face, the sangheili drew back his arm and then slapped the grunt away. Growling the elite slid his sword out of the crate and stared down upon the oddly armored grunt. Having been humbled by the skill of this particular unggoy, the elite was able to register exactly who he was fighting.
“You must be Kayap.” The elite rumbled, “M’dama would reward me a pretty prize for your head.”
The grunt, who was now cornered, stared up at the towering sangheili. Before the elite could take action, Dawjaw leaped upon the saurian and stabbed the elite repeatedly. The elite roared in a combination of pain and rage and reached up at the grunt stabbing at him. But to do so the elite dropped his blade and Kayap took full advantage of this. Kayap grabbed the hilt and turned to the elite who was now being pummeled by Dawjaw’s fists. The grunt charged forward and stabbed the elite.
The warrior’s jaws opened as he attempted to release a roar. Finding himself to be unable to, he looked down upon the unggoy who would take his life. He fell to his knees, reached at the grunt, and fell as the sword’s energy blade dissipated.
Dawjaw jumped to a table in time and looked at the dead elite and then Kayap in amazement. Kayap grabbed the hilt of the plasma sword and placed it upon the magnetic strip on his hip plating. He looked up at Dawjaw mournfully and nodded, as if coming to terms with his actions. He hunched over and gave the sangheili a prayer before retaining his composure. Dawjaw retrieved a nearby plasma caster and followed Kayap out the door of the armory.
The explosion had long ended and the ultra’s squad was now sifting through the torn base in search of survivors or useful equipment. The wraith was settled outside the building, its occupant sitting on top of it. Kadab and Kadap were roaring with laughter and Kadab was busy reenacting a moment where he had fought several jackals in close quarters combat.
This battle was a victory among others, but there would be more, and Kayap knew that there was more to move as he eyed the skies. Covenant and Unggoy Republic aircraft were already engaged in combat. Plasma beams split the air, ripping after unggoy phantoms or the like.
“Kayap, a Republic Lich is inbound to your position. Prepare your troops, you will be inserted behind the walls.”
