Halo: Front Lines [BOOK ONE]

Chapter Five - Atrocities

UNSC Colony World Harvest,
Epsilon Indi System,
2350 Hours March 1st, 2526 (Military Calendar)
Historian's Note: It did not take the UNSC very long to realize that their enemy would give them no quarter. The path of destruction that the Covenant burned through human-controlled space left even the most grizzled veterans speechless.

"Command, this is Sierra-319, I have the remnants of Charlie Company's First Platoon. We're proceeding through the streets on foot as best we can, but be advised, the Marines accompanying me have a much higher risk of fatality due to their standard loadout." Sarah said to her ONI handler via her internal communications as she led Gray and Brown through block after block of carnage.

This sector was still held by the enemy, an enemy that was becoming cornered despite its technological advantages. An enemy who's brutality knew no bounds. Brown still had a hard time processing the video footage he saw that had been taken from orbit. Had his troops laid eyes on what this adversary was capable of from space, he probably would've been forced to deal with a few deserters. Entire sections of his home world had been engulfed in raging wildfires, burned to ash by just one single starship.

"Understood Sierra, the other platoons of Charlie company have just eliminated a high value anti-aircraft emplacement along with its Covenant defenders. An undercover ONI Fireteam is on its way to extract you." The ONI handler in charge of Sarah said. As a Spartan-II, Sarah only reported through the regular chain of command when she was ordered to. Depending on the mission, she was to assume command herself or follow the orders of a faceless ONI Agent. No details about her superiors were given other than their gender being deduced from the sound of their voice. Today's handler was female.

"Copy that," Sarah crisply replied. "Where's our exfil?"

"There's an ONI Prowler stowed away at the spaceport just outside the city...a few kilometers past the Parliament building." The ONI Agent said. Sarah bristled at the thought of passing that horrid place a second time. "Spartan, do you read me?" Her agent pressed.

"Five by five. We'll be there within a few hours." Sarah replied, then cut the transmission. She had to stay focused, she had to keep her mind on the mission no matter what she saw the Covenant do. The enemy was simply using a Psy-Ops tactic intended to break UNSC morale. As she stared ahead, steeling herself internally for what was to come, she was approached by Lieutenant Brown.

"Everything alright, lass?" He asked, sincerely concerned. Sarah smiled a little behind her opaque visor. How rare it was to see a commander who so easily accepted everyone in the UNSC as his responsibility. She could punch through tank armor, literally, and yet he still felt the need to care for her. Not that Brown or Gray had any idea who Sarah truly was, of course, and that's the way she wanted it to stay.

"Yes Lieutenant, I've received word from command that I'm to escort you to the Spaceport. An ONI fireteam will be there waiting to evacuate you off world." Sarah stated matter of factly as she turned away and motioned for the two to follow her.

"Excuse me, did you just say ONI?" Brown demanded, suddenly more alarmed.

"What's ONI?" Gray asked.

"The boogieman, now shut it." Brown retorted. Then, returning his attention to Sarah with a raised finger he added: "And I don't want one bloody thing to do with-" A Covenant tank turned the corner of the upcoming intersection, followed by two smaller, purple vehicles sporting twin plasma turrets. Just as the tank fired on their position, Sarah grabbed both Brown and Gray with inhuman speed and crashed through a storefront to their right.

"Oh yeah, definitely a robot..." Gray groaned as sheetrock dust and debris pelted his face. It was a continuation of the latest bickering with his Lieutenant about whether or not Sarah was some kind of battle droid. She didn't have the heart to tell the two that, despite how softly they'd spoken, her augmented senses could pick out every word. Just when the team thought they were finished, Pelican Five-One descended into firing position and brought hell incarnate down onto the heads of the enemy.