Halo: Remnants (Halo fan fiction)

Only Death Stops Them

Xolani quickly voiced her own opinion. "Captain, have you considered the cruisers are using stealth technology? Hiding from detection to deploy forces easier. We could be heading into a trap."

"Your only concern is retrieving that data. Everything else is mine." Taharqa's eyes flashed, and then she spoke again. "We're exiting slipspace in forty five, be ready to drop in twenty. When you land, we'll need to keep transmission silence unless the Remnants detect you. You'll be on your own until then. Understood?"

Remnant Squad saluted once more, speaking in unison. "Understood, Ma'am!"

Thirty minutes later, the five ODSTs were surrounding a holo-table, armed and armored. A visual of the area around Xerxes in front of them. There were a few wraiths, half a dozen patrols in the surrounding area, and several ghosts. Basically a hard night's work.

"They're gonna see us coming if we land to close," Chase said, tossing his helmet from hand to hand. "And with those stationary turrets chances are none of us are making it to the ground in one piece."

"The forest, here." Xolani pointed to an approaching storm above a dense forest a little to the north of the base. "Clouds should hide most of our reentry, and the forest'll cover us easily."

"Problem is getting inside. Wraiths are going to be asshats to deal with." Themba leaned forward, his eyes searching the hologram. "The real question is, why are they going through so much trouble to fortify it?" Then the ready room's sirens and lights began blaring, a sound they all knew too well.

Azu looked up in response, uncrossing his arms. "Alright people, pods are getting lonely. Let's get to work."

The Spartan 1.1 slid on his helmet, heading towards the last post on the left, his weapons already stocked inside. Remnant fell in, filling in the pods to his right. The hatches closed one by one and launch bay's platform opens, the pods descending.

Azu loved this part of the mission. Insertion never got old, and neither did his mandatory speech. "Remnants! Tell me what ODST stands for!"

"Only death stops them!"

"Then what is your objective?"

"Don't die!"

The pods fell from Thanatos, the dotted blackness of space swallowing them whole was quickly replaced by the turbulence and flames of orbital insertion. Azu held fast to the holds in his pod, leaning his head back against the seat. The flames vanished, and clouds broke around them. Falaknuma stretched out before them, and his voice echoed throughout the team's helmets.

"Comms check."

"Akinwole ready to go."

"Remnant Three all set."

"Remnant Four is good. Let's kick some ass."

"Xolani Tesfaye, just peachy."

Azubuike's pod smashed into the ground and his hatched opened slowly. He whipped out his weapon and quickly moved in a three-sixty, scanning the area. The rest of the team crashed behind him, quickly exiting their pods.

[]0955 Hours[]

Remnant neared the treeline leading to Xerxes, Remnant One held up a fist, and the team came to a halt. "Five, tell me what you see."

Xolani walked forward, bending a knee and leveling her sniper rifle. There was a moment of silence, one that nearly made Azubuike uncomfortable, before she spoke. "We got Storm Elites at all the entrances with a few Jackals. Carbines and beam rifles on the roof and balconies. Stationary turrets at the corners."