Chapter Six

Hestia V System

In Orbit of Meridian, Moon of Hestia V

2200 hours

April 1st 2548

Captain Edmund Persie gripped the armrest of his chair as plasma shots burned through the exterior of the Sevenfold Gates. The main Covenant Carrier, known as Solemn Penance, was center of three other Covenant Carriers. The ship was firing in all directions fighting off anyone who dare to get close. Sevenfold Gates just happened to be too close. Persie stood from his chair with his hand on his chin. He knew the fleet he was encountering with housed one of the beloved Prophets that lead the Covenant. Operation Red Flag was still a green light but getting to the Carrier was the problem. The UNSC was sending more support but it would take weeks before they arrived and by his judgement the Covenant would invade Meridian within a few hours. He didn’t think he had time but still decided to act.

“Lieutenant” Persie said. Behind him standing beside tech support, analyzing the damage to Sevenfold, Henry Adams rose and saluted.

“Yes, sir.” Lieutenant Adams said.

“Operation Red Flag is a green light. Make sure our Spartans are ready for deployment.” Said Persie as he walked toward the holographic table. He entered coordinates and sent the Sevenfold Gates on a direct path toward Solemn Penance.

“Sir?” Adams asked.

“I intend on boarding that Carrier while the other Halcyon classes give us cover.” Persie said.

“We both know that is sucide.” Adams insisted.

“Is It?” Persie stepped away pointing at Solemn Penance. “If I’m not mistaken, The Covenant Capital ships never operate with their energy shields. They choose to save power in case they need an emergency jump to slip space. If we can weave in there I can give our Spartans a straight shot into the Carrier.” He said slightly smiling. Persie knew the likely hood that anything of the matter would actually happen but that the point; you never know until you try and he was willing to risk the safety of his crew to give the Spartans their chance.

Adams looked at Penance in awe. “Yes, you’re absolutely right.” The Sevenfold Gates’s engines turned off and on as it weaved like a submarine in between ships. Sevenfold Gates was fairly large put with the Covenant coms jammed they were practically blind and didn’t have the mobility the UNSC ships had. Persie preferred agility over power anyways. Dead ahead, to the right, was one of the Carriers bulk engine castings sticking out further than Persie anticipated. As both ships moved, Sevenfold Gates rotated to the left barely missing the outer shell of the ship and was in direct sight of the Solemn Penance.

“Ready the Spartans.” Perise said calmly to the Adams. Immediately, Adams rushed to the coms station but was surprised to see a Spartan standing before him.

“Lieutenant.” The Spartan nodded.

“Commander Jones” Lieutenant Adams saluted, surprised that someone so heavy could sneak up on him. Jones stood at roughly seven feet, jet black hair and sapphire eyes. He a bore a scar on his right cheek when a plasma bolt penetrated his visor when his shields were down. Since then he was more careful when approaching situations. Everyone on board Sevenfold Gates knew the story and it, unfortunately, proved they weren’t invincible. Persie turned around and approached Noland, shaking his hand.

“It’s good to see you Commander.”

“Likewise, sir.” Jones replied nodding and putting his hands behind his back.

“Red Flag is underway, I need you to ready your squad for deployment in 20 minutes.” Said Persie.

“Yes, sir.” Jones nodded, saluted and began to walk away.

“If you are unsuccessful” Perise said, Jones stopped and faced the Captain. “You know what to do.” He nodded.

“Sir” Jones replied and walked away.

The Captain turned to face the Solemn Penance. Lieutenant Adams watched the Captain closely trying to figure out what people like him so cold and heartless. Maybe he was seeing things in the wrong but we are human, he thought. Didn’t that matter? It was apparent all that mattered to Persie was winning this war no matter the cost and that was something the Lieutenant could agree on…if he didn’t think too much about his actions.

Commander Christopher Avery Jones walked swiftly down the hallway passing people as they parted to give him room. His metal boots beat down with every step giving people plenty of time to notice him. He was a strong man, most people believed. Serving in nearly fifty battles, he helped saved approximately two-hundred thousand or more people from the Covenant. His squad, known as Alpha Team, was once very prominent in the early days with the Covenant when he had a maximum of six in his squad. In recent years several of them died and he was left with two: Sergeants Samuel Kendrick and Lea Styles. He trusted them with his life, after all, they had saved him at least a handful of times. Not due to error but chance that Covenant Elites overwhelmed him when he least expected it. Aside from his rank and experience, Jones held his head high because of what he believed in. He believed that if he chose to act fate would no longer be in control. This was his time to shine; Meridian was going to be invaded and, not long after, glassed. He was determined to the bone to make sure that didn’t happen, not yet. Jones heard commotion as he walked into Launch Bay. Styles and Kendrick where gathering supplies conversating about their last mission which was the same scenario; infiltrate a Covenant Carrier and capture its Captain. They lost a Spartan and aborted the mission.

“All I’m saying is that we should be more prepared than this” Styles blurted as she grabbed her helmet and placed it under her arm. Samuel, who was still strapping on his utility belt, noticed Jones walked in the room and chose to say something other than what he wanted to.

“We’re as prepared as we’ll ever be.” He said turning around grabbing his helmet.

“Yes, we are.” Jones said declaring his presence. Lea straightened giving Samuel a glare. She knew that’s not how he felt but what Jones wanted him to say. Though they all shared their own feelings about the war and decisions people with higher authority gave they still behaved like professionals. Jones didn’t like to hear about the odds of survival he wanted to hear their mission complete and if anyone complained they could stay behind. Jones and Samuel stood still looking at one another before Lea said something.

“Look, all I’m saying is that we’re in deep this time and we might not make it. So, are we killing the Captain this time or aborting?” She asked Jones, who closed the door behind him and approached his friends.

“Our mission is to capture the Prophet of Regret on the Solemn Penance. He will be heavily guarded and will most likely be aware of our presence on his ship but our job to stay alive and make sure that if we go down, he goes down with us.” Jones said lifting his helmet and putting it on. His MJLNIOR armor was a dark blue with some yellow displaying his rank on his shoulder and his ID number across his chest: S-034. Jones walked over to his drop-pod and nodded at his few Spartans.

“Get ready” He said as he pulled his door shut. The coms and light flickered for a moment as his drop pod came online. Lea and Samuel put their helmets and entered their pods.

“Sapphire, are you ready?” Captain Persie’s voice came over coms.

“Yes, sir.” Jones replied. Persie walked away from the station and watched as Sevenfold Gates neared the Covenant Carrier. At this spot, the Carrier was noticeably miles longs leaving Persie and his entire crew in its shadow. He clenched his hands and straightened his back believing full heartedly that they would finally succeed and the Covenant would be at their knees.

“Launch when ready, Commander.” Said Persie with a hint of satisfaction in his voice. Jones looked back at his Spartans and nodded; they nodded in response.

“Alpha Team, out.” Jones said. One by one each pod was released from their restraints and launched into space.

Persie leaned over his holographic table. It displayed Solemn Penance in its entirety. Sevenfold Gates was a barely a tenth of its size. As it drifted closer the stern of the Covenant Carrier, he directed the ship to the right getting a better angle to fire allowing his Spartans from entry. He moved away from the table and walked toward the observation window where he raised his hand waiting for the ship to align properly. If the Covenant shields were up then the MAC round wouldn’t do as much damage as it could but given that they were practically in point blank range it should be able to shoot straight through the damn thing. That were his hopes.

“Fire” Said Persie said throwing his arm forward. The deck rumbled as the blast of the MAC gun brought the ship to a momentary holt. Noland and his team watched as the MAC round tour through the side of the Covenant Carrier and exiting out just a fast. Persie’s eyes widened. He looked around seeing his crew speechless. He smiled at them as sat in his chair. The explosion was most satisfying but that was just the tip of the iceberg, the rest relied on Alpha Team. Whether they captured the Prophet or not, it didn’t matter; the Covenant were neck deep in human territory and it was unlikely they would make it out alive.

“Alpha Team, your clear for entry.” Persie announced.

“Affirmative” Jones replied. All three Spartans redirected their path into the gaping hole that revealed several layers of the Covenant Carrier.

The pods crashed through debris breaking through a few floors before crashing through a wall and landing in a vehicle bay, a section undamaged by MAC round. Grunts scattered, Jackals activated their shields and Elites raised their weapons. Brutes hid behind pillars waiting for the humans to reveal themselves.

“Is everyone ok” Jones asked.

“Yes” Lea Said.

“I’m here” Samuel replied. Jones watched as Covenant forces gather round their crafts.

“On three” Jones said. “One…Two…. Three”

Jones, Lea and Samuel simultaneously opened their hatches launching the pod doors into several Jackals and Elites. Each fired into the bodies that lay before them to ensure they were dead then focused on the horde that charged them. Bullets pierced the flesh of grunts and Jackals tearing limbs off and scattering their brains throughout the bay. Elites avoided most of the fire, returned fire and fled behind Wraiths and Ghosts. Everything was quiet as Alpha Team reloaded their weapons; every one of them looking for another target. Jones looked around knowing they were most likely surrounded.

“Form up on me” He ordered, calmly. Both Lea and Samuel leaned their backs against Jones. Just ahead, past a few Ghosts and to the right of a Wraith was door leading closer to the bridge. He knew they needed to move fast if they were going to capture anyone on this ship. Realizing no one was thrown into space the Carrier must has activated its shields. A sizzling sound came from behind him and alerted Jones.

“Engineers, they’re fixing the ship.” Samuel said not entirely sure if he need to shoot at it.

“Leave it alone, we need our attention elsewhere; it’s too quiet.” Jones said aiming his Battle Rifle at several pillars in the path to the doorway. An Elite jumped out from Lea’s angle and she fired her Assault Rifle drilling shots into its shields until they broke and it tore through its flesh. The Elite dropped dead, air leaving its lungs.

“I cant afford to do that again.” She said, reloading her second magazine; she only had six.

Jones paced forward, Samuel and Lea following behind him. He slowed trying to get a good angle on the furry thing behind the pillar. It took a few moments before he realized Brutes were on this Carrier. He felt like a moron not realizing it given that they were on Solemn Penance.

“Brutes” Samuel yelled firing his shotgun as s Brute, on all fours, charged at the pack of Spartans. Immediately, every Grunt, Jackal, Brute and Elite jumped out from their hiding spots and fired at the Spartans. Samuel raised his shotgun as the Brute neared and fired his last shot into its skull. The Brute slammed into him and toppled over, blood and brains oozing onto the floor covering him in blood. Lea threw a grenade into a pile of grunts. They tried to run but were blown to bits before they could even make more than a few steps. In the aftermath, Jackals stationed themselves with their shields in front of them and fired in succession. Lea’s shields dropped almost immediately and she leaped behind a Ghost.

“Shields down!” She yelled out.

Jones and Samuel were rotating, firing after one another. A Brute leaped out from behind the pillar closest to Jones and grabbed his helmet and tossed him into the side of a Wraith; the Brute then raised his fist. Jones ducked as it broke through the metal casting and he punched him in the ribs as hard as he could, kneed him in the face and pulled his blade out. The Brute staggered for a moment and straightened his posture. Noticing Jones was dealing with a Brute and Samuel was tearing it up with his shotgun; at least a dozen or so Jackals and Grunts lay dead, she found herself jumping into one of the Wraiths. She planted herself in the seat trying to familiar herself with the controls.

“This rotates it, this raises the cannon.” She said aloud to herself.

Samuel reached the wall as he reloaded his shotgun. An Elite standing behind a pillar jumped punching him in the back. Samuel fell to the floor his shotgun slid under a unoperated Ghost. He rolled over a quiet as he could but the Elite was on him. The Elite had white armor indicating it was a Zealot. Its large beefy hands grabbed ahold of Samuel as he unsheathed his blade on his hip and jammed into its arm. The Zealot reached over and pulled the blade from its arm.

Jones thrusted toward the Brute, it jumped back every time until it reached forward and grabbed ahold of his shoulders. Jones sliced away at the Brute cutting his, arms, legs, and chest until he jammed it into his ribs. The Brute let out a cry and it clenched its firsts crushing Jones armor. He felt his arms going numb but reached until to the blade, ripped it from the Brute, blooding trickling on the floor, he stood up and jammed it through the Brutes jaw into his skull. The gorilla like animal twitched for a moment before its arms released Jones and it fell to the floor with no more than a thud. And then he heard Samuel scream.

Lea got the Wraith online and fired a single shot at the entrance of the south doorway which launched every alien that walked through the door into oblivion. Jones ran at the Zealot Elite as he raised Samuel attempting to break him. Lea then rotated the Wraith toward the Elite and fired the turret. Plasma splashed off its shields until they were depleted and it took cover leaving the Spartan on the ground.

“The son of a bitch stabbed me with my own blade.” Samuel barked as Jones rushed to drag him in cover.

“It’s a Zealot what did you expect.” Jones replied grabbing ahold of the blade. “Take a deep breath.” A said as he pulled the blade from his leg. Blood ran onto the floor for a moment until he slowly began to heal; the blood flow slowed and was already beginning to clot. Lea brought the Wraith to the pillar the Zealot was last seen behind and fired the cannon again. The blast broke the pillar in half tossing the Zealot into the wall; blood covered the wall and the section of the second floor the pillar was holding collapsed.

Samuel grabbed ahold of the Ghost seat and lifted himself upward. Jones raised as well and waved at Lea.

“We need to get out of here fast and stay hidden. They’ll be sending reinforcements.” Said Jones. Lea shutdown the Wraith and exited it.

“But I was having fun.” She smirked jumping to the floor and joining her squad.

“Are you good to walk?” Jones asked Samuel. He shook his leg for a moment and hopped on it a few times then bent down and picked up his shotgun.

“I’ll be fine.” He said.

“Good” Jones turned around and they walked toward the northern entrance. Along the side of the wall were several vents and hidden behind the think purple panels. They weren’t necessarily the best routes to take but it would keep them out of site. He opened his data pad on his arm and jotted down coordinates. They system updated as it laid out an interior display of the entire ship. He swiped the screen until it revealed the bridge and he set a waypoint.

“Let’s get moving.” He said walking over to the panel. All three of them pulled the panel off the wall and walked inside the wall.