Halo: Sunset over New Hong Kong (IC, Halo, OPEN)

by **The Greater Gambia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:36 pm

Halo: Sunset over New Hong Kong (IC, OPEN)
Links
-OOC
-IC (You are here)
-Archive(accepted apps go here)

New Hong Kong, Inner Colony

The year is 2547. Humanity and its colonies are at war with the fanatical collective of alien races called the Covenant. Hundreds of Planets and billions of lives have been lost. Every day, the threat of humanities extinction draws ever so closer. The Inner Colony of New Hong Kong is going to be the next target in the Covenants culling of humanity. A fact unknown by its human defenders of the New Hong Kong Defense Fleet. Covenant luminaries have shown the planet to be in the possession of a forerunner artifact. The Covenant Fleet of Righteous Piety has been dispatched to the planet to collect this relic and annihilate any human presence on the planet.

New Hong Kong is a thriving Inner Colony. Colonized in 2428 by Chinese settlers, the planet has grown to a population of 493,142,039 people. It's vast ocean has lead to a booming fishing industry, while its two moons, Chang'e and Su'e, have huge titanium deposits. The southern continent is made up of grasslands and rural communities while the northern continent is full of bustling cities and forests. It is also the site of a UNSC weapons testing facility. The facility is currently building the parts prototype of a massive new Warship, the Yamato-Class Battlecruiser. The project is run by its creator, Ivan Kaminkov. The project is a rival to the infinity, but is under threat of being cancelled due to funding and resources.

Rules (Yes, I copied the rules from Elder Scrolls: Ascension. What? They're good rules.)

-Follow the site's rules.
-Don't godmod/metagame/etc.
-Use correct grammar and spelling.
-Minimum IC post size should be one paragraph compromising of at least 4 lines.
-Don't be an ass.
-You're allowed four characters total - none of them should be Canon characters, and if they're related only distantly so (exceptions for minor characters).
-Have fun!

by **The Greater Gambia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:57 pm

Penglai Station
New Hong Kong Defense Cluster

The tram had a view of the outside of the station and the planet below. It's massive ocean being the most prominent sight of the giant planet. Rear Admiral Maaka "Old Maori" Britton and a fragment of his ship's AI, Shiva, were on there way to meet with a representative of Office of Naval Intelligence to discuss the defenses of the planet.

"Christ, I hate dealing with ONI. You can never tell if they're on your side or are going to shoot you in the back." Shiva just shrugged and continued to adjust the drape of her Sari.

"Relax Britton, you're just going to be talking about the defensive capabilities of the fleet and the ground forces." Shiva said, trying to reassure Britton. She had a light Indian accent that seemed to put people at ease, but it didn't seem to be working now. Britton just sighed.

"If he wants to know about our ground capabilities, why doesn't he talk to General Collins? Hell, I don't even have the name of who I'm meeting with. Were you able to get info?" Saria just shrugged.

"I was able to get his name, Michael Kincaid. That's all I could get, no picture, no rank, nothing. His file was just a sea of black ink." The tram came to their stop. It was a large room with a window viewing the planet below. Maaka saw the man he was meeting, along with a beautiful blonde woman. Shiva took notice of the Rear Admiral's increase of Heart rate.

"Britton, I'd get your heart rate under control. Don't want to be all sweaty for the meeting." Britton just rolled his eyes.

"Let's just get this over with." Britton got off the tram and Shiva's avatar disappeared from the holotank. Maaka put a smile on his face as he walked towards the two ONI operatives.

"Welcome to New Hong Kong. I am Rear Admiral Maaka Britton. It is a pleasure to meet you two." Maaka said, extending his hand out. He took notice of how the man kept his helmet on.

"Well, I guess I won't really know who I'm talking to." He thought.

by **Cybraxia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:14 pm

The Greater Gambia wrote:
Penglai Station
New Hong Kong Defense Cluster

The tram had a view of the outside of the station and the planet below. It's massive ocean being the most prominent sight of the giant planet. Rear Admiral Maaka "Old Maori" Britton and a fragment of his ship's AI, Shiva, were on there way to meet with a representative of Office of Naval Intelligence to discuss the defenses of the planet.

"Christ, I hate dealing with ONI. You can never tell if they're on your side or are going to shoot you in the back." Shiva just shrugged and continued to adjust the drape of her Sari.

"Relax Britton, you're just going to be talking about the defensive capabilities of the fleet and the ground forces." Shiva said, trying to reassure Britton. She had a light Indian accent that seemed to put people at ease, but it didn't seem to be working now. Britton just sighed.

"If he wants to know about our ground capabilities, why doesn't he talk to General Collins? Hell, I don't even have the name of who I'm meeting with. Were you able to get info?" Saria just shrugged.

"I was able to get his name, Michael Kincaid. That's all I could get, no picture, no rank, nothing. His file was just a sea of black ink." The tram came to their stop. It was a large room with a window viewing the planet below. Maaka saw the man he was meeting, along with a beautiful blonde woman. Shiva took notice of the Rear Admiral's increase of Heart rate.

"Britton, I'd get your heart rate under control. Don't want to be all sweaty for the meeting." Britton just rolled his eyes.

"Let's just get this over with." Britton got off the tram and Shiva's avatar disappeared from the holotank. Maaka put a smile on his face as he walked towards the two ONI operatives.

"Welcome to New Hong Kong. I am Rear Admiral Maaka Britton. It is a pleasure to meet you two." Maaka said, extending his hand out. He took notice of how the man kept his helmet on.

"Well, I guess I won't really know who I'm talking to." He thought.

The helmeted man extended his hand to meet Britton's. "Likewise. I am Commander Kincaid, and this is Lieutenant Baines." Baines simply looked over to Britton and gave a half-hearted smile.

"Oh uh, forgive me if I don't take my helmet off. It'd both be a breach of security and a breach of containment." He paused for a moment. "Forget that last part. Anyways, as I said over Comms, I'm here to make sure the fleet here can withstand an opposing covenant fleet. I doubt that any Ground Forces inspection will be necessary..." The last part of his remark seemed to have a twinge of melancholy. "I am sorry that this is out of the blue, but as this planet is of importance, I felt that it should be well defended. And I'm sure others in Section Three feel that way too. They can't afford to lose any project."

"And I can't afford to lose a planet." he whispered to himself.

by **Turmenista** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:19 pm

UNSC FOB - "Camp Currie"
Near Yuangdu Relay Station

"Welcome to your new fucking homes, Marines!" the Lieutenant cackled as the Marines piled from the Troop Hogs. They'd driven a very boring couple of hours from the testing facility to a Small Base near Yuangdu. By small, it was SMALL as HELL. And pretty cozy, in Bones's eyes.

There was a single helipad, for a Falcon enough to hold his squad inside. A small armory shed loaded with weapons and an outdoor shooting range meant he could finally improve on his shitty long range shooting, and each of the barracks were pretty neat inside. Not as well done as most bases but, it'll do."

Bones took off his helmet and fanned himself with it. "Seems pretty nice, El-tee." He told the lieutenant, watching the troops grumble and groan as they took their belongings inside.

"Sergeant, your squad's gonna need to be up early tomorrow. We're drilling tomorrow, I want entrenchments done by today and I want 'em done nice. If we're doing trainings here I don't want no hole in the ground to shoot from- I want a proper fucking trench. Got me?"

"Yes, sir." Bones nodded, pulling his helmet on. "Fireteam Bandit, you heard him. On me in 5." He ordered.

Grabbing entrenchment kits and passing them out to everyone, he was approached by a private in his group and asked a question: "You think we're going to get any action on this planet, Sarge?"

"On a place like this? Not a chance. This is an Inner Colony though. Who knows what could be knocking at my doorstep anytime soon." He muttered. "We'd better get to work. Just in case the need calls."

The Private nodded, proceeding to start digging fortifications for the eventual coming of proper defensive equipment. "I want to see this base fucking squeaky clean, Marines." He said. "If the actual event for us to defend this area happens, I want to know that we won't be sleeping in Dirt Holes, but we'll be sleeping in proper trenches."

by **The Greater Gambia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:39 pm

Cybraxia wrote:
The Greater Gambia wrote:
Penglai Station
New Hong Kong Defense Cluster

The tram had a view of the outside of the station and the planet below. It's massive ocean being the most prominent sight of the giant planet. Rear Admiral Maaka "Old Maori" Britton and a fragment of his ship's AI, Shiva, were on there way to meet with a representative of Office of Naval Intelligence to discuss the defenses of the planet.

"Christ, I hate dealing with ONI. You can never tell if they're on your side or are going to shoot you in the back." Shiva just shrugged and continued to adjust the drape of her Sari.

"Relax Britton, you're just going to be talking about the defensive capabilities of the fleet and the ground forces." Shiva said, trying to reassure Britton. She had a light Indian accent that seemed to put people at ease, but it didn't seem to be working now. Britton just sighed.

"If he wants to know about our ground capabilities, why doesn't he talk to General Collins? Hell, I don't even have the name of who I'm meeting with. Were you able to get info?" Saria just shrugged.

"I was able to get his name, Michael Kincaid. That's all I could get, no picture, no rank, nothing. His file was just a sea of black ink." The tram came to their stop. It was a large room with a window viewing the planet below. Maaka saw the man he was meeting, along with a beautiful blonde woman. Shiva took notice of the Rear Admiral's increase of Heart rate.

"Britton, I'd get your heart rate under control. Don't want to be all sweaty for the meeting." Britton just rolled his eyes.

"Let's just get this over with." Britton got off the tram and Shiva's avatar disappeared from the holotank. Maaka put a smile on his face as he walked towards the two ONI operatives.

"Welcome to New Hong Kong. I am Rear Admiral Maaka Britton. It is a pleasure to meet you two." Maaka said, extending his hand out. He took notice of how the man kept his helmet on.

"Well, I guess I won't really know who I'm talking to." He thought.

The helmeted man extended his hand to meet Britton's. "Likewise. I am Commander Kincaid, and this is Lieutenant Baines." Baines simply looked over to Britton and gave a half-hearted smile.

"Oh uh, forgive me if I don't take my helmet off. It'd both be a breach of security and a breach of containment." He paused for a moment. "Forget that last part. Anyways, as I said over Comms, I'm here to make sure the fleet here can withstand an opposing covenant fleet. I doubt that any Ground Forces inspection will be necessary..." The last part of his remark seemed to have a twinge of melancholy. "I am sorry that this is out of the blue, but as this planet is of importance, I felt that it should be well defended. And I'm sure others in Section Three feel that way too. They can't afford to lose any project."

"And I can't afford to lose a planet." he whispered to himself.

"Breach of containment? What the Hell?" Maaka thought to himself. He brushed off the comment as per Kincaid's request.

"Well, while I have my own misgivings about the Yamato Project. I can assure you that the New Hong Kong Defense Fleet will protect this planet to the last man if we have to. Hopefully, it won't have to come to that, of course. Have you viewed the list of my fleet's inventory?" Shiva popped up on the holotank besides them.

"If you haven't, I can pull up the list if you need it."

"This is Shiva, the Saladin's onboard AI." Maaka said.

"Namaste."

by **Tayner** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:45 pm

In orbit
New Hong Kong

The UNSC Dixie was in standard orbit, Jean-Luc sitting on his chair, proudly. How could he not be proud? He's a decorated war hero, in command of an Epoch-class Heavy Cruiser. The ship fitted his personality perfectly, big, heavy, tough, and a nice big Magnetic Accelerator Canon sticking out the front. Perfect for ending a covie ship with a bang. He looked out the windows, at the rather large planet, with it's magnificent ocean, and two orbiting titanium rich natural satellites. This place has potential, and that's why they put a massive fleet in orbit, to defend the planet.

The ship's Artificial Intelligence popped up on the hologram projector, Virina, and addressed Jean-Luc.

"Hello Captan. I've run a system's check, and the ship is in tip top shape, well, except for a plumbing issue on deck 9, but maitnece reports the problem will be solved within the hour." She said, in her usual formal voice.

"Nice to see you too Virina. How's the fleet doing?" Jean-Luc asked.

"The Rear Admiral is meeting with an ONI representative, but I cannot determine the matter of their meeting." She replied.

ONI, the Office of Naval Intelligence. The very thought of them sent a small chill down Jean-Luc's spine. It was probably just a normal meeting, but the reasons were unknown? Maybe whoever was supposed to get the information on that was late to his job or something. Probably just a defensive assessment, nothing more. "Alright. Can I get a list of all the ships in the system sent to my tablet?"

"Yes sir." She replied, and soon a list of all the ships, Marine Units, Orbital MAC platforms, and hell, even the number of pelicans they had. This fleet was armed for bear, and ready to fend off any covie stupid and or crazy enough to show their faces in the same system as them. The Bridge crew went about their duties, and the Marines on board were getting prepared for the upcoming fight. Jean-Luc, just sat in his chair, and waited.

by **Cybraxia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:55 pm

The Greater Gambia wrote:
Cybraxia wrote:
The helmeted man extended his hand to meet Britton's. "Likewise. I am Commander Kincaid, and this is Lieutenant Baines." Baines simply looked over to Britton and gave a half-hearted smile.

"Oh uh, forgive me if I don't take my helmet off. It'd both be a breach of security and a breach of containment." He paused for a moment. "Forget that last part. Anyways, as I said over Comms, I'm here to make sure the fleet here can withstand an opposing covenant fleet. I doubt that any Ground Forces inspection will be necessary..." The last part of his remark seemed to have a twinge of melancholy. "I am sorry that this is out of the blue, but as this planet is of importance, I felt that it should be well defended. And I'm sure others in Section Three feel that way too. They can't afford to lose any project."

"And I can't afford to lose a planet." he whispered to himself.

"Breach of containment? What the Hell?" Maaka thought to himself. He brushed off the comment as per Kincaid's request.

"Well, while I have my own misgivings about the Yamato Project. I can assure you that the New Hong Kong Defense Fleet will protect this planet to the last man if we have to. Hopefully, it won't have to come to that, of course. Have you viewed the list of my fleet's inventory?" Shiva popped up on the holotank besides them.

"If you haven't, I can pull up the list if you need it."

"This is Shiva, the Saladin's onboard AI." Maaka said.

"Namaste."

"Namaste. And yes, I have looked it over, and as with any fleet, I'm worried. I just want to make sure that everyone is on their "A" game here. We can't afford to make mistakes, and all the men we could lose are good men. I've asked ONI to send me the files detailing Covenant ship weaknesses, but so far I haven't got a response back. If they deny it, I'll just have to uh.. procure it through different channels. And as for ship files, what exactly makes the Yamato so special? Does it have reverse-enginneered covvie tech? If not, it better have a damn big cannon. We gotta crack those covvie ships somehow."

by **The Greater Gambia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:17 pm

"Breach of containment? What the Hell?" Maaka thought to himself. He brushed off the comment as per Kincaid's request.

"Well, while I have my own misgivings about the Yamato Project. I can assure you that the New Hong Kong Defense Fleet will protect this planet to the last man if we have to. Hopefully, it won't have to come to that, of course. Have you viewed the list of my fleet's inventory?" Shiva popped up on the holotank besides them.

"If you haven't, I can pull up the list if you need it."

"This is Shiva, the Saladin's onboard AI." Maaka said.

"Namaste."

"Namaste. And yes, I have looked it over, and as with any fleet, I'm worried. I just want to make sure that everyone is on their "A" game here. We can't afford to make mistakes, and all the men we could lose are good men. I've asked ONI to send me the files detailing Covenant ship weaknesses, but so far I haven't got a response back. If they deny it, I'll just have to uh.. procure it through different channels. And as for ship files, what exactly makes the Yamato so special? Does it have reverse-enginneered covvie tech? If not, it better have a damn big cannon. We gotta crack those covvie ships somehow."

[/spoiler]

"The Yamato? Right now it's still in construction down on the surface. If you ask me, I wouldn't put all our money on it. It's just an oversized valiant-class with a lot of automated Onager MAC guns haphazardly attached. It's just the pipe dream of some scientist and a gross misuse of funds and resources. For how much money we've put into it, we could have produced 1,000 Stalwarts." Maaka said. Shiva chimed in.

"Actually, we could have produced 1,249 Stalwarts." Maaka rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Shiva. My point still stands. Anyway, you didn't come all the way out here to complain about where the bureaucrats decide to place funding. I can assure you every member of the Defense Fleet is more than capable of holding this planet. We've also got the Orbital Platforms. Nothings getting through us in one piece."

by **Cybraxia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:40 pm

Penglai Station

"The problem isn't getting through in one piece, it's getting through at all. If wreckage crashes down, and there are survivors, we could have a problem on our hands." Mike walked to the window looking at the planet. "If we only had something that resembled their tech. We could shut down any fleet that reached us." He sighed.

"Well aside from all that. I'm glad that you are in charge here, Admiral. I'm sorry if I made it seem that there is some 'grave imminent threat' that'll appear. I doubt that any Covvies will even come here."

"Please don't jinx us again, Mike." Mary muttered.

"Oh, come on, that was one time!" He retorted.

by **The Greater Gambia** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:32 pm

"No problem, Kincaid. Don't worry about jinxing us. We'll take on anything the Covenant throws our way. You can count on us. Now, if we're done here, I really must get going. There are some matters aboard the Saladin that require my attention." The Rear Admiral said. While he was putting on a show for ONI, he couldn't wait to get out of there. Dealing with ONI was like navigating a minefield. One false step and it would blow up in your face.

by **Cybraxia** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 9:16 am

The Greater Gambia wrote:
"No problem, Kincaid. Don't worry about jinxing us. We'll take on anything the Covenant throws our way. You can count on us. Now, if we're done here, I really must get going. There are some matters aboard the Saladin that require my attention." The Rear Admiral said. While he was putting on a show for ONI, he couldn't wait to get out of there. Dealing with ONI was like navigating a minefield. One false step and it would blow up in your face.

"Excellent. I have faith in you Admiral. I promised myself that I wouldn't see another planet fall to these bastards, and it's a promise I intend to keep." He turned to Mary. "We're done, let's head back to the Eye."

Mary nodded and together they walked back to where they came.

by **The Greater Gambia** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:14 am

Rear Admiral Britton got back onto the tram. Relieved that the meeting was over. Shiva appeared on the holotank.

"Do you really think we'll be able to hold the planet? I've run the scenario over 1,343,456 times with different varia"

"Don't tell me the odds. HIGHCOM wants us to hold the line so we'll hold the line." Maaka said. A little bit of anger in his voice.

"I'll be waiting back on the Saladin, Rear Admiral." Shiva said in a cold voice before logging off.

Meanwhile...

A small Covenant Scout force exited slipspace ahead of the rest of the Fleet of Righteous Piety. It was made up of 2 ORS-Class Heavy cruisers, 1 DAV-Class Light corvette, and 3 SDV-Class Heavy Corvettes. The scout force was sent ahead to scout the planet and set up a staging area for the rest of the fleet.

"Ship Master, we've arrived in the system. The vermin are unaware of our presence." Said one of the crewmen on the bridge. The Ship Master stood up from his chair. He looked at the planet from the viewport of the bridge. Human Cities and lights dotted the planet like an infestation.

"The vermin have spread across this planet like the parasites they are. Our cleansing flame will be the last thing any of them see." The crew began to roar in agreement. "Bring our ships to the surface and establish a perimeter. Make sure our presence is remains unknown". The ships passed through the atmosphere of New Hong Kong. Completely unnoticed by the UNSC's sensors. They made their base west of Penglai (the highlighted area on the map). The ships let down grav lifts, allowing for vehicles to be dropped down onto the surface. The Ship Master was on the ground, watching as the covenant soldiers worked to set up Stealth Pylons in the dead of night. A major domo elite walked up to him.

"Ship Master, we've detected several human agriculture centers in the perimeter. Should we mobilize strike teams to deal with them?"

"Why waste Sangheili talent on such an easy task, let the Kig-yar and unggoy feast on the farmers."

Shang Ranch
Inside Covenant Controlled Perimeter.

The Shang family, along with their neighbors, were unaware of the covenants presence on their planet. Their children were in bed, fast asleep, unaware of the carnage that would be coming to their doorstep. Mr. and Mrs. Shang were sitting on the couch, watching the news when all of a sudden, a low ghostly wale was heard.

"It's probably just the wind, or an animal." Mr. Shang said. Mrs. Shang was not convinced. Suddenly, a scream came from the neighboring farm. Mr. Shang grabbed his HMG-38, a outdated weapon, yes, but plenty effective for killing wild animals. Mrs. Shang grabbed a flashlight to help him spot whatever was out there. They walked outside into the pitch black. Mrs. Shang scanned the area with her flashlight. Something ran across the beam of light, making both of them jump. Mr. Shang ready his weapon.Suddenly, the power went out. The light of every neighboring house went out. The Shangs were surrounded by pitch darkness. All of a sudden, blips of light and gunfire started coming from their neighbors. Only to be smothered out in an instant. The Shangs were starting to get worried. This wasn't a wild animal. The Shangs started to here noises. It sounded like clicks. They knew exactly what it was.

"Mei, get back in the house, lock the door. I'll cov" Mr. Shang was interrupted by a pink needle in his forehead. Mrs. Shang screamed and ran into the house. She could barely see. She shined the flashlight forward to help her see. The only thing it did was illuminate the site of three Kig-yar killing her son. She screamed in terror, only to be killed her self shortly after.

by **Syrixces** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 2:41 pm

Tayner wrote:In orbit
New Hong Kong

The UNSC Dixie was in standard orbit, Jean-Luc sitting on his chair, proudly. How could he not be proud? He's a decorated war hero, in command of an Epoch-class Heavy Cruiser. The ship fitted his personality perfectly, big, heavy, tough, and a nice big Magnetic Accelerator Canon sticking out the front. Perfect for ending a covie ship with a bang. He looked out the windows, at the rather large planet, with it's magnificent ocean, and two orbiting titanium rich natural satellites. This place has potential, and that's why they put a massive fleet in orbit, to defend the planet.

The ship's Artificial Intelligence popped up on the hologram projector, Virina, and addressed Jean-Luc.

"Hello Captan. I've run a system's check, and the ship is in tip top shape, well, except for a plumbing issue on deck 9, but maitnece reports the problem will be solved within the hour." She said, in her usual formal voice.

"Nice to see you too Virina. How's the fleet doing?" Jean-Luc asked.

"The Rear Admiral is meeting with an ONI representative, but I cannot determine the matter of their meeting." She replied.

ONI, the Office of Naval Intelligence. The very thought of them sent a small chill down Jean-Luc's spine. It was probably just a normal meeting, but the reasons were unknown? Maybe whoever was supposed to get the information on that was late to his job or something. Probably just a defensive assessment, nothing more. "Alright. Can I get a list of all the ships in the system sent to my tablet?"

"Yes sir." She replied, and soon a list of all the ships, Marine Units, Orbital MAC platforms, and hell, even the number of pelicans they had. This fleet was armed for bear, and ready to fend off any covie stupid and or crazy enough to show their faces in the same system as them. The Bridge crew went about their duties, and the Marines on board were getting prepared for the upcoming fight. Jean-Luc, just sat in his chair, and waited.

"Sir! "

Came a voice from behind.

"Navy Marshal Jedadiah Rome on deck, sir, and reporting for duty!"

by **The Greater Gambia** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 4:40 pm

New Hong Kong City
UNSC Administration Office

What usually been a quiet post had turned into a hectic one. People were running left and right, analyzing satellite imagery, looking through reports. It was a mad house. Everyone had the same thought, but nobody wanted it to be true. A farming communities within short distances from eachother had completely went dark. In the command room, the upper echelons of the UNSC Army command on New Hong Kong were watching live footage of a drone flying over the affected area. All it could see were destroyed building and bodies littering the ground. It was a horrible site, but whatever done it was no where to be found.

Suddenly, streaks of blue plasma began to fly by the Drone. The drone tried to make evasive maneuvers but was unsuccessful. It was destroyed a few minutes later. By that time, General Collins had seen enough.

"Get me the Rear Admiral".

UNSC Saladin

The Bridge was awkwardly silent after General Collins was off the comms. He had chewed out Britton for letting Covenant sneak through. Telling him that he had civilian blood on his hands and that he would see to it that Britton was removed from his post if they survived this. Shiva popped up on her holotank.

"Well, that was...Unpleasant." Shiva said. The Rear Admiral just looked at her, unamused. Shiva continued. "What would you like me to do?"

"I want the whole fleet on standbye. Chances are if the Colonel is correct, this is just a scout group and more will come. I want Longsword patrols scouring the system immediately. Do we have any marines close to the area?" Britton asked.

"Fireteam Bandit is holed up in Camp Currie at the moment. It's nearby the Yuangdu Relay Station, but inventory shows they have a Falcon under their command. How they were able to pry that out of Army's hands, I'll never know, but it should take them only a few hours to get there." Shiva said.

"I want them scouting out the area yesterday. I don't care if they're running drills or still asleep. We need to get to the bottom of this."

UNSC NAVAL COMMAND ISSUE: RED ALERT
ENCRYPTION INDEX: 12503-FA235I12-DGJDF
TO: Fire Team Bandit
FROM: Rear Admiral Maaka Britton, UNSC SALADIN AI SHIVA 1GD8235-[REDACTED]-4OUDGWR

Last night, several farming communities in the Penglai region went dark. Drone footage from the Army shows plasma being fired at the aircraft, leading the Army Brass to believe the Covenant have found New Hong Kong. Your Fire Team is to scout out the area and report back what you've found, immediately. Remember, whatever information you bring back will dictate our next move. Thousands, if not millions of lives are at stake. Good luck Gentlemen.

Covenant Controlled Perimeter
Penglai region

The perimeter had been turned into a fortress within a quick span of time. Two out of the three AA turrets were fully operational with the third one estimated to be completed within the end of the day. Shade turrets had been set up around the stealth pylons and other strategically important locations within the perimeter. The Ship Master in command of the Scout force had finished inspecting the AA guns when his convoy came across a peculiar site. The Kig-Yar had tied up some of the surviving humans. This was a direct violation of his orders. He ordered the convoy to stop and hopped out of his spectre. He approached the lead T'vaoan in charge of this group of Jackals.

"What is the meaning of this? I ordered the extermination of all humans in the area. Yet here there are ten still alive." The Ship Master said, furious at the lack respect for his orders.

"Relax Ship Master. They will be dead with time. We plan on hunting them. It will not take long." The T'vaoan said. The Ship Master didn't like it. He should have killed him on the spot but he needed every man he could get.

"Fine, play your little game." The Ship Master said. He grabbed the Skirmisher by her neck. The bird like creature tried pulling at his hands to loosen the grip. "You're lucky I care about keeping my men alive. I might need you and your filth later. I want a head count of each kill after your done. If there are not ten. Your head and the heads of your brethren will fill the void" The Ship Master threw the skirmisher to the ground and hopped back into his Spectre, beckoning the rest of the convoy to follow him back to the ship. The T'vaoan dusted herself off, swearing at the Elite in her native tongue. She got back up, ordering the Kig-yar to cut their prisoners binds off. The faces of the men, women, and children were ones of surprise and fear. The T'vaoan tried to speak English, the language most Humans could understand. She found it very difficult to pronounce some of their words correctly.

"Today is your lucky day. We are going to hunt you down. Those of you that evade us will be allowed to live." It was a lie, but she needed to give them a little hope so that she could crush it later.

"Run!" She said. Their human hostages darted away from the Jackals. Those too weak and injured were gunned down, leaving 5 still alive. The Jackals cackled as the weaker ones fell down, chasing after those that were still running.

by **Turmenista** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 5:33 pm

The Greater Gambia wrote:Rear Admiral Britton got back onto the tram. Relieved that the meeting was over. Shiva appeared on the holotank.

"Do you really think we'll be able to hold the planet? I've run the scenario over 1,343,456 times with different varia"

"Don't tell me the odds. HIGHCOM wants us to hold the line so we'll hold the line." Maaka said. A little bit of anger in his voice.

"I'll be waiting back on the Saladin, Rear Admiral." Shiva said in a cold voice before logging off.

Meanwhile...

-------

Shang Ranch
Inside Covenant Controlled Perimeter.

The Shang family, along with their neighbors, were unaware of the covenants presence on their planet. Their children were in bed, fast asleep, unaware of the carnage that would be coming to their doorstep. Mr. and Mrs. Shang were sitting on the couch, watching the news when all of a sudden, a low ghostly wale was heard.

"It's probably just the wind, or an animal." Mr. Shang said. Mrs. Shang was not convinced. Suddenly, a scream came from the neighboring farm. Mr. Shang grabbed his HMG-38, a outdated weapon, yes, but plenty effective for killing wild animals. Mrs. Shang grabbed a flashlight to help him spot whatever was out there. They walked outside into the pitch black. Mrs. Shang scanned the area with her flashlight. Something ran across the beam of light, making both of them jump. Mr. Shang ready his weapon.Suddenly, the power went out. The light of every neighboring house went out. The Shangs were surrounded by pitch darkness. All of a sudden, blips of light and gunfire started coming from their neighbors. Only to be smothered out in an instant. The Shangs were starting to get worried. This wasn't a wild animal. The Shangs started to here noises. It sounded like clicks. They knew exactly what it was.

"Mei, get back in the house, lock the door. I'll cov" Mr. Shang was interrupted by a pink needle in his forehead. Mrs. Shang screamed and ran into the house. She could barely see. She shined the flashlight forward to help her see. The only thing it did was illuminate the site of three Kig-yar killing her son. She screamed in terror, only to be killed her self shortly after.

UNSC FOB - "Camp Currie"
Near Yuangdu Relay Station
Early Morning Following Event

"Attention, Marines!" Came a shouting voice from the rather quiet and sleepy mess hall. "We got a lot of shit planned today, sorry the whole 'sleeping in' thing didn't go so well. We're having early fucking breakfast, eat up your Chow and get ready for work. Briefing under the HQ Tent in 1 hour. Don't be late!"

Bones roughly ran a hand through his messy black hair as he ate his breakfast and likely last meal for several hours. He grumbled something under his breath as he watched most of the Marines pile out, either heading to the armory to grab their stuff or chatting while they still could.

Bones pushed in his stool from the table as he stepped on out of the tent, not before putting up his food, of course.

--

Camp Currie, Command Tent

The units sat in sections respective to their role. Being the Commanding Officer of the Combat Engineer Fireteam Bandit, he sat under a section with his section's dedicated banner, reminiscent of a swashbuckling flag of some sort, but more 'tacticOOL', in a sense. The other teams, the LRP Company and Raider Company, sat under their respective positions as well.

Bones folded his arms against his BDU. More of a hoodie than an actual battle dress uniform, he wore proper protection gear above it because, of course, if you're a combat engineer, you're definitely gonna be needing some protection. His helmet was to his side as he listened closely, a drowsy look in his eyes.

"Alright marines," The Lieutenant announced, going over a clipboard of several plans. "Looks like we got a lot of shit on our hands today. First things first- we may be receiving a new influx of Marines coming in from other places to this camp. Don't ask why, who knows. Might be a bunch of privates or a bunch of Lieutenants. Be prepared to give them the get down on how we roll here, alright?"

A couple of nods and 'Yessirs' brought the Lieutenant to his next point. "Last night, we received a report from our Scouts that a couple of farming communities went dark last night. I'm not talking about rebels or anything, they were FUCKING dead. I want Fireteam LRP and Fireteam Raider to scout our Immediate area, ASAP, especially those farming areas. Take the hogs and leave as soon as you can. If the covenant actually found this place, then I'd be damned.."

The two combat sections all shot glances at each other.

"The fuck are you waiting for? Go, go go!" The Lieutenant ordered. "Fire team Bandit, stay here. I got some special orders for you. Specifically, Sergeant." The lieutenant called for Bones. "Address your team."

"Sir!" Bones took command of the formation, stepping besides the Lieutenant as he quickly scanned over the message:

UNSC NAVAL COMMAND ISSUE: RED ALERT
ENCRYPTION INDEX: 12503-FA235I12-DGJDF
TO: Fire Team Bandit
FROM: Rear Admiral Maaka Britton, UNSC SALADIN AI SHIVA 1GD8235-[REDACTED]-4OUDGWR

Last night, several farming communities in the Penglai region went dark. Drone footage from the Army shows plasma being fired at the aircraft, leading the Army Brass to believe the Covenant have found New Hong Kong. Your Fire Team is to scout out the area and report back what you've found, immediately. Remember, whatever information you bring back will dictate our next move. Thousands, if not millions of lives are at stake. Good luck Gentlemen.

Bones gave a sigh. It was inevitable - one way or another, the Covenant would aways find them.
"Alright. Listen up, Marines. I know we don't usually fancy combat-related roles but, we have to be flexible." The sergeant said. "Last night a bunch of Farming Communities in the Penglai area went dark. Our drones picked up this on their cameras. Hit it, nerd." He ordered.

The projector flipped on, playing a loop of the camera footage of the drone being shot down by Plasma Fire. An orchestra of "oh shit's" and "Oh no's" and "god damn it's" were heard as the Marines adopted serious looks on their faces. "If my eyes are correct, then it's true. The Covie bastards have found New Hong Kong. The Penglai region seems to be where most of their forces are being concentrated. Most of the cities and towns in that area, judging by the footage, have been devastated. While the other two Fireteams are busy making sure we're safe here in Yuangdu, we will be taking the Falcon and scouting the area, to report ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we find interesting there, without a fuckup. Got it?"

A simultaneous "Yes, Sergeant!" Told him that Bandit Corps was ready to roll. "Fire team, gear up! Somebody fly the damn Falcon, too.."

----

Later..

Leaning on the mounted gun, Brandon scanned the area, checking his side of the area. Quickly strapping on his helmet, he slapped his tactical goggles on and pushed the helmet-mounted Tactical Binocular rack [similar to the one on Romeo's helmet] down to his eye level, to make sure it worked. Usually it was used for measurements and other tactical stuff but, in this case, it would be useful for the operation considering it took place during the early morning hours]

It was still dark as the Falcon hovered above the hill not too far from the City. Fire team Bandit piling out, Bones took a prone position on the edge of the hill as he scanned the area with a DMR, unusual considering his poor accuracy. Just in case things went sour, however, he still had his trusty M90 and M6G...

"R Clear. We move in silently and take notes. Stealth is key."

--

The status of the Mission had been uploaded to the command's screen, showing blips on a small screen indicating where the Combat Engineers were located. Considering he wanted all of his soldiers actually coming home alive, he kept the team small and quiet, only resorting to using their loud weapons unless completely necessary.

Sure enough, as they entered the city and took a vantage point, the place was recked. Bodies littered the streets as patrols of Grunts and Jackals mopped up the last survivors or did their general Grunt and Jackal things.

"Take notes." He whispered, slowly pulling the Binocular rack to eye level as he began spotting sites of interest.

by **Ubaria** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:29 pm

2nd Lieutenant Leyland Harkness
UNSC Saladin, Starboard Hanger 2

The hangar was alive with the cacophony of activities as the compliment of around three dozen crewmen all bustled around performing various activities, their shouts were only just auidable over the din of various engines, motors and machinery that rumbled around the immense cavernous interior. Leyland ducked under a nearby engine crane and maneuvered through an assault course of crates and barrels to get over to his Pelican, which stood proudly among the numerous others that occupied the area, the craft which he had fondly nicknamed 'Kerrie' was a D77-TC model Pelican with a few personal modifications that of course had been pre-approved by UNSC Air Force Material Command and definitely not implemented without the required permission, then again Leyland doubted that Material Command even cared, and that they had too much on their hands already, besides it was too much paperwork. The first and probably most subtle modifications were the words 'Kerrie' printed in block stencil capitals along the crafts nose, this was above the text which read '2nd Lieutenant Leyland 'Gambler' Harkness', Gambler being his nickname given to him by friendly pilots, alluding to his daring decisions in combat and coming out unscathed.

The other modifications were mostly internal, the engines had been tuned and modified for almost twice the normal output which would have been dangerous if not for the strengthened thruster mounts and subsequent reinforced airframe which also protected against small arms fire. Under the nose instead of the normal 40mm Grenade Launcher, instead sat a 70mm Chaingun linked to an internal ammunition dump, on each of the wing hardpoints sat an ANVIL-II Missile pod, standard issue and in the back, the crew chief had access to a M247 Grenade Launcher bolted to the loading ramp, overall she was a well weathered craft and had served Leyland well, it had been hit more times than he could count but it always came back stronger.

Leyland had traveled down to the Hangar bay to visit to Duke, a resident Air Technician who had supplied and fitted most of the modifications, currently he was waist deep inside the air intake clanging around with tools.

"Hey!" Leyland playfully yelled into the hole and a resounding 'Clang' quickly followed.

Duke emerged caressing the top of his head, he shot a scowl down to Leyland who was beaming mischeviously.

"What the hell do you want?" Duke slid off the Pelican and onto the floor.

"Just came to visit...hey have you seen Riya?" Leyland replied, leaning against the nose of Kerrie.

"No. I thought she went to the Canteen with you" Duke replied inspecting his hand for any signs of blood, luckily there wasn't.

She had, but in the hustle of all the boisterous marines it was easy to lose somebody. However Riya, Leylands Co-Pilot could handle herself, after all she was a six foot Russian kickboxer, at least thats what she told him, a tricky mixed bag that one was. Although she was always dependable and a skilled Co-Pilot which Leyland couldn't ask for better. Leyland simply shrugged in response.

"She did, but she must have gone off to the Gym or something...need to kill some time. This deployment is starting to drag" Leyland drawled. Duke simply raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Be careful what you wish for"

by **Tayner** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:32 pm

Syrixces wrote:
"Sir! "

Came a voice from behind.

"Navy Marshal Jedadiah Rome on deck, sir, and reporting for duty!"

The voice came from behind, loud compared to the rest of the bridge, breaking the silence. Probably some green ensign showing up right on time. Jean-Luc did a full 180° in his swiveled chair, and instead saw the Marshal. Why the Dixie needed a marshal was above him, but nevertheless, he had another fighting man on board. Sargent Rome, Poe had read his file. Apparently he lost quite a few pices, too many for him to remember off the top of his head. Makes my nasty scar on my rib cage look like a paper cut. He thought, remembering how he took a large pice of shrapnel during a fight with the covvies.

"At ease Marshal. What brings you aboard the Dixie?" Poe asked.

by **Syrixces** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:49 pm

Tayner wrote:
Syrixces wrote:
"Sir! "

Came a voice from behind.

"Navy Marshal Jedadiah Rome on deck, sir, and reporting for duty!"

The voice came from behind, loud compared to the rest of the bridge, breaking the silence. Probably some green ensign showing up right on time. Jean-Luc did a full 180° in his swiveled chair, and instead saw the Marshal. Why the Dixie needed a marshal was above him, but nevertheless, he had another fighting man on board. Sargent Rome, Poe had read his file. Apparently he lost quite a few pices, too many for him to remember off the top of his head. Makes my nasty scar on my rib cage look like a paper cut. He thought, remembering how he took a large pice of shrapnel during a fight with the covvies.

"At ease Marshal. What brings you aboard the Dixie?" Poe asked.

"I have been assigned as The Dixie's Chief Security Marshal, as of today, Sir! The boys back home assigned me to watch over and retain the peace during security, and tactical operations, Sir!"

by **The Greater Gambia** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:51 pm

Covenant Controlled Zone

Unaware of the marine presence in the area. Work continued on as normal. The final adjustments were being made to the Type-27 Anti-Aircraft Cannons. Onboard Blasphemer's demise, the ORS-Class Heavy Cruiser designated the lead ship of the scouting mission. The Ship Master was talking to one of the other Ship Masters about the location of a holy relic.

"Are you sure you have found its location?" The Ship Master asked. The lesser Ship Master nodded.

"Scans indicate that it is under the planets South Pole. We've also detected a considerable human presence right above the site." The Fleet Master slammed his fists on the arm of his chair.

"Filthy vermin! They have discovered it's location as well. You must go immediately. Secure the artifact before the Humans can desecrate it Further."

Shortly after
Fire Team Bandit's position

An SDV-Class Heavy Corvette flew right above, darkening the whole area for a few minutes. Once it had passed, a little boy ran across the road. He could have been no older than 12. Behind him were two Kig yar, chasing after him. One of the Jackals shot his Needler rifle, hitting the boy in the leg. The kid collapsed in the ground, screaming in agony. He tried to continue crawling, but one of the Jackals put his foot down on his back. The two Jackals cackled in laughter, making fun of the small child. Finally, one of the kig yar aimed his rifle at the kid's head, ready to take the shot.

by **Sarejo** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:19 pm

The Captain rolled out of his bunk at exactly 6:00, and made his bed, making it neat and crisp. He showered, shaved, and dressed, before going to the messhall.

"Here you go, sir. Your usual Harvest Dark Roast." the Master Chief Petty Officer who was the head chef on the ship handed him his usual morning coffee.

"Thank you Master Chief. This cup right here is the favorite part of my morning. What's for dinner tonight?" the Captain asked.

"Fish taco night, sir. Sides of beans and served with one glass of tequila for each serviceman. Except for you, of course. We saved you a bottle of whiskey instead." the chef winked at the Captain, who chuckled lightly.

"You know me too well Andersen. Thank you again." the Captain bid farewell to his friend and walked to the Bridge to get a status update. Stepping out of the elevator onto the Bridge, he found his officers already at their stations, conditioned to the early schedule the Captain ran.

"Morning status update." he said, settling into his chair.

"Weapons systems at optimal capacity."

"Engines functioning flawlessly."

"Communications at top capactity sir."

"Life support and cryostasis modules working perfectly as well, sir. All systems running at maximum efficiency."

"Excellent. Orders are to orbit the planet and check for any signs of hostile activity."

His radar officer walked over to his chair.

"Sir, there's been an odd occurrence I think I should bring to your attention. An energy shift, consistent with warp jump residue, was detected in the proximity of the planet, yet no UNSC ships were recorded enteringor leaving the system." the Lieutenant said.

"Could it be Insurrectionists, Lieutenant?" the Captain asked.

"Unlikely. Too close, too loyal to the UNSC. My guess..." he leaned in and almost whispered, "is Covenant."

The Captain's face went from its normal straight-faced expression to one of fesr almost immediately. Covenant ships were terrifying enemies, and one ship meant a fleet. And fleets were nigh unstoppable.

"This stays between you and I, Lieutenant. Thank you for telling me." the Captain dismissed the offider back to his post. He was visibly disturbed by this revelation, and ordered the weapons systems to be brought online and the MAC guns charged and loaded.

by **Tayner** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:34 pm

Syrixces wrote:"I have been assigned as The Dixie's Chief Security Marshal, as of today, Sir! The boys back home assigned me to watch over and retain the peace during security, and tactical operations, Sir!"

"Well, first you can quiet down." Poe said, the man was almost yelling at him. "Second, you can take your post." He said, in regard for the console that was missing an operator. "I want you to make sure our armor is up to scratch and we're armed for bear." He said to the subordinate. Suddenly a blip on the screen of Poe's tablet went from green to white, indicating that one of the ship's powered up their weapons. Quite abnormal, since most of the fleet was on standby. It's label was the UNSC Alithon.

"Ensign, hail the Alithon on a secure channel. Ask them why the hell they've loaded their weapons. And tell Alexander that i sent this message personally." Poe said, in regard to the history between the two captains.

by **Commonwealth of Hank the Cat** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:05 pm

Heretic's Punishment

On the capital ship of the Covenant Fleet, in one of the engine rooms, Deacon Tabyap was giving a sermon to a few other Unggoy, mostly Unggoy gathered around him. Unlike him, the Unggoy surrounding him were not indoctrinated into a extreme fringe sect of the Covenant Religon, but fear of the fanatical Deacon who had his fully-loaded needler on his belt was what was mostly keeping the other Unggoy sitting in front of him. Some of the younger Unggoy were getting annoyed by the Deacon's ear-splittingly loud ravings, however, as the Deacon was giving the sermon at the top of his lungs.

"And the HOLY FORERUNNERS said to us, that the DEVILS must be all EXECUTED before the GREAT JOURNEY can be walked upon!, and the HOLY prophets and their followers went on a HOLY crusade to RID the galaxy of HERETICS and SINFUL DEMONS. And we FIGHT the demon, and we EXECUTE the heretic! SEARCH FOR THE HERETIC AND FEAR THE ALIEN! ONLY THE HOLY FORERUNNERS COMMAND US!" The Deacon screamed at the top of his lungs in his "sermon" towards his fellow Unggoy.

"And GIVE your life towards the CRUSADE against the DEVIL and the HERETIC." The Deacon shouted at his listeners.

"And our goal for the moment is for you to continue to repair this engine! Now get back to work, we must make sure this ship is in glorious speed so we can kill the evil devils and heretics faster." the Deacon screamed, ending his sermon, as he watched the Unggoy Crewmembers get back to work.

by **Syrixces** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:45 pm

Tayner wrote:
Syrixces wrote:"I have been assigned as The Dixie's Chief Security Marshal, as of today, Sir! The boys back home assigned me to watch over and retain the peace during security, and tactical operations, Sir!"

"Well, first you can quiet down." Poe said, the man was almost yelling at him. "Second, you can take your post." He said, in regard for the console that was missing an operator. "I want you to make sure our armor is up to scratch and we're armed for bear." He said to the subordinate. Suddenly a blip on the screen of Poe's tablet went from green to white, indicating that one of the ship's powered up their weapons. Quite abnormal, since most of the fleet was on standby. It's label was the UNSC Alithon.

"Ensign, hail the Alithon on a secure channel. Ask them why the hell they've loaded their weapons. And tell Alexander that i sent this message personally." Poe said, in regard to the history between the two captains.

"Yes Sir! "

Rome sat down, his bionic arm fidgeting with anticipation.

"Do you mind smoking on deck, Sir?"

by **The Greater Gambia** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:24 pm

SDV-Corvette "Light in the Darkness"
New Hong Kong Southern Pole

The Corvette neared it's target. The ONI Research facility above the Forerunner artifact. The Base was being hit by a snow storm, making their sensors unaware of the oncoming threat. Aboard the Bridge of the "Light in the Darkness", the Ship Master planned out the means of attack.

"Ship Master. The Humans have two missile batteries set up. It would be foolish for us to attack the base head on." Said one of the Sangheili.

"Drop down Spec Ops to disable their AA defenses. We'll move on from there." The Spec Ops soldiers on the ship received the order to move out and boarded their phantoms. They departed for the base. Onboard the phantom, a hologram of the Ship Master outlined their mission.

"Warriors, the vermin have set up AA defenses around the site. You are to disable these defenses, allowing us to move the Ship in for fire support and reinforcements. Leave none of the vermin alive." The Phantoms landed a Kilometer away to make sure they didn't fall prey to the Missile Batteries themselves. The troops unloaded, the grunts complained about the cold, but were soon silenced by their Elite commanders. They activated their active camo and made their way towards the base.

by **SECP** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:29 pm

SDV-Corvette "Light in the Darkness"
New Hong Kong Southern Pole

Two Zealots enter the hanger talking
Vaht. Do you think that the Sec-Ops will leave us any vermin to slay?
I hope so... I haven't killed a human in ages

Another Elite speaks up as he jumps from the side of a Sprit that is hovering above them.

HA! The humans are not worthy of my blade nor are they for yours! Quickly now Vaht....Garr prepare your selfs for we are about to complete the Prophets work.

Now all three of the Zealots walk towards the Phantom that is calmly wanting for them. Garr says something while boarding the Phantom.
Voro' do you know what the artifact is that were about to claim?
Of course Garr, but you'll have wait to see
Voro' then steps into the Phantom and prepares for the signal that will tell him to go.

Halo: Sunset over New Hong Kong (IC, Halo, OPEN)

Halo: Sunset over New Hong Kong (IC, Halo, OPEN)

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