After the battle was won, Admiral Cole had ordered a search for any survivors of the lost UNSC ships. After that he finally turned his attention to Harvest. What he expected to see was its lush green continents and blue oceans. But instead, what he saw was something completely different.
Harvest now looked like a frozen tundra that was incapable of sustaining life. This was the same reaction for the other UNSC ships who saw the planet. Before they were so preoccupied with the battle that they didn't get a chance to really look at Harvest and notice the difference.
"Admiral, orbital scans show that the Covenant conducted a 'Plasma bombardment' of the planet. Any structure or agriculture that was once on the planet is now just a pile of rubble" reported the ship's AI Sekmet. "I am also picking up Covenant activity on the surface of the planet."
"There's still Covenant activity on the planet" said Admiral Cole to himself. They came back here to take back Harvest and they were still far from their goal.
"Sekmet, tell Major Harris to prepare his Marines for landing, we will land away from where the Covenant activity is concentrated and set up forward operating bases. From there we will start eradicating the Covenant presence on the surface. And have the Spartans deploy with the troops as well." Ordered Admiral Cole.
"Yes, Admiral," Sekmet responded, her digital voice echoing in the control room. The AI figure flickered like a mirage on the holographic display, casting an ethereal glow on the weathered faces of the Admiral and his crew.
"Understood, Admiral. We'll be ready for landing procedures in no time," Major Harris's voice crackled through the intercom, a sign of determination in his tone.
From his vantage point on the bridge, Admiral Cole watched as the UNSC ships began their descent towards Harvest. The once lush planet was now a barren wasteland, cloaked in a veil of ice and snow. It was a chilling sight, but they had a mission to complete.
"Sekmet," Admiral Cole's voice was steady as steel. "Coordinate with the ground teams, I want updated reports on Covenant movement every half hour."
"Yes, Admiral," Sekmet replied crisply, her holographic form shimmering as she disappeared momentarily to carry out her orders.
The minutes ticked by slowly as the fleets descended towards the frozen tundra. Occasionally, Sekmet would appear with updates on Covenant activity and Major Harris would respond with adjustments to their landing strategy accordingly.
Major Harris had found an ideal spot to establish a base, and he wasted no time setting up landing areas for Pelicans and other aircraft to land.
Longswords flew around the planet and would get caught in dogfights with the Covenant's own Banshees. Slowly but surely, the UNSC forces began to stake their claim on the alien-infested land. Tents sprang up, temporary shelters against the harsh landscape.
"Sekmet," he called again, his gaze riveted on the holographic display showcasing the ground operation. "Get me an update on Major Harris and his men."
"On it, Admiral," Sekmet responded promptly. Her image flickered as she accessed the data feeds from the landing zone.
Meanwhile, as if to mock their progress, a particularly fierce gust of wind swept across the icy wilderness, carrying with it a flurry of snowflakes. The once peaceful Harvest now seemed like an alien world, hostile and uninviting.
As the flurry subsided, Cole's attention was drawn back to Sekmet who had returned with the requested update. "Major Harris reports successful establishment of a base camp, Admiral. No casualties reported thus far."
"Good. Keep monitoring all activities closely," he commanded. "And update me on our air supremacy."
"Affirmative, Admiral," Sekmet began. "Our Longswords are holding their own against the Covenant Banshees. Their superior maneuverability is giving them an edge in these dogfights."
The Admiral nodded approvingly as he continued to survey Harvest's surface from above. The harsh reality of their situation was beginning to sink in; this wasn't going to be easy or quick.
"Continue efforts on all fronts," he ordered, his voice echoing throughout the command center.
"And get Admiral Woods on the Comm link for me" Ordered Admiral Cole.
"Yes, Admiral," Sekmet complied, her holographic form flickering as she worked swiftly.
After a moment, Axel appeared on the screen.
"Admiral Woods," Cole greeted, his stern eyes meeting Axel's holographically projected ones. "I trust you've been updated about the situation on Harvest?"
"In detail, Admiral," Axel replied. "It seems like an orbital Bombardment of sorts."
"They've even left some of their forces behind," Cole added grimly. "We've begun landing procedures and have established a base camp. Major Harris is leading the ground effort."
"I'm not surprised they're maintaining a presence," Axel noted, his face tight with concern. "The planet was a significant resource for us, they could be scavenging or looking for something specific."
"We'll determine that soon enough," Cole declared firmly. "For now, our focus is on eliminating any Covenant activity and securing the planet's surface."
"That's why I contacted you, I hope that you can deploy some MCU's to the surface to assist our Marines in the battle" Requested Admiral Cole. He was one of the people who knew about the abilities of the MCU's and hoped to utilize them to limit casualties.
"I'll send 2,000 MCU's down to assist Major Harris, While I have other matters to attend to on the surface" Stated Axel.
"Thank you, this will be a valuable addition to our forces. I'll inform Major Harris about the reinforcements and won't question your decision to deploy to the surface. Just make sure to stay safe and come back alive," Admiral Cole said gravely, fixing his gaze on Axel. "I have a sense that this war is far from over and we need individuals like you to lead the way for humanity."
"Of course, Admiral, I'll take extra precaution" said Axel as the screen turned off.
Admiral Cole was questioning in his mind why an Admiral would need to deploy to the surface, but then he thought about how Axel was not a normal Admiral. He held considerable power and influence because of his inventions, and he also because of the recent creation of energy shields which has saved hundreds if not thousands of lives during the battle. He was also head of section Three, which brought on more responsibilities that Axel had to take care of.
Admiral Cole also trusted Axel to make the right decisions.
Meanwhile on the UNSC Leviathan, Axel was preparing for his descent to the planet. Their destination would be an ancient underground forerunner facility located somewhere in the northern polar region of Harvest.
If Axel remembered correctly, it contained a star map of nearby star systems and one of those star systems had a Forerunner shield world in it with some useful information that Axel could use.
Accompanying him would be a detachment of MCU's, Marines, and Spartan Team Omega. Longswords would escort them towards the location alongside a few Falcons.
Axel wanted to set up a defensive position once they arrive so that Axel can have time to research and study the Forerunner structure. If possible, he hoped to find a lot of information relating to Flood and other Advanced Forerunner technology.
Axel put on his own armor and made his way to the Hanger where he boarded a Pelican. Along the way his appearance surprised some of the crew, but they remained professional and saluted him as he passed. "Godspeed, Admiral," one of the crew members murmured as Axel climbed aboard the Pelican.
Once everyone was onboard their respective Pelican, the pilot acknowledged him with a nod as the engine roared to life, lifting them off the deck of the hangar and heading out into the snowy landscape of Harvest. The Longswords fell in alongside them, maintaining an escort formation as they too took to the darkness of space.