Location: UNSC In Amber Clad, Low Earth Orbit
Date: October 20, 2552
Time: 07:30
The In Amber Clad tore through the sky like a knife, descending toward the chaos below. Through the troop bay's narrow viewport, I could see the city of New Mombasa sprawling out beneath us, its skyline shattered by Covenant bombardment. Smoke billowed from dozens of fires, and the streets were choked with debris, overturned vehicles, and burning buildings. Above the city, Solemn Penance, the Covenant assault carrier, hovered menacingly, its gravity lift operational and pouring Covenant reinforcements into the battle below.
It was a nightmare come to life, and we were heading straight into it.
"Chief, we're picking up heavy resistance all over the grid. Multiple Covenant ground forces are engaging our troops at every junction," Cortana's voice rang in my helmet, sharp and clear.
I stood in the bay of the Pelican, ready for what was coming. Around me, Marines checked their gear and exchanged nervous glances. They knew this was going to be a brutal fight. New Mombasa was in chaos, and we were being dropped right into the thick of it.
Sergeant Major Johnson's voice barked over the comms, breaking the tense silence. "Listen up, Marines! We're about to drop into the hottest zone on the map. Covenant ground troops are everywhere, and their big ugly carrier is sitting on top of the city like it owns the place. Well, not on my watch! We're going in hard, and we're gonna hit 'em where it hurts! Let's make 'em regret touching Earth!"
"Oo-rah!" the Marines shouted, their voices full of defiance.
I remained silent, eyes forward, gripping my rifle tighter. Johnson's speech gave the men a surge of adrenaline, but for me, this wasn't about bravado. This was about execution, precision, and survival. The Prophet of Regret was down there somewhere, and it was my job to find him, eliminate his forces, and stop the Covenant from digging in any deeper.
The Pelican shuddered as it descended lower, the city coming into clearer view through the side hatch. Below, Covenant Phantoms zipped between the high rises, dropping off troops in the middle of intersections, on rooftops, and inside bombed-out buildings. UNSC Warthogs zipped across the streets, their mounted guns chattering as they engaged enemy Ghosts and Banshees.
"We're hitting grid Kilo-23 in thirty seconds," the pilot announced, her voice tight with concentration. "Ground's gonna be hot, so brace yourselves!"
The ramp at the back of the Pelican lowered with a hiss of hydraulics, exposing us to the swirling clouds of smoke and ash. The roar of battle hit like a wave—the distant booms of explosions, the crack of gunfire, and the high-pitched whine of plasma rounds tearing through the air.
Sergeant Johnson stepped forward, leaning against the bulkhead as the wind whipped through the open bay. "Alright, people! Time to show these Covenant freaks what the UNSC is made of! Get tactical, and stay sharp!"
With that, we were in freefall, the Pelican swooping low over the city as it prepared to drop us into the fray. My armor felt heavier than usual, the weight of the responsibility pressing down. I wasn't just fighting to survive anymore. I was fighting for Earth. For humanity.
The ramp hit the ground with a metallic clang, and I was the first one out.
Location: New Mombasa, Grid Kilo-23
Time: 07:45
The moment my boots hit the pavement, the battlefield erupted. Plasma rounds streaked across the street, slamming into the concrete with sizzling bursts. A Ghost zoomed past, its twin cannons lighting up the area with rapid-fire plasma bolts, while a group of Grunts waddled behind it, their weapons firing indiscriminately at anything that moved.
"Chief, on me!" Johnson shouted over the noise, already moving toward cover behind an overturned civilian vehicle. "We've gotta punch through to the city center, or we're never gonna reach that gravity lift!"
I moved swiftly, dodging through the chaos, my MA5B rifle raised and ready. The Ghost turned in my direction, its cannons charging up for another barrage, but I fired a quick burst at the driver, dropping the Grunt before he could fire. The Ghost spun out, crashing into the side of a building, its engines whining as they powered down.
"Contact left!" a Marine shouted as a squad of Jackals moved into position on a nearby rooftop, their energy shields flaring to life.
"Take 'em down!" I ordered, moving to engage.
I fired up at the rooftop, catching one Jackal in the head and sending its shield flickering out. The other Jackals returned fire, their plasma rounds splashing against the cover I had ducked behind. A Marine next to me popped up, firing a few rounds from his BR55 Battle Rifle, but a plasma bolt caught him in the shoulder, spinning him around as he fell to the ground, his armor smoking.
"Medic!" a Marine called out, dragging the injured soldier behind cover.
I gritted my teeth, leaning out from behind cover long enough to toss a grenade onto the rooftop. It landed perfectly, exploding with a sharp crack and sending the remaining Jackals tumbling off the edge.
"Nice toss, Chief!" Johnson called out from the other side of the street, his voice strained as he fired his assault rifle into a group of advancing Covenant.
"Keep moving!" I ordered, pushing forward.
The battle around us intensified. Covenant Phantoms hovered above the city, dropping off more reinforcements—Elites, Grunts, and Kig-Yar pouring out onto the streets in waves. The Marines with me were holding their ground, but I could see the exhaustion in their faces. The constant barrage of enemy fire was taking its toll.
We moved deeper into the city, the streets narrowing as we approached the gravity lift's location. Debris littered the road—crumpled cars, twisted metal, and chunks of concrete. Fires raged in the buildings around us, casting an eerie orange glow over the battlefield.
Just as we rounded a corner, a Wraith tank appeared at the far end of the street, its plasma mortar already charging.
"Cover!" I shouted, diving behind an overturned truck as the mortar fired. The blast shook the ground, sending chunks of the road flying into the air. A Marine was thrown back, his body limp as he slammed into a wall, blood streaking the pavement where he landed.
"We need heavy weapons to take that thing down!" Cortana warned, her voice urgent in my ear. "There's a weapons cache nearby, marked on your HUD."
I glanced at the waypoint and nodded. "On it."
I made a dash toward the weapons cache, dodging plasma fire as the Wraith fired another round. I reached the cache, throwing open the lid to reveal a rocket launcher inside.
Perfect.
I grabbed the launcher and aimed at the Wraith. The targeting reticle blinked red as I locked on. I squeezed the trigger, and the rocket streaked across the battlefield, slamming into the Wraith's side.
The explosion sent a wave of heat and debris across the street, and the Wraith's plasma cannon went silent. The Covenant forces nearby hesitated for a moment, thrown off by the sudden loss of their heavy armor.
"Good hit!" Johnson yelled, taking advantage of the opening to rally the Marines. "Push forward!"
I didn't wait. With the Wraith neutralized, I led the charge, cutting through the Covenant forces with brutal efficiency. Plasma rounds whizzed past me, but I moved through the chaos with purpose, my rifle barking with every pull of the trigger. I dropped Grunts, Jackals, and even a few Elites as we pushed toward the gravity lift.
But the Covenant weren't giving up easily.
Just as we approached the city center, a pair of Banshees screamed overhead, their plasma cannons lighting up the street below. Marines scrambled for cover, but one of the Banshees zeroed in on a group pinned down behind a barricade.
"Get down!" I shouted, sprinting toward them.
I reached the group just as the Banshee fired, its plasma bolts tearing through the barricade. One of the Marines—a young private, no older than twenty—was hit square in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath as smoke rose from the wound.
"Medic!" I shouted, dropping to my knee beside him. His eyes were wide with shock, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe.
"I've got him," a combat medic said, rushing over. She knelt beside the wounded Marine, pulling out a med kit and working quickly to stabilize him. But I could see the look in her eyes. She knew the odds weren't good.
I stood, anger burning in my chest. The Covenant were relentless, but so was I.
"Chief," Cortana's voice came in over the comms. "The gravity lift is still operational. We need to disable it before more reinforcements arrive."
I nodded, my grip tightening on my rifle. The mission wasn't over. Not yet.
"Let's move!" I ordered, rallying the remaining Marines.
The street ahead was a battlefield, littered with bodies and burning vehicles. But I could see the gravity lift now, a towering column of light in the distance. It was our target—and I wasn't about to let the Covenant hold it.
As we pressed forward, the battle raged on around us. Plasma rounds sizzled through the air, grenades exploded, and the roar of Warthog engines filled the streets as UNSC forces pushed the Covenant back, inch by bloody inch.