Cyberpunk: Spartan Walker

Captain Carol Lowrey, nicknamed The Nemesis, aboard the Pelican troop carrier.

Standing at the stern of the troop carrier, Tommy saw through the slowly closing hatch that the star was sinking, but there was still plenty of light.

He turned around, found a seat, sat down, and put on his seat belt. He, the Chief, and Rebecca formed a three-man fire team, and Keyes shared some intelligence with them here. The remaining survivors were placed on another Pelican troop carrier that was retreating to the temporary base camp.

Before arriving at Alpha Base, I want to get some information about it. Tommy spread his hands towards the Master Chief, John, would you like Cortana to tell us?

The Master Chief said nothing, and reached out to pull out the chip carrying Cortana from the back of his head, and then Cortana's holographic image was projected from his hand.

This was Tommy's first official meeting with Cortana, so he looked at her carefully: her graceful figure and beautiful face were impressive in every aspect, let alone her relationship with the young Hal. Dr. West looks almost identical.

In the secret files of the Military Intelligence Agency, this lovely artificial intelligence was created to serve Operation Red Flag, but Tommy thinks its authenticity is questionable - at least her manufacturing date is questionable.

【Is she pretty? ] Ellie's voice suddenly appeared in his mind, startling him. He smashed his mouth, and the tip of his tongue seemed to taste a little sourness.

[Yeah, it’s okay. 】 Tommy actually wanted to say it's pretty good-looking, but he didn't know why the words came to mind like this.

[How about comparing yourself to me? ] Ellie asked again.

[Of course you are more beautiful. ] Tommy said without thinking.

He didn't want to have any conflicts with Ellie that would affect future missions - well, that was the only reason.

You're smart, Ellie chuckled, Smooth-tongued Tommy. 】

I thought you wouldn't ask anything, Cortana said with a proud smile on her face, and just picked up a stick and went in.

She gave Tommy a thoughtful look, then waved her hand and uploaded the hologram of Alpha Base to the display devices of everyone present, In order to allow the crew of the Pillar of Autumn to continue to survive, Schil Major Watt believes that we first need a base and build fortifications on it to keep the Covenant out.

Tommy tilted his head, puzzled by her look.

Alfa Base is located at the top of an isolated ridge. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. This is why Major Silva chose this place.

Tommy saw the picture on the head-up display shake, showing an image: a thick columnar base with a platform on top. One end of the platform was covered with high and low flat-roofed buildings.

The solitary ridge is located at the 'bottom' of the halo, and Wellesley made corrections in advance. The previous longitude and latitude coordinate systems are only suitable for general planetary surfaces, and we have to change them here.

The scene in front of Tommy's eyes changed, and the entire view of the Lone Ridge appeared.

It was the high ground, and anyone who occupied it had an unobstructed view of the surrounding ground environment; and the sheer cliffs on the edge of the ridge forced attackers to either attack from the air or fight their way up the narrow mountain path. Best of all, the top of the ridge Buildings can provide a defensive barrier for Marines.

Major Silva chose a good place. Keyes admired.

Of course, that's assuming they don't beat us to a pulp - our future advantage is our current disadvantage, Cortana said. The Marines are in a tough fight. I suggest you take a look at their real-time battle footage.

Then everyone present stared intently at the changing battle images on their monitors, while Cortana explained the relevant information to them.

Major Silva established a temporary base camp not far from the lone ridge, and reorganized the soldiers after they returned. His battle plan was to divide the troops into two companies, Red 1 and Blue 1. The Blue 1 company was led by Schil Major Silva's right-hand man, Lieutenant Melissa McKay, is commanded, and she is responsible for launching the attack from the ground. The Blue Company starts from the foot of the mountain, finds a trail up the mountain, and lures the snake out of the hole; the Red Company is personally commanded by Major Silva, Responsible for launching air raids. Under the attack of two companies, I think the Covenant will not be able to sustain it for too long.

She changed the topic, But our side will definitely suffer a lot of losses, so the Marines need the support of two Spartans.

What do you need us to do? the Master Chief asked, straightening his back unconsciously.

Wellesley discovered a building suspected to be a command center through the activities of the Covenant. He hoped that the two Spartans could do what they do best - cooperate and then complete the raid efficiently.

Tommy and John looked at each other, and John said, No problem.

Cortana nodded, looking like I knew you'd say that. However, it is worth noting that this support mission has not yet received permission from Major Silva.

There was a bit of dissatisfaction in Cortana's words - even anger. He claimed to Wellesley that his troops could perfectly complete the command center's raid mission. No need. She frowned and paused. After a moment, Help from the Spartans, he thinks the Spartans can just support the surrounding Marines.

Tommy realizes that Major Silva wants to put them both in a position of little value, but what is his motivation? Simply let the Marines die?

John noticed the pause and asked, What were the major's exact words?

You don't want to hear it. Cortana raised her eyebrows, and then she noticed that everyone's eyes were on her. She could only shrug helplessly, Okay, I told you not to be too Care about - 'those freaks'.

Tommy sighed - another Helltrooper with a deep prejudice against Spartans. In comparison, Sergeant Kelvin is very gentle. Tommy looked at John. He had to take some responsibility for the bad relationship between the Spartans and some of the Helltroopers.

Let me talk to him, Case said. After all, you will continue to cooperate in the future.

——

In the temporary base camp on the hard soil plain near Guling Mountain.

There were no natural shelters on the plain, so the Helltroopers moved their equipment to higher ground and built as many fortifications as possible around them.

The soil dug out of the trenches was built into a low defensive line to protect the camp. The interconnected trenches were also repaired. They also built an airship landing site so that the Pelican troop carrier could take off and land near the camp in time.

At this point, Wellesley ordered the Pelican troop carrier to take off. Silva was standing at the highest point of the take-off and landing field, staring at the towering ridge to the west. He was wondering what chance his plan had of winning, and how much price he had to pay for it.

A human pilot violently fired at a Covenant anti-aircraft turret with a 70mm machine gun on a Pelican troop carrier, and a cloud of black smoke rose from the top of the ridge. The Covenant's Shadow Plasma anti-aircraft turret is a powerful weapon that is easy to deploy and maintain. Finally, the turret fell silent, and the pilot contentedly lowered the troop carrier to the top of the lone ridge.

Just as Silva was immersed in the battle in front of him, his private communication channel was opened with a bang, and Keith's plain voice came out, Major, I heard that you refused the support of the Spartans?

Silva's heart sank. He had a premonition that Case was about to give orders. He found himself resisting quickly, almost immediately, even though he knew it was Case's duty to give orders.

Silva already had a complete plan in his belly, but now that Keyes was safe, as the commander of the navy, he could take over the power. Silva, the Marine commander, could only show interest - secretly hoping that his superiors would come up with at least a few correct ideas.

Yes, sir. What should I say? Silva said respectfully. After all, his promotion was closely related to Case.

We all know that the Spartans are very powerful in combat, Case said, without even a hint of blame in his tone, as if he was chatting with him. With their help, this battle will be much easier. .”

Silva rested his forearms on the low wall at the edge of the base camp and looked out over the lone ridge. If his eyesight was good enough, he should have been able to see the scarred platform, the plasma beam piercing the air, the persistence of the hell paratroopers, and the charred corpses of his men.

I understand what you mean, sir. May I speak candidly?

Case paused for a moment, Of course, you are the second-in-command here. Obviously you have your own way of ground combat, far more experienced than me. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or concerns, just say it.

Keith's words were very helpful to him, and a smile appeared on Silva's lips, Thank you, sir. My question is related to the Master Chief. Like everyone, I absolutely respect the Master Chief's past achievements. However, Is he really the ideal candidate for your plans?”

I know that the bodies of the Spartans have undergone bioaugmentation surgery, Silva continued, and the advantages given by their armor. But please take a look at the people who are fighting on the Lonely Ridge? All of them? They are ordinary human beings.”

Project Spartan has failed, Captain - they're down to the last two survivors and that shows. So, why don't we leave your mission in the hands of real Marines and let them take revenge. .”

Thank you for listening to what I have to say.

There was a long silence on the other side of the conversation. Was he convinced? Or are you thinking about how to convince yourself in turn?

The battle on Solitary Ridge seemed to have entered a fever pitch. He saw gray dust haze caused by fragmentation grenades and blue storm caused by plasma grenades on the top platform and halfway up the mountain.

Silva knew that Keyes had served in the UNSC for many years, and he also knew that his ambitious image had already spread throughout the army - in fact, not only him personally, but also the entire Hell Paratroopers had this idea.

But the Hell Paratroopers are also famous for their bravery and proficiency in combat. Part of his words are out of good intentions, but mostly he hopes that this action on the Halo will add a lot of color to his career resume.

There was a burst of noise from the communication channel, What you said makes sense. We all saw the bloody battle you and your 'genuine' Marines fought on this mountain.

so--

So you should find a way to save the lives of these respectable soldiers so that they can shine in more valuable tasks.

Case still wanted to convince him. Silva's face suddenly fell. The communications soldier standing next to Silva glanced at him secretly from the corner of his eye, seeming to smell the chill emanating from the commander.

I don't quite agree with your conclusions about the Spartan program, Case said. Take the Master Chief. First of all, the reason why he is so powerful is not what he is, but who he is. - It's important to realize that. His exploits were not due to technology - not due to what they did to him, and whatever they did to him, he suffered greatly for the continuation of humanity.

The fact is, no matter what the government did or didn't do to him, the Master Chief would have grown into an outstanding warrior. Am I in favor of subjecting them to such brutal enhancements? No, I don't - I mean in peace period.

Keith on the opposite side sighed deeply, his tone full of helplessness. Major, one of my earliest missions was to escort the director of the Spartan program to select the second generation of Spartan candidates. At that time, I was not fully aware of my mission - if I had known it earlier, I probably wouldn't have accepted the appointment.

These are not peacetimes. We are talking about the very real threat of total annihilation of humanity, Major. How many people have we killed on the Far Colony worlds? How many more have the Covenant massacred on Harvest and Jericho 7? What if? How many people will be wiped out if they find the earth?

These rhetorical questions overwhelmed Silva and made him angry. His face turned red, and he suppressed his anger and retorted, I don't know, sir, but let me tell you what I do know. About twenty-five years ago, when I was a second lieutenant, I invented the Master Chief. The guys over at thought it would be exciting to feed their new pet some real meat. They devised a scenario that pitted four of my marines against your friend, fending off his attacks and trying to give him some Look at the color.”

Okay, guess what? Project Spartan worked flawlessly. It got my guys involved. Not only did that damn freak knock them down, but he got two of them killed - in his Beaten to death in a fucking battleship's gym. I don't know what you'd say, sir, but I call it murder. Was he guilty? Not at all. The wind-up toy got some praise, and then... I took my bath ticket and took a shower, and the day's slaughtering work was just finished.

He finished speaking these words in one breath, panting so hard that his chest felt like a bellows.

Case's remaining patience was about to wear out, and he said in an unkind tone: No matter how many reasons there may be to justify this, I deeply regret the misfortune that has befallen your brother, Major.

“But here’s the other thing: maybe it’s not good—well, maybe it’s totally fucking wrong—if I could have a million master chiefs, I’d take them all under my wing and deploy them to this Mission to go.

Yes, I believe it is possible that your people can complete the mission. If we only have so many people, then I will not hesitate to send your people. But the Master Chief has so many obvious advantages, and Cortana even Another Spartan; and letting them perform this mission will save your Helltroopers for other things in the future. God knows how many things are waiting to be done. He paused, I The decision has been made!

Silva nodded stiffly and said through gritted teeth, What you say makes sense, sir. My people will do their best to support the two Spartans and Cortana.

Yes, Case sighed, I'm sure they will.

The communication link was subsequently closed.

Fuck the Spartan freak! Silva yelled, clenching his right hand into a fist and hitting the holographic display table in front of him with a bang.

He knew that what Keith said was too light. In order to obtain his full cooperation, Keith saved enough face for him.

——

Capt. Carol Lowrey in her Pelican troop carrier.

They all heard the argument between Case and Silva, and the scene fell silent for a moment.

The next step is your job. Case glanced at them, and then asked loudly toward the cockpit: Captain, how long until we reach Alpha Base?

There are still ten minutes, sir. Enemy Buster replied on the communication channel, They are very lively, we will definitely be able to join the battle in a while!

Ten minutes is neither long nor short, just enough to take a breather between tense battles.

Tommy held the lower edge of his helmet and took it off with a pop. Although the helmet is equipped with an air filtration device, he still feels uncomfortable staying in a confined space for a long time.

Tommy looked at John, who still had that same dislike for taking off his helmet when anyone other than his Spartan siblings was around.

Huh~ Rebecca also took off her helmet and exhaled a long breath to relax her tense nerves. She leaned back casually against the bulkhead and noticed Case studying her.

What's wrong? Rebecca touched her cheek, Is there the blood of those bastards on my face?

No, your face is very clean. Keith frowned as he looked at her - the hell paratrooper had just shown him her powerful combat power on the battlefield, but Keith never expected that there was something underneath the helmet. She is a petite and cute girl. Her temperament is incompatible with the army, and is she too young? Is the situation in the UNSC so bad that we need to send children to the battlefield?

Huh? Your old eyes were blinded by a plasma grenade? Rebecca shouted dissatisfied, I'm already twenty!

Tommy patted her head, Becca, be respectful.

He didn't treat me first. She suddenly paused in the middle of her complaining words, glanced at Tommy, then curled her lips and said impatiently: Okay, I'm sorry, sir.

After hearing the interaction between the two, the Master Chief, who was thinking about what to do after capturing Alpha Base, slightly raised his head and looked at Rebecca - she reminded John of a former Spartan.

It doesn't matter, you're considered a gentle person among the Hell Paratroopers. Case waved his hand, then cast a questioning look at Tommy, She just joined the army?

Yes, she's a new recruit, Tommy said apologetically, Please forgive me if I behave inappropriately.

Case nodded and said nothing more. He has seen many such soldiers during his long service career, and they generally have the ability to be unruly.

And Keith glanced at Tommy out of the corner of his eye. There must be a special relationship between the two of them, otherwise why would he speak for her?

Rebecca snorted, feeling a little unhappy at being looked down upon. She immediately noticed another set of eyes on her, and she couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly - the Master Chief was staring at her intently through the helmet panel. .

What are you looking at, big guy~ Rebecca said jokingly, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, This is not Night City, and I don't have beer to entertain you. After saying that, she squeezed at Tommy Wink.

John stared at her for another two seconds, without responding to her, but instead focused his attention on Tommy.

Tommy knew why John was reacting so strangely. He moved his butt guiltily, as if there were thorns in the seat poking him.

Winnie-139? Although this was a question, there was no hint of inquiry in John's tone, It's simply——

Why are you mentioning her? Tommy quickly interrupted him, We will arrive at Alpha Base soon. We can discuss the tactical deployment later. He rubbed his hands uneasily.

Rebecca's brows knitted together, she had rarely seen Tommy look so flustered. A girl's natural sixth sense told her that this name meant a lot to Tommy.

We've already finished our discussion - jump off the Pelican troop carrier, and then kill through the Covenant's defenses. John said calmly, and he focused on Rebecca again, She -

This is too hasty, Tommy interrupted John again, We can discuss it in more detail, for example. Rebecca's eyes gradually became sharper as she stared at him, and Tommy's voice became louder and louder. Come smaller and smaller.

Let him finish, Rebecca sneered, I want to hear it.

Tommy took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, tilting his head away.

Even the Master Chief could sense something was wrong now. His eyes wandered back and forth between the two of them, She is exactly the same as Winnie in some aspects. What a coincidence.

Exactly like me? Rebecca became interested. Who is Winnie?

Another Spartan. John felt a trace of sadness in his heart.

A female Spartan? Tommy had told her about part of the Spartan II program. They had trained and grown together since childhood, and the bond between them was unimaginably deep. Combined with the big man's reaction, the relationship between the two of them is worth pondering.

Wow, a Spartan who looks a lot like me. Rebecca's words were full of sarcasm, Will I have a chance to meet her in the future?

John shook his head slightly.

Tommy gently patted Rebecca on the shoulder and said sadly: Becca, she is dead.

Rebecca was startled, she didn't expect such an answer, and the words came to her lips and she couldn't say them out.

Fortunately the silence didn't last long.

Ladies, the voice of Enemy Buster sounded on the communication channel, the landing area is very lively, repetitive, very lively. Enemy Buster emphasized, One minute left for landing!

They decisively put aside the previous topic and quickly began to conduct the final equipment inspection. Tommy put the helmet on Rebecca, pulled off the M41 rocket launcher hanging on the weapon rack above her head, stuffed it into her arms, and then tapped her helmet with his fingertips.

John felt a tightness in his chest, and the troop ship sped up. He stood up and walked over to the hatch, slamming it open. Outside, various symbols such as triangles and circles are carved on the walls of Alpha Base - this is the handwriting of the Forerunners, exactly the same as the one carved on the red stone he saw in the Côte d'Azur City.

The standing pyramid-like building moved past them - almost every square centimeter of the smooth alloy shell of the building had scars formed by burning, and tendril-shaped metal vapor snaked through the air, emitting a faint sound. light.

Enemy Buster tried hard to resist the urge to pull the trigger and let the 70mm caliber machine gun on the troop carrier spit out its contents.

She should have saved her only ammunition until the last minute, but she still couldn't hold back - tracer bullets were sprayed out one after another, and the elite warriors and several Grunts were forced back step by step to the edge of the lone ridge.

In the end, she was satisfied to see the alien being swallowed by her own blood mist - but it would be impossible to enjoy it again in a short time.

The landing zone is cleared and ready! she reminded.

Enemy Buster turned the direction of the ship's bow, then drove the Pelican troop carrier to slow down, glide, turn, and then land on the platform of Lone Ridge.

Tommy and the Chief stood by the hatch, waiting for the signal from Nemesis.

Land! Attack, Marines!

The two Spartans were the first to jump out of the troop transport cabin and fell to the metal ground of the base with a bang. The Helltroopers followed and quickly dispersed. They came from another parallel Pelican troop transport.

Enemy Nemesis felt the entire spacecraft rising slightly, and tried its best to control the hull to maintain balance and stability. He paid close attention to the landing area. Rebecca jumped off the spacecraft. The transportation officer next to her opened the door, took a look, and then shouted over the communication channel: Clear!

Then Enemy Nemesis started the thruster in the belly of the spacecraft. A pair of turbine engines provided enough power, and the spacecraft began to fly away from the top of the mountain.

After Tommy stood still, he quickly glanced around. The place was littered with limbs shattered by the cannons of the troop carrier and the bodies of a few marines.

They pushed forward and came to the bottom of a slope.

The Grunt at the top of the slope screamed and jumped onto the shadow turret, and then its plasma fire roared down the top of the slope. Tommy took a long stride and rushed to the neatly arranged weapon racks of the Covenant, and took out several plasma grenades from the Grunt corpses next to him.

He saw the Chief nodding to him from behind another bunker.

【Ellie. ] He didn't want to put his head through the door and risk being hit by plasma fire to determine the location of the shadow turret.

[Marked. 】

Ellie reverse-calculated the trajectory of the plasma fire and marked a trajectory line on his heads-up display. Tommy pressed the orange button on the grenade and threw it upward along the trajectory line.

The panicked screams of the Grunts came from above, and then a strong flash of light flashed and a deafening plasma explosion sounded, and the shadow turret misfired as expected.

The Master Chief escaped from the bunker, bucked the trend, and attacked the slope. The MA5B rifle in his hand let out an astonishing roar. Tommy followed John, crossing fire cautiously, covering each other. He fired more carefully, waiting until John began to reload before bursting into heavy fire so as not to expose his blind spot.

A cunning elite warrior ran out of the blind spot at the corner of the slope and headed straight for the Master Chief. John swung the butt of the gun and knocked the flailing arm to one side, then swung it, and the alien's energy shield suddenly exploded with a pop.

Seeing this, Tommy quickly pulled out his M6D pistol, pulled the trigger and shot the elite soldier.

They passed the corner, then cleared the Covenant along the way while pressing toward the command center. In the process, they merged with the Marines who came from the opposite side of the lone ridge. Two Spartans joined the original fire network, and the firepower immediately increased like adrenaline.

The Covenant's command center was a building embedded in the rock wall. Its door was closed, and Tommy and John could hear the roars of the elite warriors inside.

John stepped forward and kicked the door with a clang sound. However, the door did not move at all, not even a mark was left.

I'll take care of it. Cortana's voice sounded over the communication channel.

As soon as he finished speaking, the door slid open to both sides. Several stunned Grunts stared at them. They obviously didn't expect that the indestructible door would be cracked open in just tens of milliseconds.

The Chief and Tommy each threw a fragmentation grenade inside, and Rebecca behind them fired two missiles in succession. Then a large ball of flames rose inside, and the screams of Grunts and Jackals could be heard endlessly. , the ground shook rumblingly.

Ellie, locate the survivors. Tommy said.

receive.

Ellie determined the location of the enemy based on Tommy's motion detector, and then marked the three living Covenant people with red dots on their heads-up displays.

Thanks, Ellie, the Chief said as he and Tommy barged in.

You're welcome, Master Chief.

As soon as they entered the facility, three extremely precise plasma grenades flew towards their faces, trailing blue light.

Get out of the way! the Master Chief reminded, while dodging to the side.

Tommy rolled away.

After John escaped, he threw a fragmentation grenade inside, trying to force the elite soldiers hiding inside out.

This trick worked as expected. An intact golden-armored elite commander flew out with two black-armored elite warriors. They both dropped the plasma rifles in their hands, and then shook out the energy sword with a pop sound.

The golden-armored elite looked at the two Spartans and roared angrily. An elite in black armor and gold armor rushed towards the Master Chief, while the remaining black armor rushed towards Tommy.

Tommy saw through their intention: to use the close combat advantage given by the energy sword to make the Marines outside not dare to shoot. A black-armored elite will hold Tommy back, while the other two elite warriors will take advantage of their numbers to kill John first, and the last three will be able to kill Tommy calmly.

Of course Tommy would not let them succeed. He shouted: Catch it! and then threw the hilt of the energy sword at his waist to John.

The Master Chief caught it steadily, and was slightly startled after seeing what was in his hand. Then he activated the energy sword, and the blazing blade popped out.

The two elites were surprised at first. They did not expect that they would have energy swords. However, the golden-armored elite was also a good hand in close combat. It roared and attacked John in coordination with the black-armored elite.

The Master Chief first dodged sideways to avoid the energy sword on one side, then flicked his wrist to hit the energy sword struck by the Golden Armor Elite into the air, and then sent his own sword forward, intending to stab the Golden Armor Elite through the heart. cold.

The golden-armored elite smiled disdainfully, twisted his waist quickly, and avoided the thrust, then turned around and struck at the Master Chief again.

Unexpectedly, the Master Chief's intention was not this. He managed to avoid the incoming energy sword with a short stature, and the energy shield on his body suddenly exploded with a pop. Before his body's center of gravity moved up, he rolled to close the distance with Tommy.

Tommy on the other side also wanted to get rid of this black-armored elite warrior as soon as possible, but the opponent just wanted to hold him back, and he didn't have an energy sword in his hand, so he had to dodge and pull the trigger to fire at it. He saw the Master Chief rolling this way, and with a thought, he understood what he meant.

Tommy aimed at the Elite, and the bullet hit the Elite warrior's energy shield and burst out with a dazzling light. The elite struck with a ferocious smile, and Tommy took the opportunity to dodge towards John.

The bodies of the two people intertwined for an instant, and then the Master Chief turned around suddenly, and the energy sword in his hand buzzed across the head of Tommy who was crouching down, and rushed towards Tommy's black armor. The heads of the elites were gone.

It looked at the two people's tacit cooperation in disbelief, and had no time to escape. There was a flash of sword light, and the elite warrior suddenly felt pain in his neck. Its head rose into the sky, and purple blood spurted out, splattering all over the ceiling.

After Tommy dodged John, he saw two energy swords slashing towards him. He did not retreat but advanced, using his momentum to plunge into the arms of the golden-armored elite.

The golden-armored elite obviously didn't expect him to do this, and the energy sword in his hand had already been cut down, using old tricks.

Tommy took out the plasma grenade, pressed the button, and stuffed it into the arms of the golden-armored elite. He slightly bent his knees and jumped back to leave.

Unexpectedly, the golden-armored elite simply dropped the energy sword, grabbed Tommy, and wanted to die with him.

A hand wrapped in a titanium glove stretched out, grabbed the back collar of Tommy's armor, and pulled him back. The Master Chief flew up and kicked the golden-armored elite. The golden-armored elite screamed in pain and flew out, exploding into ashes along with the plasma grenade in mid-air a few meters away.

The situation immediately turned into a two-on-one situation. The black-armored elite looked at his dead companions, screamed in grief, and was about to rush over. However, without the advantage of close combat, the Marines outside seized the opportunity and concentrated fire on it, and soon it also fell in a pool of blood.

Tommy looked outside the door of the command center. The firing sound of the plasma weapons there was getting smaller and smaller. After the command center was captured, the Covenant people outside must have been in chaos. Even if they have an absolute numerical advantage, it is only a matter of time before the Marines destroy them.

——

Solitary mountainside.

After the Spartans landed on the top of the mountain, the enemy's resistance finally relaxed. Lieutenant Melissa McKay and the surviving company members were able to advance successfully. On the mountain road, a considerable number of enemies have all retreated to the last line of defense.

McKay found that thirty meters ahead of the road was blocked by a rock that had collapsed long ago, and he saw another side door next to the rock. She finally understood that this was the lifeline that the aliens wanted to defend. This must be a back door, and it is also the passage through which she can enter the interior of the lonely ridge, and she can follow the clues from there.

Plasma fire roared from the entrance passage and hit the cliff above her, shards of rock peeling off one after another.

McKay waved his hand in the air, signaling the troops to retreat behind the wide winding mountain road. Hey, Warrant Officer! Give me a bazooka!

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Carter stood behind six soldiers to prevent a well-thrown grenade from wiping out both commanders at once. He gestured in agreement, shouted an order, and handed over the M41 rocket launcher.

McKay took the weapon from the soldier behind him, checked whether it was fully loaded with missiles, and then moved forward step by step around the winding mountain road for the camp.

As plasma beams hissed from the door, McKay tried to remain calm. She opened the twice-magnified sight on the rocket launcher, took careful aim, and pulled the trigger. The launch tube shook violently, and a 102 mm caliber missile flew out, drilled straight into the door hole, and exploded with a loud bang inside.

There must have been a lot of ammunition stored there, because there was another explosion right after, shining bright blue. Even the rocks under McKay's feet trembled, and a fireball rose from the side of the cliff.

It was hard to imagine who could survive such a violent explosion, so McKay calmly handed the rocket launcher back to the rear officers and soldiers and ordered the troops to move forward.

In the process, a bunch of plasma grenades were thrown down from the mountain, and McKay hurriedly dodged under a protruding rock. Some of the grenades fell down the mountain, while others stuck to the target and exploded after a few seconds.

A Marine screamed as an enemy grenade stuck to his rucksack. A sergeant yelled, Drop the pack! But the Marine, already in a frenzy, turned and ran down the hill.

McKay secretly cursed idiot and grabbed his arm to prevent him from running down. With his free hand, he pulled out the fighting dagger from his chest, cut the shoulder strap of his backpack with a tear sound, and then Lift your feet and kick the falling backpack down the mountain.

Boom! The grenade finally exploded, burning a big hole in the cliff and covering the surface with shiny glass.

McKay casually waved his hand, interrupting the Marine's continuous thanks, and continued to direct the next wave of charges.

The Marines rushed up the trail, bowed through the thick smoke, and entered the ancient cave inside the lone ridge. They couldn't help but cheer: the ground was full of corpses - in fact, it was impossible to identify the complete corpses. Fortunately, the tunnel itself was not damaged at all.

Several commandos were collecting plasma weapons, testing them on the nearby wall, and then picking out the ones they were satisfied with and taking them away.

Others, including McKay, gazed up at a thirty-meter-diameter circular patio where sunlight filtered through. She saw a shadow drifting over her head - the Pelican troop transport carrying more Helltroopers to the mountaintop flats. There was a bang in the distance, and the fragmentation grenade exploded. Dust and ooze fell on their heads.

Hey, Lieutenant, Private Sasha said, What do you do with this thing?

Sasha stomped the ground hard, and a metallic sound echoed. McKay then realized that he and his men were standing on a large metal barrier.

What is this for? the private asked loudly, for defense?

McKay shook his head. No, this looks very old, definitely not set up by the Covenant.

“I found the elevator!” shouted a Marine. “At least it looks like it—come and take a look!”

McKay set out to investigate. Is this a shortcut to the mountain top? Her boot kicked a shell casing. The shell casings tumbled through the square hole in the metal shield and fell into the darkness below. After a long time, I heard the clear sound of it hitting the ancient rocks.

Silva, Tommy, Master Chief, Case and other officers and soldiers from the base camp have been waiting at the top of the lone ridge. McKay rode the anti-gravity lift to the top of the mountain and walked into the blinding sunlight. She squinted her eyes and looked around.

There were corpses everywhere, including a few marines in green uniforms, but the vast majority were various Covenant people. They use colors to distinguish ranks and branches of service.

A team of hell paratroopers groped through the slaughterhouse, searching for injured human soldiers who were still alive. They also kicked the enemy corpses from time to time to confirm that they were indeed completely dead. One Covenant tried to get up and was immediately treated to a hail of assault rifle bullets.

Welcome to Alpha Base, Lieutenant. Case said, coming to McKay and patting her on the shoulder. You and your company did a great job. Wellesley will take command of the remaining troops soon. Go up the mountain.”

This is what we should do, sir. McKay grinned after receiving the compliment.

She then came to Silva and said excitedly: Sir, you will lose miserably now, that glass of beer is mine!

Major Silva looked at the two Spartans standing side by side over there, and said with a livid face: Yes, you won, you damn sure won!

McKay was stunned by the scolding and felt a little aggrieved. He didn't understand what happened to the major. They had obviously successfully captured Alpha Base.

The papers and experiments have made me so exhausted that I haven’t been able to find a new solution for a few days. Thank you everyone for your recommendations and monthly votes!