Halo: Front Lines [BOOK ONE]

Chapter One - Tribute

UNSC Colony World: Tribute,
Epsilon Eridanus System,
1150 Hours September 15th, 2524 (Military Calendar)
Historian's Note: Operation TREBUCHET was the UNSC's massive shock and awe campaign meant to pound the rebelling colonies into submission. Outer Colony after Outer Colony saw fit to rise up against their perceived oppressors with one being encouraged by the other. The interstellar military operation spanned across a large swath of the Outer Colonies, but was only marginally successful. Despite its best efforts, the UNSC could not successfully quell the rebellion and instead saw its Inner Colonies begin to suffer the same fates as their predecessors. This is where they drew the line.

Thirty Years Prior

"Charlie One-Two this is Hornet Four-One. Be advised you have four, I repeat, four hostile light infantry squads headed your way from north of the intersection," Said the calm and collected Hornet pilot. A young and inexperienced Gray pressed his communication device into his ear and strained to hear the pilot's voice as his Hornet screamed overhead. All transmissions mentioning the callsign "Charlie One-Two" were directed towards him. "I'm on station, ready to assist."

This was Gray's first real deployment since he completed his training cycle. He'd signed up just months prior, volunteering for service after seeing the latest string of terrorist bombings on the news. He soon found himself stationed on Tribute, the latest colony world divided by the United Rebel Front.

The URF was getting better and better at their propaganda, as well as their persuasiveness, every day. Meanwhile, the United Nations Space Command was getting more and more nervous. This was, of course, one of the first inner colony worlds to have such a prolific rebel threat. The last thing that the United Earth Government needed was for the war to escalate even higher. It'd already cost one million lives.

"Gray. Gray!" Lieutenant Brown bellowed into the young soldier's ear. The rough-around-the-edges Irish commanding officer was the only thing Gray considered to be scarier than the bullets whizzing by and the bombs exploding all around. "Quit sight-seeing and get me a Hornet gun-run on those hostile elements! We need to push up the street and clear this intersection so the Scorpion tanks can move up!"

"Yes sir!" Gray shouted, his voice cracking a little as he spoke. He kicked himself internally for being so nervous, for almost freezing up. The fighting was being carried out all across the sprawling capital city of Casbah.

UNSC forces were going door to door, fighting tooth and nail over every single city block of the densely populated urban environment. Yes this was his first deployment, and his first firefight with the enemy, but he had a vital job to do regardless of how he felt. He keyed his mic with a shaky hand, steeling himself to take the lives of other human beings for the first time. At the young age of twenty-five, he was playing the role of God.

"Hornet Four-One give me a gun-run to the north of the intersection. Use your rockets on the first pass, then hit em' with your chain gun!" Gray called out to the pilot, trying to no avail to match the man's calm and collected nature.

The pilot made his first fly-by so close that Gray could see that he'd recently shaved. Twin rockets shot from the nimble aircraft as the pilot expertly maneuvered through the countless bullets and buildings. Seconds later Gray's ears were left ringing by the merciless six thousand round per minute chain gun attached beneath the cockpit.

"Charlie One-Two, this is Hornet Four-One, I count at least fifteen enemy militia killed-in-action. You should be good to mop up." Four-One nonchalantly replied in his southern drawl.

"Yes sir, we appreciate it!" Gray said as he nodded to Lieutenant Brown. Brown immediately stood up and ordered his soldiers to advance into the next city block. The men and women of First Platoon instinctively knew what to do. Their Lieutenant ran a tight ship and doubled down during wartime. Every day that they weren't kicking down doors or snatching bad guys they were on the range, in the training field, or in the classroom.