Unsung Hero

Outskirts

Three Pelicans rocket away from the In Amber Clad, jet engines thundering, and spear out towards New Mombasa. The Solemn Penance hovers high over the city, its gravity lift engaged.

On the other end of the city is Silent Watcher crashed into the ground, smoke raising high into the sky from it.

Cortana speaks through coms. "The message just repeats. Regret, Regret, Regret."

Caleb walks from the back of a Pelican towards the front. ODSTs in the squad bay are getting ready. He walks into the cockpit where Caylnn is piloting.

"Catchy." Commander Keyes says over coms. "Any ideas what it means?"

Caleb looks out the window and sees a convoy of Warthogs.

"Dear Humanity..." Sergeant Johnson replies. "We regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to Earth. And we most definitely regret that the Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!"

Caylnn laughs. "Oorah Sergeant!"

A Marine sniper-spotter team lies prone on a rooftop, and the Pelicans fly over their position.

"Immediate: Grid kilo two-three is hot." The Marines spotter informs. "Recommend mission abort."

"Roger, recon."  A Pilot says over coms. "It's your call, Sarge."

"We're going in." Johnson says over coms. "Get tactical, Marines!"

Caleb walks back into the squad bay. "You heard the man boys! It's time for some hazard training!" He grabs onto a bar above him.

Lord Hood speaks over coms. "Rose Team, get over to the crashed battlecruiser and find Noble Six, we need him and the Master Chief to get aboard that carrier, and secure the Prophet of Regret."

"Roger that, sir." Caylnn says and she looks out to the crash of Silent Watcher. "Target is visual and we- Uh oh."

Caylnn goes silent as a huge Protos-pattern Scarab lumbers into view. It's leg spears a truck, destroying it instantly. Its main gun then focuses and fires, destroying the lead Pelican.

Caylnn veers off. "Hold on everyone!" She yells.

The Scarab's plasma turret fires onto the Pelican, and a round hits the left engine, catching it on fire. The Pelican jerks around.

"Caylnn?!" Caleb shouts.

"We've been hit!" She yells.

Down below a Elite looks up to the sky and spots Caylnn's damaged Pelican fly overhead, smoke trailing behind it.

The Elite looks to his squad, of a couple grunts and a Jackal snipe and he lets out a grunt and points to the side.

The two Grunts cheer and follow orders, the Jackal follows the Grunts.

The Pelican rounds a few buildings and a Beach becomes visible.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Caylnn mutters, and then yells. "I'm losing her, everyone holds on we're gonna have a rough landing!"

"I still haven't got my peanuts!" Caleb shouts.

The Pelican swiftly loses altitude and flies just above the water, before its right side lists and hits the water, taking off the wing. The Pelican crashes onto the beach and goes into a spin.

Everyone in the Pelican gets thrown about for several seconds, before the Pelican finally comes to a stop.

Caleb is heard groaning as he wakes up. He opens his eyes and finds a small crack on his visor as he slowly gets up. "Where's Asher when you need him?"