Sent To Protect and Serve Humanity

Chapter 57: Trial of Allegiance

3rd POV

The storm Atlas had found itself in had continuously pounded the once stalwart walls of its great structures. Echoes of distant explosions, the screech of plasma impacting the outside walls, and the discharge of the UNSC's weaponry were a grueling reminder of the current situation. In the hallway of an Atlesian research facility, Winter took a look at the Wanted notice on her Scroll. Penny is standing behind her, looking concerned. 

"Weiss. What did you do?" The eldest Schnee sister murmured.

With a hint of fear, Penny spoke up. "The General is leaving Mantle to perish?"

Winter sighed and continued walking dead ahead. "He's saving Remnant. We can't let the Relics fall to Salem."

The robotic girl's eyes slightly widened. "But all those people we just protected, they won't survive." She looked over her shoulder at the woman who continued to walk, glaring at her.

"We don't have time to-"

"That doesn't bother you?"

Winter came to a halt and stood with her back to Penny and an upset expression on her face.

"What about your sister? Our friends?" Penny questioned, hoping to convince her superior.

The specialist would take a brief moment to collect herself before turning to face the girl. "My personal feelings don't matter. We have orders. I'm to retrieve the power of the Winter Maiden so we can access the Relic. You're here to ensure my safety. Now come on. We've already lost enough time."

Despite her orders, Penny still wanted to do what she believed was right. "It should matter."

Winter thinks for a moment. "Penny. The general is making hard choices so we don't have to. For the good of all, not just a few." Her expression softened and she walked over to the girl, attempting to take her hands.

However, Penny would stubbornly pull her hands away. "I do not see what is good about any of this."

Winter watched the girl continue down the hallway and mumbled. "On that we can agree." She would follow her down the hall toward a door guarded by Atlesian Knight-200s.

______________________________________

With the relations between the UNSC and Atlas having soured, the concrete jungle of Mantle had been effectively turned into a bloody strife for the former allies and the newly arrived Covenant. 

Along the cracked ground of formerly busy streets, a pair of Warthogs would blaze through the debris toward an established frontline. Several bolts of purple plasma whirled past the pair as they emerged into the parking lot of a heavily fortified restaurant. Sandbags were piled up around the front door, the windows had been properly boarded up at the side of the building, the rooftop had been turned into a landing pad with autonomous module turrets, and the parking lot was littered with debris from civilian cars, UNSC vehicles, and Covenant Ghosts.

The two Warthogs would drift around the corner and drive along the edge of the parking lot, providing a new direction of fire on an advancing Covenant Wraith. This large alien tank was flanked by several squads of Brute-led Grunt squads while several Jackals darted to cover behind several portable energy shields that had been placed by earlier groups. 

Three Ghosts would dart out from behind the Wraith, swerving around debris and avoiding the hailstorm of fire that came from the restaurant, and attempt to draw the Warthogs away from the Wraith. One Ghost would collide with the front end of a Warthog and be flipped over the vehicle, its driver being thrown into the air and landing with a hard thud, with the other two Ghosts managing to draw the Warthogs' fire.