Project Ares Gold Edition

Chapter 19 - King of the hill

Republic Military Complex - Coruscant

With almost four dozen completed missions with the R.S.O, Chief had earned a reputation among the CIS command for his brutality and unrelenting warpath against them. Though none of the captured commanders ever admitted it, the droids feared going up against the Master Chief. They had even given him a name, The Demon, though it was meant to be an insult, it definitely had a slight respect attached to it for the non-cybernetic forces.

This did not go unnoticed by Tarkin, however rather than congratulating Chief on his string of successes, the admiral just kept sending him on more and more dangerous missions. At this point, Tarkin was actively trying to get the Master Chief killed in battle. Luckily for him, a new front in the war had just opened, and it was one that could possibly kill The Demon given the right circumstances. Due to some political espoinage and tensions running high, the shadowy world of Umbara had recently switched sides and joined the Separatist, resulting in the blockade of a crucial hyperspace lane.

Because of its strategic importance and the fact that Umbaran technological capabilities were some of the most heavily guarded secrets in the galaxy, a massive armada of Republic forces had been amassed. Being made up of mostly the 7th Sky Corps, including the 212th Attack battalion, 501st Legion, 16th Siege division, and the 205th Infantry battalion. This was set to be probably one of the bloodiest battles in the war and Tarkin wanted Chief right in the middle of it. Assigning Chief under the command of Jedi General Pong Krell, Tarkin knew that this particular general had one of the highest casualty counts in the entire military, something perfectly suited for his Spartan predicament.

The Negotiator - Open Circle Fleet

Unfortunately for Tarkin, at the last possible moment before the fleet arrived at Umbara, General Kenobi superseded the order and placed Master Chief under his command due to the 212th being tasked with arguably the most difficult task. The plan was for General Krell and General Tin to command the 16th and 205th in a protective line around the 212th's operational area while Kenobi's forces made a break for the Capitol. According to the scouts, the Umbarans were heavily dug in, with underground bunkers and anti-tank cannons lining most of the mountain.

Looking over the holomap of the area that the 212th would have to go through, Chief did not like this situation. The Capitol was located on top of a relatively small mountain, with one side having a more steady slope downwards and the other being much more aggressive. However, they couldn't go up the less steep side because there was only one road leading to the Capitol and it was surrounded by dense forest, which like the rest of the planet, was covered in perpetual darkness. This would make for the perfect kill-box against Republic armour and tanks, hence why Skywalker and his 501st Legion would make their way through this angle using their small unit tactics. Only employing lightweight systems like AT-RTs and mortars, however, this obviously left them very exposed to any potential tank or artillery that the Umbarans could have in reserve.

Because of this, it was crucial for the 212th to make the biggest possible assault via the more steep and much more heavily defended side of the mountain. Handing over the briefing to the Master Chief, Cody explained to his men that 117 was going to play a pivotal role in this battle and that they should pay extra attention to what he had to say. "Listen up, our battle tactics will revolve mostly around show-of-force. That means heavy armour and constant airstrikes, we want the Umbarans to think that we have vastly superior numbers and firepower compared to them. However, their anti-tank batteries and bunkers will be very deadly for our forces, so I will lead a team ahead of the main force to disable or destroy those emplacements. We'll leave the remaining forces for the tanks, but those guns need to be taken out."

"We know that this is an incredibly dangerous mission, some might even say foolish, but we need to take out those guns or a lot of good men will die." Kenobi explained, telling the clones that this team will be a purely volunteer based, they weren't going to force anyone to join. As if an unconscious hand swept across the hangar, everyone raised their hands in sync, all willing to lay down their lives for the brother sitting next to them. Electing Ghost company to being the tip of the spear, Cody told Chief that these were some of the most experienced and battle-hardened men in the entire 212th Attack battalion, having seen action on Teth, Ryloth, Christolphis, Geonosis and many more.