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By 1519 hours on April 15 the ''Black Widow'' and the rest of Sierra Force had begun the insertion approach toward Naraka.<ref name="HSS25">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 25''</ref> Dagger Force should have begun to infiltrate the planet's libration point outposts at that point and the plan of attack called for Sierra Force to insert Spartans and a platoon of [[21st Space Assault Battalion|Black Daggers]] at four different locations near an [[Ring of Mighty Abundance|orbital support ring]] which encircled the entire world above its equator. Using EV tactics, those inserted would then try to board and destroy as many facilities along the ring as possible using nuclear devices and tubs of [[octanitrocubane]]. Due to his position on the ''Widow'''s flight deck, John was present when [[Avery Johnson]]'s space assault distress beacon was detected transmitting in the open and some suit chatter on the [[First Platoon (21st Alpha Company)|First Platoon Alpha]] comm channel. Something had evidently gone very wrong with the planned effort to retake control of [[Dagger Force]]'s prowlers from Nyeto. John was certain that the sergeant would not compromise the mission by activating an emergency beacon the enemy was sure to detect, so when ten [[Covenant frigate|frigate]]-sized vessels departed the Libration Point Three outpost he could only conclude that Johnson was intentionally luring them in his direction. As such, he told Lieutenant Guayte he believed they should stick to their plan. The alien ships were accelerating on a vector that would bring them within around one hundred kilometers of Sierra Force, and since they could feasibly plan to swing around for a tail attack, Guayte had to decide whether or not to change course and risk exposure if they were indeed still hidden. Once again, John advised sticking to their current course and suggested that the aliens could be chasing a [[Ghost Flight]] prowler, since their vector intersected Sierra's original slipspace approach. Several [[Wikipedia:Tau (particle)|tau burst]]s eventually signified the departure of Ghost Flight's prowlers from the system. John was stunned at the realization that Nyeto had been able to crew three prowlers with traitors. Given that Sierra Force would evidently be facing a hot insertion, John told Guayte to just get them within EV range of the orbital ring.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS25}} This soon proved to be undoable, however, because a fighter shell was maintaining a tight anti-infiltration web around the ring's orbital facilities. It was obvious to John that this was yet another sign that their plans had been leaked to the enemy. In response, he elected to come up with what he called "Plan D", in which they would access the ring by landing troops on Naraka's surface to attack it by means of what looked to be enormous [[Gravity lift|gravity-elevators]] which connected the planet to the ring like spokes of a wheel. Additionally, he wanted each prowler's compliment to go for a different one. The lieutenant was unsure about splitting their forces like that but John argued it would only increase their chances that at least some would make it to the target. She reminded him that in order to being down the entire [[Astroengineering|superstructure]] they would need to destroy at least ten facilities and made sure he understood that if the spokes weren't actually what they appeared to be, extraction from the surface would be out of the question. John knew this, and when Guayte finally gave her approval, he requested permission to retire to the ship's drop bay to prepare for the insertion. Guayte gave him leave, telling him to expect to be dirtside in just sixteen minutes. Joining the rest of Blue Team and [[Third Platoon (21st Delta Company)|Third Platoon Delta Company]] in the drop bay, John explained the new plan and began securing weapons and devices to his armor, including an MA5B with grenade launcher and an [[M90 shotgun]]. Each Spartan also took possession of two octas and a thirty-megaton HAVOK nuke. After a few minutes the ''Black Widow'' was plunging into the planet's atmosphere. John tasked Fred and Kelly with leading the dismount, followed by twelve ODSTs each and then by himself and Linda, with the remainder bringing up the rear. When only three minutes remained until touchdown John ordered final checks, running through his own systems list in kind and exchanging visual inspections with Linda. At one minute he ordered all chatter to cease and at thirty seconds signaled for weapon safeties to be taken off. When the hatch opened the Spartans and ODSTs dropped to two and a half meters to the pavement of a bustling transfer yard at the base of their designated elevator.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS25}} | By 1519 hours on April 15 the ''Black Widow'' and the rest of Sierra Force had begun the insertion approach toward Naraka.<ref name="HSS25">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 25''</ref> Dagger Force should have begun to infiltrate the planet's libration point outposts at that point and the plan of attack called for Sierra Force to insert Spartans and a platoon of [[21st Space Assault Battalion|Black Daggers]] at four different locations near an [[Ring of Mighty Abundance|orbital support ring]] which encircled the entire world above its equator. Using EV tactics, those inserted would then try to board and destroy as many facilities along the ring as possible using nuclear devices and tubs of [[octanitrocubane]]. Due to his position on the ''Widow'''s flight deck, John was present when [[Avery Johnson]]'s space assault distress beacon was detected transmitting in the open and some suit chatter on the [[First Platoon (21st Alpha Company)|First Platoon Alpha]] comm channel. Something had evidently gone very wrong with the planned effort to retake control of [[Dagger Force]]'s prowlers from Nyeto. John was certain that the sergeant would not compromise the mission by activating an emergency beacon the enemy was sure to detect, so when ten [[Covenant frigate|frigate]]-sized vessels departed the Libration Point Three outpost he could only conclude that Johnson was intentionally luring them in his direction. As such, he told Lieutenant Guayte he believed they should stick to their plan. The alien ships were accelerating on a vector that would bring them within around one hundred kilometers of Sierra Force, and since they could feasibly plan to swing around for a tail attack, Guayte had to decide whether or not to change course and risk exposure if they were indeed still hidden. Once again, John advised sticking to their current course and suggested that the aliens could be chasing a [[Ghost Flight]] prowler, since their vector intersected Sierra's original slipspace approach. Several [[Wikipedia:Tau (particle)|tau burst]]s eventually signified the departure of Ghost Flight's prowlers from the system. John was stunned at the realization that Nyeto had been able to crew three prowlers with traitors. Given that Sierra Force would evidently be facing a hot insertion, John told Guayte to just get them within EV range of the orbital ring.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS25}} This soon proved to be undoable, however, because a fighter shell was maintaining a tight anti-infiltration web around the ring's orbital facilities. It was obvious to John that this was yet another sign that their plans had been leaked to the enemy. In response, he elected to come up with what he called "Plan D", in which they would access the ring by landing troops on Naraka's surface to attack it by means of what looked to be enormous [[Gravity lift|gravity-elevators]] which connected the planet to the ring like spokes of a wheel. Additionally, he wanted each prowler's compliment to go for a different one. The lieutenant was unsure about splitting their forces like that but John argued it would only increase their chances that at least some would make it to the target. She reminded him that in order to being down the entire [[Astroengineering|superstructure]] they would need to destroy at least ten facilities and made sure he understood that if the spokes weren't actually what they appeared to be, extraction from the surface would be out of the question. John knew this, and when Guayte finally gave her approval, he requested permission to retire to the ship's drop bay to prepare for the insertion. Guayte gave him leave, telling him to expect to be dirtside in just sixteen minutes. Joining the rest of Blue Team and [[Third Platoon (21st Delta Company)|Third Platoon Delta Company]] in the drop bay, John explained the new plan and began securing weapons and devices to his armor, including an MA5B with grenade launcher and an [[M90 shotgun]]. Each Spartan also took possession of two octas and a thirty-megaton HAVOK nuke. After a few minutes the ''Black Widow'' was plunging into the planet's atmosphere. John tasked Fred and Kelly with leading the dismount, followed by twelve ODSTs each and then by himself and Linda, with the remainder bringing up the rear. When only three minutes remained until touchdown John ordered final checks, running through his own systems list in kind and exchanging visual inspections with Linda. At one minute he ordered all chatter to cease and at thirty seconds signaled for weapon safeties to be taken off. When the hatch opened the Spartans and ODSTs dropped to two and a half meters to the pavement of a bustling transfer yard at the base of their designated elevator.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS25}} | ||
The first thing John noticed after landing was that the glassy pavement he was standing on was pulling he and others toward the elevator along with the [[haulage sled]]s which carried cargo to its base.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS25}} Realizing that it was only emerald green bands that ferried supplies continuously in that direction, John sidestepped to cease moving forward involuntarily at around one hundred and twenty meters from the target. He asked Fred if he'd noticed any opposition left in the wake of the volley the ''Widow''' had led with and was told some injured Jiralhanae could be taking cover behind some wrecked sleds ahead of them. John confirmed the Third Platoon had cleared the prowler with Guayte so it could take off and she in turn let him know that of the three other bats, the ''[[UNSC Quiet Death|Quiet Death]]'' and ''[[UNSC Widow Maker|Widow Maker]]'' had come under fire and been forced to turn back and the ''Quiet Man'' had broken up during its final drop. [[Green Team]], as far as she could tell, was gathering survivors and continuing the attack. John allowed himself to be carried forward with others toward a skirmish line Kelly and four of the Black Daggers had set up. He then ordered she and Fred to flank the breastwork of sleds in their path while he and Linda gathered two of their own to construct a makeshift mobile barricade. John made sure to leave a slight gap in the middle between the two sleds and called for someone with an [[M41 SPNKR]] to come forward and take charge of it. [[Small Bear]], the platoon's lieutenant, yelled for a trooper named [[Chavez]], who didn't hesitate to put himself in the gap. They moved forward, and right as John asked Chavez if he could see anything through the surrounding smoke the marine fired both of the launcher's rockets. Before he could reach for a second set he was struck repeatedly by white-hot spikes fired from one of the Brutes' [[ | The first thing John noticed after landing was that the glassy pavement he was standing on was pulling he and others toward the elevator along with the [[haulage sled]]s which carried cargo to its base.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS25}} Realizing that it was only emerald green bands that ferried supplies continuously in that direction, John sidestepped to cease moving forward involuntarily at around one hundred and twenty meters from the target. He asked Fred if he'd noticed any opposition left in the wake of the volley the ''Widow''' had led with and was told some injured Jiralhanae could be taking cover behind some wrecked sleds ahead of them. John confirmed the Third Platoon had cleared the prowler with Guayte so it could take off and she in turn let him know that of the three other bats, the ''[[UNSC Quiet Death|Quiet Death]]'' and ''[[UNSC Widow Maker|Widow Maker]]'' had come under fire and been forced to turn back and the ''Quiet Man'' had broken up during its final drop. [[Green Team]], as far as she could tell, was gathering survivors and continuing the attack. John allowed himself to be carried forward with others toward a skirmish line Kelly and four of the Black Daggers had set up. He then ordered she and Fred to flank the breastwork of sleds in their path while he and Linda gathered two of their own to construct a makeshift mobile barricade. John made sure to leave a slight gap in the middle between the two sleds and called for someone with an [[M41 SPNKR]] to come forward and take charge of it. [[Small Bear]], the platoon's lieutenant, yelled for a trooper named [[Chavez]], who didn't hesitate to put himself in the gap. They moved forward, and right as John asked Chavez if he could see anything through the surrounding smoke the marine fired both of the launcher's rockets. Before he could reach for a second set he was struck repeatedly by white-hot spikes fired from one of the Brutes' [[Type-25 Spiker]]s. John got off a blind shot with his M90 in response but it was Fred and Kelly which cleaned up the Jiralhanae after that point. Once Kelly told him they were clear John yelled for a medic to help Chavez and told Kelly and Fred to rejoin them and grab as much ammunition as they could. From there the ODSTs and Spartans were carried into a sorting tunnel where the blue column of the alien elevator met its base. He asked the lieutenant if Chavez would make it but Small Bear said that the medic, [[Mehran]], was giving him "the shot", a powerful [[Drugs|narcotic]] used to relieve the pain and anxiety of a dying trooper. Removing her [[Fury tactical nuclear weapon|Fury nuke]] from its magmount on her person, she stated that the marine deserved a big send-off. John told her to lock in a forty minute countdown on the device and to leave it there.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS25}} | ||
At 1615 hours, just over thirty-five minutes since Lieutenant Small Bear had began her Fury's countdown, the Spartans and ODSTs in the antigravity beam were nearing the massive elevator's terminus.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS27}} John was initially relieved when his onboard computer calculated an ETA of just sixty seconds when only four minutes and thirty seconds remained until the Fury detonated, but the elevator then caused he and the others to suddenly decelerate, leaving them with a new ETA of just over three minutes and a safety margin of only twenty-two seconds. John notified the others and instructed them to ready their nukes and octas for three-minute countdowns and to begin sixty-minute ones. As the end drew close John had Fred and Kelly go left and right, respectively, each leading their own fireteam of Black Daggers. The Spartans and ODSTs were set upon as soon as they emerged from the elevator, prompting John to ask Fred what their breakout options were. The nearest entrance to [[Ringroad|the transit tube]] lay over a hundred meters from the elevator exit, so with less than thirty-two seconds until he, Linda, and the other ODSTs would join the others John asked Small Bear to give Blue Team a rolling screen so it could get to the tube and start running bombs through it. He then swapped his M90 for his MA5B and grenade launcher and finally used thrusters to slip into position with ten seconds remaining till his arrival. Upon exciting he and the others unloaded a volley of grenades and rockets at the general direction of the enemy, with six [[Subanese crystal|needle]]s and [[ | At 1615 hours, just over thirty-five minutes since Lieutenant Small Bear had began her Fury's countdown, the Spartans and ODSTs in the antigravity beam were nearing the massive elevator's terminus.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS27}} John was initially relieved when his onboard computer calculated an ETA of just sixty seconds when only four minutes and thirty seconds remained until the Fury detonated, but the elevator then caused he and the others to suddenly decelerate, leaving them with a new ETA of just over three minutes and a safety margin of only twenty-two seconds. John notified the others and instructed them to ready their nukes and octas for three-minute countdowns and to begin sixty-minute ones. As the end drew close John had Fred and Kelly go left and right, respectively, each leading their own fireteam of Black Daggers. The Spartans and ODSTs were set upon as soon as they emerged from the elevator, prompting John to ask Fred what their breakout options were. The nearest entrance to [[Ringroad|the transit tube]] lay over a hundred meters from the elevator exit, so with less than thirty-two seconds until he, Linda, and the other ODSTs would join the others John asked Small Bear to give Blue Team a rolling screen so it could get to the tube and start running bombs through it. He then swapped his M90 for his MA5B and grenade launcher and finally used thrusters to slip into position with ten seconds remaining till his arrival. Upon exciting he and the others unloaded a volley of grenades and rockets at the general direction of the enemy, with six [[Subanese crystal|needle]]s and [[Type-25 Spiker|spike]]s glancing off John's armor. He fired one more grenade over the troopers heads before starting across the deck to the tube mouth and used another to take out a [[Jiralhanae]] who tried to cut him off. Halfway there John stopped to take cover behind a pile of toppled crates and reload his M99. With ten seconds left until the Fury was set to detonate he brought down an encroaching Elite with MA5B fire and at five seconds shouted for everyone to disengage as he ran for the tube mouth. His M99 was empty yet again before he reached it and he was yanked across the threshold by Kelly. He got off one final shot which saved Small Bear from a Sangheili, but the decompression which followed the Fury's shockwave pulled she and others into space. An emergency hatch cut Blue Team and six Black Daggers off from the elevator terminus. John could not help but denting the hatch with his fist as he listened to the cries and shouts of the wounded and dying.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS27}} | ||
===SILENT STORM=== | ===SILENT STORM=== | ||
