Ascension Chapter 1: Uprising

This article, Ascension Chapter 1: Uprising, was written by General5 7. Please do not edit this fiction without the writer's permission.

DATE: 2647, APRIL 16

PLACE: HUMAN WORLD (MASTUS SADAFER)

"Jason! Get a grenade out there!"

A black-clad ODST soldier drew something from his belt, and threw it at the Elites who were trying to break into the HQ. Plasma bolts flew around them, impacting onto the building, and blowing away chunks. A muffled explosion erupted, and someone screamed.

It had been a week since the Elites had glassed the first planet; a week since they started attacking the humans; a week since they shocked the human world. Before then, Sergeant Major Jimmy Strider had been training recruits for the next ODST squad. Now, he was leading them out to battle, and watching them die.

The Elites had come onto this planet, but unlike the past few days, the UNSC was ready. They knocked out most of their ships, but the bastards still managed to land an invasion force. Jimmy and his squad had managed to evacuate most of the civilians on the planet to the HQ, where they were to be picked up by dropships, and transported to safety.

But some how, the dropships were taking too long to come down, and the Elites had forced them back to the HQ. Now they were trying to hold them off as long as they could...but there were just too many of them. Jimmy had already seen at least a quarter of his squad and recruits go down to enemy fire.

But still, they were ODSTs, the best in the Army.

Gunfire stuttered once more, and another Elite fell. Finally, they drew back, allowing the Marines a short respite from the fighting.

Jimmy assessed his squad. 16 soldiers stood at attention, most with scuffs and burns on the black armor. He swore under his breath. 14 soldiers were dead...and under his command.

Jimmy wasn't your average squad leader. A few months back, during a training routine inside a drop pod, his had exploded right after touch down. The medics couldn't save his right side, so they had to make a new one.

He now had a laser implanted to his right arm. It was deadly; a single burst could fry an Elite.

"Get your ammo together! On the double! Jason, get on sentry duty and report if they're comin'."

A chorus of ragged "yes, sirs" rang out, and the ODSTs bustled off to their duties.

---

Koug 'Masteree snarled angrily as an Elite brought up the casualty report. They had lost over a quarter of their forces. Not too bad, but he should have known that after a week, the humans would be ready. He had lost half of his forces with that mistake.

The humans would pay for that.

He drew his Energy Sword. "Prepare to attack!"

He ran forward, and saw a human turned around, wearing a suit of black armor. 'Masteree raised his sword to impale the human, when it turned around at the last second. 'Masteree stabbed downwards, and felt a deep sense of satisfaction, as he heard the human scream its last scream.

---

Jimmy was checking the bodies to make sure they weren't alive, when he heard a scream, and turned around. He saw an Elite standing over Jason...or Jason's body. The Elite was intimidating; its armor was blue, like the others, but it had two pieces of metal sticking out of its helmet. It was holding an Energy Sword, which was impaled in Jason's chest.

"Jason!"

Jimmy held up his laser, and fired it, only to watch in disbelief as it dissipated on the Elite's shield. The Elite snarled angrily, and withdrew, as something behind Jason threw a shadow on him. He looked behind him, and saw that, finally, the dropships had arrived. It shuddered as the machine gun on it fired, killing dozens of Elites before they retreated.

---

As Jimmy got onto the dropship, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. True, they had saved all the civilians, but he had lost half of his squads.

"Hey."

Jimmy looked over and saw that his second-in-command, Corperal James, was sitting next to him. "Don't feel bad about'em. They saved hundreds of lives. It's the death anyone would want. We won because they let us win by sacrificing themselves."

Jimmy nodded his thanks, and James walked away.

If they won, then why did it feel like they lost?

---

Koug 'Masteree glared at the scene outside as his dropship flew him to his capital ship. He sighed angrily, walked onto his ship, and leaned back against his chair, and promptly fell asleep...

"Sir! Incoming Covenant ships. They're not ours, though."

'Masteree opened his eyes instantly, and growled, "Well, who are they, then?"

"Sir...I think that the Loyalists are back..."

'Masteree snorted in disgust. "Fire all plasma torpedoes at them. I gave them a clear indication that if they interfered with my plans, they would be killed."

A shudder ran through the ship as the plasma was fired. "Plasma topedoes away, sir."

Satisfied that the Loyalists would be dealt with, he leaned back again.

The humans may have escaped this time, but next time...they will burn.