Science Fiction Halo Today: Counter Strike.

“Somebody get on the gun!”
Mark was closest. He and Ricardo dove for the gun pit, grabbing the edges of the commo net, and heaving it aside. Pink needles whistled around, the burst starting at the lip of the berm, and then walking up to the gun itself, the needles glancing away from the now-exposed barrel.
The gun was really the only anti-armor weapon for long range that they had. It was a main gun from an old M1A2 Abrams. Removed from the obsolete tank and placed in the field to spike coveant vehicles on the attack. Like an old world war II anti-tank gun, it was not expected to survive firing more than a two shots at most.
As soon as it was discharged, every covenant gun that could take it out would zero on it and blaze it to slag with withering plasma fire. The gun --and certainly its crew-- would be destroyed. Then the only chance the screen of dug-in infantry would have would be the AT-4’s, LOSATS, and other short range anti-tank weapons would have to do.
So why are you doing this???? Ricardo was screaming to himself. But the training was effective, he continued his task of bringing the gun to bear on an enemy target. The target, in this case was a Spectre. A lighter covenant vehicle that was giving close infantry support as they moved through the valley.
Almost as soon as he screamed that he had the range, the loader yelled ‘AP up!’. And a moment later with a tremendous and sharp blast, a DU round screamed downrange with the twitch of the gunner’s finger.
With a tremendous clang, the Spectre trembled as the round punched through. A donut of dust and shock rippled out from an orange glowing core on the right side of the vehicle bow: the hole where the Depleted Uranium dart had punched through. The Spectre continued to slew, and then plasma flared from the crew hatches; scouring the hull and withering to cripss the two aliens within. The spectre grounded and burned fitfully.
Another trooper cried out. The covenant infantry were now turning their weapons towards the AT Gun. But even worse, a wraith tank appeared. Ricardo spun the gun towards them, the loader yelled ‘Up!’ once more, and the gunner blasted the enemy.
The wraith was lazily turning towards the AT gun, almost taunting them with it’s nonchalance. The round bounced up and away, and the team winced as the wraith zeroed its main gun on them.
The wraith exploded.
Mark and Ricardo were delivered.
Their saviors: a platoon of tanks had entered the valley floor, and were taking the enemy in the flank. These tanks, new, modern, expensive, and crammed with as much retro-fitted covenant tech as they could manage. They ghosted along on plasma drives, and fired bolt after bolt of hypersonic plasma at the enemy.
Marine tankers.

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IC:

US Navy
Lt. Commander, Raymond Estiphon. With his crew

Location: Missouri

Date: 09-11-11

The New Scopes were spot on with the new ultra violet targeting lasers. Estiphon was spotting now-a-days when out with his men doing assassinations. There target was one that had been elusive and they didn't want to waste effort on an ill prepared kill. This one was an Elite with twelve high value human kills to his portfolio. Intel had intercepted Covenant communications to their target, code named: Black Coat, due to his black armor. A rarity amongst Elites in general. Unless they were infiltrators. Usually infiltrators didn't do the shooting but this one did...one shot at a time. He was a sniper. Probably one considered unworthy to operate as a true warrior because it went against the Shanghili code of war not to face your opponents up close in battle. Thus they figured that he was being used with the blessings of the Covenant Prophet of Hope, as a special asset. This Infiltrator had more patience than the run of the mill Shanghili did. He was never in a hurry to Rush in. He could wait a good long time, then pop, as the target's head burst like a ripe water melon in summer from a .334 Lapua. Not that the Covies used human rounds or weapons. But that would have been the closest approximation with human weaponry of the day using ballistic projectiles. Estiphon's quarry used a special needler set for long range, using shards instead if needles. Very loud when they exploded. Very messy too.

They'd been out in the field looking for their target for the past few days. Intel claimed Black Coat's target was one Marine Major, who was heading up the local Tank Company re-enforcing the Missouri Line.

They All'd been wearing their new Gilly Suits since the mission began. Very expensive but worth the cost. Thermostatically controlled with heat dams and heat vents and a nice layer of lead fibers and third generation Dragon Scale Armor.

The hunt was on.

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LPC: Ricardo & Mark

They watched slightly in awe as the tanks swept in firing their main guns and their coax's, sawing the covenant infantry and spiking covenant vehicles. Covenant infantry dismounted from their vehicles, Grunts panicking and running for the rear, Elites attempted to maintain order and return fire. One of the friendly tanks was penetrated by a Fuel Rod cannon and brewed up. One of the crew managed to abandon the vehicle.
"We have to advance!" Somebody, their lieutenant, yelled. "If we don't support them, the infantry will defeat them in detail. Grab your weapons and lets go!"
Mark and Ricardo grabbed their Assault rifles and joined the line of infantry making a charge down the hill. At first the covenant were too preoccupied with the rampaging tanks to take notice. But they advanced no more than fifty yards before they started to take fire from clutches of covenant infantry. They were reduced to advancing by rushes.
Mark saw his commander's prophecy coming true. An Elite major rushed up and leapt onto the side of a tank, just as he was about to plant a plasma grenade, a strip of explosives on the side of the tank blasted outward, shredding the Sangheili into a purple mist. Bits of cracked red armor flew as many as a hundred meters away from the tank. The tank paid no mind, its cupola rapid-fire plasma pulse-gun swiveled and gave a long ripping burst at a target Mark could not see.
Then mark found a target of his own, a couple of Jackals attempting to infiltrate through the treeline, ina few moments they would be in cover. he took carefull aim and launched a 20mm grenade. It detonated between the two, sending them in opposite directions, their shields overwhelmed in a cyan snap. ONe of them came to rest in the branches of a smoldering tree, the other was simply vanished.
Ricardo, meanwhile, blazed away at a file of grunts that had taken cover behind a burnt out wraith. He managed to clip one of them, a welter of pale blue ichor splashed, and the whole file panicked and ran for the rear. A SAW team cut them down.

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