Halo: Fragile Peace



Summary
Months after the Prophet of Truth was killed and the Human-Covenant War ended, the Humans and the Sangheili struggle through their uncomfortable alliance. Though Sangheili, dubbed Elites by the Humans, have aided them in the waning days of the war, a chasm of anger, suspicion, and the urge of retaliation still hangs between them, for the Sangheili had aided the Covenant kill billions of Humans, and same with the latter. Although the UNSC wants the keep the peace and strengthen the alliance, HIGHCOM has decided to take it slow for the sake of the public and to further observe the Sangheili. ONI operative Lieutenant Commander Reagan Torch has been dispatched to Sangheili in a civilian transport under the guise of a diplomat to seal the contract but with the true intension the spy on them.

Prologue
0545 Pavilion - Delta Pavonis System

Lt. Commander Torch jogged alongside Second Lieutenant Dowl as they trekked through small strip of land at the edge of the foot of Mount Horizon with Dowl's platoon and Token's local militia. The sun was rising and the sky was beautifully streaked with purple and red."Didn't you grow up here?"

The Lieutenant started at him, surprised. Torch hadn't spoken the whole time since they left Token's borders. "Yes sir, but I was sent off world to Sol for escape the Covenant when I was nine." He sighed. "Feels strange to be back from the cities of Earth."

Torch moved up along a path so worn down it can be barely seen. He stopped short and said softly under his breath, "I know your family is loyal to the UNSC. I'm sure they have nothing to do with this insurrection."

"Thank you sir," replied Dowl, although not at all reassured.

The Marines approached a small valley with a small stream running through it. The jagged rocks on the other side of the valley looked ideal for a trap and Torch pointed it out to everyone. Torch unslung his MA5E and Dowl did the same with his BR55HB and scanned the mountain range through the Trijicon scope and after a while, lowered the rifle. "Clear."

Torch slid down halfway down the granite of the inside of the valley. He looked behind him. Dowl's men followed closely. Police Sergeant Opaka however, a large well built constable and the leader of the militia force just stood there, with the militamen behind him, not moving.

"What are you waiting for?" No answer. They were just standing there.

A shot rung through the air as a sniper on the other side of the valley picked off a private. Dowl dove for a small cluster of rocks. "Take cover!"

Torch hit the ground as a shot passed where his head was. Dowl's entire platoon opened fire and the mountain side on the other side exploded and rubble rained down a upon the green valley floor as the assault and battle rifles loaded with custom HE rounds battered at the rocks. But it seems as if there were a hundred snipers on the other side. Shots with flying in all directions and in less than five minutes, only sixteen of the forty-two man platoon was still combat effective. A corporal dragged a limp, bloody Marine to a corpsman taking cover near Torch. Torch broke cover and sprinted over to the corpsman and helped her spray the Marine with biofoam and patch his wounds.

Dowl, as his Battle Rifle clacked empty, threw it on the ground and shouted to Torch a few meters away, "Damn cowards. The militia ran. They sealed the entrance and therefore, our exit."

Torch turned to look at the narrow passage way, or where it used to be. The rocks above it collapsed and black burnt marks shows that it has been caused by pre-planted explosives. "They were never on our side," forced to face the truth, Torch swore and barked commands on the team channel, "It's a trap! Fall back towards the exit. Dowl, get your men to blow our way out."

"Yessir! Haley, Winnit, get to it! The rest of you, cover them."

As the Marines scrambled for the rocks, the snipers easily picked them off. Along with four other troopers, Winnit hit the ground and rolled back down the mountainside with a bloody hole in his helmet. Haley let off a burst at the snipers. "Sir, Winnit had the explosives!"

Dowl swore loudly through the team channel. "Change of plans. Take cover."

"Try to contact the Iowa, and call an airstrike on that mountain," Torch shouted over the gunfire and screams.

"But sir, there's a village over the mountains, hitting the mountain would bring rocks down on it."

"There's also a couple of sharpshooters trying to kill us over there. Just do it." Torch dove behind a rock as two sniper bullets pinged off of the mountain rock.