Star Wars: The War That Only the UNSC Can End

Thick smoke from the bombings enveloped the city of Lothal, turning what was once a thriving urban center into a desolate landscape of ruin and chaos. The facades of buildings were charred, gaping holes telling of the shells that had pierced them. Sunlight filtered weakly through the plumes of smoke, casting ghostly shadows across the rubble-strewn streets.

The UNSC convoy moved slowly down the main avenue, a river of armored machinery cutting through the city amid the rumble of distant explosions and the constant echo of gunfire. Up front, a Scorpion led the way, its imposing main cannon scanning every corner, every alley, for any threat. Its engines roared with a low sound, almost like a warning that they brought with them the weight of war.

To the sides, Warthogs with heavy machine guns zigzagged through the rubble, covering the convoy from lateral positions. The gunners constantly rotated their turrets, their fingers tense on the triggers as they watched the windows and rooftops, looking for any flash of enemy plasma. Above them, two Falcons flew in formation, their rotors resonating like mechanical thunder. The Falcons' Hydra missiles and machine guns pointed toward the horizon, ready to respond to the slightest hint of movement.

Suddenly, the convoy's radio crackled with a warning. "This is Alpha 3, we're detecting movement in the northeast sector. Possible enemy contacts."

Not more than ten seconds had passed when the sky was illuminated by a green flash. From the rooftops, a volley of plasma fire rained down on the convoy. The Jackals, positioned as snipers, opened fire from above. A volley hit the front of the Scorpion, sizzling its armor but not stopping it.

"Contact! All hands on deck!" shouted Commander Harper, crouched in the cockpit of his Warthog. "Falcons, neutralize elevated positions. Marines, clear the streets!"

The Falcons spun on their axes and unleashed a shower of shells at nearby buildings. Rooftops exploded in a cloud of dust and debris as the Jackals' positions were destroyed. Some aliens tried to escape, but the Falcons' gunners caught them with accurate fire before they could regroup.

From a nearby alley, an enemy Wraith poked out its plasma mortar. Its barrel charged a glowing sphere of energy, firing it with a sharp whistle. The blast struck a nearby Warthog, sending it flying. The vehicle landed on its side, engulfed in flames, as the soldiers aboard crawled out, wounded but alive.

"Wraith at three o'clock!" Harper roared. "Scorpion, take him out."

The tank turned its turret with deadly precision. A deafening boom filled the air as the Scorpion's main cannon fired. The shell struck the Wraith directly, piercing it and detonating its internal reactor. The resulting explosion was so strong that the adjacent building partially collapsed, burying several fleeing Grunts.

The convoy continued forward, but the streets narrowed as they neared the city center. The walls of the buildings seemed to close in on them, creating a deadly corridor. From the windows, Grunts began firing plasma pistols, while the Elites coordinated attacks from the shadows.

"Maintain speed! Let's not stop here!" Harper shouted. The drivers stepped on the accelerator, but plasma shots struck the flanks of the vehicles, leaving bright marks on their armor.

"We've got a Hunter up front!" a Marine announced from the lead Warthog.

From around the corner of the street, a Hunter appeared, its imposing metallic form gleaming in the light of the surrounding fire. With a roar, it raised its fuel cannon and fired. The blast hit a Warthog, which was engulfed in a ball of flame.

"Focused fire!" Harper ordered.

The Scorpion fired, but the Hunter blocked the projectile with its massive shield, advancing relentlessly towards the convoy. The Marines on the ground opened fire with assault rifles and grenades, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off the creature's thick armor.

"Bring the Mantis!" Harper shouted.

A Mantis descended from a nearby Pelican, landing with a ground-shaking impact. Its turret swung towards the Hunter, firing a salvo of missiles. The explosives struck the alien's unprotected back, sending it reeling before collapsing to the ground with a deafening thud.

As the convoy neared the government house, enemy fire intensified. From the horizon, a Phantom appeared, releasing reinforcements onto the roof of a nearby building. Brutes and Jackals descended on ropes, firing at the UNSC forces.

"Phantom in the air! Someone shoot him down!" Harper shouted.

One of the Falcons dove toward the Phantom, firing Hydra missiles. The Phantom returned fire, destroying the Falcon in an explosion that filled the air with smoke and metal debris. However, another Falcon took advantage of the distraction and fired a salvo directly at the Phantom's reactor, blowing it to pieces.

"Alpha and Bravo Squadrons, clear the side streets! We need a clear perimeter before moving toward the main building!" Harper ordered.

The Marines moved forward, taking cover behind abandoned vehicles and debris as they fired at the Brutes. Explosions lit up the streets, the sound of gunfire mixing with the cries of battle.

UNSC troops instinctively scattered through the ruins, seeking cover behind charred vehicles and the remains of buildings. The shattered streets were a labyrinth of death, every corner a deathtrap where Covenant forces lurked with deadly precision. Shouts of orders and the deafening sound of gunfire echoed through the air, mixing with the explosions that shook the ground.

The Hunter, though downed by the mantis's explosion, was not alone. From the shadow of a nearby alley a second Hunter emerged, roaring with a fury that echoed through the ruins. Its massive metal shield reflected the flames around it, and its fuel cannon glowed with charged energy. With a slow but determined gait, it advanced toward the entrenched Marines.

"Another one! Take cover!" Sergeant Johnson shouted, rolling into a collapsed wall as the Hunter's cannon fired a ball of incandescent plasma.

The explosion ripped away some of the cover, sending a pair of Marines flying through the air. Those left alive responded with a hail of bullets, but the rounds barely scratched the alien's thick armor.

"We need something heavier here!" roared a Marine as he reloaded his rifle.

"I'll take this hulk!" Johnson replied, dropping the empty rocket launcher and grabbing a Spartan Laser rifle from a nearby Pelican. "Keep your attention on me, boys!"

The Hunter turned towards Johnson, loading its barrel again. Johnson, unfazed, raised the Spartan Laser and took aim. A red flash tore through the air, impacting the alien's chest and piercing its core. With a final roar, the Hunter staggered and fell to its knees before collapsing to the ground.

"That's it! Who's next?" Johnson shouted, his grin contrasting the chaos around him.

The relief was short-lived. From rooftops and windows, Jackals began firing with sniper rifles, their energy shields glowing as they repelled the Marines' attempts at counterfire. A squad of Elites appeared on the main street, coordinating Grunts who threw plasma grenades in a deadly rain.

"This is Bravo 2! We're caught in crossfire, we need reinforcements!" a soldier shouted into the comm channel as he fired from behind a wall.

A Mantis came to the rescue, slowly advancing down the street with its autocannons firing relentlessly. Each shot took out entire sections of buildings, sending the Jackals and Elites into a forced retreat.

"Take cover behind the Mantis! Move in with it!" Harper ordered as he moved his troops to seize the moment.

The Marines, now reorganized, advanced behind the Mantis, firing at the enemy stragglers. An Elite Major, armed with an energy sword, charged towards the mechanized exoskeleton, dodging the projectiles with agile movements. The Elite leapt onto the Mantis' torso, attempting to reach the cockpit.

"Don't you dare, you glowing lizard!" the pilot shouted as he turned the Mantis' torso and fired the Hydra missiles at point-blank range. The explosion launched the Elite into the air, disintegrating it in the process.

As the UNSC secured the main street, the Mantis' sensors detected movement beneath them. Suddenly, a section of pavement exploded, releasing a group of Brutes who were using a makeshift tunnel. Armed with gravity hammers and spike launchers, the Brutes charged straight towards the human troops.

"Brutes to the rear! All teams, turn and return fire!" Harper shouted as the soldiers turned in formation to face the new threat.

A Chieftain led the Brutes, his massive figure standing out amongst the flames and smoke. With a ferocious roar, he raised his gravity hammer and brought it down to the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked over several marines. The Brutes took advantage of the chaos to charge, crushing everything in their path.

"Concentrate fire on the leader! Don't let them split you up!" Johnson ordered as he threw a fragmentation grenade towards the enemy group.

The explosion took out two lesser Brutes, but the Chieftain continued to advance, striking a Warthog and sending it flying through the air like a toy.

"Spartan Laser, now!" Harper shouted.

A Marine, shaking but determined, raised his Spartan Laser and fired directly at the Chieftain's chest. The beam tore through the Brute's armor, knocking it down with a final roar. The remaining Brutes faltered, but were quickly eliminated by the Marines' coordinated fire.

After clearing the ambush, the UNSC troops finally reached the plaza in front of the government house. The scene was a burning battlefield. Covenant Phantoms steadily descended, deploying reinforcements in waves. In the center of the plaza, a Scarab roared, its plasma cannon spinning as it fired at anything that moved.

"Scarab in the plaza! All vehicles, focus on that thing!" Harper ordered.

The Scorpion fired its main cannon, striking one of the Scarab's legs. The machine faltered, but struck back with a plasma blast that destroyed a nearby Mantis. The soldiers scattered, trying to avoid the constant fire.

"Spartans, I need you to get on that thing and take it apart from the inside!" Harper shouted over the comm channel.

Two Spartans, equipped with grappling hooks, launched themselves at the Scarab as it continued to fire. One of them reached the back of the vehicle, where it began destroying the secondary generators. The other Spartan advanced toward the cockpit, engaging a group of Elites defending the ship.

"Generators destroyed! Fire concentrated on weak points!" one of the Spartans reported.

The Scorpion fired again, this time aiming for the main reactor. The Scarab began to sway, its frame creaking under the weight of the damage.

"Everyone on the ground! It's going to explode!" a marine shouted.

With a final roar, the Scarab exploded, sending out a shockwave that leveled everything around it. UNSC soldiers looked up as the remains of the colossus fell, finally motionless.

The plaza was silent for a moment, save for the sound of flames and distant screams. UNSC forces began to regroup, securing the area as Pelicans descended to evacuate the wounded.

Johnson, covered in dust and wearing a sardonic grin, looked at the chaos around him. "I can't believe we're still standing. But I'll tell you what: these bastards don't know when to give up."

Lieutenant Harper nodded, his eyes fixed on the government house. "Let's secure that building. We still have work to do."

The convoy moved quickly through the ruined streets toward Government House, an imposing building that once symbolized Lothal's stability and power, now reduced to a makeshift bunker surrounded by barricades and enemy fire. The UNSC troops knew there was no room for error; Duchess Satine was inside, along with a group of civilians who depended on them for survival.

In the vanguard, a squad of Spartans, led by Noble 6 and Carter, had deployed to reinforce the defense of Government House. With them, a group of ODSTs worked on constructing a makeshift defensive line as Covenant forces pressed in from all directions. The remains of civilian vehicles and debris served as barricades, while UNSC auto-turrets fired relentlessly at the enemy waves.

"Noble Team, this is Carter. Hold the perimeter. Reinforcements are on the way with heavy artillery. Until then, we cannot give an inch. Understood?" Carter's voice rang out over the comms as his imposing figure moved between the barricades, directing the defenders' fire.

"Roger that, Leader. This is Noble 6. I have visual on three Phantoms descending from the east. Looks like they're coming with a Chieftain and heavy reinforcements," Noble 6 replied as he adjusted the scope on his DMR rifle. From his elevated position, he fired, taking out an Elite attempting to advance toward the main barricade.

"ODST, deploy demolition charges. I want those streets blocked off before enemy reinforcements arrive," Carter ordered. A group of ODSTs quickly moved between the defensive positions, placing explosives at strategic points to funnel the enemy advance into controlled fire zones.

Convoy communications broke the moment of tense preparation. "This is Harper, convoy en route to the government house. We estimate arrival in five minutes. We have a Scorpion and air support, but we're being attacked from the right flank. We need cover."

Carter responded immediately. "Roger that, Harper. Noble 6, take a team and go to the roof. Cover the convoy from above. The rest, hold firm. This is just beginning."

Noble 6 nodded and headed towards the building with a couple of ODSTs. They climbed a makeshift ladder to the roof, from where they could see the chaos in the streets. In the distance, the convoy advanced under constant plasma fire. The convoy's Falcons tried to clear the way, but the enemy Banshees harassed them relentlessly.

"We have visual on the convoy. Falcon down. Noble 6 here, we're going to cover them," he reported as he took up position on the edge of the roof.

"Fire at will," he ordered as he took aim at a Jackal attempting to set up a heavy plasma cannon. A precise burst from his DMR took out the alien and its team. Beside him, an ODST lobbed a frag grenade at a group of Grunts preparing to fire a spike launcher. The explosion filled the street with smoke and shredded bodies.

From his position, Noble 6 watched as an enemy Wraith turned its mortar toward the convoy. "We have a Wraith on the main street. Requesting artillery or direct fire," he quickly reported.

"Scorpion here, Wraith sighted. Taking him out now," the tank crew responded down the channel. A thunderous shot rang out as the Scorpion's cannon fired, hitting the Wraith squarely and turning it into a ball of fire. The Marines cheered as the convoy quickly approached the barricades of Government House.

"Convoy in position. Deploying troops and light artillery," Harper reported as Marines and ODSTs jumped out of the Warthogs and joined the defense.

The relief was short-lived. From the horizon, the engines of three additional Phantoms began to be heard. The enemy transports descended low, dropping a lethal combination of Elites, Brutes, and heavily armed Jackals. One of the Phantoms held position, covering the enemy advance with plasma turret fire.

"All units, open fire! Don't let them get close to the government house!" Carter shouted as his assault rifle spat fire at a Brute charging with a gravity hammer. The impact of the bullets drove the alien back enough for an ODST to finish it off with a frag grenade.

The Warthogs began to maneuver between the barricades, firing their heavy machine guns at the Elites, but enemy resistance was fierce. One of the Brutes threw a spike grenade, which stuck to the side of a Warthog and exploded, sending the vehicle flying.

"They're crushing us from the right flank!" an ODST shouted as a group of Jackals advanced with their shields up, covering a pair of Elites firing from the rear.

"Falcons, take those bastards out," Carter ordered. The Falcons descended, their heavy machine guns raking the enemy positions as Hydra missiles destroyed the Phantom covering the advance. The explosion lit up the plaza and reduced an entire platoon of Grunts to ashes.

Meanwhile, Noble 6 and his team of ODSTs continued to fire from the rooftop. One of them pointed out an enemy sniper position on a nearby building.

"Snipers at two. We need suppressive fire," an ODST said as he adjusted his battle rifle.

"Leave it to me," Noble 6 replied, taking precise aim. Three shots, three kills. The sniping Jackals fell before they could get another shot off.

On the main street, the Scorpion continued to fire, opening fire on a Chieftain leading a group of Brutes. Though the cannon shot staggered the Chieftain, it did not fall. Roaring, it charged towards the tank, swinging its gravity hammer. Before it could reach the vehicle, a Falcon hit it with a burst of Hydra missiles, sending it flying into the air.

"All enemies in the plaza eliminated!" Harper reported.

Thus, it was not long before the intensity of the battle began to dissipate. The streets, once filled with gunfire, explosions, and screams, were covered in an eerie silence interrupted only by the crunch of debris and the distant hum of retreating vehicles. The remnants of the Covenant that had managed to survive began to fall back, leaving behind bodies, destroyed equipment, and the echo of their defeat.

From the plaza in front of the government house, Carter looked out over the remains of the battlefield. Marines and ODSTs worked to ensure the lines were completely cleared, while Spartans checked for casualties and collected ammunition. The scars of the fight were visible on everyone: scorched armor, faces covered in soot, and eyes that reflected the weight of battle.

In the sky, the plumes of black smoke that had darkened the city slowly began to dissipate. UNSC fighters, now without enemy fighters to harass them, flew in formation over the capital, securing the airspace. On the transmissions, the news came through clearly: the Covenant fleet had been overtaken.

The Infinity, though damaged, remained in orbit, imposing in the vacuum of space. Their efforts alongside the fleet's ships had proven decisive, though the cost had been high. On the communication channels, reports of casualties and damage piled up, but one truth resonated with everyone: the UNSC had won.

In the capital, the government house, though partially damaged, was still standing. Pelicans began to descend on the safe zones, bringing supplies and medical equipment for the wounded. Among them, a specially equipped Pelican took off with Duchess Satine and the civilians who had been evacuated, taking them to safety outside the city.

Sergeant Johnson, with a tired smile, lit a cigarette as he looked at the clear sky. "See, boys? Second UNSC victory. One of many more to come."

Carter, at his side, nodded, though his face remained serious. "Yes, but not without a price. The capital is almost destroyed. But we have proven that we are not easy prey."

Noble 6, still cleaning his visor, spoke calmly. "The important thing is that we are here. And that we will still be here, when they try again."

As the smoke began to clear and the last remnants of Covenant forces retreated out of the city, the UNSC troops began to regroup. The capital was in ruins, but the flag of resistance still flew. They had stopped the Covenant once again, sending a clear message: humanity will fight to the last breath.

Victory was imminent. Lothal had held out. The second UNSC victory would be remembered as a turning point in the long war, one of many yet to come.

End of Chapter 39