As the Viceroy slammed his Ax into the ground, a large plume of orange energy cascaded from the point of impact towards the Spartans.

"Incoming!" Grant yelled as the three fireteams ducked out of the way. Chris rolled behind a tree and opened fire with his Battle Rifle. The bullets pinged harmlessly off the Viceroy's armor.

"You were FOOLS to believe you could challenge me!" Viceroy yelled, firing bolts of orange energy from his hand.

"We can't kill him!" Mark yelled, sliding behind a boulder near Chris.

"We need to focus fire!" David yelled.

"Alright, FOCUS FIRE!" Chris yelled as the groups of Spartans opened fire at the same time. The Viceroy growled as the volley of rounds hit and staggered him.

"Grenade!" Mark yelled, throwing a frag. As Viceroy recovered, he took his axe and sliced the frag in two, disintegrating it.

"Damn!" Buck swore.

"I'll grab his attention!" Mark said. "Then, shoot him!"

Mark leaped out of cover and opened fire, drawing the ire of the Viceroy.

"You challenge me alone? You are foolish, but brave." Viceroy said, raising his ax to split him like a log. At the last moment, Mark leaped to the side and up onto the Viceroy, ready to plant his knife in his head. Before he could, he saw a circle of cracks on the crest of Viceroy's head. Mark was then grabbed and thrown by Viceroy through the boulder he had previously used as cover.

"Mark!" Chris yelled, rushing over while Ken and Grant provided cover fire.

"You okay?" he asked the wounded Spartan.

"Fine." Mark replied, groaning. "I've had worse as an ODST."

"Let's go!" Chris said.

"Wait! There's a crack on his head!" Mark said. "I think that's his weak spot!"

"Alright! Go for it!" Chris yelled. As Mark rushed forward, Chris opened fire with his Shotgun. As the Viceroy was staggered, Mark seized his chance and lunged, tackling the Promethean. As the Viceroy lost his grip on his Axe, Mark planted his armored foot into the cracked armor, full force. The helmet shattered, but at this time, The Viceroy blasted Mark with a surge of Promethean energy. Mark was sent flying, and he smashed into the ground, groaning.

"Mark!" Ken yelled.

"I'm...groan...fine…" Mark said, standing up shakily. As he rejoined Chris, Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris fired their weapons at the Viceroy's face. The Viceroy growled, and flipped his axe so that the blade was barely touching the ground.

"DIE!" he yelled as he slammed, sending a powerful quake in all directions. Chris and the other Spartans jumped out of the way, but they were all thrown to the ground.

"You were quite foolish to challenge me…" Viceroy said.

"Not as much as you."

Viceroy turned to see Jorge's blurred form before he was sent sprawling to the ground for a second time. Jorge grabbed the Promethean Axe and slammed the shaft into the Forerunner's exposed face. As the Viceroy screamed in agony, Jorge grabbed the shaft and broke it in two. Then, he stomped on the piece embedded in the Viceroy's face. As the shaft impaled him, he disintegrated. As Chris, Chief, Locke, and the other Spartans stood up, Chris noticed Mark was walking with a limp.

"You alright?" Buck asked.

"Yeah. My leg's all banged up, though." Mark replied.

"Let's get you back to the Infinity." Chris said.

"Yeah...sounds good." Mark said. As a Pelican landed for the wounded Spartan, Chris and the rest of the team watched it fly away.

"What's up?' David asked Chris.

"I have a feeling...he'll be back sooner than we think." Chris said before walking to rejoin the other Spartans.

==================

Meanwhile, aboard the Infinity, Lasky watched from the bridge.

"You alright, Lasky?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah...just…"

"Captain! Slipspace rupture!" Lt. Jet called.

"Cortana?" Lasky asked.

"Negative, it's not Promethean, but it's Forerunner in origin!" came the reply.

"Brace yourselves!" Lasky ordered.

"Wait...I'm detecting a UNSC signal!" A Marine called.

"From where?" Lasky asked.

"From the Slipspace rupture!" The Marine replied. As Lasky watched, a slipspace rupture appeared in the sky, and a large UNSC ship appeared. Lasky dropped his jaw in shock as the ship fully appeared, and the words on its side were prominently displayed for all to see.

UNSC SPIRIT OF FIRE

Lasky gasped.

"Lasky? What's wrong?" Twilight asked.

"The Spirit of Fire was declared Lost with all hands during the Human-Covenant War. It's been twenty eight years since they vanished. That ship is a legend." Lasky said. "Get them on the line!"

"You got it!" Jet called.

============

Cutter watched as his ship was deposited into the planet's atmosphere, in full view of a large UNSC vessel unlike anything seen before.

"Sir, that UNSC ship is hailing us!" Isabel called.

"Put them through!" Cutter said. As the image of Lasky appeared in the bridge comms screen, Cutter smiled.

"Hello there." Cutter said.

"Hello, Captain Cutter." Lasky said. "Your ship was declared Lost with all hands, twenty eight years ago. Where've you been?"

"Drifting, in cryo." Cutter replied. "It's quite a long story. But, to whom an I speaking?"

"I'm Thomas Lasky, Captain of the UNSC Infinity." Lasky replied.

"Well, let me reintroduce myself." Cutter replied. "James Cutter, captain of the Spirit of Fire."

"Glad to have you back, Cutter." Lasky said. "Your ship ready for combat?"

"Oh, yes." Cutter replied. "Let's swap stories, shall we? You tell me how the war went, I'll tell you what we've been up to?"

"Sounds good to me." Lasky said. "We're currently engaged in combat operations on this world, just so you know. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Fine with me, Captain Lasky." Cutter replied. "We'll be waiting for you."

"You too, Cutter. Lasky out."

The connection ended, and Cutter smiled at Isabel.

"Lost, and then found, Isabel." Cutter said.

"Quite right." Isabel replied. "I'll ready the hangar bay."

Author's Note

Yep, Halo Wars 2 is now in Equispartans II.

Get ready for more Ass-kicking.