Halo: Contact Equis

Ghastly Gorge

On the other side of the gorge, the third group of trainees was in the shade, cast by the Ad Meliora. This group mostly consisted of ponies, including Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Standing before the group was Tammy, surrounded by medical equipment and a few volunteers to help with her demonstration.

“Afternoon, everyone.” Tammy greeted the group. “Today, I’ll be giving you all a tutorial on how we humans perform First Aid.”

Fluttershy smiled upon hearing that. She didn’t want to hurt any creature, so getting a chance to learn how to heal the injured seemed more up her alley.

“Now, I don’t want to assume everyone’s knowledge, so even if some of you know the basics, that is where we will be starting,” Tammy said firmly. “When it comes to first aid, the first rule is always sanitation.”

The trainees listen closely as Tammy saunters over to one of the medical stations and retrieves a small white pack with a hexagonal shape and a large red “H” on it. She opens it and pulls out a pack of wipes.

“On the battlefield, it will be a chore to keep your hands, claws, or hooves clean, but it is necessary if you are going to treat the wounded.” Tammy opened the pack of wipes and began to clean her hands as she explained.
“You don’t want to give them a nasty infection, so you must use the sanitation wipes found in the medpacks every time you treat a wounded soldier.”

Once the ODST finished cleaning her hands, she turned to one of the volunteers. He was sitting on a large crate, wearing only his combat boots and pants. He was bare-chested, and his chest was wrapped in gauze and bandages. She brought the medpack with her and knelt down next to him. She invited the trainees to come closer so they could see what she was about to do.

“What you’re all about to see is a standard plasma burn.” Tammy explained as she gently placed her hands on the bandages. “This kind of wound is the most common on the battlefield. Plasma wounds are nothing compared to those inflicted by bullets or blades. The skin and flesh sear, and it destroys nerve endings. If you still feel pain, you’re lucky because the burnt flesh is not as bad, and your nerves are still intact.”

The Marine winced a bit as the ODST medic began to unwrap the bandages. There was a protective gauze still over the wound. She gently grabbed it and slowly began to pull it away from the wound. Many were horrified when the damage of the wound was revealed. The skin was burnt black, and blood was slowly seeping out of the cracked skin. The flesh that wasn’t covered by blackened skin was crimson red and raw. Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves, and her eyes looked on in horror at the severity of the wound. The marine winces again as his injury is fully uncovered. Tammy reaches into the medpack and pulls out a syringe. She pulled off the cap that covered the needle and looked back at the trainees.

“This here is Morphine.” Tammy gestures to the needle in her hand. “It’s a powerful painkiller, common in all medpacks. It’s fast working and dulls the pain, allowing the wounded to feel less pain as you work to heal them. Remember to always sanitize the area you wish to inject the morphine if you are given the opportunity. If you are under pressure, then you may inject the morphine and then clean the area afterwards. Now, watch closely.” Tammy explained as she turned back towards the wounded marine. She pulled out an alcoholic wipe and wiped the area she wanted to prick.

She aims for a spot just above the wound and pricks the spot with the needle. The marine winces a bit but then slowly begins to relax, letting out a satisfying sigh. Tammy pulled out the syringe and rubbed the spot again with the alcoholic wipe. She reaches for a canister on her hip and pulls it out and holds it towards the trainees.

“This right here is biofoam, the most common and useful medicine you will find in our ranks, and it has multiple different functions. It’s self-filling, self-coagulating, and self-sealing. It fills cavities and can even hold damaged organs in place to prevent further damage.” She shakes the capsule and then applies a small layer of the foam on the marine’s burn wound. “It also aids in cellular restoration and tissue regeneration, making it a perfect salve for burns. The best part is the medicine in the foam also has a numbing effect, reducing the pain for your patient.”

The wounded Marine visually relaxes and lets out a soft sigh. Tammy sets the foam down and then grabs the gauze from the pack.

“Standard gauze.” she gestured to the gauze in her hand. “Apply a thin but effective layer to the burn. You don’t want to apply too much pressure to the wound and restrict the patient’s movement.”

Tammy applies the gauze and then tapes him up. When she was finished, she stood up and gently placed her hand on the Marine’s shoulder.

“Showing care goes a long way.” She says. “Letting your patient know you care gives them comfort and reassurance that they will be okay. Their lives are in your hands; make them feel like they can trust you.”

The trainees look at each other. Tammy’s final words seemed to resonate with them, including Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Taking her words to heart, and memorizing them. Tammy gently patted the Marine on the shoulder before going over to a second Marine lying on a stretcher. He was shifting uncontrollably and holding onto his leg.

“This marine here has suffered a fractured tibia, a bone in his leg. How we treat injuries to the bones is actually quite simple.” Tammy had kept the medical pack and pulled out two syringes. “One of these is Polypseudomorphine or Polly-sue for short. It’s an alternative to morphine used to dull pain. This second syringe is filled with a substance known as Bone-Knitting Polymer. It can be injected into the desired area, and the polymer acts as an internal cast. It holds the bones in place and can accelerate the healing process while at the same time giving the bone support. So while your leg is fractured, it will allow you to walk around and go about your day-to-day life.”

Tammy pinches the marine’s thigh, trying to find a good spot for the Polly-sue. She wipes off the desired area with alcohol and injects the medicine. The marine slowly calms down and relaxes once it starts to kick in. Tammy then goes down to his lower leg, gently prodding it to see which area caused the most discomfort. She cleans another spot on the leg, and injects the polymer. Tammy puts her hands on her hips once she is done.

“That’s pretty much it. All you have to do is wait for the polymer to do its job. This shouldn’t take you longer than five minutes tops to administer.” She turned towards the trainees. “Now, I know what you all are thinking. Our medicine must be some kind of miracle work. But there are still risks when performing medical treatment.”

Tammy held up the two empty syringes. One that had the morphine and the other being the Polly-sue. “Though these seem innocent and are used to help combat pain, Morphine and Polly-sue are opioids. They can be highly addictive and can cause cravings. Polly-sue is even more dangerous, as it can cause hallucinations and other narcotic effects if mixed with anxiety medication. Both can cause someone to overdose, or ‘O.D.’ for short.”

The trainees look closely at the syringes as Tammy explains the dangers. “Symptoms of Morphine overdose can be as simple as blueing of the fingernails and constipation. More serious symptoms include difficulty breathing and comas. It’s pretty easy to tell if someone is O.D.ing on morphine, but Polly-sue is different. This is why it’s more dangerous, as identifying the symptoms of a Polly-sue overdose is almost impossible until it’s too late, the main symptom being cardiac arrest.”

The trainee’s go wide-eyed at that; something made to help some creature can just as easily kill them if given too much. This makes many of them nervous and scared of accidentally causing an overdose if they were trying to help them. Tammy noticed the nervous expressions on the trainees’ faces. She couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I know you all are probably worried about injecting too much morphine or Polly-sue into someone. Well, here is a pretty simple rule to follow by, if you follow this rule, you will never overdose anyone. ‘One and Done.’ One shot is all they need, you give them one shot, and you will never cause an O.D.” Tammy’s words did seem to ease them. Can’t cause harm if you follow the rules. A lot of their anxiety had been relieved, especially Fluttershy. She looks at the humans Tammy treated in her lesson, and both of them seemed a lot more relaxed than when she started. If she couldn’t fight like the others, she at least wanted to help like Tammy did.

“Now I want you all to group up.” the medical ODST ordered. “We’ve had a lot of wounded since the fight at Manehattan, so you all are gonna help us take care of them. Don’t worry about making things worse; every group is going to be monitored by marine volunteers. Just state aloud what you are about to do before you do it, just in case.” Tammy took a few steps back as the Trainees grouped up and approached the many stations with wounded marines.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie buddied up and approached a marine with his shoulder wrapped up. The marine had a pained expression as he turned to look at the ponies. Fluttershy gulped hard at his sudden gaze, but Pinkie walked right up to him.

“Hiya, sir! We’re here to help ya feel better!” she stated loudly. The marine raises an eyebrow at her before looking at Fluttershy again. He let out a sigh and began to relax.

“Alright… Just be gentle. This hurts like a bitch.” The marine muttered.

Both ponies stepped forward; a health pack sat next to the marine. Fluttershy opens it up as Pinkie starts to unwrap his shoulder. She gets the tape and the gauze off. On his shoulder blade was a nasty burn; the skin scorched black, and the area around it was raw and blistered. The marine winces as his burn is exposed to the air. The marine also flinches as he feels Fluttershy place a hoof on his back.

“It’s okay. We’re going to make you feel better. Just relax and we’ll make the pain go away.” Fluttershy smiled at the marine. He looks at the gentle pegasus and begins to relax again. Her calming voice, nature, and genuine smile put the Marine at ease.

“First, we use the morphine,” Pinkie said, reaching into the medpack with the tuft of her mane. The marine gives her a weird look at how she was able to use her mane like a finger.

“Not yet, Pinkie.” Fluttershy warns as she grabs the pack of wipes first. “We need to sanitize first.” She opens it and cleans her hooves, then passes Pinkie a wipe.

After they both clean their hooves, Fluttershy takes the alcohol wipes, and cleans a spot near the wound using her hoof. Finally, with precision, Pinkie injects the morphine. At first, the marine cringes from the syringe, but as the morphine begins to work, he relaxes again.

“Now, the biofoam,” Fluttershy said as she pulled out the foam tube from the pack. She applies a light layer, and the foam begins to expand, soon covering the wound.

The yellow pegasus places the tube down and then begins to wrap the wound with fresh gauze. After wrapping it comfortably, Pinkie began to hold it in place with medical tape. They both soon back away to examine their work. The marine moves his arm and shoulder to get a feel for what they had done. He doesn’t wince and is able to move comfortably. He looks at the two ponies and smiles.

“Thanks.” The marine said gratefully. “That feels so much better.”

“No problem, sir!” Pinkie smiled back brightly.

“Not bad, you two.” Tammy said from behind the two ponies. They both turn to see Tammy observing them. “I didn’t need to step in once. You girls nailed it.”

“Helping others is what we do best!” Pinkie said with a large smile.

“I have some medical experience, even though I’m more experienced with animal care,” Fluttershy admitted with a slight blush. Tammy, however, nodded in understanding.

“Well, you seem to do a damn good job, Flutters. We could always use a few medics.” Tammy stated, placing her hands on her hips. Fluttershy looks up at her and smiles.

The next station was led not just by an ODST but also by Spartan Clara. Corporal Adam stood beside her as the trainees stood in front of them. This group mostly consisted of dragons and ponies, like Rarity. But, shockingly, the large yak Yngol was there as well. As this station didn’t really seem to fit him.

“Afternoon, recruits,” Clara spoke loud and professionally, her arms sternly behind her back. “I am Clara B-452, and this here is Corporal Stewartson. He and I will review our land and air combat vehicles.”

Many of the trainees were excited for this station as there many “carriage” like machines behind the two instructors. They were anxious to to learn see how they operated.

Clara looks them all over before stating. “I have been trained to drive all vehicles in our armory.”

“And I can only fly airships,” Adam added with his arms crossed.

“Our vehicles are very much different than anything you find here on your planet.” the Spartan-III stated. “While many of you still use carriages, steam-powered locomotives, and hot air balloons, our vehicles use a combustion engine to power them, making them able to drive without the need to be pulled.”

Clara’s statement earned a bunch of whispers from the trainees. Many were curious and fascinated by the concept and were anxious for a demonstration. The Spartan-III first approached a smaller vehicle. She sits on it and looks at the recruits.

“This here is the M274 Mongoose.” the Lieutenant-Commander said. “One of the smallest vehicles we have. This little bugger may lack weapons, but it is fast.”

Adam hopped up behind her, standing on the back, and grabbing onto a bar positioned in front of him.

Clara then revved the thing to life, and the engine growled loudly, startling a few recruits. Clara then stomped on the gas, and the wheels spun, digging into the dirt before quickly taking off. All the recruits watched in awe as Clara and Adam did one small lap around them and stopped right back where they were. Never did they think anything like a carriage could move on its own without being pulled. Adam hopped off the back while Clara stayed sitting down for a moment.

“This speed demon can reach a max speed of 59 miles per hour. It’s light too, just under a thousand pounds, allowing it to make some tight turns, even while you are going fast.” Clara said as she finally got off the Mongoose. “And as you saw, the Mongoose can carry up to at least one passenger.”

Clara and Adam then made their way to a larger set of vehicles parked side by side with each other. There were four of them, each slightly different the the next.

“This here is the backbone of the UNSC’s infantry transport; the M12 Warthog.” Clara stated loudly. Everyone was excited to see this vehicle drive. The concept of pulled carriages still fascinating all trainees present.

“Need to go somewhere fast on land and bring a few allies with ya? This is your best friend. As you can see, there are four variants of the Warthog, each designed with a certain task in mind.” Clara then pointed to each one as she introduced them. “The Chaingun Hog, the Rocket Hog, the Gauss Hog, and the Transport Hog.” Clara approached the one with a chain gun and put her hand on the hood.

“Like I said, each has its own special turret and is better for targeting different enemies. The Chaingun is most effective at anti-infantry, while the Gauss is more effective at anti-armor. As for the Rockethog; anti-air. Though nothing is stopping you from using one hog for all three.” Clara then climbed into the Warthog’s driver seat while Adam got on the back and rotated the gun. Like the Mongoose, she revved the engine. None of the trainees backed away this time, instead large smiles were now plastered on their faces. Clara drove the in a small lap around the trainees. They watched as Adam swirled the gun around to showcase its flexibility even while the vehicle was in motion. Once again, she parked it and hopped out.

“Whew, always love to go for a drive to get the adrenaline going!” Clara said loudly. From the crowd of trainees, Yngol stared at the Warthog. His stare soon turned into a glare as he eyed the metal vehicle.

“Got one more thing to show ya. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the clearance to fire it, so just listen closely.” Clara explained as she approached the large land vehicle on display. It was flat on the bottom and had belt tracks instead of tires. On top, it had a very long barrel that stretched forward.

“Before you is sixty-six tons of heavy armor and firepower; The M808 Scorpion Tank.” the Spartan-III boasted while gesturing to the tank. “This thing comes with a massive front-end cannon that can fire devastating 90mm tungsten shells up to 750 kilometers! It’s got room for one driver and a gunner. It also has room to transport four other passengers. Just take a seat on the edge right here.” Clara placed her hand firmly onto the metal plating covering one of the belt trams.

“You’re up, corporal. Show these rookies how we take to the air.” Clara looked to the ODST, who nodded before stepping forward.

“Alrighty, let’s get started then.” the Corporal said before facing the trainees. “I’m Corporal Adam Stewartson, and I have been trained to be a pilot. I can fly damn near any airship you give me. Hell, I can fly a few Covenant drop-ships if I have to.”

Flying? Yeah right. Is what many of the trainees thought. No way a featherless human could fly, even with these strange vehicles. Everything was made out of metal. They were impressed by the way the human carriages could move without being pulled. But the thought of these machines flying was impossible. Rarity, the only one there among the trainees, had seen flying vehicles by both the humans and the covenant. She was interested in seeing how they work.

“Today, I only have three air vehicles to show ya. I begged the Captain to show off our only Longsword, but he wouldn’t approve of that.” Adam said, with a hint of disappointment in his voice. He turned to the smallest of the three vehicles he had with him.

The first was much wider than the Warthogs. It had a wingspan, but it had no feathers. It had glass covering the front with a seat for someone to sit in. It had a big round engine on the end of each wing and two long skids on the bottom.

“Allow me to introduce you to the AV-14 Attack VTOL, but we call it the Hornet.” Stewardson proudly stated. “It has two twinjet engines that can move independently, making this the most agile air vehicle we have. It comes equipped with two wing-mounted rotary cannons and two missile launchers that can lock onto targets. It’s lightly armored, allowing the pilot to move quickly and effortlessly. This is designed for offensive purposes, coming in to help support ground troops and possibly drop off small reinforcements.”

The Corporal approached the Hornet and opened the hatch. He climbed in with ease, closed the hatch, and the engines of the Hornet soon kicked on. Startled by the whirring noise made by the engines, the recruits took a few steps back. The Hornet soon slowly kicked off the ground and began to hover, kicking up a lot of dust.

Rarity squealed and hid behind Yngol as the dust flew over the large yak. The Corporal spun the Hornet around in a clockwise circle, then suddenly turned hard to spin counter-clockwise to show off the Hornet’s agility. It could turn and spin, all while hovering in the same spot.

After a few minutes of showing off, the ODST pilot soon set the Hornet down in the same spot it took off from, and he hopped out.

“See how easy that looked?” he asked. “The Hornet is probably the easiest thing you will ever learn to fly. It’s like a bicycle. That is… if a bicycle could fly.” Stewartson chuckled to himself over his joke. “But let’s go up a step and show off the real fun stuff to fly, shall we?”

The trainees were still looking on dumbfoundedly, that thing just hovered. How could it do that? It may have been small, but it was all metal. The next contraption Adam approached was slightly longer than the Hornet, with a wider center space containing four seats This vehicle had two gyroscopic propellers on the top. With the lack of wings and the vehicle being completely made of metal, many trainees felt it would be impossible for this thing to ever take flight. Adam then approached the cockpit of the machine and opened the hatch.

“Up next is the UH-144 Falcon; a multipurpose VTOL airship. This thing can hold up to four passengers plus two gunners. The guns on the side can either be M247H 12.7mm Heavy Machine Guns or M460 Automatic Grenade Launchers. Best part is, the pilot also has an M638 20mm Autocannon on the front that allows me to shoot while I fly.” Adam then climbed into the cockpit and before closing it, he looked back at the recruits. “You all may want to step back. This thing is going to kick up a lot of dust.”

He closed the hatch as the trainees took a few steps back. Soon the engines began to whirr, and the two propellers soon come to life. The noise they made was loud, causing some of the trainees to sit back on their haunches and cover their ears. The speed of the spinning propellers spun wildly, causing a strong gust. Amazingly, the metal aircraft soon began to lift up off the ground, kicking up a lot of dirt and dust. Rarity squealed as her coat got covered in all the kicked-up dirt, frantically dusting herself off.

“Ugh!” the Fashionista groaned .

The Falcon rises higher into the air and takes off over the heads of the trainees. They all watch in awe as Adam flies the Falcon up and out of the gorge, reaching incredible heights. After a few minutes of him flying overhead, he brings it back down. The loud engines returned, and more dust was kicked up, much to Rarity’s dismay. Eventually, the Falcon lands almost in the same spot Adam first took off. As the engines die down, the hatch opens back up, and the Corporal hops out, chuckling to himself.

“I love my job.” He said to himself as he turned back towards the trainees, most still looking on in amazement at the feat performed by the Falcon. They couldn’t wrap their minds around something so heavy could fly around like it weighed nothing.

“I can see you all liked that. Let me show you something even bigger.” Adam gestured over to the third and last vehicle, this one much bigger.

Unlike the Falcon, this large machine had wings but did not appear to have the ability to flap. The Trainees again look at it with curiosity. It was hard enough to believe that the Falcon could fly, but this one, there was just no way. It looked much heavier and had no propellers like the Falcon.

“This is the D77-TC Pelican, our main air transport vehicle. This is how we transport our many troops to the battlefield, and it’s fast. The primary armament is a 40mm rotary cannon on the front, and the inside can hold up to fourteen passengers. It also comes equipped with…” Adam trailed off as he noticed Rarity holding her hoof up. “Yes, recruit?”

“How heavy is this thing?” She asked quizzically. Adam looked back at the Pelican, making a “Pshhhh” noise with his mouth as he thought of the exact weight of the vehicle.

“I think it’s somewhere around 135 metric tons,” he replied. That was met with a lot of scoffs by the recruits.

“How in the world can something that heavy fly!?” Rarity exclaimed out loud. “I mean, it would make sense for a giant dragon, but you can’t just put wings on an elephant and expect it to fly!” Her concerns were met with chuckles by the corporal.

“Oh, Rares. Just watch.” Adam went towards the back of the vehicle this time, climbed into the Pelican, and sat in the pilot’s seat.

Once again, the engines kicked on; this time, they were much louder than the Falcons and the Hornets. Fire erupted from the jet engines, whirred loudly, and began to lift off. The large Pelican slowly but surely rose into the air, and the trainees could not believe what they saw. This was impossible, this should have been impossible, but there it was in front of them. This behemoth was flying. Adam then ignited the forward engines and took off, flying forward to the other side of the gorge, flying over the other stations, and catching the attention of every creature. Adam flew it expertly, giving himself room to navigate and turn.

Adam flew for a few minutes before returning to the station and landed the Pelican cautiously, this time with the back of the Pelican facing the recruits. It landed with grace, and the engines slowly died down. Adam exited the behemoth. Though his helmet covered his face, he had the largest shit-eating grin when he saw the slack-jawed faces of the recruits. Though none of them spoke, he answered the question that was in all of their minds. “How?” Once again, everyone was silent, even Yngol, as their jaws had fallen to the ground.

“This beauty has four fusion drive engines,” He spoke like a spokesperson for the entire United Nations Space Command. “which are much more different than combustion engines, giving it a lot more power and energy to lift even the heaviest of cargo. Hell, this thing can have a full compartment of soldiers and even pick up a Scorpion tank for transport. Never doubt the strength and power of the UNSC, ladies & gentlemen.”

After the Corporal’s demonstration, Clara stepped forward to say a few words. “Alright, everyone. Now is a time for all of you to come and step forward. Have a closer look at all the vehicles we have shown you, and get familiar with them. We can assure you that you will encounter these vehicles again on the battlefield.” Clara stated, inviting the others to step forward.

The trainees all got closer to the vehicles to check them out for themselves. Many ponies climbed into the back of the Pelican, as it was easily the most impressive to them, astonished by its ability to fly. Yngol, however, approached one of the warthogs. He stood in front of the Transport hog, glaring at it. He grits his teeth before shouting.

“Yak not like puma-hog! Yak smash!” His shouting drew everyone’s attention, and before they could do anything, Yngol rams the front end with his horns. With ease, he lifts the front end up off the ground. With one fluid motion, he flips it up, causing the Warthog to be flipped up and landing upside down.

“Whoa! What the fuck are you doing!?” Adam yelled at the powerful yak. Clara though, just watched, her helmet hiding her awestruck expression.

“Yngol… How did you do that so easily?” She asked, approaching the huffing yak.

“Yak no like puma-hog! It no compete against yak!” he stated loudly.

“Yeah… but what I mean is how did you flip that so easily? That warthog weighs 3 tons!” Clara stated loudly. “How strong are you!?”

“Heh, Yaks best at being strong!” He smirked and puffed his chest out. Clara looks at the hog again, then back at Yngol. She lets out a shaky sigh before approaching the flipped hog. She grabbed it and very slowly began to flip it back over. Though not as quick and powerful as Yngol did. Even for a spartan, what Yngol did was impressive. She looks back at the Yngol one more time as the trainees go back to getting a closer look at the vehicles.

Prince Pharynx was standing with the rest of the other changelings at another station. He was front in center in front of the changelings and even the other trainees. To his left stood Starlight Glimmer, who wore an unsure expression as she stared at the station in front of her. Many of the changeling trainees seemed nervous about what they would be learning at this station, while Pharynx calmly stood at attention.

‘Finally, I get to see what we are up against. It’s been far too long since I’ve been in action.’ The Changeling Prince thought to himself.

Moments later, the third Spartan, Kieran, walked up to the station. He stood alone with a holoprojector between him and the recruits.

“Good evening, recruits,” Kieran announces. “I’m Spartan Kieran B902, and welcome to my station. Here, I’ll be teaching you about the alien races in the Covenant Empire.”

Upon hearing his statement, the changeling trainees gulp hard. Many of them have heard what had happened at Manehattan. Now they will be seeing the faces of the monsters who caused so much death and destruction.

The Spartan-III let out a chuckle. Never did he think that one day, he would give a lecture about the Covies, but here he was.

“Now, to those of you who are already joining us, the Covenant consists of multiple alien races, each different from the last.” He pulls out a holopad and presses a few buttons on them.

The holoprojector comes to life and displays a perfect 3D image of a Grunt. The trainees have a physical reaction to the image. They were confused, not expecting any of these aliens to be so weird.

“How about we start with the cannon fodder of the Covenant,” Kieran announced, chuckling to himself. “This here is a Grunt. You will see these little bastards the most on the battlefield. The Covenant will just throw them at you while the bigger and deadly ones stand behind them.” Kieran began to explain.

“Grunts have the intelligence of a child, but they learn quickly. Do not underestimate them. They have no shields, so a quick headshot will take them down easily. That, or rip off their gasmask.”

Kieran pressed a few buttons on the holopad, and the image of the Grunt began to move. The mask was removed from the face, and the massive tank on the back was also separated from the Grunt’s body. The changelings gasped upon seeing the Grunt’s face without the mask. They looked even more ugly than before.

“Unlike you all and I, Grunts thrive off methane, so they cannot breathe oxygen.” That statement caused the trainees to scrunch their noses. What a terrible existence it must be to thrive off such a sour gas. “This large tank on their backs is actually a methane tank. It’s how they can breathe while fighting. It’s an easy weak spot, always remember that.”

After the ‘bodysnatchers’ took in that information, Kieran pressed a few more buttons, and the image of the Grunt disappeared, and in its place was an image of a Jackal. Again, the trainees cringe at how ugly this creature looks.

“This…is a Jackal; the second most common enemy you will find on the battlefield. They strongly resemble avians since they possess hollow bones and can grow feathers. They are actually pretty weak, making them easy to kill. At least, they would be, but these fuckers are outfitted with a wrist-mounted energy shield.” He presses a few more buttons, and the image shows the Jackal activating its blue shield covering its whole body.

The trainees watched on in amazement. They were impressed by just how prepared the Covenant forces were. But that gave them a feeling of dread. If the Covenant was so prepared for war, then taking them down would not be easy.

“Most Jackals carry one of these shields. Do not attempt to take it down with ballistic weaponry, as bullets would bounce off the damn thing. However, they are vulnerable to plasma fire, which will completely knock down the shield for a short period, exposing them to a clean shot to the head.”

As the trainees soak up this information, Kieran presses a few more buttons on the holopad. The hologram of the Jackal is shown discarding his shield, grabbing a strange gun with a long barrel, and putting a weird device on his face.

“Of course, not all Jackals are on the front lines. You will encounter some who will pick you off from afar. This here is a Sniper Jackal, and they are no joke. I’ve seen one pick off a small squad of marines by herself. They mostly carry precision weapons. They are accurate as fuck, too, thanks to their ocular targeting headgear.” Kieran points to the device on the Jackal’s face. “This thing is smart-linked to their weapon, giving them deadly accuracy, and with their strong senses, a Jackal’s reaction time is fast. If you aren’t careful, they’ll kill you before you even see them.”

The trainees were not handling this bit of information well. They all looked frightened at the thought of being killed by an unseen enemy. Even Pharynx broke his stoic manner to look at the Jackal in disbelief. Already, the creatures of Equis felt like they would be going up against a powerful adversary, and the worst was yet to come as they were still only seeing the “Cannon Fodder” of the Covenant.

“It may be hard to see them coming, but once you know they’re there, they can be easy to spot. Their headset emits a bright light, so you can see them for miles. Just make your shots quick because I can guarantee you this. If you see them, they sure as shit see you.”

Kieran continued as he pressed a few more buttons on his holopad. The image of the Jackal is replaced by a long worm with four pinchers on one end.

“This is a Hunter worm.” the Spartan said. “These things can grow quite large; the largest one we’ve seen is about 1.4 meters long. These things may look harmless, but these are some of the fiercest fighters the Covenant has to offer.”

Spartan B902’s statement was met with snickers and chuckles from many trainees. It was just a worm. How could something like that be so dangerous? Kieran looks at the trainees, his helmet hiding his deadpan expression. He presses a few more buttons, and the image morphs into one of the hulking hunters. The laughter immediately stops and is replaced by gasps as the image hovers over every single one of them.

“Got your chuckles out yet?” Kieran asked. “Good, because this is just one of the many forms of these worms.”

“This is a Hunter, a hulking behemoth composed entirely out of hundreds of these worms. These worms share a hivemind and work together to make all different shapes and sizes.” Kieran lectured as all eyes were on the giant armored colony of worms taking on a humanoid shape.

“Hunters alway travel in pairs.” Kieran pressed another button, and a second Hunter image was brought up. “In fact, two of these behemoths make up a single colony, communicating with each other using those spikes on their back like an antenna. They are armored to the teeth. No weapon can break through their armor unless you use some heavy weaponry. Though not many of you will have that, you will have to go for their weak spot, which is on their back.”

Kieran presses a few more buttons on his holopad, and the image of the Hunters turns around, revealing a gap in their armor at the lower back.

“A few well-placed shots will give you an easy kill if you are brave enough to take it. Just be warned, if you kill one hunter, you have the rest of the colony to face with. The second hunter will enter a state of rage and will stop at nothing to kill you. Just try to avoid its powerful swings and fire into the weak spot with everything you have. You want to get in as close as you can, as fast as you can. Because the only thing worse than being crushed by their powerful melee attacks, is a blast from their fuel rod cannons.”

The holoprojector zoomed in on the arm-mounted cannon on the Hunter and highlighted it. The cannon was massive and had green casings covering it.

“Their special cannons can either fire a single blast, or a steady stream of plasma. Get hit by that, and you’ll be turned into a puddle.”

Kieran’s word was met by physical cringing from the recruits. Starlight however, her eyes went distant, her mind now focusing on the Battle of Manehattan. The marine and the injured stallion being reduced into nothing but a burnt crater from a Wraith’s plasma mortar. Her blood ran cold, and her heart was pulled into her throat at the very memory. She had to force herself from tearing up, still feeling responsible for the soldier and stallion’s demise. She was pulled out of her memories when she saw the holoprojector project a new image.

This new alien was small and stubby, standing no higher than a pony. It was insectoid and had a carapace on its back.

“This here is a Drone. One is not bad, but many can swarm you. They are a beetle-like alien that can fly. I’ve seen these fuckers pick marines up off the ground like they weighed nothing.”

“They have been witnessed building hives and will become very agitated if you get too close. They can carry small arms and fly all around you as they zip over your head. These things can wreak havoc on an LZ, as they can fly over barriers. I’ve seen these buggers firsthand on Reach. Getting swarmed by a few dozen of them is not fun.” Kieran let out a sad sigh as he looked back at his datapad, suppressing some darker memories. He let out a shaky sigh as he moved onto the next species, not wanting to think about the drones anymore.

The holoprojector displayed a large reptilian biped standing taller than any other species shown yet, even taller than Kieran. All the recruits look up in fear at the intimidating alien. Its mouth had four finger-like mandibles covered in teeth, and its legs bent backward. Its armor was thick, and its face displayed a lot of anger and hostility. Pharynx was the only changeling who showed interest in this adversary.

“This is an Elite, the main fighting race in the Covenant empire.” Kieran explained. “They have been given this nickname due to their combat prowess. They move quickly and elegantly and possess energy shields like us Spartans.”

Pharynx looked at the image of the Elite again, fascinated by this creature.

“Unlike most races in the Covenant, the Elites have been observed to possess a sense of honor, as some have been documented to give their opponents a fighting chance, respecting their enemy as warriors. Of course, not all elites are like this, as many are still zealous in their religion, deem humanity as a blight, and their documentation of swiftly killing without a second thought.”

The changelings continue to gawk at the Elite, dwarfing most of them in size. It’s expression only showing anger and malice. Its digitigrade legs, four-fingered hands, and frightening mouth were all completely abnormal to anything the trainees ever saw. Its appearance is best described as a monster. Pharynx, on the other hand, continued to stare on.

“Elites are the backbone of the Covenant military, so they are considered the deadliest species in battle, and they do so, by the command of their Prophets.”

Kieran brought up a new picture. This one showed a long-necked alien, with a large headdress, and sitting on a floating throne. “This is a Prophet, one of the apparent leaders of the Covenant. We know damn little of them since they are never seen in combat. All we know is that they hold a significant amount of power, as they are the religious leaders of the Covenant. It is believed that the Elites carry out all orders of the Prophets without hesitation, motivated by their religion.”

As Kieran lectured, all the trainees examined this creature closely. Its long neck made it look almost a little comical, but its power and influence were worrisome. These prophets were like the monarchs of the Covenant, and no one dared to speak out against them. The power and the corruption these creatures had must be immense.

“Of course, there is one race that deserves to be mentioned,” Kieran reveals a hologram of a massive ape-like creature with a gaping maw filled with large teeth. The trainees gasp in horror at this frightening beast. “We call these big bastards Brutes. Why? Because they have been documented to rip apart humans with their bare teeth and eat them. But I wouldn’t worry about them too much. We have not seen any Brutes here on this planet… yet.”

This news wasn’t very comforting. The thought of these vicious beasts on Equis was frightening to think about. All trainees present had been left with a feeling of dread and anxiety. The Covenant’s forces were stacked and, without a doubt, had the advantage. The force and might of the Covenant had already been displayed at Manehattan, and they showed no signs of slowing down. This would be the most destructive conflict to ever befall the planet Equis.

While every creature silently thought to themselves, Pharynx stepped forward, examining the Brute closely.

Kieran gave Pharynx a quirked eyebrow under his helmet.

“Can I help you, Prince Pharynx?” Kieran asked, his head cocked to the side.

“I need you to go back to the Elite real quick.” Pharynx asked, still looking at the hologram. Kieran, still a bit confused, goes back to the image of the Elite. The Prince looked it over, but he looked very unsatisfied.

“No… No, this will not do. I can’t get the details right with only a picture.” Pharynx said to himself. That’s when it clicked for Kieran.

“Are you trying to transform into an Elite?” Kieran asked, his tone sounding a bit shocked.

“I believe I could, but a picture is not the greatest reference. I need to see one face-to-face if I am to do this correctly.” Pharynx looked disappointed, but Kieran had an idea. The spartan III then begins to chuckle.

“Really now? Well, I have a ‘friend’ I brought from Manehattan that you could meet, Prince Pharynx.” Kieran smirked under his helmet as the Changeling Prince looked at him.

“Oh really now? Well then, shall you introduce me?” Pharynx began to smirk back at the Spartan-III, understanding exactly what he meant.