Halo: Silent Shadow

Prologue: Demon Hunting

-Damocles. One year before the Fall of Reach.-

To say the human colony of Damocles was a war zone was putting it very lightly. The city of New Athens had been bombarded by Wraith artillery, the streets were filled with bodies of both human and aliens alike, and gunfire was the normal.

UNSC forces had managed to form a firing line in the one place the Covenant forces could go. The only remaining entrance to the city that hadn't been sealed off.

This line was further bolstered by a few Scorpion tanks and ODST troops deployed from orbit. Along with a team of Spartans, the Covenant wasn't going to take this point without massive casualties.

A Wraith fired a plasma mortar at the line, and managed to hit a building that had a sniper team in it. One of the Scorpions fired at the Wraith, and penetrated it's armor, destroying it in the process.

The elite general growled in annoyance as he ordered more grunts to charge the humans. They were gunned down just like the charge before them, their bodies joining the dead.

"Argh!" The general snarled. "Cursed humans!"

"That approach clearly isn't working, general." A voice said.

The general whirled around, ready to kill the one who dared criticize him, but when he saw the armor of the elite who said this and his fellows, this thought was banished from his mind.

"Silent Shadow." He said. "But if the hierarchs sent you..."

"Indeed." The leader confirmed. "I am Kairos 'Kalamee, First Blade of this squad. What's the situation?"

"What you see." The general reported. "The humans have established a defensive perimeter and have stalled our advance. I was just about to order a glassing strike from the Fleet."

Kairos looked at the city, a plan coming together. The humans had chosen the place of their last stand well. And by the look of things, the cost to their forces was high.

However, such sacrifice was nessassary for the Great Journey.

"Pull your forces back." Kairos said. "We'll handle the humans."

"What?" The general said. "With the highest respect, brother, you'll be torn apart by their soldiers."

"They can't hit what they can't see, general." Kairos replied. "Return to the Fleet of Divine Judgement, and perpare to glass the planet after you receive the signal from me. Now go."

The general tried to argue, but instead did as he was told.

"Warriors! Fall back to the ships! The Silent Shadow will stay behind, and deal the humans a deadly blow!" He shouted over comms.

Kairos and his squad lept down and activated their active camouflage. Afterwards they ran towards the human base.

After the humans saw the Covenant forces running, they cheered, thinking they won.

"Okay marines, listen up!" The sergeant barked. "It's only a matter of time before the Covvies come back! So load up on ammo and grenades! Let's show these mothers what we think of thei-"

Before he could finish his speech, the sergeant was run through by a red energy sword, killing him instantly, and terrifying the marines.

The Silent Shadow deactivated his sword, which caused the corpse to land on the ground with a thud.

Suddenly the marines were attacked by more cloaked Silent Shadow, their screams echoed through the dead city, as they were tossed like ragdolls, snapped in half, or impaled by energy swords.