Halo: First Strike/Forest (Level)

==Overview==
"Forest" is the second level in the fanon game Halo: First Strike. This is the first mission where cooperative play is an option, and where the player uses weapons and encounters enemies for the first time. Throughout the level, there will be tutorials on how to interact with AI players and the environment.
==Plot==
Spartan Red Team's landing on Reach was a bit rougher than expected, but most of the squad is alive and is proceeding to the objective. As SPARTAN-104 and/or SPARTAN-087, you must reach the generators and find more intel there. Later, Frederic-104 comes up with a plan to turn the tables on the Covenant when an enemy cruiser is found looming not far off.
==Starting Weapons==
{|class="wikitable" border="1"	 	Mission Start 	Rally Point Alpha 	Rally Point Alpha 	Rally Point Alpha
 	 	Scouts 	Sharpshooters 	Heavy Weapons 	
Primary Weapon 	none	M392 Designated Marksman Rifle	SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle	M19 SSM Rocket Launcher	
Secondary Weapon	none	M45 Tactical Shotgun 	M6C Magnum 	MA5B Assault Rifle 	
Equipment 	none	Evade 	Active Camouflage 	Drop Shield 	
{gameplay}
{Fade from black}
(Will's transceiver indicator disappears)
Will-043: (holds out Assault Rifle) "Take my gun, sir. You'll need it more than I do. It's empty, but when we landed our ammo was scattered all over the place. You should find some in the area."
{Kelly picks up Isaac's empty rifle.}
Fred-104: "Will, you and Isaac stay behind us. We'll clear a path. Once we get to the generators you can find some medical supplies."
{The player holds a combat knife in front of him.}
{Fred and Kelly see a group of Grunts examining some ammunition and equipment spread on the ground.}
Kelly-087: "Hit them from behind, sir. Run for that ammo, and take the rest of them out."
[Press B to mêlée. If your enemy is not facing you, you can perform an assassination by holding down B.]
(Once player picks up ammunition and an M6C Magnum)
[Pull RT to fire weapon. Press RB to reload, and Y to switch between your primary and secondary weapons.]There are 4 empty Magnums on the ground, so both players can dual-wield without worrying about "disappearing weapons" when picking them up. These are also the only empty weapons you can pick up in the game.
[Hold LB to dual-wield one-handed weapons. Pull LT to fire, and LB to reload. You cannot throw grenades or use equipment when you are holding two weapons at once. Press Y to drop the left-handed weapon.]
[Some weapons can be fired at different rates. The available firing modes are displayed above your ammunition indicator. The Assault Rifle can change between full automatic, semi automatic, and single round shots. Tap D-pad down to change between firing modes.]
{Once player picks up a Sprint equipment}
[You are now equipped with Sprint, which will allow you to temporarily run faster. Press X to activate it. You must wait for it to recharge when it runs out. You will find other types of equipment later and learn how to use them.]
(Once enemies are neutralized)
Joshua-029: (COM) "Red One? I'm nearly on location. There's something you need to see."
Fred-104: (COM) "Roger that, Joshua. Kelly? Let's get going. Keep your eyes peeled for movement."
(When player begins moving through cave)
[Press D-pad Up to see your equipment and press D-pad up again to turn on night vision. Press D-pad Up twice again to deactivate it. (Press A to continue)]
(Once player reaches Joshua's position)
{Fade to black}
{cutscene}
{Fade from black. Fred slowly moves towards Joshua in a crouching position.}
Joshua-029: (gives his sniper rifle to Fred) "Take a look."
{The view changes to first person, and at 10x magnification. Trees are seen everywhere, charred, smoking, their branches blown off. Bodies of several hundred Covenant and Marines lay on the ground. Vehicles smoldered and burned.}
Fred-104: (still looking through scope) "What the hell happened here?"
{The view shifts upward, and the generator complex is seen.}
Joshua-029: "Contacts ahead."
{Fred adjusts his view and sees four Marines walking around.}
Fred-104: (COM) "Marine patrol, this is Spartan Red Team. We are approaching your position from six o'clock."
{The four Marines turn towards the Spartans' position.}
Lance Corporal Fortin: (COM) "Spartans? We could sure use a hand."
{Fred gives Joshua his sniper rifle back.}
Fred-104: "Stay here."
{Fred gets up and walks towards the Marines.}
Fred-104: "Identify yourself, Marine."
Lance Corporal Fortin: "Sir! Lance Corporal Ryan Fortin, Charlie Company. Chief, you'd better head back to base with us before they hit us again."
Fred-104: "How many in your company, Corporal?"
Lance Corporal Fortin: (pause) "There's no 'company', sir. We're all that's left."
Fred-104: (pause) (COM) "Spartans, you're cleared to move up. (turns to Fortin) Let's get inside, soldier. You can explain to me what happened here."
{Fade to black}
{Fade from black. Fred is sitting inside a bunker, listening to Fortin and removing damaged pieces of his armour. Another Spartan, Malcolm, is lying on the ground near them.}
Lance Corporal Fortin: "...so when Lieutenant Buckman sent us in through the forest to flank the Covenant forces, and for extra measure called in air support. And some smartass at HighCom decided to bomb the forest. (sighs bitterly) The enemies were eliminated alright...along with most of our company."
{Fred looks down at Malcolm, and shakes his head. He pulls a pressure seal off his own armour and replacing it with the dead Spartan's.}
Fred-104: "Sorry to hear it, Marine. We'll be hard-pressed to hold off the next wave of Covenant with so few numbers. Get some rest, I have a feeling we're going to be fighting pretty hard soon."
Lance Corporal Fortin: "Yes sir."
{Fortin stands up and leaves.}
Fred-104: (COM) "How's it going outside, Will?"
Will-043: (COM) "Perimeter established, Chief. No enemy contacts."
Fred-104: (COM) "Good. Mission status?"
Will-043: (COM) "Ten chainguns recovered and now provide blanketing fields of fire around the generator complex. Six assorted Warthogs currently working...more or less. We've also recovered thirty Jackal arm shields, along with a few hundred rifles, pistols, and grenades." (pauses)
Fred-104: (COM) "Was there something else?"
Will-043: (COM) "We've recovered a crate marked HIGHCOM ARMOURY OMEGA. There's six Anaconda surface-to-air missiles ... and a pair of Fury tac-nukes."
Fred-104: (COM) "Secure that ordnance ASAP. We can't use them. The EMP would fry the generators."
Will-043: (COM) "Roger that."
Fred-104: (COM) "Red-Three, report."
Joshua-029: (COM) "Not good here, Red-One. From what I can see on the ridge, the Covenant has a massive LZ set up. There's an enemy ship on station and I estimate battalion-strength enemy troops on the ground. Grunts, Jackals, equipment, and support armour are deploying. Looks like they're getting ready for round two, sir."
Fred-104: (COM) "Give me an uplink."
{Cut to a video feed seen through a sniper scope appears. A Covenant cruiser, a gravity lift, and thousands of Covenant infantry and vehicles were seen.}
{Cut back to Fred.}
Fred-104: (COM) "Keep me updated every ten minutes."
Joshua-029: (COM) "Roger that."
Fred-104: (COM) "Red-Two? Any progress on that SATCOM uplink?"
Kelly-087: (COM) "Negative, sir. There are battle reports jamming the entire spectrum, but from what I can make out the fight in space isn't going well. They need this generator up—no matter what it's going to cost us."
Fred-104: (COM) "Understood."
Linda-058: (COM) "Red-Four reporting in. I've got visual on hostile reinforcements, inbound on the generators. They're heading towards the cruiser Joshua spotted."
Kelly-087: (COM) "How often do you see the Covenant wait for backup?"
Joshua-029: (COM) "I'm guessing that last bombardment really took a chunk out of them."
Fred-104: (COM) "Then we'll have to take them down before they get to us. With or without reinforcements. Let's get everything ready, Spartans! We're in for a fight."
{Fade to black}
===Winter Contingency===
{cutscene}
TEN KILOMETRES FROM REACTOR COMPLEX
07:21 HOURS, JULY 26, 2552
==Footnotes==