Halo: Hunters of Orion

==Plot Synopsis==
Volume I
In the twilight of the 25th century, Humanity's golden age of peace and expansion has come under threat by the Insurrection. The Carver Findings become more prophetic as days go by, as rebellious colonists and disillusioned soldiers seek independence from Earth, and will go to any lengths to break free from their oppressors. To combat this ever-rising threat, the Office of Naval Intelligence initiates Project ORION, a revived, scientific military program to create the ultimate soldiers that would bring an end to the rebellion. 
Four soldiers, each with their motivations and stories, come together in this project, to protect and serve Earth and her colonies. However, these warfighters will come to know the intense horrors and tribulations of war and become witnesses to atrocities that will haunt their memories. Soon, their noble quest of unifying humanity will turn into a desperate struggle for survival, as they begin to question whether the carnage and bloodshed were ever worth their lives...
==Dramatis Personae==
Main Characters:
*Daniel Contreras: A quiet soldier that keeps to himself, and is on his journey of self-discovery. He became a first-generation Spartan, who previously served as an elite UNSC Marine Critical Skill Operator and specializes in Deep Reconnaissance, and Marksmanship, and is a capable scout that can adapt to any scenario.
*Riley Franklin: Candid, focused, and a natural tactician. This ORION operative is driven by a sense of duty to his family lineage and Humanity, specializing in Unconventional Warfare, Counterterrorism, Information Operations, and Intelligence-gathering.
*Karina Liberatore: Fierce, outspoken, and competitive. This operator is driven to be the best in her class, and leave a lasting legacy. She specializes in Close-Quarters and Hand-to-Hand Combat and demonstrates excellent leadership in combat.
*Javier Rivas: Humble, caring, and loyal to his comrades. This trooper is regarded as a "gentle giant", is known as a Heavy Weapons and Demolitions expert, and knows how to operate ground combat vehicles in a pinch.
Supporting Characters:
*Office of Naval Intelligence:
**Jaret Hudson
*ORION:
**Allen K. Jackson
**Judy S. Carlson
**Anthony M. Eberhardt
**Dorothy E. Wagner
*ODSTs/Marines/Army:
Antagonists:
*Insurrectionists:
**: A human insurrectionist leader of the United Rebel Front, and a former Marine Corps officer that defected from the UNSC after growing sympathetic to the insurgents he once fought against. A resourceful and charismatic leader who is highly esteemed by his peers, and is now focused on his campaign of Liberation from Earth's influences for the Outer Colonies.
**Gabriel Hessen: One of the Insurrection's most savage leaders and a wanted terrorist by the UNSC. An ex-Special Forces commander, who was thought to be dead, joined Watts in his defection from the UNSC. Disillusioned and living for the paycheck, Hessen will stop at nothing to complete his objectives, even at the cost of collateral damage and loss of innocent life. Hessen is feared for his viciousness and brutality in combat, and his low tolerance for those that fail him under his command.
**Grigori Kuzmin: A human operative for the Insurrection. An ex-ONI officer that worked in Section III, working on the development and production of special weapons projects. He was incarcerated at an ONI detention center after an internal investigation revealed that Kuzmin was involved in various illegal activities when it came to his projects. Kuzmin was later rescued by an unknown team of rogue operatives from his imprisonment and is now a high-ranking commander within the United Rebel Front. Rumors persist of Kuzmin forming his collective for unknown reasons.
==Prologue==
Small rays of moonlight broke through the bushy trees of the dense Eridanus forests that covered the black sky, with only the shuffling, thumping footsteps and the crunching of fallen trees branches and grass breaking the deafening silence. Clad in sleek black armor that was now scarred with burn marks, scratches, and dents, an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, holding a battle-scarred MA37 Assault Rifle in one hand, dashed through the trees and bushes.
 
Pausing in his retreat, the trooper’s helmet, marred with a cracked visor and noticeable scratches, scanned for a hiding spot, needing a respite to get his bearings. The trooper spotted a fallen tree trunk and made a quick dash toward that precious piece of cover.
 
Sergeant Daniel Contreras dropped down behind the fallen trunk, trying to catch his breath and to check if he had been wounded. He could taste the blood in his mouth and felt his body in agony. Daniel removed his helmet and checked his chest, arms, and legs for anything that needed attention. Once satisfied that he could still function, he reached out for the Assault Rifle that he picked up during his escape from the ambushing Insurgents. The exhausted Sergeant checked the ammo counter on his weapon, with the number zero-four flashing in front of his bloodied face, as leaves gently fell from the trees. Daniel rolled his eyes in annoyance and reached for his tactical pack.
 
Contreras removed his pack and dumped all its contents on the dirt. Picking through all of its materials, the tired and wounded trooper scrounged up a few clips of AR ammunition, a small med-pack, and a single clip of ammo for a Pistol that he lost in the chaos.
 
“Well, this isn’t the worst situation I’ve ever been in”, thought Contreras as he gathered his weapons and gear together.
 
“It is in my top ten, though”.
 
After a few minutes of rest and trying to treat the gash on his forehead that turned his face into a crimson mask, Contreras closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
 
One, Two, Three, Four, Five.
 
After counting, he exhaled and slowly got up to survey the valley before him. Peaking over the fallen trunk, the trooper could only see a void of black that looked to be hugging the trees and bushes before him. Contreras glanced at his damaged helmet and grumbled at the sight of it. With his helmet’s visor damaged, there was no way that Contreras was going to be able to use his night vision to navigate.
 
Contreras, needing to return to his recon picket’s base camp at one of the valley’s many hilltops, realized that he was going to have to rely on his instincts for this situation with his equipment either damaged or lost. Leaping over the tree trunk, Contreras disappeared into the engulfing darkness of the woodlands, in the hopes that he picked the right direction to run in.
 
The leaves of the Eridanus trees began to trickle from their branches, landing softly on Daniel’s scarred helmet.
 
Trotting his way through the dark for several minutes, a dazed Contreras constantly scans his wooded surroundings. However, with his bloodied visage clouding his vision and his fatigue setting in, the trooper began to feel lost and exhausted.
 
Contreras tripped over his own feet and fell face first. Turning on his back, Contreras tried to catch a bit of rest and began assessing his current dilemma. The trooper stared up into the night sky of Eridanus, as the stars and void stared back at Daniel. At this moment of peace, Contreras wanted to lay on the ground and watch the stars zip by him and be lost in the peaceful void of space. Contreras closed his eyes, hoping to be back home on Earth with his parents waiting for him when he opened his eyes again.
 
His eyes opened again, with only the night sky staring back at him.
 
With a slight grin and a groan, Daniel slowly got up and, after shaking the cobwebs from his head, marched into the darkness of the woods.
 
“I guess this isn’t it, just yet”
 
 
Crouched over a stream, Contreras splashed water on his face, wiping some of the dry blood on his face and the liquid coldness jolting him awake.
 
Contreras reached over to his Assault Rifle, which was resting on the bark of a tree that acted as a shroud for him. Readying his rifle, Contreras stood quiet, listening for anything that broke the forest’s silence.
 
Once sure of his isolation, Contreras marched north to a wooded hilltop, where his platoon had established their base camp for the operation. Daniel had to report to Lieutenant Balkovec about his patrol’s run-in with enemy insurgents that were lying in wait for them, and how he was the only one to survive.
 
Deja Vu was a concept that Contreras was becoming keenly aware during these last few months.
 
Several weeks ago, Contreras and his platoon of Shock Troopers were tasked to report on rebel activity in the dense, expansive woodlands of Eridanus II, and to call in aerial or artillery strikes on their positions. However, it seems the United Rebel Front caught wind of their presence and prepared a surprise for the snooping ODSTs.
 
Daniel craned his neck until he heard a pop, as he slowly moved up the slopes. He felt sore, tired, and angry. Then again, ever since Operation: TREBUCHET began, this was always Daniel’s default mood.
 
As Contreras’s eyes caught vision over the slope's peak, the trooper immediately dropped behind the slope, readying his rifle and slowly crawling back up the slope to get another view.
 
Over the slope were eight armed insurgents that were slowly moving near his position, dressed in military fatigues and adorning familiar UNSC equipment and material. However, the scratched-out UNSC logos and custom red coatings on their equipment and BDUs made it clear that these were not UNSC soldiers.
 
“Keep your eyes open, boys. Who knows how many of the ODSTs are running about these woods”, barked the lead guerilla in their formation.
 
“I think we killed ‘em all, right? They said it was only a platoon, and we already wiped out their camp and taken out their patrol”, remarked a boisterous rebel in the back of their formation.
 
Contreras gritted his teeth after hearing this. Their encampment was compromised, and he could be out here on his own now. Moreover, these rebels were likely not taking prisoners. The trooper scanned his surroundings and realized that getting by them quietly was going to be a challenge. However, armed with only an Assault Rifle with a few clips, he would be risking himself in direct engagement.
 
Daniel realized that there was only one thing could do.
 
“Alright guys, take 5 and get ready to move north. We’ll cover the valley below and head back to base”, ordered their leader, a rebel adorned with a red-colored Marine BDU that he likely took from a stolen shipment of UNSC material.
 
A scruffy-looking rebel, likely in his late 20s, slowly reached the tip of the slope and took in the view of a darkened forest before him. The other seven rebels would also stop, resting on the trees and sitting on boulders.
 
The rebel pulled out his lighter to use for a smoke break but fumbled it and dropped into the slope below. “Shit”, snarled the insurgent.
 
“Nice job, Gorman”, said one of the lounging rebels that saw him drop his lighter.
 
“Bite me, Ivan.”
 
He slowly stepped into the slope below and disappeared from view of his patrol. After a couple of minutes, the rebel leader motioned for his patrol to move out.
 
Gorman still had not returned.
 
“Gorman, forget it. “Get back up and let’s finish up, “yelled the rebel named Ivan.
 
No response.
 
“Gorman, you hear me?”
 
Still nothing.
 
Ivan walked his way over the slope, expecting Gorman to have gone farther down the slope than expected. Instead, Ivan peeked over, only to be greeted by a hand over his mouth and a knife that was violently lodged in his throat. The rebel’s body was quickly dragged down before the other rebels could see what happened. The enemy commander noticed he was down two men and called out their names, only met by silence.
 
“Hey, focus up and get information. We’ve got company,” barked the patrol leader.
 
The guerillas directed their attention at the embankment where their comrades were last seen, rifles at the ready and triggers waiting to be squeezed. Two of the rebels were ordered to check out the slope below the embankment, and they slowly made their way over. They peeked over, only seeing darkness. It was difficult to see anything, and the duo switched their flashlights on, but still could not find their missing compatriots. The two shrugged in confusion, and they motioned to their commander that they did not see anything.
 
The patrol was confused and unsure of what was going on, and they started scanning the tree lines and bushes around them for any signs. Minutes passed, and the silence lingered as the rebel commander approached the embankment.
 
Contreras, who quickly positioned himself at the tree line on the enemy’s patrol left flank, aimed his AR at the unsuspecting guerilla commander that was now looking at the slope below him.
 
He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.
 
Rifle rounds entered the right side of the guerilla leader’s skull, as his body rolled down the slope. The other two rebels were also hit with AR bursts, as another crumpled into the ground and the other fell clutching his chest and gasping for air. The four remaining insurgents panicked and started firing blindly into the tree line. However, Contreras was calmly reloading his AR, as he was behind one of the tree trunks. After several seconds of emptying their magazines, one of them approached the tree line.
 
The second he heard the thud of empty magazines hitting the ground, Contreras emerged from the trunk and neutralized the remaining Insurrectionists with controlled bursts from his AR, all of them falling to the ground like leaves from a dying tree.
 
The firefight only lasted a few minutes.
 
With area still and quiet now, Contreras went back into the embankment and hovered over a rebel with a bullets lodged in his chest. Daniel propped him up on a nearby tree and crouched down to meet him at his level as he sat gasping for air, looking into his scared and angry eyes.
 
“Listen to me, it’s going to be a while before you bleed out, and even longer for someone to find you. If you tell me what I need to know, I’ll end your suffering right here”, stated Daniel to the rebel gripping his chest.
 
Contreras sat him upright on the trunk nearby to make him more comfortable.
 
“Well, do we have a deal?"
 
The dying guerilla whipped a bloody loogy at the trooper in front of him. Blood and snot splattered across Daniel’s face.
 
A defiant "no".
 
A resigned Contreras began to scavenge the corpses, finding extra AR ammo, a Magnum, and a couple of frag grenades. He used a rag to wipe the blood from his face and pulled out his bloodied combat knife to clean it with the rag. He could feel the eyes of the dying rebel needling him. Contreras, now far more equipped to handle his predicament, looked back at the rebel laying on the tree before him, clutching his chest, and staring daggers into him.
 
Contreras turned and disappeared into the woods, leaving the lone guerilla alone with his final thoughts and surrounded by his dead compatriots. Once he was clear of the area, Daniel began to sprint towards his nearby encampment, hoping to find survivors from his picket and, if not, a way to call for evac.
 
He hoped he did not have to make another long trek back to friendly lines.
 
“This is my life, just one long trek of bullshit and misery, huh…” thought Contreras as the light began to rise on the horizon.
 
He could see the night sky tinge with color, meaning dawn was going to break soon. Soon enough, as the sun came into view, Daniel arrived at base camp, but one glance was all needed to know that no one survived.
 
Bodies of his ODST brethren and Insurrectionists strewed across the dried-up riverbed, pieces of destroyed communications equipment were spread out, and signs of a brutal fight that he was not there to help. Contreras walked through the desolate valley, hoping to find any sign of life. However, all he could see were the blank faces of the dead and bodies ravaged by shrapnel and bullets. After inspecting some equipment, Daniel turned to see a slumped corpse of an ODST facing him.
 
Daniel could feel the dead eyes staring back at him, even with the darkened visors covering their faces.
 
Contreras sat on a fallen tree trunk, filled with bullet holes, and surveyed the valley of death bared in front of him. He laid down his rifle and took in his surroundings. The only thing running through Daniel’s mind was that he could not protect his men. Contreras buried his face into his hands, with tears squeezing through the slits of his fingers.
 
As the sun began to rise on Eridanus II, the forest was beginning to fill with the sounds of waking wildlife and the quiet sobbing being drowned out by the sounds of the waking forest itself.
==Volume I==
Hunters of Orion, Vol. One
==Volume II==
==Volume III==
==Epilogue==