-Chapter 3-

                                                                  Desperate Defense 

About an hour later the arrival of the first marine squads from the fleet landed on the base below. Troops and officers of the base were waiting the coming of their brethren in formation and as the first ship touched the ground, they presented arms. From all the crafts that docked, one stood above all else, the one with Spartan-116. As the hatch of their landing craft opened, they were the first to come out causing everybody to look with awe as if they hadn't seen a Spartan before. He was a site to be held as he was glad in Mk VI, the latest Spartan armor suit, a state of the art technology in the human arsenal, in addition to the Mk V of Spartan-118. His armor was dirty and full of scratches and plasma burns from his many battles. 

<<Pfff>> that was the sound Spartan-118 made breaking the silence  

of the gathered crowed with a tone of jealousy. The two Spartans came in eye contact eventually and as Spartan-116 saw the younger Spartan, he couldn't help but commenting: 

<<Nice suit, kid>> said Spartan-116 to the younger Spartan-118. <<Nice markings, big guy>> replied Spartan-118. 

<<Lock it down both of you!>> said Srg. Johnson as he spanked them on the back of their heads. <<We have a battle to win here>>. 

And so began preparations for the Covenant attack which involved three defense lines. The first line was a series of trenches with the marines and the two Spartans stationed in the first line fighting of the balk of the enemy assault. Behind them was the second line with snipers and artillery guns ready to rain fire from afar. On the rear of those two forward positions, were sentry guns and machinegun turrets to clean up any remaining aliens that might be trying to escape. In the second line were antitank barricades and mine fields stretching for one kilometer back to the base's thick walls which was the third and final defensive structure. After that there was the time machine prototype. The night was cold and long as the human forces took place in their designated positions and waited for the Covenant to make their move. The marines were straggling to keep themselves warm while the Spartans had their suit's heat stabilizers. Out of a sudden, an entire Covenant armada appeared in low orbit which overrun the human fleet. The ''Terminator'' was cut in half by an ion cannon while five more cruisers were destroyed by a barrage of plasma torpedoes. After those losses, whatever left of the U.N.S.C. fleet fled leaving the few defenders on the planet to face certain death. 

<<I don't wanna die out here, sir>> cried out one of the marines. 

<<No one will die if I can help it>> said Spartan-118 to boost the men's morale. 

<<A bold claim don't you think?>> said Spartan-116. 

<<Look, I don't think we're gonna make it either but at least we should give a fight to remember>>. 

<<I hear ya>>nodded in agreement Spartan-116. The Covenant had now full control of the sky and all night reinforcements were descending over the debris site and at the first light of the next day the noise of the Wraiths advancing, marked the beginning of the long awaited attack. The Wraiths unleashed a strong waive of plasma rounds at the first line and at the same time squads ofGrunts lead by Elites, charged on a massive frontal assault in order to test the strength of the human defense. Fear had overrun the men and only the heroic actions of the Spartans were keeping them in line. The Covenant's seer numbers made it possible for them to bring the fight close to the trenches so the battle soon became a hand to hand combat. After an hour of fierce and bloody battle the Covenant took the upper hand passing through the first and second trenches and heading directly for the base. 

<<We can't hold them, we must retreat>> said Corporal Andrew. 

<<I agree call of the men we're going back to the base, we must defend the prototype>> said Spartan-116. 

The remaining human soldiers rallied behind the base walls and prepared for a last fight to the death. Minutes later the first knockings on the front door started. Everyone took cover wherever they could with their gaze fixed on the doorway, some praying, others cursing their luck and others aiming with their weapons as if the enemy had already enter the room. 

<<I guess this is it>> said Spartan-118 with a low voice heard by Spartan-116 nonetheless. 

<<Not if I can help it>> replied Spartan-116 in Spartan-118's surprise. <<I've got an idea>>. 

<<I'm listening>>. 

<<It's risky>>. 

<<Really? Because behind that door there are hundreds maybe thousands of aliens waiting to obliterate us and put our head to sticks. so I think I can handle it>>.  

<<Okay, here it is. We activate the machine and teleport ourselves prior to the war and maybe we can change things>>. 

<<Hmm let's see... We have countless aliens on the one side that will kill as for sure when they get in and on the other a time machine that has never been put in use and if something goes wrong, the machine will act as a nuclear reactor and wipe as all out>> patronized Spartan-118. 

<<Oh come on, don't be such a pessimistic>>. 

<<You're right I exaggerate, there is nothing wrong about dying in a few minutes>>. 

<<You are quite the joker aren't you>>. 

<<I learned that from you>>. 

The door began to crack down making the marines and even the Spartans nervous. The two Spartans run to the machine and began preparing its activation as time was running out. Moments later they stood onto a designated position inside the machine. 

<<Set the timer to twenty five forty nine so that we can warn humanity about the coming war so that to prevent all this>> said Spartan-116. At that moment the front doors finally gave to and the Covenant forces lashed into and overrun the few marines. Soon the fight reached the machine where the fate of mankind hanged in the balance. 

<<Got it! We are ready to go>> said Spartan-118. 

<<Roger that. Fire it!>> ordered Spartan-116. 

As the machine was charging up to send the two warriors to their trip back to the past, the Spartans fought to hold back the alien swarm but they were too many for them and the machine took a lot of damage. As a result the machine started repeating: 

<<WARNIN! WARNING! PROTOTYPE CORE OVERHEATED>>. 

<<Shit! The system was gone nuts and the timer has change to 40,000 years in the future! I can't stop the fire sequence>> said Spartan-118 in despair. And in a blink of an eye both men had vanished.