The humans lay motionless, with blood spattered on them. The fire burning nearby, smoke climbing into the sky in a hopless attempt to reach other humans. Several of them were high in the trees, freshly cleaned in a river. And looking about nervously.

The Covenant bite off more than they can chew in Part 2 of NevinNiven‘s Down in Flames

A Covenant Banshee sailed high overhead. The Marines crouched in a cave winced as the shrill noise reached their ears.

The Covenant strike back in Matthew Massey‘s fan fiction, Down in Flames.

General William Aaron, United Earth Marine Corp, awoke to the harsh ringing of the telephone next to his bed. He picked it up, “General Aaron,” he said in a groggy voice. “Sir, sorry to wake you, sir, but you’d better come to the Control Station.”

Matt Joseph sends in a space-based tale named The Last Stand.

Roughly two days later according to time on the Halo, Bob found himself sitting under a large tree, boiling before him in the cooking pot the flesh of a member of one of several species of herd animals that he had found resided on the ring construct.

Bob continues his strange journey in Chapter 8 of Tursas‘s ongoing story, Hermes Trismegistus

ÊŠÊŠHis train of thought was derailed as the intercom on the table started beeping. He entertained notions of ignoring it, setting it with a charge of plastique, or dropping it in the “Out” bin- filed the ideas for future reference, reached over and activated the com.

The Silver Hawks indulge in a little electronic espionage (among other things) as Vector40 sends in the next chapter of his Hawk Chronicles. Once again, this very long fanfic was posted as Part 1 and Part 2.

“Ar, hey thar matey. Mission successful. We met up with our marine comrades. We took zero casualties, but I’m afeared I can’t say the same for the marines. We’re returning to the ship. These boys need some new hardware bad.”

The plasma hits the fan as Omniscient sends in Part 8 of his ongoing Sea of Steel.

ʊʔhe pitch black came apart. Carbines fired in sloppy automatic belches. Tracer fire richochetting wildly off the local terrain. Then the cluster of mines burst. Submunitions scattering shards of metal and explosive into the air at over a hundred miles and hour.

Jon Chang sends in a short, violent story entitled War Hero.

“There were twenty-one elites, not twenty. The twenty-first dropped off last. And it was not just an elite. He was a Red, sir. I’d never seen one before, but – damn – I’m sure of it.”

Sea of Steel continues as Omniscient sends in Part 7.

“This is Captain Prindle! Covenant have boarded the ship. All Marines and capable hands, equip yourselves and prepare to hold back the enemy forces until all hands can be safely evacuated.”

NevinNiven sends in Beached, a look at the troops’ arrival on Halo.

“Commander, drop zone is near. I humbly suggest that you prepare to drop,” said the sensor operator. Tsheac walked over to him and peered over his shoulder at the screen.

Sea of Steel continues as Omniscient sends in Part 6 of his ongoing story.