The Aftermath of Battle (Part 1)
A nation was not built on dreams. In the end, it had to be forged through iron and blood.
—Excerpt from The Hundred Years' War—Chronicle of the Fourth Empire Wars
The Battle of Terminus ended with the Galactic Republic's crushing defeat and Dawn Star Planet's costly victory.
The Galactic Republic fleet had no choice but to abandon all ground forces and retreat. They had only around thirty warships left, and nearly every one of them had suffered severe damage.
Of course, even before their retreat, the ground forces on the planet had long since been scattered, with no possibility of evacuation remaining.
The strength of Orbital Drop tactics lay in how Orbital Drop Soldiers could smash an entire front into fragments, forcing the enemy to fight simultaneously in every area. Its weakness, naturally, was that nearly every drop soldier fought in conditions bordering on hopelessness.
Such troops also existed in Halo. They were ordinary humans, yet possessed iron wills and a fearless spirit of sacrifice. No matter when or where war broke out, they would always be the first to jump into hell.
That was right. The moment Tang Xiao saw Matt Hona's battle plan, he immediately thought of such an army of steel—the Helljumpers ODST!
Such an army could not simply be manufactured. It was forged over a long period through discipline, honor, and faith. And the Fourth Civilization did indeed possess soldiers like that—the Fourth Legion.
Thus, this Orbital Drop force that turned the tide of the battle was formed.
They had also brought victory to the Battle of Terminus Planet!
Tang Xiao believed that, given time, the Fourth Civilization would also have Helljumpers of its own!
The Battle of Terminus had finally ended. Over the course of the campaign, the