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Halo: Left Behind

Chapter 5: Hope

Courage is like love: it must have hope for nourishment

-Napoleon Bonaparte

The Jacksonville

Orbit over Harvest 2527

October 9th_ _

Liam woke up with a deep feeling of ease and comfort. Warmth pervaded his body and its source was the soft furred body of the vixen atop him, replacing his blanket. He gazed at her slumbering beauty as she snored softly on him with a cute expression adorning her muzzle. She looked to be sleeping peacefully and contently. He smiled as he watched her sleep and brought a hand up to caress her cheek.

"That's the first time I've seen her so happy in twelve months."

Liam turned his head to see Fox sitting on the cot on the other side of the room. He looked to have been deep in thought before he spoke. "She was in a bad state, almost since the moment you disappeared. And she gave very few smiles. But now..." He waived a paw. "It's good to have you back Liam, try not to die, I think it would hurt her more than it would you."

The orange furred vulpine in his customary clothing of green and white, stood up and clipped his blaster to his belt. 'The others left a short while ago to meet at the briefing room before the attack. Samus came in to get us, but he decided to let you have more time. I waited here to let you know when you woke up. I'll see you down there." Fox have a quick nod and ducked out of the room.

Liam considered what his friend told him and took it to heart.

He felt Krystal shift on top of him, trying to get comfortable in her sleep. Reluctantly he gently shook her, causing her eyes to flutter open. Blinking away sleep, she focused her attention on him. "Good morning, love." She mumbled tiredly.

He smiled and kissed her as his response.

She grinned and squeezed him tightly. Yet soon afterwards her expression turned serious, and with good reason. Today they would attempt to take down that massive alien ship. It would be not without tremendous risk and death was a possibility, for both of them. "Liam, I have wanted to ask you something since we found each other again. And I need an answer before we leave."

He gave a puzzled look and nodded that he would answer whatever it may be.

"I want to....make love to you Liam." Krystal set down her thought haltingly with a blush as she looked to him for his response. She was hinging heavily on how he would react. The vixen had given it much thought, even before he was taken away. She wanted what all women wanted, a family and a loving spouse. And while she was uncertain that children would be possible from their union, she wanted him nonetheless. She wanted to have kits, but would be just as happy with him alone. She would also be lying to herself if she did not admit that she had certain needs as well, and she had entered season a week ago. Her urges were slowly becoming worse, and she needed relief. And there was only one man she wanted to help her. "I want a serious relationship with you."

Liam studied her with a nervous sensation in his gut. He never went that far with any woman. Nor did he even get close enough to a girl for either one to want what she was asking. He had been dedicated to his duties as a soldier and so it never occurred to him that he might be facing a situation like this in the future. Liam was not ignorant of love making; he just never took much time to think about it. But if he had to go the distance per say, with any girl, it would be her. Ever since he met Krystal, he had not thought of any women besides her as more than close friends. Yet he was still hesitant, she was not exactly human in that respect. She may have had the same parts, but there were certain aspects of her anatomy that threw him off slightly. Her muzzle, tail, paws, and claws, were not exactly what he had been born to accept. And while he did accept her and the others for what they were, there was still that inherent...he would not say repulsion, but more along the lines of uncertainty. It was one thing to kiss and cuddle, but what she was asking was a giant leap forward for their relationship.

Liam thought long and hard about this.

** Warning, Sexy Time approaching**

---

Just as she was beginning to think that asking this of him was a bad idea he nodded in acceptance, smiling at her with a wide grin and warm blue eyes. Krystal smiled back at him and kissed him, this time much more deeply than any before. The vixen sat up on him and grabbed her top, pulling it off to expose her moderately sized breasts swathed in short white downy fur. In the same motion she pulled on the bottom of her outfit and wormed out of it, leaving her in nothing at all. With that, she moved to sit on his waist and traced her paws down his muscled chest as he stroked her cheek. Krystal leaned over and wrapped her tongue around his own in a breathtaking kiss. His other arm trailed down to cup one of her velvety soft breasts, issuing a happy moan from his lover.

Liam pulled away from the kiss to plant a row of them down her fuzzy chest while his arms moved to hold her securely from her lower back, fingers threading through the fur around her waist. She moaned louder and placed her paws around his head and guided him lower to where she wanted him most as she moved farther up his body.

He neared her nether regions and could feel her fur down there, it damp and radiating a dull heat with a not unpleasant smell. The closer he got to her center, the more vocal she was in her urging him on. It made Liam thank Fox for closing the doors behind him after he left. To be discovered like this would not be enjoyable for either of them.

Liam finally reached where she was leading him and stopped. Her entrance was puffy and red, and looked almost irritated. It gave him pause and made him wonder if she was in heat. His family owned a farm and had a few animals that had a cycle like this. He was no stranger to the down and gritty aspects of farm life. His mother had been a farm dog breeder in her time. Was this why Krystal wanted it so bad? If it was, he would feel a little used.

Krystal whimpered and tightened her grip on his head. "Please Liam. I need you."

Liam pushed doubt aside and focused on his lover. He would just have to believe that she loved him enough for this rather than it was her hormones shackling her to her animalistic need. He brought his lips to her lower pair and gave them a quick swipe of the tongue. He had never done this before so he was taking it slow, and was unsure of himself.

Krystal moaned and pressed her heated nether lips to his face, and asked for more in a husky voice. He took this as a sign that he was doing alright. He started off slow, gently slurping against her slit, and she began to quiver. As he worked, he increased his pace and noticed a trickle of oddly flavored liquid. He was on the fence to as whether the taste was good or bad. It was almost sweet and yet strikingly spicy with a weird tang, like a strange dessert. Soon she was trembling and yipping softly as she rode his face. Suddenly she shot stock still and gave off a silent howl before collapsing on top of him in a panting mess of matted fur. And the bunk room had a faint aroma from their exploits.

Krystal rolled to the side of the bed and looked at him with a giddy lopsided smile. He smiled back at her and she kissed him deeply, uncaring of the fact his mouth had her flavor in it. She pulled back from him and giggled. "That was...wow. I've never felt that way before." She sighed and snuggled up close to him with her nude body.

He looked at her still smiling, and frowned when he looked at his shirt, it was soaked and he would have to find a replacement. There was no way he was going to step out of the room in his current state. Liam kissed her on the nose and stood up from the cot. She watched as he walked around rummaging through lockers and clothing. As she watched him try to find a shirt that fit she grinned to herself.

Liam found a shirt that fit, although not as well as the last one. He quickly removed the saturated article of clothing and tossed it on another cot intending to deal with it later. As he stood shirtless ready to don the new one, he felt Krystal wrap her arms around his torso. "How about we take a shower first? I think it would be best if we didn't smell like this."

He thought about and agreed with her. He could easily smell their efforts, but that was mostly due to his enhancements. But that did mean that the other team members could smell them as well as they had naturally strong noses. There was nothing wrong with that, but he did not want to have to explain himself or Krystal. The vixen smirked at his nod and she grabbed his larger hand and led him to the small row of showers that were placed in an adjacent small room. She sashayed as she walked, emphasizing her luscious hips to her partner. Liam smiled and rolled his eyes jokingly at her teasing.

The small shower room was only about the size of a lineup of warthogs, one by two. At most it could fit ten marines uncomfortably. But seeing as it was just the two of them that would be no problem. She looked back over her shoulder at him and giggled as she led him to the one at the far end of the row. "You know..." She said with a smile pointed at him. "People don't shower with their clothes on."

Liam looked down to see that he was still wearing his pants and socks. Blushing, despite what they had already done, he undid the button for his pants and quickly undressed, placing his clothes on a hanging rack to the side. Krystal looked at him and laughed loudly in a musical tone.

Liam, the seven foot soldier that could wrestle with a tank, stood there blushing as he covered himself and looked at her nervously. She shook her muzzle and called out his name making him look at her.

She gestured to her own nudity. "See, we're both naked, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's a normal thing."

Liam knew that she spoke the truth, but this was all new territory for him. Hand him a rifle and tell him to fight and he would without a lick of hesitation. Bu this was a new field of battle, one he had no first recon or fire support. Nodding reluctantly, he moved his hands away and she smiled kindly.

"There see, no problem." Krystal said softly. She herself was a virgin as well, but Liam seemed to be far more anxious than she was. Don't get her wrong, her heart was beating a mile a minute, but she wanted this. And she knew he did to.

Krystal turned to one of the faucets and studied the knobs on the wall. It took her a second to puzzle out which was hot and cold. But she managed and soon a pleasantly warm stream of water was cascading out of the nozzle to strike softly against the floor. She beckoned him over with a disarming smile and he moved over to her.

She stepped into the hot stream and murred contentedly as the wave of liquid washed down her back and front. She noticed that he was still standing to the side, albeit closer. Smiling, she gently grabbed his arm and pulled him into the stream.

Liam stood stiffly under the water, watching as Krystal cleaned herself off. He was still a little worried, and she knew that.

Just as Krystal finished with herself she turned her attention to her lover, rubbing him down with her black padded palms. At first he had almost jumped at the contact, but now he leaned into it. He would have said words of encouragement if he could. He felt her soft pads run over his sore and damaged muscles to ease the tension away. It had been a long time since he could properly enjoy a shower. And as she continued her ministrations, he calmed down more and more. Soon he was comfortable with her touching him so intimately and he even returned the favor, brushing down her body and cleaning her fur.

Yet the vixen had a plan. As she massaged him, she lowered her paws until she was cupping his member. Liam was given a small shock, but let her continue with what she was doing. Krystal went to the tips of her claws and kissed him as she stroked his tool. In return he hugger her back tightly, massaging his palms into her furred flanks. The strong but gentle circles he was making started to make her purr softly as the vixen looked up into his eyes.

She had by this time caressed life into his member and looked at him with a fierce smile. Krystal aimed her lover's shaft at her sopping wet vulva. "Give it to me." She ordered in a low and throaty growl.

Liam hesitated for only a moment before complying. He felt his tool begin to sink into a warm and soft place before it hit an obstruction that he tore through and made her yip in pain. He stopped immediately and looked at her worriedly.

She smiled weakly at him and spoke in a pained voice. "It's okay Liam. I was just not ready for that."

He nodded uncertainly, and still waited for her to calm down. Eventually she looked at him and gave a nod that she was ready to continue. Still a little uneasy he slowly pressed into her. The water from the shower and her own fluids lubricated and made the whole ordeal more manageable. She was an incredibly tight fit and he was certain that he was hurting her. But instead of crying out in pain she was moaning in pleasure.

Liam, now sure that she was not in pain, thrusted into her. She yipped softly in delight and pushed down on him to meet his plunges halfway. The angle they were at was hard to work with, as he was a fair amount taller than her. So he picked her up so that they were about even and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She grabbed his shoulders roughly with her paws and snared his lips into a soul-searing kiss.

The now lukewarm water pounded down on them as she moaned into his mouth in bliss. Krystal rocked against him as he thrusted into her passionately. By this time, any reservations he may have had were gone, replaced by a burning desire for his vixen. It felt as if his shaft had plunged into a wet and warm tunnel that was constricting around him to just tolerable levels.

Krystal continued to moan around his mouth as she felt his rod fill her up so completely. She did her best to push her muzzle into his lips as the fire in her loins increased to a roaring inferno. Suddenly she seized in a mind shattering orgasm and she racked her claws down his back and released him from her kiss to clamp her jaws down on his right shoulder. She felt the coppery tang of blood spurt in her mouth as her teeth sunk into his skin.

Liam felt the sharp pain of claws running down his back and fangs pierce into his shoulder even as he felt the pleasure of having his shaft in her heated depths. It was this combination of pleasure and pain that allowed him to reach his climax. With a silent grunt he hilted himself in her and felt his seed course through his member and into his love.

Krystal clung to him tightly as she rode out a second surprise orgasm caused by the sensation of being filled. The vixen moaned softly and weakly let go of Liam. He held her in his strong arms and let the shower clean them both of again. Once he was certain that it had done its job he carried her out of the spray. He set her down on a bench and returned to the shower, shutting the knobs off and placing the room in silence once more. The only noise being their panting and the trickle of water, swirling down the drains.

Liam grabbed a pair of towels and brought them over to Krystal. He used one for himself and the other to dry down Krystal. Her fur was hard to dry, but she was far too tired to do it herself. But he didn't mind that much, he was happy to help her. Once he was satisfied that she was somewhat dry he went to the rack and gathered his clothes, quickly dressing back up. He left the shirt he selected, off, due to the wounds she had given him.

Upon his return, Krystal had managed to get up and finish drying herself off. She saw Liam heading over and quickly rushed over to embrace him, planting a kiss on him. Then she mewled and looked to the wound on his shoulder. 'I'm sorry, I had no idea what came over me."

He smiled at her and kissed her, cutting of her apologies. It didn't bother him that much; he thought it was pretty sexy if he was honest with himself.

The vixen looked at him hard, but relented. "Okay, if you're sure."

He nodded and helped her to the door leading into the bunk room. HE sat on the bed they had used and grabbed a towel, wiping the blood of his shoulder and back. Once he was sure that the bleeding had stopped he tossed the bloody cloth into a bin along with the rest of his old clothes. He pitied the people that would have to clean this all up.

Liam finished dressing and laced up his service boots. As he did so he watched as Krystal dressed back into her casual clothes. She had been wearing a black short shirt and blue pants with her usual sandals. He frowned at that. He would have to see about getting her some armor. There was no way he would allow her to step on the battlefield with that on.

As she finished tugging her shirt back on she turned to him with a radiant smile that made him smile back. She was practically glowing now, and looked so happy that his heart hurt. He loved seeing her that happy.

Krystal skipped over and hugged him again. "That was amazing, thank you." She whispered before slowly pulling away. He smiled at her and kissed her softly on her furred brow. He made sure that they were both cleaned up and ready to go, grabbing his pad to take with him. With one last look at the bunk room, that still slightly had the lingering odor of their exploits, he gave it a smile. This unassuming room on a UNSC cruiser was where their relationship reached a new level.

She tugged on the sleeve of his clothing and she motioned for him to lead the way. He nodded and gave her another kiss before heading out the room.

** Sexy Times Over**

---

Fox stood with the others in the briefing room as they waited for Liam and Krystal to join them. It had been almost an hour since he walked out of the room. He was curious as to what was taking them but could not figure out what it was.

Falco was passing around a table and muttering to himself. He was eager to test his mettle against this new threat, and when he wanted to fight he became very impatient.

Miyu and Fay sat together on the table and were talking with that strange human, Samus. They were trying to find out more about the aliens they would be fighting. Samus only gave short descriptions and told them that a more though explanation would be given once they were all here.

None of them were anywhere near the back corner and that was for one simple reason. Three very large armored figures stood there. They were about as large as Liam was and had not said a word or even moved since the four of them entered the room to see them.

"Where the hell are they?!" Falco finally squawked loudly.

"Give them time Falco. I think they deserve a little." Fox muttered at his friend in annoyance. Sometimes the bird could be a little too much. Even for Fox's vast patience.

Falco grumbled and stopped moving, standing close to the table, but far from the three armored figures in the back. Yet even as he stopped he started twitching, unable to completely bag his exasperation.

Thankfully before he could explode again, two figures entered the room.

Fox turned to see them and smiled at seeing the beaming smile on Krystal's muzzle. Even Liam was smiling broadly, as she led him in with gusto.

Fox also picked up that one of the armored figures in the back moved just slightly, an almost imperceptible shift of a helmet in the direction of the happy couple. He picked up the subtle movement due to his sharp vulpine eyes. But before he could think about it in detail Samus stood up from his seat to speak.

"Good, now that we are all here I can begin." As he spoke Liam and Krystal moved to sit at the table. Falco and Fox joined them soon after.

"In exactly one hour, the mission will commence. But before we get in detail, I have some information on our enemy." That made Liam and the others look up. Even the armored figures in the back visibly tuned in.

"They are called the Covenant. And while we know what they are called, we do not know why they chose to attack. He keyed something in on the table and the rooms lights darkened and a holo manifested on the table. It showed four very different races of aliens. "From speculation, we can assume that they are a governmental entity comprised of many races. The first race is a group of short amphibian reptilian hybrid of methane breathers. Data that one of our AIs retrieved says they are called unggoy. They are the equivalent of cannon fodder and do not pose much threat unless in large groups, the marines have taken to calling them grunts. They have been seen carrying weapons emplacements and are equipped with lower rank guns. The next group however, is not as weak."

The picture of the grunt was replaced by a very angry looking bird-like creature with a large rifle with another one that had a glowing orange shield. "These beauties are called kig-yar. They are avian in appearance and are a fair bit more dangerous than grunts. Reports have been made that they eat human flesh and make for excellent snipers. We call them jackals,"

Fox nudged Falco and whispered. "Is there a family resemblance, huh Falco?"

The bird jabbed back at Fox and gave a scowl, causing his friend to chuckle.

Samus either did not notice or cared and continued. "The next group is extremely dangerous." He pulled up an image of a massive reptilian like creature with razor sharp mandibles and wielding a pronged blue-white energy blade. "These sangheili, pose a greater threat than the last two species put together. They are exceedingly large and muscular; they have personal shielding and fight with frightening zeal. One of them can eliminate an entire squad of marines and proceed to demolish a second. We nicknamed name elites and they are leaders. One or two of them can lead up to a squad of fifteen grunts and half a dozen jackals. Each one of them are experienced warriors and not to be trifled with, they account for the most civilian and military casualties of the entire invasion."

Liam stared hard at the holo image, thinking back to his encounters with the beasts. They were the most challenging foes he had ever faced. These elites fought with such ferocity that he had never seen before. He must have been glaring darkly at the image, as Krystal placed a paw on is hand under the table and squeezed reassuringly. He looked down at her and gave her a smile, trying to assure her that he was okay. She nodded and they both turned back to the briefing.

"Finally, the last specimen of the hierarchy is the largest. Lieutenant Callahan is the only soldier to have survived an encounter with the beasts without tremendous injury." Samus pulled up a picture of one of those massive shield bearing creatures. It would seem that the only way to have gotten a picture of it was after it was dead. It was propped against a wall and leaking orange fluid from numerous holes in its body. Magelekgolo, or hunters, are the equivalent of walking tanks. They have massive cannons and bulky nigh impenetrable shields. These hunters have been seen only traveling in pairs of two and are significantly rare to encounter. The best way to kill one is either with heavy weaponry or from behind. They have surprisingly fast reflexes and seem to enter into a suicidal rage if its partner is slain. If encountered it is best to fall back and wait for reinforcements."

The hunters were terrifying and it showed. The entire team stared at the picture of the dead beast quietly. None of them wanted to meet this creature unless it was from the cockpit of an arwing. Liam also could attest to their reluctance. Those things had nearly killed him, and without the support of the spartans...he feared that his life would have ended right there under that hunter's boot.

"Now that introductions are over, we can talk about the plan." Samus pulled up the same representation of the enemy ships as last time. "The enemy fleet is currently orbiting over the capital of Utgard. It moved about two hours ago to hover over the city. After that...it wiped the capital off the map." Samus switched to a live feed of the capital and all that could be seen was a field of sparkling half-melted glass. "Apparently, the Covenant wanted to show a display of force, the massive ship moved to hover over it and systematically burned it to glass with high energy beams. This can only mean two things. They do not want the planet, and they do not care for civilian casualties."

The pit of Liam's stomach was filled with acid and he felt a fire brew in his soul. His home was on the screen, and it was nothing but molten glass. Liam's hands were clenched on the rim of the thick oaken table and he clutched with impotent rage. There was a quiet crack as the wood splintered under his grip.

"This means that we have to act now, the fleet in orbit is readying to assault. They will take out the four ships surrounding the larger vessel. As they fight, the surviving elements of UNSC ground forces will converge on the main ship. They will engage the concentrated enemy force. In the chaos, a small team will slip into the target with the nuclear devices. From there they will place the three warheads in strategically weak points on the vessel's superstructure while the distraction team keeps the attention off of them. Several pelicans and longswords are on task to pick everyone up once the mission is complete. When the team has accomplished their objectives, they will rendezvous at the exfil and get picked up. After the timers go off, the bombs will detonate and the ship will be destroyed, any questions?" Samus turned off the holo and looked at the group.

"I have one." Falco piped up. "Who's planting the bombs?"

"Spartan Blue Team will be carrying the explosives into the ship." Samus pointed at the three armored figures in the back. "Liam and his team will hold the enemies attention until they finish planting the bombs."

"Who is on his team?" Fay inquired.

"Whoever he picks to go with him," Samus replied.

Samus looked to see if there were any more questions. He saw none and so concluded the briefing. "The attack will be launched soon, I suggest you all suit up and get ready." He turned to head out of the room. Liam frowned as he watched the man leave. He had walked off before he could ask him about his family. It was starting to get annoying and Liam vowed to get an answer next they met.

The team of spartans left shortly after he did and left the room with only Liam and his friends. "You know..." Falco began as he stood up from his chair. "I'm not as set on this as I was a moment ago."

Fox chuckled. 'What's wrong now Falco?"

"Well, half of these bastards are big enough to step on me, and the rest...." Falco scoffed and tossed his feathered hands in the air.

The two began to fight gamely amongst themselves and Liam watched in amusement, soured by his anger. He looked to Krystal and stood up, she following after him. He turned to head out of the room and she pursued. The rest of the team noticed his departure and tagged along, postponing their bickering session for later.

Liam already knew who he was going to take with him, and they knew too.

In short order they arrived at the hanger. The spartans were already down there, standing silently by a pelican and overseeing their equipment. Liam walked past them and to the cradle where his armor lied. He stopped by the machine and turned to Krystal. This would be the last time he could touch her before the armor would desensitize him. He picked her up in a hug and held it for a few minutes.

Eventually he had to let her back down and with one last kiss, turned to his suit. He grabbed the black bodysuit and looked it over, he could still faintly see the damage done by the hunters, but the techs had done an excellent job patching it up. It seemed that the techs had also left a curtain next to the machine, most likely so that he could change into the undersuit without prying eyes; he smiled at that small gesture and quickly switched into the full body armor.

His shoulder and back were slightly irritated by the closeness of the almost second skin armor, but it was worth it. Liam made himself as comfortable as he could and stepped out from behind the drape. Not wasting time he sat down on the cradle and it slowly but surely placed the armor on his body.

When it finished he stood up from the machine and grabbed his helmet placed nearby. The crack on it was gone and he couldn't feel damaged plates on his spine. Liam placed the helm in the crook of his arm and walked over to his friends after reinserting the TACPAD to its former home.

Soon the mission would start and they would win back harvest. Things were grim, but he had hope and faith that they would succeed.