Go down the stairs and grab a Battle rifle (BR) from the weapons locker on the wall. Go down the stairs to join two Marines, Sergeant Johnson, and a Navy Captain with a pistol. Listen to the battle report on the Malta, then run down the stairs, and take cover behind the steel barrier. An alternative to fighting head on is to jump on top of the Communications stations and then onto the balcony above the door. The Covenant are easily dealt with from this position. However, there is another door on the balcony that two Elites will come through during the assault, so keep watch.